TEAM

Celebrating local communities on the national page.

Welcome to YOGA♥ Magazine, a print magazine that celebrates local yoga and wellness communities, on the national page. Our mission is to celebrate diversity, to inspire, and create community.

YOGA♥ Magazine showcases yoga, lifestyle, wellness, art, and community in a beautifully designed print magazine that is thoughtfully curated and printed on high quality paper stock. YOGA♥ Magazine also produces retreats, events and co-produces SOULFest Yoga and Wellness Festival.

Founded by Iana Velez, former Creator, Publisher, and Editor in Chief of the critically acclaimed local publication NY YOGA LIFE magazine.

Yoga Plus Magazine - bio pic - iana velez_photo by - Paul Undesinger

Iana Velez

FOUNDER & EDITOR IN CHIEF

Iana Velez is the Founder and Editor in Chief of Yoga Love Magazine, the only Latina owned, independently published, nationally distributed print magazine celebrating yoga, wellness, art and culture. She is also co-producer of SOULFest, a national yoga and wellness festival that celebrates diversity, accessibility and community. SOULFest NYC is the only FREE festival that includes spanish/bilingual yoga in its programming as a tribute to the city’s hispanic community and Iana’s family.

Iana’s parents came to NYC from Puerto Rico, where Iana was then born and raised. She has a BA in Art History and an MFA in Film from USC, and has worked internationally as an Art Director for over 20 years in TV, Film and Print. She completed her 200 YTT certification from Nosara Yoga Institute in 2008 and enjoys teaching restorative yoga.

Stephanie Jade-Wong Bio Pic

Frances Hunt (She/Her)

Managing Editor

State you live in:

NEW YORK

What you love most about where you live:
I love the diversity and cultural richness of NY along with the ability to find most anything here.

Favorite teachers or studios (online or in person) who inspire you:
Sheri Celentano (@shericelentano) has always spoken to my soul as a teacher. In a room full of students her sequences and words seem to always speak directly me. She has the same impact virtually! Harlem Studio (@harlemyoga) has always been a studio that offers the diversity and representation I look for in both teachers and students.

Stephanie Jade-Wong Bio Pic

Stephanie Jade Wong (She/Her)

Feature Editor

State you live in:

NEW YORK

What I love most about where I live:
NYC was always a dream. Now that it’s home, I love how inspiring, brutal, and magical it is.

Favorite teachers or studios (online or in person) who inspire you:
Mackenzie Gaudette of Charmed Healing

photo: Grant Henry

Yoga Plus Magazine - Melissa Honkanen - bio pic

Melissa Honkanen (She/Her)

REGIONAL DIRECTOR

State you live in:

GEORGIA

What you love most about where you live:
Atlanta brings outdoor yoga everywhere! Be it on hikes in the Chattahoochee National Forest or in green urban community spaces on the BeltLine, I love being able to connect to the beauty of yoga and the inspiration of Mother Nature.

Favorite teachers or studios (online or in person) who inspire you:
Maile Sivert at The Mindful Body in San Francisco holds one of the most beautiful and sacred yoga classes.

where you teach/work
melissaannyoga.com

Justine Ma - bio photo

Justine Ma

TEAM MEMBER

State you live in:

HAWAII

Where you teach/work (how people can find you online to learn more):
chefjustinema.com

What you love most about where you live:
I love swimming in the ocean year round!

Favorite teachers or studios (online or in person) who inspire you:
Ali Cramer

Yoga Plus Magazine - team member pic - LouLou Piscatore

LouLou Piscatore

BEAUTY & WELLNESS EDITOR

State you live in:

NEW YORK

What you love most about where you live:
I’ve lived in Manhattan for my entire adult life and have a love hate relationship with it! It feels like the center of the universe most days and the best part would be the abundance of it — you can walk one block and experience art, music, food, fashion, people, nature, beauty, ugliness, joy, despair…like your senses are constantly in overload..

Favorite teachers or studios (online or in person) who inspire you:
wellness: Ann Cecil Sterman and Andrew Sterman: masters of Classical Chinese acupuncture, herbs and food energetics @anncecilsterman, @welcomingfood

Yoga
Sheri Celentano @soulfull_solutions
Ashley Dorr @theshalanyc @premayogabrooklyn
Ali Cramer @soulfull_solutions
Dominique Gartsin yogalilamontauk.com

Yoga Plus Magazine - bio pic - Lauren Beth Jacobs

Lauren Beth Jacobs (She/Her/Ella)

TEAM MEMBER

State you live in:

WASHINGTON, D.C.

What you love most about where you live:
I am inspired by the many people who come here and work their butts off because they want to make the world a better place. I also love when people discover that this city they thought would be a quick stop and resume builder is actually their home, filled with incredible neighborhoods, small businesses, restaurants, museums, parks, culture, and people!

Favorite teachers or studios (online or in person) who inspire you:
There are too many to count, so I am just going to share my favorite online yoga studios right now: I adore my online home studio, YA Classes with YogiApproved, for inspiring me to try new styles of yoga and movement from wherever I am in the world! And, after teaching yoga for more than 15 years, I always return to an old favorite, YogisAnonymous, when I am hoping to drop into my own practice and get out of teacher mode!

Yoga-Plus-Magazine- Miko Hafez bio photo

Miko Hafez (She/Her)

TEAM MEMBER

State you live in:

WASHINGTON

What you love most about where you live:
It’s exceptionally beautiful, has nice cafes and restaurants,and has probably the best summer weather in the world! It’s close to mountains and vast forests. I love hiking, so this is a perfect city for me.

Favorite teachers or studios (online or in person) who inspire you:
Tracy Hodgeman from 8 limbs yoga in Seattle.

YogaLove - Team - Tashya Knight

Tashya Knight (She/Her)

TEAM MEMBER

State you live in:

NEW YORK

What you love most about where you live:
I love living in NYC because it’s such a vibrant city that allows for exploration of the arts, theatre, and different cultures.

Favorite teachers or studios (online or in person) who inspire you:
My favorite studio is where I teach, Llamaste in Brooklyn, because the owner and other teachers all create a welcoming space for clients to practice at all levels. We have an easy going vibe there encouraging students to try classes and teachers that work with their schedules and align with their style.

Website
wellness13.com

Yoga Plus Magazine - Ingrid Baquero - bio pic

Ingrid Baquero (She/Her)

TEAM MEMBER

State you live in:

NEW YORK

What you love most about where you live:
I love Queens for its rich diversity in people, food and culture, It is, what it is, “The World’s Borough”. Here you find Queens Kids with big dreams in the making.

Favorite chill spot, Astoria Park
Favorite vibe spot, Urban Vegan Roots.

Favorite teachers or studios (online or in person) who inspire you:
The Yoga Room in Astoria and Form & Flow in LIC
The Yoga Room has been my local studio for years. I practice yoga with some great teachers, such as Juliana Mitchell, Victoria Greene, Wesley, Sigrid, Jan-Orland, and many more! I teach there too and it brings me much joy to share. Form & Flow is another beautiful studio that welcomes all and embraces community through classes, workshops, sound healing and breathwork.

The Bhakti Center in LES, NYC
One of my other favorite studios to connect spiritually is The Bhakti Center. From kirtan, to wisdom talks, to yoga, all the instructors bring peace, love and joy. They have wonderful programs, weekly classes and enriching pilgrimage retreats, including magical India, a MUST do!