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Lindsey VerStraeten, CYT
Lindsey is a
co-owner of Metta Community Yoga Center. She
first began practicing yoga in 2001. Inspired by the sense of balance and
clarity the practice brought her, she completed her Yoga
Teacher Training with Kat Meyers, Jeff Martens and Michelle
Dante at Inner Vision Yoga.
Lindsey has worked in the nonprofit community since 1998 at
Make A Difference and is currently the Director of Special
Initiatives there. Through Make A Difference, she has had
the opportunity to learn about the strengths of this
community while exploring a wide array of social issues and
ways to create positive change. She is responsible
for the Make A Difference AmeriCorps program – a group of 20
individuals that serve the community for a full year in over
15 different nonprofits.
Lindsey is committed to making
yoga accessible to others and bringing compassion,
encouragement and positive energy to the
Metta
community. She is excited to bring her passion for yoga,
and all of its amazing benefits, together with her
commitment to building community.
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Rhonda Oliver
Rhonda is a co-owner of Metta Community
Yoga Center.
Bio coming soon...
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Melissa Bialczak
Melissa found yoga in 1998 after spending several years searching
for a way to heal her severe back pain. Yoga was the therapy that
she needed to be pain free and she's been dedicated to her practice
ever since that time. She became a certified yoga instructor in 2005
so that she could share the power of the body and mind to heal one
another. Melissa emphasizes building strength, developing balance,
and releasing deep tension in her teaching to encourage a healthy
body and peaceful mind. Melissa also works for a language
translation and teaching company which reflects her love for
cultural studies, languages, and travel.
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Sonja Bochart, RYT
Sonja, an Arizona native, has always been drawn to healing, the arts, and the environment. Yoga is the color thread that has offered her beautiful insight to her interests and greater meaning in life. Sonja is focused on the mind-body-spirit connection, and the great potential of yoga to calm our minds, empower our immune system, and connect us with our true essence. Her personal practice was deepened through YA 200 teacher training with Kat Meyers & Jeff Martens, and she is currently pursuing her 500 hour master level teaching certification. Sonja's teaching style focuses on cultivating self-awareness utilizing each student’s unique experience during asana practice as the vehicle for self-exploration. Sonja is also an interior architect focusing on sustainable and life-enhancing projects in our community. |
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Hannah Conry, Nia
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Francesca Fragomeni, CYT
My yoga journey began in 1999 when I embarked on my own personal
practice toward clarity and healing. Since then, yoga has been an
integral part of my life mentally and physically and has evolved
into a rewarding spiritual practice that guides me through life's
mountains, peaks, and valleys. In the Fall of 2005 I had the great
opportunity to complete my 200-hr yoga teacher training under Kat
Myers and Jeff Martens at Inner Vision Yoga in Chandler. My passion
as a teacher is to guide students in a yin yoga practice with a
relaxing and meditative focus. As a clinical social worker and
psychotherapist, I have become interested in exploring yogs's many
healing benefits and applying these to the mental health field in
which I work. My yoga journey has changed my life in many ways, and
I look forward to continuing to bring its healing power to others as
a yoga teacher. |
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Sarah Grace, Nia
Bio coming soon... |
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Cathy Genzler, RYT
Cathy integrates teachings of the
classical, ancient yogis with contemporary insight and music to
offer students a dynamic and unique experience with each class that
she teaches. Cathy is fascinated with the human body; her
understanding of anatomy, physiology and biology is derived from her
formal, ongoing studies.
Honoring the earliest interpretations of
the science of yoga, Cathy encourages her students to be mindful
that the physical practice of yoga (asana) is meant to bring the
body to place where the mind will finally become quiet, allowing the
essential nature of the person to be revealed. Cathy’s classes are
planned with this in mind, regardless of the level of physical
movement.
Cathy has studied nationally with a
variety of teachers including Shiva Rea and Max Strom, although her
greatest inspiration comes from her students. Join her for an
uplifting and dynamic yoga experience!
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Kahlea, Bellydance
Bio coming soon...
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Carrie Klein, CYT/RYT
In 1998, Carrie began practicing yoga
and was instantly smitten. In 2003, she became a certified yoga
instructor, teaching all levels of classes, including pre-and
post-natal yoga. In 2006, pregnancy brought a new dimension to
Carrie’s personal practice and her teaching, giving her a greater
appreciation of the power of yoga in all aspects of life, and
especially that of pregnant mothers. Carrie loves connecting with
pregnant and new moms through yoga and
the collaboration involved in helping them integrate yoga into their
path of motherhood. She derives great joy from her family,
friends and colleagues and from pursuing her interests, which
include reading, surfing and, of course, her yoga practice.
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Zuzana Kolinkova, CYT
I was introduced to Yoga very early in life by grandmother, who was a Yoga
enthusiast and advocate in Czech Republic. It is gratifying to recall visits
to her studio where she was teaching the same postures that I perform and
teach today. The art has been passed down within my family, and I have now
become the enthusiastic practitioner. Over the years my yoga journey has
taken me to many parts of the world in the role of both student and teacher.
In addition to my professional career in international trade and my
continuous pursuits of foreign languages, a fundamental part of my life is
Yoga. I am passionate about the practice of Yoga and I love sharing it with
my students, helping to guide them on their own personal yoga journey. |
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Kat Myers, RYT 500/Certified Yamuna
Body Rolling Practitioner
Kat is a dedicated, devoted and ever-evolving student of yoga and
life. She has been teaching since 1989 and teaching teachers
since 1996. Kat uniquely blends anatomy, alignment and body
rolling into a healing, contemplative and radically dynamic approach
to fitness and well-being. Kat is grateful to the inspiration
and teachings of Sri Gary Olsen, her Rhythmic Family, and all of her
wildly creative students that continually inspire, motivate and
teach her. Visit
www.yogabodyrolling.com to learn more about Kat.
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Patty Miller, RYT
Patty has been
practicing yoga since 2000, when she needed a way to get back in
touch with her body after surgery.
I
had taken yoga classes in the past and I always walked away thinking
this is just not my style. However, after my surgery, I decided to
try yoga one more time. This time, it was exactly what I needed. The
pain and stiffness had taken away my ability to move and breathe
freely. My yoga instructor introduced me to a practice that was
gentle, free from expectations and easily adapted to my healing
body.
In 2006, Patty
became a Certified 200 Hour Instructor (RYT) in Interdisciplinary
Yoga at the Nosara Yoga Institute with Don & Amba Stapleton. In
2007, Patty was also certified as a Pranassage®
Instructor, which is a yoga relaxation experience. Patty is
currently completing her 500 hour RYT Training Program.
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Katie Princic, front desk
bio coming soon... |
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Regina Robbins
Regina is a forever student & a natural teacher with a B.S. in
Psychology, an M.A. in Spanish and over 10 yrs. of professional
experience teaching. She has been
teaching yoga since
2004. Her authentic style embraces a variety of
hatha yoga including Vinyasa, Anusara, Iyengar & Yin. Her classes
take yogis of all ages through a deep explorative process that
challenges students to integrate, exercise and align body, mind and
spirit. A true child at heart, she is a lover of God, life,
learning, nature, family and fun! She wants to create a safe
place to explore the joy of being a kid, a family & a community.
Regina practices and teaches with a playful
spirit and a heart full of joy, laughter and love.
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Lara Rosenberg
Lara began practicing yoga in Arizona in 2000 and finished her
teacher training in 2004. In 2005, Lara’s inspiration to help those
abroad took her to do humanitarian aide work in post-tsunami Sri
Lanka and Southern India. Lara has also traveled many and continues
to explore many other parts of the world. Lara attributes her
unique teaching style to the many influences in her life. Lara
brings a fresh yet grounded style to her teaching she is always
changing and growing herself –she promotes and encourages this
philosophy in her teachings. Lara’s goal is to have her students
leaving class feeling free, light and energized. |
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Karen Vannoy, Nia
Karen
has been a Nia student since 1995 and has been teaching since 1998.
Karen says, "Nia has completely transformed my body, my
understanding of health and healing, and my approach to self care in
general. The best gift I have received from Nia is to be more
comfortable in my own skin than I have ever been before." Karen is
also a United Methodist minister and also uses Nia as an aid to the
spiritual practice of embodiment, which she believes is a key to any
spiritual practice. |
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Aubrie Vikturek-CYT
Aubrie began practicing yoga in 1997 with a group of high school
friends in small town Iowa under the inspiration of her aunt.
Thanks to this start, Aubrie has embraced yoga in her own life as a
way to feel connected, have fun and find peace, joy and light
within. Aubrie completed her 200 hour yoga teacher certification at
SWIHA under the guidance of Mary Bruce and learned a variety of
teaching styles and techniques. She is amazed by the movement of
energy and healing properties of yoga and incorporates a variety of
postures in her teaching, designed to create space and revitalize
the mind, body and spirit. Aubrie is honored to share her practice
and teachings with you. |
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Amber Williams, CYT
Amber completed the 200 hour yoga teacher certification at SWIHA in 2005 under the guidance of Cain Carroll, author of "Partner Yoga." Her original motivation was to deepen her personal practice and expand her knowledge in all 8 limbs of yoga. As her practice evolved, Amber realized yoga was changing her life and was inspired to help others feel better inside their own bodies. Embracing this opportunity, Amber’s classes are filled with love, humor, and gratitude. |
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Stacy Weiss, front desk
Stacy began
studying yoga during her last year in college (2005) and has enjoyed
learning and practicing ever since. After graduating from Indiana
University, she journeyed to the wonderful state of Arizona to join
AmeriCorps and served under Lindsey VerStraeten. She fell in love
with Metta’s loving-kindness and has been a faithful student and
staff member ever since. Stacy enjoys traveling and in 2009 she
will go on a year long personal journey enjoying the insight,
guidance and unending spiritual development yoga has provided her.
She is currently a Community Programs Manager at Make A Difference,
Crewmember at Trader Joes. One of her goals is to someday teach
yoga and inspire others to discover how it will help their personal
journeys – and share how it’s affected hers.
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Razel Wolf, Nia
Diverse background in dance/choreography. Jazz, modern, improvisational, and African, to name a few. Now a certified NIA
instructor, Razel's upbeat and enthusiastic nature in inspires her students to self-awareness through the exploration and Joy of the Dance.
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