About
Courtenay S. Brown, E-RYT 500, YACEP®
Founder & Owner
A former avid runner (turned avid cyclist), Courtenay took her first yoga class in 2007, after getting hurt training for her first marathon, when a physical therapist recommended it as a great way to cross-train. “After my very first practice, the moment I got up from the mat, I felt overwhelmed by a deep sense of gratitude. I felt like I had an encounter with God.” That sense of gratitude continued to prevail and 13 marathons later, she discovered that yoga was the perfect way to cross-train for life. She completed her 200-hour certification in 2014 and her 300-hour certification in 2019, both under the guidance of her Guru Dana A. Smith at Spiritual Essence Yoga.
Courtenay is a Reiki Master, Vibrational Sound Therapy Certified Practitioner, Certified Mental Health First Aid Provider, and Purpose Coach. She is the creator of Gospel Yoga Flow ®, a vinyasa flow, geared to creating a "worship experience" on the mat. Gospel Yoga Flow ® focuses on strengthening the spirit and the mind, as much as the body.
A book editor/publisher by profession, she holds BA and MA degrees in English. She is also a wife and proud mother of two daughters. She is a Diamond Life Member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. (Fort Washington Alumnae Chapter), and a member of the Black Yoga Teachers Alliance and the International Association of Reiki Professionals.
The Shabach Yoga Team
RYT 500
Theresa
Speed
Theresa hopes that students view yoga as a life-enhancing practice that can be used every day. She holds the following certifications: 200-hour (2018, Embrace Yoga DC) and 300-hour (2023, Spiritual Essence Yoga).
E-RYT, 200; RYT 500
Nanette
Evans
Nanette has a deep passion for yoga and shares her experiences and uses her gifts to help others through holistic wellness. She completed her 200-hour certification in 2021 and her 300-hour certification in 2025, both at Shabach Yoga. Nanette is also a certified Reiki practitioner, sound practitioner and meditation teacher.
RYT 200
Caprice
Nathaniel
Caprice believes true wellness can be achieved through healing the physical, mental and spiritual body. She holds the following certifications: children’s yoga instructor (KAY -2018), Gospel Yoga Flow® (Shabach Yoga - 2019), 200-hour (Shabach Yoga - 2020).
CYT 200
Paris
Richardson
Paris provides comfort and support to students on the mat. She completed her 200-hour certification at Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in 2016. She holds a B.S. in Exercise Science.
RYT 200
Stephanie
Allen
Stephanie provides space for students to heal and grow through yoga. She completed her 200-hour certification at Shabach Yoga in 2023.
RYT 200 & Studio Manager
Gail
Williams
Gail's administrative gifts help the studio to be a safe space for students to learn, heal, and grow as a community. She completed her 200-hour certification at Shabach Yoga in 2023.
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RYT 200
Kishanna
Brown
Kishanna encourages students to link movement with intention as a path to inner awareness on the mat. She completed her 200-hour at Shabach in 2024.
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RYT 200
Chiquita
Kennedy
Chiquita offers deeply restorative experiences for students to release what does not serve them. She completed her 200-hour certification at Shabach Yoga in 2023.