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About Our Studio

Elahi, the Persian word for "blessed" is the name of our children's yoga studio, for we believe that all children are blessed.

Elahi Yoga was founded in 2009 to bring children and their families together to expand the boundaries of their minds and bodies. Located on the upper east side of Manhattan, Elahi Yoga welcomes active learners to experience yoga, enrichment classes, fun events, and more!

At Elahi Yoga kids play, imagine, learn and relax. Our non-competitive, inclusive environment allows children to express themselves in a variety of modes in an intimate space and more one on one attention with our instructors. Elahi Yoga is an oasis for mental and physical well being.

Read more about children's yoga in articles written by our founder, Kami Evans:

Instructor Bios

Kami Evans, founder of Elahi Yoga,is a RYT through Joschi Yoga Institute and a certified children’s yoga instructor through Karma Kids Yoga and a certified special needs children's yoga instructor through Every Kids Yoga. Before her certification, Kami began a daily yoga practice as a means to address her daughter’s physical mobility challenges. Working with her daughter and seeing remarkable improvements through yoga exercise has inspired her to continue with the practice and to help other children find self-confidence while having fun through new and exciting activities.

Kami has worked with families at Making Milestones, 74th Street Magic, and MOMPrep. She also teaches at various events throughout the city and has spoken at the inservice for the Pediatric Division of Hospital for Special Surgury in NYC and YAI/LifeStart. If you and your family are interested in working with Kami, please contact the studio to set up a consultation.
Contact: kami@elahiyoga.com

Erin Howitt is originally from Vancouver BC, and she and her husband moved to New York City two years ago. Erin has long been passionate about yoga – and has enjoyed exploring many different types of yoga, especially here in the big apple! She is also an active runner and spinner – and she recently received her teacher training through Karma Kids Yoga (and is enrolled in Karma Kids’ Yoga Mom Buddah Baby training, focusing on classes for moms and their little ones). Erin absolutely adores working with children; she is inspired by their enthusiasm, playfulness, and imagination. She is thrilled to be working with Elahi yoga, combining her love for kids and her interest in health and fitness!
Contact: erin@elahiyoga.com

Shell Merrill has always enjoyed using her imagination and expressing herself physically; from the first plays that she wrote and performed with her sister as a child, to her career as a modern dancer and later as a zany Spinning instructor in her hometown of Minneapolis, MN. Shell has a huge belief in the knowledge gained through trying new things, learning to "practice" rather than trying to be perfect and most of all, being able to laugh through the whole experience. She brings a sense of fun, play and compassion to all of her classes, for both adults and kids. Shell is a 500 hour certified RYT trained at BeYoga/Yoga Works and calms her inner "bouncing off the walls" big kid energy through her own yoga practice. She is also certified to teach yoga to children through Little Flower Yoga and Karma Kids Yoga, and recently completed Prenatal Yoga Training. Her classes are engaging and hysterical, always filled with laughter.
Contact: shell@elahiyoga.com

Nikki Nasto has a background in dance. She received her BFA from the New School with the Joffrey Ballet School. She started practicing yoga eight years ago, when recovering from an injury due to her dance training. She realized yoga helped align her body and calmed her mind in anticipation to dance again. She made a full recovery and received her MFA in Dance at the Tisch School of the arts at NYU. Nikki teaches dance in after school programs around the city and ballet at Steps on Broadway. She received her yoga teaching certification at Yoga Works NYC along with her prenatal yoga certification. Nikki has also completed the her children's yoga certification here at Elahi Yoga. Nikki enjoys teaching children, and believes she learns just as much from each student as they learn from her. She is very excited to be teaching yoga at Elahi.
Contact: nikki@elahiyoga.com

Keisha Bolden is a Yoga, Dance, and Fitness Instructor.Keisha Bolden began studying yoga 12 years ago and has studied Hatha, Bikram, Vinyasa, Ashtanga and has completed her Pilates Reformer certification course. Keisha has studied as the student of many master teachers and has completed her children's yoga certification through Elahi Yoga.

In February of 2008, Keisha was blessed with the opportunity to live and teach yoga in India for 6 months. In addition to joining the teaching staff at the Sivananda Vedanta Ashram, Keisha managed the ashram’s Karma Yoga program.

When teaching, Keisha encourages students to challenge themselves while maintaining purity and simplicity of movement. Students are taught to focus inward and to develop ultimate trust for their bodies. Both on and off the mat, Keisha holds a simple creed. “Be Healthy. Be Happy.”
Contact: keisha@elahiyoga.com

Camy Becker, originally from Florida, discovered yoga while studying Theatre at NYU. Regular practice became a compliment to her acting, by connecting her more fully to her breath and body. Yoga became an integral part of Camy's life post-graduation by providing her with stability and grounding while she pursued the unstable path of an actress. Camy wanted to share her love of yoga, and having previously taught theatre to children, she thought she would try her hand (and feet) at children's yoga and is so glad she did!

In class, Camy loves being a kid with the kids and journeying with them through adventures to imaginary places. She believes it's important to make each child feel special and individual, encouraging her students to express themselves freely. Camy celebrates each child individually while making them feel a part of the class as a whole, creating a special environment where kids are free to open their imaginations and play yoga. And she's pretty silly, too!

Camy has a BFA in Drama from NYU and is certified by Karma Kids Yoga.
Contact: camy@elahiyoga.com

Jackie Young Lee is an active member of Elahi Yoga as an instructor as well as graphic and web designer. She is a graduate from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and has a B.F.A. with emphasis on fashion and illustration. After college, Jackie moved to New York to start her career as an artist/designer, but was introduced to other things along the way. A new art form was brought into her life called “yoga” and Jackie learned the many benefits it brings to children and adults. Jackie loves working with the children at Elahi Yoga and is so grateful to be part of an amazing yoga team.
Contact: jackie@elahiyoga.com