Our Teachers

Amy Van Mui

She is Level II certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher (formerly Intermediate Jr. II).. Amy has been teaching since 2000. Her inspired teaching style focuses on functional and efficient movement which helps the body feel better regardless of level of practice. Her earnest study of biomechanics is fueled by her background in Pilates. A journey beyond the physical body is evident in each of Amy’s classes, which are infused with energy and compassion to cultivate a vibrant sense of well-being. She has studied with John Schumacher since 2007 and continues to assist him in class. This ongoing apprenticeship deepens and enriches her practice and teaching which she in turn shares with students on this path. Please visit WellWithin.com for more information.

Leah DiQuollo

Leah, CIYT, Intermediate Junior I, has been teaching since 2000.  In 2005, she found her way to an Iyengar Yoga class at Unity Woods in Arlington, VA and then Bethesda, MD.  She is grateful for the time she worked with her mentors John Schumacher and Lori Lipton.  In the time of COVID she enjoys the opportunity to study with Sr Iyengar Yoga teachers across the globe.

Having finished her 21-year telecom run in 2017, Leah is now a full time teacher.  She considers it a privilege to share the gift of Iyengar Yoga as she helps each student develop body awareness, gain stability and balance; and build strength and flexibility in a safe and conscious way.

She teaches classes at her home studio in Alexandria, VA (www.iyengaryogawithleah.com) and Alexandria City Park and Rec Centers.   Off the mat, she enjoys gardening, reading and traveling.  She is thankful for support of her husband and her 8-year old son, as they continue to be her inspiration.

Rocky Delaplaine

FILLER - CIYT, began her apprenticeship with Dörthe Braun in 2015.

During her study, she began to delve more deeply into the underlying philosophy of yoga and now writes the blog posts for the Unity Woods Sutra Study Blog. In her teaching, Sarah looks to integrate some of the philosophic principles she has learned to cultivate and inspire the alignment, balance, strength, and ease that comes from a well rounded and dedicated practice. She continues her studies regularly with Dörthe and other senior teachers.

With her background in art and architecture, Sarah was drawn to Iyengar Yoga because of the emphasis it places on exploration and understanding of the foundational aspects of the postures. Over time and through repetition, these solid foundations cultivate stability and mobility, along with an awareness of the body, mind, and intelligence.

When not on the yoga mat, you can find Sarah working on her art, exploring museums with her partner, playing bocce, or curled up with a cup of tea and good book on either art, math or philosophy.

Doerthe Braun

She is a Certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher (Intermediate Senior 1/ level 3). Her practice, and her teaching, are strongly influenced by decades of study with teachers around the world, including the Iyengars in Pune and senior teachers in Europe and North America. She has studied with her mentor, John Schumacher, since 1999 and has been teaching at Unity Woods Yoga Center in Bethesda, Maryland, since 2009.

Doerthe’s enthusiastic, energetic teaching style and her emphasis on precision encourages students to extend themselves physically and mentally, while her keen sense of humor keeps her classes fun. Students experience an enhanced awareness of the body, stability and quietness of the mind, and self-understanding. She integrates her knowledge of therapeutic methods in her regular classes and in focused workshops.

Doerthe teaches beginner to advanced asana and pranayama classes. She is leading with Nazli Weiss and Sarah Hull the monthly Yoga Philosophy discussion group.

Maggie Rhoades

FILLER - CIYT, Level 2, trained with legendary senior teachers John Schumacher and Patricia Walden and continues to study with them. Megan’s style is warm, humorous, and precise, and she loves to help all levels of yoga practitioners gain the benefits of yoga. Megan is certified by Dr. Loren Fishman to teach Yoga for Osteoporosis. She has assisted him in his Yoga for Osteoporosis teacher trainings, in editing a teacher manual, and in training and certifying teachers.

Sarah Hull

CIYT, began her apprenticeship with Dörthe Braun in 2015.

During her study, she began to delve more deeply into the underlying philosophy of yoga and now writes the blog posts for the Unity Woods Sutra Study Blog. In her teaching, Sarah looks to integrate some of the philosophic principles she has learned to cultivate and inspire the alignment, balance, strength, and ease that comes from a well rounded and dedicated practice. She continues her studies regularly with Dörthe and other senior teachers.

With her background in art and architecture, Sarah was drawn to Iyengar Yoga because of the emphasis it places on exploration and understanding of the foundational aspects of the postures. Over time and through repetition, these solid foundations cultivate stability and mobility, along with an awareness of the body, mind, and intelligence.

When not on the yoga mat, you can find Sarah working on her art, exploring museums with her partner, playing bocce, or curled up with a cup of tea and good book on either art, math or philosophy.

Joe Adlesic

CIYT, Intermediate Junior I

He had the good fortune to cross paths and begin studying with his mentor John Schumacher in the early 1980s. After years of weekly classes with John, along with attending numerous workshops with Senior Iyengar yoga teachers from the US and abroad, Joe began teaching at Unity Woods in 1990. At that time, in addition to teaching at Unity Woods, he also founded the Blue Ridge Yoga studio in Charlottesville, VA where he served as owner/director for the next 20 years. Since 2009, Joe has taught exclusively at Unity Woods where he offered classes over the years at all of the previous in-person studio locations: Bethesda, DC and Arlington. 

Joe also had the good fortune to attend national Iyengar conventions and international  Iyengar events where he attended mega-classes with BKS Iyengar directly. He also traveled to Pune, India on multiple occasions to study at the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute to attend classes with BKS Iyengar’s children - Geeta and Prashant Iyengar.  Joe considers it a great blessing to have been guided on this path by John Schumacher since the early days through the present and to be a part of the Unity Woods teaching staff for 30+ years now. He has deep gratitude for all the wonderful students he has come to know along the way.    

Mary Pappas - Sandonas

FILLER - CIYT, began her apprenticeship with Dörthe Braun in 2015.

During her study, she began to delve more deeply into the underlying philosophy of yoga and now writes the blog posts for the Unity Woods Sutra Study Blog. In her teaching, Sarah looks to integrate some of the philosophic principles she has learned to cultivate and inspire the alignment, balance, strength, and ease that comes from a well rounded and dedicated practice. She continues her studies regularly with Dörthe and other senior teachers.

With her background in art and architecture, Sarah was drawn to Iyengar Yoga because of the emphasis it places on exploration and understanding of the foundational aspects of the postures. Over time and through repetition, these solid foundations cultivate stability and mobility, along with an awareness of the body, mind, and intelligence.

Santiago Hernandez

CIYT, is a Level II Certified Iyengar Teacher, originally from Argentina. He has been teaching since 2011 for yoga centers in the state of Virginia, Washington D.C., and New York City, where he is a faculty member of the Iyengar Yoga Institutes of New York and Brooklyn (https://www.iyengarnyc.org). Santiago has trained extensively with his mentor and teacher, John Schumacher. He also studies with other advanced Iyengar educators, such as Laurie Blakeney and James Murphy, to name a few. Santiago’s goal as a teacher is to inspire his students in growing their practices and experiencing a deeper connection within themselves. His teaching is an extension of his own committed daily practice and love for the subject of yoga. In addition to his yoga training, Santiago is a certified massage therapist from the Potomac Massage Training Institute in Maryland, where he worked at the graduate clinic. He has also held administrative roles for wellness Institutions such as Common Ground Healing Arts center in Charlottesville, Virginia and the Iyengar Association of Greater New York.

Kate Krems

CIYT, Level I (Introductory Level)

Kate enjoys teaching because it is an opportunity to share yoga, which has done so much for her in her life, and it is an opportunity to learn and gain inspiration from her students. Her time in the Unity Woods community has coincided with a period of great change in her life — the birth of two children, with one more on the way, her transition from student to attorney, and her adjustment to motherhood and full-time work during a pandemic. Yoga reminds her that nothing is permanent, other than the true self, and with her practice, she aims to peel back the layers of distraction to come closer to the truth. She is grateful for the practice, the community, the teachings, the teachers, and the long tradition of union of body and mind.

Megan Bowles

CIYT, Level 2

trained with legendary senior teachers John Schumacher and Patricia Walden and continues to study with them. Megan’s style is warm, humorous, and precise, and she loves to help all levels of yoga practitioners gain the benefits of yoga. Megan is certified by Dr. Loren Fishman to teach Yoga for Osteoporosis. She has assisted him in his Yoga for Osteoporosis teacher trainings, in editing a teacher manual, and in training and certifying teachers.

Thierry Chiapello

FILLER - CIYT, began her apprenticeship with Dörthe Braun in 2015.

During her study, she began to delve more deeply into the underlying philosophy of yoga and now writes the blog posts for the Unity Woods Sutra Study Blog. In her teaching, Sarah looks to integrate some of the philosophic principles she has learned to cultivate and inspire the alignment, balance, strength, and ease that comes from a well rounded and dedicated practice. She continues her studies regularly with Dörthe and other senior teachers.

With her background in art and architecture, Sarah was drawn to Iyengar Yoga because of the emphasis it places on exploration and understanding of the foundational aspects of the postures. Over time and through repetition, these solid foundations cultivate stability and mobility, along with an awareness of the body, mind, and intelligence.

When not on the yoga mat, you can find Sarah working on her art, exploring museums with her partner, playing bocce, or curled up with a cup of tea and good book on either art, math or philosophy.