Alissa Cedar Waterfall Johnson is a proud citizen of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and a land steward residing in Connecticut. A 2019 graduate of the Kripalu School of Mindful Outdoor Leadership, she returns often to offer programming assistance, and joined the outdoor R&R team in 2023. Alissa is passionate about sharing traditional ecological knowledge, gratitude practices, and holding space for nature connection. She hopes to support and inspire humans to see the sacred interconnectedness with all our relations. 
  
A practicing herbalist and gardener, when Alissa isn’t guiding mindful outdoor experiences at Kripalu, she is living close to the land, enjoying time with family and community, foraging, wildcrafting and tending her growing farmstead. She is an advocate for indigenous cultural preservation and food sovereignty. 

Allison Gemmel Laframboise is a Kripalu Yoga teacher who thrives on sharing drumming and yoga with others. With her husband, Shaun Laframboise, she leads retreats, drum circles, and workshops throughout the Northeast. Shaun and Allison are cofounders of Handsdown Productions and members of the KDZ Drummers, which plays at Kripalu YogaDance^® sessions and performs as part of the Saturday-night concert series at Kripalu.

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Ami Jean is a naturalist and certified wildlife tracker. As a Kripalu Mindful Outdoor Guide, Ami Jean leads groups on hiking and kayak adventures. She also teaches guided meditation, nature mandala, and mindful archery workshops. Ami Jean's work involves helping humans connect deeply with the natural world. She believes that the separateness between humans and all other living beings on our Mother Earth is the fundamental dis-ease driving our modern society. Her teachings weave together a tapestry of reciprocity between nature's medicine and a human's love for their living world. Through deep and intentional practices, this work restores wholeness of the human spirit and healing in both mind and body. 

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Antoinette Simms has been working in the health and wellness industry for over 29 years. She is an integrated yoga therapist, a Kundalini Yoga teacher, and facilitates various yoga, meditation, mantra workshops, and ecstatic dance classes. 

A former group fitness instructor, personal trainer, and dance choreographer, Antoinette competed in body building competitions early in her career and was asked to serve as the on-tour personal trainer, nutritional counselor, and personal chef for 50 Cent and several other artists.

Antoinette started her yoga journey with master yoga and marital arts teacher, Master Adam Nguyen, while residing in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Over the years, she has served the local community in the public school, private and corporate sectors. Her deepest desire is to use her voice to heal herself and others through love, laughter, compassion, and courage.

Antoinette has a single on Spotify: Rose Nectar. Both she and her son, Alyx, are veterans of the United States Navy. She served during the Gulf War.  

Aruni Nan Futuronsky, a Kripalu Yoga teacher and life coach, has been teaching in a variety of venues for nearly 50 years, and has been on the Kripalu faculty for more than 30 of those. She is author of Recovering My Voice: A Memoir of Chaos, Spirituality, and Hope; Already Home: Stories of a Seeker; and Not Over Yet: Simple Strategies to Struggle Less and Savor More. Aruni developed the Kripalu coaching methodology based in presence and right action. Her experience is rooted in a long-term commitment to a Twelve-Step program and the practice of living yoga.

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Beth Grace is an internationally trained and recognized classical Feng Shui and Chinese metaphysics consultant. As founder of the American Academy of Metaphysics, Beth teaches and trains other consultants on Feng Shui and Chinese astrology. She also teaches Chinese astrology for the Kripalu Online Studio.

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Bill Koff is a certified professional yoga therapist (C-IAYT) and a Kripalu 1000-hour yoga teacher who has been practicing yoga for 20 years, and pranayama for more than 30 years. He offers yoga therapy, therapeutic yoga stretch, and balance classes, and IAYT APD CE credits in philosophy and proprioceptive techniques. Bill is on the faculty of the Kripalu School of Integrative Yoga Therapy and the founder of Tiny Teahouse Yoga. He retired as vice president and chief technology officer of Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) where he led global research, strategy, methodology, and executive education organizations. Bill is the author of a number of books including The Future of Healthcare: It’s Health, Then Care. 

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Christopher Gunderson, RYT-200, has more than 15 years of yoga experience. In 2019 he earned the RYT-200 designation at the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health and currently teaches a Kripalu-style all-levels class focused on a harmonization of breath and movement. In 2023, Chris also completed the 75-hour Vinyasa training and continues incorporating hatha and raja yoga towards a path of niskama.

In addition to Kripalu Yoga, Chris’ practice has been informed by many living and past masters who have generously transmitted their learnings.

Growing up in Boise, Idaho, Chris was blessed with an appreciation for nature and the outdoors. Since moving East in the early 2000’s, his discovery of the benefits of yoga have fostered a mindful approach to well-being, one he enjoys sharing with others, especially on guided Stand-Up-Paddleboarding (SUP) and hiking excursions at Kripalu.

Chris also leads Amulet Consulting, a consulting practice that guides companies through various aspects of their business. He is an avid yogi, skier, hiker, gardener and reader, residing with his family in the bucolic hills of Northwestern Connecticut. 

Christopher Holmes is a Kripalu Yoga teacher, a Kundalini Yoga teacher, and a massage therapist licensed in the state of Massachusetts. He has developed expertise in the areas of anatomy and physiology for yoga and bodywork, movement and postural analysis, and the healing of chronic pain patterns.

Coby Kozlowski, MA, is a faculty member for the Kripalu School of Yoga and a senior faculty member at the Esalen Institute. Coby, author of One Degree Revolution: How the Wisdom of Yoga Inspires Small Shifts That Lead to Big Changes, has been featured on the cover of Yoga Journal; Mantra Yoga + Health and named “one of the seven yoga teachers who have changed the practice.” Her vibrant and inclusive style as a storyteller, speaker, contemporary yoga and meditation educator, life coach trainer, and author is infused with practical wisdom and heartfelt humor. Coby is the creator of Quarter-Life Calling®: Creating an Extraordinary Life in Your 20’s, Karma Yoga Leadership Intensive, Kripalu Vinyasa, and is a lead trainer for The Radiance Sutras School of Meditation.

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Connie Wilson is a professional level Kripalu certified teacher, teaching since 2002 in West Virginia, Maryland, and Massachusetts, as well as online. She has taught at Kripalu since 2008 on the R&R faculty. Founder of Yoga Within, Connie also brings yoga to schools, workplaces, community centers, and underserved populations throughout Berkshire County.

Connie's classes feature a flowing pace and rhythm. She pairs traditional yoga postures with creative, organic movement to provide an experience that truly originates from deeply within. Students' individual strengths and needs are met with compassion and skill, creating a unique and inwardly focused experience for each participant. As a student of Ayurveda with an additional certification as an Ayurvedic yoga teacher, Connie loves to weave seasonal and personal guidelines into her classes. Chair yoga and family yoga are two other specialties of Connie's. Connie is thrilled to be a part of the team at Kripalu where learning and teaching flow seamlessly together! 

Cristie Newhart is the former Dean of the Kripalu School of Yoga, overseeing the 200-, 300-, and 1,000-hour yoga teacher training programs. A teacher’s teacher, Cristie is comfortable and confident leading a wide array of students, from beginners exploring the basics of asana practice to aspiring teachers investigating the subtleties of the Yoga Sutras. Cristie has been a faculty mentor at Kripalu for 20 years, she exudes equal parts warmth and wisdom as she makes some of yoga’s deeper philosophical aspects engaging and accessible to modern-day practitioners. No matter what she’s teaching, or to whom, Cristie imbues her classes with meditative inquiry, detailed alignment principles, and playful humor.

“Cristie has a refreshingly down to earth style and a bold honesty that is disarming. Her passion and commitment (and wide and deep knowledge) are inspiring. She is a superb role model in that she is always growing and knows it, as we are all works in progress.” —Margaret Mandell, YTT student 2018

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Crysta Bloom is a trauma informed Somatic Healer who centralizes body awareness as a primary agent for healing, taking the therapeutic experience beyond words. She holds certifications in Integrative Somatic Trauma Therapy and Somatic Attachment Therapy, as well as certification is restorative yoga. Crysta draws from her education and life experiences to offer a heart-centered, integrated approach to healing relational wounds and orienting towards pleasure.

Crysta approaches her work with the belief that we have bodily wisdom that holds all the answers we need to self heal. When we tap into this benevolent knowing our body becomes a shelter to hold it all. We create more safety in ourselves for expansion and deeper access to breath. Arriving back into our bodies with more grace, truth, and fullness.

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Crystal McCreary is a coach, health educator, yoga and mindfulness educator, and teacher trainer with more than 15 years of experience in instructing people of all ages. She has a passion for implementing comprehensive wellness programs within schools and organizations to foster compassionate and equitable communities and sustainable work environments. Crystal’s expertise is derived from a lifetime of harnessing embodied, contemplative resources necessary to navigate the challenges of living in an inequitable world.

Crystal has been featured in such publications as Yoga Bodies, Mantra Wellness magazine, Elephant Journal, Yoga Journal, Wanderlust, 21Ninety, Blavity, Shondaland.com blog, and academic journals such as Race & Yoga (UC Berkeley) as well as numerous other blogs and podcasts. She graduated from Stanford University with a bachelor's degree in African and African American studies, completed The American Conservatory Theater’s Master of Fine Arts program in Acting and moonlights as an actor on film and television when the stars align. She is registered with Yoga Alliance as a 500-hour ERYT and RCYT. Crystal is the author of the Little Yogi Deck: Simple Practices to Help Kids Move Through Big Emotions On & Off the Mat and in addition to being on faculty at Kripalu, Crystal works as a health and wellness educator at a K-12 independent school in New York City. 

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Cynthia Papa-Lentini, PhD, is a member of the Kripalu Faculty and a metaphysical practitioner in Kripalu Healing Arts. She is dedicated to helping people heal, grow, and awaken with mind-body practices, energy systems awareness, and the wisdom traditions. Cynthia is a seasoned facilitator who brings to her work a lifelong exploration of deep wisdom, meditation, Ayurveda, and the expressive healing arts.    

She is also a former research scientist committed to honoring both the analytic and creative sides of the brain in leading workshops and individual sessions. Her research work brought her to many countries including the Ministry of Science in India, the Ministry of Man Power Planning in Yemen, the Ministries of Education in Nepal and Jordan, the US Department of Fish and Wildlife, and state and national residential treatment centers studying programs, systems, cultures, and outcomes. Upon leaving the international and academic arenas, she turned to  studies of the mysteries of healers and sages ultimately developing her own energy and intuitive tarot readings.  

Cynthia holds certificates in Systemic Constellations Facilitation, Ayurvedic Counselor, Mindfulness-Based Psychotherapy and Healing, Compassion-Based Psychotherapy and Psychosocial Change, Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP), and Thanantology as an End of Life Doula.  

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Before stepping into the lead faculty role at Kripalu, Edi Pasalis spent a decade on the Kripalu Leadership team as the Director of the Kripalu Institute for Extraordinary Living where she helped birth RISE™, Kripalu’s evidence-based initiative to create more people-centered, emotionally intelligent workplaces. She oversaw the mindful resilience training of thousands of educators, health and human services providers, law enforcement personnel, business leaders, and middle and high school students. Outcomes of this work have been published in the Journal of Workplace Behavioral Health and the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine and have been presented at the Worksite Wellness Council of MA, American Academy of Management, the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine & Healthcare, the Embodied Positive Psychology Conference, and the Symposium on Yoga Research.

Edi has been learning, growing, and serving through yoga for over 25 years. She holds certificates in Kripalu Yoga and Positive Psychology and master's degrees from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business and Harvard Divinity School, and is a student of the Presencing Institute for awareness-based systems change. Edi is amazed by the power of practice, and is particularly interested in how yoga helps people connect to shared aliveness and embody greater wellbeing for ourselves, our communities, and the planet. 

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Elise Manzo is a Certified Sound Therapist, gaining her knowledge and training from the International Academy of Sound Healing in 2013. The planetary energies of the Tibetan Singing Bowls then led her to study Astrology. She provides sound baths, private sound therapy sessions, soul path astrology readings, and reiki at her office in Albany NY. 

Elise is also trained in Usui Reiki and became a Master/Teacher in 2014. While on Long Island, she taught classes every month. Elise was then led to learning Jikiden (traditional Japanese) Reiki and studied with Frank Arjava Petter, who had been trained in Japan. Elise enjoys the experience of seeing her clients heal through all of these effective, holistic techniques. Guests are welcomed to request her Soul Path readings along with a sound therapy session in combination. She looks forward to meeting new guests and assisting them with their healing journeys. 

Ellen Rose serves as Director of Kripalu Programming. She manages R&R and Kripalu Signature experiences, in addition to serving on Kripalu’s Equity Team. 

She was a residential volunteer at Kripalu between 2008 and 2009 and since then has served in multiple roles in the organization. A graduate of Kripalu’s 500-hour Ayurvedic Yoga Teacher Training, she treasures the unique spark of this lineage and seeks to infuse and uplift its teachings throughout her work and daily life.

She teaches in the R&R program, Kripalu Signature Programs, and in the Kripalu School of Ayurveda. In addition to her yoga and Ayurveda training, her classes are informed by an animist worldview rooted in a reclamation of ancestral ways of being, specifically informed by Nordic magic traditions and the Celtic Wheel of the Year. Working with human and spirit guides, she offers contemporary rituals and ceremony providing an embodied experience of our innate interconnectedness with all beings. Her blend of reverence and humor allows you to arrive just as you are.

Ellen Rose’s formal education is a BA in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Vermont with a focus on Colonialism and Genocide. In addition to teaching, she is a mother, devotee of intimacy, multiple-medium artist, and apprentice to the spirits.

Emilie Reid guides yoga, meditation, and seasonal living workshops. She helps people who struggle with change adapt their exercise, eating, and self-care routines for the different seasons of life and believes that when you cooperate with nature's rhythms and your own instincts, life becomes less stressful and more abundant. Emilie is known for her practical approach to traditional practices, making them useful and usable to modern humans living in the world. She enjoyed being in the garden or the kitchen whipping up something with healing herbs and seasonal ingredients to satisfy the body and warm the spirit.

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Erin Casperson is Lead Kripalu Faculty and the director of the Kripalu School of Ayurveda. As an Ayurvedic Health Counselor and Ayurveda yoga teacher, Erin loves to share how ancient wisdom of yoga and Ayurveda is practiced in modern day life. An enthusiastic and heartfelt teacher and student, she has continued her studies in Ayurveda both at Kripalu and in India. What Erin has come to most appreciate about the practices of Ayurveda, yoga, and mindfulness is the inquiry into how simplicity of daily practices done over long periods of time generate enormous internal transformation. A student of planet earth and the universe, she spends as much time outdoors as possible walking the path in her backyard, gardening, or navigating the New England woods—even summiting all 48 4,000 foot mountains in New Hampshire. Erin invites others to develop awe and wonder of our natural habitat. When not geeking out on Ayurveda or hiking with her dog and partner, you will find her in the kitchen, reading a book, or finding a spot in the sun to keep warm.

Evelyn Gonzalez has been on the yogic path for more than 20 years and continues to gather wisdom and skill from inspired teachers, including Erich Schiffmann, Sarah Powers, Ann Greene, Tara Brach, Danna Faulds, and Pema Chödrön. Having walked the path of the wounded warrior, Evelyn has a deep respect for the dark times that lead back into the light. Her youthful spirit brings playfulness and ease to the sometimes serious task of “finding oneself,” and she takes great joy in creating a healing environment where wholeness and balance can be regained. She is a member of the Legacy Faculty at Kripalu.

Greg DiLisio, MAc, is an experienced acupuncturist, holds high-level qigong, tai chi, and yoga teacher certifications, and is passionate about moving energy through outdoor sports in all seasons. Greg is featured in the DVD Qigong and Tai Chi, Following Movement in Nature. He is a member of the Legacy Faculty member at Kripalu.

Heidi McCanlies is a Kripalu faculty member and experienced educator. Heidi combines more than 20 years teaching English in the public schools with more than a decade of Pilates and yoga instruction.Her passion is to make the tools of yoga and mindfulness available to students of all ages, especially teens. In addition to teaching, Heidi coordinates advanced trainings and develops curriculum for the Kripalu School of Yoga.  

Ilana Beigel, MA, is a passionate and inspiring facilitator who has been devoted to practicing and sharing Kripalu Yoga since 1997. Known for her ability to make ancient wisdom accessible and applicable to modern living, Ilana teaches with equal parts reverence and delight. She offers a comprehensive and holistic approach to the physical, emotional, and spiritual practices of yoga with easy to implement tools and guidance that support living with more ease, strength, grace, and purpose. A lifelong learner with an educational background in psychology, Ilana has practiced yoga and meditation for more than 25 years and has supported patients through life upheavals as a medical speech therapist for more than two decades. She  has dedicated years to the study of various aspects of yoga including the Bhagavad Gita, Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, Ayurveda, and dharma. Inspired by the Instinctive Meditation approach, she is a Kripalu Vinyasa yoga teacher, a Reiki practitioner, mentor in the Kripalu School of Yoga, life coach, aspiring author, and—perhaps her most treasured and important role—a mom of three teenagers.

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Jennifer Reis, E-RYT 500, C-IAYT Certified Yoga Therapist, Licensed Massage Therapist, creates sacred space for students to journey into realms of deep peace and healing. An authentic and spirited leader, Jennifer has been on faculty at Kripalu Center for more than 20 years, and is the creator of Divine Sleep® Yoga Nidra and Five Element Yoga®. Her yoga nidra CD's are the best-selling CD's in all categories in the Kripalu Shop. 

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Jess Frey, a 1000-hour Kripalu Yoga educator, life coach, and artist has been connected to Kripalu for more than a decade, serving in a variety of positions, including lead faculty for both R&R and the Kripalu Schools. Currently Jess facilitates yoga, ayurveda, and meditation retreats as well as designs and develops curriculum content for Kripalu's experiential programs and workshops. With an enthusiasm for personal and professional development, she also provides mentorship to the orgnanization's teaching staff. Jess is devoted to the process of compassionate inquiry, self-discovery, and the art of living yoga in everyday life. She stewards and facilitates connectivity, curiosity, and co-creates brave spaces for all beings. She believes community offers a pathway to learning, healing, and individual and collective transformation. Together is how WE find our way. Her passion and expertise lie in post-traumatic growth, addition recovery, embodied presence, creativity, and exploring ways to live the truth of one's self. With more than 20 years of personal practice, professional development, and leadership, Jess is known for her authenticity, heart, motivation, and depth. 

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Jon Orsini is a certified breathwork and mindful outdoor guide, a meditation instructor, and an archery instructor on the faculty at Kripalu. He began guiding after 14 years as a multiple award-winning Broadway and film actor.

Read about Jon in The Berkshire Eagle:"Jonny Orsini was a rising star in the New York theater scene, then a book changed his life. Now, he's teaching breathwork at Kripalu."

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Joy Lynn Okoye is a spiritual intuitive who facilitates consciousness-expanding experiences using movement, breath, and sound. She is a 500-hour yoga teacher with training in restorative, yin, adaptive, and trauma-sensitive yoga, and a certified integrative nutrition holistic health coach specializing in body-positive wellness. Joy is on the JourneyDance senior teaching training staff at Kripalu —trained in Toni Bergins' embodied transformations method—and is the co-creator of the JourneyDance expressive arts programming, The Remedy, and The Body Love Course: Angst to Art.  As an experimental sound healer, she bridges sacred, therapeutic, and artistic spaces with her voice and is currently in the studio co-producing her first album. Joy's guided meditations and yoga nidra experiences often incorporate her unique vibrational sound healing. She also cofounded Ecstatic Dance Jersey to create celebratory environments for self-healing through ritual, compassionate connection, and creative expression. 

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Julie Pellerin-Herrera has been practicing yoga for more than 24 years. She is a Kripalu Certified Yoga Teacher (2003), Yoga Ed. Teacher (2007), Radiant Child Yoga Teacher (2017), and Nurtured Heart Approach trainer (2019). Julie is an exercise enthusiast who loves running, dance, and all types of fitness. Julie has been a dedicated educator since 2001, and is currently a coach for literacy educators. She relies on her daily yoga and meditation practice to help her stay peaceful and present amidst life’s storms. Yoga and meditation remind her to live breath by breath, moment by moment, and day by day while remaining connected to her higher purpose of empowering others on the path of transformation. Whether it’s finding your still, quiet center or lighting your inner fire, Julie’s here with you through it all. She’s so excited to have you in class! 

Jurian Hughes, E-RYT 500, YACEP, MFA, is founder of the Yoga of Voice; and cocreator of the Yoga of Yes. A Let Your Yoga Dance® teacher trainer, she is also a voice coach, personal mentor, writer, speaker, and theater performer. As a senior faculty member of the Kripalu School of Yoga for more than a decade, Jurian has led thousands of workshops and programs and trained more than 1,000 Kripalu Yoga teachers since 2006. In addition to her extensive teaching experience, she has a long theatrical resume spanning Broadway, off-Broadway, film, television, and voice-over.  Known for her inviting warmth, candor and down-to-earth style, Jurian helped to support the larger Kripalu community by diving into online teaching early in 2020, and she joyfully continues to, at jurianhughes.com.

“[Jurian was] absolutely amazing. Incredibly intentional, supportive, and so knowledgeable and approachable.” —Angie M., YTT student 2018

“Jurian is the most amazing human I have ever met. A gem, an inspiring teacher, an authentic human."—Savannah P.

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Kari Harendorf is an Ayurvedic Practitioner, a C-IAYT Yoga Therapist, an E_RYT 500 Yoga Educator, and a Reiki Master. 

Kari, a teacher of teachers, was on faculty for 200-hour and 850-hour teacher trainings at the Kripalu Schools of Yoga, Ayurveda, and Yoga Therapy. She spent over a decade as faculty in Rodney Yee and Colleen Saidman Yee’s 200-hour and 300-hour Yoga Shanti Teacher Training Programs. She was also a Master Trainer of Urban Zen’s Integrative Therapy Program founded by Donna Karan.
 
As an anatomy trainer for yoga teachers, Kari is renowned for her commitment to helping students and teachers achieve precise alignment, mitigate injuries, and end chronic pain cycles. Her focus on injury prevention ensures the safety of her students and instills a sense of confidence in her teachings. A signature of her teaching is to help people awaken to the body’s innate intelligence. She fosters a sense of awareness and healing through her retreats, programs, and one-on-one coaching in yoga, Ayurveda, nutrition, and healthy living.

As a co-founder of Better Yoga, she teaches two-way Livestream in the online studio weekly and has a YouTube channel for helpful yoga therapy tips and practices.
 
Kari founded New York City’s recently closed East Yoga Center studio and was the former star of Animal Planet’s K9 Karma, where she famously merged her passion for yoga and dogs with a monthly “Doga” class. She has been featured in publications including Yoga Journal, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Real Simple, and on television shows like The Martha Stewart Show, ABC News, and many more.

Kari lives on a small animal rescue farm in the mountains of Great Barrington, Massachusetts, with her partner, Eric, and her three children, along with their dogs, cats, goats, horses, chickens, and rabbits. She grew up in Toronto, Canada, and holds a BFA from the Tisch School of the Arts at NYU.

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Karin Otto is an accomplished teacher and mentor to many students and yoga teachers. In addition to teaching classes and workshops, Karin coleads the Yoga Teacher Certification Program in LifePower Yoga at Lifetime Athletic in New Jersey. Karin’s classes reflect her love of teaching and are filled with a balanced mixture of guidance and freedom that creates an experience for every student. She is registered with the National Yoga Alliance (E-RYT) and, holds Yoga Teacher Certification from the Lourdes Institute of Wholistic Health, Jonny Kest/Lifepower Yoga and Erich Schiffman. Karin has a thriving practice as a Wedding Officiant and is currently completing her Masters in Social Work from Rutgers University.

Katie Hagel, RYT-500, is an ANFT-certified Nature and Forest Therapy Guide, Ayurvedic Health Counselor, and Kripalu Yoga instructor. Katie helps people manage stress, improve their health, and experience more joy by re-establishing a meaningful connection to nature and the healing rhythms and cycles of the living earth. Katie envisions a world where people will awaken to the reality of their interconnectedness with all of life and be inspired to become caretakers of the Earth. Katie is delighted to be on the faculty of the Kripalu School of Mindful Outdoor Leadership. She loves getting creative in the kitchen, watching wild birds, and disappearing into the Adirondacks with her kayak for days at a time.  

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Katie Thornton has been on the path of yoga since 1999, when she found her way to a tucked away studio in the Lower East Side of Manhattan.  As a first-year middle school teacher, she found great comfort in the ancient practice of yoga. With yoga now a guiding force in her life, she continued her study of education and received her Master’s of Education from Harvard Graduate School of Education where she focused on Human Development and Psychology. Katie has worked in the K-8 education setting for more than 20 years. Always a passionate seeker, Katie trained in yoga and meditation at Kripalu in 2008 and 2009 and a deeper level of transformation began to unfold. Katie is profoundly connected to the compassionate aspect of the Kripalu lineage and brings this into all of her work. Katie has continuously had the opportunity to practice yoga “off the mat” in her own life as a partner; mother of three; breast cancer survivor; steward to the natural world and writer. Katie is a member of the R&R faculty where she teaches yoga, meditation workshops, and is a lead guide on the Kripalu Outdoor Team.

Ken Nelson, PhD, Kripalu Legacy Faculty member, is dedicated to helping people heal, grow, and awaken with mind-body practices and the wisdom traditions. He teaches gentle yoga, qigong, and meditation. Ken is a former Fulbright lecturer and Kripalu Scholar-in-Residence. He has offered workshops worldwide since 1975. His CD Yin Yoga and DVD Qigong & Taiji for Healing & Vitality are Kripalu best sellers. Ken is coauthor with David Ronka, Lesli Lang, Jim White, and Liz Korabek-Emerson of Designing & Leading Life-Changing Workshops: Creating the Conditions for Transformation in Your Groups, Trainings, and Retreats. 

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Kerry McGinn is a lover of all things' movement, mindfulness and mother nature. By trade, Kerry is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, 500-hour Registered Yoga Teacher, and Kripalu Mindful Outdoor Guide. She owns Live Good, Feel Good: a Physical Therapy & Wellness Company and is the founder and owner of Yoga Lee, a yoga studio in Lee, MA. 

Kerry truly believes that every single person deserves to feel GOOD in their bodies and guides others to find their feel good. Through her own healing journey, she has experienced what it is like to be on the other side of the table and to be so unsure of what is happening in your body and where to go next. Part of that healing journey was finding her way back to nature, the seasons and all the healing that can be found outdoors. As an outdoor guide, Kerry encourages students to tune in, slow down and get back to their essential self. 

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Larissa Hall Carlson, MA, E-RYT 500, has over 25 years of teaching experience and is known as a leading educator in the field of optimal performance. Certified by the National Ayurvedic Medical Association and Yoga Alliance, Larissa serves as a Lead Faculty member for the Kripalu Schools of Yoga and Ayurveda and guides teacher trainings across the globe. She previously served as Dean of the Kripalu School of Ayurveda and is the cocreator of two popular online courses with Yoga Journal, Ayurveda 101 and 201. She specializes in training elite level musicians, executives, teachers, artists, and athletes in all aspects of mindful living. A passionate writer, Larissa’s rich teachings and exceptional knowledge of yoga, Ayurveda, and mindfulness can be found in Yoga Journal, The Washington Post, Men’s Journal, Shape, More, Elephant Journal, InStyle, Prevention, and MindBodyGreen. Her mindfulness teachings can also be found on Insight Timer.   

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Laura Dickstein Thompson, EdD, (she/her) is an artist, meditation practitioner, museum curator, art educator, and founder of the stress-reduction coaching business, Breathing Space | Dr. Laura Thompson, LLC. She brings three decades in the arts and education fields to those who wish to build confidence in their innate wisdom and utilize their creativity as a healing practice to bring resilience, balance, and calm to their life. From 2002-2023, Laura was MASS MoCA’s founding director of education and Kidspace gallery curator, where she designed award-winning community partnership public programs and curated 30 exhibitions with notable artists. She holds a EdD from Columbia University Teachers College, received her certification as a Kripalu Meditation Teacher, and is currently on Kripalu's R&R faculty. 

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Originally from the city of Chapeco in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil, Lena Warchol moved to Albany, New York, with her husband Gregg in 2008. Lena’s love for the sisterhood of women and her deep spirituality led her to find a pastime where she could connect with other women and find tranquility with nature. Lena began taking classes at Kripalu, studied under Toni Bergins and Megha Nancy Buttenheim, and later obtained her yoga certification from Kripalu. Her goal now is to share the peace and positivity she found practicing Kripalu yoga with others. 

Lisa Howard is an experiential facilitator, trainer, and outdoor guide whose professional passion is helping people connect more deeply to self, others, and the natural world. Lisa works with businesses, schools, and private organizations to help strengthen teams, empower individuals, and find healing in nature. Her facilitation is grounded with mindfulness and intention through which she crafts playful, inclusive, and engaging learning experiences that spark reflection, sharing, and transferable learning. Lisa holds a master’s in experiential education from Plymouth State University as well as a 200-hour yoga teacher certification. She spent the first nine years of her career as a special education teacher, the lessons from which continue to inform her work today. In her personal time, Lisa enjoys hiking, paddling, yoga and exploring all the gifts that nature provides. 

Megha Nancy Buttenheim, M.A., E-RYT 1000, is CJO (Chief Joy Officer) and founding director of Let Your Yoga Dance® LLC, and author of Expanding Joy: Let Your Yoga Dance, Embodying Positive Psychology. Megha is a lifelong singer, dancer, and actor, and long-time teacher-trainer at Kripalu where she trained thousands of people in yoga, holistic health, embodied positive psychology, and Let Your Yoga Dance. Megha has been on faculty, directing Let Your Yoga Dance and meditation with the Wholebeing Institute of Positive Psychology since its inception in 2011. She is also an active faculty member with Kind Yoga School in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Megha leads trainings for those wishing to teach special populations as well as kids and teens. She leads ongoing classes, private coaching, workshops, and trainings online, in person, and via Insight Timer. Megha’s credo is "Everyone is a dancer."

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Micah Mortali, MA, is a visionary leader and expert in mindfulness, rewilding, and nature connection. He is the Founding Director of the Kripalu School of Mindful Outdoor Leadership, a pioneering training program that certifies mindful outdoor guides to lead experiences that promote deep connection, awe, and healing in the natural world. Micah's passion and dedication to his mission have inspired countless individuals to realize their full potential and experience the transformative power of nature. He is the author of the book Rewilding: Meditations, Practices, and Skills for Awakening in Nature, which found its way onto the International Space Station in 2022 and profoundly impacted US astronaut Colonel Mark T. Vande Hei's record-breaking mission.

Micah holds a Master's degree in Health Arts and Sciences from Goddard College and is deeply committed to the belief that humans are a self-aware expression of the living earth. He recognizes that our future depends on recognizing this truth and rekindling our communication with the systems that sustain life on this planet. Micah lives in the Berkshires with his wife and children, where he embraces the great outdoors and spends time listening to the Earth, sitting by a fire, or enjoying the sounds of a brook.

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Michelle Dalbec, E-RYT 1000, YACEP, is a lead faculty member at Kripalu, lead teacher trainer for the Kripalu School of Yoga, a Kripalu R&R workshop presenter, and a Kripalu RISE facilitator with more than 15 years of teaching experience. She is also the cocreator of Unified Body Yoga, a Yoga Tune Up teacher, and a certified knitting instructor with the Craft Yarn Council. Michelle hosts educational and experiential yoga programs and delivers dynamic and motivational workshops with the intention to inspire authentic alignment and expression. Whether she’s teaching on-the-mat yoga, leading meditation, or guiding a mindful outdoor experience, she uses an inquiry-based approach that empowers students to realize their full potential and individuality. Michelle believes that yoga is for everyone, a lifelong journey of self-discovery both on and off the mat. 

“Michelle has both experience and a good teaching technique. Her instruction was clear and concise. I learned much from her.”
—Holly H., Kripalu guest

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Michelle Herbert is a dedicated practitioner and teacher of yoga, metaphysics, and manifestation techniques. She received her yoga teacher training from Kripalu and has a degree in Metaphysics from The University of Sedona with years of experience in guiding others on their journey of self-discovery and transformation. 

Her passion for teaching yoga amplifies her fascination with the transformative power of practice. She's deeply intrigued by how yoga guides individuals to explore their inner landscape, discerning the narratives they inhabit and aligning with their desired truths. Through her guidance, students shed outdated beliefs, harnessing the power of the practice as a transformative journey inward towards a life of clarity and intention.  

As a yoga teacher and visualization meditation facilitator, Michelle creates sacred spaces for students to explore the mind-body connection and tap into their innate power. Through her signature Energetic Archetype Method, she guides participants in uncovering their unique energetic blueprint and aligning with their soul's purpose. A manifestation coach and virtual workshop facilitator, Michelle empowers individuals to manipulate and harness the power of energy and vibration to create and manifest. Whether through one-on-one coaching sessions, immersive workshops, or digital courses, she provides practical tools, techniques, and insights to support students in achieving their goals and living a life of abundance and fulfillment. 

Additionally, as a featured executive writer for Brainz magazine, she shares her expertise and insights on the intersection of spirituality, personal growth, and manifestation with a global audience. 

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Miki Vysohlid is a Kripalu Yoga teacher and a mindful outdoor guide. Whether she is facilitating outdoor programs or teaching yoga, she feels grateful to share a space for authentic self-connections and self-discoveries with her students and guests.

She fell in love with the Kripalu methodology of allowing individual experience to unfold at all levels (body, mind, heart, intuition) in ways that are true and real. She is inspired to deepen her connection with the practice by pursuing the 500-hour level certification at Kripalu.

Originally from Japan, she has educational and professional backgrounds in international education. She aspires to bring intercultural wisdom into her yoga classes and outdoor guiding. She is fascinated by the wisdom of healing practices from different cultures and the way each culture expresses the connection between nature and humans.

Mindy Dow has been a member of the Outdoor Faculty for three years at Kripalu. She guides kayak trips, hikes and stand-up-paddleboard trips. She is a published poet, has an MFA in Creative Writing Poetry and is the CEO and Founder of Naturemind Coaching where she works with clients in mindfulness practices outside in nature. 

Monique Schubert, MFA, is a lead Kripalu faculty member and the founder of OM Society, a lifestyle wellness company that expands the reach of yoga and mindfulness through workshops, classes, and special events. For almost 20 years, Monique has taught yoga and mindfulness in NYC and the surrounding area. She weaves her background in visual arts into her teachings that often brings yoga into cultural spaces. Monique joined Kripalu as a RISE^TM facilitator in 2018. In this role she collaborates with non-profits, museums, and public schools to create programs for both adults and younger individuals. A member of the Resistance Revival Chorus, Monique believes that joy is a necessary element in spiritual practice.

Nancy M. Whitman, MA, MT(ASCP),CLMT, IPT, RYT-500 is committed to integrative health and healing. She is an allopathic and holistic medicine practitioner and a Kripalu-trained 500-hour Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) with more 30 years of experience. Nancy recieved a Masters degree in Integrative Health and Healing which sparked herjourney to explore diverse modalities, including yoga, tai chi, energy work, sustainable nutrition, and herbal medicine. As an adjunct faculty member in health and wellness, Nancy strives to empower others on their wellness paths through education in yoga, energy, and body awareness. Her passion lies in fostering mind-body-spirit balance for optimal well-being.  

Nora Fenner is a certified 500-hour Kripalu Yoga Teacher, Reiki attuned, and Shamanic Energy Healer. Nora has been teaching yoga for more than 15 years and has taught at  international retreats. 

Nora found yoga through attending fitness classes at her local gym and fell in love with the practice. Nora has attended many workshops to enhance her practice and teaching. She brings a light cheer, peace and a well-balanced physical and mental practice to her classes. Nora feels the practice guides her to inner peace and strength, which she offers to her students.

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Pilin Anice, E-RYT 500, lead Kripalu faculty, is a skilled guide who believes that the disciplines of Ayurveda, meditation, yoga, ritual, self-care, nutrition, dance, and drum allow us to reconnect to ourselves and evolve, heal, and live authentically. For more than a decade, Pilin has guided students through her offerings to find their way back to the wisdom of their own bodies, and the joy that is the essence of their being. She is passionate about building community and, at Kripalu, she looks to create and cultivate nonjudgmental spaces—where everyone can be seen and heard and where every body can move freely and wholly.

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Rachel Stine, E-RYT 500, YACEP, has been teaching yoga for more than ten years. Rachel is also a certified elementary and special education teacher, Reiki master, Thai massage therapist, Ayurvedic practitioner, and health coach who is known for her creative sequencing. She believes that yoga is for everyone. 

Rachelle Péan, LCSW, has been a therapist for more than 10 years. She is a descendant of ancestors from many different origins—those who were teachers, justice holders, and storytellers, as well as those who were colonizers themselves, and those who fought to attain freedom from oppression. Rachelle's lineage landed her in an intimate relationship with the complex duality of this human life. She weaves her intuitive gifts, hypnotherapy, trauma processing with EMDR, her clinical training, breathwork, and meditation to cocreate spaces for herself and others to release and remember who they really are.

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Robert Mulhall brings two decades of experience in diverse industries, including public health, leadership development, and education, finance, organizational consulting, and executive coaching. He is passionate about service and deeply curious about how people can facilitate sustainable transformation to enable more peace, justice, and freedom in our world. Robert’s career has enabled him to cross the private and public sectors multiple times as a manager with PricewaterhouseCoopers; cofounder and CEO of an award-winning social enterprise; a director of programs for Concern Worldwide Innovation’s Unit in India, Africa, and New York (in partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and UNICEF); and as a coach and consultant with The Crossland Group for businesses and organizations in fields such as human rights, social justice, education, tech startup, well-being, and others.

Originally from Ireland, Robert holds a bachelor’s degree in commerce, accounting, and business management from the University College of Dublin. He is a certified public accountant in Ireland, and certified in mediation, executive coaching, the Enneagram, Reiki, and Celtic Irish Shamanism. Additionally, he has trained under Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach as a part of their  Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program and is a 200-hr Kripalu certified yoga teacher. 

Robert is an explorer. He enjoys having adventures in new countries and learning about different cultures, being in nature, volunteering, spending time with his son, and watching Ireland win in rugby (hopefully!).

Rolf Gates, author of Daily Reflections on Addiction, Yoga, and Getting Well—as well as the best-selling Meditations from the Mat: Daily Reflections on the Path of Yoga and Meditations on Intention and Being: Daily Reflections on the Path of Yoga, Mindfulness, and Compassion—is a leading voice in contemporary yoga, and his work is used as a resource for yoga students and teachers worldwide. He conducts vinyasa intensives and 200- and 300-hour teacher trainings internationally. A former US Army Ranger and social worker specializing in addiction, Rolf brings his eclectic background to his teaching and life. His work has been featured on television and in print, including Yoga Journal, People magazine, and Travel and Leisure. His first children’s book, Yoga Friend: A Pose by Pose Partner Yoga Adventure, was published in 2018. Rolf is a graduate, lead faculty and Director of the Kripalu School of Yoga.

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Roshni Rama, RYT 200, has been a student of yoga and mindfulness at Kripalu since she moved to the Berkshires in 2000. Roshni grew up in Livingstone Zambia, near the Victoria Falls where she was surrounded by wildlife and natural beauty. This led Roshni to seek a life immersed in the natural world. She is proud to serve as an outdoor guide for Kripalu and other area resorts. Roshni enjoys traveling, cooking, gardening and being in nature. 

Rudy Peirce, MA, E-RYT 1000, YACEP, AYT, LVCYT, has practiced and taught yoga and meditation for more than 40 years. A Kripalu Yoga teacher since 1983, he guides gentle, accessible yoga, using a mindful, uniquely self-empowering approach that facilitates deep release for beginners as well as experienced practitioners. Designated a Kripalu Legacy Faculty member, he served as a teacher trainer for the Kripalu School of Yoga for decades. In 2020, Rudy and his wife Joyce founded Gentle Yogis—an online practice space that offers life-changing daily classes as well as weekly gentle yoga classes and advanced teacher trainings.   

"Rudy is a sage, in my opinion. He exudes wisdom and experience with great humility. He presents himself as unconditionally supportive. And he has a wicked sense of humor. He’s a true inspiration, and I feel lucky to be able to be taught by him." — Brian Henderson, YTT student

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Sage Brody, MPC, RSMT, is a somatic therapist, Kripalu faculty member, and lead faculty for LIFE Movement where she trains students to become Registered Somatic Movement Therapists.  She has a private practice online and is also a trainer at the Hartford Family Institute, where she trains psychotherapists in body-centered psychotherapy.  

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Sam Chase builds programs in yoga, mindfulness, and resilience for people who are building a better world. An incurable nerd—longing for a ladder from the ivory tower to everyday people—he graduated at the top of his class at Vanderbilt, where he competed for the international Rhodes and Marshall scholarships. He won, but then ultimately declined the award to pursue the work he continues today: to explore the science of the human mind and the tools that help people lead flourishing lives.  

He brings that study back to the real world through his work with the United Nations, the National Guard, Columbia Medical School, Brooklyn Hospital Center, the New York City Department of Education, and many others. He is the author of the book Yoga & the Pursuit of Happiness, a down-to-earth look at how the philosophy and traditions of yoga and meditation intersect with modern psychology and neuroscience, and the simple ways ordinary people can use these tools to make extraordinary changes. 

Sam has developed and directed the training of over 2000 emerging yoga and mindfulness teachers in over 60 programs nationwide, including a first-of-its-kind training for over 200 New York City public school teachers and most-recently the 200-Hour Kripalu Meditation Teacher Training. 

As a Kripalu Lead Faculty, Sam designs and delivers curricula for all aspects of the organization, including the School of Yoga, R&R Programming, and RISE—Kripalu's evidence-based resilience training for frontline professionals in fields that serve the public good such as education, healthcare, and community safety. 

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Sarajean Rudman, E-RYT 500, is a clinical nutritionist, Kripalu Yoga teacher, Ayurvedic practitioner, life coach, fitness instructor, and outdoor adventure guide whose study and teaching embody the synergy of Eastern and Western science and philosophy. In addition to certifications in multiple fitness modalities, Sarajean holds a BS in health and wellness and sports management; an MS in integrative health and clinical nutrition; and an MA in health and wellness coaching. She is a doctoral student in health sciences and healthcare education at the University of Bridgeport, and teaches at the university level. Sarajean is also developing a nonprofit, Feeding Families, to bring nutrition and education to those in need.

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Steven Hosking, MA, LPC, expressive arts therapist, certified JourneyDance facilitator, grew up in the south-central forests of Connecticut and has always been inspired by nature's healing and awe-inspiring magic. Growing up in this setting, he experienced multiple perspectives as a “queer ethnic kid” who had a stutter and as a fraternal twin to his gracious and intelligent differently-abled brother. Being a child of an artist and a librarian, he learned to harness his imagination and creativity through any expressive medium he could play with (visual arts, movement, music, theater, writing, culinary, nature, etc.). He used these “creative languages” to express his joy, move through hard life experiences, and eventually create healing spaces for others. Steven Hosking earned his Master's in Expressive Arts Therapy & Mental Health Counseling from Lesley University, a Bachelor's in Drama & Musical Theater from Syracuse University, and has continued post-graduate studies in drama and music therapy. He is also a certified JourneyDance™ Facilitator and yoga teacher.

Steven Leonard is a holistic movement and meditation teacher. His practice is influenced by both eastern and western models of wellness; evolutionary biology, exercise physiology, orthopedics, neuroscience, yoga, Ayurveda, and traditional Chinese medicine. He is a faculty member for the Radiance Sutras School of Meditation, the Kripalu School of Yoga and has been leading teacher trainings for more than a decade. Steven resides in the beautiful Berkshires of western Massachusetts and is currently working towards a doctorate in physical therapy.

“Steven is generous and patient with all of his students, and he demonstrates the most remarkable ability to hold space for others and allow grace to lead the way.”—Lisa P.

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Sudha Carolyn Lundeen, RN, E-RYT 1000, a senior Kripalu yoga teacher-trainer, is a former hospice worker and oncology nurse and patient. She is a health coach who works with clients privately and leads workshops internationally in group and corporate settings. Sudha is also a stress management and meditation specialist at the UltraWellness Center in Lenox, Massachusetts. Her Restorative Yoga DVD offers step-by-step instruction in the practice of deep relaxation and stress reduction, and her Kripalu Gentle Yoga DVD has won three prestigious awards. Her teaching style has been described as welcoming, humorous, and inspiring—and she is known for her smiling eyes and her ability to create a warm welcoming environment in which learning is fostered.  Sudha is a member of the Kripalu Legacy Faculty.

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Sunder Ashni, daughter of Cynthia and Allan, is a farmer, at Mumbet’s Freedom Farm, facilitator, educator and Somatic Experiencing (SE)Practitioner, born and raised in Brooklyn, NY with rich roots in the island of St.Vincent and the Grenadines. 

Movement, music, healing and their expansion through meditation and love are essential keys to Ashni’s being. In addition to practicing SE, she is a Flower essence therapist, Reiki Godmother, group, and meditation facilitator dedicated to undoing racism and the effects of environmental oppression. 

She facilitates one-on-one and a group sessions, ceremonies, meditations, and experiences permeated with love that cultivate radical awareness, appreciation of self and overall ecstatic wellness within participants and their community with the intention of re-cultivating a deep connection with our Earth mother.  

Susan Wrba is a 500-hour Kripalu yoga teacher and a 500-hour Ayurvedic yoga teacher with over a decade of experience studying and working in the fields of yoga and wellness. As a former coordinator in the Kripalu School of Yoga, Susan helped facilitate the studies of hundreds of students, and was continuously steeped in the curriculum of the Kripalu Schools and lineage. A dedicated practitioner, teacher, and mother, Susan integrates her knowledge and studies of yoga, Ayurveda, nutrition, and mindfulness into her guided experiences and classes. Her aim is to impart practical take-home wisdom to support students in their ongoing practice, growth, and evolution.

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Susannah Beattie, E-RYT 500, has been teaching yoga since 2012. She has taught at Kripalu for many years leading yoga, workshops, outdoor programs, and mentoring in the Kripalu Schools. In addition to her professional level yoga teaching certification, Susannah holds other certifications as a Positional Therapy Level 2 practitioner, Reiki Master, ACA Stand Up Paddleboard Level 1 Instructor, ACA Kayak Level 1 Instructor, and Wilderness First Aid Provider. In 2013 and 2014, she spent time among the Indigenous Elders of the Q’ero Inca Shamans in Peru and was initiated as a Pampa Mesayok (Caretaker of the Earth). These travels deepened her understanding of this ancient mode of spiritual healing and made her passionate about bringing these practices out into the world. Susannah's teaching style is heartfelt and intends to to lead the practitioners' awareness to deeper layers of self-knowing.  Susannah is devoted to living and sharing the tools of yoga, meditation, and indigenous teachings that empower and allow individuals to intentionally engage with life. 

Toni Bergins, MEd, is the founder and director of JourneyDance® and the author of Embody: Feel, Heal, and Transform Your Life Through Movement. She is an artistic alchemist and passionate catalyst for people to transform angst into art and vulnerability into strength. Over the past 20 years, she has helped thousands of people find a new sense of self-esteem, inner wisdom, emotional health, spiritual practice, and total well-being. She leads an international team of hundreds of JourneyDance teachers, spreading joy and passion for life. Creator of a popular instructional CD, DVD, and inspirational greeting cards, Toni’s sense of humor and authenticity makes JourneyDance accessible to all. 

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Tracy Foster, RYT 500, is a 1000-hour certified Kripalu Yoga Teacher and Mindful Outdoor Guide. Tracy’s intention is to lead yoga and meditation experiences that nurture and support connection to presence, well-being, gratitude, and joy. The invitation is to breathe, release, and feel into all that arises—in body, mind, breath and spirit—with curiosity, lots of self-care, and expansive nonjudgmental awareness. Tracy believes that what we practice on the mat and open to outside in nature is connection to our true self and compassion for all. Tracy holds teaching certifications in Five Element Yoga, Divine Sleep Yoga Nidra, and Kripalu Yoga. She has advanced degrees in vocal performance and education, including a master's in theatre studies. 

Yuval Samburski, E-RYT 500, YACEP, is an Israeli-born, NYC-based yoga instructor,  teacher trainer, mentor, sound healer, and Reiki practitioner. He has a background in the performing arts, photography, and dance; has appeared in films and on stage in New York and Washington DC; and holds a degree in music technology from New York University.  

Yuval is best known for his deep, soulful chanting and signature live-music sound healing sessions as well pranayama teachings and restorative work. Yuval’s teaching style is mindful and fluid, linking all movement back to the breath and providing a safe and warm environment for students to make their own self-discoveries through practice. You can count on smart sequencing, grounded in clear alignment cues, strong breath awareness, and core stabilization. 

Yuval has lead teacher trainings all over the world including China and the US, and is often leading retreats all over the world as well. His private work is dedicated to healing, through any or all modalities available to him. He is inspired by all creation and the undeniable power of breath and meditation. His teaching is personal, nurturing, and humorous, allowing for self-observation and a true teaching and learning experience between him and his students. 

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