Meet the team
The Mind Body Baby team is made up of highly-qualified, compassionate, and enthusiastic experts. Together our teachers have thousands of hours of experience supporting individuals at all stages of their motherhood journey.
Each team member brings even more than their fitness expertise to the table – we have gone through the heartbreak of infertility, we understand the rollercoaster of motherhood, we have backgrounds as doulas, therapists, birth educators, and so much more.
We are excited to welcome and support you, this amazing community of mamas and mamas-in-the making.
Heidi McDowell
FOUNDER | MAMA |FERTILITY, PRENATAL, POSTPARTUM YOGA CERTIFIED | DOULA
She/her
Heidi is a yoga teacher, a doula, a wife, and most importantly, a mama.
Her goal is to create a community space for you that feels safe, supportive, and empowering. She holds certifications in Fertility Yoga, Prenatal Yoga, Postpartum Yoga, and Children’s Yoga. She is also a certified Postpartum and Infant Care Doula and a Labor Doula. She is one of two Yoga Alliance Certified Registered Prenatal Yoga Teachers in all of West Michigan. This is the highest credential in the field of Prenatal Yoga.
Rebekah Franklin
BARRE CERTIFIED TEACHER | DOULA | CHILDBIRTH EDUCATOR
She/her
At 20 years old, Rebekah was cast to sing the opening number in HAIR the musical when her choreographer pulled her aside and said, “I think I might have the perfect job for you; would you like to become a Pilates instructor?” The rest is history! Rebekah joins Mind Body Baby with 15 years of professional experience in movement, dance, and professional Pilates instruction. She has an intimate understanding of functional movement, and pelvic floor anatomy, and is overall brilliant when it comes to helping people appreciate and understand their bodies from the inside out!
Rebekah is especially enthusiastic about the prenatal population and is also a certified birth doula and childbirth educator. When her doulas changed her births for the better, she knew she wanted to do the same for others.
Rebekah is a devoted mother to her 3 sons (2 cesarean births and 1 VBA2C), a Psychology graduate, and a lover of sunshine and sugar!
Lisa Bartlett
MOTHER | GRANDMA | RYT200 YOGI | TEACHER TO THE YOUNG + OLD
She/her
Lisa is a RYT200 registered yoga teacher and she has been teaching since 2019. She will be teaching the Busy Babes & Me classes at Mind Body Baby. She currently teaches 65 and older adults and enjoys helping all her students discover things about their bodies. She will bring this same sense of curiosity to her youngest students at Mind Body Baby. Lisa has two grandchildren, ages 4 months and 2 years, who she regularly practices yoga with. Yoga has been a huge part of Lisa’s life since she started practicing about 15 years ago and helped her reduce her stress level and recover from a fracture. She loves her time on the mat but also wants to share yoga with people of all ages, shapes, and sizes.
Lisa is very excited to be a part of the Mind Body Baby team and looks forward to getting to know all the mamas, mamas in the making, and little ones who enter our doors.
Jeanna Boase
MAMA | BARRE TEACHER | LICENSED COUNSELOR | BIRTH EDUCATOR
She/her
Jeanna has 4 years of experience teaching barre to a wide range of backgrounds and needs. From people who have never taken a fitness class in their life, to those who train for marathons, and everything in between. She has worked with many pregnant and postpartum mamas to support their ever-changing bodies in ways that are safe and effective. Grab your mat and join her for a stress-reducing, strengthening, and judgment-free workout!
In addition to teaching barre, she is a Licensed Professional Counselor specializing in perinatal mood and anxiety. Jeanna supports mamas in the pre-conception years, pregnancy, birth, and the many phases of postpartum thereafter. She is also a trained Birthing From Within Childbirth Educator, providing holistic birth preparation, 4th-trimester planning, birth story processing, and more. Whatever you are going through - you don’t have to do it alone. Let us be part of your story!
Jen Brunink
RYT500 YOGI | TRAUMA-INFORMED + CHILDREN'S YOGA TEACHER | LICENSED DAYCARE PROVIDER | REIKI MASTER
She/her
Jen has worked as a licensed in-home daycare provider for over 20 years. Before opening up her home, she spent five years teaching toddlers in a pre-school setting.
Yoga came into her life about 7 years ago– exactly when she needed it. She took her 200-hour teacher training with Mindful School of Yoga with an emphasis in Vinyasa in 2019 and then added a 300-hour certification focusing on Trauma-Informed Yoga. In addition to being an RYT500, Jen holds certifications in children’s yoga (Peaceful Babes), yin, meditation & mindfulness, and is a master in Reiki Attunement and a Somatic Experiencing practitioner.
Jen practices and teaches yoga because she truly believes there is a place for it in all of our lives–from infancy and beyond. She wants yoga to feel accessible, inclusive, and spirited.
Jen is also an avid camper, music junky, loves coffee, red lipstick, and fun hair colors.
Lesley Esse
BOY MOM | RYT200 YOGI | TRAUMA-INFORMED YOGA TEACHER
She/her
Lesley is certified through Yoga Alliance and completed her education at The Body Mind Being Institute. She is Trauma-Informed and specializes in sound therapy with crystal singing bowls. Lesley incorporates a mindful approach through slow flow, rebalancing, and deepening embodiment. Her passion for this practice translates to a teaching style that allows you to soften with intentional breath and meditative movement. Through her personal healing and teaching, Lesley strives for the comfort of ‘home’ within ourselves… not so much about becoming, but remembering and accepting ourselves in our purest authenticity.
Lesley is a daydreamer and gentle artist effortlessly inspired by connection and creation. Off the mat, she enjoys camping and getting lost in nature with her two dogs, concerts with her husband, and the life of being a boy mom.
Kelsie Tippet
MAMA | SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER
She/her
Kelsie recently became the mother of her baby boy, Easton Grey. Becoming a mother has been the best thing that has happened to her and she loves getting to spend her days with her curious little boy! Kelsie has a passion for working with children and has spent the past 5 years working as a teacher in special education settings teaching students with learning disabilities and autism. One highlight of her experience with children is student teaching in a first-grade classroom in Chicago Public Schools.
Kelsie is excited for the opportunity to connect, support, and grow with other moms and their children at Mind, Body, Baby. She has a passion for creating spaces for children to feel safe and loved while Mamas are able to get breathing room. She values the journey of walking through motherhood with community and supporting our littles with a village of love.
Sarah Anne Kelly
MOM | BARRE CERTIFIED TEACHER | POSTPARTUM RECOVERY PRO
She/her
Sarah Ann Kelly is an award-winning fitness professional who is dedicated to working with pregnant and postpartum people to help them get strong and feel powerful both inside and out. She is committed to helping her clients achieve their fitness and wellness goals so they can live their lives to the fullest. After over 15 years of experience training and teaching, her certifications include Pilates, postpartum nutrition, diastasis recti healing, Barre, Bootcamp, and many more.
Community and consistency are paramount to your success. Sarah Ann loves creating classes that are fun, safe, and engaging to challenge and teach you that you are capable of anything you put your mind to. Be ready to sweat, laugh, and learn!
Alissa Newburg
Bio coming soon!
Alexis Brannan
MOM + STEPMOM | RYT200 YOGI | SOCIAL WORKER
She/her
Alexis holds an RYT-200 hour from Seva Yoga and a Master of Social Work from Western Michigan University. Her lived experience with infertility, motherhood, and stepparenting drives her passion for supporting others for a living. MBB is the perfect spot for Alexis in this season of life, surrounding herself with a community that understands the joys and challenges of motherhood at all stages, and welcoming others into that community (at the front desk!)
When she's not home with her daughters, Alexis takes care of herself with yoga, long walks in Riverside Park, and writing about her experiences with sobriety and infertility. She's always happy to grab coffee and talk about this wild and crazy life.
Arnota Cornelius
Bio coming soon!
Emily Peters
NANNY | FIRST AID, CPR + AED CERTIFIED
She/her
Meet Miss Emily! Growing up, Emily had an enormous collection of baby dolls, and dreamed of doing really anything to do with babies. She has been a nanny for almost 2 years now, and has taken care of kids of all ages, from newborn to middle school. Her favorite part is the relationships built with the kiddos and parents & she can’t wait to create those same kinds of connections with you and your little one(s)!
Her priority is always that everyone has a safe environment to have fun and engage with each other, and that everyone feels included and important. She is certified in both baby & adult First Aid, CPR, and AED training, and she’s so excited to be a part of the Mind Body Baby community!
