CAROLE DRISCOLL - One of the first to join Yoga Connection back in 2002, Carole quickly became one of the most dedicated YC students. Her love of Hot Yoga led her to become certified by Jimmy Barkan in the Barkan Method of Hot Yoga, Levels I, II, and III, and Yoga Alliance certified (Regular and Advanced), and then to become our assistant manager, as well as one of our beloved teachers. In 2008, Carole and her family relocated to a small town in the Midwest where she lived for 2 years. Finding no Hot Yoga in her area, Carole converted her basement into a Hot Yoga studio. Word spread quickly and Carole's membership grew consistently to have a base of over 80 weekly students! She believes that the Barkan Hot Yoga flow is optimal for opening the body, one asana leading naturally into the next, releasing each muscle group in its time. Carole lives her life knowing that yoga is not just a physical practice, but a state of being that brings peace and joy into her classes. Her eloquence, humor, peaceful voice, loving and encouraging spirit are most valued by students and staff alike, and we are all thrilled to have Carole back with us teaching Hot Yoga classes and managing again at Yoga Connection. In addition, Carole is joining up with Bea and other senior teachers in our new and improved Teacher's Training Programs utilizing our most senior teachers in a team effort to bring maximum benefit to our students and trainees.

 

BEA RAYDO - (TEJAS): E-RYT - "I started taking Yoga classes from Jimmy Barkan back in 1985. At first Yoga was simply a way of exercise. After a few years, I started exploring other styles of Yoga and studied Ashtanga Yoga under the tutelage of David Swenson. In 1997, I took my yoga practice into another level and it became a way of life. This journey has taken me to India many times, where under the guidance of the Divine Life Society in Rishikesh I have followed deeper studies about Yoga Philosophy and Sanskrit. Having discovered the deeper meaning of this philosophy, I have acquired a commitment to spread the message of Yoga wherever I am. I have explored many styles of Yoga, only to find the unity in their diversity. I have been trained and/or certified in Bikram, Barkan Method, Ashtanga, Jivanmukti, Sivananda, Iyengar, and of late in Universal Yoga (Andrei Lappa)..
The system of Yoga has been so fragmented that it is my goal to make us all see that all Yoga is only one. I call myself a Teacher of Yoga, not making any differentiation or identifying with a particular style, and teach that way. This is the new way for the new millennium. We went from the One to the many, and it is now time to find our way back from the many to the unity of ONE. I am also known as TEJAS."

Tejas is Director of Yoga Connection's very exciting Teacher Training Programs. All teachers and students are encouraged to participate in our Teacher Training Programs and Intensive Workshops, either to earn teaching certification through the Yoga Alliance, credit hours, or simply to go deeper into your own practice and in depth understanding of Yoga.

AILENE ROGERS' immersion into Yoga began in 1999. As a dedicated Hot Yoga student at Yoga Connection since its birth, Ailene's practice evolved when she began exploring different styles of yoga. Her dedication to Hot Yoga led her to become a certified teacher of The Barkan Method. She has developed her own class which she lovingly calls "Journey Into Yoga" in order to mirror her journey and the ultimate emotional and physical joy that she has found in her life.
An Appellate Lawyer by trade, Ailene brings to her classes a combination of eloquent detail and explanation, enjoyable humor, and her intense compassion for each individual and their emotional and personal stories, infusing all of her classes with passion, compassion and a great respect for her student's different levels. She models her life on Joseph Campbell's maxim........"The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are".

 

SAMANTHA LEHRHOFF - Sam's love for yoga began when she was 20 years old, and led to her certification in both The Barkan Method of Hot Yoga and Hot Vinyasa levels. She is also a participant of Access Energy Transformation, a modality that facilitates a potent means of conscious embodiment. Utilizing verbal tools while teaching yoga, Sam offers a different form of moving meditation as she hopes to give each student the ability to perceive, be, and receive the infinite possibilities available in the yoga studio and in every day living. Sam's mantra is "All of Life Comes to me with Ease, Joy and Glory."

DANA FULOP (Bhavani) - Dana has been a long time practitioner and teacher of Sivananda yoga. She completed her 200 hour yoga teacher training certification at Sri Naranda's Yoga for Youth. Dana has been teaching at local yoga centers, health clubs, schools, and community centers. She continues her studies in the philosophy of yoga, Ayurveda, children's yoga, and Reiki. Her teachings reflect her love of yoga and joy in sharing it with others.

CHRISTINE LEWIS - "Yoga has uniquely influenced and inspired my life over the last six years by fostering the elevation of my own consciousness while strengthening my sense of Self and my physical body. As in life, balance in our yoga practice is much more about mental focus and awareness of the present moment than it is about physically muscling our way through the pose or the circumstance presented to us. Although my educational background is concentrated in Geology, I consider my Self to be a student of the universe. I was born and raised in Fort Lauderdale and returned in 2003 after living in different regions of the country while in school and travelling the world working on various Geological research projects. I believe that it is vitally important to find joy and beauty in every moment and harness the power of my purpose by propagating positive energy through every interaction with the people around me and with the Earth that sustains my physical being, and I try to bring this philosophy into my yoga practice both as a student and a teacher. As with everything in this life, my yoga practice is constantly evolving and I make a conscious effort to explore all styles and expressions of yoga to build upon the vast foundation that Jimmy Barkan and his senior teachers have shared with me. I encourage everyone to be conscious of the power of their own presence and harness the awareness of their soul's purpose as we use the practice of yoga to remove the external distractions that impede our progress in fulfilling our purpose as we journey along our life’s path.

JESSICA LOHREY COBB, E-RYT- Jessica began practicing yoga as a way to stay in shape. She quickly noticed the positive changes it was making in other areas of her life. After a life-changing motorcycle accident, Jessica's physical and spiritual healing led her deeper into her yoga practice. Inspired by what she had learned, she decided to become a yoga teacher. Jessica studied under lifelong yoga practitioner Mike Noury at Yoga of India in Atlanta, Georgia. Over the last decade she has studied various forms of yoga in the Krishnamacharya and Sivananda lineages. Jessica holds a B.S. in Zoology, and her interest in physiology and anatomy has fueled her exploration of yoga as therapy. She believes that the blueprint for yoga is contained in the human body. By understanding our bodies, we can also understand and better connect ourselves to our own lives, our communities, and our planet. Jessica is a member of the International Association of Yoga Therapists.
Jessica has studied nutrition-based healing, herbs, and homeopathy extensively. She has worked as a professional in that field since 2005. She believes that yoga is an integral part of holistic health and overall well-being. Her sense of spirituality is derived from her own experience of spirit - the breath, the life force. "We may not have a choice about whether we take the next breath; but we do have a choice about how we relate to that fact." (L. Kaminoff)

JULIE LAZARUS - Born and raised in Toronto Canada, Julie found a passion for fitness at a young age. In 1994 she moved to Florida where she earned a bachelors degree in Exercise Science. During this time Julie worked as a Personal Trainer and Aerobics Instructor. Julie's yoga journey began in 1996 when she took her first yoga class. Since then Julie has explored many different yoga disciplines. In 2002 Julie traveled back to Canada and completed her formal teacher training in both Kundalini and Vinyasa Power Yoga. During her six month training Julie discovered the art of Yogic Counselling. Yogic Counselling is a method of combining Kundalini Yoga and Numerology to help students better understand themselves from a spiritual standpoint. Through this practice students are able to use the technology of Kundalini Yoga to help them through the challenges they face in their lives as well as deepen their spiritual practice. Julie also practices Reiki Healing and finds that this method of healing compliments the process of Yogic Counselling beautifully. Julie has recently completed another 200 hour Kundalini Yoga teacher training and is in the process of becoming a teacher trainer in Kundalini Yoga.

 

LEAH LEWIS - As a small child my father used to bring me to Saturday classes at Nova Community school. I was only 9 or 10 and thought all of it was a bit odd to say the least. I remember attempting a simple Lions breath and looking around thinking everyone was crazy! Who would have thought that later in life this beautiful practice would truly bring me to stand in my truth, and connect me so deeply with my soul? Fast forward 20 years, and there I was back on the mat, completely enthralled, completely surrendering, allowing myself to B-R-E-A-T-H. After many years of dedicated practice, I took the next step and in 2008 received my 200 hour yoga teaching certification in Classical Hatha through Aananda Inc. Taking my practice to the next level has been the greatest gift I could have ever received, allowing the inner teacher to come to life.
We all have the light, the teacher within, and it is with pure light and love that I teach my students. It is an honor to bring my love for yoga off the mat and into everyday life for myself, and more importantly others. I look forward to sharing positive energy with each and everyone of you. Sat Nam.

 

ALEX GIUSTIBELLI - Born and raised in Rome, Italy, Alex was in track & field all through his teens racing the 110mt. hurdles up to the national championships. Pilot first and rock journalist, writer, photographer and traveler later. He arrived to Florida in the late 80s for vacation and decided to stay. He came to yoga through learning meditation and after converting to Buddhism. Student of Jimmy Barkan and, mostly, Bea Raydo for eight years, Alex obtained his Teacher Certification in February of 2011 and he is registered with The Yoga Alliance. “I believe Yoga - especially Hatha Yoga - is the perfect path toward enlightment, complete awareness, discovery of the true nature of our mind and liberation of the soul. I look at Yoga as a journey within, and I look at our body, breath and ability to control and manipulate movement as tools to help make the journey healthy on all levels. All I want to do is to share the experience of the transformation anyone can go through if they commit themselves to this path.... There’s the outside world, and there’s the inside world; Yoga is the gate in between. And true yogis are the humble and faithful keepers of that gate. That’s who I aspire to be.”