TEACHERS
Our Amazing Teachers
We couldn’t be more grateful to be in the presence of so many wonderful teachers.
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We couldn’t be more grateful to be in the presence of so many wonderful teachers.
With her roots and practice firmly grounded in the Ashtanga lineage, Jacquelyn’s classes draw from the foundational principles of that practice but also incorporate the softer and therapeutic applications of yoga that she has absorbed through various trainings. Jacquelyn teaches with the intention to make yoga accessible to all people and to demystify the “secret language” of yoga. Inspired by the light-heartedness but also sincerity of many of her teachers, Jacquelyn’s approach to sharing yoga is nurturing, compassionate, and seasoned with a touch of humor.
Jacquelyn also owns and manages Hudson Valley Wedding Yoga, which organizes yoga classes for weddings, bachelorette parties, and special events.
Leigha teaches breath-centric, artfully sequenced Vinyasa classes that encourage deep body listening. She emphasizes fine-tuning sensory awareness and plugging in to instinctual knowing in an effort to clear the mind, ease the body, and liberate the spirit. Since 2011, she has been building a library of free online classes on YouTube. Find hour-long Vinyasa classes each week on her member site LeighaButlerYoga.com.
Sally’s Restorative Yoga classes provide a peaceful atmosphere to allow the body, mind, and spirit to rejuvenate. Props (blankets and blocks) are used in such a way as to prevent stress on the body. The mind finds space through the breath to be open to new ideas and patterns. Balancing the body and mind through the breath allows the nervous system to relax and the immune system to function better. When you leave a class you will feel at ease physically and emotionally.
Aaron teaches Yoga from a place of sincere gratitude. At a time in her life where nothing else could, the Yogic path brought her real healing, vitality and harmony to all of her systems–physical, emotional, psychological and energetic. Devoting her life to it was the natural response. Her background is extensive and diverse, with nearly 20 years of training in vinyasa, therapeutic and tantric yoga lineages; several years of Buddhist meditation and Shamanic energy work; and a lifetime of immersion in ritual, theater, dance, song and poetry. You can get a taste of her offerings at forevermarvel.com.
Felipa teaches in an invigorating and fluid Vinyasa style, while encouraging folks to honor their bodies and discover the possibilities within each pose in the way that feels right for them. A Montessori teacher in her other life, Felipa believes yoga can be accessible to all and she offers multiple levels of challenge within various options for poses. In her classes, she enjoys exploring the relationships between poses while steadily building to a fun challenge. Felipa loves the supportive, fun-loving community at The Yoga House and is excited to be a part of it.
Felipa completed a 200-hour YTT at The Yoga House, where she enjoyed connecting with kindred spirits with whom she could happily ‘geek-out’ on anatomy and ancient yogic texts.
Hillary grew up with yoga, and began a regular practice around 2010 as a complement to meditation. As a journalist who helps lift and daylight stories, Hillary finds joy and healing in the practice of tuning in to the body.
Hillary completed the Yoga House 200-hour teacher training in 2016, and began teaching weekly to the community, beginners, and children. Her vinyasa classes are intuitively structured and focus on sound alignment and grounding in the present moment, with a sense of play. Hillary’s friendliness, desire to be helpful, and commitment to community creates a welcoming space where yoga is accessible to any body, and empowers each student to cultivate their own sense of freedom and spaciousness. Hillary finds that yoga can uncover a deep internal strength that people may not know they had, and that a nice yoga sequence can feel delicious, like dancing.
Lori, an Ulster County native, began practicing yoga over 11 years ago in an effort to control stress and to maintain a healthy lifestyle. In 2015, she visited The Yoga House and decided to embark in their 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training program to improve her own home practice and to become educated in yoga philosophy. After graduating from the program in 2016, she realized that many people feel that yoga is not accessible to them for multiple reasons. She wants to tell them, “YOU CAN do it!” and she wants to help generate confidence so those skeptics can discover how to balance the mind and body in order to accept oneself and others. She believes the best method is through a lighthearted and practical approach. Lori is dedicated to helping her students feel good about themselves and their practice. She is currently continuing her education at Shakti and is enjoying her life-long yoga journey.
Kelli finds joy in challenging her students while reminding them to remain humble. It was in 2013 that Kelli was searching for some clarity in life and a physical and mental awakening. Turns out yoga was the answer to all her questions! Her love and passion for the practice was growing rapidly and it only made sense to take the journey from student to teacher, completing her YTT in 2016 at The Yoga House. Kelli comes to her mat to find herself and her inner peace. She hopes to transfer these energies to each and every student she encounters. In a typical class, students can expect modifications & props, Kelli’s favorite yogic readings, and always an intentional playlist to accompany the practice.
Scott came to yoga in middle age as part of a lifestyle change and spiritual quest. He first practiced with his brother, an actor in LA and gradually broadened his practice. He completed his Teacher Training at the Yoga House. Along with having been a MetLife Insurance professional at his office in Kingston for 35 years; Scott is also a Ski Instructor at Belleayre Mountain in the winter, Crew Coach for the Kingston High School Varsity Crew, Rowing Coach for the Rondout Rowing Club and a Cycle Instructor at the YMCA of Kingston and Ulster County.
He finds yoga to be liberating and fun on its own but also loves the feeling of strength, flexibility and balance it allows him to bring to his other athletic endeavors. He enjoys offering the practice to people of all ages and believes it can be especially beneficial to those of middle age who want to return to a higher level of activity or continue to be active throughout their lives. “Yoga should be practiced in a spirit of lightness and fun! Like all of life, Yoga is a practice, not perfection.”
Yoga has been a passion of Deb’s for many years and the ability to share that passion with others is a dream come true. What inspires Deb about this forever humbling practice is the integration of movement, breath and the joy of being present into a beautiful dance. Through her teaching, Deb emphasizes the non competitive nature of the practice by honoring how the body feels each time one steps to the mat and by finding mental and physical balance. And she never forgets that the practice should be joyful experience to simultaneously increase strength and flexibility. She encourages her students to find that wonderful balance of peacefulness and energy in each class. With the incorporation of yoga philosophy, Deb also embraces the ever important spiritual lifestyle that a yoga practice can unveil.
In her career, Deb has been dedicated to the non for profit sector, particularly with people who are challenged with a developmental disability which has deepened how she view compassion and equality. She shares her life with her two beautiful children, her partner and his 2 amazing sons.
As a former dancer, Laura has always been kinesthetic, but yoga is what made her finally feel at home. A devoted Ashtangi and reverently rebellious yoga teacher, she has studied extensively in the United States as well as in Mysore, India with Sri K. Pattabhi Jois and Sharath Jois. Laura teaches both traditional Ashtanga as well as Ashtanga-influenced vinyasa in workshops, classes, and private lessons in the New York City and Woodstock areas. She also offers cooking classes and health coaching and most delights in making healthy indulgences for everyone. She offers deep gratitude to all the friends, mentors and teachers who have guided her and kept her company along the path.
B.K.S. Iyengar wrote that health “is a state of complete equilibrium of body, mind and spirit.” With this intention, Amy bases her free-spirited classes on an Ashtanga-based, Vinyasa-style of yoga that is inspired by the teachings of Patthabhi Jois and alignment principles of B.K.S Iyengar. Understanding the importance of integrating all aspects of oneself to achieve true wellness, Amy’s classes are dynamic and comprehensive: Harmonium playing, chanting, meditation, and pranayama are all seamlessly incorporated, and woven with thoughtful passages from the Sutras and Bhagavad Gita, poems and affirmations. The result: A rich and invigorating class designed to endure long after the student leaves the studio.
But what is most compelling about Amy is her warmth and sincerity. With a near-tangible appetite for self-study and a gentle sense of humor, Amy immediately makes those around her feel welcomed, valued, and inspired to action. She is as accessible to her students as are her classes. This fosters a safe and encouraging environment where students are moved to approach their individual practices with a light-hearted and self-accepting point of view.
Michael Stein has been practicing yoga for many lifetimes but still hasn’t quite figured it out. During his most recent incarnation he has been teaching for thirty years. His parents first introduced him to the asanas at the age of five and then tricked him into joining them on multiple yoga holidays by promising that they were en route to Disneyland. He was the Director of Ashtanga Yoga of New Paltz and then co-Director of Yogalive where he led many workshops, teacher trainings and the like. Nothing makes Michael happier than imparting his love of yoga to students. His classes blend traditional Hatha Yoga with Ashtanga, Pilates, Restorative and some truly awful anecdotes. He has taught workshops in NYC, New Jersey, New Paltz and Bath, England but still has not made it to Disneyland.
Yoga found Jacqueline at a time when she had lost touch with the world around her and also with herself. Yoga guided her to find the strength within to create healing and balance within her life. She knew this was a gift she would want to share with others. Five years later, having finished her 200-hr teacher training at The Yoga House, she’s ready to share, continuing to learn along the way. Growing up in Woodstock, it’s no surprise Jacqueline is an artist, Reiki healer, herbalist and a yoga teacher. She uses all of her creative and healing backgrounds along with nature to inspire her classes. She believes firmly that she is here to guide and invite practitioners through a flow in a safe supported space, allowing for each practitioner to connect to their own body and go where it takes them. For Jacqueline, yoga is here for playful expression, and each practice is a learning experience led from deep, intuitive movements. She hopes to inspire those around her to connect to their intuition to find their own inner strength.
After many years of sporadic practice, Mel recommitted to yoga after moving to Saugerties in 2011 and discovering Shakti Yoga’s sanctuary classes. Two years later, she completed Shakti’s 200 hour teacher training and has been teaching yoga to students of all ages ever since. An educator since 1998, Mel has taught 4th grade, co-authored a strategy book for teachers and served as a tutor and Director of Education for several NY learning centers. Mel’s varied educational experiences have taught her to remain flexible in the face of teaching and learning challenges and receptive to new ways of sharing and receiving information.
Her classes focus on understanding the fundamentals of asana (poses) through the use of props (blocks, blankets, straps, chairs, bolsters) and movement exploration, while emphasizing the discovery of personal alignment, balance and relaxation. After many years of chronic injuries and pain related to scoliosis (curvature of the spine), Mel has found great relief through the practice of gentle and restorative poses and is passionate about incorporating both into her classes. By encouraging students to respect their physical limitations while exploring what’s possible, Mel aims to help each individual learn how to serve the unique needs of the body. She is forever grateful to her first yoga teacher, Jill Gnassi, whose expert Iyengar instruction taught her how attending to small details could make a huge difference in life.
