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Alison West, Ph.D., Co-Director Yoga Union Center for Backcare & Scoliosis established the Yoga Union in 1996 after years of study in New York and elsewhere. She is known for her dynamic and precise instruction, coming from both backgrounds of Iyengar and Astanga yoga. Her first training was under the aegis of the Sivandanda organization where she completed both the Teacher Training and Advanced Teacher Training Courses. She then studied for many years with senior Iyengar teachers Kevin Gardiner and Mary Dunn, as well as other leading Iyengar teachers Genny Kapuler, Bobby Clennell, And Robin Janis, as well as Astanga yoga with Sri K. Patthabi Jois in Mysore and with Eddie Stern in New York. Alison spent September 2004 in Pune, India, studying at the Iyengar Intitute and apprenticing in the medical classes with BKS Iyengar, Geeta Iyengar and Stephanie Quirk. She has been teaching in New York since 1988 and gives workshops around the country and in Europe. Her specialties are: Yoga for Scoliosis and Back Care, Yoga for Depression and Anxiety, Yoga for Diabetes and Asthma, Children with Special Needs [more about Alison *1] Deborah
Wolk, E-R.Y.T. 500. Co-Director Yoga Union Center for Backcare & Scoliosis
Having practiced yoga since 1994, Deborah found through the patience
and skill of her teacher Alison West that practicing alignment-based yoga
could control back pain and arrest the progression of her scoliosis. We are delighted to announce that Wendy (Santoshi) Baranello, Debby Green, Eve Holbrook, Katie Jehenson, Brette Popper, Robin Thorpe and Joni Yecalsik will be teaching at the center.
Wendy (Santoshi) Baranello: Mixed Level Backcare
Class Wendy Baranello (Santoshi), has been teaching yoga in New York City since 1994. Originally certified by Integral Yoga in NYC to teach various aspects and levels of yoga, pranayama, and meditation; she continues to study to improve her skills and serve the community. In 1994 she met and continues to study Iyengar Yoga with Brooke Myers. In 1997 she began to study with John Friend, who is a tremendous influence on her teaching; and because of his high opinion of Elise Miller she took a class with her and adopted her as a teacher. Santoshi has studied with Elise since 2002, and completed her Yoga for Scoliosis training in 2004. Elise encouraged her to study with Joan White, and Santoshi has studied with her since 2003, and is currently in Joan's Teacher Training program. In addition to her yoga certifications, Santoshi holds a certification in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction with Jon Kabitt Zinn and Saki Santorelli.
Debby
Green: Backcare Basics Debby
Green began studying ballet as a child, which led to a 20 year career
as a competition ballroom dancer and teacher both in the US and Europe.
She unsurprisingly crawled into her first yoga class in 1985 in
the search for relief from back pain. She began teaching in 1993,
practicing Iyengar yoga in 1995 and has completed the Iyengar Teacher
Training with Mary Dunn and James Murphy. Her other teachers are
Kevin Gardiner, Robin Janis and Genny Kapuler.
Eve
Holbrook: Backcare
Katie
Jehenson: One-hour basics Yoga Class Katie was introduced to Yoga in 2000 then, in 2001-- in between jobs-- she began an earnest practice in the vinyasa tradition. In 2005, after 8 years in Business Operations and Office management, the call to teach turned her life in a new direction. While exploring teacher training options, one name always popped up, Alison West. After attending a few of Alison’s classes, Katie understoodthe importance of alignment in practice. In June 2005, Katie completed the Yoga Union Teacher Training program. In April 2007, she completed Judith Hanson Lasater’s Relax & Renew training for Restorative Yoga. Katie teaches and studies in New York City.
Brette
Popper: One-hour basics Yoga Class After 25 years of being a publisher and president of companies like the Gannett-owned USA Weekend and publicly held Individual Investor Group, Brette Popper wandered into her first Yoga class six years ago and was transformed. Until then she had managed budgets of $100 million, multi-city offices and over 125 employees. But, that first class led to a more singularly focused internal immersion into Yoga asana and philosophy. She eventually used her management experience to help one of her first teachers open a Yoga studio in Brooklyn’s bourgeoning Dumbo. She completed the Yoga Union Teacher Training with Alison West in 2005. Currently Brette not only teaches Yoga but consults for both publishing and internet companies. She is also developing a new media brand that will combine her love of Yoga with her extensive business knowledge.
Robin
Thorpe: Restorative Yoga Robin
Thorpe, RYT, started her Yoga practice in 2000 exploring the wide variety
of vinyasa styles offered in New York City. It was at the Shala where
she was introduced to Alison West, Director of Yoga Union and her primary
teacher. In the summer of 2004, Robin completed Yoga Union's Teacher Training
and is registered with the Yoga Alliance at the 200 hour level. Continuing
her teaching education, in May of 2005 Robin participated in Judith Hanson
Lasater’s Relax and Renew Training for restorative yoga. Also during
this time, she studied through level 3 of the Path of Luminous Shabda
with Manorama of Sanskrit Studies.
Joni
Yecalsik: Asymmetry (sub) Joni
Yecalsik is a certified Iyengar yoga teacher. She has been in the field
of Wellness and practicing and teaching yoga for over three decades. After
her years in the theatrical dance world in the 80's she had accumulated
numerous injuries--but was introduced to the precise Iyengar style of
Hatha Yoga, which therapeutically addressed her injuries. Along with the
accurate physical precision of the Iyengar Yoga approach, Joni went through
and became a mentor and program leader of Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy.
Joni is also an Ohashi trained shiatsu therapist and a Childbirth Educator
and Doula.
Yoga
Union aspires to a “styleless style,” recognizing the importance,
above all, of awareness or consciousness in the pursuit of Yoga, and emphasizing
both alignment and breath in all classes. All Yoga is Hatha Yoga, and
there is something for everyone. The goal of Yoga Union is to offer a
forum for the study of Hatha Yoga (the physical practice of Asanas or
poses) and pranayama attuned to the individual needs of the practitioner
while creating a harmonious community as well. The individual and the
group balance each other, fostering awareness and collaboration. The Group
Classes emphasize the physical practice of Hatha Yoga, while the Teacher
Trainings provide a deeper grounding in both the philosophy and science
of yoga. |