Meet Our Yoga Teachers
These talented teachers are leading our Winter YogaLand classes
January 11 — March 21
Michaele Woodhouse
Gentle Yoga for Healing, Monday 1 pm
Michaele’s practice on the mat began about 9 years ago, when a vinyasa class became much more than the asanas; it became a dance for her soul. Her love for yoga led to becoming a teacher through Yoga-Mojo Studio in Cary, NC. In addition, Michaele has trained in Yoga for Cancer Patients and Survivors through the UNC Lineberger Center. Michaele teaches several styles of classes: vinyasa, gentle, restorative, and yoga for cancer survivors. For her, it is about meeting everyone on their level.
In addition to You Call This Yoga, Michaele partners with Waverly Hematology Oncology in their Healthy Movements Program. She has been a Reiki Master since 2010 and recently became certified in Thai Body with Michael Sitzer. Find her on Instagram and Facebook.
Nicole
Restorative Yin Yoga for Veterans and Their Families, Monday 5:30 pm
Nicole has been practicing yoga since 2015. She is certified through Asheville Yoga Center. Nicole teaches Vinyasa Flow which synchronizes the movements of the breath with a dynamic sequence of connected yoga postures joined together in a smooth, flowing way. Her goal is to help students physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually through yoga. The link between teacher and student is stressed so that care is taken of all students. She creates a space for all students to feel safe and supported as they develop in their own personal practice of yoga.
Kiesha Battles
Yin for Bedtime/Anytime, Monday 7 pm
Kiesha Battles (E-RYT 500) is Yoga Director at Charlotte Family Yoga Center and a full-time yoga teacher and trainer who studied with Maya Breuer and Kristine Kaoverii. Kiesha speciality is in Yin Yoga under training by Bernie Clark. Kiesha earned a graduate degree in Asian studies, with a certification in international business and a focus on Asian philosophy, religion, and modern language. Through her academic studies, she was exposed to Taoism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and yoga. Kiesha has taught for the YMCA of Greater Charlotte for eight years and was a R. O. S. E. Award recipient. She has been featured in the book Yes Yoga Has Curves, interviewed by the Charlotte Post and in Pride Magazine. In 2016, Kiesha was honored as an inaugural Self-Care Charlotte Ambassador. In her role, she promotes self-care for the purpose of nurturing healthy lives and relationships for individuals, families, and communities. In 2018, she was appointed Co-Director of the Yoga Retreat for Women of Color™ and in 2020 to the Board of Directors for Amplify and Activate.
Facebook: I AM YOGA
Instagram: iamyogaclt
Website: Kiesha Battles
Contact: yogadirector@kieshabattles.com
Bethany Goodson
Flow, Meditate, Journal, Tuesday 6:30 am
Bethany Goodson (RYT 500) holds an advanced yoga teacher training certification, and has completed additional training to specialize in vinyasa, yin, kids, hot, trauma-informed, and adaptive yoga. Her signature offerings feature the complementary pairing of movement and writing, beautifully suited for this introspective winter morning series.
Facebook: The Free Hearts
Website: The Free Hearts
Contact: info@thefreehearts.com
Kristen Rae
Low-Impact Stability Flow, Tuesday 12 pm
Stretch & Rest: Gentle Movement and Restorative Yoga, Friday 10:30 am
Kristen Rae (C-IAYT) is the founder of Yogi Oasis in Garner, NC, a certified Yoga Therapist, E-RYT 200 from Sumits Yoga (AZ) and E-RYT 300 from Yax Yoga Concepts (VA) with over 10 years and 10,000s classes taught. Kristen offers many formats of classes, workshops, and private instruction virtually and in-studio. She offers free/donation classes weekly and serves the Veteran and Cancer populations with free classes every Friday morning with the help of You Call This Yoga. When Kristen isn’t teaching yoga, she is hanging with her husband, french bulldog and parrots, probably making some kind of fancy tacos or enjoying the outdoors. In her past-normal, she enjoyed traveling and teaching abroad yearly in Jamaica, Australia, and Indonesia.
Facebook: Yoga with Kristen Rae
Instagram: kristen.rae, yogioasis
Website: Yogi Oasis
Contact: Yogawithkristenrae@gmail.com
Amy Rockwell
Active Yoga for Healing, Tuesday 5:30 pm
Amy has been a fitness professional for over 25 years in both corporate and private practices. She found her true passion for teaching in yoga. She has completed both 220-hour teacher training and advanced training in Yoga for Cancer Patients and Survivors. Amy has 24-year old identical twin girls, who are her best friends and the center of her world. Her father was in the military, which influenced her decision to join. She was commissioned after College Army ROTC, and left the Army to raise her daughters and become a fitness professional.
JJ Gormley
Healing Yoga, Wednesday 11 am
Yoga for All Levels, Thursday 1:15 pm
JJ Gormley (MS, C-IAYT, E-RYT 500) is the SCHYS Executive Director of the training programs, where she acts as the main curriculum designer, program coordinator, and program director. JJ received a B.S. degree in Mathematics, an M.S. in Complementary Integrative Medicine, and a Graduate Certificate in Nutrition. She is a Certified Yoga Therapist (C-IAYT), Registered with the Yoga Alliance as an Experienced Yoga Teacher (E-RYT 500), a Prenatal Teacher (RPYT), and Children’s Yoga Teacher (RCYT). She has been and continues to be a student of yoga (since 1979), teaching since 1989, and running teacher training programs since 1994. Her teacher training programs have been registered with the Yoga Alliance since 1999 and her Yoga Therapy Certificate Program with the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT) since 2017.
JJ has studied from some of the world’s leading teachers and has studied from many of the major yoga traditions including Integral Yoga, Kundalini, Iyengar, Anusara, Ashtanga, and Viniyoga. She was the event coordinator for the Yoga Therapy Summit in 2013 and 2017. She has presented at the annual Symposium for Yoga Therapy & Research (SYTAR) and the Yoga As Medicine conference in Washington, DC, taught an eight-week series on yoga philosophy for the Smithsonian Institute’s Resident Associate Program, and served on a panel on Yoga for Systemic Lupus at the National Institute for Health in Bethesda, MD. She is currently serving on the IAYT’s Accreditation Committee and is on the Advisory Board for Yoga Therapy Today magazine. She has also published many VHS and DVD recordings, a CD, multiple training manuals, co-authored Holistic Healing with Yoga Therapy, and has been featured in numerous magazines and articles. In her spare time she loves to go on walks and hikes, or can be found reading, knitting, gardening, or hanging out with friends who like to play cards, enjoy good food and good company.
Facebook: JJ Gormley
Instagram: yoginijj
LinkedIn: JJ Gormley
Website: Surya Chandra Healing Yoga
Contact: j@schys.yoga
Foram Shah
Yoga for Lower Back Strength/Yoga for Stress Management, Wednesday 5:50 pm
Foram is a Physical Therapist with Masters in Health Science (MHS) and RYT 200 and RYT 500 yoga certifications. Currently practicing in Raleigh NC, she is a physical therapist by profession and yoga teacher by passion. Her love for yoga therapeutics stems from combining ancient yoga science with the latest scientific research for managing various therapeutic conditions. Through her strong knowledge base in the physiology of various health care conditions and strong Indian roots, she wishes to spread love, warmth and, most importantly, empowerment in her community . She believes in changing “disability” to “differently abled” with yoga.
Briana Young-Roane
Learning to Let Go: Yoga Series for the BIPOC Community, Wednesday 7 pm
Briana Young-Roane is a colorful character. Born in Inglewood, CA, she is now an east coast girl and has flavor that mixes both coasts to give you a worldly and fun flare. She started as a modern dancer and, after an injury, was introduced to yoga for recovery. After healing, she decided that yoga was her path.
Facebook: BriYoga
Instagram: @thegypsyyogamama, @breatheyogava
Websites: Gypsy Yoga Mama Brand, Breathe Yoga Studio
Contact: briyroane@gmail.com, questions@breatheva.com
Sara de Miguel Hernández
Flowithme Chair Yoga, Thursday 7 am
Sara de Miguel Hernández is a Life Coach, corporate yoga teacher, and Founder of Flowithme. Often known just by her brand name, Flowithme, Sara lives in Cork, Ireland where she helps people to navigate their wellness journeys. Her technique incorporates the practice of chair yoga, life coaching, and cooking with Thermomix, helping her clients to reflect, rebalance, and refocus in any area of their life. Sara works in English and Spanish, both with individuals online, on a one-to-one basis, and with larger corporate groups.
Website: Flowithme
Facebook: Flowithme
Instagram: @_flowithme_
YouTube: Flowithme
Contact: sara@flowithme.com
Anand Bhatt
Mind Body Yoga, Thursday 5:30 pm
Anand V Bhatt is a Wellness specialist at Anandam Wellness, Queensland, Australia, who will be bringing his expertise to share with us via Zoom. Anand comes from an extensive therapeutic background of Naturopathy, Western Herbs, Chinese medicine and Energy Healing practicing for over 17 years in this industry. He has worked in India, Africa, The USA, Virgin islands and is currently in Australia for the last 8 years. Yoga is a proven technique to enhance productivity, creativity, concentration and flexibility. Each yoga session includes gentle physical postures, breathing techniques, and deep relaxation. His classes are suitable for beginners.
Anand has also done numerous workshops on The Breath, Anxiety management, Arthritis management, Zero Stress Zone, PTSD and many more. Visit Anandam Wellness for more information.
Amma Fandiño
Chair & Standing Yoga in Spanish, Saturday 10 am (alternating with Juan Martinez)
Amma Fandiño (RYT 500) has been a devoted yogini for over 28 years and a passionate biologist for 27 years. She holds a master degree in environmental sciences from Yale University and is a certified Integral Yoga and Accessible Yoga teacher. She is also trained in Therapeutic Yoga, Yoga for Arthritis, Yoga of Recovery, Lifeforce Yoga, Prison Yoga, and Mindfulness. Amma’s passion is to share yoga with communities with challenges and conditions of vulnerability on a physical, mental, and emotional level. Amma has been dedicated to teaching cancer patients and their caregivers. Amma’s inspiration is bestowing support to patients in order to improve their quality of life as well as their ability to cope with the difficult circumstances associated with the disease.
Another facet of Amma’s vocation is teaching yoga to people with anxiety, depression, and addictions. Currently, she teaches in two prisons in Bogotá. She dedicates her efforts to provide a space that promotes empowerment, rehabilitation, and healing of those deprived of liberty, as well as supporting their addiction recovery processes. Amma is contributing to the Accessible Yoga (AY) program since 2015 and is a regional representative of the AY group in Spanish. As a Yoga Accessible Trainer, she feels honored and fortunate to support the training of yoga teachers in the Spanish-speaking community. She lives in Colombia with her husband and two kids and loves to spend her free time in contact with nature.
Website: Amma Fandino
Facebook: Accessible Yoga- Español
Contact: amma@accessibleyoga.org
Juan Martinez
Chair & Standing Yoga in Spanish, Saturday 10 am (alternating with Amma Fandiño)
Juan es profesor certificado en Yoga y Meditación, Hatha Yoga y Ashtanga Yoga, como en Yoga Accesible, Yoga Inclusivo (Yoga Terapéutico especializado en discapacidades, adicciones, patologías y persona adulta mayor), Yoga y Encarcelamiento, Yoga y Trauma Informado. En la actualidad está realizando una maestría en Yoga Terapéutico.
A compartido la práctica del yoga a través de distintos programas, en centros penales, rehabilitación de adicciones, adultos y adultos mayores, personas de la calle, salud mental, personas con discapacidad física y hospitales.
Su enfoque va más allá de la práctica postural y busca mostrar a través del Yoga, un santuario, un laboratorio, una oportunidad, un lugar para la contemplación y la expresión de la compasión y respeto a nosotros mismos como a la vida misma, descubriendo así nuestras virtudes y fortalezas, todo desde el punto más positivo de cada experiencia hacia la transformación y dándole importancia a la técnica como a la filosofía y la psicología de la práctica, acercando el yoga desde el Yoga inclusivo, adaptado, accesible y diverso, hacia todas las personas con o sin discapacidad y procesos de vida, integrando a las práctica de asanas, las técnicas de respiración, atención plena, meditación guiada, relajación profunda, sonido terapia y reiki, todo como una terapia no solo para el cuerpo, sino para la mente y el alma.
Tom Spector
Meditation and Healing, Sunday 7 pm (January)
Tom is internationally regarded as a refreshingly effective meditation and healing teacher. He began meditating in 1968 while enrolled in an intense graduate program at Yale University. He was struggling not only with the curriculum, but also with anger and a battered down self-esteem. Meditation clarified issues and elucidated the paths forward. Tom then completed the full PhD Program in record time. Tom started teaching in 1976, after a magical meeting with Elizabeth Kubler-Ross at a Ram Dass meditation retreat. Tom’s book, Our Two Gardens: How to Cultivate Healing and CD, Meditation and Healing, are available on his website.
Website: Hatha House Yoga Studio
Contact: spectors@mindspring.com
Poonam Bhasin
Sound Healing Meditation, Sunday 7 pm (February)
Poonam Bhasin (E-RYT & YACEP), also known by her brand name Dhyana-Grhá, is passionate about yoga and wellness. As a keen believer of yoga philosophy and practice, she is the founder of Dhyana-grhá, which translates to “Meditation House”. Poonan, who thoroughly enjoys spreading the teachings of Patanjali, actively strives to personally manifest the spiritual quotient. She is a Certified Meditation teacher and Sound Healing practitioner, specializing in Sound Baths, Sound Immersion Meditations and Sound Massages. In 2004, she completed her Certificate in Yoga Teacher’s Training Course from the Academy of Yoga in India and subsequently completed the refresher 250-hour YTT certification.
Her journey to Dhyana took her to various places, externally and internally. Deciding to look within and reorder her time, her life, and live her passion to serve, she quit her high profile fashion/retail job and decided to continue her calling to Yoga and Meditation. A while later, Dhyana-Grhá was conceptualized and soon established in Vancouver, B.C.
Website: dhyana-grhá
Facebook: dhyanagrha
Instagram: @dhyanagrha
Twitter: @dhyana-grhá
LinkedIn: Poonam Bhasin
Contact: poonam@dhyanagrha.com
Anjana Rathores
Meditation, Sunday 7 pm (March)
Anjana began yoga as a way to fight-off polymyalgia rheumatica and adopted it as part of her daily routine. Having personally benefited, she developed a passion for yoga and made it her mission to spread the goodness of yoga as a way of life to seniors with similar age-related conditions and to communities in need. She received her first yoga teacher training in 2016 and is continuing to train in various forms of yoga including chair yoga and yoga-trapeze.