~The Teachers~

All of our teachers are certified, and most of them are registered with the Yoga Alliance (RYT), a national organization that provides support to and maintains minimum standards for the education of yoga teachers. In order to qualify to be registered with the Yoga Alliance, a teacher must have a minimum of 200 hours of study, including teaching, special modifications in yoga postures for special needs, anatomy, philosophy and history of yoga.
 
Evelyne Serais, E-RYT (owner of Y4E) is a certified Kripalu yoga teacher, with 500 hour Certified advanced teacher training from the Amrit yoga institute where she also studied the "forgotten art" of Yoga Nidra. She completed her Kundalini teacher training in 2010 with Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa.  She is also a certified Traditional Thai Yoga body worker, practicing since 2004 and continuing that exploration by studying that healing art with diverse teachers from around the world.

 
Marleen Salko, RYT-500 has studied and taught in the health and fitness field for over 22 years. She is certified in Advanced Kripalu Yoga from the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health.

Marleen was the founder and owner of Marleen's Yoga Center in Southport and Westport, which merged with Yoga for Everybody in May 2005.
 
Patrick Casey, RYT-500 completed his 500hr teacher training with Integral Yoga and 250hr training with Amrit Desai.  Patrick is also a certified massage therapist as well as a thai body work practitioner. 
 
Carolyn Fahey, R.N., R.Y.T., H.H.C. is an Anusara-inspired yoga teacher and certified Hatha Yoga instructor registered with Yoga Alliance. Her passion for living a happy, healthy, meaningful life infuses her teaching with compassion and joy. As a teacher, she guides her students towards healing, transformation and freedom. Learn more about Carolyn on her website.
 
Lauren Lanham RYT, has been a student of yoga for the past 15 years. On this yogic journey she has had many wonderful teachers and experiences. She believes yoga to be an integral part of one's physical, mental and spiritual life. Lauren has tremendous enthusiasm for and love of yoga that she imparts to her students. She is also continually learning life's lessons from her loving husband and two amazing children. Certified by the White Lotus Foundation, her teaching is an eclectic mix including Iyengar and Ashtanga styles.
 
Kathy Jamison, E-RYT is a certified Viniyoga teacher and massage therapist. A lifelong interest in wellness through nutrition, exercise, lifestyle and spirituality naturally drew Kathy to yoga. A graduate of the American Viniyoga Institute (AVI) founded by Gary Kraftsow, she is certified as both a Viniyoga teacher and therapist. Kathy holds a position on the AVI teacher/therapist training staff where she has contributed to the development of curriculum materials, and currently serves as a member of the AVI Advisory Board. She is registered with the Yoga Alliance at the 500 hr level and is a member of the International Association of Yoga Therapists. Also using her knowledge as a licensed massage therapist, Kathy brings a blend of yoga therapy and bodywork to her group classes and private sessions.
 
Ariadne Drakonakis-Kambas, RYT is a certified Kripalu yoga teacher and has been teaching since 2003.  She is also a licensed massage therapist and occupational therapist and is certified in Prenatal/Postnatal Yoga and Prenatal/Postnatal Massage Therapy.  The basic principals of Kripalu Yoga--- Breathe, Relax, Feel, Watch, and Allow--- continually guide and support Ariadne in her life as a mother of three beautiful little boys, partner,sister, daughter, student and teacher.  With humor, compassion and a working knowledge of the human body, Ariadne weaves these very principles through her classes as a means of helping students cultivate the art of being present.  Awakening to the present, we let go of the weight of our past and our preoccupation with the future and begin to ride the waves of our life as it is showing up with greater ease and balance.  She believes the practice of yoga helps us embrace the many layers of our body: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual, thereby guiding us towards more compassionate choices for ourselves, our families, our community and our planet.
 
 
Erica Tetro-Langer, RYT has been practicing yoga for 16 years. She is a certified Kripalu yoga teacher and is also certified in Pre-Natal yoga. Erica has a strong faith and appreciation for the wellness and healing ability of yoga. She loves to share yoga off the mat with her family aspiring to bring mindfulness into the everyday rituals of life.
The Intro. to yoga class is an inspiration to teach as it offers Erica the invitation to reconnect with her beginners mind and to share the joys of yoga with new students.

 
Kerri Gawreluk, RYT is a certified yoga teacher in the ISHTA tradition, an integrated system of Hatha yoga, Tantric philosophy, and Ayurvedic wellness which encourages students to create unique yoga practices to fit their own individual needs. She is also certified in Prenatal yoga and, for the past several years, has devoted much of her teaching energy and passion to working with both expectant mothers as well as the littlest yogis, ages 6 weeks to 16 years!  In all of her classes, Kerri encourages her students to practice with compassion, humor, and joy and to just "go with the flow" of where each new breath takes you!  Kerri's family offerings include the following:  Prenatal Yoga on Thursdays at 5:45 p.m. and Sundays at 4:30 p.m., "Baby and Me" classes for newborns, crawlers, toddlers and their adult companions throughout the week, Yoga for Middle School Girls during the school year, and a monthly Family Yoga workshop.  She also teaches Core Yoga on Wednesday nights at 5:45 p.m. as well as a mixed level class on Saturday afternoons at 12:45 p.m.
 
Beth Furman, MALS, E-RYT has studied yoga, dance and other forms of movement, including hip hop and African dance. A certified yoga teacher, she also holds a degree in dance/movement studies. She currently teaches yoga and movement to adults and children alike, integrating hip hop and other forms of dance and cultural expression into the practice. Beth recieved her original 200 hr at Saraswati's and completed 500 hours with Shiva Rea.
 
Joy LeVine Abrams, MS, RYT, is a certified Kripalu Yoga instructor and has been teaching yoga since 1995. he also teaches the Mindfulness Based Stress Rectuction Program created by Jon Kabat-Zinn.  Joy is co-creator of THE FLEXIBLE PAINTER, an art and yoga retreat in Madison, CT and Tuscany.  Joy's interest in the body/mind connection began with her M.S. in Biology and Nutrition in 1983.  She feels her most profound learning came from her nine years of hospice work as Director of Volunteers.  She teaches Gentle Yoga at 9:15 a.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays.  Her email address is joyoga1@optonline.net
 
Greg Barringer, RYT is a certified yoga teacher with advanced studies in the lineage of Swami Shri Kripalvanandji. Recently he has begun studying and practicing Thai Yoga Bodywork.  His practice and teaching focuses on the exploration of energy to remove the blocks to becoming our true self. Greg teaches every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 7am
 
Marni Jurman, RYT is a Yoga Alliance 200hr. certified Vinyasa yoga teacher, trained through Sonic Yoga.  She has studied Restorative yoga and is certified in Level 2 Healing Touch Program™ energy therapy, incorporating principles of healing work into her classes.  Marni enjoys creating a light-hearted environment in which students can let go, connect with their bodies and explore yoga at their own pace.

 

Kellie Panus, RYT Kellie began teaching yoga in 2001 and has experienced an everlasting appreciation for the practice and a true love of teaching it ever since.  Kellie (E-RYT 200) has additional certifications in vinyasa flow, pre and postnatal, children’s yoga and many hours of study in anusara.
 
In addition to her 4 year tenure with Sean Johnson at Wild Lotus Yoga  in New Orleans, her journey has included teaching stays in acclaimed yoga studios in Vail Valley, Colorado and Las Vegas, NV and she has had the honor of studying with many mentors along the way.  Kellie’s classes are both structured and spontaneous.
 

 
 
Robert Ortner, E-RYT-500 Robert's approach to the art of yoga begins with the phrase "We are our own best teachers". One does not just do yoga, one becomes yoga: it is a lifelong journey that anyone can make.
Robert is a Certified Yoga Teacher at both the 200 & 500 hour levels with Don and Amba Stapleton from the Nosara Institute, Yoga therapy training with Nischala Joy Devi, Integrative Yoga Therapist training with Joseph Le Page, Thai Yoga Bodywork certification with Jonas Westring.
Robert has worked with and coached many individuals with a wide range of health issues which, in turn, has led to a pursuit of different yoga therapies and a strong belief in stress relief, breath work, meditation, and energy healing. Learn more about robert visit www.xl-12.com

 


 
Erika Tsoukanelis, RYT200 has been playing with yoga since childhood, and began practicing in earnest 17 years ago. She received her teaching certification from Kripalu in 2006, and spent the following year working, living and studying at Ananda Ashram in upstate New York. Erika is currently a psychotherapist in private practice, incorporating yogic principles and mindfulness into this work. One of her therapeutic specialties is helping individuals recover from eating disorders and addiction. Erika's yoga classes celebrate the joy of a fully embodied aliveness.
 

Mark RomanoMark J. Romano, ND practices holistic medical arts under a National Board Certification and a Connecticut State Licensure. His education includes an undergraduate Bachelor of Arts degree with a specialization in Human Kinesiology, and a Doctorate of Naturopathy. Mark works to integrate western medical sciences with eastern healing techniques. 

Mark teaches the self healing practice of Qigong, in particular Sheng Zhen Qigong. He has trained under the guidance of respected Qigong Master Li Jun Feng, and has been teaching individuals and groups Sheng Zhen Qigong since 2003.


Mark is drawn to Sheng Zhen QiGong for its ability to help one gracefully move through the ups and downs of life, the practice’s rhythmical nature and core philosophy of unconditional love and acceptance as the most powerful force in the universe.


 
Johanna Garvey began her yoga journey six and a half years ago at Yoga for Everybody in Fairfield, CT.  She received her 200-hour certification from Km Valeri's Yoga Spirit Studios® in 2009.  A native Californian, she brings to her yoga practice many years of experience in ballet and jazz dance, as well as synchronized and competitive swimming, and infuses her form-and-flow classes with movement and joy.  She is attentive to students' needs, while also creating a safe environment and community atmosphere in her classes. As she continues on her path as a yogini, she welcomes fellow travelers with a warm heart and delights in sharing her deep passion for the practice.  Johanna is also a professor of literature at Fairfield University.