Mindy Smith took her first yoga class as a college elective and has been devoted to the practice ever since. She studied Vinyasa Yoga under renowned teacher Shiva Rea in Venice Beach, CA, and has been a full-time health education professor at West Los Angeles College since 2001. In 2008, she expanded her teaching to include semester long yoga electives for the kinesiology department.

Mindy’s additional training includes prenatal and postnatal yoga, yoga for children, and Mental Health First Aid. She has led college-wide workshops on yoga, meditation, and self-care for students, staff, and faculty alike.

In 2011, Mindy spent six transformative months traveling through India, where she studied Ayurveda—India’s “science of life”—and deepened her understanding of yoga, breathwork, chakras, and meditation at the source. She integrates this ancient wisdom into her own teaching, creating a dynamic blend of modern science and traditional practice. Mindy believes the world is the best classroom and continues her passion for travel.

A self-described fusionist with a sense of humor, Mindy draws on her background in athletics, psychology, health education, Ayurveda, Vinyasa, Ashtanga, and Kundalini yoga to craft safe, creative, and energetic power yoga classes. With thousands of poses to explore, she ensures every class is fun, challenging and deeply rewarding.

Mindy spent part of her childhood in the Applegate area and attended Applegate School and South Medford High before heading to southern California to earn her B.A. in Psychology from UC Irvine and her Master’s in Public Health from Loma Linda University. She has since returned to Jacksonville with her husband and daughter to be closer to family.

Mindy weaves her expertise in health education, psychology, women’s health, and stress management into every class. She curates soulful playlists that deepen the connection between mind, body, and breath. Her classes are playful, purposeful, and deeply grounding—a moving meditation that builds strength, flexibility, and inner balance.

Mindy Smith 

Yoga Alliance RYT 200 MPH CHES

Woman practicing yoga on the beach, performing warrior pose on a yoga mat with ocean and cloudy sky in the background.
Woman in red top and black pants balancing in a yoga pose outdoors on rocky terrain against a clear blue sky.
A woman in a gray t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers poses in a desert with sand dunes and sparse vegetation, wearing an orange headscarf.
A woman practicing yoga on a sandy riverbank, holding a yoga pose with one arm and leg extended, near boats and beach towels.
Two women smiling together indoors with a window behind them showing a cityscape and cloudy sky.
Group of people participating in a yoga or stretching class outdoors on a blue mat, with some lying down and others sitting, while an instructor stands nearby smiling.