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Education/Training/Experience: Andrea has been a student of yoga for over 25 years and began sharing her passion for yoga in 2000. She began her formal Yoga "Teacher Training" at Maria College, Albany NY Complementary and Alternative Therapies 2000 - 2002. In the following years she has continued to study, taking many short term yoga intensives , such as Yoga for Back Care with Elise Browning Miller and studying with Mukunda Stiles. Other more extensive areas of study include:
Influential Teachers: BKS Iyengar, Richard Hunt, Richard Shultz , Richard Miller, My Kids, Life Current Studies/Exploration: Working to create the areas first Resiliency and Stress Reduction Clinic. Operating under the Non-profit Soldiers Hope, the clinic will serve Military personal and their families, offering stress reduction services, specializing in PTSD. The clinic will also be available to the general public. |
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Contact: annabel@nycap.rr.com Education/Training/Experience: Annabel has been practicing yoga for several years both on and off the mat. The joy that yoga brought to her life was so great that she decided to further her studies by completing her 200 hour yoga certification with Lotus Gardens, LLC. She has a background in dance, both traditional ballet and modern, and brings her passion for movement into her teaching. Annabel’s introductory yoga classes will take you through basic yoga postures and breathing techniques. You’ll experience how using the breath can help you achieve steadiness and ease in your practice, as well as ways to relax and restore your body and mind. Yoga has brought compassion and confidence to Annabel’s life and she feels very fortunate to share it with others. Influential Teachers: She is inspired by her Iyengar teacher, JoAnn Schietromo, Lisa Alexander of Soluna Yoga, and Lara Ward of Lotus Gardens. Current Studies/Exploration: Annabel enjoys time spent outdoors with her husband and son, including hiking, camping, biking and snowshoeing. She is an avid knitter and looks forward to continuing her exploration of yoga. |
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Education/Training/Experience: Antoinette began studying Hatha Yoga in the Anusara tradition in 2002 with Affiliate instructor, Julie Sanchirico, and Certified Anusara instructor, Carol McCord. She completed her first Yoga Teacher Training program with senior certified Anusara instructor, Deb Neubauer, and then began teaching. Antoinette continues studying regularly the philosophy, science, and art of yoga with many certified teachers of Anusara Yoga, including its founder, John Friend. In 2010, Antoinette received her RYT, 200-hour certification after completing her second Teacher Training with Deb Neubauer. Her firm beliefs in Anusara’s heart-oriented qualities and scientific principles of biomechanics infused into the asana constitute a therapeutic style of Hatha Yoga that both fosters and perpetuates transformation. She believes in the intrinsic goodness in all, and in the classroom creates an space that enhances the awakening of students‘ spirits and the opening of their hearts to new beginnings. Like a butterfly, each student changes form, embraces winged life, and soars! Influential Teachers: Antoinette is an enthusiastic learner of yoga and has been inspired by all of her teachers in various ways--- Julie Sanchirico’s open and inviting approach; Carol McCord’s devotion to practice; Deb Neubauer ‘s detailed attention to what it takes to be a effective teacher and Jenny Otto’s in-depth knowledge of anatomy and physiology. Current Studies/Exploration: Under the mentorship of Carol McCord, Antoinette will complete Anusara Inspired in fall 2011. With the instruction of Jenny Otto, she will become certified in Body Balance Therapy in the near future (www.bodybalanceyoga.com). |
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Contact: brett@orendayoga.org Education/Training/Experience: Brett received his B.S. from the State University Of New York at Oswego in Business Administration with a minor in Theatre. He also received a certificate in Television Production from the New School Of Radio And Television in Albany, NY in 2001. Brett is also an amateur musician who plays acoustic and electric guitar and is learning to play the ukulele. Brett heads the internal running of Orenda Yoga & Healing Arts including website maintenance, IT, bookkeeping and technical support for the online scheduling software, MindBody Online at the Schenectady studio. He is also starting to begin his yoga practice with Orenda Yoga & Healing Arts. |
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Contact: yogamom2011@aol.com, 518-256-2454 Education/Training/Experience: Cassie has completed her 200 hour RYT and is now working towards her 500 hour RYT in Yoga Therapy. She trained through YogaFit and has specialty training in prenatal yoga, children's yoga, and seniors yoga. Cassie is also certified to do full body assessments and create individual yoga plans for Yoga Therapy. She has been practicing yoga for 15 years and began her teacher training in 2008. influential Teachers: Beth Shaw has been a great influence. She is the founder of YogaFit and her vision is to teach yoga to all people of all skill levels. I feel that this has been a wonderful tool as a teacher. My very first instructor was Suzie Celentano. She has a passion that is contagious and she has been a great inspiration through my journey as an instructor. Current Studies/Exploration: I am currently working on my 500 hour RYT in Yoga Therapy. I have completed my first training in the series and I am able to practice. I am very excited about this next journey in my teaching career!! "I am a new mom and enjoy bringing this new phase of my life with my students in my Prenatal and my Mommy and Me yoga classes" |
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Education /Training/Experience: Christine received her Reiki training in the Usui Shiki Ryhoh Tradition from Andrea Fortuin at Orenda Yoga & Healing Arts. She has recently completed an Animal Reiki workshop. Influential Teachers: Family, Animals & Andrea. Almost everyone I meet has something to teach me. Current Studies/Explorations: Further study of Animal Reiki and deepening her Reiki practice. |
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Contact: yogashine@nycap.rr.com Education/Training/Experience: Christine is a CircusYoga®/Level 4 facilitator, a Radiant Child Yoga Program (RCYP)/ Level II teacher, holds a Masters in Science degree in Elementary Education from the College of St. Rose and a Bachelors of Arts degree in Journalism from the SUNY College at New Paltz. She has practiced yoga and dance for more than 20 years. Influential teachers: Nature, my family, Casey Bernstein, Shakta Kaur Khalsa, Erin Maile and Kevin O’Keefe, each and every child, teen and elementary/middle/high school teacher I meet…and the countless others who remind me to love, dance, leap and fly. Current Studies/Explorations: Local/organic/sustainable gardening and agriculture, pre-natal yoga, yoga for children and teens with special needs, hooping, life and love. |
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Contact: ChristineV.Zumba@gmail.com or (518) 387-ZMBA (9622) Education/Training/Experience: BA in Theatre, 1992, Zumba® Basic 2011, Zumba® Gold 2011 Current Studies/Exploration: My goal for 2012 is to become AFAA certified I'm married and have three children, a cat, two birds, and the largest non-koi goldfish I've ever seen. I'm a sixth generation Schenectady resident and a 2nd generation aerobics instructor. Zumba® Fitness is my passion. It's changed my life for the better and allowed me to meet fitness goals that I had almost given up on. |
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Education/Training/Experience: Attending Center For Natural Wellness School of Massage Therapy Gina completed in 2010 a hands-on training program which focused on the introduction to a variety of modalities including Swedish, Myofascial Release, Neuromuscular Therapy, Craniosacral Therapy, Sports Massage, Shiatsu and Chair Massage. "I carry with me always this lesson through my school experience, that our space-whether it be the space around us, the space in our minds or the space in our hearts, it is sacred and it is to be respected." Influential Teachers: Center For Natural Wellness School of Massage Therapy's powerful community helped me grow into a professional massage therapist. Current Studies/Exploration: I love being able to give my clients tips or suggestions to help them heal at home. I believe this 'homework' is a great way to help become more in tune with your body. I am always exploring ideas to share. "I am focused on basic preventative care for your health. I believe that something as simple as a massage can add a necessary sweetening to your life. It is my mission to help you reduce tension, relax tired muscles, enhance your mood and offer a place of serenity where the worries of the day can melt away with simply massage. As you walk through the door, know you are entering a space that provides a safe and nonjudgmental atmosphere. My journey with each one of you brings contentment and balance to me. It is important to me that when you walk back out into the world you know the healing begins within you." |
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Education/Training/Experience: Kate has a Master's degree in Teaching from Union Graduate College, and is a NYS certified English Teacher. Kate leads the drum program at Orenda, and also leads a weekly meditation class. Kate has been playing hand drums for the past 20 years or so, taking classes from a wide range of teachers from diverse traditions. She has been teaching hand drum techniques for the past decade or so, and loves the magic that happens when playing with others in drum circles. Her experience has taught her that rhythm is inside us all, and she enjoys the playful process of tapping into the energy of joy that drumming brings. Kate had the remarkable good fortune to learn meditation at a very early age when her grandfather, a retired doctor, decided to teach the whole family transcendental meditation when she was only four years old. The practice has been an integral part of her life for the past 40 years, and she continues to explore, learn, and share with others as she goes. Kate is also a devoted yogini who has been practicing yoga for over a decade, and has finally decided to pursue her yoga teacher training. Influential Teachers: Drumming: Nataraj Houser, Middle Eastern; Daveed Korup, Sayeed Abbas, African; Steve Zone, contemporary improvisation, Meditation: Buddha., Yoga: Yodney Yee, Eric Schiffman, James Danoff-Burg, Andrea Fortuin. Current Studies/Exploration: Kate is currently pursuing yoga teacher training on an independent study basis. As a drummer, she practices regularly to improve her skills, and is always looking for new techniques of drum circle facilitation to bring to the next drum circle. She is particularly interested in cognitive neuroscience and how the brain is changed through techniques such as drumming and meditation. |
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Education/Training/Experience: Kelly is a Board Certified Holistic Health Coach who received her training at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York City. She is also a wife, and mother of two grown children. She decided to become a Health Coach to fulfill her passion for working with individuals and families to improve their health and help create vibrancy and balance in their lives. Kelly uses a Holistic approach to wellness, which means she looks at how ALL areas of one's life are connected. Kelly also uses the concept of Bio-individuality which means that each person has her or his own unique dietary needs based on lifestyle, personal preference, and background. It is Kelly's mission to play a crucial role in improving health and happiness in America, and through the process, create a ripple effect that transforms the world. If you would like to sign up for a FREE one hour Health History consultation with Kelly, please contact her at 229-4439 or you can reach her at her website, www.balancedinsideandout.com. |
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Contact: laura.etringer@yahoo.com Education/Training/ Experience: Laura has been practicing yoga since 2003 and received her 200 hour certification through Lotus Gardens Yoga School, LLC in 2010. Laura finds joy in being a part of life as it unfolds in each moment. She truly believes that yoga is for everyone ready to explore an undiscovered layer of their own true nature. It is her intention to share the joyful experience of yoga with the community. Laura holds a Masters in Education and taught elementary school for several years. She currently enjoys being a part of the creativity and wonder of her own two little explorers. Influential Teachers: Laura is inspired by and grateful to her teacher, Lara Ward, for her guidance. She finds inspiration from her fellow yoga teachers and students, her children, the beauty in nature, and the wonder of each breath, each moment. Current Studies/Exploration: Yoga Anatomy, Yoga for Children, Exploring nature with her family. |
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Contact: earthcrafter@gmail.com Education/Training/Experience: A practitioner of Om Yoga and Iyengar Yoga, Laurel began studying yoga over 6 years ago. A passionate instructor, she works to bring the healing aspects of yoga to people experiencing restricted movement due to ailments, aging or simple lack of exercise. By focusing on proper alignment and the supportive use of props her students experience the benefits of a pose (asana) without strain. Current Studies/Exploration: I am an avid knitter, student of Buddhism, a naturalist and Backyard Habitat Specialist. My home in Knox, NY is a Certified Wildlife Habitat, which is visited by over 80 species of birds and is landscaped with dozens of native plant species. |
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Mantra: Move it or Lose it. It is imperative to use muscle and movements that are fun and engaging to assist in a healthier you. Contact: margolassi@aol.com Education/Training/Experience: Margaret is trained in Cabaret Belly Dancing, and has spent more then 10 years studying with the top performers of the Capital District Region. Her instructors include Donna Floyd "Habiba", Laura Singh "Serena", Lynn Buell "Merydia", and Suzanne Rancourt "Lilya". Margaret has also engaged in intense workshops specializing in floor work, zils, sword, cane, and veils. Influential Teachers: All of the above. Each instructor has their own individual style of dancing and teaching, therefore I learned specific movements and ideas from each one. Current Studies/Exploration: Advanced Sword Dancing
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Education/Training/Experience: Melissa Forbes has been a student of Hatha Yoga since her mid twenties. Her interest in yoga became more singularly focused after finding inspiration in the tradition of scholar and yogi Shi T. Krishnamacharya. She had the opportunity to study directly with his students Pattabhi Jois, and T.K.V. Desikachar. Both Desikachar and Jois are credited with fueling the resurgence of Hatha Yoga in the western hemisphere. Jois, in particular, was instrumental in popularizing Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, from which Power Yoga and Vinyasa Flow styles are derived. Melissa began her career teaching Desikachar style yoga and was the co-founder of the internationally renowned Heart of Yoga. She has taught yoga in numerous schools throughout the United States, among them, the Olive Leaf Wholeness Center in New York City, where she worked closely with Dr. Rudolph Ballentine, a student of Swami Rama, the founded the Himalayan Institute. Melissa began her study of art, as well as dance and movement in her youth. Painting and design, along side dance and movement, are her ongoing passions. Melissa’s art career began with her studies of textile design at the Moore College of Art in Philadelphia, followed by a five-year full scholarship in printmaking at New York’s National Academy Press. She was the recipient of an Ogden M. Pleissner Fellowship, a Nancy O’Malley Fellowship, a Ricky Fingerhut Fellowship and a Ralph Fabri Fellowship. Melissa was also granted the prestigious Pollock-Krasner Grant. She is presently involved in an independent study of Vedic Yantras, having studied in India with students of Harish Johari. Her Yantric renderings reflect both her artistic expression and intimate experiences of Yogic disciplines. They are quite unique as they combine Eastern and Western Sacred Geometry. Most recently, sixteen of Melissa’s vibrational Yantra art paintings were featured in the book, “Karttikeyan Yogic Method”, published by Gatherinsight.com. Her art has been exhibited in galleries in New York City, Philadelphia, and the United Nations. She maintains a studio in New York while frequently traveling and painting in majestic locations around the world. For the five years leading up to his passing in 2007, Melissa traveled with the late sage U.G. Krishnamurti, and made Switzerland her home. Upon his passing, Melissa moved back to the United States, and is currently living in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State. Melissa is presently an Adjunct Professor of Art at the University of New Haven, Connecticut, while continuing to teach Hatha Yoga. In addition to her interests and experiences in yoga and art, Melissa has formally studied Neuro-Linguistic Programming, Shiatsu (Certified Ohashiatsu Practitioner), Divine Intervention, and Mayan Sacred Geometry. She is the author of the just published “No Teaching Yoga, The Authentic Guide”, a work reflecting her time with U.G. Krishnamurti, a brief history of yoga, a collection of Vedic Yantras and Melissa’s eight Miracle Combination practice. Melissa continues her development in the disciplines and practices of yoga, art, and healing as an avid painter, student, and teacher. Learn more about her work and her books at gatherinsight.com. |
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Contact: niskayoga@yahoo.com Education/Training/Experience: Nancy has more than 600 documented hours of yoga teacher training. Her certifications include: 300+ hours Jivamukti Yoga, 200+ hours Kripalu Yoga, and 100+ hours Ashtanga Yoga. She has been practicing yoga for more than 25 years and teaching since 1995. As the Capital District's first teacher of Ashtanga Yoga, in 1999 she founded and directed Albany's Washington Park Yoga, now known as HeartSpace Holistic. In 2008 she received the great blessing of acceptance into the Jivamukti lineage by her luminous teachers, Sri David Life and Sri Sharon Gannon. Influential Teachers: Sharon Gannon and David Life, co-founders of the Jivamukti style of yoga, Lady Ruth Lauer-Manenti, Julie Kirkpatrick, David Swenson, and of course the many students who have attended my classes who are the best teachers one could ever hope for! I feel the blessing of all these holy beings in my life every day. Current Studies/Explorations: Promoting the profound health, environmental, and ethical benefits of a compassionate vegan diet and lifestyle, as well as continuing to study with my teachers whose depth of wisdom, generosity, and selflessness are unending. |
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“I look forward to the opportunity to not only work with your physical body but to share the lessons I’ve learned to help you help yourself." Contact: rvankure@gmail.com, (518) 861-6980 Education/Training/Experience: Renee’s began her journey into massage therapy as a recipient, wondering at the healing powers of her own massage therapist Her desire to bring this relief, comfort and relaxation to loved ones suffering pain and discomfort. At The Center for Natural Wellness/ School of Massage Therapy Renee gained the tools to become a recuperative force in the lives of others. From this moment she was forever changed. Over the course of more than five-years of practice, Renee has developed into an eclectic blend of deep tissue Swedish massage, Neuromuscular therapy, and Shiatsu. In addition, she has been a Reiki Master for eight years, and she brings this healing energy into her massage sessions. Clients in Renee’s care enjoy her personal attention, empathy, and professionalism, and she employees aromatherapy and her own herbal healing oil to relax, heal, and pamper. Renee is a dedicated mother three boys, keeper of a garden, caregiver for chickens, ducks, a great dog named Sparky, and a mighty hunter of a kitty named Matthew. Her family has lived outside of Altamont, New York for years, and it is here that we enjoy a life that is close to the earth and in tune with its rhythms. They are never lonely and always warmly accepting of new members into their “makeshift” family. Renee practices Western herbalism, making ointments, teas and syrups to keep herself and her family healthy as just another measure of her love, deriving most of her ingredients from her own garden.
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Education/Training/Experience: I have been coaching for over ten years and I'm a graduate of The Graduate School of Coaching at CoachVille. I also hold two master’s degrees in counseling, one in education and one in community psychology. I teach and coach law of attraction principles and can help you remember who you are so you can tap into your power to transform your life. I got into coaching because I was a working mom whose life was spinning out of control. I was the ultimate supermom who was trying to live up to an outside definition of what it means to be a woman and mother and I lost myself in the process. I know many of you also feel trapped by your roles and responsibilities at times. I have discovered when I reconnect with who I really am on a consistent basis I am empowered to create the life I choose to live. Current Studies/Exploration: I specialize in inspiring people who feel trapped on the treadmill of life and want a simpler way. It does exist! I can teach you practical and very doable principles to live by for getting off that treadmill and thriving on your own unique path. You really can decide how you want to live your life and definitely make it more fun! Just a few results you can experience from coaching with me:
Energy, Connection, and Freedom for Tired Souls who are ready to get off the Treadmill and Start Truly Living! |
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