who we are
Nicole Loncaric Salvadori
Founder, Lead Instructor, E-RYT 200
Nicole is a yoga instructor with a 200 hour training certificate from Om Lounge Yoga in Pittsburgh, PA. In addition to 10 years of experience teaching dance locally, she has accumulated over 1,000 hours of experience teaching yoga at studios in the greater Pittsburgh area since completing her initial training in Fall 2022. Nicole has attended multiple advanced trainings to continue her education of sequencing methods, chair yoga, and hands on assists, and is currently working toward her 300 hour training certificate with Awakening Yoga Academy based in Seattle, Washington. She is also a certified Silver Sneakers classic and yoga instructor as well as an adjunct political science professor with a PhD from the University of Pittsburgh and roughly 5 years of classroom experience across 2 universities.
Nicole’s approach to yoga instruction centers the importance of strong foundations. She provides students with the space to breathe, move, and be, establishing a solid base of familiar shapes and postures from which you can grow your yoga practice in any way you’d like. It is her priority to create an environment where everyone feels welcomed and is encouraged to make their own choices on their mats: take what you need and leave what you don’t! Nicole believes growth begins when we are able to fully ground ourselves in the present moment and remain open to whatever happens next.
In her free time, Nicole enjoys baking, cooking, gardening, watching her comfort shows (Gilmore Girls, New Girl, HIMYM, and SATC), practicing yoga with our community, and spending time at home with her loving husband and three adorable cats.
McKayla Rollison
McKayla has been practicing yoga consistently for the past three years, though her journey began much earlier—rolling out a mat beside her mom as a teenager and learning the simple joy of mindful movement. Over time, yoga has helped her transform her relationship with her body, teaching her not only to move with compassion but also to trust her own resilience. That lesson in inner strength carried her all the way to training for and completing the 2025 Pittsburgh Half Marathon, a milestone she once never imagined tackling.
Off the mat, McKayla works in financial services and finds a new appreciation for yoga after sitting at a desk all day, staring at a computer. She’s an avid fantasy reader who loves disappearing into magical worlds, and she also channels her energy into helping dogs in need, regularly dabbling in rescue work.
Whether practicing, reading, running, or caring for animals, McKayla is always seeking connection, balance, and a bit of everyday magic—values she brings to every yoga class she joins.
Instructor, RYT 200
Rachel Sleiman
Born in Cleveland, and growing up there, overseas in the Gulf, then in Northern Virginia, Rachel was an avid runner when she was first introduced to yoga in 2012 by her neighbor. Thinking at first that yoga would at least be an opportunity to focus on “stretching” out, Rachel was immediately drawn not only to the physicality of the postures and flow, but also to the meditation she found in its focus on breathwork. It was the first time Rachel felt completely present, leaving her thoughts and worries of the day outside of the studio’s four walls.
From then on and through life’s changes—including a lot of work travel, law school, and moving and working across the country—Rachel left and returned to her mat throughout the years. When Rachel moved to Pittsburgh, she reignited her love of yoga by taking on teacher training to deepen her practice and find community in a new city. Now a teacher, Rachel’s goal for her classes is one of fostering connection and moving meditation.
Outside of yoga, Rachel can be found with a book and a coffee or tea, talking about her parents’ native Lebanon, playing hide and seek with her cats, Fairouz and Honey, and slowly, surely, getting back into running again.
Instructor, RYT 200
Arielle Milnarcik
Instructor, RYT 500
Arielle is originally from New Jersey and moved to Pittsburgh in 2017 when she met her now husband at a 311 concert in Philadelphia. As a former dancer, Arielle was drawn to movement from a young age—though her first yoga class was far from love at first practice. It wasn’t necessarily the movement that had Arielle returning to her mat; instead, it was the feeling after class and the challenge of the integration of yoga when off the mat. She completed her initial 200-hour training with South Hills Power Yoga in 2020, and later completed an advanced 300-hour training with 1.1 yoga in 2024 as well as a 100-hour prenatal training program with Your Yoga Flow in 2025, while she was pregnant with her daughter.
Today, Arielle is an intuitive and experienced yoga instructor with a foundation in power yoga, advanced training in yin, and a focus on creating grounded, intentional class experiences. She integrates somatics, strength, breath, and mindfulness to support students in both building physical resilience and deeper self awareness.
Off the mat, Arielle enjoys spending time with her daughter, going to comedy shows with her husband, and taking her two dogs, Izzy and Halo, on some paw-some adventures. Arielle also enjoys domestic and international travel and loves a good yoga retreat every now and again!