Our World-Class Instructors are Making Magic in the Mountains

Melissa Boyd is a longtime yoga instructor, with over 25 years experience and the owner of Satya Yoga & Pilates Wellness Center in Port Jefferson Station, NY. She is also the owner of Yoga University-East Coast, the premier yoga teacher training school for 13 years. She is dedicated to sharing her knowledge and offering the confirmed benefits of yoga and pilates.

Melissa holds a 500-hour E-RYT certification and specializes in prenatal, fertility and chair yoga. She is also a certified instructor in the Iyengar method of Relax and Renew Restorative yoga. She is a certified Polestar Pilates teacher with 19 years of experience in reformer and studio Pilates.

A lifelong dancer, Melissa has studied and taught ballet, lyrical, jazz, ballroom and belly dancing through lessons and workshops worldwide.

Jen Carlin (E-RYT 500) is a senior faculty member and lead presenter at Humming Puppy in New York City and a signed athlete with Nike. With more than a decade of teaching experience and a lifelong devotion to movement, Jen offers classes that are both technically grounded and deeply nourishing. She first discovered yoga while studying dance in college, and it quickly became a source of strength, healing, and connection. Since then, the practice has remained her pathway to physical vitality, emotional resilience, and spiritual alignment.

Jen’s teaching is rooted in alignment-based Vinyasa and influenced by the Kripalu and Ashtanga lineages. Her wide-ranging training includes specializations in Yin Yoga, Restorative Yoga, Yoga Nidra, anatomy, Thai massage, sound healing, and meditation. She is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Yoga Studies with a concentration in Yoga Therapy at Loyola Marymount University, deepening her integration of ancient wisdom and modern science.

In every class, Jen weaves together philosophy, intelligent sequencing, affirmations, and breathwork to guide students toward presence, transformation, and play. Whether she’s leading a dynamic flow or a deeply restorative sound bath, her teaching invites intention, authenticity, and aliveness, creating space for people to reconnect with their truest selves.

Sarah has over 1,000 hours of specialized training in various forms of yoga, meditation and energy healing, and is a 200-hour RYT through Asheville Yoga Center in North Carolina. She holds advanced certifications in trauma-informed kundalini yoga, yoga for enneagram, Tibetan Buddhist meditation, trauma-informed vinyasa, kundalini rebirthing, yin yoga, Ayurveda, yoga nidra and prenatal yoga. She is also a Shamanic Reiki Master Teacher who has supported many students toward their own Reiki certifications.

Through her work as both a teacher and healer, Sarah guides individuals toward personal empowerment and nurturing the whole self, with a focus on harmony among the mind, body and soul. She is dedicated to incorporating yoga philosophy into daily life, through the principles of the yamas and niyamas, and is devoted to offering support and guidance toward the growth and well-being of others.

Nancy Forstbauer is a 300-hour certified yoga trapeze instructor through the Yoga Teacher’s College. She completed 300 hours of training with global prana vinyasa teacher Shiva Rea and is certified in yoga trance dance. She has trained with prominent yoga instructors Rodney Yee and Colleen Sandman, and studied joint mobilization through work with Jill Miller, author and creator of the Roll Model, and is certified in Every Kid’s Yoga, which focuses on children with special needs.

Sabrina Elmaliah is a 200-hour RYT, the creator of Yoga Soul Medicine, and a student of Raja Yoga. Her Gentle Yoga classes focus on ease and flow for all levels, weaving movements stretches, breath work, and yogic teachings.

Paola Cruz is a 700-hour E-RYT. She hosts events and retreats worldwide focused on Hatha-Vinyasa, mindfulness and meditation.

Originally from Honduras, Paola came to the US for university at age 18 and holds a bachelor’s degree in merchandising and marketing. Soon after moving to New York City and launching her own jewelry line, she discovered meditation in 2012 and began a dedicated practice. She took her first yoga asana class in 2018 and soon after traveled to India to study with yoga masters. For Paola, yoga is a way of life that brings balance to the mind, body and soul.

Corinne Gervai is Founder and Director of Euphoria Yoga in Woodstock, New York, and has more than 18 years of teaching experience in New York City and Woodstock NY. She is certified in yoga teaching through the Jivamukti Yoga School following a year-long intensive program in 2000 led by Sharon Gannon and David Life. In 2005, she received her advanced Jivamukti certification.

Corinne’s vinyasa practice is infused with teachings and music that aim to inspire participants with the transformative power of yoga for each individual’s realization of their fullest potential.

Nikki Haas is a 500-hour E-RYT and a Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider. She is an educator and trainer at Marist College, in Poughkeepsie, NY, and facilitates holistic yoga retreats in Vieques, Puerto Rico.

Nikki has trained in multiple yoga styles including Hot 26, Yoga Nidra, Yin, Restorative, Athletic Strength Training, Ayurveda and Bhakti. She combines her extensive knowledge of yoga philosophy and history with her studies in anatomy to create classes that empower people to be their authentic selves.

As a devotional Kirtan artist and singer/songwriter, Darren has had a rich and eclectic musical career with more than 30 original songs featured in film and television. Harboring a deep commitment to the awakening of our true-selves through the power of sound, he is devoted to sharing his unique blend of pop/folk inspired melodies and sacred chants with as many people as possible around the world. He shares his music at yoga studios, yoga festivals, music festivals, and other conscious event venues.

Nicki is a passionate yoga instructor whose journey began 15 years ago when she attended her very first class alongside her mom. That early experience sparked a lifelong love for the practice, leading her to pursue teacher training at Shakti Yoga in Woodstock, NY. In 2017, she earned her Yoga Alliance certification, gaining not only the foundational tools of teaching but also a deep appreciation for yoga as a way of life — on and off the mat.

Nicki is also certified in teaching kids yoga and holds Reiki Level 1 & 2 certifications, which inform her holistic, energy-aware approach to movement and mindfulness.

In her classes, you can expect to be gently challenged through energizing and uplifting flows that invite presence, focus, and connection. Her goal is to help students step away from the distractions of the outside world and onto the mat as a space for growth and renewal. You’ll leave class feeling grounded, refreshed, and ready for whatever lies ahead.

Aroonji is a dedicated yoga teacher and spiritual guide originally from India, where yoga and meditation are woven into the cultural fabric. His journey has taken him across Southeast Asia, Europe, and the United States, blending Eastern tradition with Western philosophy. A certified Waldorf educator and lifelong student of Anthroposophy, Aroonji brings compassion, inclusivity, and deep spiritual insight into every class.

Now based in Tuscany, Italy, with his wife and three children, he runs Yogasole, a yoga and retreat space rooted in healing and self-discovery. His teaching draws from Hatha, Pranayama, Dynamic Yoga, Yoga Nidra, and more — adapting practices for all ages and abilities. He also offers chakra healing, spiritual coaching, and Ayurvedic guidance.

Blending movement, mantra, and mindfulness, Aroonji creates a welcoming space for transformation, encouraging students to awaken their inner light and reconnect with their true essence.

Originally from Poland, Isha Justyna Kostek studied and facilitated active meditations at the Osho International Meditation Institute in Pune, India, where she earned her certification as an active meditation instructor. Isha has guided these transformative practices at various spiritual gatherings, including ecstatic dance events, women's circles, cacao ceremonies, and different yoga studios in NYC, upstate New York, Poland, and India. She is also the founder of Ecstatic Dance Oneonta and is very passionate about bringing wellness offerings to rural areas. She is a certified master-level sound healing therapist from Samaveda International Sound Healing Academy in Arambol, India. Isha is a born horse medicine woman and is currently a part of Therapeutic Horsemanship studies at SUNY Cobleskill NY. She is a singer/songwriter in The Lightning Girls, an uplifting rock duo bringing love, joy, and peace to your heart one song at a time! IG: @isha_activemeditations

Dani, 500-ERYT, is a dynamic yoga teacher, professional artist, textile designer, and entrepreneur whose passion lies in helping others harness their innate power through individualized practice. With certifications in Iyengar Yoga Wall, Trauma-Informed Yoga, Kids Yoga, and Yoga Therapeutics, Dani brings a wealth of knowledge and a heart-centered approach to every class she leads.

She is the creator and founder of Heartful Yoga, a unique integration of yoga and art designed to cultivate creativity, healing, and self-expression. Her collaborative workshops culminate in custom-designed lifestyle products, each print telling a meaningful story inspired by community and transformation.

Dani’s teaching is rooted in the traditions of Raja Hatha Yoga and emphasizes inclusivity, accessibility, and adaptability for all bodies and identities. Her classes are thoughtfully designed to support emotional and mental well-being through the seamless blend of asana, pranayama, meditation, and artistic expression.

Dani creates a supportive space where students feel empowered to explore their practice, both on and off the mat.

Karisa Johnston is a 5,000-hour yoga and meditation therapist, and has extensive training as a special needs yoga therapist, sound therapist, breath work therapist and trauma therapist. Karisa, known by her students as Kundalini Karisa, is the founder of Unum Heart Elevation Station, and the Elevation Tool Box Method, which incorporates Kundalini, breath work and sound vibration in a vibrant approach to wellness and to help those coping with depression, anxiety, grief, sleep disorders and other issues.

She holds an MA in psychology and is a Wanderlust 108 global teacher and community influencer. She offers retreats, classes and personal sessions through uh-meditate.com and at Unum Heart The Space in Wading River, New York.

First as a student, Karisa learned that Kundalini Yoga is the Yoga of Self Mastery. It is a Yoga that makes you drop your self-limiting beliefs so you can fulfill your destiny, your purpose, and understand what you are here to do. Karisa is one of those rare teachers that brings the teachings of Kundalini Yoga into a safe space so people can rediscover the joy and wisdom that already lives inside of them.

Harish is the founder and lead instructor of Inner Transformation Yoga, a practice dedicated to guiding individuals toward profound self-awareness through ancient yogic wisdom. His journey into yoga began unexpectedly during a visit to India, where a Vedic astrologer introduced him to Pranayama — the art of intentional breathwork — as a means to influence one's life path. This encounter sparked a deep exploration into the interconnectedness of the universe and the self.

Over the years, Harish studied under esteemed Siddha masters, delving into advanced practices such as Vasi Yoga, a revered form of breathwork rooted in the teachings of Maharishi Bogar and Mahavatar Babaji. Through these studies, he developed Shakti Pranayama, a transformative approach that integrates breath, body vibrations, and cosmic principles to facilitate inner clarity and harmony.

Harish's teachings emphasize the importance of connecting with one's inner self to navigate life with clarity and purpose. By sharing these practices, he aims to help others experience the harmonious patterns underlying their life experiences, fostering a deeper understanding of the self and the universe.

Allie is a 500-hour RYT with a focus on Kundalini yoga. Originally from Connecticut, Allie currently lives in northeast Pennsylvania, where she teaches yoga classes that incorporate numerology, astrology, Reiki and crystal healing. Allie also brings her personal experience with Kundalini yoga confirmed the transformative power of this practice; as a teacher, she has seen results among her students even after just one class.

Lian, MS in Yoga Therapy, C-IAYT 1000, E-RYT 500, YACEP, and an initiated Korean shaman apprentice, empowers individuals on their health and wellness journeys through an evidence-informed and socially inclusive lens.

Blending the wisdom of traditional yoga and Mugyo (Korean shamanism), Lian guides clients in cultivating resilience, inner resources, and holistic well-being through integrative yoga therapy practices. Her work offers a platform for healing and self-exploration, helping individuals navigate their biopsychosocial experience with greater ease, freedom, and bliss.

Jessie Moore teaches aerial yoga for adults and children. A longtime member of The Cardio Club and Delhi Dance Studio, Jessie has seen the multitude of benefits from aerial yoga on physical strength and agility, self esteem, self awareness, teamwork and community. Jessie is a registered nurse and currently works in the emergency department at Margaretville Hospital.

For more than a decade, Jessie has had the privilege of practicing, studying, and teaching yoga in various locations around the world. From growing up in the sands of California, to studying yoga in the mountaintops of the Himalayas overlooking the temple of the Dalai Lama, to living in silence with the Buddhists in Thailand, to her philanthropic endeavors and travels worldwide, Jess brings these unique experiences into her classes and dharma talks. 

By discovering the ability to connect the practice of yoga with the elements of nature through Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) Yoga, Jess launched Elements Yoga and Paddleboard with the hopes of reminding us all that we can do hard things, that we are all part of something bigger, and that the lessons we learn on our mat can help us to live a life more connected and free from suffering.  

Jessie is the founder and owner of Elements Yoga and Paddleboard, the cofounder of the nonprofit The Foundation for Better Education and Living in Uganda, a 300 HR Yoga Alliance certified teacher, a WPA certified Water Guide and SUP Yoga Teacher, and is trained in Vipassana Meditation, Restorative Yoga, Prenatal Yoga, massage, and more. Come join her and see what you might discover about yourself!

Kat, 500-ERYT, YACEP, and with more than 1,350 hours of yoga training, is a yoga teacher based in New York City and the surrounding areas. She teaches group classes, workshops, master classes, intensives, and continuing education programs for teachers. Kat specializes in Myofascial Integrated Alignment Vinyasa, a technique designed to explore lines of tension and compression in the body while working on both flexibility and stability within the same class.

Kat also enjoys working with students in therapeutic settings, having helped everyone from serious athletes and clients recovering from injury or surgery, to those learning handstands and individuals seeking to maintain balance, strength, and mobility as they age.

She has completed more than 600 hours of training with Dylan Werner, 300 hours with Tiffany Cruikshank, 300 hours with Dice Iida-Klein, and additional training with David Regelin, Sean Langhus, Isaac Peña, and more. Simply put, Kat has been in love with the yoga practice ever since she stepped on the mat 19 years ago.

Andrea Powers' journey into the world of yoga and healing began at a remarkably young age. At age seven she had the unforgettable experience of meeting one of her indigenous spirit guides, who became an integral part of her life. This encounter opened her up to a world of ancient wisdom and teachings that would shape her understanding of the energetic forces that move through the body.

Throughout her adolescent years, Andrea continued to dive deeper into her spiritual practice. At 18, she had a life-changing experience known as a Spontaneous Kundalini Awakening. It was during this time that she encountered Yogi Bhajan, a renowned spiritual teacher and the master of Kundalini Yoga.

Powers has designed her classes to be a holistic experience, incorporating elements of meditation, movement, and recovery. Her goal is to create a space where students can not only strengthen their bodies but also develop a deeper understanding of themselves and cultivate a sense of inner peace.

Ananda Priti is a holistic healing practitioner who incorporates yoga, breath work, reiki and sound into her teaching. She is a 200-hour RYT, a certified breath work practitioner and a Usui Reiki Master.

Ananda completed her initial yoga training with Ami Jayaprada and Michael Stein, and also holds a 200-hour certification in Kundalini yoga through work with Gijanjali and Harbhajan Kar Khalsa. She has completed an additional 500 hours of yoga therapy training with Shanti Shanti, MD, and Hari Kirin Kaur Khalsa, MD, with a particular focus on sound-based techniques. Her training and teaching is dedicated to self-discovery and healing through energy.

Selena Reynolds currently teaches at Shakti Yoga Studios, Menla Mountain Retreat Center, and privately in Woodstock, NY, and the surrounding area. She completed Shakti Yoga’s 500-hour Advanced Teacher Training with Linda Lalita Winnick in 2015, and continues to study all aspects of yoga.

Selena’s vinyasa classes are informative, exploratory, fun and designed to leave students feeling nourished, balanced, rejuvenated and empowered. She first came to yoga as a college student in 1998 and, over time, found that studying yoga helped her make sense of life and being human. Her practice helps her maintain balance, openness and joy and she is passionate about the promise of yoga to contribute positively to our relationships and communities.

Kelsie Rockefeller is a 500-hour ERYT with pending certification from the International Association of Yoga Therapists. Born and raised in upstate New York, Kelsie has been studying yoga and other forms of bodywork for more than a decade and has accrued more than 1,800 hours of training in yoga, functional fitness and massage therapy.

She works as part of an integrative team of physical therapists, chiropractors, physicians and mental health counselors and she teaches at Yoga People, in Oneonta. Her classes are informed by a longtime interest in Ayurvedic traditions, including the use of breathing and sound to create balance and ease.

Marguerite Uhlmann-Bower is a co-founder of Plant Pioneers, a multi-generational movement focused on the relationship between humans and plants. She is a clinical herbalist consultant and a retired registered nurse who is dedicated to building a connection with nature through sensory exchange and heightened consciousness. Working with a medium best described as frequency, Marguerite’s workshops and other offerings focus on restoring our ability to commune with nature.

Marguerite studied with clinical herbalist Kate Gilday and has spent decades studying the plant knowledge of First Nation peoples. She is the lead project trainer at Plant Pioneers, where she also focused on researching sensory exchange between plants and humans.

Tessa Raine Robinson is a 500-hour RYT through Shakti Yoga, in Woodstock and Saugerties, New York, and has completed 50 hours of advanced training. She currently teaches at Shakti Yoga and Firehouse Jiu Jitsu, in Catskill, New York.

Raised in the Catskill mountains, Tessa has been practicing yoga for 13 years. She has a particular passion for yoga nidra, meditation and applying the teachings of Ayurveda to modern day living. Her goal is to make yoga comfortable and accessible to everyone.

Sabrina is an author, health and wellness coach, fitness instructor, mindfulness practitioner, and joy seeker. She helps others release what may be weighing them down, discover their wings, and soar. Sabrina specializes in supporting individuals navigating grief, healing, or major life transitions.

She holds numerous certifications across health, fitness, and wellness disciplines, with more than 400 hours of yoga teacher training. Her credentials include certifications from ACE, AFAA, NASM, 200-hour RYT, 200-hour Kundalini Yoga RYT, 100-hour Certified Meditation Teacher, and several branded formats and specialty areas.

No matter the modality, Sabrina’s passion lies in helping people find more joy — and in making movement fun, accessible, and empowering for everyone.

Nevada Schuman is a dedicated and multi-talented individual with a diverse background in healthcare, education, athletics, and the service industry. A proud graduate of Roxbury Central School, Nevada went on to earn a Bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies from SUNY Oneonta. She is currently pursuing her RN-BSN at SUNY Delhi, reflecting her passion for healthcare and lifelong learning.

With four years of experience as a Certified Nurse Aide, Nevada has built a strong foundation in patient care and clinical support. Her career journey also includes nearly a decade of work in the hospitality industry.

Beyond academics and work, Nevada is an avid fitness enthusiast with four years of weightlifting experience. Her athletic journey began early, excelling as a student-athlete in high school where she played soccer, softball, and participated in cheerleading. Notably, she was recognized as an All-Star athlete in soccer and represented her team on an international trip to Italy. In college, she continued her athletic pursuits by playing on the club soccer team.

A passionate advocate for wellness, Nevada has also spent the past decade studying yoga and aerial yoga, deepening her understanding of physical and mental health.