Our Managerial Team
Studio Director Katja Brandis
Studio Manager Ryan Arnoldy
Director of Strategy and Programming Harry Seldom
Director of Yoga Teacher Mentoring Susie Ryan
Studio Webmaster Rob Beilfus
Ryan Arnoldy, Studio Manager
Ryan began to study yoga as a way to bring more guidance and awareness into his life. Born and raised in Minneapolis, he moved to DC in 2005 with a BA in political science and global studies. As the studio manager, he thoroughly enjoys meeting and learning about every one of Studio Serenity's students, and is grateful for being surrounded by all the wonderful people who make up the studio's thriving yoga community.
He finds yoga as a powerful way to inspire and bring compassion, clarity, and peace to others. Ryan completed Studio Serenity's Yoga Teacher Training and has studied with renown Vinyasa yoga teachers such as Max Strom, Simon Park and Micheline Berry. In addition to yoga, Ryan currently enjoys studying other Eastern and Shamanic healing art forms and philosophies.
Our Support Team
Anna Hegge, Studio Assistant
Anna grew up and attended college in Michigan before spending two years in Atlanta to earn a Master of Public Health degree at Emory University. She moved to DC in July 2007 and currently works as a research associate at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Anna has practiced yoga since 2004, primarily in classes offered at the universities she has attended. She attended her first class at Studio Serenity a few weeks after moving to DC and has been a regular student ever since. Anna feels lucky to have found a yoga studio with such a warm and welcoming atmosphere and is excited to be a part of the Studio Serenity team.
Erjona Fatusha, Studio Assistant
Erjona was born and raised in Shkoder, Albania. After finishing up her undergrad degree in Wooster, Ohio, she moved to Washington, DC in 2004 to seek the many opportunities the city has to offer. She took her her first yoga class about two years ago, but did not start to fully understand its meaning until she started her practice at Studio Serenity. She now has to come to rely on the practice to reach a higher level of tranquility and togetherness. She enjoys the benefits of the practice that reach much further outside of the classroom. She very much so enjoys the diverse life of her beloved Adams Morgan neighborhood and is on a continues chase for good food around the city.
Isabel Varnado, Studio Assistant
Isabel was born in Molokai, Hawaii. Being surrounded by the laid back culture, she has been practicing yoga for over 15 years. She graduated from the University of Tampa and now attends Georgetown University getting her Masters in International Affairs and Chinese. In addition, she works full-time at a nonprofit in the downtown DC area.
Kara Piccirilli, Studio Assistant
Kara is a D.C. transplant from Brooklyn, New York. Her work on behalf of women and girls worldwide can feel heavy and stressful, so she relies on the benefits of yoga and the refuge of Studio Serenity to maintain her center. She was bought and sold on Studio Serenity during Yoga Week 2008, not long after she moved to the D.C. The clear instruction, warm ambiance, kind community, and small self-revelations have kept her coming back to the Studio. Kara appreciates the stillness and grounding that come with her practice. When she's not taking a class, she likes to be on her bike or sauntering in the woods.
Kate Grisard, Studio Assistant
Kate is an Ohio native who studied Natural Resources and Women's Studies at Ohio State University before moving to DC in 2004. She currently works at a public health nonprofit and recently completed training to become a licensed massage therapist. Yoga has been in the background of her life since college and finding the community at Studio Serenity has finally brought it to the front. She loves the opportunity yoga provides to practice challenge and focus, and believes that almost nothing is better than a post-class milkshake at Tryst.
Mahlone Burnette, Studio Assistant
Yoga first found Mahlone at age 17, but only recently has her deep love of and passion for yoga surfaced when she discovered Studio Serenity. Since her first class with us less than a year ago, Mahlone was immediately inspired by the playful and supportive community attracted to Studio Serenity.
She has since completed the Level I Teacher Training and is currently enrolled in the Level II Training. Mahlone looks forward to continuing her practice and self-discovery as both a student and teacher with the community of Studio Serenity.
Pahuna Sharma, Studio Assistant
Pahuna hails from India where she first learnt about the emotional and physical healing benefits of yoga, at an early age. However, she became serious about making yoga her way of life only recently. After finishing her studies in Mass Communications in New Delhi, Pahuna worked as a documentary filmmaker and a news reporter. Her passion for understanding and knowing the world better pushed her to seek education and experience internationally, and this brought her to Washington DC in 2005. She attended graduate school in DC and now works full time at a NGO.
Pahuna enjoys the peaceful and tranquil environment at Studio Serenity and hopes to become a trained yoga teacher in the future.
Oksana Zalunzlina, Studio Assistant
Oksana began to practice yoga two and a half years ago. Initially, she took some yoga classes in college and then continued to practice it more often. After she moved to DC, the Studio Serenity and its yoga classes became her place of enjoyment and relieve of stress. She is practicing yoga at the studio for a year, and strongly believes she will do yoga for the rest of her life. She found her “new world” at the studio, the place where she can relax and run away from everyday routine.
Saranga Jain, Studio Assistant
Saranga started yoga as recently as November 2007 but has since become addicted to the deep breaths she can seem to take only after yoga. She is committed to becoming more committed to her practice. Saranga served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Uganda from 2001-2003, has a Masters in Public Policy from Georgetown, and currently works as a research specialist on international adolescent health, gender and nutrition issues. She has been fascinated by food ethics since becoming vegan in July 2007 and tries to live an animal and earth-friendly life.
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