Our Instructors
Claudia Alabiso
Claudia co-owns and operates GO Yoga and runs all teacher training workshops. This is in addition to her successful private MFT practice, that she continues to maintain, seeing her east coast clients over Skype and phone sessions, as well as meeting clients locally. Her goal of merging therapy and yoga has begun to crystallize—many of her clients now apply yoga principles to their lives, their relationships, and to their personal practices.
Gary Olson
Gary discovered Bikram's yoga in 1998 and for two years, he dedicated himself to a nearly daily Bikram yoga practice with occasional Power Yoga classes. In 2006, he opened a studio in Kirkland and then the second location in Bellevue in 2016. Gary continues to teach regular classes, and is expanding his unique system by training new teachers and meditators every year.
Alex Johnston
Alex is passionate in her pursuit of her highest potential and is fueled by energizing, healing, and inspiring others to recognize and pursue quality in their lives too. She completed a 200-hour yoga teacher training program with the Ashram in 2019 where she learned transcendental meditation (TM) from Gary Olson. She teaches Power, Bikram, Yin, and Kids Yoga at the Ashram.
Alison Thompson
Alison is a fitness fanatic and has been practicing yoga with Gary Olson for nearly 18 years . Alison began practicing yoga in New York City with her sister 20 years ago. Starting, of course, with a Bikram 60 day challenge. She has trained intensively with Gary Olson for over 10 years.
Dustin Speer
Dustin has been practicing Yoga on a daily/ weekly basis with Gary Olson and his instructors since 2010. He has been through several teacher trainings with Gary Olson, as well as receiving his RYT through Sacred Journey Yoga with Stacy Sinclair.
Julie Schulz
Teaching, and instilling a belief in self, is Julie’s passion. Julie has been an elementary school teacher for 27 years and currently teaches fourth grade in the Lake Washington School District. “I teach students all day long, and making sure they believe in themselves is something I am passionate about. If students have confidence in themselves, it gives them freedom to explore, be creative, and celebrate their individualities.” This goes for 4th graders and yogis!
Jess Jessum
Jess has been immersed in working with people and the flow of energy for quite some time. Always in pursuit of personal growth and self-realization, he began his journey studying Shito-Ryu karate-do early in his college days at Syracuse University. After receiving a first-degree black belt, his instructor encouraged him to “polish his belt”; and travel to Japan for a year to study with the masters, the top practitioners at the time.
Jess was excited to go and was given the gift of an airplane ticket by his mother for his recent college graduation. While enroute to Japan however, Jess looked carefully at the ticket and realized his mother had bought him just a one-way fare. In no rush to return, he stayed seven years in total, practicing karate and absorbing the culture of Japan which he quickly fell in love with. He is fluent in both Japanese and Sushi and holds a 6th degree black belt ranking in Seito-Shito-Ryu karate and a 2nd degree in Hayashi-ha Shito-ryu karate.
Kate Knapp
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Rayne Nahajski
Rayne’s teaching style is motivating, challenging and compassionate. She recommends her classes to people who love cues. “Due to my own injuries, I have had to learn how to practice safely within my daily body. I cue a lot during physical postures, but I also cue how to manage your emotions in the room.”
Jake Townsend
Jake Townsend took his first power yoga class at 13 years old, and though he would practice with Gary Olson from time to time with his mother, he wasn’t sold on yoga until years later. With multiple injuries from snowboarding and a rigorous weight-training schedule, Jake realized he needed to add a healing practice to his weekly routine.
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Jamie Laflin
Seven years ago, Jamie began practicing yoga almost daily, and has been practicing nearly twice daily for the last 7 years. “I need it for physical and mental wellbeing. I am a better person to others around me. I feel better. And at this point, it is as much a part of my daily life as eating or drinking water.”
Erik Schwab
In the Fall of 2021 Erik completed his first 200-Hour Traditional Hot Yoga Teacher Training with the intention to deepen his practice and understanding of yogic philosophy. He started practicing and learning from Gary and staff at GO Yoga in 2022 and is already discovering the benefits of their unique systems for Bikram yoga, Power yoga, and Transcendental Meditation (TM).