Allison McLeod is certified to teach Integral Yoga through Satchidananda Ashram-Yogaville, and Hatha Yoga and Vinyasa Flow Yoga from AYC. Her style is warm and gentle, inviting one to focus attention on the breath in order to create a moving meditation that is an exploration of mind, body, and spirit. Learning to honor and take care of ourselves enables us to take greater care of one another and the world we live in. Working from this truth, she encourages students to create a positive and empowering experience of tapping into our true nature of peace and joy, love and light.
Anna Ferguson came to yoga 9 years ago. Over the years, it has helped her overcome many obstacles in life, including chronic illness and depression. She has studied all over the United States, most notably in Boulder, CO, Chicago, IL and Asheville, NC. She has studied Ashtanga, Vinaysa Flow and Yin Yoga, and continues to investigate Iyengar, Kundalini and Anusara yoga in her own personal practice, as well as T'ai Chi. She is also an artist and freelance writer.
Anna is a graduate of Asheville Yoga Center's Teacher Training program. Her experience in teaching is wide-ranging, from pre-teens and teens to seniors. She is interested in sparking the fire in your spirit to inspire you to incorporate the benefits of yoga into your life, enabling you to walk a path of health, peace and happiness. She especially loves working with students with the challenges of illnesses or injuries, as they are some of her best teachers in life. She offers her students her sensitive and responsive nature as an instructor, and her desire to teach you how to play yoga!
Do what you can on this plane to relieve suffering by constantly working on yourself to be an instrument for the cessation of suffering. To me, that's what the emerging game is all about. - Ram Dass
Brooke Sullivan is a mother and yogini with a love for nature and rhythm. 8 years ago she began her practice of yoga with the Ashtanga Vinyasa system while pregnant. It not only opened her mind, but her body and heart to the deeper secrets of yoga. On a quest to understand these ancient teachings, and how to apply them to life today, she traveled to India to study Ashtanga from the Jois family. When she returned, at the request of her mentor, she began to teach. A couple of years later, something shifted within Brooke and her relationship to yoga. She was suffering from "burning the candle at both ends" and realized Ashtanga was no longer a perfect fit. Craving a lon-linear practice that incorporated creativity, rhythm and the deeper teachings of pranayama, mantra and meditation, she began to explore other styles of yoga. Brooke has been blessed by many teachers and has a deep respect for all yoga traditions. She has found her personal style of yoga (which weaves in teachings from Anusara, ParaYoga, Vinyasa Flow, Kundalini, Restorative, Yin and Mother Nature) to be firm yet gentle, spiritual, and with a focus on sattva or balance, of the body and mind.
Caitlin Van Hecke discovered her need for yoga while living amongst the creative chaos of NYC, where she resided for close to 3 years. She fell in love with the discipline it brought to her life, as well as the freedom that opened up within. She continued to deepen her practice after her move to Asheville, and obtained her certification at the 230 hr through Asheville Yoga Center, as well as in Kids and Pre-natal yoga. She continues to be grateful and amazed of yoga’s power to create grace and ease- the physical aspect being just the beginning. Her fascination with the connection between what happens on the mat versus off, is what propels her to share yoga with others. The biggest AHA moment in her life as a yogi was being in class one day (years after the start of her practice), and finally understanding the importance of the breath. It was as if nothing had fully existed until that moment. She takes great care to breathe deeply on a regular basis now.
Candra Tuit is a graduate from UNCW with a degree in
Exercise Science and a certified personal trainer
through NSCA (National Strength and Conditioning
Association). While living in Boone, Candra's growing
love of yoga inspired her dive deeper into her own practice and attend the 9 month teacher training
program at the Asheville Yoga Center. Upon graduating
she began teaching at Neighborhood Yoga Studio in
Boone. Candra moved to Asheville to attend the
Asheville School of Massage and Yoga and now has a
successful practice as a certified LMBT. Candra loves
ALL aspects of yoga and enjoys including several
traditions into her class. She links the asanas
through a vinyasa flow while including components of
Kundalini, Anusara and Yin Yoga. She encourages her
students to use their breath to create ease in the
body and mind while also listening to their greatest
teacher which lies within.
Cate Harrison discovered yoga in 1989 through her connection to Integral Yoga. Enjoying immediate relief from her back pain and a new sense of peace in a stressful world, she fell in love with the practice of yoga. Wanting to learn more about this ancient practice, she began to take classes at Sun & Moon Yoga Studio in Arlington, VA where she received her certification. Through their extensive teacher training program she studied with many great regionally and nationally known instructors such as JJ Gormley and Erich Schiffmann. She continues to teach with an emphasis on playfulness, safety and openness. Always learning, always appreciative, Cate enjoys sharing yoga's many beneficial gifts through her teaching.
Chenin Duclos realized her love for yoga shortly after moving to Asheville from Washington in 2004. While out getting to know her new home, she stumbled across her neighborhood yoga studio, the Asheville Yoga Center. And so a path was discovered and a journey began. Desiring to expand her knowledge of this new love, she attended the 9 month yoga teacher training at AYC and began teaching. Chenin is also a graduate of the Asheville School of Massage and Yoga and currently practices an integrative style of massage out of The People’s Acupuncture Clinic in North Asheville. In addition to teaching and bodywork, she is a culinary enthusiast, nature lover, biker and mama to her two year old dog, Fern!
Chenin welcomes yogis of all levels to her gentle class. She helps students connect with their bodies, embrace their own vital breath and cultivate compassion and appreciation for self and others. With a soft voice, relaxing music and slow moving postures, her gentle class provides an ideal environment to slow down from the day, quiet the mind, and begin to listen to your own inner teacher. As a student of yoga (and life!), Chenin looks forward to the ongoing discovery of what’s already inside…for “The soul walks not upon a line, neither does it grow like a reed. The soul unfolds itself, like a lotus of countless petals.” -Kahlil Gibran
Jakub Holy has been studying, teaching and practicing Yoga for eight years. He is thrilled to be involved in such a great community of wonderful teachers and students. He teaches a powerful and fluid vinyasa flow creating a deep purifying heat in the body and a calm mind. In this class you will use vinyasa to link poses, pranayama to cleanse the breath, bandas to store energy, asana to align the body and meditation to calm the mind. This class often includes inversions and some challenging advanced poses along with occasional partner work. Jakub's aim is to explore Yoga as a deeply spiritual, self affirming and fun practice.
Jane
Anne Tager, mother of three, has been practicing yoga at AYC for over a decade. Now she not only rewards herself through her own practice, but also by teaching Pretzel Kids yoga classes. Jane Anne says teaching yoga to kids offers them strength, balance, flexibility, and heightened awareness that benefits them far beyond their mats. It also offers them some much needed down time, and time to just sit with themselves. Better yet, it is just plain fun.
Jane Anne also teaches pre-natal yoga. These classes turn the attention to the breath while stretching deeply, incorporating poses that nurture the low back, open the hips, and work out other kinks as the needs arise. It offers moms-to-be a connection with each other, while taking time out to care for themselves and their changing bodies.
Joe
Taft is a certified Anusara Yoga instructor who has dedicated himself to the practice of yoga since 1997. His teaching style is approachable, lighthearted, uplifting and transformational. Joe interweaves Anusara’s life-affirming and heartfelt approach into his classes through myth, storytelling, Tantric philosophy and the wisdom gathered through his own life’s journey. He has completed hundreds of training hours with John Friend, Sianna Sherman and other senior Anusara instructors.
Anusara Yoga’s principles of alignment and therapeutic components match Joe’s keen awareness of body biomechanics and his long history as a devoted athlete. After years of avid whitewater kayaking, Joe’s quest to relieve his chronic back pain led him to his life’s passion, the study and teaching of yoga.
Joe teaches weekly yoga classes for all levels, teacher trainings, Anusara immersions, workshops and retreats. He also offers one-on-one instruction. Joe lives in Asheville with his wife Susanne and their loving daughter, Taytum.
Julia Taylor views yoga as a tool to gain greater self awareness and acceptance. She is continuously awed and inspired by the healing power yoga practice can provide. With her background in dance and both the visual and performing arts, Julia has always been intrigued and guided by the body’s wisdom. Yoga has been a natural progression of her investigations into self-study (svadyaya) and self expression. She has enjoyed teaching in Asheville, NC for over four years since she was certified through the Asheville Yoga Center. In the last few years, Julia’s interest has gravitated towards the balance between yin and yang aspects of yoga, seeking to respect the need to deeply relax as well as invigorate our body systems. Blending Yin and Flow/Vinyasa yoga her classes focus on honoring the body’s wisdom and cultivating a compassionate relationship with the physical, emotional, and mental bodies.
Kelly Gilmore became a student of yoga in 1996. Being a river
guide and outdoor enthusiast, she really resonated
with Flow Yoga. In 2000 received a certification from
White Lotus Foundation. In 2001 she attended her first
Anusara workshop with Desiree Rambaugh. 2 years later
she completed a 350hr Anusara Inspired RYT training
with Sarajoy Marsh in Portland OR. With such adoration
for this style and it's principles, she continues to
study with many amazing teachers working towards her
certification.
"It is my hope as a teacher to help build community,
and for people to discover and recognize their amazing
potential and tap into all the qualities of their
heart."
Kelly is also a licensed massage and bodywork
therapist.
Lia Pardy's love and fascination for yoga has led her to study with teachers throughout the US, India and Thailand for the past 15 years. Her teaching style reflects many years of study in the Ashtanga vinyasa tradition as well as softer Yin styles of yoga. Lia is a nationally licensed massage therapist, bringing a wide knowledge of the human body to her work as a certified yoga teacher, Thai massage teacher, and massage therapist. Visit Lia's personal web site at LiaPardy.com.
Libby Hinsley, certified by the Asheville Yoga Center, is proud to be a “yoga mutt” who blends elements of many traditions. She pulls from Iyengar, Ashtanga, vinyasa, mindfulness meditation as well as Yin yoga. Her practice continues to evolve and serves as a treasured touchstone and vehicle for self-discovery. As a student of yoga, she is particularly interested in yoga’s ability to expose imbalance on all levels and to bring healing where it is needed. She likes to say that “yoga is all of the above,” so find a practice that feels good in the body, expands the spirit, and connects you to a sense of the Divine. Otherwise, why practice?
Through her teaching, Libby hopes to expose students to the magic of their own bodies and the brilliance of their own spirits just as they are. She believes yoga is most effective if it empowers students to tune inward, trust themselves, and find asana variations and modifications that suit their particular needs. She gives special attention to heart-opening, mindfulness, and self-acceptance. Her flow yoga class emphasizes the connection between breath and movement through a strong, slow sequence of asana. Class typically also includes sitting meditation and pranayama practice.
Mado
Hesselink teaches yoga because life is good and yoga makes it even better.
Mado first began practicing yoga in 1999 as a way to balance her body from intense martial arts training. She immediately fell in love with yoga and soon found herself doing more yoga than martial arts. In 2002 she began her first attempt at completing a teacher training, but found herself pregnant and unable to continue after just a few months. 3 years and one child later she graduated from the Asheville Yoga Center teacher training program.
Mado credits her students, her personal practice, and her daughter Ciel as being her most important teachers. She is continually working to improve her teaching and increase her knowledge of yoga through practice, workshops, and study. Two years ago, she fell in love with the uplifting philosophy and deep therapeutic alignment of anusara yoga. This elegant system of yoga completely transformed both her personal practice and her teaching.Mado's classes connect the practice of yoga with the rest of life. They also focus on principles of alignment to help you go into your poses safely and deeply. Mado hopes to help her students do two things: connect more fully with the richness and potential of life and find balance in the body in the form of strength, flexibility, and overall wellness.
Melissa Bertenthal- Ramirez first came to her mat as a student at Brown University. An active athlete here entire life, she sought out yoga as a counterbalance to the intense strain that years of running had done to her body. Ever the explorer, Melissa has dabbled in many different forms of yoga including Hatha, Iyengar, Forest, Ashtanga, and Bikram. However, it was not until Melissa found herself, three years ago, in a Baptiste studio, that she felt truly at home on her mat. Ironically, it took this intense form of power Vinyasa yoga to help Melissa finally embrace yoga as a practice done both on and off the mat.
As a teacher, Melissa tries to cultivate this same understanding in her students and incorporates themes from the Sutras, karma yoga, and good 'ole life to help her students achieve the ultimate expression of their asanas, whether in the class or on the street. She welcomes students of all levels and only asks that you bring a flexible mind to class. Having moved to Asheville in March 2009, Melissa looks forward to meeting you and sharing her passion for Baptise Yoga with the Asheville Yoga Center community.
Michael Johnson ERYT-500 is a certified Jivamukti instructor who has studied directly with Sharon and David in New York as well as with their Teacher Sri K. Pattabhi Jois in Mysore, India. He has been a full-time yoga teacher in the Detroit area since 2001. He continues to study Yoga and Buddhism with Geshe Michael Roach, Lama Christie McNally, Lama Sumati Marut, Kimberley Theresa and his Angelic wife, Stephanie Johnson.
Neely Neu is a 200 level certified yoga teacher. She has been practicing yoga regularly since 1985 and has been teaching since 2002. She received her training through Union Yoga and the wonderful tutelage of Sandra Carden. She is also, currently, working on her 500 level teaching certificate, also through Union Yoga. Neely teaches an eclectic style of Hatha yoga, inspired by many teachers and many faiths. She likes to blend Yoga and Pilates, in which she has a pre-certification from The Center for Body Awareness. Neely has taught extensively in the areas of Prenatal Yoga and Kids Yoga. "It is an honor to bring awareness of breath and body to the whole family through the practice of yoga." She likes to remind people to practice consistent, non-reactive breathing and to KEEP SMILING!
Sarah Jane Delcambre, a graduate of Asheville Yoga Center’s teacher training program in 2006, has been enjoying the benefits of yoga since her teens. She began her Yoga journey in California with Bikram Yoga and later spent several months in India. It was in India, practicing in an ashram, where she acknowledged a calling to deepen her practice and share its many benefits with others. After discovering the eastern reverence for Yoga, Sarah Jane traveled extensively experiencing the many western styles of Hatha Yoga.
As a competitive athlete since childhood, she has used Yoga for both strength and restoration of her mind and body. Vinyasa flow and Yin Yoga have become her primary focus in recent years and she is enthusiastic about sharing her journey and findings with beginners as well as able-bodied athletes. Animated and informative, Sarah Jane brings groovy tunes and an adventurous attitude to every class.
Shala
Worsley has a deep yoga practice and teaching style that reflects over 12 years of study. Inviting students to cultivate the exploration of the physical and spiritual realms. As a teacher Shala offers a blend of the benefits of yoga in the alignment traditions of Iyengar, and flowing aspects of Ashtanga and Vinyasa, always including therapeutic yoga, yin yoga, meditation, pranayama and yoga philosophy. She embodies a balanced sense of grace, delicate flow, and attention to detail - a direct result of her passion for practicing yoga in nature and our innate connection to the Earth and the Cosmos. She inspires the student to touch their own yogic soul, bringing asana practice to life from within. Shala currently lives in Asheville, NC, teaching at the Asheville Yoga Center and directing/owning the Asheville School of Massage and Yoga.
Sierra
Hollister (Ong Kar Kaur) lives with her husband and their 3 children on a beautiful farm in the mountains outside of Asheville. There are kids, chickens, goats, bunnies and veggies to occupy non-yoga time. Sierra also cofounded Sundance Power Systems with her husband, Dave Hollister. She is a devoted student of Yogi
Bhajan and gladly answered his request for her to teach in Asheville. She
has been teaching in Asheville since 1995. Sierra is certified in both
Kundalini and Ashtanga. She has studied with many wonderful teachers over the years, including Gurucharan Singh Khalsa, Shakta
Kaur Khalsa, Sarah Powers, David Swenson and Rajashri Choudhury over the
years. True to the philosophy of Kundalini, Sierra believes that it is what
you experience within during your practice that is of primary importance. It is her deepest hope to uplift others and restore them to the vitality,
health and happiness that is their birthright.
Sparkle Thornton: My yoga journey started in 2001 at the Savannah College of Art and Design. Little did I know from the first class my life would change forever. I immediately was attracted to the observations of emotion, awareness, and the facing of fear. After that class I viewed yoga as the way to achieve ones' full potential. I practiced whenever I could, (mostly by myself for a few years) looking inward and searching for an increased sensitivity and understanding of myself.
In 2007, after years of being a yogi, musician and guitar teacher, I decided to branch out and focus on my passion for yoga. I viewed my involvement with yoga to be the best thing I could do for myself and those around me. I just wanted to surround myself energetically and whole-heartedly with my practice, my most sacred tool for transformation. After my decision to pursue teaching I began practicing at Triangle Yoga in Chapel Hill, NC. During this time my practice really blossomed affirming my life with the powers of truth, beauty, freedom, and above all things love.
In 2008 I graduated from the AYC intensive teachers training program. This experience proved to be a cathartic and indescribable journey because of which I will never be the same :) Today I live in Asheville, NC, I teach, learn, love and hope to explore it all. My love for opposing powers within myself and others have given me a greater appreciation of the delicate and relentless world we live in. Among the many opposites I hope to explore and share are..... Laughter/ Seriousness. Catharsis/ Restraint. Feminine/ Masculine. Inspiration/Boredom. Love/Loss. Everything/Nothing, Life, Art, Destruction, Music, Beauty, Sacrifice, Divinity, Death and Moderation. (Moderation in everything, especially moderation!) I can thank yoga for helping me find this purpose. As well as my teachers for being so open, inspiring, candid, and above all encouraging.
Stephanie
Keach, Director of AYC, has been teaching Flow yoga
since 1988. Originally from Santa Barbara, CA, she has studied
with the finest yogis out West. Her Zen background brings a
meditative style to her class. Creator of Gentle Flow Yoga video,
Intermediate Flow Yoga Video, and The Yoga Handbook.
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