Teachers
The Best Thing About CMY is The Quality of its Teachers!
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Lucy
Cimini, Central Mass Yoga
Founder and Owner, BA, R.Y.T. (500 hour)
has a background in Education and
Social Rehabilitation with over 20 years of experience teaching
therapeutic to advanced yoga classes. She is the founding director
of Central Mass Yoga and Wellness, Inc. CMY is one of the most
popular and established studios. For the past several years, she has
expanded her teaching to include a 200 hr. and 500 hr. Yoga Teacher
Training program, recognized by the National Yoga Alliance. She has
developed outreach yoga programs for corporate clients, combat
veterans (Yoga Warriors International), recovering addicts and
prison inmates. She has recently integrated formal instruction on
teaching "trauma sensitive" classes to other yoga teachers across
the country. Her work has been the subject of many local, national
and international yoga and news articles.
Lucy studies with local and internationally
known master teachers, but relies strongly on her own personal
practice and intuition to influence her teaching. Her teaching
incorporates a strong knowledge of alignment and sequencing to
ensure safety while allowing students to develop to their full
capacity in the posture. She is an initiate in the Tantric tradition
of Swami Rama of the Himalayas. |
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Sawrah Amini, R.Y.T. (200 hr) is a 2009 graduate
of the CMYI teacher training program. She first experienced yoga as
a sophomore in college and was immediately drawn to the exploration
of body and mind and universal connectivity. Coming from a
competitive sports background, this was a welcome change for her.
Sawrah is an avid traveler, photographer, and student of life. She
has traveled to 26 countries and is always looking for her next
travel experience. She continues to attend workshops, study with
teachers that cross her path and expand her personal practice.
Sawrah believes that yoga is for everyone and is inspired to teach
others to live their yoga both on and off the mat. You can follow
her travels at
ihavethewanders.blogspot.com |
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Danielle Elise Bigda, May
2010 graduate: R.Y.T.
(200 hour) As a dancer her whole life,
Danielle found that yoga helped her gain the same peace and clarity.
She has been practicing heated Hatha yoga for the past 8 years and
it has been and continues to be a staple in her life. Her love of
heated yoga has had an incredible impact on her life and has taught
her to “Live in the Moment”. She hopes as a teacher she will be able
to have a positive influence on the lifestyles of her students,
helping them to develop & discover their physical and mental
strengths through their guided practice. Her goal is to introduce
her students to a moving meditation that will challenge and improve
their mind and body. Her class allows students to gain all of the
great benefits that yoga provides and leads them to find trust in
yoga for healing, health, and happiness of their mind, body and
spirit. |
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Erin Bradley, R.Y.T.
(200 hour) has had the privilege of studying yoga with many great teachers; practicing with many great friends; and now teaching with many great students! Erin’s practice has grown from Vinyasa, Hatha and Power traditions, and her instruction is designed to meet students where they are in each moment. She believes that like life, yoga is best experienced by going with the flow; that in every yoga practice humor and music have as much a place as deep exhales and sweat; and that with each practice we don't become closer to perfection but to ourselves. Always a student, Erin learns something new every time she steps onto the mat and is very grateful for the opportunity to guide others to their mats. ebyoga.yolasite.com |
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Janet Colantuono, C.Y.T. (200 hour)
brings a relaxed, fun-loving approach to teaching. She subtly integrates a
variety of yoga styles and elements of energy work into her classes and
loves to see her students 'blissed out' on the yoga mat.
Janet teaches Hatha, Gentle, Yin, Yoga Warriors, and Restorative yoga
along with meditation, in a variety of settings: one-on-one, studio,
or corporate classes. One particular focus is working with athletes
to enhance performance through yoga for equestrians she currently offers
Yoga for Riders workshops at CMY.
Janet is a Reiki II practitioner, Craniosacral therapist,
and certified equine bodyworker. She shares healing energy
work with humans, horses, dogs and other pets. |
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Stephanie Earls, R.Y.T. (200 hour)
is a Reiki Master, DONA trained birth doula, and mother of three.
I began practicing yoga in 2000 and through my years of studying and
practicing, I found myself intuitively sharing yoga with my
children, relatives and friends. Becoming a certified Hatha
instructor was a fulfilling step on my path and it is the purity and
comprehensiveness of both Hatha yoga and CMY’s program that resonate
with me.
Through yoga and meditation I have continued to open my heart, heal
dis-ease, experience a joy so pure it is truly unexplainable and I
am inspired to share it. In my teaching I incorporate elements of
Hatha, Iyengar, and Kundalini yoga, just to name a few. My approach
is compassionate and encouraging. Come share yoga with me, connect
to your breath, listen to what you hear in your heart and see where
it brings you. It is my honor to teach at CMY and be a part of your
path! BreatheHere.com
“Approached with love and compassion, our bodies and minds can be a
celebration, our vehicles to uniting with our spirit and living joy,
love and peace”. |
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Gina
Engel, E.R.Y.T. (200 hour)
is a certified yoga instructor and Reiki Master. She began teaching
yoga in the mid 90's, but fell in love with yoga as a teenager. Gina
continues to be passionate about yoga both as a student and as a
teacher. She has studied with many nationally known instructors such
as Marshall Govindan, Richard Freeman, David Swenson, Dharma Mittra
and Baron Baptiste. Gina prefers the vigorous styles of Power and
Ashtanga yoga and is inspired to make these styles accessible to all
students. She is an easy going and compassionate instructor who
loves sharing humor and the fun of yoga with her students in class.
Gina has studied yoga philosophy extensively and is one of the main
presenters in CMYI’s teacher training programs. She enjoys mentoring
the new teachers as well as teaching the classical forms of
meditation and pranayama in the program. |
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Mary Fowler, Ph.D., R.Y.T. (200 hour)
came to yoga seeking physical healing and received that and so much
more. She teaches with the desire to share these gifts with her
students. She uses props to explore modifications of postures with
the intent of having her students become aware of their edge, the
place where the posture opens the body, the heart and the mind AND
the breath is maintained. It is here where she and her students
receive many of the benefits of yoga.
Mary continues to immerse herself in the exploration of therapeutic
yoga through personal experience, working with students, academic
study and contribution to Yoga Warrior research. Mary teaches
Yoga Warriors to combat veterans, Mildly Heated Level 1 Yoga and
Iyengar Style Yoga.
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Cheryl A. Johnson
R.Y.T. (200 hour) is a graduate of the Central
Mass Yoga Institute. Cheryl has been practicing yoga and studying
yoga since 1999. Her love of all styles include Hatha, Astanga,
Power, Gentle, and Yin Yoga. She loves teaching in a class format as
well as one on one. She continues her studies in yoga and pranayama.
She loves to share her enthusiasm and joy for yoga in her classes.
Cheryl is also a Shamanic Practitioner and Reiki Master. |
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Millie Johnson
R.Y.T. (200 hour) is a graduate of the
2010 CMY Teacher Training Program. Her interest in Yoga started
while living in Germany. She has studied and practiced with Lucy
Cimini and the CMY staff for the last eleven years. Being able to
develop a personal practice while studying at CMY has helped her
become a more dedicated student and teacher. She enjoys teaching her
classes at CMY and practicing with friends and family. Being able to
share the physical and spiritual benefits of yoga with others
continues to be a rewarding experience for Millie. She looks forward
to practicing with her students as they learn to bring yoga into
their lives on and off the mat. |
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Carolyn Kogut
MAE., R.Y.T. (200 hour) is a certified 200hr. Hatha
yoga teacher and has been practicing yoga for over 20 years. In May
2011, She earned her ChildLight yoga certificate to teach children.
Carolyn currently holds a Bachelor of Arts from Bridgewater State
University and a Masters of Art Education from Rhode Island School of
Design. Since 1985 Carolyn has taught Art Education for the 9th -
12th grades and is certified to teach K-12. She is currently teaching
the Tween Yoga and Kids Summer yoga classes. She is blessed with three
beautiful children who also love yoga. |
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Jennifer Kulesa-Kelley
MA, RN., C.Y.T. (200 hour) is a certified
Kripalu yoga teacher. She began practicing meditation and yoga in
1995 while studying abroad. Yoga quickly became an essential part
of her life and she completed the 200 hour Kripalu Yoga Teacher
Training in 1997. In addition to Kripalu, Jennifer has studied
other styles of yoga, such as Ashtanga, Iyengar, and Kundalini.
Yoga has continuously been a source of strength and peace for
Jennifer throughout the years while balancing family, work, and
school. Jennifer is passionate about sharing the philosophy of yoga
to students to help build a solid foundation in yoga practice.
Jennifer has a warm and affirming personality and strives to create
an experience for students that encompass meditation, relaxation,
and rejuvenation. Jennifer is honored to share this yoga
experience with you. |
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Jeff McKenzie
R.Y.T. (200 hour) started practicing yoga for chronic
lower back pain and quickly realized that yoga did so much more. Improved
posture, mood, strength and balance led yoga to become a larger part of his
life. Seeking to deepen his personal practice brought Jeff to the Kripalu
Center For Yoga and Health where he learned breath awareness through pranayama
exercises and body awareness through finding and exploring his “edge” while
sustaining each pose. Now certified as a Kripalu Yoga Teacher, Jeff hopes
to incorporate his training with his Vinyasa background as he shares his
love of yoga with friends, family and his fellow students at CMY. |
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Lisa Millette
R.Y.T. (200 hour) has been practicing yoga for
five years, and she enjoys the clarity and balance gained from her
practice. She hopes that her students will benefit by disconnecting
from their busy, often work-driven lives, to reconnect with their
bodies and inner selves. In May 2011, Lisa obtained her 200-hr
certification from CMY. She has a Bachelor’s Degree with Individual
Concentration (BDIC) from the University of Massachusetts with a
concentration of Sustainable Structures and Community Development. |
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Christa Nee
R.Y.T. (200 hour) has is a graduate of the 2011
CMY teacher training. She initially took the training because she
wanted to expand her personal knowledge base for yoga, learning more
about its benefits and why yoga provides such positive results in
people. She is an occupational therapist, working with adults in the
homecare setting and yoga seemed like a natural fit with this
background. She likes the practical aspects of yoga, how it can
improve ones health, including ones strength, flexibility and
outlook on life. She hopes to bring that aspect to her classes. |
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Joan
Egasti Platt, R.Y.T.
(200 hour) creates a safe space, a held
space, in which to remember that you are a divine being. Her classes
are designed to calm, rejuvenate, and heal you.
She leads a broad range of classes at CMY, and is particularly
interested in the transformative and healing effects of breath and
body awareness. Her approach is therapeutic, largely informed by her
studies with Nischala Joy Devi and Judith Lasater.
She has been teaching since 2005, when she began with her beloved
Combat Veterans. Since then she has taught at an inpatient rehab
center, for teachers at local elementary schools, and now to those
living with cancer.
Before discovering yoga for herself in 2002, Joan was a professional
librarian, and a high school science teacher. She is an enthusiastic
grandmother to Annabelle, as well as a married mother of three delightful
adults. |
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Sue Stevens,
R.Y.T. (200 hour)
has been sharing her love of yoga with children and adults of all ages for years. She holds certifications in Hatha Yoga and Yoga Warriors from CMY, Color Me Yoga for Children, and has studied with Baron Baptiste, founder of Power Yoga. Besides teaching in the studio, Sue has taught at a rehab center, to support groups and has done workshops in the public schools. She began practicing yoga several years ago and has personally experienced the transformational and healing powers of yoga. Sue's calm presence will help you to open your heart and find peace within. Her classes are designed to relieve stress and to bring the healing powers of yoga to all.
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Laurie Stokes,
R.Y.T. (200 hour)
graduated from the CMY teacher training program in 2009. She began
practicing yoga more than 8 years ago. She was initially drawn to
yoga for physical health reasons, but has come to enjoy the peace
that yoga has brought to her life. She encourages everyone to try
yoga because she feels that the physical and mental benefits of yoga
are necessary in today's stressful world. |
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Elaina Wagner, R.Y.T. (200 hour)
has her Bachelors of Science in Psychology. At the age of eight, she
began practicing yoga with her mother and owner of Central Mass
Yoga, Lucy Cimini. The practice of yoga became increasingly
important in Elaina's life as a tool for healing, physical/mental
discipline and spirituality. In 2006, Elaina graduated from CMY with
a 200-hour certification in Hatha yoga. Elaina realizes the process
of yoga and importance of yoga as a self-care technique. In her
classes, she encourages people to listen to their body's needs and
practice at their own pace. With the mix of holding postures, flow,
diaphragmatic breath, and relaxation, Elaina hopes that her
student’s will leave feeling revitalized, refreshed and joyful! |
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Valerie Wedge, R.Y.T. (200 hour)
"All Yoga, All the Time" was a phrase coined as Valerie was moving through the CMY teacher's training class in 2010-2011. Valerie strives to abide in yoga philosophy and practice every day. She also believes that sharing the benefits of yoga with students, clients, friends, and family is a compassionate action that offers others the opportunity to live a more balanced, calm, and healthy life. As a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker in practice for the past 15 years, Valerie's original intent in becoming a yoga teacher was to expand her toolbox in assisting clients. As the training progressed, she realized that she enjoyed fully teaching yoga philosophy, breathing, meditation, and postures; she has been sharing her practice at CMY ever since.
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Mary Beth Woodward, R.Y.T. (200 hour)
graduated from the CMY teacher training in 2007. She has 3
daughters and is an accomplished dancer. Her yoga teaching
philosophy is to encourage her students to find inner peace though
the body, mind, and soul connection that yoga offers. Yoga is her
passion, and her goal is to allow students to discover their own
inner strength and confidence through their practice. |
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Denne Arruda Ziegler, R.Y.T. (200 hour)
experienced yoga for the first time in 1986. By the mid-90's she was
confident that yoga would be a big part of her life. While Denne's
yoga practice was blooming, her life's journey also led her to
studies in holistic therapies. Denne received training in a variety
of areas and acquired her Reiki Master/Teacher attunement in 2002.
The pairing of her passion for yoga and holistic studies helped
clarify her true direction in life. Denne received her 200 hr
Teacher Training from CMYI. She went on to train with Baron Baptiste,
the yogi behind Baptiste Power Yoga, followed by Hip Hop Yoga
training with Lynne Begier, an Ashtanga Intensive training with
Beryl Bender Birch and also Prana Flow Teacher Training - Creating
Collective Flow with Shiva Rea. Denne's yoga classes are filled with
passion, peace and boundless positive energy. |
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Each teacher brings their own style to their teaching. We encourage students
to try various teachers until they find one who best meets their needs and suits
their personality.
"Learn and become an original person in your own practice."
Iyengar His Life and Work.
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