Teachers

Michele Loew is an international yoga teacher and the founder and director of The Yoga Space in Portland, Oregon.  She is known as a teacher’s teacher and is respected for her 200 Hr & 500 Hr. Yoga Schools and her ability to combine Western knowledge of the body (Anatomy & physiology and modern kinesiology techniques) with the Eastern tradition of yoga.  

She has studied and taught avidly since 1998, having studied extensively in the Iyengar and Ashtanga traditions as well as the Sri Vidya lineage.   She is known for her keen observation skills and her ability to guide a student towards aligning the physical and energetic body through the use of expert hands on assists and intelligent verbal cues. She brings to her teaching a warm and engaging style that reflects her own internal understanding of the practice.  

Michele is an avid student of Eastern & Western Philosophy and continues to study with her principal yoga teacher Richard Freeman with whom she has practiced with since 2000.   She has been Richard’s assistant in his teacher trainings and workshops, and has a close understanding of his brilliant middle path teaching.  She practices Tibetan Buddhism, and received several Kalachakra initiations with HH The Dalai Lama and practices Vajrayana as guided by her beloved teacher in Buddhism, Dr. Robert Thurman.

Michele teaches regular classes and trainings in Portland, as well as retreats and workshops internationally.  For more information on Michele please visit her website & please follow on Instagram and Facebook.

INSTAGRAM:  @micheleloew

Lockett began practicing yoga in 1998. Walking out of her first class ever, she thought to herself, "Well I guess I'll do that for the rest of my life...." She went on to study Ashtanga and Iyengar yoga extensively with Timo Jimenez here in Portland, and completed teacher training and advanced teacher training with Tias Little in Santa Fe. Her practice and teaching reflect her experience with those traditions, as well as the broader creativity of Vinyasa yoga. In Lockett's classes you will be guided to work at your own pace towards balancing strength and flexibility while cultivating breath and mindfulness through a continuous flow. She believes yoga is a practice of patience and determination, an increasingly subtle balancing between effort and ease. Lockett also teaches Restorative yoga in which quiet supported poses work to restore energy, provide healing, reduce stress and soothe the mind.

Allie is an abstract artist originally from New York, and has been heavily influenced by the practice of yoga.

After noticing the self healing aspects yoga has to offer, she decided to deepen her practice in 2016, diving into Michele Loew’s 200 hour training (and currently, the 500 hour program.) Her classes focus on an integrated blend of Vinyasa flow, breath centered moving meditation, and restorative practices.

Her passion is to create a space for people to reconnect with themselves, deepen their awareness, and navigate the practice physically and mentally: on and off the mat.

Yoga has shined a light on the power of the present moment: whatever you are seeking, already lies within. 

Lauren discovered the practice of Yoga while living in NYC in 2005. Seeking a space to calm her mind in a city that never sleeps, her practice quickly manifested into a deep passion that provided balance, inspiration, and ease in her day-to-day life. Upon moving to Portland in 2015, Lauren immediately became embedded member of the Yoga Space community, where she decided to take her practice to the next level with teacher training. Having completed both her 200 and 300 hour training with the renowned Michele Lowe, Lauren became a regular teacher as the Yoga Space upon her graduation in 2018. Blending dynamic movement with the importance of breathwork and alignment queues, Lauren's creative and playful flows are designed for all levels of practice. And, as an avid lover of music, she pairs her in-person classes with expertly curated rhythmic experiences that will help you stay present and stay moving. 

Kate Sumanoharan began her yoga journey in 2005 with an Ashtanga practice in Reno, NV. Over the years, she frequently returned to yoga during transformative stages in her life, ultimately finding solace and strength through the practice to support trauma healing.

Her path deepened with Michele Loew's 200-Hr Yoga Teacher Training, where Ian LeMasters and Michele’s teachings inspired her to further immerse herself in yoga. Kate is currently studying trauma-informed yoga therapy with Sarahjoy Marsh while continuing to learn and grow under Michele's guidance.

As a teacher, Kate focus is Vinyasa yoga and has found a meaningful home within the community at The Yoga Space. She finds great joy in deepening her own practice and helping students cultivate equanimity, joy, compassion, and loving-kindness, fostering a ripple effect toward the greater consciousness.

Katie had first discovered yoga in 2015 during an incredibly tumultuous time in her life and quickly discovered the transformative and healing qualities of this practice, both physically and mentally. Katie recently moved from the deserts of Phoenix, Arizona to Portland. This shift sparked a deeper connection to both yoga and the natural world, inspiring her to pour more love into nature and community and leading her to taking a life changing 200hr & 300hr teacher training with Michele Loew at the Yoga Space. 

Katie has a deep passion for helping students discover balance and healing, with a focus on physical alignment and mindfulness meditation, she strives to creates a safe and inclusive space where students can explore what it means to find union between mind, body, and spirit. Whether you're a beginner or seasoned practitioner, Katie offers classes that inspire growth, strength, and a sense of peace on and off the mat.

Isabelle found yoga early in life and has been using it to navigate the world ever since. The practice gives her tools to find stillness and awareness in the present moment and it is her passion to share those tools and teachings with others. 

Her teaching style blends Ashtanga style vinyasa with creative flow offering feel good movement grounded in lineage based teachings. She is also very inspired by yoga philosophy, guiding her students to feel at home in their physical and energetic bodies. 

Isabelle did her initial 200 hour training with Michele Loewe studying Hatha yoga at the Yoga Space so this community is very close to her heart. She is currently a student in Michele Loewe’s 300 hour course. Come say hi at her Flow & Restore and vinyasa classes. 

Instagram: @isabelle.salzamann

Justin started practicing yoga regularly in 2023 and completed his 200-hour teacher training in 2024, followed by a 300-hour training in 2025 at The Yoga Space. His teaching style is rooted in alignment-based vinyasa, with an emphasis on clear instruction, thoughtful sequencing, and plenty of humor and levity.

As both a teacher and the studio manager at The Yoga Space, Justin is passionate about making yoga approachable and accessible—especially for beginners and those who might not think of themselves as “yoga people.” He aims to create a welcoming, down-to-earth environment where students can explore the practice at their own pace. Justin likes to tell himself and his students that "it's just yoga" — a reminder that while yoga is serious it's not too serious, its fun and should feel good, and its best not to get attached to any particular outcomes because the practice is the practice!