Our Community

We’re Jackie and Mark de Oliveira, certified Bikram Yoga instructors who’ve settled in Ithaca and we truly believe this yoga will transform your life for the better, as it has ours.  We’re excited to share the healing and therapeutic benefits of Original Hot Yoga with you and accompany you on your journey to better health.

Our yoga odyssey started in 1997, when we were in the Army and started practicing Iyengar yoga as part of the healing process following Mark’s heart surgery.  We loved the discipline, as well as tranquility, of the yoga but really loved to work out via running. So we practiced various types of yoga but only intermittently, when we had time, to support our running and find balance in our busy family lives.  

In late 2005, struggling to juggle work, a family, and just midlife in general, Jackie looked for refuge in the closest yoga studio, Reston Yoga, which happened to be a Bikram studio. It was the hardest workout she’d ever done. She loved it and was hooked. Mark was reluctant to start something else given his busy schedule.  However, on Mother’s Day in 2006 Mark had to go to Bikram with Jackie because, well, it’s her day.  He loved it and was also hooked.  We found ourselves feeling whole, mentally and physically healthier than we ever had in our lives, and were grateful for how the yoga reconnected us.  

In February 2007, we traveled to Los Angeles where Mark was competing in the national yoga competition. We love the energy and community there and decided we needed to become teachers soon, and eventually open a studio. In that same year, we were blessed to do our Bikram Yoga Teacher Training in beautiful Hawaii where Jackie graduated in Spring and Mark graduated in Fall.  

In the subsequent years, we practiced and taught at studios in Northern Virginia and later in Southeast Asia. Some of our summers were spent in Ithaca, where our oldest daughter attends Ithaca College. We loved the sheer beauty of the area, and how we were welcomed by the hot yoga community.  After traveling the world and being away from family, we decided to return to the United States in 2021, make Ithaca our home, and open a hot yoga studio here. We can’t wait to meet you and show you how this yoga will enrich your life!