Our Team

Jess Bycraft

Lead Instructor / Owner

Melissa Maldonado

Angie Sullivan

INDOOR CYCLE/YOGA INSTRUCTOR

I am a native of Virginia Beach. I am many things in life: I am a trainer, a competitor, culinary student, yoga teacher, and student. Yoga has always struck my curiosity since I was a teenager. Always stepping on the mat for a more physical aspect, not realizing that was just scratching the surface. I did not fall deep into yoga until about 7 years ago when I visited a close friend in Carlsbad CA. Everyday I tried a new studio with a different style experiencing some of the different dynamics of yoga, but the philosophy aspect is what drew me in. In order to feed my curiosity I visited the nearby Encinitas Ashram Center and Meditation Gardens. The Encinitas Temple inspired me to learn more. After my trip I started practicing and studying yoga on my own until I did my 200 hour teacher training at Yoga Nook, teaching me the fundamentals of yoga. So I try to intertwin this knowledge with my everyday life, and share it with my other profession as a personal trainer because yoga can benefit anyone and everyone in so many different ways. In fact in my life I’ve watched people close to me struggle with their health and how it has affected them physically and emotionally. This has driven me to become tremendously passionate in helping others to make a lifestyle change mentally and physically. Personally yoga has helped keep balance in my life, and helped me physically by building strength and flexibility in my body for bodybuilding competitions. Remember Yoga is like an obstacle race: many obstructions are purposely put on the way for us to pass through. They are there to make us understand and express our own capacities. We all have that strength, but we don’t seem to know it. So I use yoga to help myself and others find the strength in the mind and the body.

Lily ford

Yoga Instructor

Growing up in New England Lily spent the majority of time in New Hampshire and Vermont. Fitness and sports have always been a big part of her life! She is the youngest of four and they were all high level alpine ski racers. While racing Lily traveled the world and with skiing came a lot of weight training. In high school she fell in love with running, writing, and yoga! Lily remembers she always used to say, “I can’t wait till I can just do yoga and write.” I went on to play lacrosse in college and always found myself going back to yoga when she needed a reset. After graduating, yoga became a regular part of her life. She started practicing in the morning and running in the afternoon. After doing two half-marathons Lily realized she loved the balance of both and wanted to start teaching. Lily found it be fun and grounding. She wanted to bring it into peoples lives and make it a bigger part of hers! While going through YTT Lily was fascinated by everything about it and realized there was way more to yoga than movement. It quickly became a regular part of life. Recently moving to Virginia Beach Lily knew that teaching was something she wanted to do!!

Sibille Haynie

Yoga Instructor

Sibella was born and raised in Germany, came to America at the age of 15 as a foreign exchange student, and decided to stay in Virginia ever since. Having been involved in sports from a very young age, she has always enjoyed all types of fitness and athletics. Back around 2010 she found the practice of Yoga and was immediately intrigued. At first it was a purely physical workout that allowed me to gain more flexibility and strength but quickly grew an appreciation for the mental and spiritual aspects of the practice. It has become so much more than just another workout. It has become a part of Sibella. On good or bad days, during times of joy or difficulty, feeling happy and loved or angry and disappointed, being at home or on the road... Yoga and meditation have become a part of a daily routine, no matter where she is in life or what she is going through. While she was pregnant, Sibella had this epiphany of wanting to dive deeper and share my passion for Yoga. To guide and help others on their journey to live a healthier lifestyle, to grow, to heal, and to find unconditional love for themselves. So Sibella started studying and completed her teacher training. “It has been a pleasure and honor to be a part of the Torch family” says Sibella. Where she can express my classes creatively and combine my expertise in fitness and health to teach the students the many benefits of the Yoga practice.

Maryssa Dufle

Yoga Instructor

Maryssa is a yoga instructor from New York who recently graduated from SUNY Cortland. Working with my college's athletic program allowed her to learn how to teach yoga to those looking for a physical and mental challenge!

Rose Voore

Yoga Instructor

Rose was born and raised in South India, she moved to states in 2009, Roe is a mom of two beautiful kids.Yoga was always a part of Rose growing up, but truly found yoga in later years of her life. Rose enjoys an active lifestyle, she is a runner, CrossFitter, hiking and tried various strength training activity's. Looking back, there is one moment in my life that stands out as the turning point where she realized my health and physical well-being was my sole responsibility, while nursing my running Injury's ,Rose was mentally In a dark space. She went to my first yoga class in hopes of stilling her mind a bit. She viewed it as something to do once every month or two as a sort of physical and mental detox. Rose was a little impatient as she kept falling out of postures, but left the class feeling more energized, all these days Rose was just sunken into dark space thinking she would never recover from injuries, here she was hooked to Yoga trying her first class. It truly changed the quality of life. She realized that yoga, while sometimes having a stigma in main-streamed way of trying to be spiritual, but at its
core, Yoga is very powerful tool that allows us to tap into our inner spiritual and physical potential.Rose recently got my 200-hour yoga teacher certification, not only to be able to share my love of yoga with others, but also to have a deeper understanding of the spiritual aspects and roots of yoga. Rose loves the idea that in yoga, all the strength you need, you will find it within yourself.

Drew jackson

Yoga Instructor

Born and raised in Southern California, I was exposed to every outdoor activity and sport there was. I love fitness and have a huge passion for health/wellness but when yoga came into my life 5 years ago, it changed everything. I didn’t start my yoga practice until after I graduated college. I was looking for something new as I was getting busier, working a 40-hour work week and found myself having less time to workout as often as I wanted. What could keep me in shape for an hour a day, 4 days a week?
I had tried hot yoga for the first time and it… killed me. Head to toe sweat, heart rate bumping, humidity through the roof… what a challenge it was. Having a fitness mindset, the love grew once I realized I could get a cardio/strength workout in, while also having time dedicated to a meditative practice. It was a two in one! Now, after years of practice, I look at yoga as more than just a physical wellness plan-it keeps me sane- it guides me spiritual, mentally and physically. Most importantly, it keeps me fueled and focused on being the best version of myself. Assisting in the development and experience of one’s yogic lifestyle is what I love most about teaching.

Over the years I have taught power flow/vinyasa classes across California, Arizona, Australia and most recently Virginia. When I’m not in the studio teaching you can find me taking class, running long distances or cooking homemade meals.

Fiona Shea

Fiona began practicing yoga in 2012 to complement her running. She quickly fell in love with the practice and decided to participate in Corepower Yoga’s 200hr teacher training while at university in Los Angeles in 2017. After completing training, she taught power vinyasa, yin and restorative yoga, and yoga sculpt fitness classes. She recently moved to Norfolk with her husband and their two cats. She loves all things astronomy and a is always down for good cup of coffee.

Natalie Hood

Yoga Instructor

A native Canadian, Natalie discovered yoga while living in Vancouver, BC in 2006. At the time, she was a bit of a gym rat…always dragging herself to the gym to lift weights, skip rope, run…it was a grind! She came across a friend that had not seen in some time, and she looked amazing! Lean, strong, and her shoulders were shredded. Natalie asked her what she’d been doing and she replied, “Yoga! Nothing but yoga.” She was sold. Natalie began yoga the next day and never looked back.

What she discovered from yoga was so much more than just a lean, strong frame and great muscle tone. Natalie found a practice that she woke up every day looking forward to doing. She found teachers who worked her brutally hard, yet felt simultaneously nurturing. And, most surprisingly, found that through the movement of my body, she could connect with my emotional self and quiet the constant churn of my thoughts. Also Natalie discovered an entire body of philosophical knowledge that has been guiding people for thousands of years, yet somehow she had never known about. Yoga seeped into every facet of her life, and she was better for it.

In 2011, Natalie moved to Los Angeles to train with her teacher, Annie Carpenter. Natalie did 400 hours of teacher training, including a six month apprenticeship. She also taught private yoga classes to some folks in the movie business. Natalie returned to Vancouver, and taught at yoga studios and gyms for several years. Later she moved to Montreal, and was the private yoga coach for several elite synchronized swimming teams. In 2015 Natalie married her love, a military man, and moved to Virginia Beach. This year we welcomed a son, Timothy, who according to his dad is definitely NOT going to be doing yoga! We’ll see about that 🙂

Natalie am so happy to have found a new yoga home at Torch and looks forward to seeing you in class!

Ashley Webber

Yoga Instructor

Ashley is a Virginia Beach native. Growing up she played many sports and loved being part of teams both in my community and also for my junior high and high school. As she“grew up” and no longer played team sports, her interest in physical fitness and living a healthy and balanced lifestyle increased. Ashley stayed active by running or walking outside, workouts at the gym, or swimming laps at the Rec Center. Physical activity and exercise has always been her outlet for releasing stress from my demanding career as a public school teacher for middle school children. Ashley became more interested in balanced and holistic living along the way. In 2002, she became a licensed and nationally board certified massage therapist and worked at a high end spa part time. She took her first yoga class as a way to relieve the pain. Ashley suffered after teaching all day and working as a massage therapist several nights a week. After just a few yoga classes Ashley was completely hooked and knew this was it- She literally fell in love! Ashley completed a 500 hour yoga teacher training in 2005 at the International Yoga Institute of Yoga. This certification was in the Raja Style and her teacher was Master Adam Nguyen. Just this past December, she completed a 200 hour teacher training with Yax Yoga Concepts. Ashley’s instructors were John Yax and Christopher Yax. This certification is for Niyata which means stability and Vinyasa. Her intention as she sets forth to teach yoga is to help others heal and to inspire others to find their inner source of joy and strength. The health benefits of a regular and dedicated yoga practice are endless. Ashley wants to inspire others and help them on their healing journey as only yoga can do. With all her heart Ashley believes yoga is the way to a strong body mind and spirit and a long healthy life. Ashley is so thankful to all her yoga teachers who have helped her and inspired her so much over the years. Ashley is a sum of all she has learned from them. What an honor it has been to help others find yoga for themselves!

William Doyle

Yoga Instructor

Will found Yoga by mistake. He was doing a good deed for someone he cared about. 4 years later it was one of the greatest decisions he ever made. The fact is, Will had tried Yoga years ago. A forced activity during one of his elective studies in HS. Will obviously missed the memo when he was younger to be "open-minded", because he hated it, just because. Will didn't even give it a try. He was always so confident and bullheaded, you couldn't tell him nothing. Will already had the answers and was good with my ways. The fact is, Will lived in misery and self-abuse for a majority of his life. Over use of substances, desires to please others, succumbing to the society's norm of "what’s cool" and overall just not happy with himself as a human. After he got sober, Will opened up to the notion that the world didn't revolve around him. He decided to be of service to his fellow humans. When asked if the situation presented itself, he would try to be of use. Will offered to cover his girlfriends shift at her hot yoga studio while she left the country for the summer. As a benefit for the 2.5 hour shift on Friday night, he could take class for free. =) Karma!

He suffered from DDD/arthritis or whatever you want to call the indescribable low back pain experienced on a daily basis. He had many a trips to the Dr., ER, physical therapist, and chiropractor resulting in more pain and more pain-pills. Will was also a huge fitness freak. Gym everyday. Personal Trainer. Big lifter. Huge water bottle. He started taking class as a substitute to cardio. Running hurt my back. Will needed to burn calories and figured it be a good core workout. He loved the sauna and steam-room, its basically the same thing. Plus someone said flexibility was important.

He started taking the 60 minute class before my Friday shift. He kept coming back. He kept improving. Will started to feel better about himself in the class. It started to flow. He started taking other classes. Movement and breath are incredible things when learned in sync. It wasn't long before Yoga classes turned into his practice and a daily activity.

That's his story. Yoga has done so much for him. His mind is softer but stronger. His body is healthier and has more stamina. His flexibility is always improving. His sleep is better. His life is better. Will continues to practice.

Will loves that you can do Yoga anytime, anywhere, even if just a little bit. He tried to incorporate it throughout his daily activities. If you have time to tie your shoe, you have time to Forward Fold. Will keeps a yoga mat under his stand up desk and ties his shoes often.

Will wanted to become a Yoga Teacher so could share what he has learned and how it has benefited him since stepping onto the mat. Will is excited to continue growing in his practice and share Yoga with others.

Julia flore-Demoss

Yoga Instructor and Cycle Instructor

Meet Julia: Julia (Flores) DeMoss, RYT-200 is a life-loving and optimistic yoga and spin instructor. 

Julia started at Torch Yoga’s original location on Shore Drive in 2017 as a member of the Karma Crew. She went on to complete Torch’s 200-hour Registered Yoga Teacher Program in 2020. In addition to her RYT certification, Julia holds a 50-hour Yin Yoga certification as well as an Indoor Cycling/Spin Certification. 

Julia feels strongly about acceptance and inclusion. As someone who dealt with bullying, rejection, low self-esteem and confidence for years, she makes it her mission to empower those around her to see their own worth. 

Outside of teaching, Julia is a hospitality Account Manager and Makeup Artist. She lives in Virginia Beach with her husband and two pups, Rooney & Poppi. You can find her anywhere there’s water, good music, dancing and/or dogs.

Jason Brittan-helvig

Indoor Cycling Instructor

Born in Orange County, California, Jason first moved to Virginia in 2000 after his father received orders to relocate. As a Navy brat, Jason lived in San Diego, Seattle, and London, England before relocating to the Commonwealth. As a result of moving around often, Jason learned the importance of inclusivity, mastered the art of conversation, and gained an appreciation for traveling; the latter of which has inspired Jason's teaching style, wherein each class is meticulously crafted and geared around a "trip." Whether climbing the lush hills to Machu Picchu, sprinting across a bustling crosswalk in Tokyo, or ascending the stairs to the top of the Eiffel Tower, Jason will have you sweating across the globe. An avid distance runner, Jason incorporates similar techniques to his practice to further develop one's stamina and build endurance while maintaining proper form and breathing. Jason's practices are designed for all levels; from novice to master, Jason will push you out of your comfort zone and peak your heart rate with a smile on your face. The best part: there's no jet lag! So pack your (gym) bags and buckle up, globetrotter - it's time to saddle-up, sweat, and stamp that passport.

Tara William

Yoga Instructor

Tara is from North Carolina but has lived all over the country. She has a Masters in Marine Science and is currently a PhD student in Oceanography at ODU. Tara grew up with a passion for ballet and this is how she was introduced to yoga! In college, a weekly yoga class was the only time Tara felt relaxed and so continued her practice, learning how important the breath is to a healthy body. After practicing for a few years, and moving to Virginia, Tara completed her 200 hour teacher training order to deepen her personal practice but quickly realized that she loves sharing movement with others. The combination of breath with movement and the feeling of inner calmness after a class are some of the most magical feelings. In her free time, Tara loves to relax on the beach or spend time with her dog and cat.

Mary Weaver

Yoga Instructor

Mary Weaver was born in Franklin, Pennsylvania and moved to Virginia Beach for graduate school in 2016. She lives in Virginia Beach, pursuing her passion for helping others as a pediatric Speech Pathologist.  

Mary found the yoga practice in early 2020. After feeling burnt out and looking for a safe, accepting space to destress both mentally and physically, she stumbled upon Torch and has called it home ever since. She joined the Torch Community as a member of Karma Crew, and as her curiosity for self-growth and the yoga practice deepened, she took the leap of faith and completed her 200 hr teacher training at Torch in April of 2021.  

She wants to use her passion for creativity and helping others to hold space for all students to find self-love, acceptance, and growth on and off the yoga mat. Finding this practice through the amazing community has Torch has inspired Mary to step into the unknown, every single day. On the mat, she encourages her students to find their inner flame through creative movements and stepping into the unknown. Mary enjoys the outdoors, being barefoot, spending time with her Torch family, and climbing trees whenever a good one comes around!  

Ninja

Yoga Instructor

Ninja, is a multilingual traveler, competitive dancer, and proud Blasian who initially turned to yoga to heal from a fast-paced lifestyle and depression. She committed to the ancient practice in 2019 and documented her journey on Facebook and Instagram. She found that through her practices, she inspired other members of the dance community to incorporate yoga into their lives as well. She represents diversity and inclusivity that people find relatable.

Ninja now teaches and shares personal practices that are influenced by her free-spirited lifestyle and personality. Her vulnerability, transparency, and inviting presence draws in both new and experienced practitioners alike. She is most often found on the road and online teaching mindful practices and yoga. Her goal is to introduce mindful activities as a way to find balance in everyday life.

You may find Ninja on Instagram @thebalancedblasian. She is a Yoga Alliance Registered double 200 and 300 hour certified teacher, 200 hour registered Meditation Alliance instructor, with additional certification in Restorative and Yin yoga. You may also find her on her YouTube channel - The Balanced Blasian.

Alison Ruzbacki

Yoga Instructor

An important lesson yoga has taught me- breathe first.
When I was 20, I started my practice as a means for finding exercise and a mental health outlet. Since then, my passion for yoga has grown immensely. The synchrony of breath, movement, and intention can be addictive when you find that sweet spot. My favorite classes are the ones where being in the moment is effortless and your mind and body seem to naturally align. My goal as an instructor is to provide this kind of environment and guide students to discover their secret recipe for their ideal experience. My love of yoga has been a grounding aspect in my life and will continue to hold strong as long as I’ve got two feet and a heartbeat!

Airiel barrientos

Indoor Cycle Instructor

Airiel grew up in Williamsburg, Virginia where she found her love for cycling while riding her bike outdoors on the many trails near her home. Once starting college, she turned to indoor cycling and never looked back. After many years of cycling as a student, Airiel always thought about becoming the teacher. It was the Torch family and community that made that decision easy for her. She is excited to push her students while throwing a party in her classes! You'll be sure to feel powerful after cycling with her.
You can find Airiel with her hands full of soil or reading books about plants when she is not on a bike.

Emily Achey

Yoga Instructor

Emily Achey was born and raised in Maine, where she fell in love with all things nature. She devoted years in school to learning about her passion of nutrition, and now works as a Functional Medicine Dietitian within her local integrative practice, QÔL Co. Emily participated in yoga here and there throughout college, but it wasn’t until she settled in Norfolk, VA in 2020 that she fully dove in. The sweaty, heart pumping intensity of Torch drew her in, but the whole package of mind-body-spirit benefits she experienced had her hooked. Yoga evolved into not only a physical practice, but a grounding tool that has given her so much clarity and confidence in life. She aspires to empower others to shine their special light for the world to enjoy.

You can often find her in her veggie garden, cooking in the kitchen, or out on the water with her Husband and fur baby!

Kelly King

Indoor Cycling/Yoga Instructor

Kelly King is an event planner, nature enthusiast, health nut, live music fan, and animal lover who has lived in Coastal Virginia since 2005. Kelly fell in love with fitness as a form of self-care and self-empowerment in the past decade. She's enthusiastic about life, and wants to life her best one and help others do the same. She believes that working on personal fitness goals and sharing positive energy is way more fun with friends, so she can't wait to see you in class!

Michaela White

Spin Instructor

Michaela is from Charleston, SC and has lived in East Beach since 2020. She loves spending the warm days at the beach with her fiance and their two dogs, Dixie and Dansby. After years of being a competitive runner, she turned to indoor cycling to allow her body a break from the impact of running. She began taking daily spin classes after college and became an instructor in late 2020. She loves teaching classes since she has always loved encouraging others to push themselves as well as creating her own playlists to make the workout as enjoyable as possible! Once she knows her class, she tailors the workout to their needs so that they have fun while also getting stronger and faster. She enjoys upbeat music that keeps your heart rate high but also takes the time at the end of her classes to stretch and cool down. She also loves CrossFit and yoga and is excited to work with the Torch Yoga crew! 

Vanessa Morris

Yoga Instructor

Vanessa was born in Rhode Island, and she grew up mostly in Virginia Beach, VA. She grew up doing gymnastics, she was a cheerleader in high school, and she also played basketball and soccer. Anything that had to do with being active, she was a part of it!

Vanessa took her first ever yoga class one year after high school in 2018. Three years later, she found Torch, signed up for a class, and fell in love with this studio. She ended up taking the YTT here five months later. She is now certified RYT-200, and she has never been happier!

Instructing yoga has become a huge passion for her. She wanted to teach because she wants yogis to leave her class feeling like a weight has been lifted off of their shoulders. She wants them to feel like they can be themselves without judgement, and be able to find a space to release what is holding them back through asanas and breath-work.

Vanessa's empathic, spiritual, and loving nature has shaped her into the best teacher she could ever be. She is still learning, growing, and exploring her practice. Although she is a teacher, she will always be a student.

Katie Grandstaff

Yoga Instructor/Studio Assistant

Hi, I’m Katie. I have always been enthusiastic about exercise and fitness. My first love was dance which I started at age 3. I truly believe the connection of the mind and body through movement is a spiritual experience. In 2004, I became a certified Massage Therapist and it was during this time that I tried my first hot yoga class. I loved it from the start. I recall sitting in my car after class thinking WOW!! My entire body feels AMAZING! Soon after, I began to realize the priceless effect yoga had on me, not just physically, but mentally. Through the years, I would faithfully practice yoga but it always took a back seat to other activities such as running marathons and CrossFit. These intense forms of training became a priority and yoga was like a faithful friend waiting for me when I needed it. It was after a painful shoulder injury in 2020 that I decided it was time to fully immerse myself in yoga. I graduated from Torch Yoga’s 200 hour teacher training in spring of 2022. I have been teaching ever since and I love it. I have learned so much from the students and fellow teachers at Torch. I am passionate about sharing the gifts of yoga. My hope is that through teaching, I may inspire others to explore and deepen their practice. When I’m not at Torch, I enjoy spending time at the beach or hiking in the mountains with my husband, Glen and Labrador, Pearl. I have 3 bonus children and 4 grandchildren.