Claire E-RYT, PYT, owner
I am the meat and potatoes, caffeine and chocolate kind of yogi.  I like a good class of wine as much as a good Om.  

Yoga has always played a significant role in supporting my athletic lifestyle.  In college, I majored in business management with a focus on advertising and marketing. While working at an advertising agency in Boulder Colorado I learned a valuable lesson: “you must sell the truth of the product.” The truth of the matter was, there wasn’t anything I believed in enough to commit to selling. On top of a mountain, while skiing I confessed this dilemma to my husband. His response seemed so simple, so obvious “why don’t you own a yoga studio?” Finally I had found a way to combine my two passions: business and yoga. The next natural step was to formally go through yoga teacher training. At Core Power Yoga in Denver Colorado I received my 200 hour certification in Power Flow and Bikram styles; in addition, to children's yoga and prenatal. Then, after teaching and living in PA, Dana Barone offered me the opportunity of a lifetime: to become the new owner of Yoga Innovations. 

In 2012, we celebrate the birth of our first daughter and as well as the new business venture.  I look forward to continuing to build the yoga culture in the south hills and sharing the passion I have for the practice- and maybe a tip or two on the juggling act we call life.
Dana CYT, teacher
I must admit my entrance into the world of yoga was through a back door. I was a “must workout hard” enthusiast who practiced yoga for the "exercise" of it all....until one day I realized that I was getting stronger in ways that had never before seemed possible. My studying included many styles and types of yoga, with different yogis across the United States, Canada and Pittsburgh. It was here, in my own backyard, that I attended my first “Hot Yoga” class. The class was intense, and required a different kind of focus than anything I had previously encountered. I came to recognize the effects of consciously finding stillness and intentionally facing the physical challenges of a yoga practice. The effects have included moving beyond the boundaries of what I thought was possible on my yoga mat and in my life. My wish is to assist you in experiencing the same peace, strength and stillness in your lives that I am working toward in my own …… one breath at a time. 

Currently Dana is on leave due to an injury and will be back as soon as she has healed.  Send your positive thoughts her way!
Helen RYT, teacher
"Everything you have today, some day, you will not have." Those words spoken to me by Beryl Binder Birch, the First Lady of Power Yoga, have resonated within me ever since she spoke them. As I begin to age and move into the next decade of my life, I feel my yoga practice and experiences changing in many ways. I have learned that yoga is less about gaining, and more about letting go. I have embraced the yama of ahimsa and am kinder to myself than I was in my youth. I forgive myself more, and try to criticize less. After a severe rotator cuff injury with a long rehab and recovery, I found the healing power of yoga in a restorative practice. I have embraced the teachings of many including Cindy Lee, Rodney Yee, Baron Baptiste, Judith Laseter, Beryl Binder Birch, Dharma Mittra, and Ana Forrest. Each of them have motivated me in different ways. Each teacher has a unique perspective from which they share their practice. It is my hope to share my perspective with the yogis and yoginis that I have the blessing to teach. On the mat, I am a yogini striving to engage my mind, my body, and my breath. Off the mat, I am a wife, teacher, friend, and lover of Rooney, Schnitzel, Grace, and Pippy.
Candace RYT, teacher
My first experience with yoga was at my mother’s behest. And, although I refused to admit it to her at the time (I was 16 and full of teenage angst), I loved every bit of it. The teacher was charismatic, guiding the class through encouragement rather than the kind of heavy-handed instruction I was used to getting from high school teachers. I loved how my body, mind and spirit felt during and after class, and was hooked by the warmth the class gave me during the cold Pittsburgh winters. I was addicted immediately. As a teenager it seemed silly to me to dream of becoming a yoga instructor. So I dutifully went to college. However, while I was studying for the psychology GREs I had a break down. I vented to a friend that I didn’t want a life spent behind a desk; all I have ever wanted to do was help people by teaching yoga. She simply replied, “why don’t you then?” Within a few months I was enrolled in my first yoga teacher-training program. Once I started teaching I knew I had made the right choice. I am most happy and at peace when I able to share or experience yoga. When I’m not teaching or practicing, I’m a nanny and new mother, more jobs that bring great joy and satisfaction to my life. I also love the outdoors, and whenever the weather permits I’m in the woods with my dog, children and husband.
Maria CYT, teacher
My first power yoga experience was not exactly by choice, but has made all the difference in my life.  I came with a friend and didn't know what to expect. (I think we were wearing jean shorts) When the class concluded I walked outside into the cool feeling June breeze and knew that this is where I belong.  Only a month later, I knew I wanted to share this feeling of pure openness and joy with others.  In my classes I hope to help students feel like they have made time and space solely for their bodies and minds, because in our busy era we all need a bit more time for ourselves.
Jessie CYT, teacher
Yoga has been one of the most amazing journeys I have been blessed to take.  Yoga is not only physically a good workout but has so much more to offer if you open your heart and mind. I have found I am now better at letting go, accepting where I am right now, and not being so tough on myself- it has truly has changed my life off my mat.

Since incorporating these ideals into my life off my mat I decided to attend my first yoga teacher training. My decision to deepen my own practice, lead me to discover my desire to share the knowledge I attained in the training with-in myself through teaching others.  Yoga can be a very physical practice, but it is also very spiritual. I have grown more forgiving of myself, of others, and realize what we cultivate on our mat we can also incorporate into our own lives. Yoga is not only about the calories you burn, the cool clothes you wear, but rather what you can discover with-in yourself. 

Off my mat I am a geriatric social worker and a long distance runner. I enjoy talking yoga, feedback, growing as a person an teacher, as well as being a teacher.
Samantha CPT, pilates teacher
I have been practicing pilates for 12 years.  As a freshman in college, I was introduced to Pilates through a friend who had been certified through CORE and taught class 4 days a week. I quickly became a class regular all four days! Having trained for years as an athlete playing lacrosse, I found a great love for the intensity of pilates, and the remarkable difference it makes in one's body. 

After practicing pilates for several years, and through two pregnancies, I decided to become an instructor.  I received my certification from PHI Pilates in both Mat and Reformer.  I love both practicing and teaching pilates and looks forward to passing that love on to my students!