Lisa Alexander
Lisa is the director and founder of Soluna Yoga Studio. She brings many years of experience as an educator to Soluna. Her passion for teaching and learning has motivated her towards the art of teaching
yoga. Lisa holds a Master's Degree in Education and has received her 200 hour certification for teaching yoga from Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health. She is an Experienced Registered Yoga Alliance teacher. She has studied with David Swenson, Shiva Rea, Todd Norian, Seane Corn, Suzie Hurley, and Sarah Powers. She received her certification in Yin Yoga (aka anatomy for yoga) from Paul and Suzee Grilley. She enjoys learning as much as teaching and continues to study so she can bring a higher knowledge of yoga to all her students.
Karol Augspurger, RYT
Karol discovered that her yoga practice became her own resilient caregiver, providing physical and spiritual strength to help her cope with her mother's re-occurring cancer. As a 20-year employee for a Fortune 10 company, Karol knows first hand the toll that stress can take on the body and mind. Desiring to share yoga and intentional living with others, she received her 200 Hour Yoga Teaching Certification from Lotus Gardens in November 2010. Karol's practice is light-hearted yet compassionate and inspirational and fosters stress-reduction, rejuvenation and de-toxification through restorative asanas, breath-work and meditation.
Vanessa Chambers
Vanessa has been practicing yoga for seven years. She trained with Robert Cuozzi and Lauren Toolin (master Para yoga teacher) to complete a 200 hour teacher empowerment program in 2008. Her teaching style is of no particular tradition, and takes useful elements from the Hatha, Kundalini, and Tantric styles. Vanessa continues a regular home practice and takes classes regularly with Lauren to stay proficient in her practice, which translates to a increased knowledge with which to teach her students.
Beth A. Dawson
Beth has been a student of yoga for over 25 years and has been teaching children's yoga for the past 11 years. Through the benefits of her own personal practice, she has embraced yoga has a means to a healthy lifestyle. Beth believes that Yoga can benefit us all through simple meditation, breathwork and stretching, promoting better health and well being, especially with children. Beth is a graduate of Lotus Gardens Yoga School, completing 200 hours of Yoga Teacher Training as defined by the Yoga Alliance. She has also completed the Level 1 & 2 Certification from the Radiant Child Yoga Program. Beth is a student of Leonard Purlmutter (Ram Lev), founder of the American Meditation Institute of Yoga Science and has studied with Marsha Wening,(Yogakids) , Shakta Kaur Kalsa (Radiant Child yoga Program) and Lara Azzarito Ward (Lotus Garden Yoga School LLC) Beth lives in Rotterdam, New York with her husband and 16 year old son.
Beryl Dickson
Beryl is a certified Kripalu Yoga instructor, teaching for over 20 years. She has facilitated yoga teacher trainings and assisted guest programs at Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health. She has taken
workshops and trainings with national and international teachers Erich Schiffmann, Judith Lasater, Lilias Folan, Patricia Walden, Bikram, Beryl Bender Birch and David Swenson. Beryl's goal is to share the many benefits of yoga, and to encourage her students to make this rich practice a part of their lives.
Laurie Galish, B.S., RYT
Two years after graduating from St. John Fisher College with a degree in Human Resource Management, Laurie joined her sister, Diana Galish-Frasier, D.C., in opening Niskayuna Life Chiropractic. They will soon celebrate 24 years of bringing health and wellness to their community. In these 24 years, Laurie has learned much about the human body, and its amazing ability to heal itself and be well. She has seen that health and wellness are truly one of life's greatest assets. Laurie began practicing Yoga 10 years ago in Albany, N.Y. Having been an athlete all her life, she recognizes that exercise and movement are key factors in wellness, along with proper nutrition, a healthy nervous system, and a positive outlook on life. Yoga not only enhances a healthy lifestyle, but promotes a positive attitude and instills a feeling of peace and contentment that can transfer to daily living off the yoga mat as well. Laurie is an RYT 200, having completed her 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training through Lotus Gardens Yoga, LLC at Soluna Yoga in 2009 along with being certified through Growing Lotus Kids to teach yoga to children ages 2-10. She continues to enhance her yoga by attending continuing education seminars whenever possible. Laurie will soon become certified in Core Strength Vinyasa Yoga through Sadie Nardini. Laurie credits her sister, Diana, for her wellness lifestyle, and Lisa Alexander, Lara Ward, Lisa Rosenthal and life as her inspiration for her Yoga.
Tina Koehler, M.S.,
Tina is a lifelong exercise enthusiast who has been practicing Pilates since 1997, is certified through Power Pilates and continues to perfect her Pilates education and training. She has found Pilates to be a perfect complement to all other exercise endeavors (golf, tennis, running and weight training) by focusing on core development, posture and balance. Tina is also a certified personal trainer.
Melinda (Mindy) Lippert
Mindy began practicing yoga in 1997. In 2009 she became a 200 hour certified yoga instructor through Lotus Gardens under the guidance of Lara Ward. Her personal practice and teaching style are a unique blend of the proper alignment of Iyengar, the graceful combination of breath and movement of Vinyasa, and the warm compassion of Kripalu. She has taught general yoga, vinyasa flow, prenatal yoga, chair yoga, and yoga for active seniors. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biology and has been certified in hypnotherapy. She continues to deepen her practice and explore the connection of the mind, body, and spirit. She finds her greatest inspiration from her students, teachers, and her children. She lives in Guilderland, NY with her husband, their two children, and two cats.
Kathleen McDermott
Kathleen has practiced yoga for 13 years on and off the mat. She was inspired by her Mom who is not able to practice traditional yoga on a mat. This led Kathleen to complete Chair Yoga certification, under the guidance of Lakshmi Voelker, in May, 2006 at Kripalu Yoga Center. She has been teaching group and private instruction and has over 750 hrs of experience teaching Chair Yoga. Kathleen is also certified in Stress Management and is currently studying Lifestyle and Weight Management. She continues her yoga study on a daily basis. Kathleen is excited to bring yoga and all its grace to others through Chair Yoga.
Mary Clare O'Connor
Mary Clare has been studying yoga on and off the mat for close to a decade. Her study began in Philosophy and the workings of the mind and then shifted into movement in the body through sound, asana and dance. She seeks to integrate an appreciation for the wisdom found in the body into conscious everyday living. She earned a 200 hr. Kripalu Yoga Teachers Certification in July 2011 and is also certified as a Kripalu Yoga Dance Instructor.
Jo Page
Jo began practicing yoga in her kitchen in Boston 1997 using the vintage Richard Hittleman’s Yoga: 28 Day Exercise Plan. Shortly after that she discovered Ashtanga yoga and felt immediately at home with this vigorous vinyasga-style yoga. She received her teacher training with David Swensen in 2000. Since then she has taught at the former Washington Park Yoga (now HeartSpace Holistic) and Soluna Yoga. She continues to study and explore the range of possibilities vinyasa yoga offers to enhance body, mind and spirit. Her “Reckonings,” columns for Albany’s alternative newsweekly, Metroland, are archived at www.metroland.net.
Joanne Pisarski
Joanne began her yoga journey nine years ago. When first starting out she was asked "how long this yoga thing was going to last". She has come to realize the impact of yoga will last a life time. Joanne completed her 200 hour yoga training in 2009 through Lotus Gardens Yoga. She teaches with a fun-loving, gentle spirit and with gratitude for her studentsand their commitment. Joanne sees yoga as a gift to herself that she is grateful to share with others.
Cathy Prescott, E-RYT 500
Cathy has been a Yoga student for more than 30 years. She is registered at the highest level with Yoga Alliance and holds a 1,000-hour certification in Yoga Therapy through Integrative Yoga Therapy (IYT). Her specialized programs in Prenatal Yoga, Childbirth Preparation, and classes for Mom and Baby through the Preschool Years have been supporting growing families since 2001. Cathy is an Ayurvedic Consultant and Reiki Master. She has earned qualifications in Yin Yoga, Meditation, Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy, Clinical Aromatherapy, and Therapeutic and Remedial Massage, integrating these disciplines with the tradition of Yoga to design wellness strategies for groups and individuals. In addition to teaching locally, she is the Director of IYT's Yoga Home Study Program and also a senior teacher and mentor for IYT's Professional Yoga Therapist Certification Training Program. Cathy can be reached at YogaWithCathy@gmail.com or 518.527.5372.
Julie Stanco
Julie has been practicing yoga for nearly 10 years and has completed a 200-hour level yoga certification in 2009 under the skillful guidance of Lauren Toolin and John Smirtic. In addition, she has also been afforded the luxury of the divine guidance of Richard Freeman, Rodney Yee and Desiree Rumbaugh . Julie’s teaching style provides a joyful class that is both invigorating and rejuvenating. She hopes that through yoga, students will experience stress relief, healing, and happiness.
