MEET OUR YOGA INSTRUCTORS

CINDY MASTRY

Cindy Mastry was introduced to yoga by her Grandmother Ann Ree Colton in the 60’s, and began practicing at an early age, first with Lilias Folan on TV and with Vishnudevananda’s classic yoga text on her own. Cindy has a background in dance and also worked in the fitness industry on and off since the late seventies, always maintaining a home yoga practice. Today, focused only on Yoga, Cindy is the co-owner of the studio. She is a registered yoga teacher through Yoga Alliance (E-RYT) trained in classical Ashtanga Yoga at Mount Madonna Institute in California, home of the globally respected teacher and spiritual leader Baba Hari Dass who inspires “teach to learn”. Cindy has also studied with Kate Potter, Sharon Gannon and David Life, Larry Schultz, Gary Kraftsow, Jon Kest and Bryan Kest. She is currently enrolled in Georg Feuerstein's 800 hour History and Philosophy of Yoga Teacher Training. Her style blends knowledge learned from all her teachers to encourage practicing the principles of yoga with self awareness and balance, without competitiveness in order to reach the underlying vibrational life force energy and true essence of yoga.

JEN LOWERY

Jen is immensely grateful to have had the opportunity to complete her teacher training with master teacher, Jonny Kest. She also has studied extensively with Jonny’s brother Bryan, Shiva Rea, David Williams, and others. When Jen began seeking to further her yoga study a few years back, she discovered that most teacher training programs weren’t set up to go into great detail about yoga philosophy. So, she sought out the nation’s leading yoga philosopher, Georg Fuerstein, and participated in his 800 hour Yoga Traditions Philosophy course. She believes this intense philosophical study gives her a strong foundation from which to continue to grow her own personal practice and a deeper understanding of the principles and history behind her chosen spiritual path.

Jen loves to teach a strong, sweaty, and spiritual yoga class while at the same time remembering not to take the whole thing so damn seriously! She believes that having fun on the mat is much more important that than the position of our fingertips and toes, and that we should use our yoga as a path to strengthen our joy, gratitude, and compassion above everything else. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with getting a nice yoga butt in the process! Yoga has awesome side effects!

MARISSA SEGUNDO

Marissa Segundo is a native of St. Louis, Missouri where she first fell in love with yoga more than 10 years ago. She has been fortunate to travel the world from Morocco to Holland and living in Spain and Mexico. Her travels have provided Marissa with the opportunity to experience diverse yoga styles and practices. She incorporates her yoga practice into every aspect of her life and daily mediation. Influenced by yogic philosophy and teachings she brings the yamas of harmlessness and compassion into the union of yoga.

LAURA TILLINGHAST

Laura Tillinghast, RYT-200, was trained in the vinyasa style by James Kigar and Judy Weaver at Yoga South in Boca Raton, FL. Practicing since 2001, Laura became more and more connected with the practice taking a leave of absence from her corporate job to become certified in 2008, then becoming a full-time instructor in 2009. Laura has also taught at the Tampa Museum of Art and the Salvador Dali Museum and is currently developing a program for the U.S. military academies. Her vinyasa style flows together ashtanga postures linking movement with breath, inviting freedom from mental chatter; a balance of strength and gentility; and space for peace and inspiration.

KRISHNA BHARTI (ANIL PRASAD)

In the human body, there exists a power that is inactive. This power or energy can be activated through the practice of yoga. The main energy centers in the body are called chakras where this power is heated. All chakras have different kinds of powerful energies. You can activate all energy through the practice of Pranayama (breathing practices) and Asana (postures). Pranayama activates the chakras by hammering on them. Asana help the energy to center the body. After creating energy through Pranayama, Asanas provide the space for the power and energy. Once the energy is created, you can easily tap into your inner journey. Without first creating energy through the chakras, it is impossible to make an inner journey.

Anil Prasad( Krishna Bharti) has practiced and taught yoga and meditation in the Himalayas for over 20 years. We are fortunate to have his expertise here in the US. Let Anil help you tap into your own personal journey.

EMY TAFELSKI

Emy Tafelski began her practice accidentally in her living room 10 years ago watching Yoga Zone on television. The clarity of mind and peace Yoga brought her was something new to her life. Once found they were not things that she was willing to let go. She began a daily practice. Yoga became an integral part of her life and her being. After focusing on her personal practice for some years she realized that she wanted to share the peace, relaxation and power of Yoga with others. She trained in Tampa with Balance Point Teacher Training in order to aquire her 200-RYT with Yoga Alliance and has been teaching ever since. More recently she attended Yin Yoga Teacher Training with Sarah Powers. Emy believes the world would be an infinitely changed and better place if everyone practiced Yoga. She is changing the world one student at a time.

ERIN JANUS

Balancing mind, body and spirit empower those that are suffering to feel whole and free. The tools you'll learn in her class will help you create a new, fun and positive life, no matter your level. Most importantly, learn how to heal by releasing self judgment and perfectionism.

KERRY PORTER WILLS

Kerry is certified in Dharma Yoga (Austin, TX), a style that emphasizes the meditative aspect of practice. She has also studied Ashtanga, Iyengar and Yin Yoga. Kerry's teaching style stresses functional alignment, which allows each student to feel the internal forms of poses. Awareness in each posture tends to encourage more spacious movement and breath patterns. From this perspective, alignment is not the seeking of perfection, but rather a tool that facilitates increasing awareness of oneself. She draws inspiration from Yogic and Buddhist philosophy, yet resonates most directly with the sciences of Psychology, Neuroscience and Evolutionary Theory (particularly the work of Steven Pinker, Oliver Sacks and Richard Dawkins). She seeks a rational, non-mystical approach to this ancient practice.