Our Team
Meet our amazing team of instructors
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Monica Pettus
Instructor / Co-Owner
Monica Pettus, a former elementary education teacher, had been practicing yoga for 18 years. She was former gymnast/tumbler and college cheerleader at Arkansas State University. In 2009 she became certified to teach pilates and then in 2010 began working on her 200 RYT through Yoga Fit. In 2022 she did a second 200hr RYT trough Yoga Renew. Monica has over 2500 hours of teaching experience in yoga and pilates at Northridge Fitness, Yoga Bliss, University of Alabama Athletics, University of Alabama School of Business, and various high school athletics in the Northport and Tuscaloosa. Monica has worked with all sorts of athletes with mobility, functional movement, and recovery, including University of Alabama women's basketball, men's basketball, men's golf, women's volleyball, and women's gymnastics. She had also worked with swimmers, runner's, tennis players, cyclists, football, and baseball players. Monica loves to teach a vinyasa flow working towards a peak pose at the end as well as athletic stretch, and yoga skills.
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Shannon Pearson
Instructor / Co-Owner
Shannon was born and raised in Tuscaloosa. She is a mom of five, a bookkeeper, a group fitness instructor, a yogi, and now a business owner! Shannon is passionate about health & wellness and how it can positively affect one's physical & emotional well being. She started her fitness career in 1993 teaching step aerobics. Since then, Shannon has completed multiple group fitness certifications and recently completed a 200HR yoga training. She has shared the joy of yoga with people of all ages & abilities and is especially interested in teaching student athletes how yoga can benefit them. Currently, Shannon is introducing yoga to her son's high school basketball team and teaching classes at NorthRidge Fitness. Her teaching style is a true extension of herself...…she goes with the flow. Shannon believes yoga is for everyone and her vision is to help others find a healthy balance in their practice to bring peace, health and happiness to their life. Off the mat, Shannon enjoys spending time with family, watching her kids play sports, and exploring Pinterest for new adventures.
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Alison White
Instructor
For over 20 years, Alison has had a true passion for the fitness and health industry after a health challenge in her 20s. She begin practicing yoga reluctantly because it was not her thing, but noticed how much better she felt and realized she wanted to share that with others. She strives to teach in a way that provides access to all ages and levels of abilities, creates thought and meaning and lends challenges, both physically and mentally. Alison loves a great playlist to flow to! When not teaching, she is an enthusiastic participant for different genres of fitness classes, and hangs out with her husband and pup.
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Jo Ann Cheval
Instructor
Doing anything with awareness to how you feel is yoga! In Joanne’s class you will practice self awareness while being physically challenged as you play with your edge. This class combines the strength and mobility in a vinyasa flow still set to music. Expect to move, sweat, and breathe.
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Madison Merkel
Instructor
Meet Madison! She will be subbing classes and teaching occasionally on the weekends at Studio Seven6 Yoga. Madison is a grad student and getting her MFA in Acting at UA. When she is not performing or teaching academic classes, she enjoys practicing yoga and has taught classes since 2020. A few fun facts about Madison is she is getting married in August and have a dog named Sophie.
Madison loves a heated yoga class and currently teaches at the UA Rec center. -
Gillian Grenz
Instructor
Gil, a former competitive and collegiate dancer, is extremely invested in mindful movement. As a teenager, her curiosity and fascination with yoga grew as she frequently attended hot yoga classes in between rehearsals and teaching dance. After her freshman year at UA, Gil found that she enjoyed a more playful version of mindful and intentional movement, and in 2020, received her 200-hour certification from the Yoga Alliance and became a certified Baptiste Educator. In her practice, Gil strives to create the perfect balance of physical practice with mindfulness and meditation. She loves teaching a Baptiste style flow, set to music and provides modifications & variations to tailor the practice to individual needs.
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Terry Hobson
Instructor
Terry has been teaching yoga for 15 years. He has had multiple 200 hour trainings and has approximately 2000 hours teaching experience working with all levels of yogi’s. He teaches a Baptiste style of class. When not teaching, Terry loves pilates, walking and playing with his dog, and cheering on the Tide!