- Welcome to UPDOG Studios
Susan is a lifelong lover of all thing’s fitness-related, being a former competitive figure skater set the stage for a lifelong love affair with sports and fitness and inspiring people around her. Susan had the honor of coaching figure skating at the United States Naval Academy for 20 years—the love of graceful fluid movement will always be in her heart and soul and fluid smooth transitions are part of every class. A 35-year career in the fitness industry and partaking in competitively rowing crew makes it easy to accumulate years of wear and tear on the body.
Susan fell in love with the challenge and strength it takes to practice yoga, the fluidity and grace of movement, and getting still in your mind—yoga became a natural fit. In 2020 she experienced a forever life-altering event, and her life's purpose and “WHY” became so strong and clear she was compelled to open her yoga studio UPDOG Studios in May of 2022. The studios' purpose was to build a community of like-minded yogis who lift each other up every practice.
The purpose of the studio was to be built on the word E.P.I.C, meaning ENCOURAGEMENT, PERSEVERENCE, INSPIRATION, and COURAGE. The studio's community is amazing and through growth now offers internationally accredited yoga teacher training programs, workshops, and retreats.Susan loves to challenge her students to move mindfully with power and grace and her classes are described as an a$$ kicking full of love that will offer food for thought for the heart and soul. You will hear her words… “you can do hard things.” Susan feels blessed to share space with her students as they always teach the teacher.When she is not practicing yoga, you will most likely find her lifting weights or walking the 2 loves of her life, her soft-coated wheaten terriers, Piccola, and Pazza, and along “in spirit” the love of her life Capisce—her soft-coated wheaten terrier who Susan swears is the real founder of UPDOG Studios—Capisce passed on 2/5/2024 and her spirit lives on in the studio by her name—to understand.Susan is an ERYT 500, previously ACSM, and CSCS certified, and a YACEP provider.In truth, the above acronyms are meaningless without the heart and soul of people.
Susan loves to spend time on and off the mat hearing stories about people's lives, reminding students of their importance and place in the world, and never taking life for granted—and to be a good steward of the life you have been given.If you are not in the studio—meet us on retreat—feed your heart, and soul— and get inspired on and off your yoga mat.