Teachers
Abby Dorn
Abby Dorn is registered with Yoga Alliance through Yoga Zone/BeYoga in Manhattan, where she completed the 500-hour teacher training in ISHTA yoga with Alan Finger. ISHTA, which stands for the Integrated Sciences of Hatha, Tantra, and Ayurveda is a blended style of hatha yoga, incorporating vinyasa, held poses, and meditation. Abby feels that the yoga practice should be personalized and adapted to suit the practitioner. She nurtures and gently challenges her students with a joyful practice, encouraging them to find a balance between strength and relaxation and to use the breath to open and energize the body, mind, and spirit.
Abby loves practicing with students of all levels and especially enjoys teaching yoga for pregnancy and for new mothers and babies. She completed a comprehensive prenatal teacher training with Carrie Parker Gastelu in 2003 and is a certified Itsy Bitsy Yoga facilitator. Abby's baby was born at home in February of 2004. She found yoga invaluable during her pregnancy and birth experience, and is now thrilled to be able to share yoga with her son. Abby is also an actor and a musician and has a B. A. in Theatre Arts from Drew University.
Alison Dorfman
Alison Dorfman has been practicing yoga for over 12 years and teaching for 4. She started her practice at Jivamukti in the East Village and moved on to study at Bhava Yoga with Peter Rizzo and OM Yoga Center with Jennifer Brilliant and Cyndi Lee. She received her certification from OM in 2004. In an attempt to master the sweet details of restorative yoga, she completed a Relax & Renew Teacher Training with Judith Lasater in 2007.
Alison teaches with attention to alignment, a sense of humor, and a desire to bring more compassion and sensitivity into our lives. (Yes, it's true! When we work toward aligning our muscles, bones, and breath, a sweet mindfulness and clear calmness can be found.)
Alison lives in the Jaya neighborhood and is delighted to teach and practice with such a cool and kind community.
Carla Stangenberg
Carla has been the director of Jaya Yoga Center since October 2005 and has taught here since 2000. She received her certification at Om Yoga Center under the guidance of Cyndi Lee, and continues to develop her teaching practice with Rodney Yee and most recently the phenomenal Genny Kapuler. She has been practicing and teaching yoga for a combination of 13 years. In 2003 she co-opened Monsoon Yoga Studio in Jamaica, Vermont. Her teaching experience also encompasses the fields of theatre, acting, movement and voice. Carla holds a BFA in theatre from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts.
"When we've seen ourselves completely, there is a stillness of the body that is like a mountain."—Pema Chodron
Christine Findlay
Christine came to yoga through years of back pain issues. As she created more balance in her body, she noticed how that balance and space carried over into other parts of her life. She teaches a challenging class with emphasis on breath awareness. As a teacher Christine strives to create an environment where students can go inward and discover the benefits of yoga. She received her certification from Om Yoga Center. Christine has been practicing and teaching for a combination of 8 years.
Danika Hendrickson
Danika first discovered yoga in 1998 as a refreshing alternative to years of playing vigorous sports in high school and college. She received her certification to teach yoga in 2002 from Atmananda Yoga Center where she studied with Iyengar teacher Beth Biegler whose emphasis on Ayurvedic medicine inspired her to go deeper into the practice. She received her certification as an Ayurvedic holistic health Practitioner in 2003. Danika considers her versatility and depth as a yoga teacher to be a reflection of the teachers with whom she has studied with. She is especially grateful to Joan White, Seane Corn, Beth Biegler, Dr. Nainna Maraballi and Amita Banergee. Danika's goal as a yoga teacher is to integrate yoga as a way of life. Her classes draw upon Ayurveda, astrology, Buddhism, meditation, and chanting while encouraging humor, reflection, personal growth and transformation.
David Figueroa
David teaches in the Vinyasa (flow) style, with traditional yoga postures linked to the breath through movement. He has been teaching adults and children from a wide range of backgrounds and abilities for over 20 years. His approach is light hearted with a strong attention to detail. David is certified by the Om Yoga Center in New York, has studied with Rodney Yee, Richard Freeman, Donna Farhi and Cyndi Lee. He is influenced by the Iyengar, Anusara and Vinyasa Yoga traditions as well as his experience as a professional modern dancer and choreographer. He has taught throughout New York including beginner, intermediate and advanced classes at Om Yoga. In 2005 David founded Movement Arts of Provincetown, a non-profit movement and wellness center in Cape Cod.
Judy Atrubin
Judy began doing yoga a little over ten years ago as a complement to running practice and her desk job. She came to yoga to get a good stretch and found that and something much greater. For Judy yoga is the physical manifestation of meditation and the meditative expression of motion. Judy blends eastern and western philosophy and her love of movement and music to create a flowing, energetic and joyful practice. Her classes aspire to bring you to a place of breath, motion, and peace. Over the last 10 years, she has extensively studied Ashtanga, Iyengar, Ishta and Vinyasa yoga. Her first serious study of yoga began in Minnesota with two excellent teachers - Monique Maxwell (Ashtanga) and Michael Prottengeir(Iyengar). In 2002 she became a nationally certified instructor, receiving her 500 hour certification from Be Yoga - now Yoga Works. She has since taught in the United States and abroad. In New York she has had the privilege to study with many great teachers including, but in no way limited to Jean Koerner, Dana Strong, Schuyler Grant, Dharma Mitra, Elana Brower and Alan Finger.
Lauren Maples
As a lifelong dancer, Lauren was introduced to yoga in 1997. After leaving the professional dance world in 1999, Lauren began to study yoga with a new sense of focus. In 2003 she became a Registered Yoga Teacher through Integral Yoga Institute in NYC. In 2005 she completed a continuing education for teachers course with Cyndi Lee and was certified to teach kids through Karma Kids Yoga. Lauren's yoga classes are lively and upbeat, focusing on freedom through a deeper understanding of each pose. In 2004 Lauren opened "Bija" a children's movement arts studio specializing in dance, tumbling and yoga classes for kids age 9 mths+. She currently teaches children's and family yoga classes at Bija and throughout Brooklyn that focus on understanding the physical body, calming the mind and cultivating a joy and appreciation for the beauty of life and the natural world. Lauren holds a Bachelor of the Arts from New School University and she is American Red Cross CPR and First Aid certified.
Ruthie Streiter
Ruthie Streiter has been teaching since 2003. She teaches a dynamic and multi-dimensional form of Vinyasa Yoga that emphasizes responsible exertion and awake-ness. Deeply influenced by the magical precision of the Iyengar system, the principles of Ashtanga Yoga, and the emphasis on emotional transformation of Kripalu Yoga. Ruthie is interested in both the structural benefits of yoga as well as how practice transcends the physical and penetrates to the mental, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual realms. Ruthie is deeply involved in study of the Bhagavad Gita, the Upanishads and the Yoga Sutras. She has studied with Tom Gillette, Richard Freeman, Genny Kapuler, Lara Warren, Carla Stangenberg, Lisa Landphair, Margi Young and many other well known teachers. Ruthie is well traveled making her way to Mexico, Costa Rica, India and Asia. Certified to teach by 'Eyes of the World' and 'OM Yoga' Certified, a graduate of Brown University and a Structural Integration (Rolf) Practitioner. Recently has been exploring the art of kirtan, chanting and bhakti yoga. “I continue to be increasingly excited and inspired by yoga. I am thrilled and honored to be teaching at Jaya.”
Sarah Lewis
Sarah Lewis has been teaching yoga since 1999. She received her first teaching certification from Shri Yogi Dharma Mittra and the Dharma Yoga center, where she also teaches. Recently she completed an Advanced Vinyasa teacher training with Shiva Rea. She enjoys blending classical hatha yoga with contemporary vinyasa. In her classes she wishes to help guide her students into finding their own individual way to balance and inner peace. Sarah is a senior teacher at Jaya Yoga, having taught at the center since 2000.
Tina West
Tina West has been practicing Yoga for 6 years and teaching for almost two of those years. Trained by Jeff Migdow and Robyn Ross from Kripalu Yoga, Tina brings a sense of compassion to the powerful practice of Yoga. Focusing on alignment as a vehicle to bring energy and vitality into the body, mind and spirit, Tina's classes are fun, joyful and heart-centered. After spending 4 months at the Satchidananda Ashram in Virginia, she has learned that the most important benefit one can gain from Yoga is peace. In the midst of each vigorous and challenging or easeful and calm asana she teaches is the potential of peace for each student. Tina considers teaching Yoga a great service and feels blessed to be able to do so.