May
Marissa Anteby
Marissa has devoted thousands of hours, spanning four continents, attending classes, seminars, and retreats, with the most revered physiology experts. Her intensive study with John Friend, Founder of Anusara Yoga, Rodney Yee, world renowned Gaiam Yogi, Julie Kleinman, Director of Yoga Works LA, and Ellie Herman, author and owner of Ellie Herman Pilates, continue to shape the way Marissa teaches.
Marissa has earned and maintains nine certifications from the top authoritative agencies in the wellness field. Among these is a six-month Hatha Yoga Teacher Training she completed under industry icon, Molly Fox, a nine-month Ishta Advanced Yoga Teacher Training from Yogiraj Alan Finger, a Usui Reiki Level 2 certification from Shinpiden Tom Capshew, and Thai Yoga Massage certification from The Lotus Palm Centre.
As a Wellness Educator and President of www.embodyinc.com, Marissa has been leading people in the art of healthful living for nearly two decades. She has amassed a loyal following of students, including Iron-Men competitors and celebrities, through her permanent group exercise classes held in New York City’s premier health clubs and Yoga studios. Her signature, Vinyasa Yoga, Dynamic Sculpt, and Weekend Warrior Cycling (a blend of Yoga and hard-core riding), are crowd favorites. These classes attained international popularity, when Marissa lived and taught in Dubai, UAE.
Marissa’s nurturing style fosters individuality and inspires her students to unwrap each activity like a gift to themselves. She believes, “You are your own best teacher,” and formats her classes accordingly. Students benefit from the collaborative atmosphere she instills, and are moved to glean lessons from the inner workings of their own bodies and minds. Specializing in relaxation techniques, yoga therapeutics, and via her numerous published stress reduction articles (see embodyinc.blogspot.com), Marissa lovingly offers innovative healthy living options.
Anna Azrieli
Anna Azrieli received her yoga certification from Om Yoga Center in 1999. She has taught for the last 9 years at multiple venues including Om Yoga, the McBurney YMCA, Yoga People, Park Slope Yoga, Life in Motion, Namaste Yoga, Equinox Fitness, New York Yoga, NYU’s Coles Gym, Sal Anthony’s Movement Salon, and Sixth Street Pilates.
Anna is also a contemporary dance artist and performer. She has over fifteen years of experience teaching a variety of movement forms. She is inspired by her study of Body-Mind Centering, Authentic Movement, and Improvisation. Her teaching draws from these influences, incorporating the essence of movement and presence into the practice of yoga.
Shira Bieler
Shira Bieler came to yoga as many do, with a diagnosis of a chronic illness for which western medicine provided few answers and little hope. Through yoga, she found complete relief from all symptoms, and in the process discovered a path not only to physical wellness and strength, but to spiritual wellness and strength as well. Shira completed her teacher training at The Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in Lenox, Massachusetts. She has been blessed to teach in diverse settings, ranging from backstage at music festivals to inner-city high schools. In addition to teaching in an eclectic vinyasa style, Shira studied with Janice Clarfield and received her prenatal teaching certification. Shira loves embarking with women on the powerful journey of experiencing pregnancy and childbirth. Shira brings to the practice a light-hearted spirit and a belief that yoga should be fun. She continues to be amazed at the transformative power of yoga, both on and off the mat. She lives in Brooklyn with her family.
Alexis Taines Coe
A native of California, Alexis began practicing while in college in Santa Barbara, and continued after she moved to New York for graduate school. It was only then that she began to understand the power of the yoga mind and body as a compliment to her work as a historian. She completed her training at Yoga Works in Manhattan. Her teaching varies as much as her students, from fiery vinyasa, ying/yang (first half vinyassa, second half restorative), Iyengar, and restorative – all classes she frequents herself. The perennial student, she continues to study different schools of yoga and anatomy. Alexis lives in Brooklyn Heights.
Keely Garfield
Keely Garfield a native of London, England received her yoga teacher certification in New York City through Laughing Lotus Yoga Center with Dana Flynn and Jasmine Tarkeshi as well as completing her 500hr training with Rodney Yee and Colleen Sideman Yee through the Urban Zen Integrative Therapy Program. Keely has also studied yoga, pranayama and meditation in India and with Richard and Mary Beth Freeman, Richard Rosen, Roshi Joan Halifax and at The New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care with Koshin Paley Ellison and Robert Chodo Campbell. Keely also holds a BA and an MFA in Choreography.
Her yoga practice has been shaped by her work as an acclaimed choreographer and dancer (www.keelygarfield.org), by her experience as an integrative therapist and reiki practitioner, and by the blessing of being the mother of two beautiful beings.
Keely’s spirited classes are infused with her innate sense of movement, and musicality creating a seamless flow of pranic invention and discovery that focuses breath by breath on the gift in the present moment. She unites a strong emphasis on alignment and a compassionate touch with her love of mudra, mantra and bhakti practices to travel barefoot with her students along the path of liberation.
Om Tat Sat!
Sasha Ginnetti
Sasha moved to New York City in 1997 and fell in love with yoga shortly thereafter. The ancient practice has helped her to become a stronger and more flexible person both on and off the mat. Inspired by her teachers at Om Yoga, Sasha teaches a flowing yoga class where asanas are linked together by breath and informed by a precise attention to alignment. She believes that a steady yoga practice can help build muscular strength and endurance, loosen joints, and increase overall flexibility, but that the real benefit of yoga lies in its ability to help quiet or calm the “fluctuations of the mind” (“chitta-vritti” in Sanskrit). Sasha’s classes begin with a series of Sun Salutations and include standing poses, balancing poses, seated poses, twists, backbends, inversions, and restorative poses. All yoga postures are designed and sequenced to strengthen and elongate muscles and align bones safely.
When she is not teaching yoga, Sasha develops cooking and nutrition education curriculum at a local not-for-profit.
Candice Holdorf
Candice is an actress, yogini, poet, traveler, artist and lover of all things rooted in authenticity and beauty. She received her yoga certification in 2005 with Alan Finger at Be Yoga (now Yoga Works), her personal training certification from American Fitness Institute and her prenatal certification with Janice Clarfield at Om Yoga. She is also certified in Level 1 pilates mat (Kane School) and a member of Yoga Alliance. She continues to expand her wisdom through teaching and hopes to bring her knowledge and creativity to the classroom, while opening herself to what her students have to teach her. www.candiceholdorf.com.
Candice teaches our yogalates class on Fridays. Check out our interview with her about yogalates here.
Sarah Kemphaus
Sarah is a second generation yogini from Memphis, Tennessee. Her passion for yoga began at a young age and she knew for many years that her calling was to become a yoga teacher. In 2007 she followed her dream by attending teacher training at Laughing Lotus and has been teaching at Area ever since. Her classes are devotional, fun and fast paced. They will leave you feeling both energized and relaxed and you may walk out of class with Bruce Springsteen stuck in your head.
Marija Krtolica
Marija is a yoga teacher/practitioner, and performer/choreographer. She is an Asthanga yoga student and a Buddhist meditation practitioner. She teaches vinyasa yoga classes, with emphasis on breath, flow, and fluid approach to alignment. Marija is a certified Jivamukti yoga teacher, and has completed Richard Freeman’s teacher’s training in Boulder. Marija holds BFA in dance from Tisch School of the Arts, and MFA in choreography from UC Davis.
Elias Lopez
A naturalist and environmentalist at heart, Elias combines his love for nature with his love for yoga and his students find there is an obvious connection in his instruction style. Born and raised in Mexico Elias enjoys bringing his inspiration from his roots to his yoga practice. He infuses his classes with music and with careful attention to alignment and he views yoga as a journey to live well, and love fully. He believes in the power of Yoga to deeply transform our lives and is inspired by the poetry of the body, the yogis around him and the organic forms of nature.
Elias is honored to study with John Friend, Jim Bernaert, Ellen Sallstontal and Jackie Prete who infuse him with a passion for aligning the body with the Divine through breath and heart. Elias relishes sharing this beautiful journey called Yoga with his students. He loves to create a fun, safe and sacred place where you are empowered to achieve your full potential and connect to Grace.
Phil Lynch
Phil’s been teaching yoga for over 10 years. His unique approach to yoga has evolved from his own visceral synthesis of three different schools: Vinyasa, Ashtanga and Triyoga. Each student receives encouragement and support as Phil gracefully links posture to posture with breath, passion and a touch of humor. Blending yogic philosophies into modern-day metaphors and action into experience, Phil challenges the student to cultivate a strong and flexible body, steady emotions and an open heart.
Omagbitse Omagbemi
Omagbitse Omagbemi began her study of the body from an extensive dance background, which opened so many ways of individual expression and healing. Through her desire to create a deeper connection with the divine, she entered into the practice of yoga and fell in love. Omagbitse received her training from the amazing and loving Dana Flynn and Jasmine Tarkeshi of Laughing Lotus Yoga Center. Her class deals with enjoying and welcoming change in your life on and off the mat. From her movement background she explores freedom as well as alignment of the body by the weaving of the asanas. By this, one creates fearlessness and a closer relationship to the self, the universe, and the divine.
Jodi Nelson Call
Jodi Nelson Call has been training in Muay Thai Kickboxing for over eight years. She received the majority of her instruction from Sakasem Kanthawong, a Muay Thai World Champion many times over. After having a son, Jodi gave up competing, and became more focused on the fitness side of Muay Thai. She has developed a new program based on the principles of Muay Thai Kickboxing, which is suitable for kids, as well as adults who have never yet enjoyed punching something really, really hard.
Brandin Steffensen
Brandin found yoga at the turn of the century in his hometown of Salt Lake City, Utah where he studied at Soma Yoga Studios. Its presence in his life has been a constant and wonderful mystery ever since. He trained as a yoga teacher at Sonic Yoga in Manhattan. His vinyasa yoga instruction is informed by his own practice as well as the many somatic techniques he has been exposed to through his training as a dancer. David Swenson has tremendously influenced him. He is also personal fitness trainer.
Anne Taylor
Anne Taylor has practicing yoga for more than 15 years and holds two 200 hour certifications and is in the currently enrolled in a 500 hour advanced training program. Anne completed her first certification at the Kripalu Center before going on to complete a second certification and subsequent advanced training in mind/body therapeutics with bio-psychologist and yoga therapist Bo Forbes PsyD. Anne is currenty enrolled in the 500 hour advanced vinyasa teacher training at Yoga Sutra. Anne also studies with Genny Kapuler in the Iyengar tradition as a means to fortify her understaning of anatomy and alignment. Anne’s teaching experiences are varied and extensive and range from gyms and studios to schools, non-profits and medical facilities. Anne teaches slow flow alignment based vinyasa, restorative and prenatal yoga. The classes are designed to promote exploration of patterns of holding within the body and the mind and attention is given to habitual patterns/samskaras in stillness and in movement. Anne seeks to vary the sequences as a means to support the needs/requests of individual students and to keep the practice fresh and new in the tradition of “beginner’s mind.”
Erin Teague
Erin was first introduced to yoga at the age of 19, through an Iyengar class in Ann Arbor, Michigan. After experimenting with various styles of yoga, she was finally drawn in by the creativity of Vinyasa flow. She has studied with Richard Freeman, Shiva Rea, Roger Cole and various other teachers. Even as she teaches, Erin continues to learn. She received her 200 hr certification through Yoga Effects and is currently enrolled in the 500 hour teacher training program at Yoga Sutra in Manhattan. Erin draws from many sources when teaching. Her classes include unique Vinyasa transitions with an emphasis on alignment. She is fascinated with the power and beauty that can be created by linking the breath, pose and mind. She also teaches chanting, restorative poses and pranayama in her classes. She is enthusiastic to share with others the many blessings that come with this practice. Erin lives in Cobble Hill and is enthusiastic to be a part of the AREA community.
Tina Zymarakis
A native New Yorker, Tina grew up in the sunshine of Greece. A student of yoga since 1998, initially at the Jivamukti and Sivananda centers, Tina has been teaching since 2001.
In 2002, she found Richard Freeman, who inspired her to embark on a daily Mysore practice at Ashtanga Yoga New York with Eddie Stern. Since then she has studied the ashtanga yoga system with Sri K. Pattabhi Jois and Mr. Freeman regularly and continues to practice with Mr. Stern on a daily basis.
After years of traveling far and wide to attend workshops and retreats with senior teachers (including Nancy Gilgoff, Sharon Gannon & David Life, Cyndi Lee, Tim Miller, Sharath Rangaswamy, Shiva Rea, David Swenson, & Rodney Yee), Tina received her formal certification from Alison West’s Iyengar-inspired Yoga Union in 2005. She has been involved with the Yoga Society of New York’s Ananda Ashram in upstate NY since 2003, where she both teaches and studies yoga, chanting and meditation.
Tina draws from her studies in the Iyengar and Vinyasa traditions, as well as her daily Ashtanga practice, to teach a class that is breath based, vigorous and intelligently sequenced- with kindness and humor. She is ever-grateful for the practice and the chance to share it.
Read Tina’s tribute to her teacher, Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, who passed away on May 18, 2009, here.