Born and raised in southern Indiana, Denise lived in Chillicothe from 1994 to 1998. She attended her first yoga class in 2007 while living in Washington State and yoga quickly became a means of self-study and healing for her. She loves helping others achieve a higher state of health, and believes that everyone can benefit from a yoga practice, regardless of age, size, shape, abililty, or physical condition. 
 
Denise returned to Chillicothe in 2010 and earned her 200 hour RYT designation with Laurel Hodory in Columbus, OH in 2014 with a focus on Hatha Yoga and Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga. Soon after that, she started looking for a space where she and other teachers could share the benefits of yoga with the community, and opened the space at Explorer Yoga in January 2016. 

In addition to her initial yoga teacher training, she has completed additional intensive trainings at Yoga on High in Columbus, OH in Pranayama (yogic breathing techniques), and Restorative Yoga. She has also completed Accessible Yoga and Yoga for All teacher trainings. She has worked full time as a Registered Nurse since 1994 with patients of all ages in medical/surgical, long term care, primary care, and public health settings. 

Denise sustained major injuries to her left arm and wrist in August 2022 and has adapted her own physical yoga practice to accomodate her current abilities. She enjoys showing students how to approach yoga with a healthy dose of self-acceptance, curiosity, and a sense of humor. She is eager to show others that yoga truly is for EVERY BODY.

Nancy began her yoga journey in 1998 after the birth of her second child.  She completed her 200 hour teacher certification in 2003 in Ashtanga Yoga at Its Yoga Columbus. Since that time, she has been teaching Vinyasa flow classes in the Chillicothe and Circleville areas, and has been teaching at Explorer Yoga since we opened in 2016.

Nancy's classes are alignment based with a slow to moderate flow, incorporating many styles of yoga. She also works part time as an Occupational Therapist and volunteers at the Circleville Humane Society. Nancy's students love her creative sequencing and laid back attitude!

Roberta Milliken started practicing yoga in 2008 to help alleviate hip soreness. What began as a simple remedy for a specific issue soon became a passion, and in 2013 she completed her 200 hour yoga teacher training at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in Lennox, Massachusetts. Kripalu means compassion and this forms the backbone of this style of yoga, a style that can be described as a deliberate hatha practice centered on inner-focus, standard yoga poses, breath-work, ease of mind, and relaxation. Roberta is a member of the Kripalu Yoga Teacher Alliance and regularly attends workshops and seminars at Kripalu and other studios to deepen her understanding of yoga and develop her teaching abilities. 

Roberta has been teaching at Explorer Yoga since we opened in 2016. She also currently serves as the Dean of Campus and Community Relations at the Ohio University-Chillicothe campus.

A Chillicothe native, Lynne attended Bishop Flaget high school and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from Miami University. For the past 20 years she has worked for the State of Ohio. Lynne has been teaching yoga for the past 5 years and is passionate about helping her students find balance & peace in their practice. She obtained her 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training certificate in 2018 and her Meditation Teacher Training certificate in 2019, both from the House of AUM in Yellow Springs, OH. She led classes at Nature’s Hamsa in Chillicothe, OH prior to its closure in early 2023.

Nikki Elkins is a Registered Yoga Instructor, Ohio Medical Board Licensed Massage therapist, and mother to three wonderful human beings. She is incredibly passionate about healing, and it shines through in every aspect of her life. Her certifications include Reiki, Neuromuscular Massage Therapy, Chronic migraine relief, Reflexology, guided meditation, Trauma-informed yoga therapy and other modalities designed to heal and relax. With her thorough knowledge of anatomy (both physical and subtle) and her desire to cause positive change in the people around her, she is nothing short of a healer. She has the ability to hone in on each individual and inspire the changes necessary to initiate the next cycle of each student’s personal evolution. Having been on a major wellness journey herself, she caters to people of all physical situations. Self-love and self awareness are major themes in every class she guides. She uses a combination of mindfulness meditation and careful movement to connect the mind body and spirit. Her intent is to create a safe, judgment free space to learn how to move, stretch and find compassion for every single body. Whether it's learning something for the first time, or relearning post-injury, Nikki will help you find a way around the situations your life has caused you to limit yourself. In her free time, Nikki loves to spend time with her family in nature, kayaking, hiking, gardening and anything that has the risk of getting dirty! You should expect to feel a sense of connection to spirit after a class with Nikki. Her goal is to empower those that have lost their power, love people in new ways, inspire those that have lost their vision, and to encourage daily practices that increase each student’s ability to facilitate their own healing.