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A Yoga Teacher Who Takes the Mat Into Real Life

A Queen Anne yoga teacher of more than 15 years brings philosophy, retreats and a new teacher school to Seattle.

<h6>Seattle Fitness Magazine · 28 Oct 2026</h6><ul><li><strong>15</strong>years teaching</li><li><strong>6</strong>group classes a week</li><li><strong>200</strong>hour teacher training</li></ul><h2>From personal practice to calling</h2> <p><b>Nancy Lea&#x27;s path into teaching began with a personal exploration of movement, mindfulness and self-discovery.</b></p><p>A Pacific Northwest native who has called Queen Anne home for many years, Nancy began leading classes more than 15 years ago, and the work has grown well beyond guiding a physical practice.</p><p>Yoga can make us stronger and more flexible, Nancy says, but it can also help us feel more connected and more at home in our bodies. Today that means group and private classes, retreats, and soon, mentoring new teachers through Brahman Yoga School.</p> <h2>Yoga as a practice for life</h2> <p><b>Yoga, in Nancy&#x27;s view, is a practice for life and not just something done on the mat.</b></p><p>Philosophy is part of every class, used to explore what we all face: how we respond to change, navigate relationships, handle challenges and understand ourselves more deeply.</p><p>The hope is that students take what they discover in practice and apply it to how they live. Working with Beginners and offering Sound Baths are among the specialties, and Nancy loves the quieter, restorative side of yoga as much as a sweaty, challenging class.</p> <h2>Trust in the body</h2> <p>One of the transformations Nancy is proudest of began with a client who arrived nervous and uncertain about how to move because of past and current injuries. The client grew stronger and more confident, learning to work with her body rather than against it, and she has shared that she now feels more balanced and steady, with a much greater awareness of who she is and what she needs.</p><p>Seeing someone develop trust in the body and, ultimately, in the self is among the most rewarding parts of teaching. The hardest part, Nancy says, is that you can guide and support but cannot do the work for anyone, so the lesson has been to let go of the outcome, trust the process and meet people where they are.</p> <h2>A week with a rhythm</h2> <p><b>The week has an intentional rhythm.</b></p><p>Nancy leads six group classes a week between a private studio on Queen Anne, Ahimsa Yoga &amp; Pilates and Drift Yoga in South Lake Union, plus a few private clients, occasional Reiki sessions and sound baths, and a class recorded on Fridays for an online library.</p><p>Thursdays are for behind-the-scenes work: newsletters, planning classes and retreats, and dealing with the details of running a small business. Home practice usually comes in the morning, and weekends stay free for rest, a husband, two sons, friends and Hazel the dog.</p> <h2>What comes next</h2> <p><b>Next up is Brahman Yoga School, created with teaching partner Julia Hollenberg.</b></p><p>The 200-hour teacher training is rooted in tradition, functional movement and nervous-system awareness, and Nancy wants to help new teachers find their own voices. Retreats are planned for Mallorca, Kyoto, Panama and Botswana. E-RYT 500 certified. More than 15 years of teaching. Co-creator of a 200-hour teacher training.</p>
Seattle Fitness Magazine · 28 Oct 2026
  • 15years teaching
  • 6group classes a week
  • 200hour teacher training

From personal practice to calling

Nancy Lea's path into teaching began with a personal exploration of movement, mindfulness and self-discovery.

A Pacific Northwest native who has called Queen Anne home for many years, Nancy began leading classes more than 15 years ago, and the work has grown well beyond guiding a physical practice.

Yoga can make us stronger and more flexible, Nancy says, but it can also help us feel more connected and more at home in our bodies. Today that means group and private classes, retreats, and soon, mentoring new teachers through Brahman Yoga School.

Yoga as a practice for life

Yoga, in Nancy's view, is a practice for life and not just something done on the mat.

Philosophy is part of every class, used to explore what we all face: how we respond to change, navigate relationships, handle challenges and understand ourselves more deeply.

The hope is that students take what they discover in practice and apply it to how they live. Working with Beginners and offering Sound Baths are among the specialties, and Nancy loves the quieter, restorative side of yoga as much as a sweaty, challenging class.

Trust in the body

One of the transformations Nancy is proudest of began with a client who arrived nervous and uncertain about how to move because of past and current injuries. The client grew stronger and more confident, learning to work with her body rather than against it, and she has shared that she now feels more balanced and steady, with a much greater awareness of who she is and what she needs.

Seeing someone develop trust in the body and, ultimately, in the self is among the most rewarding parts of teaching. The hardest part, Nancy says, is that you can guide and support but cannot do the work for anyone, so the lesson has been to let go of the outcome, trust the process and meet people where they are.

A week with a rhythm

The week has an intentional rhythm.

Nancy leads six group classes a week between a private studio on Queen Anne, Ahimsa Yoga & Pilates and Drift Yoga in South Lake Union, plus a few private clients, occasional Reiki sessions and sound baths, and a class recorded on Fridays for an online library.

Thursdays are for behind-the-scenes work: newsletters, planning classes and retreats, and dealing with the details of running a small business. Home practice usually comes in the morning, and weekends stay free for rest, a husband, two sons, friends and Hazel the dog.

What comes next

Next up is Brahman Yoga School, created with teaching partner Julia Hollenberg.

The 200-hour teacher training is rooted in tradition, functional movement and nervous-system awareness, and Nancy wants to help new teachers find their own voices. Retreats are planned for Mallorca, Kyoto, Panama and Botswana. E-RYT 500 certified. More than 15 years of teaching. Co-creator of a 200-hour teacher training.

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