our teachers
Yoga Instructors at Fair Haven Yoga
Stacy Ross, the owner of Fair Haven Yoga, has been practicing for over seven years and is RYT registered with the Yoga Alliance. Stacy began taking Yoga classes as a form of exercise with other “at home” moms. As her practice grew, so did her belief in the benefits of yoga for all family members. She hopes all FHY students, young and old, are able to develop a practice and then take it off their mat into their daily lives. In her classes, Stacy tries to create a safe atmosphere, while encouraging students to listen to their bodies and explore their edge. Stacy is also a fellow Fair Haven resident, a mother of 3 school age children, and a member of the Jersey Shore Tri-Gals.
Alice Balzarini recalls her childhood fondly, and is happy to step into the world of ‘play’ once again. She began her personal yoga practice in 2002 and became certified in Radiant Child Yoga in 2010. She also just took the Itsy Bitsy Yoga training class for tykes (22months -4 yr olds) and is very excited to complete her needed requirements. Alice feels that “introducing yoga to kids at a young age will give them tools to combat stress, as well as enhance their physical well being.” Her creative and playful nature are a perfect fit to teach kids yoga.
Valerie Bowers began practicing yoga by VHS (still one of her favorites, taught by Erich Schiffman) in 1995 as she was in the midst of a long bout of depression. After a couple of years practicing, she began to relate to her body in a positive light, viewing it as a conduit towards grace rather than a physical presence made only to be seen and compared with that of other women’s. It was a daily playful practice that really rerouted her back to the path she had strayed from. She felt pulled away from her career as a fashion design apprentice to some of Chicago’s wealthiest women towards a life of greater simplicity.
As she repaired the broken fragments of her life, yoga remained a common thread throughout. In 2008, expecting her first child, Valerie took a prenatal class with the instructor that would become her mentor and doula, Gayle Lemke. She guided Valerie in her desire to birth and mother as naturally as possible and continues to inspire Valerie’s practice and approach towards yoga, women, and mothers.
Having been honored to learn from amazing teachers such as Gayle, Anna Winkler, Debbie Kurrilla, and Kelli DeFlora-Valerie has been given a treasure that is meant to be shared. She is most excited about guiding women into a state of reverence for themselves that cannot help but spread like a wildfire into the lives they touch.
Anya Castellano, MA in counseling, RYT, Certified in Yoga for the Face. She received her Yoga Certification from the Khalsa Healing Arts School. She completed teacher training with John Friend, founder of Anusara Yoga. She received her Yoga for the Face certification by the Danielle Collins Face Yoga Method, Accredited by the International College of Holistic Medicine Anya has been studying, practicing and teaching Yoga for over ten years. She has studied Anusara Yoga, Iyengar Yoga and Kundalini Yoga. She has a love for the Chakras and uses the Crystal SInging bowls in her classes.
“Anya is truly a gifted Yoga instructor. Her natural educational abilities are wonderfully complemented with a style that combines gentleness, encouragement and a great sense of humor. And is as a dedicated and continuing student of the Yoga tradition, she brings to her classes a sense of freshness and exploration that adds to the wisdom she has already gained and shares so freely. My years as a student of Anya’s have been transformational-physically, mentally and spiritually. Yoga for me has been a practice, not just an exercise and that practice has been inspired and graced by Anya.” Dick Muise, Ph.D.
Nona De Felice is a 200 hour Yoga Alliance EYT who was trained through the Brahma style of yoga and a 500 hour Yoga Alliance teacher trained through Ashram Yoga of New Zealand under the direction of Swami Shantimurti Saraswati from the Bihar School of Yoga in India. Her devotion and dedication to yoga has been the turning point of her life giving her the strength and direction to follow her dreams and accomplish her goals towards happiness. During practices you will be exposed to chakras and how they work your body and mind, ayurveda, and balancing doshas as well as challenging your body to reach new levels of awareness. This style can be classified as more eclectic or intuitional in nature as we never know where it will lead us.
Lauren Forney, HHC, RYT and Holistic Health Counselor. She has been a devoted student of Yoga since 1995, and her practice of classic Hatha Yoga and Yoga philosophy led her to become a Registered Yoga Teacher in 2007. She has a background in Transcendental Meditation, Reiki and Sivananda Yoga. Lauren has always made health a priority in her life, leading her to become a Holistic Health Counselor. She is passionate about healthy eating and helping others learn to make consistent, wise choices in regards to their nutrition and overall well-being. This knowledge, as well as her years of practicing Yoga, greatly enhances her teaching.
Lauren uses the discipline of Yoga to promote health and serenity to still the mind and develop consciousness and gratitude. In her classes, Lauren accommodates her students’ needs by adjusting poses according to their strengths and abilities. She continues her study of Yoga and meditation by continually attending classes and workshops in order to bring her students interesting and eclectic experiences that serve the body, mind and spirit. Lauren has traveled to India to study at The Yoga Institute in Bombay, which is the oldest organized center of Yoga in the world. She is certified by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners.
Matt Foreman was introduced to hatha yoga in 1999 as a means of improving flexibility of his muscles that were tight from strength training. As years passed with a consistent practice, Matt discovered much deeper meaning to yoga than simply improving flexibility and calming the mind. Kundalini Yoga, as taught by Yogi Bhajan, most resonated with Matt and helped him tremendously through several tumultuos years of a high-pressure corporate job. After successfully maneuvering those years, Matt started training for a Level 1 (200 hour) certification as a Kundalini Yoga instructor in 2007, simply to deepen his personal practice. The training experience inspired Matt to share Kundalini Yoga by teaching weekly classes in the local Red Bank area. Matt plans to finish his Level 2 (500 hour) certification in February 2011.
Jordana Hoffmann’s first yoga class ever was at the Kripalu Institute in the Berkshires with her mom in 2000. She completely fell in love with DansKinetics(now called YogaDance), a combination of yoga and creative movement. Jordana went back to the Berkshires a month later to immerse herself for eighteen days in the DansKinetics certification program. She is also certified in Color Me Yoga, yoga for children ages 2-14. Jordana is a first-time mommy to a 7 month old boy. She taught Kindergarten for 5 years and has her Masters in Early Childhood Education. Jordana is deeply grateful to teach young children the union of mind, body, and spirit. She strives to create a fun, loving, safe atmosphere to inspire and motivate young children.
Durie Lynch is a local mother of six, who brings the insight of a mother and Girl Scout leader to her practice. She is Radiant Child Yoga certified and has enjoyed working with children for years. Durie believes that through play and laughter yoga will help children increase their self-awareness, build their self-esteem and strengthen their bodies. “A child is naturally radiant, aware, and full of innocent wisdom. The deeper purpose of teaching children yoga is to help them maintain their natural wisdom and radiance….” Yogi Bhajan
Lilian Marshall is a classically trained dancer. She has experimented with all kinds of fitness including long sessions on a yoga mat. But when she tried Zumba she fell in love and became certified to teach so that she could share the joy with you. You don’t need to know how to dance. Just move your body and follow her lead. It’s easy!
Dr. Carol Penn received her medical degree from UMDNJ, School of Osteopathic Medicine. Additionally, she holds an advanced 500-hour teacher certification in yoga from Soma Yoga as well as being a certified childbirth educator with Lamaze International, has a B.S. in Dance Education and an M.A. in Humanities from New York University. Carol’s unique background enables her to seamlessly blend both the art and the science of yoga, while skillfully instructing individual students from beginner to advanced. As an expert of teaching mixed level classes, one of her gifts as a teacher is to make the beginning student feel comfortable while still being able to challenge the more advanced student.
Michelle Roth has been practicing yoga for over 11 years. She has been a certified Kripalu yoga instructor since 2001 and a certified Pre-natal Yoga instructor since 2002. Following the traditional Kripalu style, Michelle’s classes incorporate the 3 Stage practice of yoga. Beginner students are instructed in the breathing techniques, Pranayama, and postures, Asanas (Stage 1) and advance towards holding the postures for longer periods of time to facilitate a meditative state (Stage 2), and finally to Stage 3, which is a free-flowing, intuitive practice, also referred to as a ‘meditation in motion’. Michelle’s areas of interest include prana yoga and balancing the energy of the chakras. When not teaching or practicing yoga, Michelle is busy making all natural soy and beeswax candles for her company, Om Sweet Om.
Denise Tranchina found yoga a dozen years ago and vowed she would never forget the day she first touched her toes! Certified and teaching for 5 years, she views the students as her gurus. Perhaps as an RN in a tough NYC hospital, perhaps through personal experience, she saw the effect time and circumstance have on the body and the spirit. With this thought in mind, Denise teaches strong prenatal classes, is certified in Radiant Child Yoga, instructs young adults at Brookdale College, including the men’s lacrosse team, and has a strong bond with students over the age of 40. Favoring a vigorous flow, her classes will challenge without frustration. Taking her yoga off her mat, Denise approaches her practice as she does her life, with strength, grace and a smile.
