Maria has been practicing yoga since early 2000 and has been teaching for the past five years. She trained in the DC/VA area where she received a RYT 200, PRYT85 (Prenatal), 500RYT and accomplished a ERYT (over 1000hrs of training and teaching) designation. Maria has completed most of her teacher training through Tranquil Space and recently finished an additional 200hr Yoga Teacher Training with YogaWorks. She specializes in Prenatal Yoga and offers a variety of Preparing for Birth Partner Workshops. Maria is also a professional Doula and she uses her knowledge and experience to answer questions of parents-to-be, whether related to fertility, pregnancy or the postpartum period. Finally, she holds a degree in Therapeutic Massage and is a Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT), specializing in Trigger Point Therapy and Prenatal Massage. She brings compassion, a nurturing touch, and attention to proper alignment in her teaching and assistance. Through her education and experience, Maria's mission is to educate expectant mothers, and to help them feel confident and empowered to advocate for themselves.

Kristen is the co-founder of Birth Halo and has taught yoga for 10 years. She started teaching yoga in 2012 while working in Afghanistan and shortly after, studied Ashtanga yoga in Mysore, India in 2013 and received her 200-hour yoga teaching certificate there. She has studied pre- and post-natal and child/family yoga. She finished her 300-hour advanced teacher training in Vinyasa from Tranquil Space, now a Yoga Works studio in Washington DC in 2016. She has truly seen the transformative effects of yoga practice on the body, mind, and spirit both in herself and her students. She practiced yoga through her two pregnancies, including a twin pregnancy and in her postpartum experience. She is very excited to help our postpartum community rebuild strength, bond with baby, and practice mindfulness on their yoga mats.