Beth met yoga at a gym in 1997. The classes were intense, and required a different kind of focus than anything she had previously encountered. Over the years, dabbling in different styles and types of yoga, Beth has come to recognize the effects of consciously quieting the mind and intentionally facing the physical challenges of yoga practice. The effects have included moving beyond the boundaries of what she thought was possible on her yoga mat and in the rest of her life. Having worked as a social worker with various community based programs in Philadelphia and as a high school English teacher right here in Collingswood, Beth has always been most inspired by helping people work toward finding their greatest potential. Since completing her Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training with Corina Benner and Jill Manning at Wake Up Yoga in Philadelphia and her Pilates Mat certification with Sylvia Byrd-Leitner at Pilates Core Center she has been encouraging her students to see the power of placing their intentions and the wonder of each breath.

Kati teaches yoga in loving service to her teacher, Sri Dharma Mittra, with whom she completed her advanced teacher training (500-hour). Also a Kripalu-certified, Kati is additionally certified (and loves!) to teach pre-natal yoga in the ISHTA tradition from Be Yoga, and Yin yoga from Wake-Up Yoga. She teaches and practices Thai Yoga Massage in the tradition of the Vedic Conservatory. She serves as Adjunct Professor of Yoga at Temple University. Kati fuses Kripalu poses and Dharma's vibrant methodology together into light-hearted vinyasas for a playful (a smile is the best mudra!), inward-bound class that emphasizes meditation-in-motion with good alignment. She loves teaching philosophy, mantra, pranayama, and meditation in her classes in an exploratory, non-dogmatic fashion. Kati adores bodies, being barefoot, and learning. Om Namah Shivaya!

Katie Buell was instantly captivated by the rejuvenating practice of yoga. Her passion for yoga has spread to all aspects of her life and she thrives on the connected balance of the mind and body that nothing else has offered. Katie is a graduate of Yogawood's 200 hour vinyasa yoga teacher training program, and she is very eager to share the art and philosophy of yoga and its endless possibilities with you! Om Shanti!

Marie Cooper started her yoga practice at her health fitness club. After realizing the benefits of yoga in her own life, she participated in Yogawood's 200 teacher training with hopes of starting a Veterans PTSD yoga group as part of the social work she does with the Veterans' Administration Gloucester Clinic. She now leads an ongoing PTSD Yoga Group at the VA and has led workshops for combat veterans here at Yogawood. Personally, Marie continues her journey in yoga and wellness with classes in Sanskrit, Ashtanga yoga, Reiki, and mantra. She enjoys incorporating the philosophy of yoga into her classes, allowing students to recognize their inner goodness and create acceptance in their journey. Marie is a life-long resident of Oaklyn, NJ, and enjoys the challenges of life. Jai!

Rachelle began her yoga practice as a complement to running. She quickly realized the cross-training benefits of yoga: a stronger core; balance in mind, body and breath; increased focus; and quicker race recovery. In addition to teaching yoga, Rachelle is the Director of Marketing and Communication for Big Brothers Big Sisters Southeastern PA.

Andrea began practicing yoga in hopes it would ease her anxiety, uplift her spirits and energize her body, and it sure did! She has been practicing Bikram Yoga and Vinyasa Yoga for many years and is living proof that yoga truly is magic. After realizing what a major role yoga has in bringing mind, body, and spirit to one positive state, she knew she had to let the world in on it. Andrea completed teacher training under the care and insight of Lisa Korchma and Beth Filla at Yogawood. She loves to have fun and lead an upbeat, ROCKIN' class that invigorates body and soul and releases any anxieties the mind is holding on to with hopes that her students feel more content with themselves, and more energized to enjoy the day focusing on the positive things in life. When Andrea isn't doing yoga she is running her pet sitting service, chasing her Boxers or heading down the shore with her husband, Tim.

After taking her first yoga class on a whim, Anna French knew right away that she stumbled upon something that was going to be life-changing. She was immediately enchanted by the stimulating sounds of Sanskrit and captivated by the yogic philosophy. Having just had her third child, the discovery of yoga could not have come at a better time for her. Initially, her practice began as an escape from the "chaos" at home. However it didn't take her too long to recognize that her practice was developing into something more than just an escape. She realized that her practice on the yoga mat was affecting her life off the mat in a very positive way. Not only did she feel more energized, but dealing with the normal stress and anxiety of being a parent became easier. This discovery inspired her to become ayoga teacher.

Anna received her Kids' Yoga Teacher certification in 2007 at Yogawood and continued on to receive her 200-Hour Vinyasa Teacher certification in 2009 with her ever inspiring teachers, Beth Filla and Jill Cummings. She hopes to give back to her students the same humbling encounter that she experienced with her discovery to yoga. Through the vessel of a strong vinyasa class, Anna aspires for her students to feel like they've tapped into their inner Selves, and leave class feeling refreshed and recharged.

Off the mat, you can expect to find Anna at the park with her four awesome children and her wonderful husband, Kevin.

Vicki spent 10 years convinced she was doing yoga for fun until 2008, when the practice grabbed her by the shoulders, gave her a shake, and said, “Dude!” So, she traveled to India with Philadelphia’s Wake-Up Yoga where she saw the Taj at sunrise, swam in the Ganges, and saluted the sun on the shores of the Arabian Sea. In 2010, she completed her Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training at Yogawood, and discovered that everything—yoga, marriage, motherhood—is a practice. As an award-winning magazine writer and essayist, Vicki weaves story, philosophy and humor into her vigorous classes to help her students keep their yoga flowing off the mat.

Dee first stumbled upon yoga as a curious college student looking for a physical alternative to the jogging that stressed her knees. As the years progressed, so did her study of yoga as she uncovered the mental and spiritual aspects of the practice that have become such a surprising and humbling gift. This journey lead her to be a proud graduate of Yogawood's first teacher training class of 2008. She treasures the friendships she has found in Jill, Beth, her fellow teacher training graduates, and the community of yogis at Yogawood.

In her daily life, Dee can be found putting her Bachelor's degree in Psychology & English and her Master's in Liberal Studies to use while teaching Language Arts to middle-schoolers in Marlton. As life would have it, the students end up being the most enlightening teachers. She is thrilled, however, to be able to share her love of yoga with her students in Marlton, as well as with young people here at Yogawood. In her spare time Dee can be found watching movies, cooking, reading, spending time outdoors, or delving deeper into the study of yoga.

Beginning in 1997, Jonathan spent two years at Amaravati Buddhist Monastery located in Hertfordshire, UK. Amaravati is a western branch of Wat Pah Nanachat, a monastery in North East Thailand founded by the late Venerable Ajahn Chah specifically for non-Thai desciples. A former Theravada Monk, Army Ranger and continuing martial arts student, he is an experienced and capable practitioner in a variety of meditation techniques.

Lisa's initial encounter with Yoga occurred at the age of 12 when her orthopedist recommended what he referred to as "stretching exercises" as a form of physical therapy for her scoliosis. It wasn't until years later, after the birth of her first child in 2001, that she began formally attending Yoga classes as a way to cope with the stresses and anxieties of being a new parent. Since then, and with the addition of two more children, Lisa's practice has evolved as has her respect and appreciation for the many gifts Yoga has to offer. She first received her 200-hour Yoga teacher certification from Yogawood and has gone on to further her training in Ashtanga with David Swenson, as well as to earn certifications in both prenatal and kids' yoga. With careful attention to alignment and form, Lisa encourages students to develop their physical and emotional self-awareness through a strong practice and to discover the infinite possibilities that exist within. It is her hope that students will then be able to maintain this awareness in their lives off the mat.

Kim began practicing yoga when she was pregnant with her first child back in 2002 and has been hooked ever since. She realized quickly that yoga could help her not only in labor and delivery but in motherhood as well. She completed her 200-hour adult certification in 2003, earned a Kids Yoga certification in 2006, and then moved with her family to Hawaii for a year and a half. There, she studied with some wonderful teachers, improving her own overall practice and building on her the desire to put her trainings and life experiences together to teach others the benefits of yoga. Now that Kim has landed back on the "Mainland," she is enjoying teaching Prenatal, Vinyasa and Kids' classes in both Philadelphia and New Jersey. Kim lives in Collingswood with her husband, Rob, and their three kids: Owen, Waverly, and Poppy.

Yoga found Erik in the Spring of 2007 when he was suffering from the side-effects of his cancer therapies. As a cancer patient, he enrolled in the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program through the Myrna Brind Center for Integrative Medicine at Thomas Jefferson Hospital. In MBSR classes, students/patients are taught to meditate and practice gentle yoga. These practices help reduce physical and psychological symptoms, increase the ability to relax, reduce pain levels, and enhance the ability to cope with pain that may not go away. With the first yoga practice, Erik felt physically great and very much at peace.

After graduating from the 8-week MBSR program, Erik continued his daily meditation practice and sought out yoga in a non-hospital environment. He is a graduate of the Yogawood 200 Hour Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training program masterfully offered by Beth Filla and Jill Cummings.

Erik strives to inspire his students to move beyond their perceived limitations, beyond the typical Hatha yoga realm, to find mindfulness and ease-of-wellbeing with every breath regardless of the pace, intensity, or complexity of the practice.

Maiga's first memory of yoga is being a five year old in the kitchen, watching her mother teach her brother uddiyana bandha. This initial curiosity developed into a life-long relationship with yoga. In her late twenties a variety of circumstances aligned for a renewed, consistent, and dedicated asana practice along with the time and ability to complete Yogawood's 200 hour teacher training program with Beth Filla and Lisa Korchma.

Exploring yoga continues to excite Maiga. It is a blessing to be a part of a practice that nurtures such physical and mental health. As yoga students keep coming to the mat, integrating lessons of breath, movement, and meditative focus they build the possibility for continual growth and health in their own lives. When Maiga is not practicing or teaching yoga, she is involved in myriad other projects, and is always grateful to come home to her husband, Kevin, and amazing cat, Laz.

Heather Marie Miller began her yoga journey in college, practicing hatha yoga to help cope with the stress of college life. In the 1990s, she studied Power Yoga with Baron Baptiste. She found Ashtanga yoga in 2000, studying with Dee Silver, David Swenson, and David Williams. She also studied Vinyasa Yoga and completed vinyasa teacher training with Corina Benner and Jill Manning. Along the way, she found she loved teaching private students and classes, as well as volunteering at the (now-closed) Ben Franklin Clinic of Philadelphia, in the cardiac rehabilitation program. Practicing Ashtanga for more than 10 years has significantly and positively changed her life for the better. The peace of practice is ever-deepening, and coming to the mat each day feels like coming home to herSelf. Heather Marie has most recently studied Ashtanga with David Keil and John Scott. She loves sharing—and continuing to learn—the challenging physical and meditative teachings and practices of Ashtanga yoga.

Karin has been studying and practicing yoga and meditation for over ten years. As a Registered Yoga Teacher with the National Yoga Alliance, Karin holds a Yoga Teacher Certification from the Lourdes Institute of Wholistic Health, and has continued her training with Erich Schiffman and Joan White. She also completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance Performance/Choreography and Dance Movement Therapy from Goucher College. Her interest in movement, art and the yogic path are reflected in energetic, inspiring classes which emphasize healing, transformation, openness and gratitude. Karin loves sharing her passion for this sacred practice, and guiding students towards wholeness, joy and compassion both on and off the mat.

Her first true yoga experience was in 1996 when she was in residence at Kripalu. Upon completion of the six-month spiritual lifestyle program the practice of yoga and mindfulness meditation opened her eyes to a new way of experiencing life. She is an integrated yoga therapist certified though Joseph La Paige. In 2000, she connected with Edward Clark and received a certification in Tripsichore Yoga. She has studied with other extraordinary teachers such as Kofi Busia and Dona Holleman and participated in advanced continued studies with Ana Forrest in 2003. Kimberly has traveled extensively studying and teaching yoga in the US and Europe for the last fourteen years. She has developed a singular teaching style that is informative, challenging, and organic—her love, passion and deeply profound respect for the practice of yoga comes through in every class she teaches. When not on her mat, Kimberly works as a holistic nutritionist.

Lee Pinsky began her love affair with yoga at a gym in 2003. After one class, she wondered, "Where has this amazing gift been all of my life?" At the time, she was working as the director of a busy pre-school in Haddon Township, which is where she met Jill Cummings, and how she was introduced to Yogawood. Lee completed her Kid's Teacher Training at Yogawood in January 2007 and went on to complete Yogawood's 200 Hour Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training in 2009.

Lee likens yoga to one of her other favorite pastimes: making soup. You start with your basic ingredients (or poses) and then add the seasonings to suit your mood. Some days you just want Grandma's homemade chicken noodle and some days you crave a spicy Thai coconut! She's grateful for the opportunity to introduce yoga to as many people as possible, particularly young athletes with the hope of providing them the tools and knowledge to protect themselves from injury and to cope with their stressful lives. Her humorous and fun-loving nature bring a light and playful quality to her classes.

When Lee's not teaching yoga or making soup, she's with her family which includes her husband Steve and their three children, Karla, Dane, and Raya.

When Micki Ramondt took her first yoga class many years ago it was love at first pose. Initially it was the physical challenge of it. Then she noticed how it started to calm her mind. She found that the world seemed more quiet while practicing, and she began to develop more love, compassion and contentment for herself and for the lives around her. In 2008, Micki completed her 250-hour teacher training at Wake Up Yoga under the watchful, caring and extremely talented eyes of Corina Benner and Jill Manning. As a teacher, Micki strives to show the many beautiful facets of Yoga, not just the asana practice. She encourages each student to appreciate their strengths and accept their weaknesses so they can begin to find their true Selves and a state of Yoga. When Micki isn't practicing yoga she is reading almost anything that has to do with it or she's cooking with her husband Steven...and maybe dropping vegetable bits on the floor for her dog, Kiko, and her cat, Maxwell.

Meredith began practicing yoga in 2005, as a curious gym member looking for a more meaningful way to exercise and de-stress. She was immediately intrigued and has been breathing yoga into her life since. Meredith continues to be amazed at the power of Yoga to awaken the body’s own healing processes and empower individuals in all areas of their lives. Looking to deepen her practice and share her love of Yoga, Meredith completed the 200-hour Teacher Training program at Yogawood in Collingswood, NJ, graduating in the Spring of 2010. When not practicing, Meredith uses her B.S. in Environmental Policy to bring Yoga off the mat, protecting New Jersey’s natural resources and the people who depend on them. She is excited to share her love of Yoga with classes that encourage transformation, offering asanas informed by precise alignment, breath, and mindfulness.

Carrie has been a part of the Yogawood family since the very beginning. She is one of our wellness practitioners who specializes in prenatal and postpartum massage/bodywork. She combined this work with her love of yoga when she received her prenatal yoga teacher certificate in 2009. Her teaching provides a supportive environment while building strength, flexibility, inspiration, and self-love. "Yoga offers the opportunity of deeper self-awareness which allows us to trust ourselves and embrace the many changes during pregnancy. I am grateful to be a part of this amazing journey and am dedicated to creating a healthy and nurturing environment for all women."

Carrie and her family live in Collingswood. During her free time, she loves diving deeper into her own yoga practice, running outdoors, and simply spending quality time with her partner and five year-old daughter.

John has been practicing a variety of internal and external arts throughout the past decade. These include Chen Style Tai Chi, White Crane Gong Fu, and a number of Qi Gong styles. He completed his Yoga Teacher Training at Dhyana Yoga in Philadelphia.

A devoted practitioner of Vinyasa Yoga and lover of Latin Dance, John's classes begin with rooting and building a strong, balanced foundation. From there, postures connect through smooth, fluid transitions. Expect to be challenged through a vigorous flow and energized movement.

When he's not teaching or practicing, John's probably swimming, camping, hiking, kayaking, dancing or watching Kung Fu movies, the more ridiculous the better.

Melissa began her yoga journey in college in 1994 where she earned a degree in Psychology with a focus on the mind body connection. After college she spent two years living and working at a holistic health institute. During her time spent there she learned Thai Massage, Reiki, meditation, and practiced lots of yoga. She earned her 200-hour teacher training certificate from Yogawood in 2009. Melissa's classes offer a focus on breath and meditation while building confidence, strength, and balance. In addition to teaching lots of typically able people, Melissa also works with people with special needs and Autism and enjoys teaching them yoga.