MEET OUR YOGA INSTRUCTORS
Gabby found yoga two years ago after several injuries kept her sidelined from her usual fitness routines.
She quickly fell in love! She recently attained her 200- hour training at Just 26 Hot Yoga Largo, under the
direction of the amazing instructors Amy and Mike Dannhelm.
Gabby is a retired ultrasound tech/Ophthalmic tech originally from NY. Having an immense love of
fitness, she has spent 17 years teaching group fitness classes at various gyms in NY. She is a mom to three children and two grandsons. She spends her time gardening, biking on the beach, and taking lots of yoga classes! Gabby has a love for music and dance which let her to enjoy teaching vinyasa flow classes the most.
“My favorite yoga pose is Warrior II. I feel that it always brings me to the place where I re-establish my
strength and poise as a woman and a mom."
“My favorite food is pizza!”
“And if I had to say what animal best represents me, I’d say the lioness. No fancy fur like the lion, but
majestic in her own right. She will protect her young with her life. She is strong and fierce and provides
all that is necessary for her pride.”
Ginger is a 200 RYT yoga instructor and Second Degree Reiki practitioner. While teaching a variety of class styles, she loves sharing the gift of yoga with her students and teachers of all levels. A connective energy, in her classes she combines breath work with postures to maximize internal heat with movement to deepen the practice. It’s a wonderful way to cultivate awareness and flexibility while strengthening. Practicing helps us connect internally. Come join her on Sundays and Tuesdays for a wonderful class.
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Heather was introduced to yoga in her teens, taking Iyengar classes with her mom in her hometown of Stuart, FL. When she moved away for college, she explored a variety of styles of yoga including Hatha, Vinyasa, Power, and Kundalini. Over the years her practice continued, but her commitment ebbed
and flowed. In 2016, Heather ultimately landed at a local hot yoga studio and began attending multiple classes weekly. Since then she has remained a devoted yogi. Yoga became her saving grace after experiencing a personal loss. Being on her mat allowed her the quiet introspection she needed in her
busy life as a mom of two. As her practice deepened, she wanted to learn more and share her passion with others. After many years of contemplating teacher training she finally decided to take the plunge and make her dream a reality. Her yoga teacher training brought a deeper understanding of yogic philosophy including the yoga that is practiced off of the mat. She is so excited to continue this journey of self-love and discovery and wants to share what she learns with others.
Heather completed her Yoga Alliance 200- hour certification with Amy and Mike Dannheim. She works full-time as a legal assistant for a Social Security Disability attorney. In her free time, you can find her on the beach with her family-riding waves with her two amazing children, listening to live music, or cooking yummy vegetarian meals. She enjoys teaching Vinyasa and Yin with emphasis on proper alignment and graceful transitions.
“My favorite yoga pose right now is probably Ardha Chandrasana (Half Moon). This asana challenges your balance, strengthens your muscles, and opens your heart. I feel like a moon goddess in this pose.”
“I love all kinds of great food, especially ethnic foods like Vietnamese, Middle Eastern, and Mediterranean. And, I’ll never say no to a taco.”
“If I could be any animal, I would be my cat, Ricky. He is incredibly agile, well- fed, good-looking, and capable of entering deep states of bliss through meditation. Also, he is so very loved.”
Karen has been practicing yoga for over 30 years with her journey beginning in her early 30’s as a means
of finding more peace and balance in her life. She earned her RYT- 200 certification in 2007 and has since practiced with yoga greats Eric Schiffman and earned a Level I Certification with Baron Baptiste’s course, Power Yoga. Karen is also a certified Health & Life Coach and has a background in Occupational Therapy. Currently, Karen works as a Patient Advocate with Life Guard Imaging in Tampa, educating individuals on the benefits of detecting signs of early diseases in the body.
Karen and her soul mate, Steven have been married for 18 years and moved permanently to Indian Rocks Beach from the Detroit area with their 7- year old Golden Doodle, Mollie. Together they have 3 adult children and one 3 -year-old grandson, Reed. She loves to teach Vinyasa style yoga and enjoys attending hot yoga classes.
“My favorite yoga posture is Child’s Pose due to its grounding and resting nature. One of my favorite
foods is salmon but potato chips are my guilty pleasure and, if I were an animal, I would have to be a
dog, (Golden Doodle) to be exact. I am pretty mellow and very loyal. I am excited to join ZEN Massage & Yoga and
share what I’ve learned over the years with this community.”
In 2017, Kelsey found yoga through a studio in the United Kingdom called “Proper Northern Yoga”. She lived in England for 4 years and, without knowing many people, wanted to find a sense of community and a sense of herself. She took her daily morning walk and noticed a shiny yoga studio, lit up with fairy lights and bright smiles, it was time and yoga was calling her. Kelsey received her 200- hour training at Dragon Yoga in Oklahoma City, OK.
She loves painting abstract art with acrylic paint, dancing with her hula hoop to Arc De Soleil, and diving deep into the benefits of holistic medicine. Her favorite style of yoga to teach is Iyengar and Hatha because it’s accessible to everyone. It showed her she is capable of so much more than she could have ever imagined and for that, she is forever grateful.
“My favorite yoga posture is trikonasana, triangle pose. I love growing length through my side bodies.
This pose makes me feel absolutely invincible! "
“My favorite food is watermelon. So juicy and refreshing! "
“If I was a plant, I’d be a sunflower because they’re bold, bright, and have a thick stem to withstand any
conditions!"