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Teachers

Yoga East Teachers

Yoga East Staff	Current Instructors	Alumni
Employment	CYE Reporting	Information for Teachers

Yoga East Staff
Laura Spaulding President YE 1994	Laura has been practicing yoga since 1967. She moved to Louisville in 1989 and studied at Yoga East with Maja Trigg from 1990 until Maja retired in 1994. Laura primarily practices Ashtanga Yoga but also studies with teachers in the Iyengar and Anusara traditions. She met Shri K. Pattabhi Jois in Mysore in 1999, attended his workshops in NYC in 2000 and 2001, and has studied with him in India every year since 2002. She has been an AYRI authorized teacher since November 2004. Laura's practice and teaching has also been influenced by Francois Raoult, Ramanand Patel, Douglas Keller, John Friend and other Anusara teachers, Pujiya Swami Dayananda Saraswati of Arsha Vidya Gurukulum, Swami Chidvilasananda and other teachers in the Siddha Yoga and Kashmir Saiva traditions. She has a B.A. in Fine Arts from the University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee, and a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C. She has been married to her best friend, Victor Davenport, since 1986. E-RYT 500^SM, AYRI Authorized, RKC 2004, 2006, President of Yoga East, 1994-1996, 1998-present, Best of Louisville Magazine Critic's Choice Award for Yoga teacher.
Kim Porter Assistant Manager YE 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006	Kim Porter is Assistant Manager of our Highlands locations. She was introduced to yoga by Yoga East teachers Linda Naulty and Dana Carnall. Kim began taking Ashtanga classes in 2002 and was invited to participate in teacher training . She graduated with honors in 2003 and received special merit for her research project: Support for Your Ashtanga Practice. Kim has taken classes with both Shri K. Pattabhi Jois in New York City and Sharath Rangaswamy here in Louisville and she teaches Ashtanga Yoga. Kim studied with Shri K. Pattabhi Jois in Mysore, India in February-March, 2006.
Nicole Soteropoulos Assistant Manager Ana Forrest 2006	Nicole began studying yoga to heal from a herniated disc in her neck and after the first class she was hooked! Nicole considers her first teachers to be Debra Kehl, Kim Esteran, and Anne Kosko. In 2006, Nicole completed 200 hours of study with Ana Forrest in Ana’s Foundation Teacher Training course and that changed her life. Nicole continues to deepen her study and practice of the eight limbed path of yoga by studying with her mentor Laura Spaulding. Nicole has also attended workshops with Douglas Keller, David Swenson and Francois Raoult. Nicole’s purpose is to use yoga as a healing tool to remove energy blocks so that a person is restored to their emotional, physical, and spiritual potential. She encourages students to find their edge and play there, take a few breaths, then go further so they can transform.

Current Instructors are listed in alphabetical order

Our teachers are required to have a minimum of two years yoga experience, have an accomplished daily personal practice, a minimum of 200 hours yoga teacher training in our teacher training program or another qualified school, and be working toward the 500 hour level. All teachers must have current CPR and first aid certificates and obtain a minimum of 40 hours yoga teacher training each year.

Shae Bryant YE2005, 2006	Shae's introduction to yoga was an Ashtanga class at Full Moon Yoga in Louisville, KY in 2003 and she knew she'd found her path. After completing a Six Month Yoga Study Program at Full Moon Yoga in 2004 Shae made her first trip to Mysore, India in 2005. In 2006 she completed the Yoga East 200 hour teacher training program. Shae returned to Mysore in both 2007 and 2008 and is working on the Intermediate Series. She is also a Certified Pilates Instructor for both mat and apparatus and is a Licensed Massage Therapist. Shae uses her variety of knowledge and influence to assist people on their individual paths, teaching group classes, private sessions and workshops. Shae credits her primary teachers as Shri K. Pattabhi Jois, Sharath Rangaswamy, Tim Miller, Doug Keller, Ramanand Patel and Swami Chidvilasananda. She moved to Louisville in 1998 and has a B.A. in both Political Science and Philosophy from the University of Louisville.
Laura DeMent	Bio coming.
Kim Eisner YE 2006	Kim Eisner teaches yoga at our Holiday Manor studio, both YMCA locations in Frankfort, Ky and Falling Springs Recreation Center in Versailles, Ky. She graduated from Yoga East's teacher training program in 2006. She has studied Ashtanga Yoga with Sharath Rangaswamy, David Swenson, Tim Miller and Shri K. Pattabhi Jois in both NY and Mysore, India. She has also studied with Francois Raoult, Ramanand Patel, and Sianna Sherman. Kim graduated from Nicholls State University in Louisiana with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Master of Business Administration. She currently works for the Legislative Research Commission in Frankfort, Kentucky. Read Kim's article, "Yoga and Hypertension" (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader).
Kimberly Esteran YE 2002-2007	Kim Esteran is a compassionate, inspirational, invigorating teacher who challenges her students to breathe deeply and connect in feeling with their body. She has recently completed the Ana Forrest Foundation Teacher Training and as an Associate Forrest Yoga Teacher, brings 10 years of yoga experience to each class. Deeply influenced by Ana Forrest, Kim uses yoga as a tool to heal mind, body and spirit. Kim combines her life-long love of Native American Spirituality and over 15 years of energy work and hands-on-healing with her yoga practice and teaching. Kim first turned to Forrest Yoga in 2004 to help her heal from a back injury. The strong core work, abdominals and focus on breath brought her to a deeper level of understanding the challenges and opportunities involved in self-healing. “In order to heal, I needed to change the way I was doing things. Only by committing fully to change, was I able to go deeper and find my own Truth and heal. It is from that healing journey to my Truth that I now teach. Today backbends, inversions and hip-openers are delights in my life!” Incorporating the pillars of Forrest Yoga; Breath, Strength, Integrity and Spirit, Kim teaches students to connect to their core – getting strong and centered. Using intense pose sequences, compassionately taught to develop skills in awakening the senses, Kim’s classes teach the students to bring aliveness, using breath, into every cell of their body. Working intelligently and safely tailoring each pose to work best for the student, Kim encourages students to learn to work honestly at their edges and develop effective tools to deal with fear and struggle. This makes it possible for integrity, self-awareness, and playful curiosity to become part of their yoga practice and their daily life. Forrest Yoga with Kim Esteran is a unique style that not only builds strength, endurance and flexibility, but also emphasizes emotional healing. Classes are designed for beginners as well as intermediate and advanced practitioners. Kim’s classes do not require strength or flexibility; only that the student bring a willingness to learn how to feel authentically and respond honestly. Kim’s classes honor and celebrate the beauty of life and the power of Spirit. “My heart is filled with tremendous gratitude for all the teachers in my life (Ana Forrest, Jonathan Bowra, Laura Spaulding, Pattabhi Jois and Candace Rose), it is the gift of your teachings that allows me to continue growing along my own journey and pass that on to others with grace and love.”
Julia Fine RYT/CYTA 2004, 2005, 2006	Julia began practicing Ashtanga yoga in 2002 when she discovered the practice at her gym in Washington, DC. Since then, she has been Yoga Alliance certified (200 hours) through It's Yoga in San Francisco, CA, where she studied with Larry Schultz and learned the Rocket series, an Ashtanga-based yoga practice. She has also studied with teachers who have passed through Louisville, including Francois Raoult and Doug Keller. She is currently enrolled in the YE 500 hour program at Yoga East and seeks to strengthen her yoga practice, become a more knowledgeable teacher, and broaden her spirituality. Julia has undergraduate degrees in public health and Spanish, and has had one year of law school. In addition to teaching yoga regularly, she works with computer databases and Spanish translation.
Krista Ford Interdisciplinary Flow	Krista has been practicing yoga and exploring diffferent styles and philosophies of yoga since 1999. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Dance and Master of Fine Arts in Poetry from San Diego State University. Her burn to learn led her to Corepower's Teacher Training Program in San Diego. She completed a second Interdisciplinary Flow Yoga Teacher Training at Yoga One of San Diego. She's trained with Amy Caldwell, Diana Beardsley, Trevor Trice, Suzy Midbrod, Lesli Christiansen, Sam Rangaswamy and most recently attended a Doug Keller workshop at Yoga East. Krista has taught Dance and Yoga in Florida and offers private and group yoga classes at Waterfront Park Place in Downtown Louisville. Krista is a Yoga Alliance certified instructor who offers an athletic practice grounded in an awareness of breath that's filled with joy and creativity. Her favorite quote, "Every thing that lives is holy."- William Blake
Matt Harris	Featured in Yoga Journal Magazine and the Yoga 4 Teens DVD, Matt has been practicing yoga since the age of 14. His teaching style stems from a deep understanding of the body with a lighthearted atmosphere. Matt specializes in yoga therapy, alignment and meeting each individual's specific needs. Along with teaching locally, Matt conducts workshops around the region on various aspects of yoga He studies regularly with top teachers as well as assisting them in their teaching. Matt's Website
Katie Hawbaker	see Katie's website
Margie Jones YE 2006	Margie is devoted to the intelligence of balance. She believes strongly in cognizant understanding but yearns for artistic expression; she has traveled widely but searches for stillness; she adores humor but savors the sincere. Margie is a watcher if not yet a seer, and describes her life as “stopping in interesting places,” witnessing the whimsical perspicacity of the world at large. All of this she brings to her yoga practice. Margie began her yogic journey in the 1980’s with an Iyengar teacher in Colorado , and has since explored the Hatha, Ashtanga, and Anusara styles. Her approach to yoga is to regard it as an art (spiritual art, fine art, healing art, physical art), and believes that building solid fundamental skills allows one to follow the yoga path through creative self expression. She is working on controlling her barely-contained excitement about sharing yoga.
Tara Kimes	Bio coming.
Anne Kosko YE 2004-2007	After teaching group fitness for 17 years, Anne took her first Bikram Yoga class and was hooked. She gave up teaching group fitness and dedicated her time to the study of yoga. Since taking this first Bikram class, Anne has also practiced Ashtanga and Iyengar styles of yoga. Anne draws from all these styles of yoga to teach an invigorating, yet accessible Hatha yoga class that appeals to beginners and continuing students alike. Anne is a graduate of the 2004 Teacher Training class. She has studied with Francois Raoult, David Swenson, Ramanand Patel, Amanda McMain, Sharath Rangaswamy and Doug Keller but considers her teachers to be Paul Long and Laura Spaulding. Anne is a graduate of the University of Louisville and holds a BSC in Management. She currently works full time for a local major appliance manufacturer and finds her yoga practice and connection with her students helps keep her sane from the hectic corporate world.
Louis Martin YE2004-2007	Louis is a 2004 graduate of the Yoga East Teacher Training Program. An engineer by profession, Louis was introduced to yoga by his wife in 2003, who encouraged him to begin teacher training. Having started with Ashtanga tapes at home, Louis discovered a whole new world in the Mysore classes and his practice changed and deepened. His teacher training mentor, Karen Cairns, instilled a real joy of sharing Ashtanga Yoga, and in November, 2004 Louis and his wife traveled to Mysore and studied with Sri K. Pattabhi Jois (Gurujii), Saraswati Rangaswamy and Sharath Rangaswamy. Workshops with David Swenson, Ramanand Patel, Mukesh Desai and Francois Raoult have enriched his practice. Louis studied in Mysore, India, with Pattabhi Jois November, 2005 - March 2006.
Teresa J Phelps Martin, RYT Certified Interdisciplinary Yoga Teacher	Teresa shares the gift of yoga through a playful and compassionate touch. With an emphasis on the breath (Prana) and fluid motion (Vinyasa), Teresa takes you on a journey to experience the full range of yoga. Weaving the body, mind and heart together with the breath, her dynamic and seamless flows deepen your connection to life and fuel the inner fire of your heart. Teresa began practicing yoga in college and continued her yoga practice as she traveled around the world. While living in New Zealand she decided to become a yoga teacher. She completed an Interdisciplinary Hatha Yoga teacher training with Don & Amba Stapleton in Nosara, Costa Rica. Teresa has trained with Angela Farmer, Victor VanKooten, Judith Lasater and Shiva Rea. She is working on her Advance Prana Vinyasa Certification with Shiva Rea and recently traveled to Kerala, India for an Ayurveda retreat with Shiva. With all the places she has been, Teresa is happy to call Kentucky home. She has been teaching for the past 5 years in Louisville and continues to be a student of yoga and life. Her yoga training, studies and practice infuse her approach to life and embodying the flow with grace, compassion and love. Teresa's Prenatal Yoga Class: Pregnancy is a beautiful, challenging, scary, breath taking miracle. Prenatal Yoga is a time to slow down, relax, breathe, and open your heart to this sacred journey. Embrace this miracle with a gentle flow that cultivates an inner strength, prepares you for labor and offers ways to find comfort in your ever changing body. Each class begins with an opportunity to share your experience or request specific needs and ends with a delicious restorative pose perfect for expecting moms. This class is appropriate for any stage of pregnancy and expecting moms new to yoga. Please phone Teresa for more information at 376-3845.
Santoshi Diane Murphy YE 1997	Diane graduated from the Yoga East teacher training program in 1997 and is certified in Cardiac Yoga from Integral Yoga International (Swami Satchidananda) in Virginia. In her work as a social worker has taught yoga to children and utilized elements of yoga with adult clients affected by chronic pain, depression, panic, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorders. She has studied Iyengar, Sivananda, Bikram, Ashtanga, Integral and Kundalini yoga and is also influenced by Mindulness meditation and Ayurveda. The late Swami Satchidananda gave Santoshi her spiritual name, which means "one who is endowed with contentment". Santoshi says, "A spiritual name is a reminder to connect with and manifest the quality in the name."
Kara Price Om yoga (NYC) teacher Certified Pilates teacher (Physical Mind Institute)	Kara Price is originally from Evansville, IN and is excited to come back to the area with her husband to be closer to family and to share her three passions: dancing, Pilates and yoga. A professional dancer for more than 15 years, Kara has lived in both Chicago and NYC. Through her love of dancing, Kara also discovered Pilates. Thanks to her dance background and the flexibility it developed, Pilates came fairly easily to her. However, through teaching Pilates Kara found that its benefits are applicable to any and all people - whether healthy, injured, young, old, big or small - Pilates is an exercise technique that anyone can master. While living in Chicago, a fellow Pilates teacher urged Kara to try a level 2/3 Ashtanga class! Needless to say she felt she was thrown into the ocean and then told to swim; and swim she did! By the end of class she knew yoga was something she wanted to explore more deeply. With 8 years of teaching Pilates under her belt, she researched yoga teacher training programs and continued her yoga journey in OM yoga’s Joining Heaven and Earth teacher training program in NYC. Whether Pilates or Yoga - Kara's classes focus on alignment, breath and a sense of smile. Let Kara's lighthearted approach take you somewhere you have never been—physically, mentally, spiritually - into love and light.
Dave Randolph, RKC	Dave has been actively involved in all aspects of Shaolin Do kung fu since 1989 when he started training as a white belt. Since 1992 he has been a head instructor while working his way up the ranks. Currently a 5^th degree Associate Master, Dave continues to train himself as well as others in this ancient Martial Art. Dave discovered kettlebells in 2002 and became a certified instructor in September of that year and has been teaching their safe usage ever since. In 2007 Dave took his training business full time incorporating kettlebells, barbells, body weight exercise and many other tools to bring a health first attitude to the local fitness industry. Dave's Website
Nancy L. Reinhart YE 2006-2008	Nancy is a Louisville native and returned here in 2004 after a Peace Corps assignment as a Health Specialist in Armenia. While there, she helped start a country-wide yoga program. Nancy began her yoga practice in 2000 at Yoga East, began teaching in 2005 and completed teacher training here in 2006. Nancy has studied with Pattabhi Jois in Mysore, India and New York City, and Ramanand Patel, Doug Keller, Francois Raoult, and Amanda McMain. She has trained in and continues to practice mindfulness meditation in Shambhala retreats and a local Buddhist group for the past eight years. Nancy is a graduate student at U of L, and will obtain a Master's degree in Public Health and Master's certification in Women's Studies in May, 2008. She is also beginning her training as a new mom - an on-the-spot practice!
Jeanne Simpson	Jeanne Simpson is a Guild Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner who has been practicing Awareness Through Movement since 1992 and completed over 800 hours of training. The Method helped her to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro pain free. You can phone Jeanne for more information about her classes at 458-5363.
Karen Strobel Vice-President of Yoga East YE 2000	Karen Strobel began yoga in the late 1980s with Maja Trigg, the founder of Yoga East and is a member of our Board of Directors. Karen's love of teaching has always drawn her into the classroom. She received a Masters of Education with an emphasis in reading at U of L in 1991. Karen began teaching full time as a 5th grade teacher at St. Francis School in Goshen and remained there for 9 years. To deepen her knowledge of yoga and yogic philosophy, Karen enrolled in Yoga East's Teacher Training program in 1999, graduated in 2000 and began teaching yoga part-time. In June 2001, Karen joined Yoga East full-time to manage the new Holiday Manor studio and to teach classes there. She has studied various styles of yoga with several teachers, but regards Maja Trigg and Laura Spaulding as her first and foremost teachers and credits them with lighting the spark of yoga which now burns in her heart. In 2005, Karen studied Ashtanga Yoga with Pattabhi Jois, Sharath Rangaswamy and Saraswati Rangaswamy at AYRI in Mysore, India. Karen moved to Phoenix, Arizona in July, 2007.Karen and Sharath, 2003
Rae Strobel	Bio coming
Monica Sweeney YE2006	Monica has been practicing yoga since 1999 starting with hatha yoga and Bikram Yoga. She studied with Shawna Hogan Spellman to begin teaching Bikram classes in 2003 and came to Yoga East to learn about other forms of yoga in 2004. She teaches private classes and works with students with paraplegia and major injuries and limitations in the body and the mind. Monica is returning to school to obtain a nursing degree, a strong background in holistic medicine and knowledge of the human body. Monica says, I am driven to work with challenged students due to my own limitations. I love teaching, and sharing yoga. I have learned to work with my own limitations, and that has enabled me to further my own practice immensely. It is important for me to teach so that everyone can benefit from yoga. Monica has also studied with Amanda McMaine, Francois Raoult, Doug Keller, Doug Swenson, David Swenson, Bryan Kest, Darren Rhodes and Laura Spaulding. She enjoys volunteering to teach yoga for anyone who needs it.

Yoga East Alumni and Affiliated Teachers
Jeffrey Abbott YE2003	Jeff Abbott completed the Yoga East teacher training program in 2003. He has also attended advanced training workshops with Sharath Rangaswamy (Ashtanga), David Swenson, (Ashtanga), Ramanand Patel (Iyengar), and Mitchel Bleier and Sianna Sherman (Anusara). He visited Mysore, India and studied with Pattabhis Jois for six weeks in 2005. The practice of Ashtanga yoga, and the reading of yogic texts has had a transformative effect in Jeff's life, and he looks forward to sharing its gift with others. He is currently living and studying in Tucson, AZ.
Cheryl Bennett YE1997, 2006, 2007	graduated in 1997 and currently teaches classes in Elizabethtown and Bardstown, Kentucky. (Certification renewal, 2002).
Judith Berg YE1997	graduated in 1997 and uses her yoga skills with patients as a nurse specializing in ultrasound and pre-natal counseling.
Evelyn Blum YE 2001-2007	Evelyn is a graduate of our 2001 Teacher Training class. She began practicing Ashtanga Yoga in 1996 and has studied with and learned much from Sharath Rangaswarmy, John Friend, Ramanand Patel, Mukesh Desai, Francois Raoult, Shri K. Pattabhi Jois, David Swenson, Doug Swenson, Beryl Birch, Sianna Sherman, Mitchel Bleier, and Judi Rice. She has an accomplished personal practice and is excited about sharing her love of Ashtanga Yoga with others. She received an Ashtanga teaching certificate from David Swenson in May, 2002 and studied with Pattabhi Jois in Mysore in the Summer of 2006.
Sue Briney YE1999, 2001	Sue graduated in 1999 and is currently teaching yoga full-time in Texas. She is in the process of receiving additional certification in the Namaste Method of Vanda Scaravelli.
Rob Burns YE2002	Rob Burns graduated from our teacher training program in 2002.
Karen Cairns YE 2002-2007	Karen is a 2003 graduate of the Yoga East teacher training program, with special merit for excellence for her research project. Karen has studied with Shri K. Pattabhi Jois and and Sharath Rangaswamy in the U.S. and in Mysore, India, in 2003 and November, 2005-February, 2006. She has also attended workshops with Ramanand Patel, Mukesh Desai, Francois Raoult, David Swenson and John Friend. Karen has degrees in public health, English and nursing and a doctorate in environmental education. She is active in environmental groups and knowledgeable about local environmental issues. She lives in Blacksburg, Virginia.
Dana Carnall YE2001, 2002, 2003, 2004	Dana Carnall is an honors graduate of our 2001 teacher training program. She has a strong, accomplished Ashtanga yoga practice. Dana has studied with Shri K. Pattabhi Jois in both the United States and Mysore, India, where she received permission in 2003 to start Intermediate series. She received an Ashtanga teaching certificate from David Swenson in May, 2002. Dana currently resides in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Paula Carpenter YE1999, 2000	Paula Carpenter graduated in 1999.
Bonnie Clements YE2006	Bio coming soon.
Deborah Cohen YE1999	Deborah Cohen graduated in 1999. She teaches yoga to children at Hayfield Montessori School.
Tami Sue Combs YE 2006	Bio coming soon.
Kristina Dunham YE1999	Kristina Dunham's accomplished and precise yoga practice is the result of 20 years of yoga experience, including teaching at the Himalayan Institute in NY City. She graduated from our teacher training program in 1999 with honors. She focuses her personal practice in Ashtanga yoga and studies with Judi Rice, Amanda McMaine Smith and Beryl Bender Birch. She traveled to London to study with Shri K. Pattabhi Jois in October, 2001 and received an Ashtanga teaching certificate from David Swenson in May, 2002.
Michele Dwoskin certified Pilates Instructor	Michele Dwoskin is a fully certified Pilates instructor. She has been practicing Pilates since 2001. Her love for Pilates over the years inspired her to start teaching. According to Michele “ Pilates changed my life, it has given me confidence, patience and an understanding of human anatomy.” Michele always makes sure to add an element of fun and humor in each and every class. For a private reformer session with Michele please call 502-552-1367.
Lauren Eirk YE2000	Lauren Eirk is an honors graduate of our teacher training program (2000). An accomplished fitness instructor and personal trainer, Lauren combines her fitness expertise and love of yoga. She conducts ball and yoga workshops and teacher trainings in Europe and across the United States and recently finished filming a yoga ball video. She holds an Ashtanga teaching certificate from David Swenson and is going through teacher training in the Anusara tradition of John Friend. Lauren is Fitness Director for LAC.
Ashi El Aruoa-Bey YE1996	Ashi El Eruoa-Bey graduated in 1996. She is an accomplished painter.
Lisa Frantz YE1999	Lisa Frantz was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 1998. She found her yoga practice to be an important physical and emotional support during challenging times. She completed our yoga teacher training program in 1999 and teaches Iyengar style yoga to students with MS, beginning students and to individuals with special needs, physical and mental challenges, limited mobility or in wheel chairs. She recently received additional training in restorative yoga.
Meg Fuqua YE1999	Meg Fuqua graduated in 1999. She teaches yoga for Hope of Kentucky.
Lisa Flannery YE2001	Lisa Flannery is a 2001 graduate of our Teacher Training program. She is a gourmet cook and combines her knowledge of healthful cuisine with her love of yoga. Lisa's studio, Full Moon Yoga, is in the Crescent Hill neighborhood of Louisville in 2003. Lisa recently made a yoga instructional video.
Kathleen Geile YE1997	Kathleen Geile is a certified Iyengar teacher and has practiced yoga for 30 years. Her articulate expression of yoga is a reflection of her years of experience in literacy and teacher training with the Jefferson County Public School System. Kathy studies with Rodney Yee and Judi Rice and teaches Iyengar style classes at the Crescent Hill United Methodist Church at the corner of Peterson and Frankfort Avenues. For more information you may email her or call 454-3242.
Martha Graziano YE2004, 2005, 2006	Martha is attending the Academy for Five Element Acupuncture in Hallandale Beach, FL. in the acupuncture, herbs and medical qi gong programs. She has studied yoga with Sri K. Pattabhi Jois in New York City, David Swenson, Francois Raoult, Ramanand Patel, Amanda McMaine Smith, and Doug Keller. She is looking forward to attending the Vinyasa Conference in Miami in October, 2006.
Maryam Hand YE1996	Maryam (Mary) Hand graduated from our program in 1996. She is a Shandilya Sufi and was recently interviewed by the Courier-Journal about Islamic beliefs. She teaches yoga privately.
Beth Handelman YE1999	Beth Handelman graduated in 1999. She is currently pursuing Iyengar yoga certification, studying with Judi Rice, Dean Lerner, and Gita Iyengar. Beth traveled to Pune, India to study at RIMYI in 2006.
Ann Happel YE1999	Ann Happel graduated in 1999. A former student of Yoga East's founder, Maja Trigg, Ann is a massage therapist.
Cheri Harvey YE2000	Cheri Harvey graduated in 2000. Cheri has a special interest in relating yoga for Christians. She currently teaches classes at her studio in Jeffersontown.
Maura Hencker YE 2000	Maura Hencker is an ASL instructor and teaches at the University of Louisville. She completed our teacher training program in 2000 and completed Ashtanga teacher training with David Swenson in 2002. She has also studied with Rodney Yee, Tim Miller, T.M. Fortel, John Friend and other teachers in the Ashtanga, Iyengar and Anusara traditions.
Ola Gordinier YE1999	Ola Gordinier graduated from Yoga East's teacher training program in 1999 and received our award for Best Research Project for her study, "When Everything Hurts: Yoga and Fibromyalgia". Ola teaches at Yoga East, Powerhouse Gym and Baptist East/Milestone Fitness. In 2000 she completed David Swenson's Ashtanga Teacher Training Program. She studied restorative yoga and yoga for people with MS with Sam Dworkis in 2001.
Jennifer Hamill YE2003	Jennifer attended her first hatha yoga class in 1991. She graduated from Yoga East teacher training in 2003 with special merit for her research paper on Pranayama. She mainly practices Ashtanga yoga and studied with Sharath Rangaswamy. She has continued her study of yoga with Francois Raoult and Kali Ray of Tri Yoga.
Scott Hyer YE2003	Scott is a 2003 graduate of Yoga East Teacher Training. Born in Dayton, Ohio and raised in the hills of Eastern Kentucky, Scott discovered yoga as a teenager. Scott started teaching first as a hobby and now enjoys offering the positive benefits of yoga to other teenagers.
Linda Ball Hodge YE1994	Linda Ball Hodge was given teacher training by Yoga East's founder, Maja Trigg, in 1994. She was a member of the first Board of Directors after Maja retired and taught classes 1994-1995.
Nicole Hubbard YE1997	Nicole Hubbard graduated in 1997. She is a poet and recently attended the Naropa School.
Kellye Johnson YE 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006	Kellye Johnson began practicing Hatha Yoga in 1999 as a supportive practice for smoking cessation at the suggestion of her 12-step program sponsor. In 2000, she discovered Yoga East and became a student here, studying Hatha Yoga and Ashtanga Yoga. In 2002, Kellye spent a month practicing Ashtanga Yoga with K. Pattabhi Jois In Mysore, India. Upon returning, she was invited to enter Yoga East's teacher training program, and she graduated in 2003. She has studied with Sharath Rangaswamy, Francois Raoult, and David Swenson. She has taught classes for The Center for Women and Families and the Girl Scouts, Yoga East, Full Moon Yoga and the Southern Indiana YMCA. Click here for Kellye's Mysore India Experiences.
Diane Kaufman YE2003	Diane completed the Yoga East teacher training program in 2003. She has practiced Yoga since 1999, enjoying Bikram, Ashtanga and Iyengar styles of Yoga. Since all three types of Yoga are considered Hatha, she enjoys combining ideas and techniques to challenge her students, but mostly she stresses "foundation, breath, and grace" throughout her classes.
Debra Kehl YE1996, 2005	In 1993, Debra’s oldest sister suggested they take yoga to help with stress, so Debra and two sisters attended their first yoga class. It was a life-changing experience that resulted in Debra enrolling in the Yoga East Teacher Training Course in 1995 and received her yoga teaching certificate in 1996. From the course Debra learned more about the life of St. Francis, a saint known for peace, non-violence, joy, simplicity and his love for earth and all of creation. Later Debra met a Franciscan nun who became an important role model for her. Now resigned from the corporate world, her work is teaching yoga at Yoga East and Unity Church and introducing yoga at corporate meetings, church and civic organizations. Debra embodies the spirit and teachings of St. Francis. Debra grew up in Louisville, youngest of five children from a Catholic family.
Paul Long YE1999	Paul Long is an honors graduate of our teaching training program (1999). Paul has been a member of Yoga East's Board of Directors and a co-Manager of our Holiday Manor studio. He brings his gentle humor and years of coaching and teaching experience to yoga, to the delight of yoga students. Paul had the opportunity to study with Shri K. Pattabhi Jois in Boulder, Colorado in 2000, and he is also a student of David Swenson and Sianna Sherman and Mitchel Bleier. Paul is currently residing and working in Phoenix, Arizona.
Karla Markendorf YE2001	Karla Markendorf is an art therapist and teaches yoga as part of her therapeutic practice. She has studied yoga with Father Joe Pereira in Mumbai, India as well as with other teachers in the Iyengar tradition in Seattle. She now lives and teaches yoga in Seattle.
Beth McCoun YE1999	Beth McCoun graduated in 1999 and now teaches full-time in LaGrange and Shelby County, Kentucky.
Lavenia McDaniel YE2003	Lavenia McDaniel is a graduate of Yoga East 2003 Teacher Training class. She began practicing Yoga in the 80’s and resumed a dedicated practice in 1998 despite many challenges. Lavenia initiated a program “Yoga In The Workplace ” at LG&E, and teaches yoga full-time now throughout the Louisville area at Immaculate Heart of Mary, St. Basil for seniors, Catholic Enrichment Center and various community centers and churches. She has attended workshops with Ramanand Patel, Mukesh Desai, and Sharath Rangaswarmy, and traveled to Mysore, India in February 2004 to study with Shri K. Pattabi Jois & Sharath. Click here for Lavenia's Mysore Experiences.
Jessica Moreland YE2003, 2004, 2005	Jessica Moreland graduated from our teacher training program in 2003 teacher training, and received merit for excellence for her research project "Yoga and Female Reproductive Health". She has a deep love for Ashtanga yoga and attended classes with Pattabhi Jois in New York City in 2002. After having abdominal surgery she also discovered the benefits of restorative yoga. A former assistant manager of our Holiday Manor studio, Jessica now runs her own consignment shop in St. Matthews. She said of yoga: "I feel very blessed for the opportunity to share my love of yoga with others. It has helped me to remain joyful and positive when dealing with challenges."
Colleen Musinski YE2003, 2006	Colleen is a 2003 graduate of Yoga East’s teacher training program and teaches hatha yoga at several locations in Louisville including churches and hospitals. She has attended workshops with internationally-recognized yoga teachers David Swenson and Doug Keller and she incorporates therapeutic aspects of yoga into her classes. She has a business called Yoga to Go, specializing in creating parties and fun yoga classes for children, teens and adults. Colleen has been an educator since 1975 with a B.S., Master’s and Rank 1 in Education. She teaches in many areas in the JCPS system including PE, Yoga, Language Arts, Music, and Computers ECT.
Donna O'Bryan YE 1994	Donna O'Bryan is an innovative and creative yoga teacher who has been teaching yoga for over 25 years. Donna has served on Yoga East's Board of Directors as Program Director and Vice-President since 1994. She has a Masters Degree in Health Education from the University of Louisville. Her interest in health led her to look into yoga as a modality for stress and pain management. She received teacher training by Yoga East's founder, Maja Trigg in 1994, Integrative Yoga Therapy certification in 2001, and Ashtanga teacher training from David Swenson in 2002. Donna is an activist in Women's health issues through Her Health, a women's health consultancy and advocacy group for women's health issues in Kentucky.
Andrea Perkins YE 2006	Andrea has always been active with gymnastics, karate and running track in high school, but her focus wasn’t on competition but self improvement. After graduation from the University of Kentucky in 1999, she became interested in Yoga and began a home practice using video tapes. This continued through her pregnancy and after her daughter was born. In 2003 Andrea and her husband joined a gym and began taking yoga classes. Her gym instructor encouraged her to check out the teacher training program at Yoga East and enrolled in the program in the fall of 2004. Andrea says, "I have loved being immersed in the practice as a whole. I began teaching the prenatal class at Yoga East at the end of August and I have structured the class to prepare students for labor and to also help relieve some of the stresses that pregnancy can put on the body. We do a lot of breathing exercises and restorative poses as well as poses that help open the chest, tone the pelvic floor and open the hips which will aid in child birth. I have seen many times in others lives and in my own how beneficial yoga is both during and after pregnancy, both physically and mentally."
Linda Naulty YE2001-2007	Linda Naulty has been immersed in the practices of yoga since 1998. In 2000 she was accepted into the Hatha Yoga Teacher Training Course at Yoga East in Louisville, Kentucky where she completed over 800 hours of study in Hatha Yoga Techniques, Anatomy, Physiology, Philosophy and Ethics. Her practice embraces the disciplines of Ashtanga, Iyengar, Kundalini and Siddha Yoga. She has studied with Saraswati, daughter of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, in Mysore, India, and has journeyed to the Siddha Yoga ashrams in Oakland, CA and South Fallsburg, NY to offer seva (selfless service) and attend meditation intensives given by Gurumayi Chidvilasanda. In addition to her Yoga practice, Linda holds a first degree black belt from Lee's Tai Kwon Do Academy; a first and second degree Reiki Certification from the Usui Reiki System of Natural Healing; and is a Level I and II Certified New Decision Therapy Practioner. In 2001 she founded the Journey of Yoga with Yoga East Alumni Dana Lindley and Full Moon Yoga Studio in Louisville with Flannery. Linda currently lives in the Philippines and teaches yoga and practice Reiki and New Decision Therapy.
Jason Neely YE2006	Bio coming.
Paula Neys YE1999, 2001	Paula Neys is a 1999 graduate of our program. She had her own yoga studio in Lagrange, Kentucky and taught yoga, Reiki and aromatherapy. Paula now lives in Michigan.
Kari Nolan YE2002	Kari Nolan is a 2002 graduate of the Yoga East Teacher Training Program. She has studied and worked as an artist since 1982. She now finds Ashtanga Yoga to be her ultimate form of artistic offering; one that springs from her heart and her deep devotion to her teachers and students. Kari has studied Ashtanga with Laura Spaulding and Paul Long for five years, and also with David Swenson, Doug Swenson, Leno Miele, and with Sri K. Pattabhi Jois in New York. She received an Ashtanga teaching certificate from David Swenson in May, 2002, and studied with Shri K. Pattabhi Jois in Mysore, India in June, 2002.
Paige McDaniel YE1999	Paige McDaniel graduated in 1999.
Deanna O'Daniel YE2000	Deanna O' Daniel graduated in 2000. She teaches in several locations in Louisville and conducts a hypnotherapy practice through Self-Seek Hypnosis.
Carrie Ormerod YE1996	Carrie Ormerod graduated from our teacher training program in 1996 and currently directs the massage therapy program for Caritas. She is a Lamaze instructor, teaches infant massage and yoga for pregnancy.
Sarah Padgett YE1997	Sarah Padgett graduated in 1997. She is a professional stunt performer.
Rosemary Pearson-Rosenthal YE2006	Bio coming.
Zelda Spalding-Powell YE2002	Zelda Powell is a faculty member in the Psychology Department at JCC. She has continued her interest in yoga for over 25 years. She completed our one-year teacher training program in 2002 and teaches popular yoga classes at Jefferson Community College.
Mary Lynne Price YE1999	Mary Lynne Price graduated in 1999. She now lives in Austria with her husband and daughter and practices Ashtanga Yoga. She hopes to be returning to the Louisville area in 2007.
Diane Rabinowitz YE1995	Diane Rabinowitz graduated from our teacher training program in 1995. She was the first yoga teacher in Louisville to receive training from Bikram Choudhury in his method and to teach Bikram classes in Louisville (1995). She has also received Advanced Teacher Training from Bikram and Erich Schiffman and she is working toward certification in Integrative Yoga Therapy. Diane worked for Bikram Choudhury at his headquarters in California and is now a teacher.
Chaz Rough YE2002	Chaz Rough is a 2002 graduate of the Yoga East Teacher Training Program and is also a Certified YogaKid Facilitator. He has been practicing yoga for 10 years and teaching for Yoga to kids for 3 years. He released his nationwide video/DVD, "Yoga for the Kid in All of US," in the Spring of 2002, and is currently developing his next Yoga video to be released in the Spring of 2003. He has studied Ashtanga Yoga with Laura Spaulding, Doug Swenson and David Swenson and completed the David Swenson's teacher training program in May 2002. He also studied Bikram Yoga with Jimmy Barkham and Betsy Jones. Chaz has integrated all of these different styles of yoga to form his YOGAmazing workout. His classes have been created to capture and inspire the yoga practitioner on every level. Chaz is also known for his songs of peace, love and harmony. He has performed at the White House twice, taken part in the International Children's Peace Festival at Sivananda Yoga Camp in Montreal, Canada, and has been featured in Billboard Magazine. Chaz has his own studio, Yogamazing, in St. Matthews.
Debbie Saag YE2000, 2005	Debbie Saag lives and teaches yoga in the Baltimore, Maryland area. She graduated from our teacher training program in 2000 and taught Ashtanga Yoga in our classes from 2000 through 2003. Debbie has studied with Shri K. Pattabhi Jois in California, and was studying with Guruji in New York City on September 11, 2001. She has also studied with Sharath Rangaswamy, David Swenson, Doug Swenson, Rodney Yee, Sianna Sherman and Mitchel Bleier. She received an Ashtanga teaching certificate from David Swenson in May, 2002.
Marilyn Stafford YE1999, 2001	Marilyn Stafford graduated from our teacher training in 1999.
Jane Tauer YE2003	Jane Tauer completed the Yoga East teacher training program in 2003. She has also attended advanced training workshops with Ramanand Patel, Francois Raoult, Richard Freeman, Angela Farmer, Erich Schiffmann and others. Jane has been practicing yoga since 1998, beginning her practice in Laramie, WY with Sally Benedict in the White Lotus tradition of yoga.
Sue B Turner YE2003	Sue B Turner completed the Yoga East teacher training program in 2003 and has been actively teaching yoga for several years. Sue B’s experience with mindful movement began at an early age with a passion for ballet, modern dance and theatre and water exercise. Recalling a teen encounter with yoga, she began incorporating yoga components into her water classes and turned to Yoga East for training. Sue B's careers have spanned a variety of interests from marketing to real estate, with degrees in communications, journalism, and a post-graduate degree in paralegal studies. The common thread of her life, though, is a genuine desire to serve others, expressed through the Buddhist practice that is the foundation for her life. As Kentucky’s public relations coordinator for the Soka Gakkai International (SGI-USA, the American branch of an international Buddhist association that promotes peace and individual happiness based on the teachings of the Nichiren school of Mahayana Buddhism), Sue B works within the local community to increase awareness and understanding of Buddhist values and interfaith dialogue.
Kelli C. Torpey YE2003	Kelli has been practicing yoga since 1998, but developed a passionate interest in it since attending classes at Yoga East. She was an avid Ashtanga student prior to a knee injury which required surgery. She believes her injury has been a valuable teacher that will help her be an even better yoga instructor. She looks forward to teaching yoga classes in her areas of interest: mantra meditation, gentle Hatha, and workshops using mandalas - drawing on her background as an art therapist. Kelli trusts that her path as a teacher will unfold as she follows her heart. Kelli is a 2003 graduate from Yoga East's teacher training program. She has an MA degree in art therapy from the University of Louisville.
Ken Von Roenn III YE2000	Ken von Roenn III is the creator of Skanda Yoga, and is a former affiliate of Anusara Yoga. A practitioner for 13 years, Ken presents a dynamic synthesis of attributes from many Hatha Yoga systems. Ken holds a B.A. In Philosophy, and was an Honors graduate in 2000 from the Yoga East Teacher Training program. He has since then studied alignment and therapeutics extensively. His main teachers have been: Amanda McMaine, Laura Spaulding, John Friend, Mitchel Bleir, Sianna Sherman, and Jordan Bloom. Skanda Yoga is a breath-inspired practice based in an intelligent power vinyasa format. Skanda Yoga uses alignment to honor the basic form of the pose, but seeks to inform the pose with breath and energy. It is a free-style that embodies techniques and advanced methods from many yoga systems. A Skanda Yoga class invokes the warrior spirit for a challenging, inspiring, and self-empowering practice. Ken's mission is to Divine a higher form of practice, that embraces advanced techniques and extreme methods for a complete transformation of mind, body, and spirit. He is seriously committed to playfully challenging the parameters of what is possible. Ken's Skanda Yoga on YouTube
Suzanne Yoffe YE1997	Suzanne (Carey) Yoffe graduated in 1997. She currently lives in Dallas, Texas with her husband and son and is a Montessori teacher.

Employment and Teaching at Yoga East

We are always looking for qualified, dedicated teachers, but we may not always have openings on our regular class schedule. You are invited to phone Laura Spaulding at our main office for information at 502-585-9642.

We invite teachers who are interested in being part of the Yoga East community to attend classes with us so we can get to know you and your practice. We require that teachers hold certification or authorization in the style of yoga you teach, or be actively pursuing such qualifications. We primarily offer classes in the Krishmacarya lineage in Ashtanga, Iyengar and Anusara styles. We teach a curriculum traditional yoga asanas and yoga shastras (texts) using Sanskrit names and terms. Teachers are expected to have a dedicated daily yoga practice and to be actively pursuing study in the style of yoga you expect to teach.

Ashtanga teachers are required to be direct students of Shri K. Pattabhi Jois or a teacher authorzed or certified by him. See www.ashtanga.com for a listing of authorized and certified teachers. Mysore-style Ashtanga teachers must have studied at AYRI in Mysore, India.

Iyengar teachers should be studying within the Iyengar teacher training system.

Anusara teachers must be recognized as "Anusara-inspired" or certified.

Hatha or vinyasa yoga teachers should have a minimum 200 hour certification from Yoga East or a school we recognize.

Kettlebell instructors must be certified by Pavel Tsatsouline.

All teachers are required to have liability insurance coverage and current CPR and First Aid training.

Teaching in Exchange for Classes: due to accounting and tax complications, we do not hire teachers on a barter or teach in exchange for classes basis.

Volunteers are welcome to assist at classes and workshops by greeting and helping to register students, cleaning the studio, bringing flowers or refreshments for events.

Yoga East is an equal opportunity employer and hires teachers and staff without discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, national or ethnic origin.

CYE Reporting for Yoga East Certification Renewal

CYE information and forms are now on the Teacher's Forum. Click here to access the Forum.

Information for Teachers

Information for our teachers, including teacher's benefits, fees and discounts for workshops are on the Teacher's Forum.
Click here to access the Forum.