Sun and Moon Teacher Bios

Alex Levin is inspired by many teachers and is certified with Sun&Moon. She aspires, in turn, to inspire her students to discover their essence and play with expressing it in the myriad forms of yoga, on and off the sticky mat.

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Alfia Khaibullina is Sun&Moon certified. She believes that the life challenges can be overcome by positive attitude, which she tries to cultivate in her teaching. Her classes are both challenging and fun.

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Allegra Gulino began her yoga studies to help her lower back pain. This began a unfolding journey of insight, self-care and enrichment. She understands through experience the holistic and empowering aspects of yoga and enjoys guiding students through the gradual shedding of restrictions to usher in new freedom in their mind, body and spirit. She designs her classes to meet the current needs of her students with an emphasis on healthy alignment, self observation, empowerment and open mindedness.

 

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Amir Tahami works attentively with students who want an enhanced quality of life through a plain spoken and sensible approach to health and well being. Amir uses innovative techniques in teaching students to help bring mindfulness into their yoga practice and daily life. He holds Yoga Alliances highest certification level and is also a practitioner of Thai Yoga Therapy.

 

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Anna Mikheeva Anna has been practicing Yoga for fifteen years. She holds a 300-hour Yoga Teacher Certification from Sun and Moon Yoga Studios. She brings experience, sensitivity to individual needs, and fun to every class. Blending together techniques from Yoga and Pilates, her goal is to help her students discover the joy of every movement and breath. Originally from Moscow, Russia, Anna has developed an appreciation for different cultures that come together in Yoga classes across the United States.
 

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Anne Jablonski teaches a playful, openhearted style of yoga, blending what's most appropriate in the moment with what she's learned from her own practice and the eclectic array of teachers with whom she's studied. She views meditation as the soul of yoga and encourages students toward a creative, alignment-savvy practice that erases the tight spots, stills the mind's chatter, cultivates joy, and keeps their own practice fresh and compelling.
 

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Annette Hyde is a Yoga Alliance Experienced Registered Teacher (E-RYT 200) and has been teaching since 2001.  She believes yoga is a continuous journey that opens the mind, strengthens the body, and frees the spirit to take on life’s opportunities and obstacles.

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Annie Moyer is certified at 700 hours through Sun & Moon. She conveys the authenticity and beauty of yoga in an accessible and inviting way, is firmly grounded in alignment principles, and an avid fan of yoga philosophy; classes are moderately paced, light-hearted and friendly -- lessons in yoga, perhaps lessons in life. Always open to questions, she is able to tailor classes to students’ needs, and encourages acceptance of each moment as a necessary step along the path of well-being.

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Asya Haikin enjoys teaching dynamic classes, focusing on clear alignment instructions, and aspires to share the inner balance that yoga brings to her life. She is a graduate of Sun&Moon's advanced teacher training program.

 

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Audra Monk  is Sun & Moon certified. She encourages students to have fun with their yoga. She invites them to allow themselves to be in the moment and enjoy the journey.

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Beth Ebner began practicing yoga more than 12 years ago. She loves the benefits of yoga: balance, relaxation and alignment. Her diverse yogic background gives a rich and eclectic quality to her teaching.

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Beth Sarani Fedman is an Integral Yoga teacher, receiving her training in Hatha Yoga and Meditation at Yogaville, Virginia. She has been practicing yoga and meditation for more than 15 years. She especially enjoys helping her students explore the meditative aspects of Hatha Yoga and bringing yoga in all its forms into everyday life.

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Carol Confino has completed the teacher training program at Sun & Moon and is an RYT-300. Her practice and teaching are about finding a place of peace within and becoming comfortable with yourself. She encourages students to be patient with themselves and practice without self judgment.

 

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Carole Rodero began her practice in the 1970's. She has been teaching since 2007. Her teaching style is nurturing and reflects a belief in the benefits of finding physical, mental and emotional ease in every pose. She teaches with humor and gentleness. She hopes to impart her love of yoga to every student she encounters.

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Carol Stehl thoroughly enjoys sharing her profound passion for yoga through teaching. She has a deep desire for students to experience the self-awareness, inner balance, and healing she has found on her yoga journey. The body-mind-spirit connection is an integral part of her teaching approach, with particular emphasis on the breath as the connector. Carol has been practicing and studying yoga under a rich and eclectic background of teachers since 1999.

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Carolyn Amundson encourages students to personalize their practice while developing their strength, flexibility, energy, and balance. She is certified by the Physical Mind Institute in mat and equipment Pilates and is the process of completing a certification from Sun & Moon.

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Charlotte Raich loves to share the joy of yoga with her students. She incorporates the healing qualities of yoga for the body, mind and soul into her classes through asana, pranayama and relaxation. She hopes that people will leave her classes feeling nurtured, calm and perhaps even better than they did when they started. She is currently studying to be a physical therapist and combines the therapeutic qualities of yoga into her classes that she teaches.

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Corinne Krill has experienced yoga as a powerful healing and transformational force in her life. Her desire is to share the gift of self-acceptance and love with her students. Through her own journey, yoga has shown her the gift the breath gives each of us, helping us to live in the present moment and finding the voice of our soul.

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Cynthia Lim emphasizes breath awareness as well as improving alignment and posture in one daily life through the practice of yoga.

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Cynthia Maltenfort has been working with children for the past 11 years. She is certified through the Radiant Child teachertraining program as well as Brain Gym. Her approach to teaching emphasizes having fun in a loving environment.

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Danielle Ring is a Power Pilates certified instructor in Beginner and Intermediate Mat. She enjoys challenging students with a fun and energetic teaching style. She also holds an M.S. in Exercise Science, a top-tier personal trainer certification and wellness coaching certification. Danielle enjoys assisting students find a holistic approach to health and wellness.

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Diana Erkiletian has been practicing yoga for almost 10 years. With her foundation strongly rooted in Kundalini yoga, Diana brings an ecclectic mix to her classes that makes yoga accessible to all. The overall goal of her classes is to go inside and see the Divinity that resides in us all.

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Enid Kassner is Sun & Moon certified. Her teaching style promotes a sensitive exploration of the inner experience of yoga in a light-hearted encouraging environment in which students can progress at their own pace.

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Emma Saal's intention is to create a cheerful and safe atmosphere, where she can share her love, passion and knowledge of yoga, martial arts and dance. She encourages her students to draw consciousness to their unconscious habits, and build awareness and space for their own body. Her classes revolve around the teachings styles of Iyengar, Ashtanga, Vinyasa and Budokon. Emma is also a certified practitioner of Traditional Thai Massage.

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Faith Halter’s classes incorporate humor and a relaxed, playful approach. She has an eclectic yoga background, including years of study at Sun and Moon, and teaching certification from the Nosara Yoga Institute in Costa Rica. Faith weaves into her yoga teaching her expertise as a stress reduction coach, plus her experience providing a special type of craniosacral bodywork that calms the nervous system.

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Frank Wooldridge has a mindfulness-based, active practice that blends the essential elements of Hatha yoga with innovative techniques found in the Anusara, Yin/Yang, and Tibetan Yoga traditions. He encourages students to focus on the energy in each pose and awareness of their bodies as a path to gain insight into their practice. He teaches vipassana meditation. Frank is a Relax & Renew trainer and is studying therapeutic yoga for MS patients.

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Heidi Kline Panetta did her teacher training at Sun & Moon. Heidi believes yoga is both fun and transformative, when we take the chance to stretch our bodies and our minds. She enjoys sharing her love of yoga with her students, especially beginners.

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Helene Hammer credits yoga with helping her find calm, clarity and joy in her hectic life. She has been teaching in public schools since 1978 and practicing yoga since the year 2000. Helene is certified through Kripalu and Radiant Child. Her style is fun and playful, encouraging students to notice sensations without judgement and let go of stress.

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Jackie Shaffer has been practicing hatha yoga and meditation for more than 20 years. She received her teaching certification at Sun & Moon. Jackie’s teaching reflects the influence of her eclectic hatha studies and her interest in watching students refine their energy and self-awareness

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Jane Phelan considers teaching Kripalu-inspired yoga as a deeply joyful shared journey with her students. Drawing from her mindfulness practice in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh, she teaches that each conscious breath brings awareness to our yoga practice to explore connections within ourselves and to the world around us.

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Jon Waterman began practicing yoga and meditation while teaching the martial arts in the early seventies. He has received teacher trainings in Vipassana (insight meditation) from Bhante Gunaratana and in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction . The theme of Jon’s classes and workshops is “Connecting the Moments" by gently cultivating mindfulness both on and off the cushion.

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Judith Lyon has studied yoga and meditation for more than 25 years. Her classes are based on the teachings of classical hatha yoga, as expressed by B.K.S. Iyengar, and Sri Swami Satchidananda, by whom she is certified.

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Karin Caffi is grateful to, and continues to be inspired by, her fabulous colleagues and students here at Sun & Moon. She strives to create a welcoming, non-competitive class, where students can expect to enjoy breathing, stretching, and flowing sequences set to great music. Students leave class feeling balanced, energized and peaceful.

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Kelly Tynes is a certified recreational therapist, massage therapist and yoga instructor. Kelly's teaching is inspired by the Anusara style. Her teaching style is unique in that she incorporates all knowledge of her past therapies to aid the students in their personal growth. She shares with her students a benefit of learning how to live in the present moment; it truly is a gift.

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Kerri White began her yoga journey over 11 years ago. Loving the way yoga helped her join body, mind and spirit, she wanted to share this gift with others. Kerri loves teaching Prana Vinyasa Flow because of the way it helps her body to feel connected to the flow of yoga, the flow of Prana, and the flow of life.

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Kristin Heinz teaches a vinyasa style class, which helps students find stillness in their minds and playfulness in their bodies by connecting movement with breath. Infusing her class with hands-on assisting, inspiring music, and thoughtful readings, she creates a nurturing environment to explore, to heal, and to grow. She is a graduate of a Yoga Alliance certified program.

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Kristina Clarke enjoys teaching students of all levels and abilities. Her training background is based in the Sivananda tradition of classical hatha yoga. She believes strongly in the power of positivity and loves watching her students build confidence through their practice while still retaining a much-needed sense of humility. She is also an enthusiastic birth doula and childbirth educator.

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Kristy Vandenberg practices yoga for relaxation, to become strong of mind and body, and to erase any self imposed limits. She provides clear, simple instructions with a calming influence to encourage her students to explore and learn. Kristy completed her teacher certification at Sun & Moon.

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Laura Dillon is Sun and Moon certified. Laura promotes "body indifference" - It's not about feeling good about yourself but feeling good within. It's from within that goodness expands. When you find a place of peace in the body, your yoga practice comes alive.

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Madeline Helbraun has been certified in the Feldenkrais Method ® for over 20 years. She is also a physical therapist and an avid west coast swing dancer. She is especially interested in how shifting our state of awareness affects us physically.

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Mandy Shaver hopes to empower individuals in her classes by increasing their strength and flexibility of mind and body. She teaches a variety of fitness pursuits, including yoga, pilates and cycling. She is an avid runner and enjoys a break hiking or taking long bike rides. She is currently funded by George Mason University for an undergraduate apprenticeship scholarship and research study focusing on holistic health studies.

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Maureen Vasquez has been a student of yoga since 1995. She received her certification  through the Sun&Moon Teacher Training Program; and is continuing her studies in Sun & Moon’s 700 hour and Yoga Therapeutics Programs.  Maureen’s light-hearted style encourages students to enjoy exploration through attention to their bodies and the breath.

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Mike Ricker has been teaching since 2005.  He believes that people know their own truths and invites students to honor and accept whatever stage they are in here and now. Mike enjoys offering challenging asanas in a flowing sequence to promote strength, flexibility, and ease through breath. He believes that yoga is an empowering process occurring both on and off the mat.

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Nirinjan Devi (Zahra) is a certifid Power Pilates teacher, 500 hour registered yoga teacher with and joyful student of Life. Her contagious joy and enthusiasm offer a supportive, inclusive environment for self-exploration. Nirinjan brings both playfulness and light-heartedness to her classes. Nirinjan began her love for Yoga and fitness early in life. Nirinjan honors all the radiant teachers that she has had and continues to study with.

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Noralea Dalkin has completed teacher certification programs at The Health Advantage Yoga Center and Satchidananda Ashram. She encourages students to breath and notice the changes and relaxation that yoga brings to their body, mind and spirit.

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Patricia Pao has completed The Health Advantage Yoga Center teacher training program, The Radiant Child TT Program, and she is also a Relax and Renew Trainer. She is a former professional dancer and ballet teacher. She teaches from the heart and emphasizes opening up to the experience of yoga.

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Pauline Howard is a Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Teacher, having completed her teacher certification at Sun and Moon’s 300-hour teacher training program. Pauline has an M.A. in counseling and is known for her calm and supportive teaching style. She teaches Gentle and All Levels yoga and plans to add Seniors’ and Pre-Natal yoga to her repertoire in the very near future.

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Phyllis Haney finds special joy in helping students tailor yoga practices to their individual needs. Her classes encourage students to have fun with the poses while achieving beneficial physical and energetic alignment. She has been a student and teacher of yoga since the early 1990s. Phyllis is an Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher and a member of International Association of Yoga Therapists.

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Rixie Dennison is a Sun & Moon certified yoga instructor, a Holistic Life Coach, and Reflexology and Reiki practitioner. Her gentle, energetic approach to yoga enables students to explore their mind, body, spirit connection in a safe, non-judgmental environment. She blends knowledge of the Chakras and yoga philosophy into her classes. Rixie's unique approach to teaching moves everyone to a more balanced place in their lives.

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Roger Panetta did his teacher training at Sun & Moon. Roger's style is deliberative and focused with an emphasis on students becoming calmer and more aware in their daily life.

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Suze Auda began her yoga practice in 1993 as a form of physical therapy, following a car accident. She began teaching for Fairfax County in 2006 and is completing the 300-hr Teacher Trainee program with Sun & Moon. Suze is Pilates Mat certified. Her practice and casual, non-intimidating, style to her teaching brings awareness to the many changes in our every day lives, developing awareness of the transitions in ourselves both on and off the yoga mat.

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Sue Eisenfeld has led writing workshops at a women's homeless shelter in D.C. and currently teaches Personal Essay/Memoir for Arlington Adult Education. Her personal essays have been published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Washingtonian, The Gettysburg Review, Potomac Review, and other publications. She is trained in the Amherst Writers & Artists writing group method.

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Suzanne Morgan is certified with 700 hours at Sun & Moon. Her goal is to help students with self-acceptance and to find joy in the moment. These concepts have helped her to find a balanced path in her own life as the president of Print Buyers Online.com.
 

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Tanja Szabo believes that yoga helps to open up spaces in the body and mind to feel lighter, stronger, and more at peace. Her classes are theme-based and are adapted to the levels of the participants, with a strong focus on healthy alignment. Tanja hopes to demonstrate that yoga meets you where you are, and through patience and time, improves flexibility, strength, and mental clarity.

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Vicki Christian is a Sun & Moon certified instructor and is prenatal certified.  She has been on a yoga journey since 1989, is still a yoga student, and has been teaching since 2004.  Her classes are balanced, energizing classes, which allow each student to discover and enjoy yoga within their ability, and encourage connection, alignment, breath, and relaxation within the practice and life.

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