INSTRUCTORS
HOLLIS CHURCH, OWNER
Hollis has been practicing yoga consistently for the last 6 years. She began taking classes at Knoxville Yoga Center with Ron Felix and later working with Jennifer Coffin at Side Crow Yoga. She has completed two teacher training courses in Asheville, NC with Cindy Dollar from One Center Yoga and then recently with Stephanie Keach at the Asheville Yoga Center .
In addition to the Glowing Body, Hollis runs Dega Catering, a company that provides full service catering in the entertainment industry.
Philip Clift is a long-time practitioner and teacher of vinyasa yoga. A licensed massage therapist specializing in deep tissue work, Philip integrates 17 years of massage practice into his yoga instruction, intuitively guiding students through adept pose sequencing and body adjustments. He crafts high-energy power yoga classes for all levels, emphasizing core strength and alignment. He also teaches hot and yin yoga classes and a variety of specialty series and workshops.
Philip received his bachelor’s degree in nutrition from the University of Tennessee and is a graduate of The Atlanta School of Massage. Now offering Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy. This barefoot massage style uses bodyweight and leverage to deliver “the deepest, most luxurious massage on the planet.” Philip is one of the first Knoxvillians to offer this rapidly growing style of bodywork.
JENNIFER BEYT COFFIN, RYT
Jennifer has a 10-year hatha yoga practice and draws her inspiration from a blend of the essential aspects of Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Forrest, Iyengar, and Yin Yoga practices. Since teaching her first class 6 years ago, Jennifer has strived to make her classes welcoming, challenging and safe.
It is Jennifer’s goal as a teacher to help you start your own journey of discovery and to get the greatest possible benefit from your yoga practice. Her teachers include Sean Johnson, Philip Clift, Doug Swenson, David Swenson, Stephanie Keach, Heather Tiddens and her son, Max.
To learn more about Jennifer, please visit her website.
Become her fan on Facebook or follow her on Twitter.
Video of Jennifer’s Yinyasa class is available here online at yogavibes.com.
LYNNE DEGITZ, MA, RYT
Sweet, strong and fully human. Lynne believes yoga offers us an opportunity to experience the sweetness of a multidimensional life that integrates mind, body and spirit. Her teaching involves a integration of hatha yoga breath and posture work with movement education derived from the somatic teachings of Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen’s Body Mind Centering. This approach is called Embodiyoga. The practice of Embodiyoga invites us to encounter our deepest selves through conscious movement exploration. As we practice Embodiyoga, we expand our awareness of possibilities for moving and being in the world.
Lynne is profoundly grateful to her teachers Lisa Clark, David Beadle, Patty Townsend and Julee Snyder for introducing her to this embodied approach to practice and life. As a teacher, she especially enjoys sharing this approach with newcomers to yoga, experienced students seeking different approaches to asana practice and people who are curious about embodiment as a way of knowing. Lynne is dedicated to teaching in a way that respects who students are and supports a safe environment for exploration. Her yoga practice and study began in 1997; she began teaching yoga in 2003. Lynne also has over fifteen years of experience teaching in community and academic settings.
Rachel Kahn
Rachel was raised in Knoxville and has been teaching Pilates for 4 years. Her interest in Pilates stemmed from her dance background, which began when she was 5 years of age, and continued through her collegiate years. At a very young age, she was fascinated with body mechanics and devoted her early years to the study of movement in the forms of ballet and modern dance. When she joined a local modern dance company, the discipline for keeping the body finely tuned was deeply ingrained.
When it was time to select a college, Rachel’s passion for dance led her to Hollins College, which at that time had an extensive modern dance program with a competitive dance company. While attending college, she realized there were other interests to pursue and opened her life to other forms of fitness such as soccer and running. It was also in college that she came to the realization that our bodies are our personal vehicle and it is our responsibility to maintain this vehicle. We only have one and it is irreplaceable. It was this belief, along with her body’s ability to recognize a familiar form of movement (dance) in the form of Pilates, that led her to Pilates many years later.
BETTY KALISTER
Betty Kalister began her Yoga practice at home in 1983 and finally came out of the closet to start teaching in 2005. Her teaching combines the alignment of Iyengar Yoga and the inward focus of a slow flow. This teaching style is largely influenced by 110 hours training with Rodney Yee. Her yoga studies also include Yoga Anatomy & Physiology with Roger Cole; Iyengar Yoga with Jan Campbell and Dean Learner; Anusara Yoga with Martin and Jordan Kirk; 2nd Chakra Yoga with Mary Paffard and Rebecca Dennis; and recently Restorative Yoga with Judith Lasater. She is currently enrolled in Stephanie Keach’s Yoga Alliance 200hr Certification Program in Chattanooga.
AJEET KHALSA
Since being given her Sikh spiritual name meaning “Princess of Victory”, and her Buddhist name meaning, “Excellent Joy and Happiness”, Ajeet has dedicated her life to fulfilling these simple principles. Teacher, healer, artist and mother, Ajeet, has been studying and teaching Kundalini Yoga for 20 years and giving intensive chakra studies in Knoxville, for the past 3 years.
Ajeet studied directly with Yogi Bhajan, a recognized Master of Kundalini Yoga from 1987 until his death in 2002. She continues her studies today with his lead teachers, Guru Dev Singh and Gurumukh. Before yoga, Ajeet studied in New York with such dance luminaries as Martha Graham and Paul Taylor. Her travels as an entertainer and musical theatre artist paved the way for Kundalini Yoga. Once she found this way of life, there was no turning back. She is a caring, dedicated teacher, known for her wisdom, intuitive abilities and New York sense of humor. Ajeet shares her wisdom, experience, creativity, and love to serve all. Her strong, grounding, deep meditation and yoga practice gives the student in each class realization of the divine here and now.
Ajeet’s publications include: “Energy of the Chakra’s” – a complete illustrated booklet that goes with her Chakra Series; “The Dancing Spider” – a Kundalini yoga book for kids; “The Peaceful Palace” – a meditation hand book for children; and “CHANT: A Beautiful Set of Meditation Mantras to Heal the Heart and Mind.
Ajeet’s private sessions, classes and consultations are very beneficial to those who wish to deepen their meditation and yoga practice and wish to awaken their spiritual and healing intuitive abilities.
For more information please visit Ajeet’s website.
KIMBERLY LOMONACO, RYT
Kimberly began her study of yoga in 2004. After casually taking classes for the physical benefits, she recognized the immensity and neccessity of the practice and jumped in whole-heartedly. She began teaching in 2006 and completed her first teacher training in 2008 at Neighborhood Yoga in Boone, NC, under the guidance of her teachers, Kelly Golden and Valerie Midgett. Kim also draws inspiration for Rod Stryker
Kimberly’s classes are creative incorporations of movement, breath, and awareness. Her primary goal is to determine the needs of her students, and to create an environment in which they can experience their own unique practice.
Lauren hughes
Lauren Hughes has been practicing yoga since 1998. After many years of practice, she felt led to share the benefits with others. She started a beginners class at her church on Yoga Day 2008, which has turned into a twice weekly regular class.
Lauren received her certification from New Day Yoga, taught by Dayna Gelinas. The program focuses on Iyengar based flow from a Christian perspective. Lauren’s influential teachers include Bryan Kest, Rebecca Hicks, Jeniffer Beyt Coffin, David Swenson, Jason Crandell, the Yoga Slackers team, Tim Hughes, and G. Visit her website!
MOLLY MCCLELLAN
Molly has been practicing yoga since 2002. Molly finds the strength, balance, rhythm, and flexibility of yoga reflected in her daily activities. She became a yoga instructor to spread the wonderful fruits of yoga to others.
Molly studied Ashtanga yoga and massage therapy at the Blue Ridge School of Massage and Yoga. Molly was blessed with an inspirational yoga teacher, Jeff Tiebout. She also studied under Edward Clark. She teaches Ashtanga and Vinyasa style classes. She builds her yoga classes on breath, integrating it with structure, alignment and flow.
Molly is also a massage therapist. She incorporates Shiatsu,Thai-yoga, Myofacial Release, and trigger point therapy during her massage sessions. She is also a Reiki practitioner and a lover of hula hoop dance. She makes and sells hula hoops and dance apparel.
KATHY MCMILLAN, AAAI/ISMA CERTIFIED INSTRUCTOR
Kathy found yoga after going from being hale and hearty and running five miles a day, to a six-year downward health spiral due to Lyme disease. Her western medicine doctor recommended yoga to cleanse her nervous system and help her heal faster. She found her mentor, Philip Clift, three years ago and has been hooked on Vinyasa yoga ever since. Besides Philip, she is learning from Jennifer Coffin, Doug Swenson, Christa Schoenbrodt and Daphne Larkin.
Kathy, a pre-vet major in college, has immersed herself in the science of yoga and how each pose cleanses the autonomic nervous system. She stresses breathing, alignment and an economy of movement, but believes that, ultimately, yoga is about self-discovery. She is also a devout Catholic, who truly believes that God made the human body to heal itself and that Vinyasa yoga is one way to cleanse and heal our internal organs and joints.
JUDSON NICHOLS
Judson Nichols has been practicing hatha yoga since 1998 for his physical and spiritual health. He earned his Registered Yoga Teacher certification from Stephanie Keach in Asheville, NC. Since then, he has been integrating more relaxation and meditation into his classes.
At other hours of the day, Judson works as a self-employed computer programmer, putters in his yard, and dotes on his wife.
RUSSELL SAULS
This is Russell’s 40th year in martial arts, & his 26th year teaching Tai Chi. His life is in large part dedicated to the cultivation of Tai Chi & its brother art, BaGua.
Since 1975, he has been a student of Grandmaster Johnny Kwong Ming Lee of Dallas, Texas in Wu style Tai Chi, Ba Gua, & Mizong Luohan Kung Fu. For the past 7 years he has also studied Chen style Tai Chi with Master Wang Hai Jun, a 3-time national Tai Chi champion of China. Master Wang grew up & studied in Chenjiagou, China, the birthplace of Tai Chi. He currently resides in Manchester, England & Russell sponsors seminars with him in Knoxville 2-3 times per year.
Russell has won numerous state, regional, & national competitions including:
United States Chinese Martial Arts Council National Championships:
1st place, Wu style Tai Chi & 1st place, Ba Gua
United States Karate Association Grand Nationals:
1st place w/ Tai Chi routine, & 1st place w/ Ba Gua Sword
He will be teaching Chen style Tai Chi, which most Chinese historians agree is the original form of Tai Chi. It contains both gracefully fluid slow movements & powerfully explosive movements. Depending upon the wishes of his clientele, the class can have a more yin or a more yang focus emphasizing either deep bodymind release & relaxation or a more physically intense workout developing unusual power & range of motion in the legs, core, & spine. The class generally has both aspects.
With roots in chi gong, & Daoist alchemy, Tai Chi shares a theoretical rationale with ancient Chinese medicine. Thus, it is an excellent aid to harmonizing body, mind, breath, & spirit with the universal life force, qi (chi). It can be a synergistic support to most any other self-cultivation discipline or health-nurturing practice, including Yoga.
As a long time practitioner of Anapanasati & Vipassana meditation, Russell approaches Tai Chi as a practice of mindfulness through movement.
His training as a massage therapist & as a graduate of Jung Tao School of Classical Chinese Medicine informs his teaching. He is currently preparing to sit for the nat’l board exams for licensure as a acupuncturist.
He is available for private sessions of Wai Qi therapy, a ancient method of energy work facilitating clear circulation of Qi without touch.
RYOKO SUZUKI, MS, ATC, CSCS, LMT, RYT
Ryoko (“Lyo-ko”) has been a registered Yoga teacher since 2002. Originally from Japan, Ryoko grew up with traditional Buddhism philosophy and has continued to study, practice and share those ideals through teaching and studying different forms of Yoga. In 2005, she deepened her meditation and Yoga practice with Vipassana Meditation/Yoga training in India.
Ryoko is also a certified athletic trainer, biomechanist, licensed massage therapist,STOTT Pilates/Qigong (Ancient Chinese healing modality/moving form of meditation) instructor, certified Strength & Conditioning specialist, and Reiki (a Japanese form of stress reduction & relaxation that also promotes healing) practitioner. In addition to different Eastern healing modalities and Western osteopathic manual therapy techniques, Ryoko also uses Yoga as an integral part of rehabilitation with great success in Orthopedic Physical Therapy settings.
After her extensive and thoughtful study of Kripalu, Vinyasa, Ashtanga, Anusara, Iyengar, Yin, Acu-Yoga, and Qigong, Ryoko discovered the most benefit and true teaching of Yoga in her study and teaching of Svaroopa® Yoga. Under the guidance of Swami Nirmalaananda Saraswati, Ryoko travels to study Svaroopa® Yoga, Yoga therapy, and meditation through the Master Yoga Foundation in Malvern, PA, a suburb of Philadelphia. Ryoko’s passion for teaching and extensive therapist experience makes her classes truly unique, warm, joyful, peaceful, meditative, and therapeutic as well as providing a safe environment for learning.
Ryoko has been practicing professional manual therapy since 1997. In addition to Embodyment® Yoga Therapy, she also offers different styles of massage, bodywork, and other healing modalities, which include Craniosacral Therapy, Strain Counterstrain, Neuromuscular/Medical Massage, Mobilization/Muscle Energy Technique, Shiatsu, and Reiki.
For further information or to contact Ryoko,
please visit www.healingspiritbodywork.com
Don tritt
Don began practicing Kundalini Yoga with Ajeet Khalsa three years ago after being diagnosed with progressive osteoarthritis in his hands, elbows and lower spine. The osteoarthritis had progressed to the point of Don being declared 100% disabled. The regular practice of Kundalini Yoga has eliminated the painful affliction of arthritis without medications, as well as alleviating the need for blood pressure medication. The profound impact of Kundalini Yoga in Don’s life has led to his pursuit of studying and teaching the healing art of Kundalini Yoga.