Driven to share her passion for yoga with others, Quiet Mind Yoga’s director Rita Maximilian left her career in business development and education-policy reform to become a yoga instructor. She and her dedicated instructors guide students of all fitness levels through a variety of yoga classes—with a focus on the Iyengar and Ashtanga practices—at Columbia Heights’s first yoga studio. They help newcomers build a foundation for their practice during beginner sessions by walking pupils through standing and seated postures, and challenge more advanced students in intermediate-level Vinyasa classes that connect postures with athletic transitional movements, culminating in the secret yogi handshake. As a member of Live Green, Quiet Mind Yoga's studio provides environmentally friendly props, mats, and blankets to help students enhance their yoga practice while giving Mother Nature the day off.