Hi, I'm Renee.

Welcome to Gulf Hills Yoga and Pilates! I hope you find this space calming, joyful, and full of beautiful bright light.

With a background in classical ballet, the physical aspect of my yoga and pilates practice always came easy to me. The tough part that I am still working on to this day (and forever) is the inner part of yoga- being less reactive, more self-aware, regulating my nervous system, finding the inner calm amongst the chaos... It's a lifelong journey and I hope you will practice with me!

My family and I moved to Ocean Springs from Dallas, TX almost 10 years ago. We fell in love with the beauty and rich history of Gulf Hills, bought land and built our current home on the Back Bay of Biloxi. I love that the studio is located inside of Gulf Hills Hotel and Resort. The hotel was frequented by Al Capone, Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe in the 50s as a coastal hangout / hideaway.

I quit my high stress corporate job when we moved to Mississippi in 2016. I made a major pivot and pursued and studied yoga, cooking, nutrition and pilates. I attended the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, became a certified holistic health coach and loved every second of it. I work with people one-on-one and help them make small, gradual changes that have big impacts overtime! It's incredible to see how it can change the trajectory of someone's life.

I want this space to be place that when people walk through the door their nervous system instantly relaxes. Like a total-body softening. Everything from the subtle smell of essential oils, the live wall, to the cold lavender face-towel in savasana... I want their yoga/pilates experience to feel indulgent, like going to the spa.

Friends of Gulf Hills Yoga & Pilates

Meet Manda! She teachers flow and restore on Thursday nights at 7:15pm

Manda Salinas

Vinyasa Yoga

Manda lives right here in Gulf Hills neighborhood and teaches from the heart. Her classes blend mindful movement and breathwork, creating space to slow down, soften, and reconnect.

Bella Alberti

Vinyasa Yoga, PiYo, Reformer

Meet Bella: part powerhouse, part hype-girl, all heart. Her creative flows and playlists make you feel strong, centered, and totally alive. Her classes blend strength, flow, and feel-good humor to leave you grounded and glowing.

Logan Matoaka

Vinyasa Yoga

If she's not teaching yoga you'll find her walking her pup along the beach, or chasing sunsets. Her classes feel like a breath of fresh air- grounded, joyful and full of heart.

Maria Barr

Barre Intensity

You’ve seen her bringing the heat to Hotworx—now she’s bringing it to Gulf Hills as a studio stand-in. Expect tiny movements, upbeat music, and major muscle shakes—in the best way.

Hi, I'm Renee.

Gulf Hills is Home

I'm a Wellness Junkie

Intentions