Annie Okerlin
Certified iRest® teacher and
Adaptive Yoga Therapist
Annie has been a yoga teacher since 1999. Annie has been a yoga teacher since deciding to deepen her practice in 1999 by becoming a certified Bikram Yoga Instructor. Within three weeks she knew teaching yoga was her passion in life and Yogani Studios, Tampa became the home for it. In 2001 she did a 200 hour teacher training with Shiva Rea.
The daughter of two World War II and Korean War veterans, Annie has a deep appreciation for the veterans of our country. Her passion for helping the wounded warriors of today’s wars led her to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Washington, DC in 2006 where she has worked with the traumatically injured, including amputees, burn victims, those with orthopedic poly-trauma, traumatic brain injuries, spinal-cord injuries, as well as unseen injuries such as PTSD and moral injury.
Annie founded Yogani in Tampa and was the owner of this successful yoga studio for over 18 years. She continues to share yoga and meditation with the military community of Tampa by teaching classes at the VA hospital, local studios and in retreat settings.
As one of the nation’s leading experts on Adaptive Yoga, Annie teaches nationally and internationally with The Exalted Warrior Foundation, a non-profit organization she founded in 2010 to support wounded warriors with the seen & unseen issues of traumatic injury.
Annie is a Human Performance expert for 02x presenting yoga for resiliency & iRest Yoga Nidra to tactical athletes & first responders nationwide. She is on faculty at Warriors At Ease teaching other yoga teachers how to teach in a military setting.
In addition to her extensive yoga training and experience, Annie is a Certified iRest® teacher & has also co-authored the book Best Practices for Yoga for Veterans.
In May of 2024 the Exalted Warrior Practice Guide for Veterans: Yoga & Meditation practices for Strength, Comfort & EaseYoga & Meditation Practice Guide was published.