The Body Awakening® Teacher Training Graduates

2008-2009

  • Nicole Anastas

    I have been practicing various styles of yoga for 10 years. I started taking classes because it was a great workout. I’ve kept at it because Yoga offered something more…clarity and a sense of peace. Moreover when I get on the mat I always seem to get what I need whether it is profound relaxation or a burst of energy and always a focus that is rare to find in other aspects of busy modern life. As a massage therapist my goal is to offer that feeling to my clients on the table and help them to leave their busy minds and reinhabit their bodies. As a recent graduate of the Body Awakening Yoga Teacher Training with David Vendetti, I am very excited to share the gifts that I have gleamed from my yoga practice as an instructor. I offer a vigorous class, which will increase flexibility and build strength. We’ll do asanas, pranayama, chanting and laugh our ways to enlightenment.

  • Heather Ash

    Heather moved to Boston to study classical voice and opera. While here she happened upon yoga when taking advantage of the new member special at a local studio. After falling instantly in love, she began practicing Mysore on a daily basis under the tutelage of Scot Hendricks and Kate O’Donnell. Within a month she developed a yin yoga and daily meditation practice as a student of Josh Summers. Music created a foundation for dedication to a daily practice and a daily practice helped her to lose 56 pounds. In her classes she brings gratitude to the body for its every-changing abilities and challenges, the joy of moving and sweating and breathing and focus on moment-to-moment mindfulness. She lives by and teaches the notion that yoga is meditation in motion. Learn to celebrate how you breathe and feel in a pose rather than how you look!

  • Julia Beauchamp

    Yoga has allowed me to actualize my goals and desires by being the daily link between my passionate dreams and the practical, tangible world. I like to teach a class in which my students feel inspired and focused through challenging asanas and grounding, meditative intentions. I also aspire to bring a playfulness to the joyous experience of the body in yoga. It was a gift to have studied with David Vendetti at South Boston Yoga in his Body Awakening Teacher Training 2009. I continue to study the mysteries of presence and look forward to sharing this search with you on our mats.

  • Kate Graham

    Yoga has helped me to find my way home, to become more grounded and present my true self. As a yoga teacher, I create fun and dynamic classes that provide students with the opportunity to explore each unfolding moment on the mat with love and kindness. I have had the great pleasure to study with Ana Forrest, David Vendetti and Alice Senko.

  • Cynthia Bouvet

    My love for yoga began when I was seeking a perspective on both my parents’ battles with cancer. Yoga has since not only given me a sense of peace and self-empowerment but also a strength born inside and out over the last 10 years. I began really exploring the different types of yoga while living in Boulder, CO. I embraced Bikram’s teachings and worked to open 2 studios of his students in 2005. I attended many yoga workshops at the Shambala Institute. I was lucky enough to blend my background in elementary education….gaining my certification with Children’s yoga opened doors for myself delving deeper into my passion, allowing yoga to be closer to my heart. Teaching youth both in my community and school has been an amazing experience. Attending David Vendetti’s South Boston Yoga Teacher Training in 2008/09 has added so much to my life not only as an enlightened yoga teacher but also an individual. This spring, I will graduate with my 200-hour training. This spring I will begin volunteering my work with a community based organization (CSA) as well as children’s yoga for Mommy & Me on the North Shore.

  • Maria Ciampa

    Maria is a yogini comedian, forever striving to write a yoga joke that’s not about farting.  A practitioner since 2001, Maria likes that yoga, with all that crazy breathing and moving around, complements her comedy nightlife, (except for those really early morning classes, which she sleeps through.)  A former competitive runner, Maria is also happy that yoga is slowly helping her to be able to sit comfortably cross legged like a normal human. In her classes, Maria will teach you yoga in a way that hopefully won’t scare you away.  She loves all styles of yoga, except the ones where people yell at you.  Maria is influenced by teachers Seane Corn, Ana Forrest, Todd Skoglund, David Vendetti, and all the people who practice next to her in every class. 

  • Alexandra Clayman

    After sustaining a running injury to my right knee I decided to try yoga. I was instantly hooked after my first class. Since then I dove in head first to learn everything there was to know about the practice. After two years of my own studying, I enrolled in the Body Awakening Teacher Training with David Vendetti through South Boston Yoga. My classes are dynamic, deep, athletic, and fun. Be prepared to sweat! I am heavily influenced by Ashtanga, vinyasa and Forrest yoga. I will take you deep into your personal practice while offering a nurturing touch.

  • Liz Dehner

    I began practicing yoga during my graduate training in mental health counseling to promote my own mind/body health. After finishing 108 consecutive days of practice and the 200 hour teacher training at South Boston Yoga, I can attest to the transformative power of yoga and look forward to sharing the joy of practice with others. I provide a safe space for students to explore, enjoy, and deepen their practice. I am grateful for my inspirational teachers David Vendetti, Todd Skoglund, and the South Boston Yoga community.

  • Laura Deveau

    My aim in every yoga class is to help my students step out of their daily routine and into their hearts. Nothing thrills me more than seeing a student let go of their stresses and worries and drop into relaxation with their breath. In my class poses are soft and mindful. Even the physically challenging poses have grace and peace. Students leave class feeling grounded and calm.

    I have been practicing yoga since 2001 and received my 200-hour teacher certification from David Vendetti at South Boston yoga. I experiment with numerous styles and view my learning and training as a lifelong exploration that I can share with my students.

  • Naomi Deyoe

    I believe that yoga changes lives. Having struggled with the challenges that so many of us face-trauma, depression, illness-I’ve seen first hand what a yoga practice can do for you. It can transform and empower, strengthen and heal, and lead you to the path to freedom. My classes are an homage to my journey: fun energetic vinyasas to strengthen the body and deep restorative releases to shift awareness and awaken the spirit. My teaching style is influenced both directly and indirectly by an array of gifted teachers , but most importantly by David Vendetti with whom I completed a 200 hour RYT training. His compassionate, honest, unwavering dedication to his students has laid the foundation for the teacher I have become and is a source of inspiration for the teacher I strive to be.

  • Patrick Donaher

    I was introduced to yoga in college when my teacher thought it would improve my saxophone breathing. It certainly did, but beyond that I found in the practice a fantastic expression of strength and joy. My classes are an extension of this experience. I lead an exuberant juicy vinyasa flow, inviting students to celebrate their body and test their limits. I am blessed to study with Baron Baptiste, Seane Corn and Ana Forrest and recently completed a 500-hour training with David Vendetti. Off the mat, I continue to work as a saxophonist, composer and music teacher in the Boston area and will release my 3rd CD in late 2009.

  • Candice Dylhoff

    Yoga models the path to living at ease in my physical self and the freedom to enjoy the present moment. As a working mom, I seek to daily integrate my practice in ways that are measurable and attainable. Moreover the thing that excites me most about yoga is how it challenges old habits. Asana is like living life, it is best enjoyed and experienced through change and reinterpretation.

    As a graduate of David Vendetti’s 500 hour RYT teacher certification, you can expect classes that incorporate a variety of styles as well as the freedom to improvise and enjoy yourself.

  • Amy Feucht

    Yoga is my place of sanctuary, bravery (you know fear that I face) and joy. Not necessarily in that order. The best part of my practice is I show up to keep learning. I am not always where I want to be. I have a story of not always being kind to my body and listening too much to my busy, rapid mind. Yoga lets me let all that drop away. Yoga also allows me to come awake in the moment- so I can bring my genuine self to others in a place that is real. I have 500 hours of teacher training with David Vendetti. My classes are serious yoga for silly people. I want to have fun with kindness and striving to practice deeply.

  • Joanne Flaherty

    Joanne Flaherty has been teaching yoga classes for several years and is excited to be in the Boston area. Her training includes studying with may world renowned yoga masters as well as being a second degree Reiki practitioner. Her class setting is safe and sacred. Joanne believes in the life changing effects a daily yoga practice can bring. She encourages you to go to the edge and beyond, to take the journey within. Joanne teaches in a loving and gentle manner while she leads her students through a vigourous vinyasa.

  • Lillian Gould

    I was something of a reluctant yoga practitioner at first; yoga was hard, oftentimes uncomfortable, and demanded more of my body than I felt I could possibly give. But that was also what kept me coming back to class. The challenge of yoga took me out of my head and made me feel entirely present in my body in a way nothing else ever had. I have since come to love yoga and to feel that a regular practice is essential to my physical and mental well being. As a teacher, I aspire to share with others the sense of wholeness and strength I have found in yoga. 

  • Cory Halaby

    Cory sees yoga as a chance to explore mind and body and carry their lessons from the mat to life. She enjoys the simplicity of stretch and the challenge of effort, attention and balance in each moment as well as the sense of continuing improvement in health, strength and well-being. For Cory, the experience of yoga is different every day, but each return to practice is an act of optimism and self-respect. She is happy to share this joyful study with yogis of all levels.

    Cory has a background in dance which led her to yoga over ten years ago. She teaches with careful alignment cues and intelligent sequencing, using flows that feel great. She will complete her 200 hour Yoga Alliance certification with David Vendetti of South Boston Yoga this year.

  • Luise Heyerhoff

    I was introduced to yoga by the enthusiasm of a friend and was immediately drawn to the practice. I love the physical challenge, but also the peaceful sense of being I find at the end of each class. My classes encourage students to be compassionate and kind to themselves and their bodies during a vinyasa flow class. I recently graduated from David Vendetti’s Body Awakening Teacher Training program at South Boston Yoga.

  • Theo Jordan

    Theo recently completed her 200 hour teacher training course with David Vendetti of South Boston Yoga. Growing up skiing in the Green Mountains of Vermont, a knee injury led her to ygoa as a form of rehabilitation. After several years of brief practice she moved to Colorado where she found the benefits of yoga not only compliment her life style but her ski style as well. The asana flows built her free style skiing and her skiing pushed her yoga practice. Today she teaches all along the South Shore, her style of a strong practice and an even more restorative closing provide the balance that help embody how she lives. Challenge, push, and test yourself. But don’t forget to love, honor and respect yourself too. She ahs found an incredible boost of confidence through her yoga practice, the ability to love one’s self unconditionally and hopes to pass that feeling on. Come challenge yourself to see how amazing you really are.

  • Karen Kaplan

    I came to yoga to heal and overcome injuries sustained in a cycling accident. I stayed because I found openness, peace and empowerment. I have studied with senior Iyengar teachers Julie Gudmestad and I continue to train and teach with Justine Wiltshire at Down Under Yoga. I am completing my 500 hour Yoga Alliance Teacher Training with David Vendetti and Todd Skoglund. My understanding of the body, it’s anatomy and its capabilities has been deeply enriched by each of these wonderful teachers and their different styles.

    My classes focus on alignment exploration and building strength that will help you find transformation, tranquility and even playfulness to take with you off the mat and into the world.

  • Misa Kishi

    Misa was born in Japan, where she studied medicine before coming to the US to study public health. She started yoga as a teenager, as it helped her understand the mind-body connection and get through some challenging times in medical school.

    She has created a program to help people enhance their well-being through yoga and other means, including music, dance, massage and diet.

    Misa brings safety, joy and peace to her classes, which are informed by her deep understanding of medicine and health, and are offered with passion and care. She has completed 500 hours of training with David Vendetti that encompassed yoga and yoga therapy.

  • Kadri Kurgun

    I found yoga at just the right time in my life. As a serious surfer I found my performance suffering, my body prone to inuries and slow to recover. Soon after starting my yoga practice I was able to surf more effectively and found myself injuried much less frequently. I believe I have reversed my aging process. I have also been meditating for 25 years. Yoga has helped me with my physical pliancy during meditation. Ive learned through practice, an overlap with yoga and meditation with respect to concentration; each has enhanced the other.

    I have had the honor and privilege to study with Ana Forrest, Dharma Mitra, Shiva Rae, Jason Nemer of AcroYoga. I have completed 500 hours of teacher training and bodywork with David Vendetti of SoBoYo.

    My classes are fun & deep with the focus on developing, strength, agility and poise. These skills are essential not only for surfers but for moving through life with an open heart and clear mind.

  • Chungmei Lee

     

     

     

  • Jess Meyer

    Jess has found invigorating transformation through her yoga practice. After sustaining severe spinal injuries, Jess has enjoyed a full recovery thanks to yoga. She is influenced by vigorous vinyasa, energetic music and exotic travel. Jess’s classes bring you profound strengthening and deep stretching.

  • Ali Mischke

    My first vinyasa class was a flowing, ecstatic practice that left me feeling strong, calm, energized, and utterly captivated by this amazing thing called yoga. I received my RYT-200 yoga teacher certification in 2009 after having the profound good fortune of studying with David Vendetti, and I adore sharing with students of all levels the joy and peace I have found in yoga.

    My style is an eclectic vinyasa flow. Classes combine yoga sequences breathing exercises and guided meditation to increase flexibility, strength and resilience of both body and mind. I have a particular interest in yoga for depression - building physical strength and opening heart and hips to lighten the spirit and help students connect with their own internal power.

    Whether you are new to yoga or an experienced practitioner, come prepared to awaken your body, find your edge, and challenge yourself to move beyond it.

  • Matthew Murgida

    I enjoy a slow, gentle Vinyasa practice that clears the mind and opens the heart. I focus on breathing, being aware of and present in the body, and leaving a yoga session with a smile. My classes are welcoming to all levels.

     

  • Tiffany O'Connell

    I spent my early years as a professional dancer so it was no surprise that after my first yoga class, I fell in love. After taking some time off to heal from some lingering inuries, I was ready to reconnect my mind body and spirit. I was and still am drawn to the physical and emotionally healing that comes with practicing yoga. I like to embrace the teetering between uncertainty and familiarity in the asana practice. My class blends outer strength with inner calm while fostering an environment of no judgement. I believe in listening to our bodies, moving to and from an authentic place. To compliment my practice I am also a certified ACE Group Exercise instructor and have been teaching since 2003. My formal training is with David Vendetti and the wonderful yoga community here at SBY.

  • Craig Provost

    In 2001 I started practicing power yoga at the Baptiste Studios and quickly discovered yoga was helping to melt away lifelong anxiety and lower back pain issues.

    In the last year I have deepened my practice by participating in the Body Awakening Teacher Training program with David Vendetti at South Boston Yoga. The physical practice of yoga empowers us to celebrate our bodies while quieting and focusing our minds.

    My classes are a fun focused blend of power and vinyasa flow with restorative postures in the mix.

  • Amy Sullivan

    I discovered yoga after sustaining several knee injuries and 8 knee surgeries from being a collegiate level athlete and aspiring dancer. I believe that yoga helps me to connect to my body in a more conscious way with awareness and acceptance.

    In class, you can expect awakening sequences linking movement with breath, vitalizing arm balances, concise alignment cues and light-hearted humor. I have trained with Baron Baptiste and have taken numerous workshops with Shiva Rea, Desiree Rumbaugh, Budokon Founder Cameron Shayne and Ana Forrest and I am certified through YogaKids with Marsha Wenig. I teach children from ages 3 to 93.

  • Judith Tauriac

    I’ve been studying yoga since 2004. My love of yoga has been a natural extension of my passion for physical fitness and my commitment to spiritual growth and cultural awareness.,/p.

    I infuse my classes with energy, focus, and compassion. I believe yoga is ‘come as you are’, no matter who you are and that yoga is for every body. My teaching is inspired by various styles of yoga. I’ve had the privilege to study in different parts of the US with amazing and knowledgable teachers.

    I’m a certified personal trainer, hold two yoga certifications and run experiential workshops on journaling and mother-daughter relationships for women. I have 2 beautiful kids, a great husband and love to dance to almost anything!

  • Carmen Thurston

    Yoga has been an integral part of my life for the last 7 years. I love to explore, to play, and to share this sense of joy and discovery in each new pose. The classes I lead reflect this sense of fun and connection in our movement on the mat.

     

  • Ame Wren

    After years of ignoring and often criticizing her body, Ame Wren discovered yoga in college. From the first time she pushed back into downward dog she experienced a connection to her physical self that more traditional workouts had never facilitated for her. She remains a dedicated student and is honored to also be a teacher. A self-proclaimed “yoga mutt,” Ame’s style is a hybrid of many different influences; most notably Power, Vinyasa, Forrest and Anusara. She is known for lacing her classes with humor and funky music as well as instilling the importance of proper alignment and injury protection in her students. Ame considers herself a tour guide on her students’ yoga adventures and encourages free-style and expression on and off the mat. She also always reminds her students to leave the criticism behind and appreciate their bodies. Ame’s greatest inspirations and muses are David Vendetti, David Magone, Bryan Kest, Sadie Nardini and her students. In her classes students can expect to laugh, sweat, work and sigh through creative flows, deep core work and long holds. Ame wholeheartedly believes yoga can be an amazing addition to anyone's life and does not need to be achieved or attained, just enjoyed. Ame currently teaches at Back Bay Yoga, Blissful Monkey, Life in Synergy and Sadhana South End.

  • Robin Zachary

    Physical expression has always meant a great deal to me. I’ve studied dance, rowed and weight-lifted but it wasn’t until I found my way to a yoga mat that I felt an ease and challenge that continues to nurture me fourteen years later. My classes welcome students of all levels- offering a range from meditative movement to vigorous flow with focus on alignment and finding the relaxation in every pose. I have my 200-hour certification from studying with David Vendetti at South Boston Yoga. Other general teachers have been Baron Baptiste, Carol Nelson and Ana Forrest. I also have a background in psychotherapy.

2007-2008

  • Berfield, Julianna

    My personal style is Vinyasa -flow- yoga (inspired mainly by Ashtanga, Iyengar, Forrest and Yin styles) and focuses on alignment, breath, and power to build strength, flexibility, and balance. Classes are multi-leveled with inspiring sequences and music; providing a safe, accessible, challenging and fun space for participants to achieve a deeper aspect of their own practice. I believe in accepting and honoring the individual body and mind. My goal is to help you become stronger through your own practice, and to give you what you need and want from every session.

  • Kathryn Brown Brown, Kat

    As a dietitian and yoga instructor, Kat seeks to share knowledge of whole health and self care to all she teaches. With a strong background in anatomy and alignment, Kat strives to create a safe and invigorating practice environment. Kat encourages play, breath and keen awareness as tools to cultivate deeper sense of the body and ultimately the mind. Kat's nutrition teachings stem from an intuitive eating, non-diet approach. She uses the tenets of connectedness to the body from yoga as a basis for a healthy approach to food. Kat is available for private nutrition and yoga consultation. She can be reached at 617. 756.4793 or via email: kathrynlbrown_at_gmail.com.

  • Buslovich, Stephen

    My classes are designed to uplft, restore and strengthen you, increasing stability through balancing, floating and choreographed organic flow. I invite everyone to make movement and breath one unified meditation.

  • Egavian, Lauren

    Possessing an exuberant teaching style, classes are Vinyasa inspired, incorporating breath with movement, focusing on alignment, assists and well thought out sequences. I allow my students to learn, live and grow in an open, fun and non-judgmental space. Lauren completed her 200-hour teaching training with David Vendetti in June 2008. Lauren is currently teaching at Yoga Moves in Reading, Boston Sports Club in Davis Square and Cambridge Athletic Club in Cambridge.

  • Gabriel Feld Feld, Gabriel

    Love and Peace. Gabriel: April 2009

     

     

  • Hathcock, Anne Marie

    Anne Marie draws from a foundation in Ashtangi and her own daily practice as inspiration for classes that are both challenging (you should sweat!) and fun (you should laugh!). A recent graduate of the David Vendetti's inagural Body Awakening training, she has completed workshops with Tim Miller, Ana Forrest, Gary Kraftkow, and others. In addition to the amazing David, she gives much gratitude to Boston Ashtanga teachers Scot Hendricks and Kate O'Donnell.

  • Kessler, Rochelle

    In her teaching, she emphasizes clarity and stillness even as bodies take on challenging shapes. Through regular practice she hopes her students can transfer this sense of calm to the day to day as their lives also take on challenging shapes. She is inspired by all of the yoga teachers she has encountered at Back Bay, especially her teachers Kate O'Donnell, Scot Hendricks and David Vendetti. Rochelle completed the Body Awakening 200 hour yoga teacher training certification in June 2008 and teaches Beginning Ashtanga at Back Bay Yoga.

  • Klatsky, Lauren

    Lauren has been fortunate to study with several of the leading vaidyas and teachers in the United States including Dr. Vasant Lad, Dr. John Douillard and Dr. Robert Svoboda. After years of learning from textbooks and respected educators, David Vendetti’s Body Awakening Yoga Teacher Training has encouraged Lauren to appreciate the teacher that resides within.

  • Leotta Pfennighaus, Michelle

    Coming from a dance background, I've always been drawn to how the human body moves and works (and how it sometimes doesn't!) I love experimenting in the kitchen with macrobiotics or raw vegan meals, and in 2009 I'll become certified as a Holistic Health Counselor. But it is yoga that helped me the most through anxiety, depression, and digestive disorders, and has given me strength to change my entire lifestyle.

  • Alex Mozdzanowska Mozdzanowska, Alex

    Alex believes that yoga can improve all aspects of life and wants to share that possibility with her students. Her classes will challenge you physically but focus on poses that are accessible to those of all levels. She strives to create a safe space where you can explore yoga without judgment of your body or your abilities. Alex started yoga with an Ashtanga practice, but has since explored vinyasa, restorative, and Forrest yoga. She has been trained in Ashtanga and vinyasa yoga and currently studies with David Vendetti. Alex is also assisting David's Body Awakening teacher training.

  • Pierce, Magi

    As a yogini with scoliosis, Magi strives to go beyond physical boundaries and explore undiscovered possibilities through her practice. She supports others in practicing yoga that is compatible with their bodies in the present and not what was or will be. Her classes create a safe, warm space where students are free to walk their own paths and she encourages them to spread this freedom throughout their lives. Through the power of love, release and freedom she empowers others to join her on the journey of self-discovery.

  • Sarah Schwartz-Sax Schwartz Sax, Sarah

    I am inspired by many forms of yoga, and especially the styles of Vinyasa, Anusara, Jivamukti, Iyengar, and Yin. I have completed David Vindetti's "Body Awakening Yoga Teacher Training", and am currently a student of massage therapy at the Muscular Therapy Institute (Cortiva) in Watertown, MA.

  • Sladky, Katrina

    Yoga has helped me to approach anxiety and depression in a healthy way, as well as given me a repertoire of yoga party tricks to wow my friends and family. I have found my grounding in a variety of yoga styles including vinyasa, Forrest and Ashtanga. With partner yoga and flying I have taken my practice to a whole new level of trust, stability and openness. I offer students a fun, accessible class filled with hands-on assists and lively music.

  • Alba, Nico
  • Alford, Lea
  • Allen, Deb
  • Busch, Dana
  • Caraballo, Nicole
  • Cygan, Lisa
  • Daly, Daly
  • Hopkins, Teresa
  • Hugus, Pia
  • Ianco, Carol
  • Johnson, Jeremy
  • Johnson, Jill
  • Jones, Alden
  • Gramer, Cynthia
  • Kinsey, Leslie
  • Kochanowski, Sara
  • Larsen, Kat
  • Lazaro, Jean-Bernard
  • Lynch, Maura
  • Mocarski, Jen
  • O'Reilly, Karen
  • Perry, Lily
  • Posner, Amanda
  • Purpura, Christina
  • Schieffer, Krista
  • Smirnova, Tamara
  • Sophocles, Alex
  • Stevens, Mary Kathryn
  • Taneja, Parul
  • Waylonis, Ellen