About Us
Exalted Warrior Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that facilitates an adaptive yoga instruction program. Exalted Warrior serves Veterans, active duty and military reserves, as well as spouses and caregivers in VA hospitals and in community studio spaces around the country.
Faced with the demands of both a physical and emotional recovery, adaptive yoga allows newly and long-term disabled veterans to reconnect with both themselves and their loved ones. Warriors with PTS, amputations, traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries have greatly benefitted from our modified yoga practices in conjunction with iRest and meditation.
Teachers & Staff
Annie Okerlin | Co-founder
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, Tampa became the home for it.
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, as well as the Exalted Warrior Foundation's Practice Guide - Yoga & Meditation practices for Strength, Comfort & Ease.
Visit Annie's website to learn more about the classes & trainings she offers.
Thomas W Steffens, USN (Ret) | Co-founder
Rear Admiral Tom Steffens served 34 years as a Navy SEAL. While on active duty he served as the Commander of the US Special Operations Command Atlantic, the Director of Anti-Terrorism for the Navy and as Director of Navy Seal Training. He also served four years at the US SOCOM at MacDill AFB in Tampa, Florida where he held positions as the Director of the Center for Information Operations and Chief of Staff.
Admiral Steffens today serves as an advisor to various non-profit boards dealing with homeless families, veterans issues, and civic leadership involvement in the community. He is the Board Vice President and co-founder of the Exalted Warrior Foundation.
Lisa Wilson | Instructor
Lisa Wilson is a National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC) and experienced yoga educator with over 20 years of teaching across diverse populations. She holds multiple Yoga Alliance credentials, including E-RYT 200, RPYT, RCYT and YACEP and specializes in adaptive, trauma-sensitive, and accessible yoga practices for individuals of all ages and abilities.
Her work spans a wide range of modalities, including prenatal and postnatal yoga, restorative and therapeutic practices, mindfulness meditation, breathwork, and adaptive yoga for aging populations and those managing injury or chronic conditions. Lisa’s approach integrates movement, breath, and behavior change principles to support functional well-being, resilience, and long-term health.
For more than 16 years, Lisa has been a dedicated instructor with Exalted Warrior Foundation, providing wellness instruction for military veterans and their caregivers both in-person at James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital and through virtual platforms. Her work focuses on supporting individuals navigating chronic pain, stress, and life transitions through a holistic, biopsychosocial lens.
Lisa is also the founder of Radiant Breath and the developer of a Yoga Alliance–accredited “Teach Yoga to Seniors” training, equipping instructors to safely and effectively support the aging population. She is a certified death doula and the creator of the “Comfort Measures for Labor” program, reflecting her commitment to supporting individuals through all stages of life.
Her work is grounded in clarity, compassion, and practical application—helping individuals reconnect with their bodies, build resilience, and access tools for lifelong well-being.
Janel Norton | Instructor
Janel Norton isn’t just a business owner with a passion for yoga—she is also a veteran, having served in the U.S. Air Force as a combat photojournalist. She was also a press information officer and photojournalist for the United Nations, spending her early career documenting crises in Panama, Bosnia and Liberia. After service, Janel worked as a photographer and editor in the news industry and in government contracting.
After 20 years as a photographer, Janel returned to school for her master’s degree from the University of South Florida. After facing a difficult job market upon graduating and discovering how yoga helped her maintain balance, she enrolled in a yoga teacher training program. “I managed to trade my photo and marketing skills for a 200-hour yoga teacher training and began teaching a few classes at the studio where I practiced near my house,” Janel explained. Her newfound love of yoga—and teaching it—quickly turned into ownership of Trinity Yoga Studio in the Tampa Bay area.
Eventually, Janel wanted to give back to other veterans which lead her to co-found the Warrior Wellness Program, a 501(c)(3) providing alternative therapy services and community engagement to past and present military populations experiencing difficulty transitioning back to civilian life.
Janel now travels nationwide to provide evidence based trauma informed/adaptive yoga and iRest guided meditation to first responders as part of the O2X Human Performance, VA Summer Sports Clinics, Wounded Warrior Foundation, Exalted Warrior Foundation, Guardian Revival, HOOAH, Inc., The Brian Bill Foundation and Sixty Two Romeo. When not on the road, she and her husband Ray and their yellow lab Bhrodi are busy hiking and building their retirement home in the mountains of Eastern Tennessee.
More information on Janel & Alternative Stress Solutions, Inc.
Mike Keighley | Instructor
Mike Keighley is the chief yoga officer for Archangel Yoga. He is a 500-hour Registered Yoga Teacher with certifications in Baptiste Power Yoga, Warriors at Ease Level Two, iRest Yoga Nidra Level 1, and Yoga for Amputees. Mike has a bachelor's in Business Administration from the University of Maine and a master's degree in IT Management from Webster University.
Prior to finding his way on to a yoga mat, Mike served more than eight years in the US Army as a Chinook helicopter pilot and information systems manager with deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kuwait.
Following the Army, Mike completed a 2,189 mile thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail (Georgia to Maine). Mike lives in Augusta, Maine with his ginger tri-pod cat Marty and teaches yoga at the Travis Mills Foundation for re-calibrated warriors and their families. Mike also teaches for the Warrior PATHH program, which teaches veterans and first responders to cultivate post-traumatic growth.