meet our instructors

LEONA

Hi there! I’m Leona Cichy - owner and founder of Roots + Wings Yoga.

Lover of life, yogi, adventurer at heart. Coffee drinker, kayak paddler, reading enthusiast, Harley rider, nature lover, kitchen dancer, wild idea creator, positive light bringer + so much more.

I reside near New York Mills, MN with my amazing + supportive husband Mike and our two puppies, Tideus and Flint.

Originally (and always) a Jersey Girl, I relocated to the lakes area of Minnesota in 2015 to chase after dreams, by BFF, and of course - a man (the one I’m now happily married to!). Talk about a change of scenery. An area I once believed held little more than corn fields, tractors, and a few frozen lakes - has given me more opportunity in just a few short years than I could ever imagine - and I am so thankful!

I created this company in 2017 after completing my 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training with 180 Balance in Detroit Lakes, MN. Growing up as a dancer (ballet, tap, modern, pointe, you name it), yoga became my way to continue finding movement once I reached college. After practicing yoga here and there throughout my 20’s, I knew that I wanted to deepen my understanding and share this practice with others. Roots + Wings Yoga was born.

As a lover of the outdoors, I seek to incorporate nature and the seasons in all of my my studio classes, as well as in a variety of experiences that I offer to help people interact with nature in new and creative ways by combining yoga with outdoor activities.

To me, Roots + Wings means diving deeper into understanding yourself in order to grow into who you are meant to be. It means fostering relationship with yourself + others, increasing connection with your body, mind, + the world around you, and expressing your passions and purpose to your fullest. It means taking a moment to pause; to ground yourself, to look up from your screen, to stop, breathe, and notice all that this beautiful world has to offer you.

ANGIE

I’m Angie Disse a certified massage therapist & yoga instructor. I’m a 2009 graduate of Health Works Institute in Bozeman, MT and I obtained my yoga instruction certificate in 2019 from 180 Balance RYS200 program in Detroit Lakes, MN. My interest in the body began at a young age, growing up as a gymnast, & later becoming a USAG coach. Yoga came naturally to me during college and I rooted my personal yoga practice while attending massage school.

I currently work from my home studio in Detroit Lakes with 10 years of therapeutic experience; I strive to share my knowledge of the body, health, and yoga with those around me. I specialize in swedish massage, deep tissue, and neuromuscular therapy also integrating myofascial release and hot stone therapy. I enjoy guiding yoga classes in Perham at Roots & Wings as well as in Detroit Lakes at 180 Balance. 

Bridging the gap between massage & yoga has been extremely advantageous; I can provide my clients with the necessary tools to promote self care, awareness, and healing through breath work, stretching, and massage therapy. 

When I’m not thinking about massage & yoga I love to read about & research the ideas I’m inspired by, grow fresh produce, and spend time outdoors with my family! 

ARLENE

I'm Arlene. Yoga enthusiast, lover of all things physical, and Peloton obsessed. I love to read, cook, hike, make crafts, and pretty much everything you can think of.

My favorite place to be is anywhere in the sun and near a body of water. I am that friends that always wants to sit in the sun even if it's 90 degrees out! Thankfully my husband Jason and my son Colby, daughter Jade, and her husband Marcus are always willing to hang out in the sun with me.

I have worked with my family at Ernest C Anderson Gravel Inc since 1992. My grandfather started the business in the early 1940's and I am very proud to be a part of it. I am very blessed to be able to work with my father, two brothers, a sister in-law, two nephews, and my son.

I started practicing yoga as a form of exercise and quickly became aware that it was a huge stress reliever. Yoga also became part of my rehab after an ACL reconstruction surgery. It was after the surgery that I signed up for 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training thru 180 balance in Detroit Lakes. The training was absolutely amazing and the friendships formed with the other teacher trainees are lifelong.

Yoga is a way for me to calm my mind, body, and soul. I truly believe that yoga is for every body, size, shape, fitness level, or age, does not matter. Yoga can be modified for everyone!! My goal is to share my love of yoga with you and have you leave my classes feeling relaxed and ready to conquer the rest of your day.

Namaste my friends.

SHANNON

My name is Shannon Wegner, here is my story. I remember my very first yoga class. Hot Yoga at 180 Balance in Detroit Lakes. I was nervous and uncertain, but also knew in my gut I needed to make a change; from that found the bravery to try my first class. It was HARD, I had no idea what I was doing, but after, I felt this very strange sensation that I had found what I needed. From that very first class, yoga became my thing! One class a week, became two; then at times, 7 classes a week or 2 classes in one day, I could not get enough. In the Fall of 2018, on a whim, I started researching yoga teacher trainings. I dreamed of exotic locations where I would spend a month learning all there was to know about yoga…..then there was a Facebook post wondering if anyone would be interested in yoga teacher training at 180 Balance in Detroit Lakes. This seemed to make more sense and felt right to take my training in what had become my home away from home. A group of fellow yogis and I spent the next several months following our path to become 200 HR Registered Yoga Teachers. I still dream of exotic locations doing yoga on the beach or in the tropics, sun, sand, water….maybe for my 300 or 500 hour trainings. I started teaching a couple classes a week at Roots and Wings and a class at the PACC. Then 2020 arrived, with my extra time I started taking yoga classes from a couple of studios I had visited, a true blessing that came out of the spring of 2020, yoga businesses adapted to presenting classes online, giving me an opportunity to take classes from some yogis I had met and admired and wanted to learn more from. I spent the last several months exploring styles of yoga that work and feel best for my body. My yoga is the connection between my body, breath, mind, and the universe we are in. My goal is to dispel the myth that you have to be flexible or athletic to do yoga. I want to guide you in establishing a connection with your body and open the communication between your body, mind and hopefully, spirit. That last part is up to you. Off my mat, I enjoy spending time with my family and dogs, reading (about yoga, there is so much to learn), walking, hiking, kayaking, paddle boarding, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, and of course, taking yoga classes. I look forward to meeting you at Roots and Wings. Namaste.