Yoga saved Sami’s life; it’s from that place of determination and vulnerability that she teaches.

A former ballerina, Sami originally turned to yoga to give her pain relief after back and hip surgery at 16 and 21. Then in late 2014, Sami tragically lost her then-fiancé. Her experience with trauma and grief completely changed her outlook on yoga. It was no longer simply a way to challenge her physicality, rather, it became an imperative tool towards survival and peace. Armed with experience and empathy, Sami’s classes mix creatively challenging sequencing with candid rawness. Sami completed her first 200-hr RYT training in Austin in 2009 with her mentor, Desirae Pierce. Since then, she has attended Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, and both participated in and assisted various programs with Baron Baptiste. Outside of Baptiste Yoga; Sami’s teaching is inspired by the steadfast alignment of (what was) Anusara, the lyrical dance of Vinyasa, the diligence of Ashtanga, and the value of slowing down through Yin. Sami has been featured in various national publications as a cover model, teacher, and contributor including Origin Magazine, Mantra Yoga & Health, Colorado Yoga Magazine, New York Yoga + Life and in the book, The Yoga Fix. With a gypsy-like thirst for travel, Sami leads retreats around the world. From Burning Man to Wanderlust, she has taught and assisted at many festivals and events, but her most humbling memory was the opportunity to teach at The White House during the annual Easter Egg Roll celebration. Teaching yoga to smiling children as the President and First Lady led the national anthem is something she’ll never forget. Upon moving to Boston in early 2017, Sami joined the team at Down Under School of Yoga as the Director of Marketing, Brand, and Strategic Planning. Early in her career, Sami worked in sports marketing for the Olympic Games, World Cup, and other major sporting events and eventually this led her to couple her degree in design with her yoga. Sami previously served as the Creative Director for several national yoga magazines and as a brand strategist for leading yoga industry names, like the Baptiste Institute. When Sami isn’t on her mat, at the studio, or in front of her laptop, she is probably wearing heels and dancing to live music, with a glass of champagne in her hand, and her wonderful man Patrick, by her side. Learn more about Sami at samileayoga.com.