Meet Us
Just Be Yoga Studio was founded by Brooke Hornbaker, a long time resident of Naperville. Brooke practiced yoga off and on since 2000, but it wasn't until she was diagnosed with a rare, debilitating, and often times fatal, autoimmune disease that she really explored all the benefits of yoga.
"I have had to make some major life changes after getting my diagnosis in 2018. Yoga has improved my quality of life as well as my mental state. I make sure yoga is part of my daily routine. When I was first diagnosed, I wasn't able to be active for too long without having to rest. Yoga has allowed me to work at my own pace and listen to my body. It has increased my strength, flexibility, endurance, and most of all, my life."
Our Team
Dedication. Expertise. Passion.
Claudine Beeson
Out of simple curiosity about this 1,000-year-old healing system, Claudine began practicing yoga in 1999. After just one yoga video, she realized two things: she had neglected to get in touch with her body and she truly did not know what it was like to breathe. With “The Tattered Mat” as her north star, her brand of yoga is welcoming and attainable. She invites her students to take the lessons on the mat into their lives and to share their stories. She loves music, breaking a sweat, and even though she can land the most graceful poses, her everyday life finds grace in helping and hearing from others. She believes more than our mats, we are what we learn on them. This lived-in yoga style encourages enduring and sharing. By being accessible, attentive and articulate, Claudine helps her students learn to do what they never thought their bodies could do. Claudine teaches weekly classes, customized private one-on-one sessions, corporate yoga and hosts retreats and workshops.
Katie Diederichs
I have been practicing yoga for over 27 years and I consider this just the beginning of a long journey. As an Instructor with 12+ years of teaching experience, I maintain positive perspective, healing and connection with each client I meet. I strive to teach the importance of self-awareness, healthy lifestyle and gaining results. My classes are energetic, challenging and constructive. As a leader, creating relationships and having the privilege to be entrusted helps to drive compassion and support, as well as a strong network to each other and within the community. I uphold this integrity through my dedication to each client, as well as in my work ethic and my career. I continue to expand my knowledge in yoga technique, healing modalities and training courses, fruiting my own practice, so that I may share it with those I meet, teach, inspire and have the honor of practicing alongside.
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Monika Diebes
Monika’s passion for the ancient tradition and holistic health care system of Yoga and Ayurveda has led her down a path of endless discovery and study. As a Registered 500 hour Yoga Teacher, Sound Healing Facilitator and Reiki Practitioner, she makes use of the entire Yoga toolbox while incorporating many traditional styles of Yoga and various healing modalities into her life and classes. Teaching both adults and children Monika strives to cultivating a sense of physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing, balance, and connection. Her hope is to spark the love of Yoga in each student and create a community that is accessible and inclusive for everyone.
Julie Fitzpatrick
Julie has been teaching fitness for over 30 years with a love found in Barre. As a former studio owner, and master trained in The daily Method, community and student interactions are her top priorities. Julie believes that Barre allows for success of all ages in a format focused on alignment that easily translates to your daily living. A forever format full of challenge and conditioning.
Saba Haider
Born and brought up in India, yoga has been a part of Saba’s life since childhood. She started practicing under the guidance of her mother and guru (teacher) since an early age. She moved to the United States in 2007 and started teaching Yoga and meditation here. She believes in always being a student of the practice and is deeply grateful for the loving wisdom her elders and teachers have shared with her. In her classes, Saba combines creative sequencing, a spirit of playfulness, inspiration and tradition to help her students deepen their practice and connect with the roots of yoga. In her classes, she seeks to help others thrive in life by nurturing body, mind and soul with yoga, meditation, and mindful living.
Trinity Hamilton
Trinity’s yoga journey has been one of constant change, growth, and gratitude. Initially, she practiced yoga as another form of discipline and perfecting postures throughout her career as a professional dancer. However, this mentality often resulted in burnout and feeling unfulfilled. Seeking a thorough education and better understanding of the spirituality behind the practice, she received her certification in 2017 in vinyasa yoga through Samadhi Yoga in Denver, Colorado. Trinity found her calling during Samadhi’s certification while assisting instructors, teaching modified yoga for people with a wide range of disabilities or chronic illnesses. Shortly after, she received her adaptive yoga certification, and advanced studies under the tutelage of Matthew Sanford through Mind Body Solutions in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Their mission “to transform trauma, loss, and disability into hope and potential by awakening the connection of mind and body” truly resonated with how she wanted to serve her community. Most recently, Trinity has received her certification in Yoga for 12-Step Recovery (Y12SR), and Yoga for Trauma, Depression, and Anxiety. “ I believe each and every one of us lives with a certain level of trauma, addiction, and negligence of self-care or self-love. As a person in recovery, and living with a rare neurological disorder of narcolepsy with cataplexy, I know the positive impact yoga can have in one’s’ body, soul, and connection to a Higher Power.”
Sarah Lindgren
Sarah teaches people how to nurture themselves through grounding and embodiment practices so they can begin to truly love the life they live. Sarah is an Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher (200 E-RYT) working to empower students in public classes, workshops, and yoga retreats. She is also a Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider (YACEP) and offers one on one apprenticeship programs. Sarah is dedicated to utilizing the teachings of yoga that break down the barriers within our lives. In her class you can expect breath-based and functional movement techniques as well as energetic practices like pranayama and meditation. Sarah began practicing yoga in 2006 while expecting her first daughter. That initial experience of being present in her body was one of profound self realization. She became aware that she had been missing self love and empowerment since adolescence. This life altering experience drove her to dig deeper into alternative solutions for healing and wholeness. Sarah began to cultivate a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness between the mind and body experience and societal expectation. Through her dedicated practice and self awareness she found yoga and its accompanying modalities to be an indispensable practice of reclaiming and healing her human spirit.Sarah took the next step on her path by obtaining her 200 hour certification in 2016 from Moksha Yoga in Chicago with Daren Friesen. She completed this program with more than 700 hours of training. Her training has included studying under internationally acclaimed teachers Gary Kraftsow, Aadil Palkhivala and Jason Crandell. Sarah has also worked closely with local teachers Jim Bennett, Wade Gotwals and Amber Cook. Including advanced 100 hour training with Karuna Yoga and 150 hour training with Tejas Yoga, Yoga to Transform Trauma with Katherine Ashton and multiple subtle body trainings. Sarah continues to embrace being a student of this expansive practice and it’s ability to heal. Sarah is currently enrolled in a 300 hour training to continue her education and ability to meet people where they are with greater knowledge and understanding of yoga practices and philosophy.
Kristin Louis
Hi, I’m Kristin! I tried my first yoga class while I was recovering from a sports injury and it changed my life! I had always been an athlete and loved the intensity of competitive sports. I was happily surprised by the body awareness and mobility I picked up in my first Iyengar Yoga series. Over the years, yoga became more and more necessary to combat the stress of my highly demanding job. In 2008 my husband and I made a huge life decision and moved to Doha, Qatar. With our proximity to so many international yoga hubs, the doors into my whole yoga world blew wide open. I was able to study and learn from various styles of yoga, really falling in love with Ashtanga and Vinyasa yoga. My classes are challenging, yet nurturing with humor and intelligence woven throughout.
Mary Mansfield
Growing up in Ireland Mary was surrounded by beautiful countryside and rich lyrical poetry. She incorporates her love of nature and literature into a harmonious class focused on meditation, building and maintaining flexibility, strength and balance. Yoga has been part of her life for over 10 years and in 2019 Mary completed her YTT 200 in Naperville. She enjoys guiding classes for seasoned yogis and curious beginners and encourages all students to live their best life on and off the mat. In addition to teaching (or talking about Yoga), Mary works as an early childhood educator. In her free time she hikes with friends, volunteers with education and environmental groups locally, and enjoys family life and traveling. She believes that Yoga is a life-long Practice and it’s never too late to start living your best life!
BJ Rahn
My yoga journey began with a book that just happened to catch my eye while browsing in a bookshop. It was a highly illustrated yoga anatomy book written by a respected yoga teacher. Little did I know that that purchase would change my life. I became fascinated with the poses and how they moved the spine, muscles, and joints of the body. As I practiced, I noticed how yoga made me more aware of my breath and body, how it reduced my stress and improved my flexibility and balance. I felt better physically, emotionally, and spiritually. In time, the desire to share the gift of yoga with others grew. In 2012 I completed my 200-hour teaching certification at Prairie Yoga in Lisle, and I have been teaching yoga in the area ever since. During my 10 years of teaching, I have become increasingly convinced that yoga is vital to our overall health and to aging well. My classes are designed to be safe and beneficial for all ages, from beginners to more advanced students. My Joint & Spine Health classes focus on mindfully moving the body to increase flexibility in the spine, to increase range of motion in the joints and to strengthen the muscles that support those joints. So, whether you are just beginning your yoga journey, or already on your way, I’d love to meet you on the mat. Please join me in class and allow me the privilege of guiding your practice. Namaste, BJ
Valerie Schmit
I came to yoga through a natural investigation of the disciplines of the active body. With a background in dance, I was pulled toward Tai Chi, Pilates as well as Yoga. To my surprise, I found that, like those other disciplines, yoga challenged the body, but it was different because it also benefited the mind and nervous system in a very positive way. These benefits follow the practitioner off the mat into everyday life. Building not only physical but mental stamina. The benefits and experience of yoga to each individual is very subjective, but I try to guide my students to a place of rejuvenation, calm and (in vinyasa classes) invigoration! There is an equal emphasis on a strong, healthy, functioning body and a peaceful, tranquil mind. Yoga is the ultimate in self care, we learn discipline, focus and how to let go. At Just Be Yoga, my class emphasis is on Yin Yoga. These classes interweave Traditional Chinese Medicine precepts with yoga to focus on the connective tissues of the body, leading to optimum functioning. My vinyasa classes are sequenced using Parayoga design with poses and counter poses meant to safeguard the body and prepare for an apex pose. There is also a focus on the control of the breath. A major tool in the reduction of anxiety and development of mindfulness. Yoga is meant to help each student explore not only the self but the world that we are all connected to. YogaAlliance RYT-200
Caroline Shields
I joke that I came to yoga as a way to work out but stayed for the mindful lifestyle. I am endlessly curious about the wisdom of yoga, meditation, and breathwork. After a 10 year journey of my own, I decided it was time to learn more and become certified with Prairie Yoga in 2023; and started teaching this year. My goal is to create classes that physically and mentally connect us to the present moment. I love a good playlist, playful & balanced sequences, and exploring ways to enhance equanimity, joy, and self-confidence on the mat. I am so grateful for all these experiences and working with you.
Anne Taft
Anne has been active her entire life. While she has been in the fitness industry since 1998, she was drawn to yoga in 2001, and uncovered a practice that balanced out the rigors of her training. She began teaching in 2006 and was certified by meditation master Rolf Gates in 2013. His mantra of “do a little yoga a lot” prompted her daily mindfulness and yoga practice. For the last 10 years she has taken numerous workshops that have helped shape her teaching. She takes a functional, rather than aesthetic, approach to yoga by including elements from her varied background. Posture alignment techniques, Vinyasa, Yin, mindful mobility, and functional strength movements are woven seamlessly into her classes. She invites students to hold space for themselves, enjoy the full capacity of their breath and move intuitively so their practice accommodates their unique physical structure. Her intention is for students to leave with a sense of well-being and joy. When she is not teaching, Anne enjoys almost any outdoor adventure, spending time with her family, traveling, walking her giant Labrador and laughing out loud.
Shelly Walburn
For Shelly, Yoga started off as a way to work out and evolved to a way to work in. Taking breath and poses became a way to explore, expand, and expose herself. She loves practicing all types of yoga, but her daily practice is rooted in Ashtanga and seated meditation. Her teaching style lays its foundation on three things: pranayama, asana, and dristi. Simply put: breathe, pose, and look. She believes that putting the focus there during yoga class creates a space for practitioners to deepen their practice and allow the practice to belong to them. You can expect energy, support, and steady encouragement during classes with Shelly!