About Our Yoga Studio
Everyone from every background is welcome in our studio.
The classes at Dandridge Community Yoga do not contain religious content. We rely on modern language terms to lead practice.
There are often extended periods of quiet reflection during which you can choose to concentrate, pray, meditate, or space out. At the end of each class, there is a time of intense rest. Sometimes this will include guided visualizations.
Each student is free to participate how it feels most comfortable to them. We have a variety of teachers, each from different backgrounds, that provide a unique experience. We are sure you will find a flow that fits you!
About Our Teachers
Nancy Beth Garrett
I am a 58 year old, plump, graying mother of four grown children who started taking yoga classes about eight years ago. My yoga practice helps me feel young, vital, strong, and calm. I want to share that experience with the folks around me.
In 2019, I did my 200 hour Yoga teacher training, right over the hill, at the Asheville Yoga Center. Currently, I am working on my 500 hour training, focusing on “special populations.” (Kids, trauma-informed yoga, addiction support) My husband, Dan, and I spent 2019-2021 traveling the country in our 5th wheel RV, settling in Dandridge in July that year. We love it here, except, there’s no yoga studio nearby.
We’ve been on the lookout for the right space: close to downtown Dandridge, right size, available, parking. Boom, in January, there it was! Right on Gay Street, my very first choice. It’s been a race to get things going and we are in the final stretch. The cork flooring is in; the mats and accessories have arrived; I have my business licenses.
From talking to folks in town, it seems like many of you will be new to yoga. That’s just fine, because I am new to teaching yoga in formal classes, and new to running a yoga studio. So, we’ll all start off slowly and carefully, and build some great things.
Gretchen Christina
Hi there. I moved to Dandridge in 2021 with my husband and two boys. I have been a dedicated student and practitioner of the Yogic Arts and Sciences for 12 years. I received my 200 YTT in 2012, specializing in differential instruction and hot yoga.
In 2018 I took another 200 YTT specializing in somatic movement and creative vinyasa flow. I practice Ayurveda and yogic lifestyle and weave philosophy through my class. In my classes you will experience a compassionate teaching style, eclectic music, lots of breathing cues, meditation and movement to build heat, strength, flexibility and more. In my classes you will notice how I emphasize proper Alignment and Self Awareness. I teach a well rounded class rooted in the 8-limb path. I have been blessed to have had amazing teachers including trauma formed education and I am excited to share my love of Yoga with my new community here in Dandridge.
Dina Kaniho
Aloha! I’m Dina Kaniho, your dedicated Wellness Practitioner and Registered Nurse with over 28 years of experience in nurturing and healing. With a rich background in both modern medicine and alternative therapies, I bring a deeply informed and compassionate approach to my classes, workshops, and private practice. Specializing in Energy Work and Clinical Hypnotherapy, I am Reiki, Pure Energy Healing, and yoga teacher certified. In my yoga classes, I blend these practices to offer a truly unique and guided healing experience.
My journey into wellness began in 1991, driven by a profound desire to understand and promote health beyond traditional medical treatments. This path was not only professional but deeply personal, as my own health challenges led me to explore
and benefit from the very practices and classes I now offer. I look forward to connecting with you.
Alicia Waite
Alicia is a 200 hr. certified yoga teacher with many additional hours of continued education and multiple certifications through AAAI. She is also a life coach, sound therapist, and nursing student. She has been sharing the practice with others for 7 years now.
She says, “For me, Yoga is the essence of life and the key to unity within your mind, body, and soul. There is so much to achieve together on and off the mat. In my classes I give access to multiple ways of achieving the poses, along with breath work, mindful intentions, and an attitude of gratitude meditation to close our time together. I look forward to sharing and creating beautiful things together.”