Bethlehem Yoga - Our Teachers

Laurel Attanasio has completed both the 200 Hour Teacher Training Program, and the 300 Hour Advanced Teacher Training at The Yoga Loft. She has also completed a Mat Pilates certification from Hard Core Pilates in Frenchtown, NJ which compliments her yoga training and allows her to bring a greater understanding of anatomy and movement to her classes. She loves using both Yoga and Pilates to assist her students in becoming stronger, relieving stress, preventing injury, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. She combines various techniques that emphasize precise alignment and ulitize core stability, and she offers a vinyasa flow style of practice that creates a challenging and rewarding experience for her students. She hopes to share her enthusiasm for yoga and life with all her students and everyone she encounters.

Florence Corcoran was introduced to Yoga in 1989, but has practiced and studied in earnest since 2002. She has practiced many different styles, including Sivananda, Kripalu, Dynamic Yoga, Ashtanga, Iyengar and Anusara. Florence completed her 200 hour RYT Teacher Training through The Yoga Loft of Bethlehem in 2007 with Silver Kim and Jessie Thompson and is completing the Yoga Loft’s 500 hour Advanced Teacher Training program with Jessie Thompson and James Brown.

As so many students are, Florence was initially drawn to Yoga for its physical benefits but has continued to expand and deepen her practice for the mental and emotional benefits it provides. "Yoga creates a calm stability that carries you...it has a quiet, peaceful effect. You realize through practice that you choose what to pay attention to on and off the mat. It really makes you feel better and makes you more effective in all aspects of your life." Florence’s classes focus on sound physical alignment presented through clear and concise descriptions and demonstrations, though not at the expense of humor; Yoga is important but it doesn’t have to be so serious. She truly believes that if you teach students to move well, many other things will fall into place.

Florence is an Orthopedic Physical Therapist who specializes in spine care. The fusion of her human anatomy and yoga asana knowledge has helped her develop both her Yoga and Physical Therapy practices and gives her a unique teaching perspective on yoga asana. "Posture, strength and mobility are so critical to musculoskeletal health and our daily pain-free function and Yoga, taught and practiced correctly, is an excellent tool for gaining and maintaining all three. Few other disciplines offer this."

Sally Delisle - Sally Delisle has been studying and practicing yoga since 1993. She is a Certified ChildLight Yoga Instructor and Teacher Trainer, a Licensed Yoga 4 Classrooms Instructor, has completed her 200 hour Teacher Training through The Yoga Loft of Bethlehem, and is currently working toward her 300 hour training. Sally is co-founder of the Gluten Free Group of Quakertown. She has a degree in Fine Arts and Dance, and a BA in Psychology. She continues to learn through personal practice, teacher trainings and workshops striving to live her yoga on and off the mat. Her intention for each class, whether it is with adults or children, is to act as a facilitator for students on their journey to discover inner light and joy. Sally enjoys spending time on the water, in the woods and on the mountains with her husband and two sons.

Dana Ferretti has been practicing yoga for 6 years. She started her yoga practice as a way to be more active and healthy. She found that yoga not only affected her physically but made a profound impression on her mind and spirit. Her desire to deepen her practice and her love of yoga inspired her toward the path of teaching others. She completed The Yoga Loft's 200-Hour Teacher Training in 2011. She has participated in workshops with renowned teachers Suzanne Sterling and Natasha Rizopolous. She is thankful to and inspired by her teachers at The Yoga Loft.

Adrin Stauffer Eline integrates the best of Pilates, Functional Anatomy, Yoga & Body Rolling to personalize each session, this is key to meeting each client's unique health and fitness needs. Adrin is dedicated to improving the bodies and lives of others. Her Pilates practice began in 1996 to relieve chronic shoulder pain from drafting in her Interior Architecture career. In only a few months she developed a deep awareness of her body's patterns, greatly improved her strength and flexibility and fell in love with the precision and movement unique to Pilates method. In 2003 Adrin received her Pilates certification from Mind and Body, Inc. in Seattle. The program emphasized classical Pilates work while encouraging individualized instruaction based on the client's postural assessment, lifestyle and injury history. Her enthusiasm for the method and her creative approach to teaching is a constant source of inspiration to her clients.

Deanna Nagle - A teacher and librarian, Deanna has been doing yoga for more than thirteen years. A mother of two children, she resides in Coopersburg. When not on her mat, Deanna enjoys reading, writing, hiking, and all things creative. She strives to maintain an organic lifestyle as much as possible, and focuses on natural methods of healing. She completed her 200 hour certification at the Yoga Loft in 2009 and is also a certified Child Light Yoga Instructor. In 2010, Deanna also obtained her Restorative Yoga Certification with Jillian Pransky, and also has training in special needs and therapeutic yoga. She loves to express her creative side through her teaching, and hopes to leave students feeling relaxed, rejuvenated and inspired. Her classes revolve around different themes related to mind, body and spirit.

Prem Siri Kaur is a certified Kundalini Yoga teacher (as taught by Yogi Bhajan) by the Kundalini Research Institute & a Certified Radiant Child Instructor (Kundalini Yoga for children and teens at all levels: level 1, 2 & 3). During her Kundalini Yoga training, she was fortunate enough to study and learn from Guru Dharam Singh Khalsa (author of The Kundalini Experience and course Director of the International Kundalini Therapy Training), Gurutej Kaur (producer of the Chakra Yoga video series), Mahan Rishi Singh Khalsa & Nirbha Kaur Khalsa (founders of The Khalsa Healing Arts and Yoga Center), Krishna Kaur (founder and Program Director of Yoga for Youth and teacher of over 30 years), and Gurucharan Singh Khalsa (psychotherapist, teacher, writer, and a world-recognized expert in Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan). The experience of working directly with so many Master Teachers left a deep impression and inspires Prem to do her absolute best to serve her students and share the ancient technology that is Kundalini yoga most effectively and efficiently.
Prem is also a certified Goddesslife Belly Dance & Burlesque Instructor with Dolphina of GoddessLife Inc. & Tamalyn Dallal Method of bellydance, a certified Sound Healer with Jonathon Goldman, a Certified Rebirther with Rebirthing International and Leonard Orr, and has completed a traditional Lakota Vision Quest.
Most recently, Prem completed a unique 108 hour certification in Sacred Dance & Yoga with the HEMA Wellness Program created by Hemalayaa Behl, author of 9 yoga & Indian dance DVDs. She is certified to teach "Bollywood Vinyasa"  "Sacred Dance & Yoga" & "The Dance of the Kama Sutra" as taught by Hemalayaa Behl, exclusively.
Prem has also studied Ayurveda with Mas Vidal, the director and founder of Dancing Shiva Yoga and Ayurveda (DSYA) and Falicia Toamsko, the editor-in-chief and CEO of LA YOGA Ayurveda and Health Magazine. In addition, Prem learned aromatherapy and the beneficial effects for using essential oils in sacred dance & yoga with Allison Stillman (the world's foremost authority on the ancient art of anointing), Bharatanatyam dance training with Sumona Vohra, and laughter yoga with Hilary Kimblin.

Amala Gameela is a passionate Middle Eastern Dance Artist based in the Lehigh Valley. She specializes in folkloric Middle Eastern dance and Egyptian cabaret. Amala is a sought after performer, enthusiastic instructor, and event producer who presents traditional Middle Eastern dance with beauty, culture, and professional artistry as a soloist and as the artistic director of Abzahrah Middle Eastern Dance Company.She takes her dance education and training seriously and continues to study with renowned professionals and is honored to have learned from legendary international dance icons such as Mahmoud Reda, Farida Fahmy, Aisha Ali. Amala has also completed several Egyptian dance certifications with her most influential instructor, Sahra Saeeda.After over ten years of Middle Eastern dance studies she is an advocate of preserving the traditional art form.Amala Gameela has dedicated her life to wildlife conservation and continues to organize professional shows geared toward donations for non-profit wildlife organizations. She continues to volunteer and assist wildlife rehabilitation centers, conservation groups, animal rescues, wildlife sanctuaries, and parrot organizations across the world.
For more information about Amala, bookings, and her upcoming events please visit:

www.AmalaRaqs.com

Robin Gualtieri (Prenatal Yoga) has been studying and practicing Yoga since 1998. Over the years she has studied a variety of styles. During July of 2006 she completed a 200 hour Yoga Alliance approved teacher training program at Yoga on Main in Philadelphia, PA. There she studied under esteemed teachers Shiva Das, Ed Zadlo and David Newman. At Yoga on Main she was taught the Inner Fire Yoga method developed by David Newman. Inner Fire Yoga is a practice developed around the Chakra system, and addresses the physical, mental and spiritual bodies. The program also included 30 hours of Ayerveda (the study of traditional Indian herbal medicine based on individual body types). She is also a mother of two and practiced yoga during both pregnancies. "Practicing Yoga was essential during my pregnancy and labor. Yoga helped me be more comfortable and confident during pregnancy and also helped to make labor and delivery a deeply spiritual experience. Practicing Yoga has also helped me bond deeply with my children before they were even born."

Katja Huiras To stay fit and active I always enjoyed working out at the gym. Unfortunately I came to realize that the weight lifting over the years really tightened up my body. Yoga sounded like the ideal remedy. In 2007 I came to the Yoga Loft and signed up for its teacher training program, and completed the 200 hr. program in 2008. Since then I have participated in workshops led by Naime Jezzeny, James Brown, Theresa Rowland, Vince Fratello, Sri Arun, Lois Steinberg, Kofi Busia, Geny Kapuler, Jillian Pransky and Max Strom. In 2009 I committed to Theresa Rowland's Teacher Training program at her Iyengar Studio in NJ. I enjoy the holistic approach of yoga: the working together of body, mind and spirit in order to strive for health and happiness. I'm very drawn to the Iyengar Yoga method for its alignment focus and its use of props. Ultilizing this method I feel that yoga is good for everyBody, no matter what age, shape and fitness level.

Ann Jacob was introduced to yoga in the mid 1990s and was immediately attracted to it. In 2007, Ann moved to Bethlehem and was able to begin a consistent yoga practice. She completed the Yoga Loft's 200 hour Teacher Training in 2011. Quite simply Ann loves yoga and most appreciates the life changes off the mat that are the direct result of her practice. Ann is thankful to the staff of the Yoga Loft for the diverse instruction they provide. She is grateful for the opportunity to teach and spread the FUN and JOY of yoga.

Joshua Kehler has completed study at the 200 hour level with his many beloved teachers at The Yoga Loft and has studied with such nationally loved teachers as James Brown, Sue Elkind, Naime Jezzemy and Nikki Myers (Y12SR). Over the years this practice has bled in from the edges of Josh's life to become the loving act which holds many of the principles of his life together as a whole. Come join him for class as we play the edge of where we are and where we are going in body, in breath, and in understanding.

Sandra Kessel-Endres is from Munich, Germany and moved to the United States ten years ago. Here she started studying and practicing yoga originally to help her build the strength and posture to promote a better back alignment. Once she started, she says in her own words: "I couldn't stop but enjoying the meditative quality of the movement. It reminds me of the experiences I had when I hiked in the Alps."

She received her 200 hour RYT Teacher Training at the Yogaphoria in New Hope. Being curious and enjoying yoga as a source of infinite inspiration she continues her studies with Naime Jezzeny and Sue Elkind, both senior certified Anusara teachers.

"My intention for each class is to cherish, share, and improve the moment we practice yoga together and create an ever so subtle shift in body and mind, which enables us to take the Yoga off the mat and into our daily practice of life."

Jill McCambridge has been practicing yoga since 2003 and completed the Yoga Loft's 200 hour teacher training in 2011. She started practicing yoga looking for a different type of workout after doing various types of dancing from 2nd grade through college. Jill found an instant connection to yoga, because of the physical benefits and over time has discovered the connection to her mental and spiritual health. As a full-time social worker, Jill has realized she has a strong desire to share her love and knowledge of yoga and all of its benefits with others in and out of the social work field. In her free time, Jill enjoys hiking with her dog, Teagan, reading, walking, music, concerts, spending time with family and friends and also simply being outside.

Paola Montes: Born in Mexico City, she received her early dance training at Malinky's Ballet Clasico. She later received a scholarship to Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, WA. where she received a BFA in Dance. Paola has performed with various regional dance companies around the New York City metropolitan area as well as internationally in Italy and Mexico. Paola is a Certified GYROTONIC® instructor, as well as a fully certified Pilates instructor from the Kane School of Core Integration in NYC. She is also a member of the Pilates Method Alliance. Paola's teaching style is a fusion between dance and athleticism with major focus on the abdominal wall.

Carrie Morgan (ERYT-500, RYT-500) completed her RYT 500 at The Yoga Loft of Bethlehem in September, 2011. She received her RYT-200 hour Certification in Hatha-Vinyasa (Flow) from OM NYC in 2005. Carrie's primary teachers are Erich Schiffman, author of "Moving Into Stillness" and Denise Zaverdas, "The Art of Sequencing Vinyasa Flow" with whom Carrie has completed 100 additional hours of training. She has attended workshops with Shiva Rea, Scott Blossom (Shuntya Yoga and Ayurveda), Natasha Rizopoulis and Aadil Palkhivala.

Carrie has been part of the teaching staff for The Yoga Loft of Bethlehem's 200 Hour RYT training program for the past 3 years. She has been practicing yoga for 11 years and continues to enrich her studies in NYC with the amazing teachers at Kula Yoga Project NYC, Laughing Lotus and OM. In every class, Carrie hopes to offer her students the opportunity to find joy in their yoga practice by combining the beauty of an ever changing vinyasa flow with the powers of mindfulness and breath awareness. "and the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom" -Anais Nin

Alysha Pfeiffer has been sharing her love of yoga through her teaching for nearly 10 years.
She completed her first 200 Hour Teacher Training Program at The White Lotus Foundation in Santa Barbara CA. She returned to White Lotus the following year and completed their Advanced Teacher Training Program with Ganga White and Tracey Rich. In 2008 Alysha completed the 200 Hour Anusara Teacher Training Program with Naime Jezzeny and Sue Elkind. Most recently, she studied Restorative Yoga with Judith Lasater at The Feathered Pipe Ranch in Helena, Montana.
Some of her favorite teachers to study with and draw inspiration from include Seane Corn, Suzanne Sterling, Judith Lasater, Max Strom, Anodea Judith, Marianne Williamson, and Caroline Myss (just to name a few!). Her teaching style is Vinyasa Flow with a focus on alignment. Restorative Postures and Yoga Nidra (guided, deep relaxation) are included at the end of almost every class. In her free time Alysha enjoys hiking with her dog Sage, photography, dancing, listening to live music, and spending time with her family and friends.

Megan Ridge - After graduating from college with a degree in theatre, Megan landed her first acting internship. Requirements for interns included weekly yoga. For Megan, the very first class was life changing! She immersed herself in the practice and received her 200-hour teacher training through the Yoga Loft of Bethlehem in 2008. She continues to study with several well-loved national teachers, including Seane Corn, with whom she completed a Vinyasa Flow Teacher Training and additional Leadership Training programs, integrating yoga with activism. Megan enjoys several different styles of yoga and is dedicated to making yoga accessible to all. Her classes focus on integrating the breath into every pose and aligning the body appropriately so that her students can practice yoga safely. Megan is a co-teacher for the 200-hour In-Depth Yoga Study and Teacher Training Program at the Yoga Loft of Bethlehem and is currently working towards her 500-hour certification.

Mel Robin is a certified Iyengar Yoga teacher with more than 20 years of teaching and practicing experience. He is the author of A Physiological Handbook for Teachers of Yogasana, and the recipient of the Science Mentor of the Year award from President Bill Clinton. He holds a Ph.D. in chemical physics from the University of Washington and worked for many years in Molecular Spectroscopy at Bell Labs before becoming the Director of Student Research at Science High School in Newark, NJ. After retiring from high school science, Mel entered the full-time practice and teaching of Iyengar Yoga, interspersed with more and more research on the relationship between yoga and Western medicine.

Hilary Smith, R.N., B.A. (Tai Chi) has been studying Tai Chi since 1989, and teaching since 1994. Her teaching style empowers students to become competent Tai Chi practitioners who can reap the benefits of an independent Tai Chi practice. Hilary is a third degree black belt, certified fitness trainer, and certified massage therapist, as well as a registered nurse. She has taught in many different types of community-based and health care settings. As a teacher Hilary is able to tailor Tai Chi to the individual. She has taught students who are rehabilitating from injuries, illnesses and surgery, and those seeking Tai Chi as a moving meditation to reduce stress; those who are interested in learning Tai Chi as a traditional martial arts form; and those who wish to use Tai Chi as a form of exercise. She emphasizes proper alignment and precision in order to maximize the benefit and minimize the risk of injury. Besides teaching Tai Chi, Hilary's history includes hospital nursing, massage therapy for clients in acute and/or chronic pain, and most recently, performing fitness assessments, designing fitness programs along with wellness education and lifestyle management for older adults. Hilary's vision is to help adults age with independence and dignity, and Tai Chi is a perfect practice for realizing that vision. www.hilarysmithtaichi.com

Sabrina Terrizzi began practicing yoga when she entered the workforce in 2002. While traveling around the country for her job, she was able to find solace and stability in her yoga practice. Her passion for practice and desire to increase her knowledge of the discipline led her to the Teacher Training program at the Yoga Loft in 2009. At the same time, Sabrina began a new career and settled in Bethlehem. She completed her 200-hour RYT certification in 2011 and is currently a PhD Candidate in Health Economics. Sabrina strives to provide challenging and inspiring classes where students have the opportunity to grow in both their yoga practices and in their lives. When she is not teaching yoga or Economics, Sabrina enjoys running, reading, and spending time with family and friends.

Jessie Thompson is the owner and director of The Yoga Loft. Jessie began practicing yoga in 1992 at various yoga schools in New York City, and then continued her practice at Yoga Works in Santa Monica, CA and other studios in the LA region. She completed the Yoga Works Teacher Training Program in 1999 and taught for Yoga Works and other area schools until moving back to the Lehigh Valley in 2004. As a student at Yoga Works she was able to study with many of the country's most respected and admired teachers including founders Maty Ezraty and Chuck Miller, Lisa Walford (Iyengar), Erich Schiffmann, Shiva Rea, Seane Corn, and many others. She has also attended workshops with respected teachers such as Ramanand Patel, Gabriella Guibilaro, Aadil Palkivala, and many more. Her yoga practice has included various traditions including Iyengar, Ashtanga, Viniyoga and Anusara Yoga. Jessie's classes integrate breath and movement, have an emphasis on good alignment, and offer a compassionate and open space for students to learn and grow.

Brian Toseland began practicing yoga six years ago. After many years of being curious about yoga, he finally gave it a try and was instantly hooked. The practice of yoga helped to heal years of repetitive strain in the shoulders and arms due to glassblowing, and eventually made him stronger and more focused in his art making. Brian completed his 200 hour teacher training at the Yoga Loft of Bethlehem in 2009 and continues his studies in classes and workshops whenever possible. He teaches primarily vinyasa style yoga (with a few odds and ends thrown in here and there!) Come to his classes prepared to work hard, have fun, and be challenged!