Like many of you, Maya came to yoga looking for a productive way to deal with stress and back pain.   At her first class in 2002, Maya found what she was looking for and became a devoted student. While she enjoys other types of physical activity, Maya finds the connection between mind and body cultivated by yoga essential to her-wellbeing.  Maya enjoys sharing her love of yoga with others who are also looking for a fun and interesting way to move, connect mind and body, reduce stress, or otherwise take care of themselves. Maya completed teacher training at Connecticut Yoga Center in 2016 and is a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) with Yoga Alliance.  Off the mat, Maya lives in Durham, Connecticut with her husband, two daughters, and dog, Mr. Jake. She is an enthusiastic vegetable gardener.

Ashley is a 2018 graduate of the Connecticut Yoga Center 200 hour Yoga Teacher Program. She discovered yoga as a freshman in college at the urging of a friend. She said yes, and it became a welcome relief during the late night study sessions in Engineering School. Yoga proved to be a great compliment to her other favorite activity, rugby. She credits yoga as the reason she can continue to play. Ashley enjoys teaching Restorative, Yin, and Gentle yoga. Her goal as a yoga teacher is to help her students find the calm in the chaos.

In Ashley's free time, she likes to volunteer, travel, and binge-watch.

Kathy is a certified Professional Level Kripalu Yoga Teacher, registered with the Yoga Alliance E-RYT500.  She has been teaching yoga for nearly 20 years. Her teaching style is very detailed with respect to alignment, and compassionate to best meet the needs of individual students.  She also holds certifications in Chair Yoga, Yoga4Cancer,  Power Yoga and Mindfulness. She teaches from the heart and believes that in order to be helpful and compassionate to others that first and foremost, you need to take care of yourself, and Yoga is an important part of that self-care. Her goal is that each student feels better walking out of the class, than when they entered.  

Having been a practitioner of yoga most of her adult life, Maureen enjoys sharing the yoga lifestyle with her students--and continues to be drawn to the mat because of the peacefulness she discovers within.

Maureen is registered with the Yoga Alliance including 200 hours through the Samadhi Yoga Studio in Manchester, CT and a 200 hour graduate of the College of Purna Yoga, Wakefield, RI. Additionally, she has 20 hours in Restorative Yoga Training. Her development is ongoing including workshops with Aadil Palkhivala, the founder of Purna Yoga, and Jude Monteserrato.

In each class she focuses on alignment, detail and breath.  Maureen encourages the use of props to deepen the poses and make them safe and accessible to all. Her intention for each class is to allow us to embrace yoga’s spiritual potential and provide guidance to that place of inner calm, peace and joy.

A registered 200 hour Yoga instructor and Level One Reiki Practitioner, Carli brings her knowledge and passion for the practice of Yoga and its positive results on the human mind, body, and spirit to each of her classes. Her intuitive style and curiosity make every class unique. Carli has always been fascinated by the human body and sees Yoga as the perfect way to explore and connect to your physicality. Her teaching, though primarily based in the vinyasa style of Yoga, is intuitive to each group of students and you might just feel like the class was made just for you. If you’re looking to get moving, laugh a little, and connect with yourself on a deeper level than you’ve come to the right place!

It took three years of encouragement from his wife, telling her, "Guys don't do yoga," until Tony dared to try it. It was love at first class; this is what he needed. Almost immediately he signed up for a 200-hour yoga teacher training course (YTT) , and followed with a 500 HR YTT, both at Sacred Rivers.

He began his teaching career offering yoga at physical therapist’s office, and, the Cheshire YMCA. Tony was introduced to Embodyoga at Newington Yoga and loved the deeper mind-body connection. With an insatiable thirst for knowledge, he completed their 200HR and 300 HR YTT as well.

Certified in both Mindful Yoga Therapy for Veterans, and Adaptive Yoga Training for Yoga Teachers, he has taught veterans with PTSD at both the Newington and West Haven Veterans Hospitals. Tony finds peace in seeing veterans become able to connect their mind and bodies through yoga.

I first began my Yoga journey back in 2014. I was a junior at UCONN and had just gone on a service trip in Rishikesh, India. That trip opened my eyes to a culture, and country very different from my own. It left me curious, and it helped me awaken a more profound sense of self love that I needed so much. From there I found a deeper interest in yoga, especially as a physical practice. As that practice has grown, it has shown me tremendous benefits, mentally, spiritually, physically, and emotionally.

Outside of the studio I am an Oncology nurse, and I completed my 200 hour yoga for teacher training in 2022 along with my Yoga 4 Cancer. I enjoy teaching many different styles of yoga, including: Vinyasa, Ashtanga, Gentle, Yin and Restorative. The only life lesson I am certain of, is to take care of YOU, and to make time and space for YOU. Self-love matters.

Yingying’s first encounter with yoga was in high school through a family friend. Initially, it was a way for her to stretch and relax after swim practices. Over time, the mat became a place for her to find inner comfort. She completed her 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training Program at Sacred Rivers Yoga to learn more about the practice, realizing there is always more to learn. Yingying credits yoga as a guide for balance in her life. It has helped her stay present in the moment to focus on one thing at a time. She enjoys teaching Vinyasa and Gentle yoga. Off the mat, she spemds most of her time at UConn as a dental resident. Otherwise, you can find Yingying reading a good book, hanging out with her husband and cats, playing a board game with friends, or picking blueberries in the summer.

Shanika, a 200RYT graduate from Yogabody Teachers College in 2021, continues to expand her horizons in the world of yoga. In 2022, she earned her certification as a Breath Coach, enhancing her expertise. Apart from her yoga journey, Shanika is a dedicated Newborn Care Specialist and the visionary founder of Newheartbeats LLC. Her passion extends beyond the mat as she enjoys immersing herself in podcasts and literature to deepen her yoga knowledge. Shanika is also a poet and a Latin dance enthusiast.

With a heart full of dedication, she aspires to offer pre/postnatal yoga in the future, aiming to provide even greater support and care to her cherished clients continuing the traditional of accessible yoga and service to all ages.

Brittany is a 400 RYT and has completed her Hatha Yoga training at Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center and Sampoorna Yoga. Recently, she lived in a Sivananda ashram as a volunteer and immersed herself in the different aspects of yoga. This ignited her passion for yoga as a pathway to help others heal. In the classes she teaches, she focuses on pranayama or breath work, asana or physical postures, and relaxation with mental auto suggestion. Each class focuses on toning and relaxing all systems in the body.

Brittany works as a Licensed Esthetician and finds that her treatments are similarly a pathway to help people heal.

Jennifer Chadukiewicz E-RYT, YACEP, has been a yoga practitioner since 2001.  In 2009 she pursued her 200 hour Yoga Alliance teaching certificate and discovered her true love for practicing and teaching the Sivananda Classical Hatha Yoga Class. She obtained an additional 200-hour Teacher Training with the Sivananda Organization in Woodbourne, NY in 2013, and the 100 hour Adapted Sivananda Yoga Certification in 2017, as well as many regular Sadhana Intensives. 

She has over 1000 hours of Yoga Alliance Teacher Training and is a registered Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher (ERYT) as well as a Yoga Alliance Certified Continuing Education provider (YACEP).  She continues to offer Classical Hatha yoga classes, Chair Yoga Classes, Adapted Sivananda Yoga, Yoga Teacher Training, and Yoga Vedanta Philosophy teachings regularly in the Central Connecticut area.

Amy is passionate about self-care and practices that bring about whole-person balance, alignment, and self-love. She is a 200-hour yoga teacher, Level 2 Reiki facilitator, and is presently pursuing her certification as a Healing Touch Program practitioner.

Hilary Rudenauer is a 500-Hour Kripalu Yoga Teacher, Reiki Practitioner, Postpartum Doula and owner of The Mindful Mama. Hilary’s approach to teaching is rooted in trauma-informed principles, accessibility and relatability. She enjoys creating spaces where real conversations can take place and deep relaxation and renewal can occur.