Allison is a yoga therapist who provides a gentle, deep practice offeringhealing, nurturing, self care and compassion. She has a special interest in teaching yoga to students looking to release chronic tension through slower asana, breathe awareness, guided imagery, meditation and deep relaxation. Using music and poetry,  she offers an in-depth knowledge of the practice with modifications and variations, clear instruction, creative sequencing and intuitive insights into each student’s needs to guide them through the experience of knowing the Self, which is the true essence of yoga.  

Allison has over 10 years of teaching experience and a 200-hour yoga teacher certification from Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health (2006) and continues her studies there several times a year. She trained with Amy Weintraub in "Breathe to Beat the Blues" (2006)  She is a Rest and Renew Restorative Yoga Teacher with Judith Lasater (2009) and Minimum Props Restorative with Jillian Pransky (2013) In addition, she is trained to provide healing and care for students with cardiac, cancer and other medical concerns and is certified through Abundant Well Being: Yoga of the Heart- Cardiac and Cancer Training in Mind Body Therapy (Nischala Joy Devi 2011). Allison has studied Yin Yoga with Sarah Powers(2009) and Joe Barnett (2014) and Buddhist insight meditation with David Nichtern (2014). 

Allison has a deep love of practicing yoga because of its ability to balance energy and awareness. Yoga has helped her to create a vibrant and more full life, providing peace and alignment with her true nature.

Certified Yoga Instructor (CYT) Brigit Moynihan has been studying yoga for over 20 years and sees the practice as a life long journey. She has witnessed the ability of this ancient science to adapt to, and benefit, everyone who is willing to explore it. Brigit's teaching approach is interdisciplinary, drawing form many styles, and centers around vinyasa flow. By linking movement with breath the practice of yoga brings the student to experience their life force (the source of their essential power). The most valuable teacher for all is the breath and body, it is by experience that one gains true knowledge. Using the tools of breath, flow, balance and alignment, Brigit facilitates a strong, conscious, and efficient practice. She teaches from her personal experience and shares her knowledge with clarity and joy. Brigit has been teaching private, group and corporate classes; workshops and conferences for the past 15 years in Manhattan, NY, West Chester County, NY, Stamford and Greenwich, CT.

Carl is very passionate about yoga, and teaching has allowed him to express this passion. “Yoga has improved my physical, emotional and spiritual life, and one of my goals as a teacher is to guide others to experience these benefits.” With a focus on the breath, Carl guides his students through a creative and flowing sequence of postures building heat and energy (Vinyasa). The postures are then held for lengths of time (Hatha) while Carl instructs his students into proper alignment to help develop strength and ease - a duality he speaks of frequently throughout his classes. Students not only look forward to and greatly benefit from Carl’s blend of Vinyasa and Hatha, but they also enjoy experiencing his well thought-out music playlists. Carl has been teaching for over 10 years. He completed his 200-hour teacher training at OM Yoga in New York City.

Caroline began practicing Yoga after she had moved away from her home country of Switzerland to Mexico City . Yoga gave her the tools to ground herself while coping with a different culture and language.

After moving to New York in 2002 she started the 500h-teacher training in ISHTA with Alan Finger. She chose his style because she is fascinated with the symbiotic combination of a spiritual practice which at the same time is physically challenging too. Also, ISHTA Yoga is one of the few styles that incorporates Ayurveda, the medical sister science of Yoga.

Caroline’s teaching is infused with her fascination toward Yoga, Science, and the Environment, and the connection of it all. Her classes are challenging yet organic and fluid. She feels strongly about honoring every person and teaching them greater awareness of themselves, through the tools of Tantra and Hatha Yoga. This multi-faceted approach helps her students find their personal way to feel balanced and recharged after practise.

Colleen Breeckner has been a student of Yoga for over twenty years. Colleen is eRYT 500 with the Yoga Alliance she holds several certifications from various traditions. Colleen trained for certification in the Anusara teaching method for 7 years. Colleen is a lead teacher with over twelve years of teaching experience.  She is the director of Lila Tandava Yoga Teacher Training based in New York and Connecticut. She frequently hosts workshops, classes and outdoor adventure retreats for adults, teens and children throughout Connecticut and New York. She is known for her playful and spirited style and for her ability to convey complex spiritual teachings in a lighthearted, accessible way. Her clear articulation of the poses along with her creativity make her classes profound, physically challenging and fun. Throughout the years Colleen has kept a foothold in a variety of different traditions including: Vinyasa, Iyengar, Kundalini, Ashtanga, Jivamukti, Katonah Yoga, therapeutics and more. She feels that all traditions have something of value to offer and truly honors each system for the perspective they give to the teachings. She draws from many spiritual masters to guide her teachings and is currently pursuing study with Christopher Tompkins and Christopher 'Hareesh' Wallis PhD.. Colleen feels deeply compelled to uplift and serve all the beings she encounters. She is driven by a deep commitment to humanity, helping others to surmount lifes challenges and find the strength within themselves to prevail. She continues to pursue learning in all areas of Yoga including: meditation, pranayama, philosophy and other forms of movement. Colleen is a certified Herbalist and stucent of Ayurveda, she holds a certificate in Thai Yoga Massage and incorporates this knowledge into her classes. She has a son Kaleo (19) and a dog Riley (4).

Darcy Bowman views life as an opportunity and is inspired in each precious breath. She encourages her students to approach yoga as a way of life, to practice with a beginner's mind, with loving kindness, and with sincerity. Whether she’s teaching hatha or restorative yoga, she leads with an inquiry based approach that empowers students. Darcy is an RYT-500, having taken her 200 hour training at Bright Spirit Yoga in Hoboken, NJ, then 300 hour ISHTA training at YogaWorks, NYC. She has taken many additional Teacher Trainings including Yoga Tune Up® with Jill Miller, Advanced Relax and Renew with Judith Lasater, and 108 hour Anusara Immersion with Lorraine Aguilar. Darcy graduated from Pacific College of Oriental Medicine and is a Licensed Massage Therapist. She has studied extensively with Glenn Black, Nischala Joy Devi and many others.

Debbie believes that every body and every mind can benefit from a regular yoga practice.  Yoga increases flexibility, strengthens muscles and regulates breath.  It improves athletic performance.  It instills a sense of calm. Yoga allows us to step away from our hectic lives and just breathe. It makes us feel good.

Debbie has been practicing yoga for 15 years. She attended her first class because she was told it would lead to flatter abs.  Instead, she gained a sense of balance and serenity.  Her body felt limber and strong.  Yoga has been her passion ever since.

Debbie brings a sense of humor and light-heartedness to her classes while encouraging her students to shine in a nurturing environment.  She feels blessed to have studied with wonderful teachers from various traditions, and is thankful to her students for inspiring her to continue to learn about yoga every day. Debbie received her certification at Yoga Haven in Scarsdale, NY and is a Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Teacher. 

After years of study and practice Deborah became a teacher. Yoga has helped her discover parts of herself that had been lying dormant, taking her places she had never imagined…drawing her inside into untapped gardens, moving her body to music and chant that resonate deeply, connecting her to positive thoughts, feelings and places…finally understanding that each day is miraculous and each movement a precious gift.  Her practice and teaching lift her and her students and them in a gentle embrace. As a teacher, she feels lucky enough to be able to share these experiences and feelings with her students in a gentle and fun way. 

Denise began practicing yoga in 2001 to impress a then boyfriend and fell in love with both. She now shares her love of yoga with her husband and her two boys ( Max & Grant).

It was the challenge of the yoga practice that kept her motivated, but the feeling of well being that has kept her in love.

Now with a 200-Hour ISHTA Yoga certification and 300- Hour Hatha/Iyangar and a 40 Hour YogaEd certification, She leads her classes from the heart, in the hope that she can too lead someone to fall in love with Yoga, as her teacher did for her.

Donnamarie Del Signore has worked in the fitness industry for
over 15 years. Her class repertoire includes Yoga, Pilates, Barre, Cycle, and a variety of main studio disciplines. 

Donnamarie's passion for movement began at the age of 4 when she began dancing.  She has had the opportunity to study with Sean Corn, Mitchell Blier, Kino Macgregor, and Tao Porchon-Lynch for teacher trainings and workshops. 

Donnamarie has been certified by PHI Pilates in reformer, tower,
and mat.

She is also Power Pilates certified in Mat. Donnamarie did the
majority of her Pilates training with the renowned Polestar Pilates Program. Having studied comprehensive, allegro, and advanced assessment. 

She also has held certificates in pre-post natal exercise,
kickboxing, Spinning, and Schwinn and is a NASM - CPT. 

Her philosophy is that the body should be celebrated and
nurtured as opposed to broken down and fed negative thoughts about its shortcomings or weaknesses.  

She will be a perpetual student when it comes to fitness and yoga. The spark that has been ignited will never burn out. 

Ellen Patrick, E-RYT 500 & Certified Yoga Therapist is the graduate of 2 Yoga Teacher Training programs and after 10 additional years of training was among the first advanced teachers in the Northeast to become certified as a Yoga Therapist.  She has been teaching since 2000 and owned and directed The Yoga Sanctuary in Mamaroneck, NY for 12 years.  Ellen is currently registered with the Yoga Alliance as an E-RYT 500 and is also a member of the International Association of Yoga Therapists as a Certified Yoga Therapist.

Ellen teaches Therapeutic Vinyasa Yoga in which core strength and breath awareness are emphasized--overall strength, flexibility and joint range-of-motion are cultivated.  Additionally, students learn to adapt their practice to serve individual intentions, abilities and limitations.  Classes are infused with the philosophy of yoga, whereby students come to understand how to take their yoga off the mat and incorporate it into their lives.

Franklin is a Certified Kripalu Yoga Teacher since 2007, teaching in a variety of venues, including gyms, studios, elementary school, university, corporations, privately, and an interesting stint volunteering at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility.  The focus is a philosophy that yoga is for every body, and an emphasis on breath awareness and body awareness without judgement, simply noticing.  Postures and breath work are not goals to achieve, but tools for self awareness.

Breathe, relax, and discover your own yoga.  

Giovanna, the creator of “Inside Out Barre,” an Equinox Class, has been in the fitness and wellness industry for 36 years focusing on personal training and group fitness instruction. She has spent the last 32 years in New York City and has been with Equinox Fitness for the past 22 years as a personal trainer and group fitness instructor and manager. She possesses a strong and equally diverse background in yoga, Pilates, dance, skills, strength and cardiovascular training and conditioning, as well as extensive experience involving sport-specific and "special populations" training. 

Jacqui Stix is a yogi and an artist.  Her art education background has influenced her to view body movement as an art form. Her goal is to help spread the joy and love of yoga to all ages. Through mindful movements, breath work, fun music and a light hearted atmosphere she helps people create a positive and grateful mindset on and off the mat. She believes yoga is a beautiful, fun and expressive form of art that can benefit everyone during any stage of life.

Jacqui is a certified vinyasa teacher (200 hour from Yoga Haven, 2012), kids yoga teacher (Little Sprouts, 2011), aerial yoga teacher (AirCat Yoga, 2012) Pilates mat teacher (Core Pilates, 2014), prenatal yoga certification (Kelly Swalis at Yoga Haven 2014) and received her Doula certification (Deborah Pascali-Bonaro at Birth Day Presence 2016).

It seems Joe has always been "teaching" in one capacity or another. Starting in high school as a tutor to friends, then continuing while in undergraduate school at a program for pregnant teenagers, he shortly thereafter began working with severely and profoundly disabled children (which led him to a full time career). It was at that point in time Joe became involved with the Martial Arts (receiving his black belt in Tae Kwondo), which he then taught for a couple of years. Yoga entered his life in 2006 (as did Tai Chi Chuan). Wanting to know and learn much more about yoga, in late 2007 he began a 200 HR TT program at YW in NYC under the guidance of Jenny Aurthur & Jeanmarie Paolillo. In early 2009 he continued his yoga training by taking the 300 HR TT (also at YW NYC) under the mentorship of Chrissy Carter. Having completed the 500 HR TT,  Joe has continued taking workshops & TT (a few Restorative trainings with Jillian Pransky, and a couple "Baby Boomers & Beyond" trainings with with Rama Nina Patella). Joe often says that he did his yoga "studies" backwards: that it would have been better to have been a student/practitioner of yoga for a number of years prior to taking the teacher trainings. But none the less, it led him to a very special place - giving him what was necessary to instruct & teach yoga to others. In his words, "teaching enables me to give a part of myself to others. Teaching offers an opportunity to impart knowledge and skills to others, which in turn makes this a better place to leave behind".

Since 2009, Joe has been teaching yoga in his neighborhood at a physical therapy facility & at YW in Irvington, and, Tai Chi classes in various locations, while continuing to work full time in a family business. A quote that often comes to his mind is: "the idea is that the greatest joy in life lies in helping others, and we should not be afraid to make sacrifices". Joe knows that the yoga and Tai Chi practices will forever be a part of his life.

Joyce Schroeder is a certified Shake Your Soul instructor and an organizational change consultant. A gifted facilitator, she has been conducting workshops with large industrial organizations for the past 16 years. She combines her love of music, dance and yoga with her facilitation skills to make each class an outstanding experience.

Julie started doing yoga unknowingly at 15, when attending a summer course at SUNY Purchase for acting. The teacher said that “your body is your instrument” and then taught the class sun salutations as a way to keep the body and mind supple and in tune. After this, she began to do sun salutations “as her morning coffee” to this day. 39 years of on & off practice, but always involved in moving the body & body/mind – ie; teaching aerobics in the early ‘80’s once out of school. 16 years ago a friend suggested She get back to the mat. Taking that advice, she went back to a daily practice. Fate stepped in allowing her to go deeper when she won a raffle from YogaWorks for a 200 teacher training certification. Julie completed training in March 2012 and is registered with Yoga Alliance. Eternally a “yogi in transition”, Julie is grateful to now be able to share yoga with others, and to have some fun teaching it too.

Laurie Jordan is a social worker turned yoga instructor and children’s book author sharing her unique expertise to provide insight and special solutions to her students. Her classes are a refreshing departure from the idea that yoga must be very serious and almost no fun at all. On the contrary, her classes combine her playful sense of humor and laid back approach with years (and years and years) of experience as both a yoga teacher and yoga student. Add to that mix, an awesome music soundtrack–and her classes feel like a 75 minute celebration. But experience aside, what sets Laurie apart is her ability to relate and connect with students in a way that makes them feel safe, comfortable, completely at ease—and eager to return to their mats again and again!!

Liz is a certified E-200 RYT (Registered Yoga Teacher) with Yoga Alliance. She took her first class 13 years ago. She comes from a thorough fitness background for over 25 years and loved the concept of Yoga, yet had a hard time quieting her restless mind. After the birth of her daughter 12 years ago, and experiencing heightened mental duress, Liz revisited the practice of Yoga in 2005. Her rekindled love for Yoga led her to become certified through Yoga Works and has been a dedicated teacher for the past 4 years.

Yoga has been her salvation and a grounding source of healing, loving compassion with tremendous growth; mentally, physically and spiritually. Liz promotes this healing aspect within her classes, adding a sense of humor, too and hopes to encourage and inspire all ages, shapes, sizes and levels. She has found that yoga only promotes a sacred space for feeling welcomed, accepted and connected, which provides helpful tools to use not only while on the mat but more importantly, off the mat.

Liz's teaching style incorporates a grounding pace mixed with a real depth of breath work and an understanding of alignment for each and every pose.  This is to ensure safety, stability and knowledge in order to be fully present in your practice.

Megan is a dancer, choreographer, and teacher with a BFA from the Juilliard School and an MFA from Sarah Lawrence College and a 200 hr. teacher training from Laws of Yoga with Gwen Lawrence.

Her personal yoga and meditation practice began in earnest in 1990 (with Iyengar teacher Genny Kapuler) as a way of looking within and balancing the rigors of a professional international dance career with life’s abundant challenges. Throughout years of training, performing and mothering, she has always been a teacher. After touring worldwide with the renowned Mark Morris Dance Group, she joined the faculty of the Conservatory of Dance at Purchase College SUNY where she taught for 13 years. She currently teaches Professional Level Ballet for Contemporary Dancers at Gibney Dance Center in Manhattan and is on the guest faculty of the Mark Morris Dance Center in Brooklyn. She teaches a weekly Dance for Parkinson’s Disease class at the Rye Arts Center and is on the flagship team of the acclaimed Dance for PD program.

Megan has studied functional and kinesthetic anatomy throughout her life and is devoted to the neuro- muscular and ideokinetic facilitation work of anatomist Irene Dowd. Megan applies this knowledge along with her artistic sensibility to her understanding and teaching of yoga, directing her students toward a deeper awareness in asana and pranayama through precision of alignment and creative visual imagery. She believes that the body and the mind are not separate entities, and that a thorough exploration of our whole selves can lead us to being more alert, powerful and engaged in the world.

Melanie Hyman Tilles spent her childhood and young adult life studying gymnastics, movement and dance. After completing a masters from NYU in dance and movement therapy, she pursued yoga as a way of transcending her love for movement into meditation. Melanie moved to California to pursue the Bikram Yoga teacher training in 2001.  Soon after its completion she came back east and co-founded the Bikram Yoga studio in Larchmont, NY.  She continued to develop her practice, study and educate herself in all different forms of yoga. Through this process she was fortunate enough to find a mentor in Nevine Michaan at Katonah Yoga Center, where she has taught and been studying for over 12 years.  She eventually sold her Bikram Yoga studio so that she could incorporate her unique creative yoga style into teaching and share the knowledge of all that have and continue to inspire her. Melanie has been teaching throughout Westchester County for the past 14 years.

With a strong focus on breath consciousness and alignment, Melanie's classes flow with depth, creativity and playfulness, giving her students the opportunity to potentiate their well-being through a transformative mind/body/breath experience.

Patty came to embrace the healing qualities of yoga through her daughters’ illness, whom at the age of two was diagnosed with cancer.  Throughout her daughters’ two year chemotherapy treatment, heartache, stress and fear encompassed their lives . Towards the end of this treatment, her daughter was well enough to attend preschool, at which time Patty was guided to attend the yoga class offered next to the school.

To her surprise, the practice of yoga started the healing process.  Through the poses she was able to release what had accumulated in her body and eventually was able to find her sense of well-being again. Five years later as her daughter was strong and healthy, it was at this point she decided to become a teacher so that she could help people feel the same healing benefits of yoga. 

She has studied through Yoga works and is 500hr Register Yoga Teacher.  Her teaching style combines the work of healing and alignment to ensure a safe and focused practice.  She enjoys creating a warm and welcoming environment in her class, while leaving students feeling strengthened mentally, emotionally and physically. 

Paisley is an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher as well as an Anusara inspired teacher.  Her classes blend the two styles of yoga together, starting with warming the body up with some traditional vinyasa flow and then moving into a more detailed alignment-based practice where we explore and go deeper into either a particular category of poses or work up to an optional advanced pose of the day. Paisley strives to help her students refine their practices so that the body is free to express itself optimally. 

Sara teaches classes that incorporate a challenging vinyasa flow with a focus on alignment and breath.  Sequencing a class that is strong yet accessible, playful and compassionate, she encourages students to dig deep to make self discoveries both physically and spiritually on and off the mat.   

Shari Lieberman Balaish discovered the practice of yoga after the birth of her third child almost sixteen years ago. Yoga is an integral part of her life and “provides endless possibility for building strength and finding peace.” Shari received her 200 hour teacher training from Laws of Yoga with Gwen Lawrence/Power yoga for sports, kids’ yoga training with Laurie Jordan at Kaia Yoga and an intensive training with Ellen Saltonstall of the Anusara Hatha yoga method. Shari is excited to be working toward her 300-hour training at Kaia Yoga to enhance and deepen her knowledge of anatomy, the subtle body, meditation and much more.  She incorporates the principals of yoga and alignment into everything she does, from a simple walk, to moments of parenting, to movement on the mat and truly loves to inspire students of all ages in their discovery of yoga.

SINDA has a BA degree in English and began teaching Vinyasa Yoga in 2000. She has a dedicated daily Ashtanga practice which has  been a part of her routine for the past 2 1/2 years. Sinda provides a nurturing and challenging breath and alignment based vinyasa class with a fun and progressive experience. Breaking poses down to be accessible to all have earned her a following for the past 15 years and won her "Best Yoga Teacher" from Westchester Magazine crime 2013-2015. Her love of teaching and positive energy are obvious the moment you step into the studio!

She holds certifications for prenatal yoga, kids yoga, postnatal yoga Advanced Thai Yoga Massage Therapy, Reiki 1, yoga for kids with special needs. In 2006, she designed a 200-hour Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training Program at her Studio “Yoga Journey, RYS” in White Plains recognized by Yoga Alliance and Directed 6-month long teacher trainings. She also designed and ran teacher training programs for Kids Yoga, Prenatal Yoga, Toddler & Me Yoga and Mommy & Me Yoga.   

SINDA teaches extensively throughout Westchester and CT, is published in ElephantJournal.com; Yoganonymous.com and print issue of Bella NYC Magazine. She is the mom of 2 children and resides in Westchester, NY. She is thrilled to join the fun talented family of staff members at Tovami!

Stephanie Petrillo Gould is a certified Kripalu yoga teacher and yoga therapist. She completed her 200-hour training in 2008 and subsequently has completed trainings in Yoga for Cancer and Restorative Yoga at Kaia Yoga with Jillian Pransky. Stephanie has gratefully practiced yoga for 30 years and it has helped her learn to manage the challenges of life on and off the mat. Stephanie was diagnosed with cancer in 2005, throughout her treatment and recovery, she found solace and emotional and physical strength in her yoga practice. She wishes to share this with others.

Before working as a yoga teacher, Stephanie trained in dance with a bachelors in dance education. She holds a masters degree in counseling and consulting psychology from Harvard University and retired last June from a career as a school psychologist. Her training as a psychotherapist informs her life and work. 

Stephanie's classes blend yogic philosophy, breath work, physical postures and restorative yoga to enable students to adapt their practice to their bodies and lives.