Our Teachers & Facilitators

April Foster (she/her)

Executive Director, RYT 200 hr. Yoga Training (500 hr. training in progress), Trauma-Informed Certification, Birth Doula, Yoga Alliance Registry ID: 380946

April Foster, also known as Sawrah, is a native of Peoria and has lived here her entire life. She is proud of her West African roots and draws strength from her ancient cultural ancestry. Her yoga practice began in 2016, but she became more serious about her practice in 2018. At that time, she began to envision herself as a yoga instructor. She completed her 200-hr. yoga teacher training in 2022. Yin yoga, gentle yoga, chair yoga, and restorative yoga are the styles of yoga that she most enjoys teaching.
April’s commitment to volunteerism in Peoria and surrounding areas has spanned over two decades. She has witnessed the community's great need for spiritual and emotional healing. She believes that yoga is a powerful holistic approach to help release the crippling constraints that hold many people back from walking in their full potential. April especially hopes to bring more awareness about yoga to people of color.
April is also a certified health coach and doula. She has a bachelor’s degree in Applied Science in Integrative Health Sciences with a Herbal Studies Specialization from the American College of Healthcare Sciences. She is the proud mother of five phenomenal human beings and enjoys spending time with them. In her free time, she enjoys studying the Bible and religious texts, gardening, learning about herbs, cooking new dishes, writing poetry, and volunteering.
As the director, April’s vision for Soulside Healing Arts is for growth, empowerment, community, and inclusivity, creating lasting differences in the lives of the individuals and communities Soulside serves. It is her goal to continue to create a safe space for healing, education, and support for all.

Janie Backs (she/her)

E-RYT 500, Trauma-Informed Certification

Janie practices yoga to become the best possible version of herself and to help every one of her students do the same. She started practicing yoga while in college, at a point in life when she truly needed it most. She was not happy with herself and her world around her mirrored that. After consistent practice, she noticed a significant, positive, and tangible shift, with her decisions becoming more clear and aligned.
Janie completed her 200 hour training through Clayton Yoga in St. Louis, and a 500 hour through YOGABODY Yoga Teachers College and Yoga Trapeze. Janie began teaching in 2015 and quickly found it to be her passion. Her teachings and studies took her to Barcelona, Spain and throughout Europe. Her classes are fitness and wellness based, and are suited for beginner and experienced yogis. All of Janie's classes focus on breath work, strength, flexibility, and balance.

Cherity Cook (she/her)

200hr. Yoga Training, Trauma-Informed Certification

Cherity found yoga as a practice in her late 20s, during a time in her life when chaos was the order of the day, and stillness was hard to find. She took up active practice in impossibly hot rooms and found them to be a lifeline. Yoga, she found, facilitated a quiet mind, if only for an hour at a time.
Her yoga journey helped her identify the disconnect between her mind and body, and then helped her begin to heal it. It also brought her to teachers who helped light up her path, even just a little bit.
Today, she teaches with an eye towards emotional healing and learning how to create space for all types of bodies in practice. As she continues, she hopes to engage this path more deeply and explore yoga as a connection point between body and mind, between self and others, and between self and creation. She believes strongly in holding space for intuitive learning and growth both within and outside of the studio.
Cherity completed 200 hour teacher training with Tamo Mitchell at Om on the River in May 2022, and Trauma-Informed Certification in July 2022 with Soulside Healing Arts.

Terry Cooper (he/him)

200hr. Yoga Training, Trauma-Informed Certification

Aloha, I’m Terry! As a former runner, (I still run a bit), I originally found yoga as a way to prolong my ability to run with less pain. It did not take long for me to realize the extraordinary benefits of yoga beyond what I had expected. Yoga is so much more than stretching & strength. It is a practice of breath, mindfulness, presence and peace. I completed my 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training through Tapas Yoga Shala & The Yoga Projekt in June of 2022. I started teaching soon after, in November of 2022. A few things I share before each class; Never force a posture. Allow your breath to move you gradually deeper into each posture. Focus on your breath to bring lightness, ease & fluidity into each movement. Be patient with yourself & move mindfully, listen to your body. Namaste.

Teresa Devpreet (she/her)

500 hr. Yoga Training, Trauma-Informed Certification

Devpreet is the name given to Teresa Smith from the Kundalini yoga tradition that means “love and compassion. Devpreet aspires to live up to her name—uplifting others through teaching yoga, meditation, and encouraging healthy lifestyle practices.
A Peoria native, Devpreet has lived in Arizona and Hawaii but always gravitates back home. She has studied Master Gardening, facilitated Prairie School Project, and served on the Friends of Rocky Glen board of directors.
Devpreet has served locally for over 30 years as a Registered Nurse, and currently works for the Human Service Center. She has taught yoga in the Peoria area for over 20 years, completing her 200 hour training in 2010 and 500 hour training in 2016. She has taken advanced yogic training in SuperHealth: Yoga and Meditation for Addictive Behavior, is a level 3 Reiki practitioner, and a certified Breathwalk instructor. Prior to studying the Kundalini lineage, Devpreet studied under many talented teachers including John Friend and Tias Little.
Devpreet and her husband currently share their West Peoria home with several beautiful sentient beings (2 dogs, 4 cats, and a cockatiel)!

Emily Dahlhoff (she/her)

200 hr. Yoga Training, 140 hr. Prenatal Yoga Training, Trauma-Informed Certification

In 2008, Emily completed a 200-hour teacher training through the Temple of Kriya Yoga in Chicago. In June 2009 she became pregnant with her first child and fell more in love with her practice. After the birth of her first son she realized how empowering pregnancy and childbirth had been for her and what a strong role yoga had played in that experience. This became her motivation to begin a career as a birth worker.
Since 2010, Emily has completed 140 hours in prenatal yoga training, become a certified doula, and completed a lactation counselor certification. Emily’s personal experience as a mother and a homemaker lend inspiration to her work as a prenatal and postpartum yoga instructor. She has a deep connection and understanding for the necessity to hold space for mothers of every stage.
Emily served as a Founding Board Member of Soulside and continues to advise on pregnancy and birth related care. You can find her prenatal yoga classes in our virtual studio.

Joyce Ann Day (she/her)

MELT Method and Block Therapy Instructor

Joyce Anne Day is a Level 3 MELT Method Instructor and Block Therapy Instructor focused on helping people eliminate pain and stiffness, improve balance and stability, and improve their body's alignment to support a healthy aging process. She was introduced to the world of fascia after a severely broken leg in 2019 left her unable to bend her leg fully, get up and down from the floor, or move easily without pain/stiffness. Now she is pain free and teaches others how to find easier movement for themselves. She is an Illinois native, former hydrogeologist, wife, and mom to 3 awesome kids.

Celeste Green (she/her)

Practitioner of Sound Therapies, Practitioner of Vibrational Therapies

Celeste is a Peoria native and completed the Practitioner of Sound Therapies and Practitioner of Vibrational Therapies certification courses with Meditate: School of Sound Healing in Sarasota, FL in August 2023. Prior to certification, she worked at Methodist Community Behavioral Health and Addiction Recovery Center of Carle Health as a Mental Health Associate for over 3 years. With a B.A. in Psychology from Southern Illinois University Carbondale, she facilitated 1:1 therapy and different group therapies with her clients. Celeste felt there was more that could be done to help facilitate healing in the individuals of the community and thus, began her exploration into holistic healing. She attended a couple of group sound baths and felt a calmness in her soul she never experienced before.
As a Practitioner, Celeste lives by the saying Sound + Intention = Healing. Her favorite part about facilitating and teaching is giving the power of healing back to the individual and empowering them to continue to grow in their journey. She and her husband currently live in the Peoria area with her 3 cats: Milkshake, Simba, and Remington.

Jenny Jolmes (she/her)

200hr. Yoga Training, Trauma-Informed Certification

Jenny is from Iowa and has been in Washington, IL since 2008. She loves gardening, fitness, reading, and being around water. Holistic health has always been an interest. Any opportunity she gets she supports and shares about the wonderful local holistic offerings in the Peoria area.
She has always been involved with health & fitness and currently is active with running, Crossfit, and yoga. She finished her 200 hour training with Yoga Renew and started teaching in 2023 to bring yoga to those that might not have a regular practice. Jenny loves continually learning more and being able to share that learning through teaching.

Katie Eckert (she/her)

200 hr. Yoga Training, Trauma-Informed Certification

Katie has been practicing yoga since 2016 and in 2021, after 5 years of regular dedicated Ashtanga and Vinyasa practice and a career shift away from healthcare, she took the leap into the realm of teaching. She completed training with Tamo Mitchell at Om on the River in May 2022 with a 200 hour certification as a Hatha Yoga Instructor. Passed down from her teacher and her teacher’s teachers are yoga concepts such as asana, dharma, anatomy, breath work, trauma-informed teaching, somatics, and more. Katie is committed to life-long learning in the realm of yoga. She completed a Trauma-Informed Certification in July 2022 with Soulside Healing Arts and a Trapeze Yoga Certification with YogaBody in June 2023.
For Katie, yoga is about the balance between steadiness and ease, exertion and release, fun and focus. In her Vinyasa classes you can expect to move, breathe, and sweat. In her Restorative classes you can expect relaxation, release, and peace. In all of her classes you can expect to be welcomed and wanted, just as you are.

Mollie Krueger (she/her)

200 hr yoga training, Primal Flow, Buti Yoga, and Chair Yoga Certifications, 300 hr in progress

Mollie always loved music and movement. Both have consistently sparked a sense of freedom for her. She has been singing, songwriting, and performing as long as she can remember. Mollie started her yoga journey while searching for something that would help in her own personal healing, and it eventually turned into an everyday practice. She got certified in 2020 and further certified in Primal Flow, Buti Yoga, and Chair Yoga. She is currently working on her 300 hour training.
Mollie strives to offer a practice that guides intuitive movement and individualism. Her classes are cued by breath to encourage mindfulness and self awareness. She focuses on mobility, flexibility, strength, and creativity. She strives for her students to find THEIR practice as yoga is such a personal experience. She’s just there to offer guidance and suggestions.

Courtney Lowe (she/her)

RYT 200 hr. Yoga Teacher, Social Emotional Learning Facilitator

Courtney has been a high school English, Speech, and Journalism teacher, yearbook adviser, and speech team head coach for 12 years. She’s been practicing yoga for a decade and has made it a consistent part of her life the past five years.
In 2018, Soulside came to her high school to teach educators how to incorporate mindfulness, breathing, and yoga in the classroom. Since then, Courtney has been leading her students through this critical SEL practice.
In August 2019 and 2021, Courtney and her husband Patrick Couri (owner of neighboring Sous Chef), had their first human babies, Ramona and Ruben. They also have a Roondog child. Soulside supported Courtney through both pregnancies with prenatal and mindful flows.
In summer of 2022, Courtney started her yoga teaching journey through Breathe for Change, a program designed for educators. She learned a trauma-informed approach to yoga, and since she completed her 200-hour certification, she has led workshops for teachers at her school, started a Wellness Club for her students, and incorporated daily breathing, stretching, and mindfulness into her English classroom.
Courtney loves Soulside and the community surrounding it, and she’s excited to practice in this beautiful space with you.

Rose Lange (she/they)

Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, Ph.D Candidate

Rose Lange is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) in the state of Illinois. Her training background is in marriage and family therapy from Fuller Seminary in California and she is currently completing a Ph.D. in couple and family therapy at Adler University in Chicago. Rose especially values working with individuals, couples, families and teens in order to help them improve their relationships with themselves and those around them. She owns Rose Lange Counseling, PLLC in East Peoria, Illinois.
Rose serves as a facilitator of workshops and trainings related to fat liberation and intuitive eating and movement. She has been a Soulside intern in the past, and offers expertise for our annual Trauma-Informed Yoga training as on-site mental health support.
When she isn’t working with clients or in the yoga studio, you can find her at home with her husband and three house-bunnies, watching movies and reading books.

Jyothi Mantena (she/her)

200 hr. Yoga Training, Trauma-Informed Certification

Jyothi was born in the South of India and moved to Peoria in Aug 2017 after getting married. She holds a bachelors degree in Information technology, and loves fashion, cooking, collecting things (starting with coins in 7th grade), making art, taking care of plants, and reading books. Jyothi tries to be a responsible individual towards the environment and make an effort to live a sustainable life. She truly believes in karma; Ultimately what we give comes back to us.
Yoga has always been in her life, and she completed her 200 hr. teacher training in 2020 in Rishikesh, India. When Jyothi moved to the US with only her husband, she started practicing yoga every day and felt yoga gave her confidence and a purpose. Yoga is a piece of home, and has taught her to respect and appreciate her body and all it is capable of. Jyothi looks forward to improving teaching skills and staying open to learning.

Lisa Pearl (she/her)

400 hr. Somatic Breathwork Training (trauma-focused), 800 hr. training in progress

Lisa Pearl is a Level 1 Breathwork Apprentice of a trauma-focused somatic breathwork training with Breathwork For Recovery. She is a hopeful, passionate birth doula and therapist. Lisa is committed to helping families have their best pregnancies, births, and postpartum lives. She has learned that complicated pregnancies and poor maternal outcomes are greatly linked to unresolved trauma. With pregnancy being time-sensitive, Lisa is constantly searching for techniques and modalities to efficiently support clients in healing from deep hurt and pain. This quest resulted in Lisa discovering Breathwork for Recovery and enrolling in the training.
As a Christian, breathwork piqued Lisa’s interest since she believes breath was the first gift God gave mankind. Genesis 2:7 states, “the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.” Without breath, there is literally no life. Interesting enough, when we encounter fear, our natural response is to hold our breath. Trauma aggressively attacks our lifeline…our need to breathe. Lisa feels breathwork is a natural and gentle method to support life and restore homeostasis. As an apprentice, Lisa has learned, experienced, and witnessed how breathwork is a beautiful and highly efficient modality to support individuals in their healing journey.
Lisa is a native of Peoria. She has experience supporting women and adults with trauma, mood and anxiety disorders, high-risk pregnancies, postpartum recovery (depression & anxiety) and traumatic birth experiences. She enjoys guiding clients towards healing, empowerment, and processing past experiences in order to help them build a brighter future for themselves and future generations.

Hannah Ramlo (she/her)

Founder, E-RYT 200, Trauma-Informed Certification, Prenatal Certification, Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider (YACEP)

Hannah opened the doors to Soulside in June 2018 after graduating from Bradley University with a Masters in Nonprofit Leadership. She completed her 200-hour training with Yogacara Global in Scotland in 2015. Since then, she has been further certified in trauma-informed yoga, prenatal yoga, and postpartum yoga.
Hannah has worked in nonprofits and as a freelance writer, spending time living in Chicago, Cincinnati, Venice, Italy, and Poznan, Poland, before moving back home to central Illinois.
As a teacher, Hannah works to deepen each student's capacity to identify patterns and structures, both limiting and liberating. Hannah seeks to guide groups with a focus on autonomy and choice, empowering students to embrace what each moment calls for in their singular body.

Abi Amstutz Spencer (she/they)

RYT 500, NASM Certified Personal Trainer, Trauma-Informed Certification, Yoga Alliance Certified Education Provider (YACEP)

Abi’s teaching ethos is “to hold space to breathe, connect and commune with safety, support and compassion.” She is in love with ritual and aims to make each class, and each moment, a mindful and intentionally aware one.
Abi took her first yoga class at 13 and fell in love with the quiet, softness and stillness she found. When she was 18 she had labral repair surgery on her right hip, and leaned heavily on her yoga knowledge for pain management and healing. Ever since, learning how to safely progress through physical challenges has been a passion of hers. After completing her 200hr Yoga Teacher Certification through the Aura Wellness Center she also received a Personal Trainer Certification through NASM/AFAA in May 2017. Frustrated with the non-inclusive nature of the gyms she was in, she left to start offering her teaching outside of them, and further studied Intuitive Eating, HAES (Healthy at Every Size) and Yoga for All (body-positive yoga).
Abi completed her Trauma-Informed Certification in 2019 and continues to study where mind, body and spirit overlap and affect each other.
Outside of class Abi is a college student, pet parent, self published author, gardener, and content creator for a trauma-informed mindfulness Patreon page. She plans to graduate with a degree in Business and Sustainability. Abi is also an ordained minister, and loves to be included in the rituals of marriage, births, blessings and pet funerals.

Jamila Wilson (she/her)

250 hr yoga training, 40 hr. Yin Yoga Training, Trauma-Informed Certification

Jamila Wilson is the eldest of Rev. Gary and Muriel J Wilson’s four children. Jamila moved to Louisiana in 2006 to support the recovery and rebuilding efforts of New Orleans after the hurricanes of Katrina and Rita. There, she devoted herself completely to her yoga practice, utilizing yoga to help deal with the harsh realities of rebuilding a city and motivating its youth. In 2009, she received her 250 hour certification in vinyasa yoga and 40 hour certification in yin yoga from the Wake Up YogaTeacher Training Program in Philadelphia. Jamila most recently taught vinyasa and yin yoga in three yoga studios in New England. Jamila describes her teaching style as “a journey into Self, an exploration of personal truth, and an opportunity to witness the true essence of who you were created to be."
Jamila served as a Founding Board Member of Soulside and continues to support and advise. You can find her yoga classes in our virtual studio.

Meet Our Team

Our Teachers & Facilitators

Board of Directors