Meet Kelly Tobin, MINT Yoga Instructor since 2011. When Kelly moved to DC, she tried yoga and loved moving through poses in sync with the breath and felt yoga was improving her life in many ways. She felt more calm, present and mindful as well as more comfortable with challenging situations. She wanted to learn more about the philosophy and roots of the practice and share it and so she signed up for yoga teacher training.

Kelly now teaches a few different styles of Yoga:

• Vinyasa Yoga – Kelly’s favorite, it strings together poses in an energizing flow.
• Restorative Yoga – Using props such as blankets and going slowly through reclined positions for about 8 minutes each to truly restore and access our parasympathetic nervous system and practice “being” versus “doing” in a deeply relaxing way.
• Yoga Nidra – A reclined restorative guided meditation, Nidra also helps you relax the nervous system and regenerates cells.

Yoga means “union” as Kelly shares, and is far more than time to stretch. It is about developing a deeper relationship with yourself, developing more self-compassion, self-acceptance and trust. Through that journey, we grow and learn to have more unequivocal acceptance and compassion for others.

Kelly has a regular meditation practice, which is another component of yoga. She tries to find time to meditate daily, for 3-5 minutes of deep breathing and grounding in the present moment. Yoga is not just about flexibility!

Beyond MINT, Kelly enjoys classes on her Peloton, outdoor happy hours, and hiking on the Billy Goat Trail.

You can take her yoga classes on Tuesdays 7:30-8:45PM. Kelly encourages newbies to try yoga at home – it’s a good time to try it during COVID – you can keep the camera off. Kelly is always happy to go over the basics a bit more for students new to yoga.

The clients at MINT are truly extraordinary,” Kelly says. “I have had a lot of amazing people in my classes as long-term students for almost 10 years at MINT now and I want to take this moment to thank you for bringing all that you do to this great community. You guys are very special! Hope to see you on the mat! Stay healthy!

Myke’s journey to becoming a fitness instructor wasn’t motivated by making money or losing weight — fitness saved his life.

He was verbally and physically bullied in middle and high school, which left him depressed and feeling left out. Everything changed when he began weightlifting. One summer, he tried exercising every day and realized he could channel his rage into something that hurt in a positive way. By junior year, bullies left him alone. But even more importantly, a consistent fitness regime led him to self-love, discipline, and the tools to face and overcome challenges. “I felt happy at who I saw in the mirror,” he said. “The person staring back was stronger, sexier, and I wanted any other ‘underdog/loser/outcast’ to be an outlier/superhuman as well.”

Once he was hooked, Myke taught himself how to become a fitness instructor. He learned by trial and error through information he found online and created a weightlifting group in high school.

At MINT he teaches PowerBox, PowerFlex, & PowerPlayground. Check out our class schedule to sign up for a class with him.

• PowerBox is a total body, combative athletic-based fitness experience, incorporating self-defense movements and conditioning.
• PowerFlex is a functional strength-based and work-capacity cardio experience utilizing bodyweight, free weights, resistance bands, and other DIY equipment to help improve the strength of will & body.
• PowerPlayground incorporates many of the same attributes as Flex, but is designed more for stamina and endurance.

In each class, Myke brings tons of energy. He keeps things positive and progressive; funny and optimistic. His preferred type of class is an amalgamation of PowerFlex and PowerBox — a space to promote self-discipline and strength while teaching an everyday “Yang-energy” way to peace of mind and happiness.

Besides fitness, his favorite outdoor activity in DC is playing in any park with his lady and two sons, followed closely by training/teaching at a park. He enjoys people-watching around town because there are so many interesting, hilarious, and cool people in DC.

Myke is also an artist & musician — endeavors that have both been enhanced by his devotion to fitness. He believes that every part of life improves when we do. So by taking care of our health, we are enriching our life experience. His vision is to inspire everybody to love who they are right now as they work to become a stronger, sexier, better version of themselves. He believes one must be strong enough to protect who they love — and fit enough to enjoy life.

Give the gift of MINT this holiday!

Right now you can purchase a virtual class package of 7 classes for $98. That’s only $14 a class. This is a one-time-only purchase. Classes have a 90-day expiration date.

Get yours TODAY!

Get 50% off your virtual Nutrition Breakthrough Session.

Click here to purchase. Use code: BREAKTHROUGH50