Meet the Expert Japa Teaching Team!

Our teachers are personally selected by our Founder for their exceptional instructional skills, articulate use of language, deep understanding of alignment, safety, and yogic philosophy—and above all, their authentic embodiment of yoga’s timeless values. They don’t just teach the practice—they live it. We encourage you to explore classes with each of them and experience their unique energy. Every teacher brings a wealth of wisdom, insight, and presence that will enrich your journey on the mat and beyond.

Sheryl Utal

Founder, Lead Teacher

Meet Sheryl Utal, a master yoga teacher, wellness visionary, and the founder of Japa Hot Yoga. With over 13,000 hours of teaching experience and two decades of personal practice, Sheryl brings a rare blend of deep wisdom, technical precision, and intuitive guidance to every class. She’s taught tens of thousands of students and trained hundreds of teachers, all with a single mission: to help people feel strong, grounded, and deeply connected to themselves. Sheryl’s passion for yoga began with her own healing. After being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, she turned to yoga, breathwork, and lifestyle medicine—and ultimately reversed her condition without medication. That experience sparked a lifelong devotion to helping others transform through the time-tested science of yoga. Her teaching style is rooted in ancient wisdom and informed by modern science. With a strong foundation in neuroscience, heart-brain coherence, fascia, and nervous system regulation, Sheryl creates a class experience that is physically intelligent, emotionally safe, and energetically powerful. Her clear cueing and purposeful sequencing help students build strength, unlock mobility, and access deep states of meditation—so they leave class feeling powerful, present, and alive. Whether you’re new or experienced, practicing with Sheryl is an invitation to come home to yourself. Her classes offer more than just movement—they offer transformation. Come feel the difference of an embodied teacher and discover why Japa Hot Yoga is unlike any studio you’ve ever experienced.

Dara Edison

Yoga Teacher

Dara Edison is a passionate and dedicated yoga teacher with a deep commitment to helping others find balance, strength, and inner peace through the practice of yoga. Certified with over 1000 hours of training, Dara brings a compassionate , mindful and fun approach to each class. Specializing in Vinyasa flow, Dara creates a welcoming space for students of all levels to explore Spanda, the pulsation of life, through movement and breath. With a love for music, fitness, and wellness, Dara’s classes blend thoughtful sequencing along with movement to music, to encourage growth both on and off the mat. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned yogi, Dara invites you to show up as you are—to reconnect with your body, and cultivate a practice rooted in presence and self-awareness to achieve the ultimate flow glow. When not teaching, Dara enjoys spending time with her husband and 2 dogs, working out, motorcycle riding, scuba diving, camping, and spending time in nature. To Dara, yoga is not just something we do, but something we live.

Nicole Rehm

Yoga Teacher

Nicole is an energetic wife and mother of two. She has a passion for fitness, nature and yoga. Through her yoga teacher training journey she has found the spiritual and healing properties of yoga to be transformative. She loves to integrate her high energy personality as well as mind, body and spirit into her classes. Nicole's classes are creative, fun and set to inspiring music. You will get stronger, learn body awareness and connect deeply to your heart. The uttmost important aspect of yoga to Nicole is always to come back to love.

Amber O'Reilly

Yoga Teacher

Amber O’Reilly is a yoga instructor with over a decade of experience and more than 2.5k teaching hours. She’s known for her playful approach and passion for empowering students to explore their strength and body awareness. Originally from Fayetteville, NC, Amber has trained with renowned teachers like Carson Calhoun, Steven Pyka, and Kathryn Budig, completing her 500-hour certification with Shanti Garudasana, a program influenced by yoga therapy, along with additional training in Rocket and SUP yoga. Amber has taught up and down the East Coast — from Williamsburg to Staunton, Tampa to Harrisonburg — leading classes, workshops, and 200-hour teacher trainings. She offers a wide range of styles, including vinyasa, power, yin, Rocket, and yoga for athletes. Her teaching blends anatomical focus with a touch of fun, inviting students to “awaken the force within.” Off the mat, Amber runs a travel agency specializing in unforgettable vacations for couples and families. She lives in Tampa with her husband, Blaine, a Coast Guard officer, and their two daughters, Zoey and Rosie, passionate Irish dancers.

Tracey Chin

Yoga Teacher

Tracey is a certified RYT-200 Hot Yoga and RYT-200 Power Vinyasa teacher dedicated to sharing yoga’s transformative power. Her journey began in 2008 when she turned to Bikram yoga, a Hot Hatha practice, to find relief from a high-pressure, fast-moving career that challenged her health. What she discovered was a profound path to healing her body, mind, and spirit. Inspired to share this magic, she earned her RYT-200 in Hot Yoga in 2010 and Power Vinyasa in 2013. Her classes include strong creative flows with mindful calm, and the structured 26 and 2 series—cultivating a nurturing space for students of all levels to heal and connect with their true selves. She teaches from the heart, guiding others toward self-discovery and wellness. Join her on the mat to experience yoga’s healing power!

Namgay Budha

Yoga Teacher

Namgay Budha is a passionate and deeply intuitive wellness practitioner dedicated to helping others reconnect with their bodies, minds, and spirits. With over a decade of personal yoga practice and years of professional experience, Namgay brings a grounded and nurturing approach to every session—whether on the mat, in a Reiki healing, or during a guided stretch. Her yoga journey began at the age of 17, evolving into a deeper commitment when she pursued her first 200-hour yoga teacher training in New York in 2015. After moving to Florida in 2016, she continued her path by completing another 200-hour training in 2018, further refining her teaching style and philosophy. Namgay has guided students of all ages and levels, including children, through meaningful, breath-centered movement that promotes healing, awareness, and self-discovery. As a certified Reiki Master Practitioner, she complements her physical teaching with energetic healing. Her Reiki sessions are known for their calm presence and intuitive flow, helping clients release blockages, reduce stress, and restore balance. Namgay also serves as a stretch coach, specializing in mindful mobility, flexibility training, and relaxation techniques. Her unique approach blends elements of yoga, assisted stretching, and breathwork to relieve tension, improve posture, and enhance overall well-being. Whether leading a yoga class, offering Reiki, or guiding clients through restorative stretch sessions, Namgay’s mission is to create a supportive space where individuals feel seen, empowered, and restored from the inside out.

Sheryl Utal

Founder, Lead Teacher

Practice with the founder of Japa Hot Yoga and Japa Health! Sheryl is a master yoga teacher with over 13,000 hour of teaching experience. Her passion for yoga was born from her own transformation and healing journey. She love sharing the benefits of practice with as many people as she can. She will challenge you but in the most loving way!

Dara Edison

Yoga Teacher

Dara Edison is a passionate and dedicated yoga teacher with a deep commitment to helping others find balance, strength, and inner peace through the practice of yoga. Certified with over 1000 hours of training, Dara brings a compassionate , mindful and fun approach to each class. Specializing in Vinyasa flow, Dara creates a welcoming space for students of all levels to explore Spanda, the pulsation of life, through movement and breath. With a love for music, fitness, and wellness, Dara’s classes blend thoughtful sequencing along with movement to music, to encourage growth both on and off the mat. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned yogi, Dara invites you to show up as you are—to reconnect with your body, and cultivate a practice rooted in presence and self-awareness to achieve the ultimate flow glow. When not teaching, Dara enjoys spending time with her husband and 2 dogs, working out, motorcycle riding, scuba diving, camping, and spending time in nature. To Dara, yoga is not just something we do, but something we live.