Our Teachers
Samantha Lock - Owner
In my life I have learned that while accomplishments look awesome on paper or hanging on the wall, they mean nothing without the soul to back them! I would love to say that I am a superstar runner and athlete, ironclad triathlete, perfect mom and yogini who can grasp her toes and hurl them to the ceiling...but the truth would be that I strive to run 3 miles ever so often that my speedy heart beat will allow me, my children often drive me crazy and if I am ever capable of doing a forward fold and meeting my head to my knees it will be an absolute miracle of God! Like many I found my release, my mediation in running. It was my happy place for many years until I found a glitch in my heart that made running not the best option for me. I turned to yoga as my new release to help balance myself and once again find my happy place. Yoga has been my savior for finding that balance between feeling good in the body and the mind.
I believe the greatest gift we can give is to share this amazing practice with children and adults. It is my hope that our society will know the awesome benefits of yoga at a far earlier age then I discovered it and perhaps we will live in a much more peaceful and happier world because of it. ~ Namaste'
Now the stuff that looks good on paper: My passion for the past 20 years has been vested in educating children and families on how they can live healthier, more productive and inevitably happier lives. I have co-created and directed a national children’s non-profit that reached over 10,000 children and families across the country. I am a USATF (US Track and Field) Coach and the Founder of OBX GO FAR, a local non-profit dedicated to childhood obesity prevention that currently serves over 700 Dare County, NC youth annually. I believe to inspire someone is the greatest gift we can give! This inspiration led to the creation of THE STUDIO, a non-traditional yoga studio for kids, athletes and beginners. I wanted to combine my passion for yoga and the amazing benefits it can provide to children and adults with my love for running, cycling and other sports. I have been practicing yoga for over 13 years and finally made the leap to become a certified instructor under the guidance of my friend and mentor, Anne Howard and the Amalam School of Yoga. As an athlete, especially a runner, yoga can be very difficult. I wanted to create a space where athletes, kids and everyone can see the power yoga can bring to the mind and the body. I believe yoga can provide balance, flexibility, strength, peace and happiness to anyone willing to give it a try!
I believe the greatest gift we can give is to share this amazing practice with children and adults. It is my hope that our society will know the awesome benefits of yoga at a far earlier age then I discovered it and perhaps we will live in a much more peaceful and happier world because of it. ~ Namaste'
Now the stuff that looks good on paper: My passion for the past 20 years has been vested in educating children and families on how they can live healthier, more productive and inevitably happier lives. I have co-created and directed a national children’s non-profit that reached over 10,000 children and families across the country. I am a USATF (US Track and Field) Coach and the Founder of OBX GO FAR, a local non-profit dedicated to childhood obesity prevention that currently serves over 700 Dare County, NC youth annually. I believe to inspire someone is the greatest gift we can give! This inspiration led to the creation of THE STUDIO, a non-traditional yoga studio for kids, athletes and beginners. I wanted to combine my passion for yoga and the amazing benefits it can provide to children and adults with my love for running, cycling and other sports. I have been practicing yoga for over 13 years and finally made the leap to become a certified instructor under the guidance of my friend and mentor, Anne Howard and the Amalam School of Yoga. As an athlete, especially a runner, yoga can be very difficult. I wanted to create a space where athletes, kids and everyone can see the power yoga can bring to the mind and the body. I believe yoga can provide balance, flexibility, strength, peace and happiness to anyone willing to give it a try!
Lisa Blankenship
“As you practice yoga and meditation regularly, this subtle sense of feeling good gradually becomes so pervasive, so natural and genuine, so much a part of you that it carries into the whole of your life. And in doing so it helps clarify your deepest longings, motivations and aspirations thereby restoring optimism, hope, meaning and purpose to life.”-Erich Schiffmann.
I began my yoga journey 15 years ago when I was introduced to yoga under the teachings of Eric Schiffmann. As many do, I was seeking to increase flexibility and considered yoga a physical practice. After years of a consistent practice I became drawn more to the enriching effects it had on the mind and heart as well as the many wonderful transformations that were happening. These transformations were not just on a physical level. They were expanding my mind, heart and spirit so much that I felt an unwavering desire to share this awakening with others. I received my certification through YogaFit in 2012 and completed my 200 Hour Teacher Training here on the Outer Banks at the Amalam School of Yoga in 2014. I have been instructing on the Outer Banks for 3 years and have been lucky enough to practice with and learn from a beautiful mix of local instructors. Being affected and touched in some way by the many different styles of yoga I feel my classes offer a unique blend of what has resonated inside me from my experience. I enjoy creating vinyasa flows that are suitable for all levels to feel welcome, keeping classes down to earth focusing on proper alignment, foundation, breath, being present, aware and blossoming to your fullest potential. On the mat my intention is to help you create a better mind-body connection while reducing stress, increasing flexibility, balance, strength and an overall higher level of mental clarity and awareness in hopes of gradually taking these benefits off the mat with you into your daily life.
I have always lived by the coast and draw much inspiration from the ocean and environment, have a passion for the outdoors and connecting with nature. My loving circle of friends and family here on the Outer Banks keeps me grounded, especially my daughter who I consider a teacher as well. I am currently pursuing studies in Reiki I and II. My practice and passion for yoga is never-ending and I will continue to learn, grow and share this journey for as long as I can. The path can be beautiful if you just open up to it! ~Namaste~
I began my yoga journey 15 years ago when I was introduced to yoga under the teachings of Eric Schiffmann. As many do, I was seeking to increase flexibility and considered yoga a physical practice. After years of a consistent practice I became drawn more to the enriching effects it had on the mind and heart as well as the many wonderful transformations that were happening. These transformations were not just on a physical level. They were expanding my mind, heart and spirit so much that I felt an unwavering desire to share this awakening with others. I received my certification through YogaFit in 2012 and completed my 200 Hour Teacher Training here on the Outer Banks at the Amalam School of Yoga in 2014. I have been instructing on the Outer Banks for 3 years and have been lucky enough to practice with and learn from a beautiful mix of local instructors. Being affected and touched in some way by the many different styles of yoga I feel my classes offer a unique blend of what has resonated inside me from my experience. I enjoy creating vinyasa flows that are suitable for all levels to feel welcome, keeping classes down to earth focusing on proper alignment, foundation, breath, being present, aware and blossoming to your fullest potential. On the mat my intention is to help you create a better mind-body connection while reducing stress, increasing flexibility, balance, strength and an overall higher level of mental clarity and awareness in hopes of gradually taking these benefits off the mat with you into your daily life.
I have always lived by the coast and draw much inspiration from the ocean and environment, have a passion for the outdoors and connecting with nature. My loving circle of friends and family here on the Outer Banks keeps me grounded, especially my daughter who I consider a teacher as well. I am currently pursuing studies in Reiki I and II. My practice and passion for yoga is never-ending and I will continue to learn, grow and share this journey for as long as I can. The path can be beautiful if you just open up to it! ~Namaste~
Kate Cartwright
Born and raised in North Central Florida, Kate has always marched to the beat of her own drum. Feeling held back by her small hometown, she left after graduating high school to attend The Savannah College of Art and Design for photography. After working for one summer in Corolla while still in college, Kate fell in love with the magic of The Outer Banks. So much that when she decided to leave SCAD, she chose The Outer Banks to call home. Kate began practicing yoga at home using videos in 2014. After making a move back to her hometown in Florida in 2015, she took a 200 hour yoga teacher training at the Ayurveda Health Retreat in Alachua, Florida, owned and operated by Richard Masla, who is a well respected yogi and ayurveda practitioner. Kate had no intentions on teaching when she began the training but after graduating and moving back to The Outer Banks, she felt a calling to share what she had learned. Yoga has been a way for her to connect to her true self, and sharing that peace she finds on her mat is her favorite part of teaching. In 2019 she was given the opportunity to teach at a music festival hosted by her favorite DJ, Bassnectar, in Mexico with over 100 students in attendance. Since music and yoga are foundations of her life, this was one of the greatest blessings she has received since beginning her walk down the path of yoga.
Allie Clupper
Allie was lucky enough to grow up on the Outer Banks. She began doing yoga when she attended Warren Wilson Collage outside of Asheville, NC, where they offered free yoga classes for students. She fell in love with yoga quickly because it helped her shed her anxiety and leave class feeling calm, present, and light, helping her to be more productive, focused, compassionate, and patient. After college she traveled around for about 5 years working on small, organic family farms, and continued to seek out yoga studios, sampling different flavors of yoga everywhere she went.
In 2011 she returned to Western North Carolina to complete her 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training at the Asheville Yoga Center. She began teaching advanced flow classes a couple of years later, but has since settled into teaching more slow, meditative practices such as Yin and Restorative.
Allie likes to practice different types of yoga depending on what life is currently throwing at her. She is currently working towards her 500-hour yoga certification through the Asheville Yoga Center.
She hopes to share a sense of contentment and release with her students.
In 2011 she returned to Western North Carolina to complete her 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training at the Asheville Yoga Center. She began teaching advanced flow classes a couple of years later, but has since settled into teaching more slow, meditative practices such as Yin and Restorative.
Allie likes to practice different types of yoga depending on what life is currently throwing at her. She is currently working towards her 500-hour yoga certification through the Asheville Yoga Center.
She hopes to share a sense of contentment and release with her students.
Molly Harrison
Molly completed her 200-hour yoga certification from the Integral Yoga Institute in Buckingham, Virginia, in 1998. She has been teaching hatha yoga on the Outer Banks for the past 18 years and has continued her yoga and meditation studies with various teachers, including intensive trainings in the vinyasa style with Shiva Rea. She is certified to teach prenatal yoga through Kripalu. She is a second-degree Reiki practitioner and is currently a student of Shamanic Energy Medicine with the Four Winds Society. Her practice and her teaching are motivated by a deep respect for and connection to the ancient yogic teachings, nature, energy and the power of the body, mind and spirit.
Jen Mehall
Jen is a RYT 200 and has specialized training and/or certifications in Yoga for Athletes, Yoga for Seniors, and Trauma Sensitive Yoga. Currently, she is completing classes to become a RYT 500. In addition, Jen travels several times a year to teach at yoga teacher training's around the world.
Jen’s teaching style allows students to focus on the present moment and she believes yoga should be fun, playful, and challenging. She offers a welcoming atmosphere for students of all levels, ages, shapes, and sizes. Jen believes the postures and type of yoga that is taught are much less important than the ability to help others explore and experience all that yoga has to offer. She teaches a variety of classes to include vinyasa flow, gentle, restorative, and yoga for athletes. She is honored to call The Studio her home. Please check our schedule and join her at The Studio several days a week!
Jen’s teaching style allows students to focus on the present moment and she believes yoga should be fun, playful, and challenging. She offers a welcoming atmosphere for students of all levels, ages, shapes, and sizes. Jen believes the postures and type of yoga that is taught are much less important than the ability to help others explore and experience all that yoga has to offer. She teaches a variety of classes to include vinyasa flow, gentle, restorative, and yoga for athletes. She is honored to call The Studio her home. Please check our schedule and join her at The Studio several days a week!
Shirley Parker
BIO COMING! :)
