Mantra
Move with love
A space
where the dreamers,
the visionaries,
the makers,
the movers,
the shakers,
Those who have been lost
and then found
and then lost again many a times over-
All Choose to come together
To believe in something bigger.
It is a practice.
It begins small.
It starts with the breath.
Becomes a word and some
pep in your step.
It builds to a series of
breaths, of words, of steps.
A mind reset.
A mantra.
A daily commitment.
A conversation.
A connection.
A contagion of kindness.
A reminder that it is
worth it to move with love.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Core Beliefs
Pro Black Lives Matter, Pro LGBTQ+, Pro Choice, Pro Immigrant, Pro Public Schools. We want all bodies to be seen, heard, valued, and included – liberation for one is liberation for all. We are committed to creating a safe, accessible, inclusive, and diverse community within our movement space.
About
Founder's Story
The words “Move With Love” found its way to me from a place that’s hard to describe, but its impact was crystal clear when I needed it most. Living in a cramped East Village apartment, feeling lost and alone, I stumbled upon Marianne Williamson’s book, A Return to Love. In the midst of my struggles, three words came to mind – MOVE WITH LOVE.
This mantra became my compass. I tagged it on tote bags, walls, and even on my body. It led me on a journey through India, Germany, and France, eventually bringing me back to Brooklyn with a dream of establishing my own studio called Move With Love. A home where people from all walks of life could come together, using movement and community to feel better, breathe deeper, and embrace their wonderfully messy imperfect selves.
Fast forward to 2020 and the onset of the pandemic. Matt, Frankie, BB, and I found ourselves relocating to Philly, the city and neighborhood that raised me – Mt. Airy. And then, in July 2022, a vacant space became available for rent, right across from where my mother launched her Real Estate career 40 years prior, and where I sat on her desk as a baby when she couldn’t afford daycare. My dream studio didn’t happen in Brooklyn, but that feels like it was meant to be. So here I am, back home–a little older, a little wiser– welcoming you to move with love together.
About
The Team
Holly
Founder
Hi! I am Holly (she/her/hers) , but you can call me Bird. I have had a love affair with movement my entire life and it all began in a roller dance class in Mt.Airy. Those skates became a BFA in Modern dance from University of The Arts in Philadelphia. Modern dance led me to NYC where I danced for local companies and apprenticed with The Martha Graham Dance Company. Dance brought me into the world of yoga, where I searched for a movement practice that uplifted vs critiqued and used the body to transform the mind. I have 10,000+ hours of teaching under my belt, 1000+ hours of training from Yoga to Positive psychology to anatomy, I have led 30+ Yoga teacher trainings, and I have 15 years of teaching experience within New York City, Seattle, California, and Philadelphia. I have taught on the Steps of the Brooklyn Museum and Yoga at Bryant Park, as well as, for numerous studios- Yoga to the People, Vera Yoga, Tangerine, Heatwise, Jewel City Yoga, YogaSpark, The Yoga Room, NP Rock, and currently teaches in and around New York City and Philadelphia. My classes are a combination of all of my training- dance, vinyasa yoga, hatha, restorative, Katonah yoga, meditation, breath-work, prenatal/postnatal, applied positive psychology, and art. They are filled with love, levity, play, spirituality, and Philly sass. My classes are inspired by the world around me and the world within me which makes them creative, alignment-based, and themed practices that can revolve around a myriad of topics from a painting at The Met to an ancient yoga text. Mainly, I want to empower my students to feel good in the body they live in one breath at a time and to always trust their inner teacher.
Kayla Ankeny Allamou
Teacher
A daughter of Germantown and Mt Airy, Kayla started practicing yoga from VHS tapes in her mom’s living room when she was 14. She became totally obsessed and her practice has been her means through the madness ever since. Her interest in movement expanded she trained in Bellydance and then got hooked on Capoeira which overtook her life for ten years. Finding herself more and more drawn to the liberatory aspects of movement she began to channel her desperate desire to save the world into her studies of Massage and Thai Bodywork while incessantly turning cartwheels in the Capoeira academy and studying for her BFA in dance at Temple. In 2009, Kayla decided to make it official with her love of yoga and completed her 200 hour YTT at Dhyana Yoga in Philadelphia and began teaching in the greater Philadelphia area. Kayla moved to Casablanca, Morocco in 2013 and began teaching Yoga, Pilates, Barre and Capoeira in her second home town for 3 years. Upon returning to Philadelphia she completed her comprehensive Pilates teacher training at Drexel with JMO (Jennifer Morley) and continued her Yoga training with Alex Auder, Marni Sclaroff and Shiva Rae (for her 300 hour). Now a mom of 2 crazy kids, Kayla finds cultivating a connection to the core through Pilates to be crucial on an emotional and physical level. On the yoga mat, she draws on her diverse movement experience (therapeutic and choreographic) to delve into the practice. Her classes often utilize a mytho-poetic lens to find explore the deep wisdom in the yoga tradition and beyond.
Abby Klein
Teacher
Abby has taught and practiced movement for over 20 years. Her long background in the alternative medicine space informs her perpetual fascination with the body and its ability to heal. Abby is a 2003 graduate of the Academy for Five Element Acupuncture and in more recent years directed her practice toward gut health, becoming trained as a Colon Therapist. She is also a veteran DJ having traveled the world DJing since she was a teenager, and credits being born and raised in Philly with her obsession with music and with records and the power of fun.
Gabbi Jane
Teacher
Gabbi's passion and study of movement started 10 years ago. Experiencing movement as a catalyst for deep healing & transformational growth, Gabbi became an ambassador of movement inspiring people to move their bodies out of love and curiosity. Graduating from West Chester University in spring of 2020, offered the unique opportunity for Gabbi to take an alternative approach to her career path. She started a challenge for herself called The Pursuit of Happiness, a 365 day journey to reconnect with authentic Joy and deepen self- awareness. Spending that year being an intentional, conscious student of life, consistently journaling, hiking, practicing yoga, reading, roller-skating, and so much more! In honor of what set her soul on fire, she left her full time sales career and continued in pursuit of her passions. In 2021, she became a Registered Yoga Teacher & Certified Holistic Wellness Coach. Since then, she has dedicated her career to creating experiences for curious self-healers to feel supported & connected when seeking their truth. In addition to her 200 hours of Hatha Vinyasa, 75 Hours of Trauma Informed yoga, and coaching certifications, she is also, Reiki 1 certified, Pilates Trained, and an emerging Sound Healer while currently studying to become a Rapid Transformational Hypnotherapist. Gabbi's intention in her work is to help her client's & students to build a stronger foundation of home within their bodies. She is a strong believer that no matter shape, race, or gender, we all deserve a safe space to explore & express through movement. After a session with gabbi you can expect to feel grounded, connected, and open to the abundant possibilities that exist for you.
Maegan D'Amato
Teacher
The breadth of Maegan’s experience comes from being a Licensed Clinical Social worker, through which she currently provides mental health care to the larger Philadelphia community. However, it was Maegan’s own personal mental health journey that brought her to yoga practice in 2014, where she found great benefit in the use of yoga as a therapeutic practice for healing her trauma. In 2017, Maegan took this further as she gained education as a mindfulness meditation teacher, which truly sparked her journey in becoming a yoga teacher. Maegan received her 200-hour yoga teacher training with Daya Yoga in Brooklyn, NY in the spring of 2020. Since then she has completed certifications in Trauma Sensitive Yoga through the Center for Trauma and Embodiment, as well as training in somatic trauma therapy through the Embody Lab. Maegan is currently enrolled in an advanced 300-hour IAYT training with Prema Yoga in NYC, where she is deepening her knowledge in yoga therapy and Ayurvedic medicine. Maegan is also a Reiki Level I practitioner, receiving her training in 2016 through the Usui lineage at Maha Rose Center for Healing in NY. Maegan combines all her experiences in the mental health world, both professionally and personally, to provide classes that are trauma-informed and healing in nature.
Emily Lenhard
Teacher
Emily began practicing yoga in the early 2000s as a way to improve her posture. She quickly began to realize a newfound comfort and ease in her body and became a devoted practitioner. This led to enrolling in a teachers training program in 2008. Since then she has completed courses and workshops in Ayurveda, posture sequencing, Thai yoga massage, anatomy & physiology, the Yoga Sutras, yoga for classrooms, and has spent several years studying the ashtanga lineage. She is currently enrolled in a 850 hour comprehensive Yoga Therapy training and expects to finish in 2024. Emily believes yoga extends far beyond the postures taught in classes and tries to inspire that belief in anyone who comes to practice with her. In her class you can expect a breath centered practice, focus on building both strength and flexibility, playful transitions, and moving with intention. She is grateful to all her teachers for their knowledge, guidance, and patience.
Mara Lileas
Guest Teacher
Mara Lileas (Guest Teacher) is all about dismantling some stigmas around yoga. You will find that her teaching style is non judgmental, all inclusive, and grounded in authenticity. Since 2012 she has taught thousands of yoga classes, owned and managed studios, and ran weekend yoga retreats. “By focusing on healthy anatomical movements and postures, we can take care of our bodies and minds. I hope to help people connect with their body and breath in a way that feels good to them. I believe there are a lot of right ways to move our body, lets find the ways that work for you”
Sara Schwartz
Guest Teacher
Sara is the founder of Riot Alliance, a Philadelphia-based sound healing and jewelry business with a social justice mission. Transformed by her personal experience with stress relief and grounding through sound, Sara became a certified Sound Healer to share this practice in community. As a Licensed Social Worker with a background in trauma-informed care, Sara has a deep understanding of healing-centered practices offering immersive sound bath experiences that support participants to experience restful release in a welcoming, safe environment. Central to her work is the honoring of indigenous sound healers and a commitment to making sound healing accessible to marginalized communities. Sara completed a 100-hour certification in Sound Healing with the Sage Academy of Sound and leads multiple group and private sound healings monthly. She loves the accessibility and intergenerational community of sound meditation, and is grateful to her sound healing teachers and collaborators who continuously teach her more about this practice and its benefits. Missions aligned and Sara could not be more thrilled to be a part of the Move With Love community! In her free time you can find her practicing yoga, dancing to all the live music, and yes, she bleeds green :)
Candace Stevens
Teacher
Candace grew up studying music and dance, was first drawn to yoga through the lyrics of George Harrison in high school. She studied Philosophy in college and is interested in exploration of meaning, consciousness, the nature of reality and creativity. This exploration deepened with the study of Clinical Psychology in graduate school while concurrently going through her first yoga teacher training, where she became deeply fascinated by the mind body connection. Candace has been teaching yoga since 2010 and draws from numerous lineages; from dynamic, creative, free-flowing sequencing from Shiva Rea, to mindful, grounded, trauma-sensitive practices from Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, Candace employs an eclectic approach with the intention of best meeting the needs of the class in any given moment. Her teaching is strongly influenced by her work as a mental health therapist, and she sees the practice of yoga as a way to deepen mental and emotional connection and healing. Class themes are often tied to the cycles of nature. She loves to lead speciality workshops and hold retreats to facilitate deeper experiences. In addition to vinyasa, Candace loves teaching yoga nidra, yin, restorative, and a fusion of yoga and dance. She is a poodle enthusiast, loves the desert, and deeply enjoys napping on the couch.
Marie Barranco
Teacher
Marie first fell in love with movement by way of dance - through ballet, hip hop, and salsa, she found freedom and joy in intuitively moving her body. She began practicing yoga and mindfulness meditation in 2013 and the therapeutic elements of these practices radically transformed her life. Inspired to dive deeper, she eventually pursued a path in teaching in 2017. Marie remains a perpetual student and over the years has completed certifications in Buddhist psychology, yin, restorative, prenatal, and pranayama. She has completed intensive studies on the intersection of yoga, social justice, and leadership with Off the Mat, Into the World, and in 2021, she completed an advanced certification in trauma-informed yoga and somatic practices with Collective Resilience Yoga. As of 2024, she is also a certified health and wellness coach dedicated to supporting folks in their body-mind-spirit well-being. As a trauma-informed yoga educator, Marie specializes in offerings that bring somatic awareness, heartfelt intention, and contemplation on how the yoga practice can show up in our lives on and off the mat. She is passionate about creating accessible spaces where all bodies feel welcomed and supported. Her intention is to help her students cultivate a sense of connection, curiosity, and trust in their body wisdom and innate resilience. In Marie’s classes you can expect lots of variations, choice, and encouragement to take on the shapes that best support you in any given moment. Marie believes yoga is a radical practice that helps us learn how to meet ourselves and one another with less judgment and more presence and compassion, resulting in individual and collective transformation. Marie spent the last two years traveling abroad before taking extended time to live on a small farm in Massachusetts and finally landing in Mt Airy, Philadelphia. She finds continued inspiration and joy through long walks in nature, learning people’s stories, music, cooking, and jumping into the ocean.
Marina Forster
Teacher
Marina brings almost two decades of experience in aquatics, fitness, and yoga training to the studio, with a passion for functional movement. A strong believer that movement is essential for sustainability and longevity, her approach focuses on empowering clients to cultivate a strong mind/body connection. Through mindful, effective and an empathetic training style, Marina helps clients achieve overall well-being, guiding them to move with purpose and intention for a balanced, healthy life.
Liz Fever
Teacher
Liz Fever is a 200hr certified yoga teacher based in Philadelphia. As an advocate of movement for all bodies, Liz has trained with Marissa Nash, Anthony Chavez and Jacq Griffiths to build a vinyasa practice focusing on taking up space and exploration of breath and movement. Students can expect an environment of openness, options and offerings that allow for their personal practice to grow beyond the four corners of their mat. Each class will give folks a chance to move in their own way and honor whatever the present moment holds for them. An artist at heart, Liz enjoys bringing creativity into her practice, both through asana and music. When she's not in the studio, you'll find her making paintings or collages, sipping a latte, playing cozy games, or writing about life's adventures, both big and small.
Kate Toll
Swing Teacher
Kate first became interested in yoga in order to get a good workout in. Since then, her practice has become so much more. Kate enjoys creating classes that allow students to deepen their connection with themselves as well as get in a good stretch. She has taken two 200-hour level yoga teacher trainings. Her first 200-hour training was at Three Queens Yoga under Mariel Freeman. Her second 200-hour training was under Jacq Griffiths, Lauren Clark, and Gabbi Johnson at Sanctuary Wellness. She has taken many trainings including a 'Chaturanga Workshop' with Larry Mele, a Mindfulness Series with Erick Dupree, 'Vinyasa Sequencing and Manual Assists' with Alex Homes, and many more. She has previously taught at Columbia University, Yoga Home, and Sanctuary Wellness. When Kate is not teaching yoga you can find her teaching first grade, taking her dog to the Wissahickon, and traveling to Maine.
Bridget Carlin
Swing Teacher
Bridget was introduced to yoga in 2012 as a supplement to her physical training as a dancer. In 2015, she began practicing yoga itself with more focus and intention. She has been amazed by the impact yoga has had on her psychological and spiritual well-being. In the hope of exploring the practice further and sharing her joy with others, Bridget pursued her 200-HR YTT at The Yoga Garden in 2016. She is so grateful to have since that time been practicing, learning, and teaching each day! Bridget is so grateful and proud to be a part of the Move with Love community. Bridget earned her BA in psychology with a minor in dance at West Chester University in 2015. She loves to create in the forms of dance, movement, and visual art. She finds vast inspiration from natural and human phenomena.
The Studio
MWL is easily accessible by car, public transportation, bike, or on foot. We are a 20-minute drive from Downtown Philly, two blocks away from the Carpenter Lane stop on the Chestnut Hill West Regional rail, a stop on route 23, bikeable, it is very walkable, and We have free on street parking.
We offer Jade Mats, cork blocks, cushy bolsters, blankets, and straps. We have two sets of changing curtains, cubbies for personal items, a fully stocked bathroom, a lil sitting nook, and a refillable water station
FAQs
We currently offer three types of movement classes — click below to see our upcoming schedule.