MEET OUR YOGA INSTRUCTORS
Amanda found her love of yoga one summer in sophomore year of college. She was taken with the euphoric peace each session brought, and how it strengthened the awareness and connection between her body, mind and spirit. After graduating and entering into the workforce, Amanda found herself in a high-stakes position that required her to sit and work 10- hour days 5 days a week. Feeling disconnected, stuck and out of hope, Amanda reflected back on the last time she felt truly happy with her life; and it was when she was doing yoga. Looking for an experience she could immerse herself in, she found the Lakshmi Rising School For Yoga Wellness at The Sanctuary at Two Rivers in Costa Rica. She completed her 200 hr training there, with quitting her job and living there a month longer to work on the property as her graduation present. When she came back to the states, she spent the next three years in a corporate leadership position that she left after she started her journey of coming into her gifts as an Oracle and a Healer. She's a Akashic Records Practitioner, and Reiki Master.
Being a huge advocate for community connection, Amanda has facilitated her sessions at several metaphysical shops around Pinellas County. Her passion is to help people heal, develop their emotional intelligence, clear limiting beliefs, connect and embody their truth with authenticity and integrity, and discover what brings them purpose and what desires their hearts hold. In Amanda's free time, you can find her swimming in the ocean, creating art, whipping up something tasty, refurbishing furniture, dancing or laying out in the sun.
“My favorite posture is Tadasana, or Mountain pose - after you're in a flow and come into mountain pose you feel all the power you've generated and it creates this feeling where you can overcome and do anything!”
“My favorite food…Oh man! I'm a foodie so picking one is near impossible. Mangos, potatoes in any form and Mexican cuisine!”
“And if I were an animal, I’d be a Humpback Whale - because they are majestic. They're ancient ocean wisdom keepers, rescue other animals in the sea from other predators and are family oriented. The songs they sing hit chords in my heart.”
Chantal didn’t find yoga, but rather thinks yoga found her. While navigating the start of midlife she
found solitude on her mat, quickly realizing the healing power of movement and breath to still the mind.
She learned to embrace that everyone on her journey had something to teach her and that’s when she
decided she wanted to pay it forward. Chantal received her 200-hour training from Tropical Vinyasa in
FL under the guidance of Amy & Mike Dannheim, who focused on the spiritual and physical principles
of yoga which she integrates in her practice on and off the mat.
Her favorite styles of yoga to teach are vinyasa, restorative and yin, all foundational parts of her own
practice to find balance, in addition to practicing the Hot26 series that drew her into yoga to begin with.
Her playful approach is focused on finding harmony; allowing the body to move in sync with the breath
all while honoring your intuition to guide you and most importantly finding joy in the movement and
stillness. She believes if you quiet the mind, your soul shall speak.
Chantal works as a consultant and trainer in behavioral health care. She is passionate about finding
creative solutions at the intersection of systems, staff and clients that promote overall well-being. When
not on her mat, you will find her exploring a new recipe while sourcing local farmers markets for
inspiration. She loves spending time walking the beach, her “other” yoga mat, in her hometown of
Indian Rocks. She is also the grateful hooman mom of two rescued greyhounds, Gracie & Quinn.
“My favorite yoga pose is the one I like the least as I know it’s likely the one, I need the most. This has
changed over time, and each time it does, I know I have grown."
“As an avid foodie, I am on an endless search for my favorite food, although I have never met a crème
brulee I didn’t like. If burning sugar is wrong, I don’t want to be right.”
“If I were an animal, I would be a dolphin as the ocean is my happy place and if I have learned anything
on this journey, it’s to go with the flow and learn to breathe and find peace in deep waters.”
Corinne was drawn to yoga at what she considers to be a “later age” in her 30’s, as a way to heal and rebuild after a severe injury that sidelined her running practice. She was amazed at the profound shift that she experienced in not only her physical health, but in the more subtle energies of her emotional and spiritual growth and stability. This left her wanting for more, so in 2017 she took the leap of faith (in herself) and went to Yoga Teacher Training at the Lotus Pond in Tampa, FL. She has since advanced her training and become a RYT 500 and a continuing educator for yoga teachers. Corinne is a retired Interior Designer, and now teaches yoga and volunteers with Empath Health working with end of life patients as a doula, helping individuals transition with grace and dignity.
Corinne’s favorite style to teach used to be hot power, but she has recently made a switch to teaching Slow Flow and Yin, and loving that even more! Slower, mindful movement creates better dialogue and understanding of one’s body, mind and of course spirit!
“My favorite yoga posture is Virabhadrasana III, or Warrior 3. I love how it always challenges me in its complexity and I feel strong and accomplished when I find the ease within it.”
“If I were an animal, I’d be a green tree frog. Not because I can flatten myself down into that posture with ease, but that I can be still for long periods of time with my eyes closed but my senses sharp, and then I can leap quite suddenly! Plus, I love the color green, and can spread my toes really well!”
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!"
Sarah's love for yoga began over 15 years ago when she walked into a yoga studio in South Tampa, FL and never looked back. After spending nearly 20 years in personal training as a NASM certified trainer, group fitness instructor, and long distance runner, she found her new passion in yoga. Having raised three active children and turning that corner into fifty, Sarah knew that if she was going to do this aging thing gracefully she would need more in her life than what she had been doing. She also realized along the way that the best gift she could give to her now grown children, was the gift of her own good health. She found that gift through yoga.
Sarah completed her Yoga Alliance 200 hour certification in 2014 with Pose by Pose Yoga School in Tampa and is currently working on her 500 hour Yoga Alliance certification with the Lotus Pond in Tampa. Sarah's teaching styles include Hatha Yoga, Vinyasa Flow Yoga, Yin, and Restorative Yoga. She leverages her extensive background in functional training and alignment to help her students use yoga as a tool for recovery, rebuilding, and injury prevention and to live energized and more pain free lives.
