About Yoga West

Yoga for real life. Tools for lasting change.

Founded in 2016, Yoga West began with a simple belief: yoga and mindfulness should be welcoming, accessible, and relevant to everyday life.

Over the past decade, that mission has grown far beyond the walls of a traditional yoga studio. Today, Yoga West is focused on bringing practical yoga and mindfulness tools into schools, professional trainings, and communities—supporting children and the adults who teach, guide, and care for them.

Through our Yoga in Schools programs, professional and teacher trainings, and Seva community initiatives, we create opportunities to build greater self-awareness, resilience, connection, and well-being.

Our approach isn't about asking people to become someone different. We believe our students are the experts in their own experience. Our role is to share what we know, create space for exploration, and offer practical tools they can carry with them long after a class or training ends.

This is yoga for real life—and a belief that healthier people can help create healthier schools, families, and communities.

Our Teachers

Julie Brown

  • Julie began her yoga journey after many years as a group fitness instructor. While fitness had taught her the value of strengthening the physical body, yoga introduced her to something more—the connection between movement, breath, self-awareness, and inner well-being. What began as a personal practice quickly became an important part of her life and eventually led her to teaching.

    Julie completed her 200-hour yoga teacher training and continued her education to become a 500-hour Registered Yoga Teacher with Yoga Alliance. Drawing from her background in both fitness and yoga, she brings a thoughtful balance of strength, movement, mindfulness, and breath to her teaching.

    A longtime member of the Yoga West community, Julie has played an important role in bringing the practice beyond the studio and into schools. As part of the Yoga West Yoga in Schools team, she works directly with children, creating accessible and engaging experiences that encourage movement, mindfulness, confidence, and connection.

    At the heart of Julie's teaching is the belief that what we discover and cultivate through yoga can extend far beyond the mat. She strives to create an environment where students can challenge themselves physically while also developing a greater awareness of themselves and the world around them.

    Outside of yoga, Julie enjoys spending time with her family, Tony, and her dogs. She loves being outdoors, walking, gardening, cooking and trying new recipes, and volunteering with her local animal shelter.

Kailey Mellen

Kelly Evans

  • Kailey was first introduced to yoga as a teenager when she attended a local class with her aunt, Yoga West founder Kelly Evans. What began as an interest in the physical practice soon grew into an appreciation for the many ways yoga can support everyday life—from greater focus and self-awareness to managing stress and anxiety.

    Her interest in the quieter, more introspective side of the practice led Kailey to become a certified Yin Yoga teacher, completing her training with author and YinYoga.com founder Bernie Clark. She continued her studies at Yoga West, working toward her 200-hour yoga teacher certification under the guidance of Kelly.

    Today, Kailey brings her practice beyond the traditional studio setting as part of the Yoga West Yoga in Schools team, helping introduce children to movement, mindfulness, and practical tools they can use both in and outside the classroom.

    Outside of yoga, Kailey is a Licensed Esthetician and shares the same care-centered philosophy with her clients—helping people feel comfortable, confident, and cared for. She also enjoys traveling, reading, and spending time with friends.

    Kailey strives to create an environment where students feel safe, comfortable, and free to experience yoga in their own way. A lifelong student herself, she approaches teaching with curiosity and the belief that yoga is not about perfection, but about discovering practices that support greater well-being in everyday life.

  • Founder & Director, Yoga West | E-RYT 500 • RCYT • YACEP

    Kelly Evans is the founder and director of Yoga West, which she established in 2016 with the belief that yoga should be accessible, practical, and relevant to everyday life.

    Over the past decade, Kelly's work has evolved from teaching traditional studio classes to bringing yoga and mindfulness into schools, special education programs, professional trainings, and community settings. Her work with children and educators has become a particular focus, with an emphasis on providing practical tools that support self-awareness, emotional regulation, resilience, and overall well-being.

    Kelly is an E-RYT 500, Registered Children's Yoga Teacher (RCYT), and Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider (YACEP). Her extensive training includes advanced study through the Himalayan Institute and The Kaivalya Yoga Method, children's and trauma-informed yoga, Yin Yoga with Bernie Clark, Ayurvedic Yoga, yoga therapy, and an intensive study of Ashtanga Yoga at Miami Life Center with Kino MacGregor and Tim Feldmann.

    Her background also includes a B.S. in Psychology, which continues to influence her interest in the connection between movement, mindfulness, emotional well-being, and the ways people learn and grow.

    At the heart of Kelly's teaching is a simple philosophy: students are the experts in their own experience. Her role isn't to tell someone how they should feel or who they should become, but to provide tools, experiences, and opportunities for greater awareness and connection.

    Whether she's working with a child in a classroom, an educator seeking tools for student wellness, or a professional learning how to incorporate yoga and mindfulness into their own work, Kelly brings the same combination of knowledge, curiosity, humor, and real-world practicality to her teaching.

    Her goal is simple: make yoga useful beyond the yoga mat.