Your Guides

Jenna Forte

I find myself gently, yet powerfully longing for the yogic lifestyle and ever-so fleeting moments of bliss. I found yoga through the dark where I mentally struggled for years before finding liberation. At first, I used yoga as an outlet to escape the present, a regression tool instead of acceptance. I used yoga in all the ways that made me a coward of truth, fear, and forgiveness. I used yoga for the ego. I did not live authentically, I ignored my intuition, I did not speak my truth. I used the physical practice to disappear from reality, and the mental practice to justify the dark. It just took years of finding my voice to tap into my power through truth and compassion.

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Fast-forward 11 years, I am now begging for a slower, more meditative approach where I can find stillness. I no longer need to run from the silence, now, I embrace it. I crave it. As someone who struggles intensely with ADHD, OCD, and the irritability that stems from it, I need grounding techniques more than ever. Whether that's breath awareness, nature, movement, or meditation, this mom of 3 and owner of two businesses has to prioritize self-nourishment. 

Through my classes, I gently guide others to move with purpose while connecting with emotions, awareness and senses. I want to help those see through the thickness, explore their comfort zones, and encourage intuition, vulnerability, and trust. I provide a space where you can let go of the external noise and feel what you actually need within. Yoga and meditation can gift us a lighter, compassionate, and accepting way of living if we learn to surrender. May we shed the layers that no longer fulfill us. After all, yoga truly is about exploring the unknown depths of who we really are.

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Physically, my classes focus on functional + primal movement, mobility for healthy joints and longevity, and often jiujitsu-inspired flows that'll encourage you to expand your perception on yoga and movement.

Amanda Hinkle

Mandy Hinkle completed her yoga teacher training in Los Angeles, California at the internationally accredited Yogaworks Center for Yoga. She has Ashtanga Yoga and Iyengar-based training and has done in-depth study of asana, pranayama, yogic philosophy, Ayurveda and anatomy with teachers Joan Hyman (trained by  Maty Ezraty and Pattabhi Jois,) James Brown and Amy LaFond. While in LA, Mandy taught Vinyasa Flow Yoga on the Malibu and Santa Monica piers. She also taught Yoga For Actors and Movement For Actors in Hollywood. She taught meditation with SWAP LA, an outreach program to assist sex workers battling drug addiction on Skid Row.  Mandy also helped mount two donation-based yoga studios in the heart of Hollywood. In addition, Mandy was a professional theatre director, actress and print model. The LA Times called Mandy “a strong (theatrical) director with choreographic whimsy.” 

After moving back home to Youngstown, Mandy began collaborating with Dr. Jamie Marich teaching trauma-informed yoga. Mandy and Dr. Marich co-facilItated several workshops on uniting trauma recovery with yoga. This trauma- yoga work became Mandy’s passion and purpose.  All of Mandy’s classes are trauma-informed and she aims to bring students back home to themselves. With a strong focus on mental health, Mandy’s classes can aid in alleviating anxiety, depression and PTSD symptoms while exploring Ashtanga-inspired vinyasa flow yoga. 

We store the past in our bodies… trauma, abuse, heartache, regret and a myriad of emotional and physical pain. Through yoga, our emotions can open up like a shooting star. As we move energy in our bodies, we are letting go and finally moving forward. It’s the combination of the deep breathing and the deep stretching that makes yoga so therapeutic. 

Our yoga practice gives us the gift of the present moment. The past does not exist on the mat. The future has not yet happened. We breathe in this beautiful, wild moment and we are free. We are healing. 

Yoga is medicine. It's therapy. It's church. It's art. It's philosophy. It's self-love. It’s self-care. It’s poetry in motion. Yoga changed my life and it continues to ground me every day. Yoga is a path to bliss, joy, peace of mind and enlightenment. Yoga can change your life too. All you have to do is practice. A beginner’s mind is always welcome. An advanced practitioner can always learn more. Yoga is a lifelong journey of healing the body and the mind. Keep practicing.

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Melissa Delsignore

Hi I’m Melissa! I started at Yoga Element as a student in 2019 and immediately felt deeply connected to the studio, and soon I found a connection to myself that I never had. I knew about yoga and loved it for years before finding YE. I did at-home yoga videos for a workout, I thought it looked cool but was weirded out by chants or ohms or Sanskrit.
I only cared about the Asana, and this shallow perspective also mirrored the depths that I allowed my healing. I have always ran from my problems, ran from facing myself, and instead buried all my emotions deep within.

Something started happening to me in Jenna’s classes. And what I would soon find is Yoga Element being a key component to my recovery from alcohol.

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In class, all of these feelings, memories, emotions, self-talk would come up. Some days I would find myself bawling my eyes out uncontrollably in her class. Other days I left with my throat choked up and would spend the entire evening delving into the inner feelings that came up. Oftentimes allowing myself space to grieve and feel through the night and even into the next day. Crying my eyes out in the bathroom at work. Finding acceptance or who I was, and learning that everything in my life lead me to where I am now. Some days during Jenna’s classes - especially Fire Flow - I would catch myself meditating. Completely immersed in the moment, union of breath mind and body. In that moment, None of the past mattered, and the negative self talk wasn’t there. It took me a few times of convincing to go to someone else’s class other than Jenna’s. I NEEDED her Monday night class to start my week and I needed her words and wisdom. Then I went to Mandy’s class. On a Saturday; Sun Flow. The first class was about coming home to yourself, listening to your heart. Again, the choked up feeling came in my throat and tears filled my eyes, and I allowed myself to feel. I allowed myself to be with all of the discomfort and I allowed years of buried emotion to surface. It was through these classes that I, instead of numbing emotions and spiraling down the familiar path of self-harm, began to accept and let go. I was immediately attracted to inversions. You can’t dwell on your past when you are standing on your head! Honestly inversions look sweet but for me inversions are more about not running when I fail, committing to something and finishing it. Where if I can do this on the mat, I can bring this commitment and drive to other aspects of my life. Eventually, my breath in class became audible. Now I can’t live without my ujaji pranayama and don’t need to be in a studio space to breath deeply.

The more I practiced the more I learned, I learned names of poses like wild thing, extended side angle, skandasana. And I committed to finishing a teacher training! The third one in my life that I signed up for, I completed. I wanted to be able to help others the way Jenna and Mandy have been able to help me. Jenna knew about my teacher training and told me SHE would tell me when I was ready to teach, because if it was up to me, I would never say I was ready. Just a year ago , Jenna asked if I wanted to sub for her and I said yes without hesitation - it was time.

Here we are today. My goal as an instructor is to create a safe space for you to feel. To allow a space for breaking habits and patterns that stand in the way of your own peace. To find that voice inside that tells you , you are enough, exactly as you are. And all the guilt, shame you carry does not define you as a person and everything will be okay. I invite you to come home to yourself. My class Flow + Restore can be powerful, but for me, I need to burn off all that excess energy/ heat held in the body to allow for the buried emotions to surface, for the mind to stop racing. Then cool down, when the real work happens. For me, this is what separates yoga from the gym or working out - the time for inner work.
Surrendering into poses teaches us acceptance of our current situation and acceptance of ourselves. We slow down. Allow ourselves to ground, connect, feel, relax. To listen to our inner light. It’s an honor for me to write this to openly share how much element means to me and how much of my own growth happened because of the space Jenna and Mandy hold for us. Because here in these walls was where I found my own self love. I'm here to help you do the same. I look forward to seeing you. Namaste.

Mary Trigg

Mary is a certified yoga teacher, life coach, breath work facilitator and a longtime yoga practitioner who believes yoga should leave you feeling better than when you walked in both in body and mind.

A Midwest girl who moved to New York City in 1996 to study Accessories Design at FIT, Mary discovered yoga along the way and quickly realized it was more than just a workout. It became a place to breathe, reset, get out of her head, and come back to herself. Nearly 25 years later, yoga continues to be a constant through every chapter of her life from building a career in fashion and becoming a mom to navigating the inevitable twists, turns, and transitions along the way.

Mary’s classes blend creative, feel good movement with breathwork, mindfulness, and a little personality. She loves a smart, juicy flow, a great playlist, and finding that sweet spot between challenge and ease. Her goal is to create classes where you can move with intention, explore your practice, laugh at yourself when things get wobbly, and leave feeling grounded, energized, and refreshed.

When she’s not on her mat, Mary is usually creating something, dreaming up her next idea, hanging with her teenage daughters, or looking for her next adventure. Her philosophy is simple: flow with what is, stay curious, and keep growing.

Sarra Mohn

Sarra Mohn is a certified sound therapy practitioner who believes deeply in the power of rest as a pathway to healing and growth. Her work is rooted in the idea that we all need intentional moments to soften our overworked nervous system, allowing us to sink deeper into our practices of meditation, prayer or intention setting.

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Sarra’s sound bowl classes are created as a safe, welcoming space, and an invitation to peace, contentment, and deep restoration. She describes the experience as a drink of cold water for the soul: a pause that gently lifts the weight of the world from our bodies, minds, and hearts, allowing us to recharge and return to life with more balance and genuine joy, even alongside its harder lessons.

A mother to 13 year old twin boys, Sarra’s journey into sound therapy began with a desire to better understand rest, regulation, and emotional processing for herself, her children, and ultimately her community. Her intention is simple and sincere: to offer others a space to rest deeply, process gently, and feel supported exactly as they are.

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Sarra (Insta: @SimplySarrra), is co-owner of Jet Creative, a marketing and video production firm celebrating 12 yrs this year. She runs a women’s golf group in the summer called Golf Girlies (Insta:@GoGolfGirlies), encouraging women to get on the golf course. She volunteers at Inspiring Minds and serves on the board of directors for Community Correction's Association (CCA) and Valley Partners.

Sam Tower

With over 15 years in the spa and wellness industry, I bring a nurturing, restorative energy to every yin yoga class I teach. As a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT-200) and licensed esthetician, I blend my deep knowledge of the body's natural rhythms with a passion for relaxation and self-care.

My teaching is rooted in the belief that slowing down and tuning in is essential for true healing and balance—both on and off the mat. My classes offer a gentle, grounding space where students can slow down, release tension, and reconnect with themselves. As a mom, I understand the importance of creating space for restoration, and I strive to offer that to every student who joins me. Whether you're new to yoga or looking to deepen your practice, my classes are designed to help you unwind, reconnect, and find stillness.

When I'm not teaching, you’ll often find me In Millcreek or at home with a good book in hand, savoring quiet moments and the simple joy of slowing down.

Heather Kennedy

I’m a certified level II Reiki practitioner with a love for creating spaces where people can slow down, soften, and reconnect with themselves. During the monthly Yin+Reiki event, I weave gentle Reiki energy into the practice to support rest, nervous system regulation, and subtle healing. My intention is to offer a calm, supportive environment where students feel safe to release, receive, and simply be.

Julie Riedel

Julie believes movement is medicine and injures are some of the best teachers. She became 200-hour yoga certified in 2016, and embarked on her comprehensive Pilates certification, a 520 hour program, in 2026. Over the years Julie has studied vinyasa, yin, chakras and restorative. She focuses on functional movement and believes the basics can be harder than advanced.

Julie also teaches barre classes, but not the dancy kind because despite being a former band kid, her sense of rhythm needs some help. She is a runner and has picked up swimming. 

Marci Cullivan

COMING SOON

Jim York

Born and raised in Cornersburg, Jim York, now a middle school math teacher in North Canton, started his yoga journey in 2014 after searching for exercise that would heal his injured knees after many years of basketball. He discovered DDP Yoga and practiced for a year, then he became Level 1 certified in 2015. In 2017, he became the 2nd level 2 instructor in the world. During that process he ventured into Power Yoga then Ashtanga Yoga. While studying for his RYT (Registered Yoga Teacher) 300 in 2019, he started teaching Ashtanga Yoga, both the Half-Primary and Short Form practice. He is married to Courtney and has two daughters, Zetta and Vivian, who were born in 2017 and 2019. 

Certifications:

2015 - DDPY Level 1

2016 - RYT 200

2017 - DDPY Level 2

2018 - Reiki First Degree

2018 - Advanced Assist

2019 - RYT 500