South Boston Yoga

Yoga allows me to be who I am without struggle. To notice, breathe, remember and enjoy this body, this moment. I love returning to my yoga mat to play in the body awakening, breathe into a heart wide open and find gratitude for the infinite that I forgot was me. Classes integrate a clear foundation in anatomy with intelligent alignment, hands on adjustments and ever evolving flows to heal the body. Students are encouraged to cultivate a deep passion for self examination, light hearted exploration and drop everything in order to find out that when we hold on to nothing, what is left, is all we truly need.

It has been an incredible gift to have studied and trained in yoga, structural bodywork and meditation. I have been honored to meet and practice with so many talented and amazing teachers whose work I cherish and share now as I teach. Thank you Patricia Walden, Ana Forrest, Tom Myers, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Lynne Begier, David Magone, Andrew Cohen, Bo Forbes, Sundara, Pamela Wilson, Arthur Kilmurray, Sri Louise, Byron Katie and Glenn Black for reflecting the limitless.

David co-owns South Boston Yoga with his partner, Todd Skoglund. David won both 2011 and 2005 Best of Boston Yoga Teacher for Boston magazine and along with Todd was the 2009 Boston Prudential Lulumon Ambassador.

I fell in love with the physical practice of yoga for its ability to ground me in the present moment, uniting my internal world with external experience, and I am incredibly fortunate to be able to share this with my students.

I do not practice or teach any one “style” of yoga. Instead, I try to filter all of my various influences: Ashtanga, Iyengar, Forrest, Vinyasa, Shadow, Budokon, Aikido, Hand Balancing, Capoeira, Jujitsu, Eastern Philosophy and Meditation, through my own practice and exploration.

While each class flow is different, in general I focus on moving from one's center with intelligent core building through fun and creative sequencing, longer holds, and arm balancing postures. I encourage transitioning with grace, articulation and control from one posture to the next to develop whole-body core strength, stable alignment, coordination and a greater range of controlled motion. Each class is taught with light-hearted purpose and with great respect for my students' health and safety.

I give thanks to my many many teachers whose influence, both direct and indirect, has profoundly influenced my practice and teaching. Including but in no way limited to, Ana Forrest, Glenn Black, Shandor Remete, Cameron Shayne, David Magone, David Vendetti, and Jill Miller.

Todd co-owns South Boston Yoga with David Vendetti. Todd and David were the 2009 Boston Lululemon Ambassadors for Yoga.

photos in red by KadriKurgun.com

Amanda’s journey with yoga began in 2004 after completing a 26 mile marathon. Amanda discovered that while running and other competitive sports she had participated in left her body strong, her heart was empty. Amanda sought out yoga initially for relaxation, but began to see yoga’s true power as the painful layers she carried were broken and her true self was recognized.

Amanda knew she wanted to bring the gift of yoga to others and in late 2006 completed her 200 Hour teacher training through Open Doors Power Yoga studios and began teaching at their Canton studio. She also completed her Reiki I and II certifications. After about a year of teaching, Amanda began to realize that her job as a Development Director wasn’t as fulfilling as the two or three classes she taught a week. Fear was holding her back from taking the leap to teaching yoga full time. In November 2007, that all changed. After returning from a week long inspirational and transformative yoga retreat with Sue Jones in Italy, Amanda quit her job, took on the role of part time Volunteer Coordinator at yogaHOPE, and decided to pursue teaching yoga full time. She hasn’t looked back since!

Since that time, Amanda has studied with a variety of teachers, considering Richard Lanza, Jene Rossi, Jacqui Bonwell, Sue Jones and David Vendetti to be some of her greatest mentors, and is inspired by the dedication of her longtime students. Currently Amanda teaches at the Open Doors in Westwood and is thrilled to become a part of the South Boston Yoga community. Amanda’s classes are challenging with an emphasis on alignment. Her teaching methodology involves creating space in her classes through breath and exploration so that her students can bring honesty and awareness to their practice, and integrate this into their lives!

A self-proclaimed "yoga mutt," Ame's style is a hybrid of many different influences; most notably Vinyasa, Forrest and Anusara. She is known for lacing her classes with humor and 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 reminds her students to leave criticism behind, appreciate their bodies and find their inner rhythm.

In her classes students can expect to laugh, sweat, work and sigh through creative flows, deep core work and intelligent alignment. Ame wholeheartedly believes yoga can be an amazing addition to anyone's life and does not need to be achieved or attained, just enjoyed.

Among her greatest teachers and muses are David Vendetti, Bryan Kest, Sadie Nardini, Seane Corn and the entire family at Kula Yoga NYC. She is indebted to these teachers and many more for inspiring her practice and her teaching. Ame is a Lululemon Ambassador and was recently named Best Yoga Instructor in the 2010 Boston magazine "Best of Boston" awards.

Ellen Waylonis May teaches classes that combine innovation and tradition into a celebration of human potential and joyful self acceptance.

Ellen began teaching vinyasa yoga in 2007. She completed the 500 hour Body Awakening Structural Yoga teacher training with her primary teacher, David Vendetti. Whether she's teaching vinyasa, partner acrobatics, or aerial yoga, Ellen's classes are informed by an understanding of anatomy and posture, which translates into intelligent alignment and smart sequencing. Her classes are athletic, playful, and emphasize a balance of strength and flexibility. Students are encouraged to listen to the wisdom of their own bodies, and variations are offered to accommodate all levels.

In the summer of 2010 Ellen trained with Michelle Dortignac, the Brooklyn-based founder of Unnata Aerial Yoga. Ellen is one of only a handful of certified Unnata instructors, and is thrilled to help introduce Boston to this unique form of yoga. Ellen is also enrolled in the 2010-2011 Pro Track Program at the New England Center for Circus Arts - an intensive training program in acrobatics, aerials, and other performance disciplines. She shares her passion for circus arts in weekly all levels Partner Acrobatics classes at South Boston Yoga. Ellen continues to study with David and the rest of the SBY family, and to pursue joy through movement and community.

I fell into yoga on a whim 3 years ago and I have been in love ever since! After much consideration I decided to take my practice one step further by entering David Vendetti's 200 hour teacher training program. Having completed the training I am ready to rock and roll!! My classes are inspired by the love and dedication of those teachers who inspired me. Each class will challenge students to go further while encouraging them to be happy with where they are that day. My hope is that you leave the class feeling stronger, more supported and more centered. I believe that the daily practice of yoga has the ability to help us overcome the stresses of everyday life.

Georgia received her 200-hour certification in 2006 at Sonic Yoga in New York City where she studied under Jonathan Fields, columnist for YogaFit, and Lauren Hanna, assistant to Shiva Rea. Soon after, she found Schuyler Grant, developer of Kula Yoga and co-creator of Wanderlust, at Kula Yoga Project, where she is currently working towards her 500-hour certification. She has also studied with David Life, Sharon Gannon, Shiva Rea, Tias Little, Richard Freeman, Ana Forrest, Glenn Black, Elena Brower, and Desiree Rumbaugh. Upon completing her teacher training, Georgia taught at Sonic Yoga until she relocated from New York City to Boston in 2008.

Georgia teaches flow classes with a strong emphasis on alignment. She is known for her smart, creative and authentic sequences that are challenging yet accessible. Through the use of repetition, pranayama (or control of the breath), bandhas (or internal locks), groovy tunes, and with a deep respect for the cleansing power of sweat, her classes are designed to ease her students into a transformative space where she lovingly encourages and guides them across boundaries into unknown territory. Georgia tries hard to acknowledge and honor all transitions that occur in her classes, whether in physical poses, state of minds, or state of beings. Her intention is for students to learn and find inspiration in every class.

In addition to being a certified yoga teacher, Georgia is a Columbia University trained mental health counselor, an adoring wife, and an ever-loving and ever-grateful mama.

Hanneke did ballet for several years and discovered Pilates in 2001 when she was at University in South Africa. Having left the barre she was desperate to find something that worked the same muscles as ballet, and Pilates did exactly that. She loved it after just one class and throughout the next 8 years she grew addicted to it.

She moved to London in 2004 and working a stressful job, Pilates was a great escape and relaxer for her body and mind. In 2006 she started toying with the idea of becoming a Pilates instructor and then finally in 2009 life handed the opportunity to her. Having just moved to Boston she started her certification journey with STOTT and finished her Anatomy, Mat (Essential/Intermediate), and Reformer (Essential/Intermediate) courses in 2009. In 2010 she did the BBU Mat One Certification.

Hanneke's repertoire has greatly benefited from being a Pilates student in 3 countries and she continues to further her training and education to bring her own students a fresh and wonderful experience of the Pilates method.

After over a 10 year career in Social Work, I left the field to intensively study and teach the Yoga teachings. I am a graduate of URI with a degrees in Psychology/Sociology and a specialty in Family Violence. I feel the sole purpose of my life is to be of service. I am a graduate of the Open Doors teacher training program out of Weymouth, MA. This program not only touched on the teachings of Yoga (power vinyasa, hatha & restorative yoga) but included strong energy healing components, Yoga philosophy and history. I am a Reiki healer and am regularly inspired by my Reiki Master, Pat Iyer. I am completely inspired by my teachers: Sharon Gannon & David Life, David Vendetti, Rolf Gates and Johnny Gillespie and have spent time in training with each of them. Really, the list of those who have inspired me and taught me life & yoga is seriously endless. But, both of my children have been my greatest teachers, along with my mother.

I am deeply grateful. www.jacquibonwell.com

I began capoeira in 1994, in San Francisco with Mestranda Márcia Cigarra of ABADÁ-Capoeira. I have grown to become the top ranked female foreign capoeirista in ABADÁ-Capoeira worldwide. I began my teaching career working with youth in 1998, and since have worked with people of all ages and backgrounds. Coming to capoeira from a classical ballet background I was attracted to the focus on technique, the musical elements of the art, and was intrigued by its mysterious fierceness that I had not experienced in the dance world. As a diligent student I rendered a deeper understanding of the richness of the art form, and of the vast international ABADÁ community of over 40,000 practitioners that exist. I soon realized how rare it was to have a female instructor in this male dominated art, and that I was extremely fortunate to have started my training with ABADÁ-one of the most successful capoeira organizations with a coveted style, and with Mestranda Márcia, the top-ranked female world-wide. After choosing to center my life around capoeira, I joined forces with Mestranda Márcia and in 1997 became the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the award-winning ABADÁ-Capoeira San Francisco Capoeira Arts Center. I am committed to maintaining the integrity of the art in my teaching and practice, sharing capoeira with anyone interested, and guiding participants to explore and expand their physical, mental, and creative capacities. Since moving to Boston in 2008, I split my time working as the Executive Director of ABADA-SF, teaching and training capoeira, and training and coaching Crossfit and Crossfit kids.

Visit ABADÁ-Capoeira Boston online.

Yoga is a tremendous force of healing for Joanna. Living in New York City and working in the fashion industry for over 5 years, Joanna was always on the go and she found her mind and body over-worked and extremely stressed. It was in her yoga practice where she began to observe from within, quiet her mind and listen to her heart. What started as a hobby, turned into a new path in Joanna's life. As her practice grew, so did her appreciation and love for not only the flowing movement, but the spirituality and philosophy behind the practice. Joanna is truly honored to share her love for the practice with others through teaching. Her classes are deep and dynamic, emphasizing fluid movement, strong alignment and grace - creating a place of self-acceptance in a safe and welcoming environment. She encourages her students to smile, laugh and celebrate life through their yoga practice in hopes to inspire all to open their hearts. Joanna completed her 200-hour Vinyasa Yoga teacher training from Yoga High in New York City and is forever grateful for the guidance and inspiration from all of the wonderful teachers she continues to study and train under.

I came to yoga through the circus world.

I've spent the last nine years teaching and performing various circus arts including fire performance, hula hooping, and aerial acrobatics.

My passion is the interconnectedness of movement with mental and physical freedom, strength, and balance. The physical, emotional and psychological power behind being present, and how little these layers actually differ from one another, compel me to both explore deeply and to facilitate others' explorations.

I perform as Dominique Immora. I have been featured three times on the world-wide spinning arts competition DVD, Circles of Light, and appeared on season four of America's Got Talent. I earned my Teaching Certificate at Brandeis University, completed the New England Center for Circus Arts' Trapeze Teacher Training, and coordinate the curriculum for the WildFire Training Retreat. I am certified in Myoskeletal Alignment Therapy, CPR, and First Aid.

I am currently enrolled in the 500 hour program here at South Boston Yoga and Tom Myers' 200 hour Body Language program. I am studying Thai Yoga Massage through the Lotus Palm School and Personal Training through the NSCA.

My classes encourage you to listen to the innate wisdom of your body. The stillness, energy, and answers you seek are all there. Tune in, change your perspective, fly.

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.

With a history steeped in professional ballet, yoga, and physical therapy, Kathy has deeply studied the body, the mind, and the quiet strength that unfolds from connecting the two. This mind-body connection is used to build the framework for all of her classes, where custom-tailored and breath-guided movement is encouraged and supported. Kathy earned her 200 hr certification in Elemental Yoga with Bo Forbes in 2007, and she has continued to develop her knowledge of anatomy, physical injury and rehabilitation with continued yoga and physical therapy education. Ongoing experiences as a yoga instructor, physical therapist assistant, dancer, and most importantly, as a yoga student, inform, enrich, and inspire her teaching.

I came to yoga with a competitive athlete's background and expectations. I was promptly humbled by my first class, yet immediately drawn to the focus on the present and calming environment of the class. I continue to learn and enjoy this physical and emotional adventure, while I apply the "on the mat" skills of attention to breath and staying present to life off of the mat. 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.

Better known to students and friends as Kitty, I originally turned to yoga for exercise in my mid-twenties. What began as a quest for a workout more interesting than the elliptical machine developed into a deeply meaningful practice that changes my life every day.

I am blessed to have studied closely with Kate Greer, Nicole Clark, and Ame Wren, and thank Emily Frank, Glen Cunningham, and Terry Connell for opening the doors to this practice, to which I am now deeply devoted.

I received my 200-hour certification in Back Bay Yoga School of Yoga’s inaugural class and presently teach Vinyasa yoga classes, from Gentle Beginners to flowing, playful Hot Yoga. Whether walking students through their first Sun Salutation or helping them discover how to fly I encourage students to honor their practice without expectation or judgment, and hopefully discover a little peace, quiet confidence, and healing love along the way.

I was first introduced to meditation by a friend in 1998 after witnessing his daily practice and becoming curious about it. The universal practice of meditation within the full spectrum of yoga has been a life changing gift. It is a great joy to be able to share these teachings with others on the path. Classes are designed for all levels of experience and focus on concentration, body awareness, and an open heart. I am forever indebted to many great teachers and friends for their guidance. The longest journey begins with a single step...

Leslie Salmon Jones is a Certified Holistic Personal Trainer, Wellness Coach, Yoga Instructor, an Alvin Ailey trained Professional Dancer and former owner of a New York based private studio. With over twenty years of experience, Leslie takes a holistic approach to creating custom-tailored programs, classes and workshops that balance body, mind, and spirit. A native of Toronto, Canada and of Jamaican decent, Leslie’s deep rooted background in dance and yoga, as well as her travels throughout the Caribbean and Africa have inspired her to create Afro Flow Yoga™. Leslie is the producer of two DVDs, Core Strength: back to basics and Core Power: radiate the energy within.

Afro Flow Yog™ infuses electrifying dance movements of the African Diaspora flowing with a meditative yoga sequence of gentle yet powerful stretches. Deeply connect with the soulful rhythmic drums, energize your charkas, gain strength and flexibility and rejoice in the bliss of feeling renewed, grounded and peaceful!

• www.lesliesalmonjones.com
• www.afroflowyoga.com

"Be like water." - Bruce Lee

The mind, body, & soul are the only things in the universe that will become clearer, more balanced, and stronger, the more frequently and further they are challenged. To uplift the world around us, begin with the individual. Work with wisdom, play with enthusiasm, take breaks when you need to, and honor and care for yourself. Be easy. Be like water. These qualities will spread into all aspects of your life and to those around you.

My body, a result of competitive athletics and a one dimensional training regime, began to break down; several severe athletic injuries required surgery, months of physical therapy, and the orthopedic surgeon’s warning that my body, and it's abilities, would likely never be the same again. Under encouragement from the attending physical therapist, I tore down my western concept of “What is fit?” and began to design a new platform around “What is functional?” It was at that point when I found my mat.

Following the encouragement of my incredible instructors; Ame Wren, Georgia Reath, David Regelin, Todd Skoglund and David Vendetti, I completed my 200 hour training through South Boston Yoga in early 2011. My intention as an instructor is to provide my students a tangible way to access balance of mind, body, and soul, no matter the time, no matter the place. These powerful classes are vinyasa fueled, inspired by traditional yoga, focused on anatomy, alignment, and most importantly, functional fitness. Drop in anytime.

“The world is a beautiful place, and it’s worth the fighting for.” -Hemingway

I came to yoga for many different reasons and I teach from many different influences, but my main goal as teacher is for all my students to have as much fun as I have. I love this practice, this way of moving my body, feeling my power and strength, my range of movement, my full expression of self. Yoga pulled me out of my shell and helped open me up as I recovered from a long illness. Every time I came to my mat I felt safe and comfortable; I felt that I was coming home.

My classes are up beat and full of energy. I blend dynamic vinyasa flows with longer holds to build heat and eliminate toxins. As a student in my class you can expect tap into you center with Pilates inspired core strengthening exercises. The point is to breathe and move, to grow and change. I aim to challenge student of all levels, helping each person find their growing edge through modifications for both beginners and advanced students.

I am always studying, learning and exploring so I can build classes that have smart sequencing based on a knowledge of functional anatomy. My teaching is greatly influenced by the work of David Vendetti, Seane Corn and Sadie Nardini. I draw on the experience of every teacher I have studied under and every student who has taken my class. I am in awe of the innate knowledge and wisdom that each person brings to the yoga mat and I try to honor that through my teaching.

Robin Shaw's curiosity about the body and its connection to the world it inhabits is the foundation for her practice as a yoga teacher and hands on bodyworker. Robin has been studying yoga, movement and meditation for over fourteen years, and has been teaching for nine. With a background in music, Robin sees yoga as both an artistic pursuit as well as an immense physical and spiritual practice. She is inspired by her teachers, notably Tias Little, Rodney Yee and Bo Forbes, and by contact improvisation dance. She is a professional massage therapist of twelve years, with extensive knowledge of anatomy and movement, listening to the body's unique language and the stories it tells our deeper selves. Robin is passionate about the inner and outer processes of her students, offering an environment where her students will tap into their greatest potential, celebrating a deep sense of self, growing understandings of the mind/body/spirit continuum, connections to the tender and vibrant heart and the aliveness of spirit.

A chronic low back injury brought me to yoga, but after one week of "trying" a daily practice, I was permanently hooked. Not only did I begin to heal and strengthen my body, but I found my yoga practice also addressed the needs of my mind and spirit.  As I began to see the interrelatedness of my emotional, mental, spiritual, and physical states, my whole world view shifted.  From a place of perceived alienation and depression I thought was "reality", I have come to find joy and a sense of being at home in myself and in the world.

Yoga is a journey, not an end destination.  Each pose begins with a  first step that anyone can do, and each student is challenged to bring their practice a step further. My classes are fun, challenging, and definitely all levels.  If you can breathe, you can do yoga!

My yoga classes and my life are deeply indebted to my trainings with David Vendetti in his first Body Awakening Teacher Training, and Ana Forrest in her Foundational Teacher Training.  But just as deeply, my practice and classes reflect the love, laughter, and dedication of the broader yoga community.  When you come to the studio, you'll see my teachers all around you.

Stacey Schaedler completed her undergraduate degree in Exercise Science at UMass Amherst in 2006. She is a Certified Personal Trainer through the American College of Sports Medicine. She holds Russian Kettlebell Certifications RKC as well as Art Of Strength AOS Kettlebell Certifications. Stacey completed her RYT with David Vendetti and the National Yoga Alliance. In addition she is a Certified Functional Movement Specialist FMS allowing her to design specific plans for each of her clients which prevents pain, reduces injury, increases cognitive functioning as well as improves performance.

In her spare time Stacey is also a Professional Figure Competitor with the World Natural Bodybuilding Federation WNBF.

Despite her tough exterior Stacey's knowledge of the body and fierce passion for teaching others combines to produce amazing results. With the influence of specifically sequenced corrective exercise, mind body integration, and solid strength training Stacey is able to help anyone reach their goals.

www.staceyschaedler.com

I stumbled into an Ashtanga class at Gold's Gym in Poughkeepsie, NY in 2003 and have been on a mat ever since. That first class led me on a yogic journey which has helped me heal from years of physical and emotional trauma, reconnect with my body, focus my mind and bring a sense of joy and clarity into my daily life.

That first class gave birth to a practice that includes Vinyasa Flow, Ashtanga, Forrest, Anusara and many other styles and movement modalities. I draw inspiration from them all to create joyful, powerful flow. I have been blessed amazing teachers like Sondra Loring, Kate Greer and Nicole Clark, who have helped me open the door to practice and teach with devotion and lila or "divine play" I am a firm believer that no matter how crazy the pose- the hardest yoga is off the mat.

I am a RYT 200 graduate of Back Bay Yoga's first teacher training hosted by Lynne Begier and led Kate Greer and Nicole Clark and I am currently pursuing advanced teacher training with Kula Yoga Project in NYC. It is my honor to be able to share that practice with my students- to sweat and play and fly and maybe stumble on deeper truth.

Tom teaches a flowing Vinyasa class that synchronizes breath with movement while incorporating simple and clear alignment cues. Each class is consistent in its therapeutic goal of safely opening each part of the body, while expressing the spontaneity and freedom of a flowing style of practice.

Tom was first introduced to yoga eight years ago, while attending a lecture on Tibetan Heart Yoga by Michael Roach, the first Westerner to earn the Buddhist title of Geshe, or master. After living for years with a stirred-up mind and mixed-up emotions, Tom was amazed by the clarity with which Geshe Roach described the relationship between the physical body, the breath, and thoughts and feelings. Very simply put, move a muscle, change a feeling.

Tom has practiced many different styles, including Hatha, Vinyasa, Sivananda, Power, and Yin, and is a firm believer that the best style of yoga is the style that you actually practice. He is trained and certified at the 500-hour level in the Sampoorna system of yoga by Shri Yogi Hari of Miramar, Florida, and is currently continuing studies with Rolf Gates of Santa Cruz, California.

As a American Buddhist monk, meditation and the search for truth and a powerful heart are William Jackson's passion. It is the cultivation of mental health and acuity through Buddhist meditation and science that allows his to further pursuit of these goals.

William has had the opportunity to study with and receive personal direction from many great teachers including, Ven. Pa Auk Sayadaw, HH Dalai Lama, Thich Nhat Hanh, Ven. Dhammadipa Thero, Ajahn Brahmavamso, Thich Thien Son, Ven U Revata, Su Co Lien Tuong and many others. As well William continues to keep abreast with latest research in psychology and neuroscience. He currently works with Harvard’s Greene Moral Cognition Lab and is preparing to enter a PhD program in clinical psychology where he hopes to study, the effects of Buddhist methods of mental cultivation on mental illnesses.

In his classes William draws upon his personal retreat experiences in Burma, Sri Lanka, and European and American center’s. With 9 years and 3000+ hours of meditation experience William still considers himself a beginner. His transparent classes, center on cultivating emotional freedom, self-acceptance, deep relaxation, cultivation of mental vitality and insight. In the class we will primarily focus on anapanasati (mindfulness of the in and out breath) in which students are gently guided and taught how to practice in the classroom and out.