Lindsay Ashmun
I teach the kind of yoga classes I like to take: alignment-smart, core-deep, sweaty Vinyasa that synchronizes the body and breath in an athletic and graceful flow. I’ve been teaching Yoga since 2002 and Pilates since 2003. My formal studies in movement began when I was three as a student of classical Ballet and Modern dance. I have toured internationally and taught extensively as a professional dancer since 2000, most of my adult life. The short version goes like this: In 1994, when I was 16, I was introduced to Swami Satchidananda and completed my first yoga training at his ashram in Virginia. Seeking deeper application of the creative process and somatic awareness, I moved to Oakland, CA where I studied Vinyasa with Rodney Yee, Restorative Yoga with Sarah Means and Somatic Movement Therapy with pioneer Martha Eddy, PHd at Moving On Center. After completing my somatic movement therapy training, I transfered my home to Boulder, CO in 1999. It was there I received my degree in InterArts within the Buddhist tradition at Naropa University, my yoga teacher certification from Richard Freeman at the Yoga Workshop, and Pilates certification from the renowned Pilates Center. Since living in NYC, I have continued to practice and study with brilliant teachers of movement and stillness, including Irene Dowd, Gerald Casel, Schuyler Grant, Jennifer Elliot, Barbara Mahler, my one year old son Jackson Welch, and NYC herself.
Anna Brown Massey
Anna shares the transformative power of yoga by harnessing the breath to foster mindfulness and alignment. She received her nationally recognized Yoga Teaching Certification from New York City’s OM Yoga as well as her Prenatal Yoga Teaching Certification following receipt of a B.S. in Dance Performance summa cum laude from Skidmore College. In addition to her skill as a vinyasa teacher, she is an emerging expert in prenatal and postpartum yoga. Informed by her experience as both a birth doula and a yoga teacher, Anna teaches classical yoga poses with new variations that strengthen and open the body for labor and birth while easing common pregnancy discomforts. She guides women in bonding with their growing baby while building a toolkit of techniques to prepare for the challenge and joy of labor and birth. This transformative practice may include both restorative yoga and an energized vinyasa flow. Anna is also a dance artist and a birth doula.
April Cantor
To breathe more consciously. To laugh more heartily. To live more deeply. To be more at home in my body and at peace with my mind. Yoga has taught me all this. I teach in hopes that the same can be passed on to others. My practice has the sensitivity of Integral Yoga,the joyful attention to alignment from Anusara, and the mindfulness of Vipassana meditation. You’ll get a lot of Mamma-energy in my class–need some nurturing, some light-ness, I’m the one for you. Honor and gratitude to the teachers who have influenced me the most: Swami Satchidananda, John Friend, Cyndi Lee, SN Goenka, Amma, my family, especially my husband and two sons, and Mother Nature. Peace. April received her yoga certification from Integral Yoga in 1999, with further trainings in Anusara Yoga and Phoenix Rising Yoga. And for kids yoga she received trainings from Karma Kids, MiniYogis, Marsha Wenig (YogaKids), Jodi Komitor (Next Generation Yoga) and Storytime Yoga with Sydney Solis.
Matthew Caton
After many times of reluctantly being dragged to yoga class, pigeon pose is what finally started me on a path of opening up the tight areas of my body, and my life. As I began to see the transformative powers of alignment and breath effect all elements of my being, yoga became a permanent presence in my life that I wanted to share with others while continuing to learn and expand. I recently completed my first teacher training with senior Anusara Yoga instructors Todd Norian and Ann Greene and admire their ability to open their students’ hearts while sharing their vast technical knowledge. My inspiration to expand and teach comes from my teachers Elena Brower and Annie Wong. I am also very thankful and excited to be part of the warm Bend and Bloom community as both a student and teacher. My classes combine fun and dynamic movement, with the guidance of the elegant and precise system of the Anusara Universal Principals of Alignment.
Nityda Coleman
Born to mantra-loving hippies in Pensacola, Florida, named after an Indian Sage, middle name- Bhakti, a traveled “Navy Brat,” former professional ballet dancer, lover of chocolate. That pretty much sums up the first twenty years. Later, attended yoga teacher training in Chesapeake, VA, then studied with Shiva Rea in L.A. Since it found me, my yoga practice has been the dominating force that grounds and sustains me. I love being on the mat- it awakens my heart and lights a fire in my soul. But teaching, is a whole other story. Itʼs amazing to experience the deep surrender that even New Yorkerʼs manage to evoke, when they “let go” and allow someone else- a complete stranger- to guide them through a practice that each makes her/his own. Teaching has allowed me to experience the innate wisdom and beauty within people, and I couldnʼt be more thankful for that.
I am currently working towards a masterʼs degree in social work. Another passion of mine is bringing yoga to marginalized populations, especially at-risk youth. Iʼve worked with a number of these populations and continue to do so- itʼs in the dharma. My classes: I aim for the flow to be seamless and intelligent- alignment mindful, yet allowing room for personal exploration. Music- yes. Sweat- yes. Fluid, spiritual, heart-opening- yes. Visit my website at nityda.com
Aditi Dhruv
Aditi first came to yoga through her study of classical Indian dance forms, and has been practicing for over ten years. She is Yoga Alliance certified at the 200-hour level, and completed her yoga teacher training in 2006 with Alison West (Yoga Union) in New York City. Aditi has studied with respected teachers including Alison West, Deborah Wolk, Jonathan Fitz-Gordon and Estelle Eichenberger. Her classes are informed by her extensive ongoing dance training and practice in the Vinyasa, Iyengar and Ashtanga traditions; and focus on teaching students a series of poses while integrating the physical, subtle, and spiritual bodies, through precise alignment and breath-focused movement.
Julie Dohrman
Julie Dohrman is a Certified Anusara® Yoga teacher and deeply playful student of yoga for nearly 15 years. Her classes are dynamic and progressive as she weaves Anusara’s technique into an empowering, revelatory and therapeutic experience. Julie is expert at teaching all levels of student to open to their wildest potential using philosophy, stories, and myth to create a layered and inspiring class. She studies and apprentices with Anusara’s founder John Friend several times a year, and has been deeply immersed in the philosophy of Anusara Yoga with Douglas Brooks and Paul Muller-Ortega. Julie teaches from her dedicated personal practice, and aims to serve students with the same generosity offered from a community of great teachers. For more about Julie please check out: www.shaktiyogany.com and www.pranamatrix.blogspot.com
Beth Donnelly Caban
On the mat and off, in life, in labor – I’ve witnessed Yoga as a powerful way to tap into our deepest places of truth, trust, confidence and power. For me, Yoga has been the key to moving through life with calm, courage, curiosity. My formal training began at the Integral Yoga Institute in NYC in 1997 – and I am eternally grateful to my teachers there – Sri Swami Satchidananda, Swami Ramananda and Kali Morse. I’ve been teaching prenatal yoga since 1998 and have had the profound privilege of attending births at homes, hospitals and birthing centers since 2001. Once I started working with pregnant women and families, I knew I’d found my calling.
I’m certified as a midwife assistant / labor doula through The Farm in Tennessee. Currently, I serve on the Board of Directors of the Childbirth Education Association of Metropolitan New York (CEAMNY), through which I’m a certified educator. I’ve trained with Janet Balaskas and Michel Odent at the Active Birth Centre in London and prior to that, earned a B.A. from Johns Hopkins University in cultural anthropology and public health. I teach the Prenatal Yoga teacher training for the Integral Yoga Institute and slowly but surely, continue my studies toward Midwifery while I revel in the delight of teaching Yoga and Childbirth Education. For more about Beth please visit www.bethcaban.com
Danielle Dugan
As a lifelong athlete I was attracted to yoga through the physical practice. My very first class was led style ashtanga, during which the universe seemed to align. In an instant, I was on a path to explore the breath and the movement, delve deeper into the history of the practice and study different forms of yoga. I have watched my practice evolve as my life evolves. My journey has led me to several great studios, wise teachers, inspiring texts, intense retreats and teacher trainings in both vinyasa and prenatal. Many thanks to Schuyler Grant for years of guidance and helping me grow as a student and teacher. As I continue to grow I have found I like to be in classes, trainings, workshops, retreats where I feel like I am a beginner again and totally in awe of how much more there is to learn about movement, alignment, breath, spacial awareness, and well… life.
Mary Gillen
I spent most of my childhood upside-down, with a passion for gymnastics. But as an adult I lost much of that blissful connection to my body. During one particularly difficult winter I tried yoga. It helped me to breathe through my stress and it reawakened my love for creative movement. My yoga practice had such a positive effect on my life that I felt compelled to teach others what I had discovered. I completed my 200-hour teacher training, prenatal training and restorative training at Om Yoga Center, and I received my kids’ yoga certification from Little Flower. I teach a creative, flowing, breath-centered yoga with an emphasis on alignment and mindfulness. My hope is to inspire playfulness, compassion, and self-acceptance in my students. Off the mat, I try to live in harmony with the yogic principle of ahimsa, or non-harming, by embracing a cruelty-free diet and by allowing kindness and open-heartedness to rule my life. I have been practicing yoga since 2001, and teaching yoga since 2006. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to share this liberating gift. For more about Mary please check out: yogawithmary.com
Heather Gobbée
I discovered my own practice through Anusara Yoga. For me, yoga is all about offering balance between the mind, body and spirit. As a NYS Certified Theatre Arts Educator, I work with children everyday. I initially sought out children’s yoga training to support my creative drama students…eventually creative drama began to support my yoga students! Children change and grow so quickly and are in constant need of balance. Yoga and Drama are so complimentary of each other, both support a child’s need to play while focusing on their physical, creative, social, emotional, and behavioral development; and both get richer with practice. In 2007 I received my Karma Kids Yoga teacher certificate and have continued my training with Little Flower Yoga, Shakta Kaur Khalsa, and most recently, Circus Yoga teacher training with Kevin O’Keefe & Erin Maile! Children love to play and they love yoga because it feels terrific! The most gorgeous thing about teaching children yoga, is that I know I am offering children strong tools to help them cope with the changes in their bodies as well as life’s ups & downs. Namasté.
Saysha Heinzman
My passion for yoga sprung from a lifelong desire for creativity and movement. I grew up in Detroit, Michigan as a theater nerd, started playing bass guitar in punk bands and eventually fell into the NYC nightlife scene. After many years of struggling to control my body and brain, I found yoga. My practice, which has evolved dramatically over the past 8 years, has become the method in which I integrate the physical and spiritual worlds.
I am influenced strongly by the precise and elegant teachings of B.K.S Iyengar and the life-affirming Tantric philosophy of Anusara Yoga. I enjoy teaching with a focus on postural correction and breath awareness. I encourage my students to be strong, fearless and kind to themselves. My unique style has developed from working in numerous diverse disciplines including Martial Arts, Alexander Technique, Myofascial Release, and Powerlifting. I am dedicated to cultivating a foundation of strength and relaxation my student so that their personal practice becomes a source of stability and freedom.
My style has been inspired by many great teachers who include Elena Brower, Julie Dohrman, Zhenja LaRosa, Tara Judelle, Bobby Clennell, and Mary Dunn. I also draw inspiration from Anodea Judith’s interpretation of the Chakra System, good music, and all of the amazing students who encourage me to be a better teacher.
Denise Hopkins
Denise Hopkins took her first yoga class 9 years ago and hasn’t stopped practicing since. After working for twelve years in fashion, yoga became her saving grace to life in this competitive industry. Denise studied Vinyasa yoga for five years and then found her calling in the style of Forrest Yoga. She completed her training in Forrest Yoga in 2005 with founder Ana Forrest. She continues to study with Ana Forrest and assists her nationally at workshops and teacher trainings. Denise also completed the Ma Yoga Prenatal training with Mia Borgatta and Dr. Eden Fromberg in 2008. Her passion for this transformative practice shines in all of her classes. Denise’s intent in teaching is to help strip away the numbness that keeps us from feeling our center. She encourages her students to breathe deeply and to feel every single emotion. It is only by truly allowing ourselves to feel that we can learn to shed the layers of physical and emotional pain that keeps us bound. Denise also incorporates hands-on healing into her classes. She looks forward to studying Cranial Sacral Therapy with Ellen Heed in August of 2010.
Lara Kohn Thompson
Movement.
Lara was born in India and grew up in France. She is a certified Yoga teacher and trainer (E RYT 500; RPYT)
She is a Prenatal teacher trainer for the Integral Yoga Institute and a certified APOR practitioner (approche posturo – respiratoire) with a focus on prenatal, birth and postpartum. She has trained extensively with Blandine Calais Germain, a physical therapist and author of many books on the study of anatomy for movement. Lara is certified in Germain’s Anatomy of Movement series specifically designed for pelvic floor health and core training: “Perinee et mouvement”® and “Abdos sans risque”®.
Her practice integrates a profound understanding of anatomy through movement learned during 20 years as a performer and teacher with leading dance companies in France. In her teaching she uses imagery, breath and postural work to access specific muscle groups. She incorporates this specific work into a holistic awareness and awakening of the body thereby enabling her students to gain confidence and strength. Along with her group classes she offers individualized physical care and training for women through the childbearing years, Integrated pelvic floor health for women at all stages of life as well as and Birth early postpartum workshops for couples . She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two sons.
Movement is the key, the inspiration, the ultimate joy. Moving, watching others move, helping others move. Understanding the how, why, with what. Since as far as I can remember. Movement as a spiritual practice. As a way to be both grounded and connected. To accompany and serve. Through daily practice, find creativity and renewal. To feel oneself alive. To accompany, bear witness and be of support.
Visit her website at www.larakohnthompson.com/
Alyona Mindlin
My class is breath centered dynamic sweaty vinyasa flow with emphasis on grace, playfulness and alignment. For me, yoga is a practice of using the breath as a tool to unify mind, body, heart and spirit to experience the full authentic self. I found my way on to the mat, eight years ago after a decade of ballet practice. The joy, compassion and grounded sense of self I was gifted is what I aim to share with my students. My teachings come from lifelong experiments in movement, personal practice and the many incredible teachers I have met and continue to meet along the way. Deep gratitude to all of the teachers at Kula Yoga Project for sharing the art of sequencing, and freedom, Josko at Kundalini Yoga East for introducing me to the discipline of Kundalini, and Devarshi at Kripalu for throwing me into a whirlwind of offering it all up to the great beyond.
Jason Orrell
A former gym rat, I came to yoga in search of new physical and mental sensations. I fell in love with the extensive variety of postures and techniques, and I knew early on that I wanted to teach. I spent a few years working for a number of studios, studying with some great teachers (a few of whom have graced the studios of Bend and Bloom) and seeking out mentors before completing my first training with Elizabeth Neuse of B Yoga and YogaWorks in 2009. I continue my studies with several senior teachers in New York, most recently completing “The Art of Teaching Kula Style Yoga” with Schuyler Grant and company. My classes focus on body mechanics, building postures from the ground up in the context of a medium-paced, athletic flow. I hope to impart a sense of discipline, confidence and curiousity through my teaching, providing students a foundation of practical knowledge on which they can build an enriching personal practice.
Amy Quinn Suplina
On the mat, my yoga is a flowing, pulsing, moving meditation. Off the mat, my yoga is giggling with my babe, finding compassion in the darkest crevices of our world, and knowing that transformation is always possible. I teach a sweaty, breath-based, contemplative Vinyasa that challenges us to find space in our bodies so that we can find space in our lives to breath and indulge. Deepest gratitude to all my teachers and to my fam and friends who supported my bend & bloom vision from infancy. Special thanks to Kimberly Wilson of Tranquil Space where I completed my first certification in 2002 and to Cyndi Lee, Shiva Rea, Judith Laseter, Simon Park and the many others who have helped me grow as a teacher since.
Kate Reil
The way yoga found its way into my life is not nearly as interesting as the impact it has made, wiggling its way into a practice that encompasses every aspect of my journey. As my practice is ever evolving, so is my teaching and I bring in new elements as they are shared with me along the Path. I teach an engaging, rhythmic class that gets the blood pumping while keeping the heart open to deeper connections within the Self. As my teachers have taught me, I pass on the creativity of the Vinyasa lineage, striving to teach a playful class where my students can curiously explore their edge while also getting wrapped up in the grace of the pranic flow that moves them with intention, linking breath and asana seamlessly. I ultimately seek to create a space in each of my students’ lives to bring their practice off the mat and into the world. By encouraging students to be at whatever stage they are along the path of their practice, students find the space to focus on their mat and realize their potential to be their own best teachers. Kate received her kids training at Little Flower Yoga (Levels 1&2) and Karma Kids Yoga. For adult yoga, she received her 200-hour certification at Sonic Yoga in Manhattan.
Allison Richard
Yoga weaved its way in and out of my life throughout high school and college, where I graduated with a degree in Developmental Psychology and English. I have worked with children since I was a child myself and upon graduation I was excited to continue my work and utilize my psychology degree. I quickly found myself dissatisfied when I realized I was trying to help create healthy, happy kids while working with only a few pieces of the whole puzzle. It was at this time that I returned to my yoga practice and realized that yoga’s all-encompassing philosophy of living- from ahimsa to asana and meditation- contained the missing pieces of my puzzle and more.
In 2007, I completed my 500-hour teacher training through YogaWorks in Los Angeles. I have been blessed to study with teachers from various schools of yoga including Lisa Walford, Annie Carpenter, Rod Stryker, Hari Kaur and Jasmine Lieb and owe the utmost gratitude to all of my teachers in life, both on and off the mat. I enjoy teaching both children and adults because I love seeing yoga through their eyes and gaining insights from the different perspectives they bring to the practice.
Daniella Rosales-Friedman
I came to my mat over 10 years ago with curiosity and undiscovered flexibility. There, I found a playful way to move the body, an inner focus to stay interested, and a strength that came when I wasn’t looking. Many exhales later, I continue to swoon over yoga’s charms. With humor and creative sequencing, my classes explore the efficiency of movement from pose to pose. We design a safe place to reveal strength, build flexibility, and melt the limitations of gravity. My intention is for the yoga practice to bring you closer to yourself inside the studio and beyond. I have trained with Sadie Nardini, founder of Core Strength Vinyasa Yoga, and Schuyler Grant, Director of Kula Yoga Project. In the sacred space of Kula, my practice has evolved profoundly. Deepest gratitude for teachers of all kinds, and for the Bend and Bloom community that inspires me every day. Visit my website at www.daniellavivayoga.com
Marisa Sako
I relish the moment in warrior III when the first bead of sweat drips off the tip of the nose and splashes onto the mat, yet concentration remains unbroken. In my class, you can expect emphasis on creative transitions to keep the practice interesting and innovative. I manage to geek out on alignment in just the right dose as not to disrupt the flow. After completing my 200-hour teacher training in 2006, I found Kula Yoga Project where I first learned to slow down and let myself be in really intense places while finding comfort in the sonorous sound of the collective ujjayi breath in the room. After a few years of practice with Schuyler Grant, I participated in her 75-hour intensive training. You’ll get a healthy serving of anatomical information and breath instruction needed to free you up so you can sweat and flow safely and delve into the deeper layers of your practice. I first studied anatomy with neuromuscular therapist Susan Hefner, later with Leslie Kaminoff. By late 2010, I will have completed my 500-hour certification and certificate in Yoga for Backcare with preeminent alignment stickler Alison West. I try to pass on to my students what yoga has given me: breath as a bridge between the body and mind, and the ability to imbue action with mindfulness and heart through moving meditation. I’m grateful for this practice, my teachers, and for such dedicated and inquisitive students. Endless gratitude to Amy for creating and nurturing this amazing Bend & Bloom community! Visit my website at www.yogawithmarisa.com
Summer Shirey
I’ve been a movement fanatic my entire life. For years I have indulged in various profound ways to deeply inhabit my body in search of freeing my mind. The first time I stepped onto the mat for a full-fledged Vinyasa class over a decade ago I found a path that unified movement with breath and connected me – body to soul.
I teach a breath centered class guided by the heart and grounded in the present moment. My style is uplifting, sweaty, challenging and empowering. Influenced by the many lives I’ve lived, my blessed experiences in India and my gracious teachers who have guided me along the way, I enter each class hoping to impart even an inkling of what has been gifted to me.
My deepest gratitude to all of my amazing students, the entire Kula crew, my YogaSole family, my Prana Yoga friends in San Diego who kept me sane in graduate school, the ever growing Bend and Bloom community, Jerry Gardner, who first introduced me to a more enlightened way of living, and my family in Pittsburgh who has seen me through it all. Visit my website at summeryoganyc.com
Christina Tarantola
I see the practice of yoga as an offering of the heart, where movement and breath are the tools to connect deeper with the truest sense of Self and to attain a higher sense of consciousness. I fist started practicing yoga 6 years ago because I was attracted by the physical practice. I soon realized that yoga required not just a strong body but a focused mind and breath to attain deep meditation.
I stumbled upon my first yoga studio on the Upper East Side where I started taking Bikram classes religiously for a whole year and then slowly moved to Vinyasa. This complete practice blew my mind. The devotion and passion that I have for yoga is what has led me to teach and to share this amazing discipline with others.
My goal is to teach from my practice and to offer what moves me. I seek to create space and strength in the body and in the mind in order to create space in life through a grounding, challenging, expansive and uplifting Vinyasa practice. My classes are slow flowing but intense and creative with a strong emphasis on alignment learned from my extensive studies with Alison West, John Friend, Schuyler Grant, David Regelin and Alex Auder, spiced up by challenging arm balances and core work.
Megan Walsh
Megan has been studying yoga for ten years and teaching for five. She earned her 200 hour certification from Om Yoga Center, is a certified Relax and Renew Restorative teacher and has 100 hours of training in Anusara yoga. Her classes reflect her love of creative movement, clear alignment, meditation, poetry and yoga philosophy. She is deeply grateful to her teachers Margi Young, Elena Brower, Judith Lasater and Max Strom.
Benaifer Bhadha – Studio Manager 
Ellen Chuse
Ellen Chuse has worked with pregnant women and their families since 1984. As a Certified Childbirth Educator she teaches childbirth preparation classes to a wide variety of clients and has provided postpartum and parent support for individuals, couples and groups. In 1993 she received her certification in Holistic Pregnancy and Birth Counseling with Dr. Gayle Peterson, PhD. Ellen maintains a private practice as a Childbirth Educator and Birth Counselor in both Brooklyn and Manhattan. She leads groups for new mothers and parents of toddlers at Realbirth in Manhattan. Ellen leads our weekly Mother’s Meetings for Newborns on Tuesdays at 12:30pm. You can click here for more information on our Mother’s Meetings for Newborns.
Kate Sharp
Kate Sharp is a longtime LLL leader and board-certified lactation consultant with 20 years experience and an active private practice. Ellen leads our weekly Breast Feeding Support Group on Thursdays at 1:00pm. You can click here for more information on our Breast Feeding Support Group.
