Lillah Schwartz , ERYT 500 holds over 29 years of teaching and hands-on study in the tradition of yoga master B.K.S. Iyengar. She is a seasoned teacher, nationally-acclaimed instructor and author, and founder/director of Lighten Up Yoga and Teacher Training Center.
Lillah teaches weekly yoga classes for novice, therapeutic, intermediate and advanced yoga students. She is also the director and primary instructor for the 200 Hour and 500 Hour teacher training courses.
For more information on Lillah as well as her reflections on yoga practice, please click here. If you have specific questions for Lillah you may contact her at Lillah@lightenupyoga.com
"My goal with my students is to help them to get their cellular and endocrine bodies percolating in a healthy way, gain confidence in their ability to heal through understanding proper alignment and action, as well as opening to receive the full potential of their body, mind, and spirit." |
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Lighten Up Yoga Instructors |
 Adam Laufer, RYT and graduate of the Lighten Up Yoga Teacher Training Program. He has been teaching at Lighten Up Yoga for 10 years.
Stretch and laugh with Adam in his Wednesday 4pm and Friday 5pm classes! Adam has the unique ability to bring fun to your afternoon stretch, and his style has brought him many loyal fans. He has been meditating and practicing yoga since he was 16, and his experience and training in anatomy, Iyengar-style asana, and other healing modalities benefit his students.
Life is already serious enough. At the end of the day, it's time to let your hair down and get moving! Dubbed "chocolate-covered yoga" by one enthusiastic student, Adam's classes will be the highlight of your week. Best of all, you'll learn yoga poses for tying your shoes, standing in line at the bank, and walking down the street in new and unique ways. Impress your friends!
Adam's beginner classes are enjoyed by people of all ages. His alignment-based teaching offers therapeutic poses customized for every body.
If you have specific questions for Adam, contact him at 828.658.0830 or adam@mesostretchy.com. |
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Mili Perez
Exquisitely combining alignment awareness, strength building, and a meditative mindset in each class, Mili brings a peaceful intention to the practice, encouraging increased flexibility and learning without criticism. Her soothing voice, touch, and presence create a comfortable and safe environment for students. She is skilled at providing individualized instruction, while maintaining a cohesive class because she is truly a nurturing person and gifted teacher. Mili’s unique style moves her students to be very devoted, as her leadership facilitates physical and mental openness and awareness, balanced with inner focus and calm.
Mili has been practicing for over 11 years and has studied with some of the best teachers of yoga today. Her training began with Lillah Schwartz in the 200 teacher training and for the past five years with Aadil Palkhivala of Purna Yoga and meditation classes with his wife Mirra. She is in the process of receiving her advanced 500-hour certification thru Lighten Up.
Mili is available for one on one instruction and can be contacted at 828.215.5656 or ymerli@hotmail.com.
"The practice of yoga brings
balance to our lives in all levels
physically-mentally-spiritually, and I just want to share
that gift with others."
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Gea Skeens began practicing yoga more than 20 years ago and has been teaching Iyengar
 yoga since 1992. Gea has worked as a raft guide, social worker and is a long distance runner. Gea has trained extensively with Lillah Schwartz as part of the Lighten Up Yoga teacher training program, as well as with numerous other certified Iyengar teachers. A gifted storyteller, Gea teaches with warmth, humor, and the wisdom of a dedicated yogi. "With focus on the breath, I strive to create a joyful and challenging experience that will deepen awareness of our divine existence."
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Stacey Stone’s journey with yoga began over ten years ago. During this time she has taken the opportunity to practice and learn about several types of yoga including; Asthanga, Shivananda, Jivamukti, Universal, Svaroopa, Anusara, and Bikram yoga. This exploration of yoga eventually led her to discover Iyengar yoga at Lighten Up Yoga Center, where in 2007 she graduated from the 200- hour Teacher Training Program.
Stacey uses her eight years experience as a Certified Personal Trainer to hone her skills as a teacher. She brings a knowledge of movement into her teaching, where she strives to accommodate individual movement imbalances while simultaneously weaving together the aspects of postural conditioning and core strengthening.
As a teacher, Stacey strives to provide her students with a safe and supportive environment in which they can become more aware of the interconnectedness of the body, mind and spirit. Stacey believes creating this awareness plants the seed for opportunity within the student; the opportunity to learn about one’s self physically, mentally, and spiritually.
Stacey can be contacted at 828-280-4987 or www.stonebodyworks.com |
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Kimberly Drye began her yoga studies in Asheville in 2001 while attending UNCA. She considers herself lucky to have stumbled upon the rich source of the talented teachers in the Asheville yogic community. A graduate of Stephanie Keach’s 200 hour teacher training, currently continuing her studies with Lillah Schwartz, Kimberly is energetic, personable, and enthusiastic to share with you all the benefits yoga has to offer. Her classes are focused on awareness and the preservation of each moment. Breath control, relaxation techniques, and meditation are coupled with asana to bring students into a state of mindfulness in their practices that hopefully spills out into their everyday lives. Kim believes that yoga can help every individual lead a fuller and more satisfying life.
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 Laura Stone, RYT is a graduate of the Lighten Up Teacher Training Institute and holds a Masters Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling.
I have practiced Yoga for over twenty years. I grew up watching my Mom practise to a record player and recognized how fun it was to go upside down! When I was an adult, my Mom hurt herself in a class and has been reluctant to return. This is why I love the Iyengar method of alignment and the use of props to stay safe while receiving the benefits of the poses. Yoga has strengthened and nurtured me through 3 pregnancies and moving around while my partner receives his medical training. In my classes, I strive to educate the body through movement, quiet the mind and awaken a playful spirit.
If you have specific questions for Laura, you may contact her at 828.281.2212 or via email at cstone138@charter.net.
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Michael Johnson ERYT-500 is a certified Jivamukti instructor who has studied directly with Sri Swami Satchidananda, Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, B.K.S. Iyengar, Sharon Gannon, David Life and many other Yogins and Yoginis. He has been a full-time yoga teacher in the Detroit area since 2001. He enjoys bringing together the inner and outer methods of yoga in his classes, with a focus on safety, total enlightenment and fun.
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Danielle Goldstein, RYT teaches creative and insightful yoga classes with attention to precise alignment and bringing the joy of yoga into our daily lives. She has been teaching yoga classes and private yoga therapeutic sessions since 2003 and has been with Lighten Up Yoga since 2008. She is a 200 Hr Yoga Alliance certified teacher.
Danielle has studied with teachers grounded in both the Iyengar and Anusara Teaching Methods. Since 1996, she has studied with teachers including Donna Farhi, Judith Lasater and John Friend, and taught one on one yoga therapeutics at SOMA Physical Therapy in Boulder, CO. She is experienced in working with a variety of ages and abilities and is interested in making yoga accessible to all people. She is currently studying with John Friend and is working toward her Anusara Inspired (R) teacher status.
If you would like to contact Danielle, please call 828-450-1406 or email daniellefath@gmail.com |
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Kim Zdanowicz grew up in the Asheville area and loves the community here and being in the mountains. An avid rock climber, she enjoys the perspective and mental clarity that yoga brings to all aspects of life. Kim is working on a doctorate in physical therapy and has a passion for the anatomy and physiology of yoga. She has been practicing yoga for almost 10 years, is a graduate of the Lighten Up Yoga Teacher Training program, and appreciates sharing yoga and all its benefits with others whenever she can.
Students may reach Kim at 919.357.2444 or k.v.zdanowicz@gmail.com
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 Andrea Franchini is a 200 hr RYT certified yoga instructor and a Holistic Health Counselor. Andrea's training has been in Vinyasa yoga, Iyengar yoga, and extensive studies with John Friend and Sienna Sherman of Anusara yoga. Andrea taught movement and dance for 7 years prior to her past 8 years of yoga studies and teaching.
Teaching yoga came out of her desire to share and incorporate her love of movement, culture and healing. Having taught primarily in Washington, DC and in the San Francisco Bay Area, Andrea shares her teaching gifts with Yoga Studios, At Risk youth, Cooperate yoga and in private therapeutic yoga sessions.
Andrea’s classes are intelligently sequenced, and she incorporates her knowledge of anatomy and movement into sequences allowing students to evolve in their own practice with both ease and steadiness. She draws on the alignment and structure of Iyengar and Anusara while incorporating subtle movement modalities that give greater understanding of our inner and outer form.
Andrea can be reached at andreafranchininutrition@gmail.com website: bit.ly/andrea-health |
Tricia McDonald has been practicing yoga and meditation since 1999 and teaching since 2002. She's trained with many excellent teachers including Tom Gillette, Amy Weintraub, Shiva Rae, Beryl Bender Birch, Anna Forest, Angela Farmer, Todd Norian and Anne Greene.
In 2006, Tricia was inspired to pursue her path as a sound healer after working with Zacciah Blackburn. She then trained with Tom Kenyon in Seattle, Washington and continues to work with Zacciah through his powerful illumination of consciousness work.
Tricia draws from an eclectic blend of wisdom distilled from many traditions, teachers, friends, students, and her own life experience and practice. She teaches from the heart, creating a safe, warm environment for students to explore their own authentic nature.
Before moving to Asheville in May 2009, Tricia was the founder and director of Open Heart Yoga Studio in Dartmouth, MA for seven years. Students may contact Tricia at trilacmcd@gmail.com or 508-863-3328.
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| Yoga Alliance Continuing Education - Guest Instructors |
Gary Schwartz Ph.D., is a retired psychologist with 36 years experience in the areas of self help and Personal Growth. He is living the life that he always wanted, and loves to teach. Gary offers training in EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), Meditation and Life Skills.
If you have specific questions for Gary, you may contact him at 828.253.9451 or via email gary@garyawake.com. |
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Aadil Palkhivala, JD, CYT, AHSP, Naturopath
Aadil is recognized as one of the world’s top yoga teachers. He is regarded as a “teacher of teachers,” and many of the world’s top yoga instructors have studied with him. He has a unique teaching style, mixing melodious instructions with recitations of poetry, philosophical insights, and in-the-moment humor.
Aadil and his wife, Mirra, are the founders of Purna Yoga™, a holistic synthesis of yogic traditions based on the work of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother. Aadil and Mirra also founded Yoga Centers® in Bellevue, Washington, and The College of Purna Yoga, a 200-hour, 500-hour and Certificate-Level teacher training program licensed by the State of Washington and Yoga Alliance Certified. Aadil teaches seminars, classes, teacher trainings, and workshops at Yoga Centers and throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe, India, and other parts of Asia.
Aadil is the author of Fire of Love: For Students of Life and Teachers of Yoga, a book that seeks to restore the essence of yoga. He has also written three manuals used in his beginning, intermediate, and therapeutic teacher trainings. In addition, Aadil has written extensively for Yoga Journal, having been the Asana Columnist in 2003 and author of the Teacher’s Column for the website, as well as the “Asana Expert” for both the magazine and the website. He is frequently a keynote speaker at national events.
An encyclopedic knowledge of health matters informs Aadil’s teaching. He is a naturopath licensed by the District of Columbia, a certified shiatsu and Swedish bodywork therapist, a clinical hypnotherapist, and an Ayurvedic health practitioner recognized by the American Ayurvedic Association. He continues to be a student in the healing arts. |
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 Roger Cole Ph.D.
Primary
Instructor: Anatomy and Physiology of Asana
Roger Cole, Ph.D. is a certified Iyengar yoga teacher trained at the Iyengar Yoga Institutes in San Francisco and Pune, India. He has practiced yoga since 1975 and taught since 1980. He has been featured in five of Yoga Journal’s asana calendars, co-organized two Iyengar yoga conventions, authored articles on yoga biology and therapeutics, and taught yoga as a healing art to physicians, physical therapists, medical students and patients. He currently teaches near San Diego and conducts workshops throughout the U.S. and abroad. His specialties include teacher training and the anatomy and physiology of yoga and relaxation.
Roger is also an accomplished scientist. He began studying sleep physiology at Stanford University in 1975. He earned his bachelors degree in Psychology from Stanford in 1979 and his doctorate in Health Psychology from the University of California, San Francisco in 1986. At UCSF he investigated the human relaxation response and the effects of posture on sleep and brain waves. He co-founded Synchrony Applied Health Sciences of Del Mar California in 1987. Synchrony is an innovative provider of health promotion services and products. At Synchrony, Roger is currently developing products, conducting research on sleep and biological rhythms and consulting to industry.
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Linda Cammarata, RN is a Registered Nurse, Registered Yoga Teacher, Certified Energy Therapist, Alternative Healthcare Consultant, and professional singer/songwriter. She is a consultant at the renowned Golden Door Spa in San Marcos, CA. Her teaching spans over 30 years of experience in healthcare, integrating traditional and alternative healthcare practices. Linda received her registered nursing training at Palomar College in San Marcos, CA. She has received numerous trainings in yoga, most notably yoga therapy certification with Nischala Joy Devi, Yoga for the Heart. Linda completed a comprehensive 3-year certification program in Energy Therapy with Dr. Michael Mamas in San Diego, CA. Linda has also received training in Aromatherapy, Healing Touch, Reflexology, Qigong, and is certified in meditation. Linda maintains a lifestyle and wellness coaching practice throughout the United States. National women’s health conferences, private industry, as well as several medical programs have utilized Linda’s mind-body programs. Linda’s latest DVD Support Strengthen and Your Immune System published by Inner IDEA guides individuals on the path of integral health.
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 Laurel Mamet is a gifted healer and teacher of the spiritual arts whose life focus has been to understand the energetics of the body. She has over 30 years of training with master healers. She graduated from the Swedish Institute of Massage in 1978 and has had a private practice in bodywork and healing ever since. She attended the TriState School for Traditional Chinese Medecine (acupuncture) and has a good grounding in Oriental diagnosis. She is a cranial-sacral therapist and graduate of the Upledger Institute and has studied Esoteric Healing with various teachers in the Alice Bailey tradition. In 1994 she graduated from the European School of Energy Mastery under the guidance of Dr. Robert Jaffe and Rev. Dr. Alixsandra Parness both clairvoyant healers. In 1995 she joined the faculty of the Inner Focus School for Advanced Energy Healing and is currently Dean of Education and senior faculty for that international school.
She is a clear and passionate teacher whose tenderness invites healing on all levels. She is dedicated to world service and bringing transfromation into the lives of students so they can be beacons of light in their own communities.
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| Next Guest Instructor TBA |
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