WENDY HELLER HERMAN: OWNER YOGA CONNECTION

Wendy Herman co-founded Yoga Connection in South Florida in 2002, together with her business partner and first yoga teacher Jimmy Barkan, and has used her experience as a New York and Florida commercial real estate attorney to manage the operations of the studio. Having worn a back brace for four years as a teenager, Wendy began having complications from scoliosis and osteoporosis in her 30's and was informed of the benefits of yoga. In 1997, she began practicing Hot Yoga with Jimmy Barkan and her life changed completely. A slow process, Wendy improved the pain in her back, gained strength and flexibility that she never imagined, and increased her bone density. Wendy credits Jimmy Barkan with introducing her to the amazing system of yoga and she credits her improvement to Jimmy and all of the amazing teachers that instruct at Yoga Connection. Wendy’s own scoliosis lead her to become a registered yoga teacher, multi-style, completing both her 200 hour Teacher’s Training with Yoga Connection’s Bea Raydo, and the Yoga for Scoliosis Teacher’s Training with Elise Browning Miller. In addition, Wendy has participated in several alignment oriented workshops including the Psoas Muscle with David Kiel and the Topf Technique which uses mental imaging of the body's structure (specifically the spine and psoas muscle) combined with fluid movement to orient the movement of muscle and bone through a center line of the body.
Wendy is thrilled to have brought intricate Back Care and Yoga for Scoliosis instruction to South Florida. Having experienced the fear of back bracing as a child, Wendy brings a uniquely personal and heartfelt understanding to children and students with scoliosis and to all students who wish to keep their spines healthy, flexible and strong.

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 new and 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.

DEBORAH MELZER: Deborah is a highly experienced certified Pilates instructor specializing in mat and reformer technique. Her formal ballet dance training and love of movement and fitness led her to became certified by POLESTAR PILATES EDUCATION, the country's leading Pilates education, physical therapy and rehabilitation program, and by world reknown POWER PILATES. While she is trained and instructs both mat based and reformer classes, she finds that her students benefit most from a more focused and challenging mat based program providing a deeper core connection and mental release. Deborah is also trained in IYENGAR YOGA, having studied under Bobbi Golden, and combines many elements of yoga into her Pilates classes at The Yoga Connection, including PILATES WITH A TWIST classes which offer students a mind + body fusion practice that strengthens, tones, stretches, and relaxes the entire body. Deborah has also participated in advanced workshops including "Reformat", Core Fusion, and YogaFit, and participates regularly in advanced teacher training workshops and conferences in Pilates, yoga, and dance. Deborah has a strong commitment to mind-body movement and feels great joy when sharing this passion with students. Recognizing that mind & body movement is not only strengthening and empowering, but physically and spiritually healing, she promotes fitness and wellness--creating harmony from the inside out.
Prior to becoming a professional Pilates and Pi-Yo instructor, Deborah spent years in top leadership and strategic planning positions in the business world, holding senior administrative positions including Vice President of Organizational Development and Division Vice President of Human Resources with a major FORTUNE 100 COMPANY. She later served in various leadership positions in the community service sector including President of KIDS IN DISTRESS AUXILIARY, raising funds and awareness for abused children in Broward County, while gaining a reputation for compassion and caring. Deborah brings all of these skills and experiences together as the Manager of THE YOGA CONNECTION, serving as the operational and administrative director for the studio. In this capacity, she provides organizational direction, strategic planning, recruitment and placement of staff, and on-site leadership. Working closely with owner Wendy Herman, and the many talented teachers and front desk team, Deborah is committed to creating a welcoming and nurturing sanctuary for each student that leads to harmony of the mind, body, and spirit.

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. In addition to her regularly scheduled classes at Yoga Connection, Ailene leads our monthly BBT workshops with her mentor Dr. Mike Lukens, PhD. She has developed her own class lovingly knows as "Journey Into Yoga" in order to mirror her journey into BBT and yoga 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."

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 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 at Yoga Connection.

 

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.

ROB MANN - Rob began to believe in the idea of one, one universal consciousness/ one world in High School. That philosophy eventually led him to the idea of balance and finding balance in your life. When he discovered asana and Pantanjali’s Eight Limb path after his collegiate days, life finally made sense. As a yoga instructor and a high school teacher, Rob preaches awareness of how your actions and words can affect others, as well as finding balance in your life. He has also been a collegiate style wrestler for 20 plus years and has coached HS wrestling in the Fort Lauderdale area for the past 5 years.
Having experienced wrestling related injuries, he focuses on alignment and healing the body through yoga. He believes strongly that the more people that practice yoga, the better off everyone will be.

KATHERINE ("KAT") McMENEMY - Kat comes to Yoga Connection with a certification in Sivananda Yoga but prefers to call her classes simply "Hatha Yoga" so that she can incorporate her own unique blend of postures, meditation and relaxation. Her adorable and inviting nature has grown on all students who participate in both her Hot and Non-Heated Yoga classes. As part of our desk/management team, Kat brings her enthusiasm for the yoga community to Yoga Connection.

DONNA DEANGELIS - tba

KARINA PIZANO GERACI - Karina was introduced to Hatha Yoga, Vinyasa and Iyengar Styles, in 2004. Her passion for yoga took her to become certified in YogaFit, Levels I, II and III. After the birth of her own children, Karina also became certified in Prenatal & Postpartum Yoga and began teaching mothers and mothers-to-be, and also began teaching yoga and baby. Karina says that when she began practicing with her own children, another amazing avenue was revealed to her - she began learning from her child as he learned from her, and she realized the discipline, calm, soothing, and concentration/focus affect on her own son. Through the use of animated poses, breathing, partnering, and creative stretching, children become flexible, socially interactive, and physically coordinated. In her Mommy or Daddy & Me classes, parent and child learn body awareness of each other and cooperative learning.

JULIE KERSEY - LICENSED MASSAGE THERAPIST MA 59643 - Julie received her National Certification in Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork in June of 2010. She has 1,222 hours of study from Sheridan Technical Center under Professor Michael Carrigan, a highly skilled Acupuncturist and Massage Therapist for over 20 years. She discovered her talent for massage at an early age of 7 years when she started massaging her family members to alleviate their everyday aches and pains. Early training at 3 years old in ballet helped her to realize the power and the passion that is able to freely traverse the mind and body when one discovers harmony in simple movements. In 2006, after suffering a back injury and chronic depression for several years, she finally took her first yoga class. Yoga helped her to re-open her energy pathways and rediscover that one of her many life's purposes is to help other people find freedom in their lives with using her gift of massage to aid them in becoming more aware of their bodies. She strongly believes that when the mind is aware of the body, disease and injury can be relieved and prevented. Julie takes on every client as an individual and places the session around their particular needs. Most massage sessions consist multi-modality methods focusing on postural alignment, energy balancing, swedish massage, deep tissue massage, and relaxation.