ABOUT JIY
James Island Yoga, founded by Tymi Howard Bender, is COMMITTED to excellence in teaching. We welcome you as an inclusive community with a mission to provide a modern yoga practice to all, while still honoring tradition, promoting mindfulness, and ultimately- helping you realize your best self. Expect a friendly staff and the area’s top yoga teachers leading synergistic classes designed to EMPOWER, INSPIRE and CELEBRATE your physical and mental wellness. JIY is located just off Maybank Highway, in the heart of James Island – Charleston, South Carolina.
Inspiring People to discover their life’s purpose through the Art of Yoga
Tymi Howard Bender is an internationally known Yoga Alliance 500 E-RYT yoga teacher. She is a Certified Holistic Health Coach, creator of Manifest Yoga International Teacher Trainings, founder of Guruv Yoga Studios and currently owns and operates James Island Yoga in Charleston, South Carolina. Tymi helped pioneer the vinyasa and yin yoga movement throughout the world. She believes that yoga is not a separate practice, but a life’s journey. It begins with the spirit and does not end with rolling up the mat. Yoga is a way of life; not just an exercise. Teaching the science and art of yoga is her passion. Her approach to teaching yoga is by bringing people closer to this “yoga is a lifestyle” philosophy and using it to achieve their life goals.
In typical Tymi fashion, she took injuries from her days as a ballet dancer and turned to yoga in 1993, finding both physical and spiritual comfort in its adoption. Receiving her BA in Theatre and Dance from Rollins College and Masters Degree from NYU/ Circle in the Square, and yoga trainings with some of the renowned yogis of the world—John Friend, Dharma Mittra, David Swenson, Steve Ross, Jonny Kest, Barron Baptiste, Shiva Rea, David Life, Sharron Gannon, and others—Tymi has developed a unique approach to teaching that finds its roots in a devotion to God, Service and Yoga.
ONE TRIBE VIBE!
Meet the Team
Tymi Howard Bender is an internationally known Yoga Alliance 500 E-RYT yoga teacher. She is a Certified Holistic Health Coach, creator of Manifest Yoga International Teacher Traini
Tymi Howard
Owner | Resident Teacher
My name is Candace Blair, and I returned home to America in 2017 after working 20 years as a finance executive on trading floors in Zurich & London. It is a great honour and tr
Candace Blair
Guest Teacher
Practicing meditation since visiting a Theravada Buddhist monastery in Kyoto, Japan at the age of 12, practicing yoga since 1994 while living on the beach in Mexico and teaching Yo
Polly Savoie Christy
Résident Teacher
Erin is passionate about movement, nutrition and sleep to preserve our cognition and mobility/LONGEVITY… More yoga, more breath! Erin is a Certified Functional Medicine Healt
Erin Harrington
Resident Teacher
Tony began his yoga practice with Bikram in Chicago and continued with his 200-hour Yoga Alliance Training at Corepower Yoga. He’s had advanced training in Vinyasa Flow, Yin,
Tony Beard
Resident Teacher
Stacy is a grateful mama, wife and yoga teacher living in Charleston, SC. Teaching yoga since 2009, her classes are purposeful, grounded and creative; with a bit of sweetness and h
Stacy Peth
Resident Teacher
Danielle is an E-RYT 500 | YACEP yoga teacher with specialized training in Yin Yoga, LYT Yoga Method and an Advanced Level 4 certification in Jeet Kune Do. Her diverse background i
Danielle Giovannone
Resident Teacher
Jennifer Gibson has been practicing yoga for over 15 years and is currently working towards her 500-hour certification. She is the mother of three amazing children and a successful
Jennifer Gibson
Resident Teacher
Steven has been teaching yoga, movement and meditation for 15+ years. His classes have a user friendly, “do what you can” approach. Expect a playful, challenging (if yo
J. Steven Willard
Resident Teacher
Zach Pritchett
Resident Teacher
Grace Albenesius
Resident Teacher
Mariah Betts
Resident Teacher
Nikki completed her 200 and 300 hour YTT in Candi Dasa, Bali in 2015. She also has 15 hours of yin training through MAHA trainings, a 23 hour kids certification through Kidding Aro
Nikki Inglesby
Resident Teacher
Andrew Piscitello
Resident Teacher
Martha Cruscuolo
Resident Teacher
Emily Bristol
Resident Teacher
Katie Bennet
Resident Teacher
Kenneth Hyatt
Resident Instructor
Casey Brennan
JIY Staff
Alex Danna has been practicing yoga since 2012 and teaching since 2014. Her teaching style blends the wisdom of tradition with the accessibility needed to meet each student where t
Alex Danna
Resident Teacher