Say Yes to Your Practice
Yes Yoga is a teacher-owned, community-driven yoga studio on Oak Street in Uptown New Orleans. We teach challenging, accessible Hot 26, Hot Vinyasa, restorative and Yin classes for beginners, regulars and everyone in between.
Say Yes to Your Practice
Yes Yoga is a teacher-owned, community-driven yoga studio on Oak Street in Uptown New Orleans. We teach challenging, accessible Hot 26, Hot Vinyasa, restorative and Yin classes for beginners, regulars and everyone in between.
Say Yes to Your Practice
Yes Yoga is a teacher-owned, community-driven yoga studio on Oak Street in Uptown New Orleans. We teach challenging, accessible Hot 26, Hot Vinyasa, restorative and Yin classes for beginners, regulars and everyone in between.
Founding Story
Yes Yoga began when a previous Oak Street studio closed and its teachers and students chose not to let the community disappear. The team reopened in the same space within two weeks, building a teacher-owned studio around the people already practicing there and the belief that yoga should keep bringing New Orleans together.
Our Vision
A vibrant Uptown New Orleans yoga community where every student can build a sustainable practice, know their teachers, explore with curiosity and feel connected to something larger than the pose in front of them.
Our Mission
To share yoga as practice and lifestyle through accessible classes that connect body, breath, mind, self and community. We teach with respect, integrity, authenticity and curiosity, welcoming beginners and experienced yogis alike.
Founding Story
Yes Yoga began when a previous Oak Street studio closed and its teachers and students chose not to let the community disappear. The team reopened in the same space within two weeks, building a teacher-owned studio around the people already practicing there and the belief that yoga should keep bringing New Orleans together.
Our Vision
A vibrant Uptown New Orleans yoga community where every student can build a sustainable practice, know their teachers, explore with curiosity and feel connected to something larger than the pose in front of them.
Our Mission
To share yoga as practice and lifestyle through accessible classes that connect body, breath, mind, self and community. We teach with respect, integrity, authenticity and curiosity, welcoming beginners and experienced yogis alike.
Founding Story
Yes Yoga began when a previous Oak Street studio closed and its teachers and students chose not to let the community disappear. The team reopened in the same space within two weeks, building a teacher-owned studio around the people already practicing there and the belief that yoga should keep bringing New Orleans together.
Our Vision
A vibrant Uptown New Orleans yoga community where every student can build a sustainable practice, know their teachers, explore with curiosity and feel connected to something larger than the pose in front of them.
Our Mission
To share yoga as practice and lifestyle through accessible classes that connect body, breath, mind, self and community. We teach with respect, integrity, authenticity and curiosity, welcoming beginners and experienced yogis alike.
Meet The Founders
Marquela Stevenson
Co- Founder
Marquela began her practice as an adult in 2013. The transformative effect it had on her in just the first few months made it clear to her that she wanted a lifelong yoga practice. She received her certification from Bikram’s Yoga College of India in Thailand in the fall of 2014. “My practice and my teaching are heavily influenced by the desire to feel integrated and at home in myself and in the moment. I teach so that I might hold space for others to connect with themselves.”
Marquela loves teaching alignment focused classes and hopes students will find her cuing interesting and instructive, and her classes grounding and energizing.
When founding Yes Yoga, Marquela was driven by the desire to sustain and support the yoga community that had formed on Oak St. and to this day, is amazed and excited about how the community has grown and flourished.
When not telling you what to do in the hot room, she likes to take long walks with her dog Basil and to try her hand at various kinds of making - whether it’s bread, blankets, costumes, music etc…she likes learning new skills and honing old ones.
Nikki
Co-Founder
Nikki first started practicing yoga when she was 19, at Bikram Yoga Philadelphia. She was immediately passionate about the practice and six years later she attended teacher training with the goal to share the Self-union and healing of yoga with others. Nikki’s practice and teaching reflected her love of yoga, her playful nature and the joy she found in everything, especially yoga. She taught from a place of creativity and of conscious intention.
She brought all of that love, vitality and creativity to the creation of Yes Yoga, fostering a beautiful, welcoming community and a peaceful space where everyone is invited to connect.
Nikki passed in April of 2026. Her presence will always be felt at Yes Yoga, which she was immensely proud of. She worked to make a place where we can all practice connection and inclusivity, experience transformation and find precious moments of inner peace. Nikki offered herself heart and soul to this goal and to held space for others to find balance, presence, strength, and themselves.
Meet The Founders
Marquela Stevenson
Co- Founder
Marquela began her practice as an adult in 2013. The transformative effect it had on her in just the first few months made it clear to her that she wanted a lifelong yoga practice. She received her certification from Bikram’s Yoga College of India in Thailand in the fall of 2014. “My practice and my teaching are heavily influenced by the desire to feel integrated and at home in myself and in the moment. I teach so that I might hold space for others to connect with themselves.”
Marquela loves teaching alignment focused classes and hopes students will find her cuing interesting and instructive, and her classes grounding and energizing.
When founding Yes Yoga, Marquela was driven by the desire to sustain and support the yoga community that had formed on Oak St. and to this day, is amazed and excited about how the community has grown and flourished.
When not telling you what to do in the hot room, she likes to take long walks with her dog Basil and to try her hand at various kinds of making - whether it’s bread, blankets, costumes, music etc…she likes learning new skills and honing old ones.
Nikki
Co-Founder
Nikki first started practicing yoga when she was 19, at Bikram Yoga Philadelphia. She was immediately passionate about the practice and six years later she attended teacher training with the goal to share the Self-union and healing of yoga with others. Nikki’s practice and teaching reflected her love of yoga, her playful nature and the joy she found in everything, especially yoga. She taught from a place of creativity and of conscious intention.
She brought all of that love, vitality and creativity to the creation of Yes Yoga, fostering a beautiful, welcoming community and a peaceful space where everyone is invited to connect.
Nikki passed in April of 2026. Her presence will always be felt at Yes Yoga, which she was immensely proud of. She worked to make a place where we can all practice connection and inclusivity, experience transformation and find precious moments of inner peace. Nikki offered herself heart and soul to this goal and to held space for others to find balance, presence, strength, and themselves.
Meet The Founders
Marquela Stevenson
Co- Founder
Marquela began her practice as an adult in 2013. The transformative effect it had on her in just the first few months made it clear to her that she wanted a lifelong yoga practice. She received her certification from Bikram’s Yoga College of India in Thailand in the fall of 2014. “My practice and my teaching are heavily influenced by the desire to feel integrated and at home in myself and in the moment. I teach so that I might hold space for others to connect with themselves.”
Marquela loves teaching alignment focused classes and hopes students will find her cuing interesting and instructive, and her classes grounding and energizing.
When founding Yes Yoga, Marquela was driven by the desire to sustain and support the yoga community that had formed on Oak St. and to this day, is amazed and excited about how the community has grown and flourished.
When not telling you what to do in the hot room, she likes to take long walks with her dog Basil and to try her hand at various kinds of making - whether it’s bread, blankets, costumes, music etc…she likes learning new skills and honing old ones.
Nikki
Co-Founder
Nikki first started practicing yoga when she was 19, at Bikram Yoga Philadelphia. She was immediately passionate about the practice and six years later she attended teacher training with the goal to share the Self-union and healing of yoga with others. Nikki’s practice and teaching reflected her love of yoga, her playful nature and the joy she found in everything, especially yoga. She taught from a place of creativity and of conscious intention.
She brought all of that love, vitality and creativity to the creation of Yes Yoga, fostering a beautiful, welcoming community and a peaceful space where everyone is invited to connect.
Nikki passed in April of 2026. Her presence will always be felt at Yes Yoga, which she was immensely proud of. She worked to make a place where we can all practice connection and inclusivity, experience transformation and find precious moments of inner peace. Nikki offered herself heart and soul to this goal and to held space for others to find balance, presence, strength, and themselves.
Meet the Yes Yoga Team
Allisyn S
Yoga Instructor
Dr. Allisyn Swift is a licensed psychologist specializing in trauma informed care, school-based mental health, early childhood mental health, and working with neurodiverse children. She currently is the Executive Director of the Coalition for Compassionate Schools, a program in the psychology department at Tulane University. She has also been a classical ballet dancer trained at the Dance Theater of Harlem and Joffrey Ballet, and has toured with the 2nd company at Dance Theater of Harlem. As a dancer trained in the Baladi method of Northern African folk dance (aka belly-dance) that emphasizes improvisation and expression, she has taught and performed in various venues in New York City. Dr. Swift took her first hot yoga "Bikram" class in 2004 and has developed a strong practice that has now spanned over 20 years. In 2007 she was asked to represent her home studio in the Tri-State Yoga Championship where she scored right in the middle in the women's division - that's somewhere between"I can touch my toes" and "Cirque Du Soleil routines". She uses her knowledge of mind-body connections and anatomy in her safe, clear and intentional yoga teaching style. After a serious car accident, she is re-building her physical yoga practice. She's an avid Tolkein nerd and voracious reader. She lives with her husband Jake, daughter Camille, terrapin Rocksy, and dog Charlie close to the banks of the Mississippi where she plays dress-up and makes craft cocktails.
Chelsey B
Yoga Instructor
Chelsey has been practicing yoga since high school, studied kinesiology in college and soon after took her first yoga teacher training in 2011. She teaches Vinyasa, Hot 26, Yin, Restorative, Rocket and more. She has a deep love of learning and sharing from her own practice which comes through in her teaching. Each time you meet Chelsey on the mat you can expect a class that moves through vinyasa krama and is delivered in a compassionate way.
Ciara P
Yoga Instructor
Ciara is a yoga and movement teacher with nearly 14 years of experience and over 700 hours of training in yoga and Pilates.
She blends yoga, functional movement, flexibility training, calisthenics, and mindfulness to help students build strength, flexibility, mobility, and self-trust.
With a background in national-level yoga competition and international teaching experience, Ciara is known for clear, supportive, and playful teaching. She especially loves handstands and backbends, bringing a skill-based and exploratory approach to every class.
Alongside group classes, Ciara coaches clients one-on-one, helping them refine technique, improve alignment, and progress safely into more advanced shapes with confidence. Outside the studio, she enjoys baking, dancing, climbing, learning, and exploring music and creative movement.
Meet the Yes Yoga Team
Allisyn S
Yoga Instructor
Dr. Allisyn Swift is a licensed psychologist specializing in trauma informed care, school-based mental health, early childhood mental health, and working with neurodiverse children. She currently is the Executive Director of the Coalition for Compassionate Schools, a program in the psychology department at Tulane University. She has also been a classical ballet dancer trained at the Dance Theater of Harlem and Joffrey Ballet, and has toured with the 2nd company at Dance Theater of Harlem. As a dancer trained in the Baladi method of Northern African folk dance (aka belly-dance) that emphasizes improvisation and expression, she has taught and performed in various venues in New York City. Dr. Swift took her first hot yoga "Bikram" class in 2004 and has developed a strong practice that has now spanned over 20 years. In 2007 she was asked to represent her home studio in the Tri-State Yoga Championship where she scored right in the middle in the women's division - that's somewhere between"I can touch my toes" and "Cirque Du Soleil routines". She uses her knowledge of mind-body connections and anatomy in her safe, clear and intentional yoga teaching style. After a serious car accident, she is re-building her physical yoga practice. She's an avid Tolkein nerd and voracious reader. She lives with her husband Jake, daughter Camille, terrapin Rocksy, and dog Charlie close to the banks of the Mississippi where she plays dress-up and makes craft cocktails.
Chelsey B
Yoga Instructor
Chelsey has been practicing yoga since high school, studied kinesiology in college and soon after took her first yoga teacher training in 2011. She teaches Vinyasa, Hot 26, Yin, Restorative, Rocket and more. She has a deep love of learning and sharing from her own practice which comes through in her teaching. Each time you meet Chelsey on the mat you can expect a class that moves through vinyasa krama and is delivered in a compassionate way.
Ciara P
Yoga Instructor
Ciara is a yoga and movement teacher with nearly 14 years of experience and over 700 hours of training in yoga and Pilates.
She blends yoga, functional movement, flexibility training, calisthenics, and mindfulness to help students build strength, flexibility, mobility, and self-trust.
With a background in national-level yoga competition and international teaching experience, Ciara is known for clear, supportive, and playful teaching. She especially loves handstands and backbends, bringing a skill-based and exploratory approach to every class.
Alongside group classes, Ciara coaches clients one-on-one, helping them refine technique, improve alignment, and progress safely into more advanced shapes with confidence. Outside the studio, she enjoys baking, dancing, climbing, learning, and exploring music and creative movement.
