MEET THE TEAM

NATALIE

OWNER | TEACHER
26+2 | Pilates | Yoga

RYT 200, Hot Yoga + Pilates Certified, 300hr training original hot yoga series

Natalie moved to Woodstock in the summer of 2022. She loves the small town charm. One of the things her friends asked when she said she was moving is where will you practice yoga? In her first year embracing Woodstock as home, she was unsuccessful in finding a close place to practice in the heat. So… here we are... ARIS was born from the heart and vision of Natalie's long-time love for and ever-expanding knowledge of an ideal HOT practice & community! ARIS: Ambition, Resilience, Inspired, Strength

Natalie is a mom to two daughters and two sons, and a few four-legged kids too. She LOVES the heat… total sweat junkie. But this wasn’t always true. It took a lot of convincing to get her to step foot in the hot room for the first time. After crossing the threshold: one class and that was it! There was no turning back. If you know, you know! If you’re wondering what it’s all about.. come try a class and see for yourself where the magic happens with daily HOT practice.

Always active and on the go running on adrenaline, Natalie recognizes that usually equates to running on empty. Add to that full-speed lifestyle, she was a young mom and always so focused on trying to do everything right, instead of giving herself grace for doing the best she could. After beating her body to a pulp riding horses and running -she found her space on the mat 15+ years ago. It was exactly what her body needed to balance a high impact lifestyle. It was many years after that when she discovered the ideals and benefits of hot yoga and the true mind/body connection started. "I could feel the change in my body almost immediately. This is where I learned to stop worrying my mind endlessly if I was doing anything right and found clarity in my thoughts." -Natalie

Natalie will tell you: Yoga keeps me sane! I can feel it in my body and my mind when I’ve been away from the mat too long. Even my daughter will say… "Mom, you need to go to yoga!!!"

Her goal at ARIS is to build a community that comes together to work on themselves. To create space where there is an ease to quiet the endless chatter and encourage you to take time out of your day to take care of YOU. To help you gain strength, flexibility, and balance both in the body and in the mind. To explore each posture each day as if it were your first class and allow yourself to accept wherever you are in your practice today.

AMMAN

26+2 | PILATES

Amman has been a dedicated 26+2 yoga practitioner since 2006 and has been sharing the transformative power of yoga as a teacher since 2019. Having taught in both Los Angeles and Chicago, Amman combines elements of urban energy and mindfulness in each class.

Specializing in the 26+2 yoga series, Amman deeply appreciates the strength, flexibility, and mental clarity this practice fosters.

Whether you’re stepping onto the mat for the first time or deepening an existing practice, Amman is committed to creating a supportive, engaging, and empowering environment for all students. In her teaching, she focuses on proper alignment, breath control, and the joy of self-discovery, making each class a fun experience.

BEN

PILATES

Having practiced yoga since 2011, Ben found passion for hot pilates at ARIS in 2024. Loving the energy of the class, euphoria from the heat, and the satisfaction of a dedicated practice, Ben could only speak highly of ARIS to anyone he met. Now, he joins ARIS as an instructor continuing to express his love for the studio while fostering a mindset of growth and perseverance.

When not solving the world's tech issues, Ben combines his love for music with movement that targets and strengthens different muscle groups for any ability level.

Ben brings his energy, humor, and motivation to the mat everyday.

DAN

YOGA

Dan has been teaching yoga since 2005 after completing certification at the temple of Kriya Yoga in Chicago. Dan has taught yoga at festivals, in classrooms, privately, and in large room seminars. Dan specializes in yin and restorative yoga but also teaches a flow style. All of his yoga sessions end with a sound healing meditation. He fully believes in this work and in a yoga-influenced lifestyle.
YOGA

Dan lives in Woodstock with his two kids.

JANNA

YOGA

After more than 20 years as a music teacher in K-12 school and in higher education, Janna felt called to step away from the classroom and pursue a very different path—teaching yoga.

Yoga had already been a meaningful part of her own life since 2012, providing a space to breathe, reflect, grow, and reconnect. When her and her husband decided to open a goat yoga business she earned her yoga teacher certification and began a new chapter that brought together many of the things she values most: teaching, helping people in need, fostering connections, and cultivating new depths of her own personal spiritual life.

Her faith in Christ is also a deeply grounding part of who she is and profoundly influences the way she approaches life and teaching—with grace, gratitude, compassion, and a desire to encourage others.

Her journey from music education to yoga may seem like an unexpected one, but she believes each chapter has prepared her for the next. Today, she brings all of those experiences to the mat, creating a practice that is welcoming, joyful, and centered on connection—body, mind, and spirit.

JEN

PILATES | YOGA

When Jen took her first yoga class in 2007, the impact it had on her life felt profound. The physical workout was intense. She felt calm and experienced some much-needed mental clarity. After that first yoga class, she went down a path of yogic exploration and found a wide range of yoga practices, which all led to the same brilliant outcome of calm and mental clarity. During the pandemic, yoga was a critical part of how she overcame some of the mental struggles that plagued people around the world after the forced isolation. Since yoga had been such a critical part of her survival, she wanted to share it with others. In 2021, she joined a 200HR teacher training program at Fox Valley Yoga Teacher Training, and became an certified instructor in 2022.

Breathwork has always been a big part of her yoga practice. When teaching, she enjoys connecting breath to movement. Jen hopes her students get to enjoy an intense physical practice and walk away feeling calm, with mental clarity, ready to embark on a productive day.

MARCIE

PILATES | YOGA

ARIS Yoga and Pilates has been a turning point in Marcies health and fitness journey. Through commitment and consistency in her practice, she has experienced meaningful changes in both her mind and body. Marcie is honored to be an instructor at ARIS and to give back to others by sharing the strength, balance, and wellness that she has gained through her own journey. When she is not in the ARIS sweaty sanctuary, you can find her at the Elementary School as building Principal, at wrestling matches with her son Ben or down at KU with her daughter Cecelia. Otherwise, Marcie is dreaming up yoga and pilates sequences in her living room with her husband BJ and dogs Leo & Loki.