meet the yoga garden staff

Mark Nelson • director

teaching since 2008 • Vinyasa Yoga, Ashtanga Yoga, Yin Yoga

Mark first began practicing yoga in 1991. In 2007, he enrolled in the Wake Up Yoga teacher training program and has taught at the Yoga Garden ever since. Some of the influential teachers Mark has had the honor of studying with include authorized ashtanga teachers Jill Manning, David Swenson and Annie Pace. Mark is a Registered Yoga Teacher with the Yoga Alliance and is the owner of the Yoga Garden.

For Mark, yoga is a personalized healing science and a profound life-changing philosophy. As a teacher he realizes that the principles of yoga are best applied to each student individually, according to that student’s needs. Mark’s classes unite the flow of breath with the flow of the body, guiding students to a creative blend of physical exploration, inward focus and real-life philosophy. (back to top

Aimee Baker

teaching since 2001 • Pilates, Gyrotonic® Exercise, Therapeutic Movement

Aimee, the owner of Bodylogic Pilates Personal Training and Wellness Studio in Bryn Mawr, PA earned her BFA in Dance at the University of Colorado and her teaching certificate from the internationally renowned Pilates Center of Boulder. She’s a Master Pilates Teacher and also a certified Gyrotonic® Exercise instructor who’s trained with the likes of Hilary Cartwright, Angela Crowley, and Sebastian Plettenberg. She completed the 200-hour anatomy program, ‘Body Language,’ with Thomas Myers, the author of ‘Anatomy Trains.’ Aimee was selected as the Best Personalized Pilates Teacher by Philadelphia Magazine in 2008.

Aimee is a steady, gentle, and nurturing teacher. She utilizes lightness and a sense of humor to help every client achieve gradual and lasting physical changes. Aimee’s eclectic classes infuse traditional Pilates technique and functional exercise to help students develop body awareness and strength in order to better manage and counterbalance the demands of everyday living. (back to top)

Lisa Ciccotelli

teaching since 2003 • Gentle Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga

Lisa began to dance as soon as she could walk, and continued for sixteen years. She began practicing yoga in 2000, something she saw as a natural progression from dance and an alternative way to heal a lower back injury. Initially drawn to the physicality of yoga she was instantly impressed by the incredible effect it had on her body and mind. Inspired to share this practice and its life-changing effects with others, Lisa became a certified level 1, 2 and 3 yoga instructor through the International Sports Medicine Association in 2002. She trained at Kripalu to become a restorative yoga teacher, and Yoga on Main to become a Registered Yoga Teacher with the Yoga Alliance.

Lisa believes in yoga as a modality of healing the person as a whole. A class with Lisa is challenging and energizing with flowing movements and a focus on breath, opening the body mindfully, and calming the mind through meditation. (back to top)

Terryann DeAngeles

teaching since 1983 • Ving Tsun Kung Fu, Shadow Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, Power Yoga

Having begun her study of dance at age five, Terryann eventually became a professional dancer and dance teacher. She was involved in competitive sports and, in 1985, started studying ving tsun kung fu, becoming the first-ever female American ving tsun sifu (teacher). Her practice then expanded to include Iyengar yoga for its understanding of alignment. She moved on to study power yoga with Bryan Kest and Baron Baptiste. Her other world-renowned teachers include Rodney Yee, Anna Forrest, Duncan Wong, Dharma Mittra and Erich Shiffmann. She studied with Zhander Remete, creator of shadow yoga, for over a decade, and is one of only ten approved shadow yoga teachers in the country. She’s a devoted student of ving tsun grandmaster Leo Imamura of Brazil. Terryann specializes in teaching yoga and martial arts to children, developing sports-specific yoga practices for athletes, and working with those suffering from digestive issues.

Terryann serves her students in whatever form they may require to continue a personal journey of self-evolution. As a result of the extensive and varied training, her classes can range from slow and methodical to rigorous and intense. In all cases, Terryann draws from her combined studies to serve each student, teaching them to connect their practice to their everyday lives. Underlying each class is her devotion to her, and her students’, spiritual journey. (back to top)

Kim Eckler

teaching since 1999 • Pre- and Postnatal Yoga

Kim began practicing yoga in 1989. As a philosophy student and dancer, the mind-body connection of yoga resonated deeply with her. In subsequent years, yoga remained a useful tool as she pursued martial arts and motherhood, keeping her body and spirit in balance. She became certified through the Yogalife Institute in 1999, studying pre- and postnatal yoga with Patricia Cornielus. She feels privileged to share in people’s happiness as they grow their families.

Kim believes that anybody can practice yoga. Practicing with intention of purpose and sensitivity to the body keeps one present in their focus, and helps to avoid self-defeating behaviors such as competition and self-criticism. A class with Kim begins slowly and softly in order to synchronize body and breath, then builds in intensity. There is a focus on stability through the legs and hips, and softness in the neck, chest and arms, thus being grounded yet open. For prenatal classes, there is a reinforcement of the connection between mother and child. (back to top)

Katrin Elia

teaching since 2008 • Vinyasa Yoga, Yin Yoga

As a child, Katrin studied classical ballet and was chosen for the National Academy of Dance and Music to continue her studies in ballet, modern, jazz and tap dance. In addition to dance, Katrin fostered a regular Pilates practice. When she took her first yoga class in 2001, it became a natural extension of her other studies. She was fascinated by the notion that yoga was practiced from the inside out, the opposite of her classical dance training. Katrin began devoting her time exclusively to yoga, and was certified to teach vinyasa yoga through Main Line Yoga under Daniel Shankin. Katrin received two certifications in Yin Yoga, one by Corina Benner (Wake Up Yoga, Philadelphia) and one by well-known Yin Yoga teacher Bernie Clark in Vancouver, Canada. Additionally Katrin completed Erich Schiffmann's Yoga Teacher Training in Los Angeles, and has taken numerous workshops by Paulie Zink.

Katrin believes that what happens on your mat happens in life, with focused breathing being the most powerful way to overcome the obstacles that block a person’s yoga journey. She's interested in the exploration of breath and movement and in linking them through a dance-like flow. Katrin loves to integrate yin yoga into her vinyasa teachings, knowing that the combined benefits of the two are more powerful than either individually. (back to top)

Avi Fox

teaching since 2009 • Pilates

Avi Loren Fox began her career in movement as a dancer in 1997. In 2009, after teaching jazz, tap, ballet, modern and hip hop for over a decade, Avi shifted her focus to pilates. While enrolled in the Pilates Certification Program at Body Precision Pilates Studio, Avi began working with private clients and teaching at the Yoga Garden in Narberth. Now certified as a Body Precision certified mat pilates instructor, Avi continues her education in anatomy and movement. Avi has had the privilege of studying with pilates instructors Beth Downy, Cathy Raymond, and Aimee Baker, as well as dancers Cathy Acerba and Marla Maes.

Avi views pilates as a window into the world of the healing arts and sciences. She finds the pursuit of a uniformly developed body centered around a strong core to be a grounding method for achieving balance in one's life. Avi enjoys meeting her students at their working level and tailoring movement to each student's specific needs. Building on a strong foundation in the traditional pilates method, Avi incorporates imagery and a healing touch into her teaching. Avi delights in watching the ripple effect of pilates in her students' lives as they work toward the alignment of mind, body and spirit. (back to top)

Terry Fox

teaching since 2006 • Meditation, Mindfulness-Based Stress Management

Terry’s meditation practice is rooted in the contemplative prayer and silent retreats of her youth. As a young adult, she expanded her meditative inquiries to include the spiritual centers of the major world traditions. In the 90’s, she gravitated to the teachings of Zen Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh, the mindfulness model of Jon Kabat-Zinn, and the supporting research of the scientific community. Terry holds a Master’s degree in counselor education and counseling psychology and has worked as a teacher and counselor in a variety of settings, including schools, sheltered workshops, and social service agencies.

Terry teaches meditation as a journey of self-discovery that’s undertaken by settling into silence and listening with one’s whole being. The journey cultivates a sense of calm, ease, and well-being, deepens insight into self and others, and leads to a realization of one’s wholeness. Terry’s classes consist of instruction, practice, and discussion. She encourages her students to embrace their meditation experience with curiosity and kindness and to respect the unique unfolding of their individual journey. (back to top)

Jeff Gima

teaching since 2007 • Hatha Yoga, Restorative Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga

After 18 years of living away from the place he grew up, the path of yoga opened up for Jeff upon returning to Denver, CO in 2004.  The opportunities that took him to experience living in Los Angeles and New York didn't seem like opportunities when he returned to his hometown. Yet, between jobs and helping care for an ill father, Jeff discovered yoga. He found a practice that invigorated his physical body by paying attention to his mind and heart. Yoga has become his source of inspiration and sense of peace.

Jeff is dedicated to being a great listener; to hear what his students need in the moment when they come onto their mats. (back to top)

Alyssa Hughlett

teaching since 2009 • Vinyasa Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Anusara-Inspired Yoga

Alyssa Hughlett is a former national and state ranked competitive gymnast who first began taking yoga classes at the Kripalu center in western Massachusetts. Upon moving to the Philadelphia area in 2009, she committed to the 60-day Bikram yoga challenge, which launched her into a deeper study of yoga. Alyssa now studies Anusara Yoga, which unifies a life-affirming Shiva-Shakti Tantric philosophy of intrinsic goodness with universal principles of alignment. She is Yoga Alliance Certified and is working towards being a fully certified Anusara yoga instructor. Alyssa employs her knowledge of the body and principles of alignment in her classes to help others draw from their own authentic source of power, grace, and wisdom, to transform and shift themselves. She weaves a vigorous, balanced, radiant flow into her classes, which not only provides her students with a way to meet their self-imposed edge, but to keep unfolding and evolving their practice beyond their own boundaries. (back to top)

Linda Liss

teaching since 1978 • Kripalu Yoga, Yin Yoga

Linda began practicing yoga in 1974 as an extension of her fascination with Indian and Chinese philosophy. Linda sees yoga as a means of meditation by focusing on body sensation and breath, and by aspiring to greater mindfulness and less reaction to life’s events. Her commitment to her own practice has enabled her to teach others to attain a safe and effective practice. Linda was certified through Kripalu in 1978 and completed her 500-hour teacher certification in 2007. She’s taken additional yoga teacher training over the years, studying alignment, range of motion and yin yoga.

Linda believes yoga can be transformational and healing. If you’re responsible for your own body, then you hold the key to your own health. Body, mind and awareness are intricately linked, so when you practice yoga, you’re becoming more mindful of the entire universe, both inside and outside yourself. (back to top)

Kelly Miller

teaching since 2009 • Children's Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, Hatha Yoga

Kelly began practicing yoga in 2003 at her local gym. She loved the way that it made her feel but it wasn't until a few years later, when she first set foot in a yoga studio, that she realized that yoga was much, much more than a form of exercise. She realized it was a way of life both on and off the mat - she was hooked. In 2009, she earned her 50-hour Children's Yoga Certification from Yoga Child and her 200-hour Adult Yoga Certification from Yoga on Main.

Kelly's classes are an invigorating mix of meditation, pranayama, and asana. She focuses on proper alignment, practicing with intention, and encouraging  students to open up to their own brilliant potential. Kelly loves knowing that her students walk away from class feeling good and that they can use the lessons learned on the mat to inspire their lives.

Rena Potok

teaching since 2010 • Kripalu Yoga, Hatha Yoga

Rena began her journey in the realms of body and spirit as a dancer, at age 14. She trained at the Reuben Academy of Music in Jerusalem, Temple University, and the University of the Arts, and became a professional modern dancer and choreographer, and the artistic director of DanceFusion in Philadelphia. Rena started practicing yoga in 2002, and immediately connected with the spiritual and physical healing properties of the discipline. In 2010, she enrolled in the Whole Self Yoga Teacher Training program in Lewes, Delaware, where she studied with and was profoundly influenced by master Kripalu teachers Ed Harrold and Rudy Peirce. Rena is a Registered Yoga Teacher with the Yoga Alliance.

For Rena, yoga is a tool for personal transformation and healing, a pathway to stretch and strengthen the body and to calm and still the mind. Her classes offer a deep physical and spiritual practice with sustained posture holds, rigorous pranayama, seated meditation, and safe, gentle hands-on adjustments. Rena uses Ed Harrold's cross-patterning yoga theory and practice in her teaching. She is the first yoga teacher to bring this technique to the Main Line.

In addition to teaching yoga, Rena has a PhD in Comparative Literature & Literary Theory and an MA in Comparative Literature & Creative Writing from UPenn. She is a published writer, and she teaches English literature and writing at Saint Joseph's University.

Marie Roberts

teaching since 1992 • Viniyoga, Meditation

Trained in viniyoga, which emphasizes the connection of breath and movement, Marie now teaches in a style that combines viniyoga with flow and chakra yoga as a meditative whole.

Marie considers herself a ‘recovering intellectual’ who came to yoga as a way to live healthily in her body instead of just in her head. She holds an M. A. in World Religions, an M. S. in Counseling Psychology and has been an ordained Presbyterian Minister since 1982. Marie is also published poet and author of two books: ‘Out of Your Mind and Into Your Heart: Using Love Energy to Heal your Life’ and ‘Life Lessons and Soul Skills: Learning from Your Mistakes the First Time Around.’

She strives to help her students experience the beauty of this moment through breathing and stretching, knowing that we can only be more than our bodies by living in our bodies. She emphasizes an integration of body, mind and spirit as she guides students to work from the inside out. Marie’s classes have a meditative atmosphere punctuated with humor and laughter. She breaks down the individual components of postures so people can work at their own level of ability that day. There are moments of challenge interspersed with moments of integration and meditative awareness. (back to top)

Lauren Robertson

teaching since 2010 • Yin Yoga, Power Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, Prenatal Yoga, Children's Yoga

Lauren began her practice of yoga in 1995 and was certified in 2010, studying under Bob and Kristen Butera. Lauren's teaching philosophy is strong and organic, stemming from eight years' teaching experience in art education. Her creativity and love of learning inspire her teaching, beginning each class with an intention to inspire and awaken the mindfulness in each student.

Lauren is honored to be part of the Yoga Garden team. Her goal is to make yoga's process accessible to her students. Her classes provide them with enhanced flexibility, strength, balance and endurance, both mental and physical.

Rebecca Saline

teaching since 2003 • Vinyasa Yoga, Power Yoga

Rebecca's yoga journey began in 2001 when her older sister took her to her first vinyassa yoga class. During that practice, Rebecca felt the physical challenge of yoga lead to a spiritual awakening. From there, she devoted herself to yoga under the instruction of renowned yoga instructor, Baron Baptiste. In 2003, she became a certified yoga instructor at Philly Power Yoga. In addition to teaching yoga, Rebecca has a B.A. in Psychology from George Washington University, a Masters Degree in Elementary Education from Temple University and a Reading Specialist Certification from the University of Pennsylvania.

Rebecca's classes embody the belief that yoga is a moving meditation. She strives to challenge her students through a vigorous physical practice while helping them keep a peaceful mind. Rebecca feels her classes are an opportunity for each student to connect with their true inner self and is grateful to guide them. (back to top)

Colleen Schoenhard

teaching since 1985 • Classical Yoga, Amrit Yoga, Kripalu Yoga, Kundalini Yoga

Colleen began practicing yoga in 1983 and experienced profound shifts in her work, relationships, and life in general. She soon began studying more seriously with yogi Amrit Desai, founder of the Kripalu Center, Kripalu yoga and Amrit yoga. She’s attended many yoga and meditation workshops and trainings at Kripalu, the Omega Institute and the Amrit Institute. Other yoga masters Colleen has studied with include Shiva Rea, Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa, Hari Kal Kalsa, Hari Kirin Kal Kalsa, Paulie Zink, and Beryl Bender Birch. She’s practiced Kripalu, Bikram, Amrit, and kundalini styles of yoga. Colleen is a Registered Yoga Teacher at the advanced level RYT 500 with the Yoga Alliance. Many of her students have been inspired to become registered yoga teachers. Colleen began teaching at The Yoga Garden in 1996.

Yoga, for Colleen, is a holistic science of the Self, and with consistent practice anyone can experience and realize their inherent unlimited potential. Yoga is a key to opening one’s life, to making the connection with one’s higher Self. It transforms from the inside out. What you experience on the mat, you experience off the mat. Colleen’s classes practice a uniquely designed sequence of yoga postures creating a full-body yoga workout. They simultaneously use conscious breath, inward focus, and non-judgmental awareness to move into increasingly deeper states of yoga naturally and effectively. This brings about a sense of supreme well-being on and off the mat. Colleen’s background as a musician comes through in her choice of music for each class. (back to top)

Brian Shane

teaching since 2009 • Hardstyle Russian Kettlebell

Brian has been a physical education teacher and high school college basketball coach for 20 years. He teaches strength through movement, training you to move properly. His goal is for you to develop your own functional strength, working in a smart, efficient and safe manner.  His teaching style approaches the body as an inter-connected unit and he works with you accordingly. Kettlebell training enhances joint mobility, flexibility and symmetry. Brian's classes train the body without breaking you down.

Brian's teaching style unites tension, relaxation and breath control, which are part of the hardstyle school of thought. His classes help you develop an internal focus becasue what you think about is what you will create. (back to top)

Marla Sussman

teaching since 2001 • Vinyasa Yoga, Yin Yoga, Pre- and Postnatal Yoga, Yoga for Children

Marla was first introduced to yoga in 1990 and was immediately inspired by its spiritual and physical teachings. She began practicing more regularly in 1999 and trained at Yoga on Main where she received her certification in 2001. Since then she’s received certification in prenatal, children’s, and yin yoga. She feels very blessed to have found yoga and is honored to be able to share what she’s learned.

For Marla, yoga is an expression and a part of an individual’s journey. It can fit into any lifestyle. She encourages body awareness and compassion using grace through movement. Her classes blend soft and strenuous movement in a safe, light-hearted and nurturing environment. Breathing, exploration, and joy are at the core of each class. (back to top)

Dawn Weisbord

teaching since 2001 • Qi Gong, Sheng Zhen Wuji Yuan Gong

Dawn began practicing and studying yoga in her early twenties. This practice piqued her interest in transformation through mindful breath and movement. She began formal study of acupuncture and qi gong in 1997 at the Traditional Acupuncture Institute. There, Chan Zhang was Dawn’s first qi gong teacher. She now studies extensively with Master Li Jun Feng. Master Li has certified Dawn to teach sheng zhen qi gong. She’s studied with various other wonderful teachers including Kimberly Rigsbee, Ken Cohen, Francesco Garripoli, Master Wu Zhongxian, and Li Jing. She’s a lifetime member of the National Qi Gong Association and of Peaceable Dragon. Dawn teaches acupuncture and qi gong at the WON Institute of Graduate Studies in Glenside, PA. She holds the credentials of M.Ac., Dilp.Ac., and is a certified qi gong instructor.

Finding the practice of qi gong to be transformational and evolutionary in her own life, Dawn loves to share her joy of practice through teaching. Anyone can learn and practice the simple and profound movements of qi gong. Dawn’s classes are relaxing and energizing. With mindful movement and breath students learn to cultivate and move qi energy and can create healing, health, well-being and transformation. Students practice standing, sitting and non-moving meditative forms as well as qi self-massage. Classes are designed to benefit students of all levels. (back to top)