When Your Yoga Teacher Is Away: Meet the Teachers Who Step In
Long before Dave Dopp became a certified yoga teacher and began substituting at Prana Yoga Center, he remembers hearing that one of his high school classes would have a substitute—and seeing it as an opportunity to pay a little less attention.
Decades later, standing on the other side of the room, he sees substitutes quite differently.
Today, I have a totally new appreciation for substitutes,” Dave says. “It takes time and thoughtful preparation to create a practice plan.”
At Prana Yoga Center in Geneva, Illinois, more than 30 yoga and Mat Pilates classes fill the schedule each week. Many of our regular teachers step in for one another when someone needs to be away.
We’re also fortunate to have Dave Dopp, Amy Bordoni, and Daniel Howe—three certified yoga teachers whose primary role at Prana is to step in when another teacher is away.
You may not see their names on the schedule as often as our regular teachers, so we think it’s time you get to know them.
A Different Voice Can Help Us Listen Again
There is something special about practicing regularly with the same teacher. You learn their rhythm. You recognize their cues. You might even know which pose is coming before they say it.
That familiarity is part of the connection we build through yoga.
But practicing with a different teacher can offer something valuable, too. A familiar pose may be explained in a new way. A cue might suddenly make something click. You may notice your breath differently—or realize you’ve been moving through part of your practice on autopilot.
Amy experienced this while regularly attending Hatha classes with Charisse. Charisse’s emphasis on allowing the breath to guide movement changed the way Amy experienced her own practice.
“So often we focus on movement as primary,” Amy says. “Focusing on breath first has changed how I move and experience the asanas. I love this about yoga—we are always learning! We never ‘arrive.’”
Sometimes hearing a different voice helps us listen again.
Stepping Into a Familiar Class With Care
There’s another side to the experience: the teacher walking into a room filled with students who may have been expecting someone else.
The goal isn’t to imitate the regular teacher. Each teacher brings a different background, personality, teaching style, and perspective to the mat. Instead, the substitute teacher works to honor the experience students came expecting while sharing the practice in a way that feels authentic.
Daniel sees this as part of his own development as both a yoga student and teacher. He intentionally practices with a variety of teachers at Prana and appreciates the different strengths and energy each brings.
“While I don’t attempt to imitate anyone’s style, I do take a little something from each of them and consider how to use it in the classes I lead in a way that feels natural to me.”
That willingness to keep learning is something each of these three teachers brings to Prana.
Meet Three of Prana’s Substitute Yoga Teachers
Dave Dopp, CYT
Dave’s connection to Prana grew from the qualities he experienced here as a student: kindness, patience, professionalism, and camaraderie. After completing his teacher training through Prana, teaching became an opportunity to share some of what yoga had given him.
Dave primarily substitutes for Hatha classes and hopes to add Yin Yoga to his teaching in 2027. His classes tend toward a moderate pace, with an emphasis on creating a collective spirit in the room while allowing each person to practice according to their own needs.
His intention is simple: that students leave “connected and better refreshed than when they arrived.”
For anyone who hasn’t practiced with him yet, Dave describes himself as laid-back and friendly—“like my golden retriever.”
We’re going to trust the comparison.
Amy Bordoni, RYT 250
Amy holds an additional certification in Yin Yoga. Her relationship with Prana goes back more than 20 years—to the days when the studio was located above SavWay.
In December 2022, during a demanding period in both her career and personal life, she committed to practicing at Prana every day for 30 days. At first, she thought she was doing it primarily for her physical health.
On Day 15, something shifted.
After a Hatha practice, Amy sat on her mat and cried. In the quiet, she realized she needed to leave her agency career. That realization began a major life transition, and becoming a certified yoga teacher eventually became part of it.
Today, breath is central to the way Amy teaches. She incorporates pranayama at the beginning and end of practice and continually brings students back to the breath as a pathway toward quieting the mind and finding stillness.
For Amy, teaching at Prana feels like a natural continuation of the place and practice that helped her find her own center.
Daniel Howe, CYT
Daniel found Prana about four years ago after two knee surgeries disrupted his usual fitness routines. A friend introduced him to yoga and recommended the studio. After practicing at Prana and in Costa Rica, he says he was “hooked.”
His decision to become a certified yoga teacher was somewhat impulsive—but it was also rooted in a desire to deepen his practice and move outside his comfort zone. When Paige learned Daniel was completing his certification and asked whether he would consider substitute teaching, he took another leap.
He most often substitutes Vinyasa and Hatha and has also guided strength-based yoga and Mat Pilates classes. Students have described his classes as challenging while still leaving them feeling grounded—a combination Daniel feels reflects his approach.
Like Dave and Amy, he still considers himself a student, learning from the many teaching voices around him.
A Different Teacher, the Same Prana Community
Dave, Amy, and Daniel have very different stories, and that’s part of what makes practicing with different teachers interesting.
The next time you see another name on the schedule, it’s completely natural to miss the teacher you expected. Those relationships matter.
But we hope you’ll keep your reservation and bring a little curiosity with you.
Maybe you’ll hear a cue that changes the way you experience a familiar pose. Maybe you’ll experience your breath differently. Maybe you’ll discover a teaching style you didn’t know you enjoyed. Or maybe you’ll simply get to know another person who is part of this community.
The teacher at the front of the room may be different that day. Your mat—and your Prana community—will still be here to welcome you.
Ready to Practice With Us?
Whether you see a familiar teacher or a different name, your class is another opportunity to listen, learn, and experience your practice with fresh attention.
Frequently Asked Questions
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A different teacher may offer new cues, sequencing, or perspectives that help you experience a familiar practice in a new way. At Prana, substitute teachers prepare for the scheduled class and honor its intended style and level while bringing their own authentic approach.
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Each teacher brings a unique voice, teaching style, and perspective, so the class may feel a little different while still reflecting the style and level you reserved. Your substitute teacher will prepare for the class and guide the practice in a way that feels authentic to them.
If you are unsure whether a class is right for you, review its class description or contact Prana before attending.
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Dave Dopp, Amy Bordoni, and Daniel Howe are certified yoga teachers. Their primary teaching role is to step into scheduled classes when one of Prana’s regular teachers needs to be away.
We’d Love to Hear From You
Has practicing with a different teacher ever helped you notice something new?
Tell us in the comments below: What cue, perspective, or moment made something click for you?