Keith Porteous: Co-Owner of all Swan River Yoga Locations
Keith is grateful everyday for the teachings of yoga and for the Swan River community. Her greatest teachers are Geshe Michael Roach, her family, including her children Arthur and Louise, and the Swan River students themselves. Her favorite social activity is the SIX TIMES A DAY BOOK CLUB.
To get started with the book, please click here.
For Keith's complete notes updated after each book club meeting, please click here. Updated Bio coming soon.
Contact Keith: Keith@swanriveryoga.com
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Laura Sheffield; Aerial Yoga
Laura studied yoga off and on for 12 years until taking one of Michele's classes, where she then became highly devoted and aconstistant participant in the yoga teachings. This inspiring experience led her to develop a serious practice. She then went on to receive her certification from the Sivananda Ashram in the mountains of Val Morin, Canada, a 200 hour challenging Teacher Training course with extensive discipline of asana, pranayama, jnana, raja and bhakti yoga. Laura is currently working towards her Anusara certification, and has completed numerous workshops and Immersions with the likes of Jordan Bloom and Kelly Haas. She frequently works with students who are newto yoga, or those who have limitations due to injury. Laura also teaches yoga at The New Orleans Athletic Club, in local elementary schools and a women's shelter.
Laura also serves the community through her talents as a Henna Artist. Go to her website New Orleans Henna and Body Art.com to see her beautiful work.
Contact Laura: Laura@swanriveryoga.com
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Aaron Lind; Swan River Yoga Mentor, Kirtan Musician
Aaron Lind is a certified Hatha Yoga and AcroYoga instructor based in New Orleans, LA. His greatest joy has been sharing music and movement in ways that bring people together in a celebration of life.
Aaron's yoga journey began in 1999 when he found an old book on yoga and tried every pose in the book. His background as a childhood gymnast made most of the poses accessible and a fun and wild exploration of his capacity to embody many shapes. His first yoga teacher training under the skillful tutelage of Michele Baker at Swan River Yoga was an invitation and a challenge to continue this joyous adventure of human potential while creating beautiful and lasting friendships.
Aaron has several hundred hours of study and practice in the lineage of Anusara Yoga and is steadily progressing towards Anusara-Inspired status. His teaching reflects this beautiful lineage of yoga.
Aaron moved to New Orleans in 2002 to complete music school at the University of New Orleans. He ended up falling so in love with the culture-it's music, history, people, and tendency to make every day possible a celebration and invitation to play. Aaron completed a Master's Degree in Jazz Studies and continues to play jazz and funk gigs in New Orleans and around the world. He incorporates his musical experience into yoga in the form of kirtan, which is singing in Sanskrit and Hindi, with his current project Pratibha Kirtan.
Aaron offers tremendous loving gratitude to all his teachers along the way including his parents and sister, Jason Nemer and Jenny Sauer-Klein for sharing this beautiful practice of partnership, John Friend for giving Aaron's passion for yoga and philosophy intelligent and progressive direction, Douglas Brooks for unfolding the Srividya philosophy in rich and entertaining ways, Michele Baker in New Orleans for amazing unconditional love and support, Kelly Haas for being an incredible and inspiring mentor, to his community in New Orleans for helping him to grow, to all of his friends everywhere for being such great mirrors, and to the Universe for providing so many fun and amazing possibilities to experience being alive!
You can find more about Aaron on his website www.aaronlindyoga.com
Contact Aaron: Aaron@swanriveryoga.com
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Addy Meisenheimer
Addy discovered yoga in 1999. As a college student, yoga brought her a sense of strength and balance to be prepared to deal with many of life’s challenges. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of New Orleans in General Studies with a focus in Women Studies and Anthropology with the hopes of studying birth from a cross-cultural perspective.
Addy’s mother was a midwife who taught her to have respect for and fascination with the world of birth. Exposed to pregnant women her whole life, Addy’s attraction to the world of birth has only deepened throughout her life. She feels so grateful for being born into this world of women and babies.
In 2007 she attended a 200hr yoga teacher training in Sedona, Arizona and there realized that her two passions could become one; yoga and birth. As a prenatal teacher Addy wants the women to recognize and learn through pregnancy and birth their personal inner strengths and beauty by using yoga as a tool. Addy completed the Advanced Swan River Yoga Training, and is currently training as a DONA certified doula and nurse.
Contact Addy: Addy@swanriveryoga.com
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Lauren Shepley
Lauren took her first yoga class in high school, with her mother and father, at an old school Iyengar studio in Baltimore, having no idea at the time that yoga would become such an integral part of her life. After practicing on and off for a few years, she became dedicated to the practice while studying psychology at Tulane University in 2003. After graduation, Lauren snagged the last spot in Michele’s Swan River Teacher Training and became certified in 2008 in hatha yoga.
Lauren’s classes honor and celebrate her Iyengar roots by focusing on alignment and therapeutic yoga. Her classes are designed to facilitate healing and health for the individual through the tools of pranayama, meditation, and asana primarily. She also incorporates restorative yoga, energy work, and prayer into her classes in order to deepen the connection we have with the Earth and to awaken the higher Self in all students.
Lauren is deeply greatful to all of her teachers, near and far, who have paved her way and who continue to make her own journey home possible.
Contact Lauren: Lauren@swanriveryoga.com
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Lindsey Crow
Lindsey is a local actor and improv comedian who moonlights as a law student at Loyola University College of Law. She is a native New Orleanian and spent time teaching in Orleans Parish public schools. She has recently begun teaching yoga at schools in our community. Lindsey has been passionately practicing the art of yoga for 4 years and loves nothing more. She completed the Swan River Yoga training.
Contact Lindsey: Lindsey@swanriveryoga.com
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Jim Baird: Building Manager of Swan River Yoga Feelings, our Marigny Location
Jim first fell in love with Hatha Yoga many years ago, but it took the events surrounding Katrina to ignite his passion. Under the watchful eye of his teacher, Michele Baker, hi practice blossomed and he realized his path was to share his joy with others. With his recent training from Swan River Yoga he is determined to bring his knowledge and enthusiasm to those beginning or renewing their practice of Hatha Yoga. Jim co-owns a popular New Orleans restaurant, making him mindful of the difficulties and benefits of making Yoga a part of your daily regimen.
Contact Jim: Jim@swanriveryoga.com
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Stephanie Smith
Steph is both a Swan River Yoga certified Yoga Teacher and Kundalini Yoga Teacher. She deeply understands the transformational aspects of Yoga and brings this awareness into her classes. In many of her flow classes (Jivamukti style) she interweaves breathing exercises (pranayama) from her Kundalini training to offer additional benefits to the class. Steph's background is diverse and covers a range of experiences, such as: collegiate athlete at Michigan State University, Masters Degree in Coastal Ecology from LSU, designed and developed the West Nile Virus Surveillance System for the Louisiana Office of Public Health, which has won international and national recognition for Louisiana. Her passions include film making with an emphasis on educational DVD’s, environmental/social issues, and herbal medicine. The goal of her flow class is to blend metaphysical themes with the physical experience to encourage perspective shifts for a joyful and steady connection to our environment, community, self and beyond. Her flow class primarily focus on the Chakra system to bring insight to areas that need liberation. The flow class runs as a continuous series with each month focusing on a different Chakra. The Kundalini classes are based on the teaching taught by Yogi Bhajan. She organizes these teachings to physical health, Chakra system, Ten bodies and energetic bodies in the design of her Kundalini Classes.
Contact Steph: Stephanie@swanriveryoga.com
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Cassie Segal
Cassie Segal is a yoga teacher in Swan River Yoga style developed by Michele Baker. She has also studied alignment and body mechanics extensively with Cat McCarthy, Laura Flora, Scotta Brady, Zhenja LaRosa, Kelly Haas and Jordan Bloom of Anusara Yoga. She has 50 hours of Anusara level one teacher training. She began to practice yoga in 2003 with Kelly Panus, Cheryl Golich and Sean Johnson. In 2008, she began studying with Michele Baker, ERYT. She has 16 total hours of training in Thai Massage from Michael Buck (aka Mukti) and Saul David Raye. "I am incredibly grateful to all my teachers for sharing this incredible healing wisdom that has brought me much joy and for their love and support throughout my budding practice. I wish to share this wisdom as a teacher." She strives to provide students with a skillful blend of intelligent alignment, flowing vinyasa, and deep yogic philosophy.
Contact Cassie: Cassie@swanriveryoga.com
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Haiyan Khan; Co-Owner Swan River Community Center: Yoga and Seva in Arabi, LA (with Michele Baker and Keith Porteous) and Swan River Yoga Mentor.
Haiyan’s first introduction to yoga was through an old raggedy book in the library of a dusty Chicago building in 2003. The book titled “12 Lessons in Raja Yoga” engulfed him and he spent the next few months meditating on the first lesson. Though he never went past the first lesson, the book changed his life direction! (wonder what would have happened if he had read the rest of the 11 lessons!)
It was not long after that he was introduced to Hatha Yoga. While he initially struggled with this aspect of yoga, over time a sweet harmony was created between the physical and meditative aspects of yoga
While continuing the study of meditation, through various Buddhist traditions and recently through self Inquiry, he joined the Swan River Yoga Training in 2009. Under Michelle’s guidance he has learned the basics of yoga and embodying the teachings. He is very grateful for the opportunity to share the gift of yoga with anyone who is interested.
Curious by nature, Haiyan loves to play in and explore this crazy, lunatic ,illusary and yet adorable experience called life.
On January 20, 2011 Haiyan opened the Swan River Community Center: Yoga and Seva in Arabi, La in conjunction with Michele and Keith. He continues to serve from the heart.
Contact Haiyan: Haiyan@swanriveryoga.com
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Kelly Haas
Kelly Haas is a Certified Anusara Yoga Teacher, RYT-500, avid Spanish-speaker, lover of life, music, and nature, with thousands of hours in intensive yogic studies and trainings and over a decade’s teaching experience. She had the great fortune to manage the world tour for John Friend, Founder of Anusara Yoga, for the past 6 years, managing all aspects of his events, while receiving countless hours of philosophy, asana, therapeutics, and hands-on adjustment training with John. Kelly has taught yoga and travelled widely across the US, Latin America, and Asia.
Kelly’s connection to the New Orleans yoga community began 6 years ago, when Michele Baker invited her as a guest teacher in the annual Swan River teaching program. It has been a great honor for Kelly to teach the yoga therapeutics portion of this integrative training, and support the growing community of teachers and students in New Orleans. She is excited to spend an extended time in New Orleans, offer regular classes, and be an integral part of the Swan River Yoga family.
Contact Kelly: HaasKelly@yahoo.com
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JackSUN (Jackie) Slaughter
Jacksun's (Jackie Sumell) classes infuse a sense of play with strength, her classes construct a space where you work really hard with out realizing it-- where you leave feeling complete & claiming victory through laughter. Jacksun's classes remind us that 8 of the 9 letters of slaughter are laughter. She believes love, light, & happiness can triumph all, and passes that message through her creative sequencing and true to life dharma. Since 2004 her teachers have included 120-years young Swami Bua and his student Angela Caruso from NY, her Jnana guru's Herman Wallace, Albert Woodfox, Robert King, Mwalimu Johnson, Malik Rahim, geronimo jijaga & all those who continue to struggle against an unjust and oppressive prison system. She is grateful for the powerful inspiration of Dana Flynn, Keith Porteous & Libby Love, the great teachings from her life in the 7th ward, the gardens that grow between the hardship and of course the Morpheus guidance of Michele Baker. Since early 2011 Jacksun has been developing a supplemental healing program that pairs yoga and cognitive behavioral therapy called Schema Yoga in collaboration with Schema Therapist Jena Frederick. Ms. Slaughter's Swan River classes embody her commitment to community, laughter, strength, struggle and the magedy (magic tragedy) that only a city like New Orleans could host. All Power to the People!
Contact Jacksun: Jackie@swanriveryoga.com
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Alison Androw
Ali Androw is a certified yoga teacher in the Swan River Yoga style
developed by Michele Baker, ERYT. Ali has practiced yoga and Pilates
collectively for years, but in 2007, when she discovered Swan River
Yoga, she became fully enveloped by the deep wisdom that yoga brings.
She offers her profound gratitude to Michele Baker, Libby Bryan, and
Keith Porteous with whom she has found her voice as a teacher. The
yoga community is vital to Ali’s growth as a yogini and teacher, and
she is honored to share her practice with the incredible people she
meets.
Combining introspection and intelligence, Ali’s classes offer a
dynamic way to deepen the yoga practice on and off the mat. Guided by
the breath, Ali’s classes invite students to expand their awareness by
gently exploring their edges of flexibility, strength and endurance,
while connecting to a peaceful, meditative state. Ali’s teachings come
from place of love and service to her community, encouraging students
to feel empowered, independent, and energized. Her classes are
inspirational, supportive, and constantly evolving.
Ali has completed the Anusara Level I Immersion and has profound
gratitude for Kelly Haas, Cat McCarthy, Jordan Bloom, and John Friend
whose teachings have greatly impacted Ali's own teaching style. Ali
has also earned 16 hours in Thai Yoga Massage training with Sudevi,
and received her Level I Reiki Attunement with Michele Baker. She
continues to take workshops to broaden her knowledge base.
Ali earned her B.A. in English from Tulane in 2006 and has been a
proud resident of New Orleans since 2002. She gets her daily dose of
light and laughter from her middle school students to whom she teaches
composition and literature. Ali is enthusiastic about being a part of
the growing AcroYoga community in New Orleans and is a proud core
member of the Submarigny Submarine Club of Undersea Pleasures
performance collective! Om, sweet, Om!
Contact Ali: Aliandrow@swanriveryoga.com
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Charles has been practicing Yoga for almost ten years. He started taking classes with Michelle in 2002 at her first studio on Piety street. Until 2009, Charles cultivated a regular practice that saw him taking a class once or twice a week. During the economic downturn in 2009, Charles found himself with a lot of time on his hands and began to relieve stress by increasing both the physical and metaphysical intensity of his studies, leading directly to his interest taking the path of a teacher.
Charles has almost ten years of classroom teaching experience, using his Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology to both teach and practice as the head of a small consulting company. As both a Psychologist and a Yogi, Charles is interested in exploring the relationship between the two disciplines and finding a place for a new brand of positive psychology in his professional work.
Charles is a native of Knoxville, TN but counts New Orleans as his permanent home and the place where he truly belongs, and has made it part of his mission to support the local grassroots art scene by running a small gallery and theater venue here. He is also an artist, specializing in sculpture and the exploration of the automobile as an iconic art form.
Most of all Charles loves to celebrate life and always makes sure not to take things too seriously while still honoring the highest intentions and maintaining the highest integrity.
Contact Charles: Charles@swanriveryoga.com
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Kristin Hughes
Kristin Hughes moved from California to New Orleans in July 2009 to teach Physics and Chemistry at a public high school in the Upper Ninth Ward. After only a few months in New Orleans practicing at Swan River, she realized she wanted to teach yoga too! At the end of October 2010 Kristin completed the Swan River Training and can’t wait to share her enthusiasm for yoga with new students. She loves the richness of the practice and the joy and balance it brings. Her personal practice also includes twice daily meditation and breathing exercises as taught by the Art of Living Foundation. Kristin believes everyone deserves to give themselves the gift of meditation and yoga and realize that at our core we are love, peace, and joy.
Contact Kristin: KristinH@swanriveryoga.com
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Mary Glackmeyer completed the Swan River Yoga training and joined the New Orleans community in June 2009. She is a graduate of The University of the Arts, Philadelphia, where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Modern Dance Performance. Upon graduation Mary moved to New York City and danced professional with many choreographers and companies. She toured internationally with Silver-Brown Dance which also brought her to New Orleans for the first time in April 2007. The company built a mentoring program through dance for the students at Warren Easton High School. Even though Mary knew she was forever changed by her experience in New Orleans, the students she worked with and their stories, she had no idea what seed had been planted. The company returned to Warren Easton in the fall of that year. After that, Mary frequented New Orleans nearly every other month. Eventually realizing that her heart longed for New Orleans, she decided to make the move. Shortly after moving, she was introduced to Swan River Yoga by a friend and found her calling. She completed the Swan River Yoga Teacher Training under the direction of her dear teacher Michele Baker and is honored to be a part of the Swan River Family. She is also thrilled to be teaching right across the street from Warren Easton High School at the mid-city location. Mary teaches a Swan River Yoga class that honors many influences and teachers. She is very grateful to her family and her New Orleans family for their support and love. And most of all to the amazing teachers of Swan River Yoga and her mentor, Michele Baker.
Contact Mary: MGlackmeyer@gmail.com
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Sarah Quintana
Sarah Quintana is a traditional jazz vocalist, guitarist, singer-songwriter and daughter of New Orleans. She is a vibrant and much-loved performer in the New Orleans musical community. Her songs ring true to her musical upbringing, trails and travels after hurricane Katrina, and her passion for learning, growing and sharing. Sarah got into yoga in 2008 because she wanted to relive stress and improve her breathing and stage performance; it turns out a steady yoga practice can relieve stress, can improve singing and stage performance, it can spark a personal, creative renaisance and it will increase your enjoyment of life.
Sarah plays regularly around the city of New Orleans, with various jazz ensembles and writes folk/jazz standards on the café circuit. Her weekly performances are always exciting with guest musicians from all over the world. After Katrina, Sarah went to France for the first time as a CODOFIL scholar to teach English. She attributes her singing career to mal du pays. In 2009, Sarah opened up her set at Jazz Fest with a Bessie Smith cover— "Baby wont you Please Come Home," as a dedication to Katrina victims. Later that year, she played Voodoo Fest and hosted a kid's music camp at the Big Top Three Ring Circus. This summer she sang at the Lincoln Center with the New Orleans Moonshiners and met up with vocalist Marion Rampal in France for musical adventures.
Sarah studied Jazz at NOCCA, has a bachelor’s degree in English Literature & French from Loyola University of New Orleans and is now Swan RiverYoga instructor. Her artistic conviction is to honor the cultural wealth of New Orleans by sharing it. Sarah is very grateful for all of her dear yoga teachers, music teachers, the New Orleans music and dance scene, and the support of her friends, fans and family. She is grateful for all of her life’s lessons, even the aches and pains of hurricanes and she is grateful to Ingrid Lucia for the following quote: "Do the best you can everytime and you are garunteed to grow."
Contact Sarah: Sarah@swanriveryoga.com
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Yera Gonzales
Yera Gonzalez is a graduate of Michele Baker's teacher training program in 2010; she now loves to share her passion for Yoga through teaching and serving her community.
Her experience as a massage therapist and Shiatsu practitioner enhanced her interest in Yoga, finding it amazingly healing.
"I specially appreciate how Yoga always reminds me to link my breath with my movements; this is what makes me feel a more connected and balanced individual, charged with vitality and surrounded by peace"
Originally from Mexico city, she has been dedicated to the healing Arts, with a private practice in New Orleans for the last ten years.
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Gina Cacioppo
Gina Marie Cacioppo is a graduate of Swan River Yoga 's Further Studies program (~2010~) and loves sharing the beauty and power of yoga with each student that crosses her path. As a teenager Gina was drawn to yoga by the emphasis placed on balancing both sides of the body and unifying the breath with movement. It was then that the seeds for a lifetime of Yoga were planted.
Her other interests include Fine Art, the environment, mysticism and astrology. She is a lover of the Goddess, the Earth, New Orleans and Trees. Gina is a native of South East Louisiana. Through her group The Feral Army, Gina advocates for community cats and Trap Neuter Return programs.
An offering of thanks goes to Michele Baker, Keith Porteus, and Kim Martin for bringing her into the fold of the Swan River Family. She has the utmost gratitude and reverence for Michele for facilitating many of her dreams to come true and revealing the secrets of yoga to her. She is also thankful to her students for making her a better and stronger teacher with every practice that they share.
Since December of 2010 Gina has had the honor of being Events Administrator at Swan River Yoga.
She strives to live each day by her personal motto "Be made Brave by Love" and her creed of P.R.I.M.A.L which stands for Peace Respect Imagination Magic Art Love and invites all others to do the same!
Click here to visit The Feral Army and learn about TNR in your area.
Contact Gina: Gina@swanriveryoga.com
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Valerie has done advanced teacher training with Michele Baker here in New Orleans in Spring of 2010 & more recently is working on her Reiki training with Michele. She is currently certified by the Yoga Alliance as a Registered Yoga Teacher at the 200 hour level and is currently working on her 500 hour yoga teacher certification with Prajna Yoga in Santa Fe, NM. The word Prajna in Sanskrit means Insight, Deep Understanding and Wisdom. It suggests an embodied wisdom, a knowing that permeates the nerve endings, the connective tissues and the blood cells throughout the body. This style of yoga was developed by Tias & Surya Little. Valerie teaches with an emphasis on alignment, anatomy/myo-facial meridians, Chinese medicine, wisdom training.
Valerie received her Masters in Science in Oriental Medicine (M.S.O.M.) and Acupuncture with nearly 3000 hours of study & clinic, and her diploma in therapeutic massage with 700 hours of study. She has attended numerous workshops in all 3 disciplines and specializes in acupuncture for pain management, deep tissue bodywork, shiatsu, and yoga instruction. Valerie offers private sessions combined with therapeutic yoga, acupuncture & massage.
Click here to visit Valerie's website.
Contact Valerie: acupuncturenola@gmail.com
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Paige Pecoul
Paige Bradley-Pecoul began her yoga journey in 1998 with Alvina Haaverkamp as her guide. For five years, Paige flourished under Alvina’s tutelage. In 2003, with a new baby at home, Paige began exploring yoga on her own, delving into a home practice. In 2006, Paige enrolled in the Temple of Kriya Yoga’s year long teacher training program, mainly to inform her personal practice. But, all roads led to teaching when Artopia House Yoga opened in her neighborhood of Algiers Point. Though the studio has closed, many of those students are still practicing with Paige today. In 2010, after taking some time off from teaching to care for her newborn twins, Paige was fortunate enough to take the Advanced Teacher Training with Michele Baker at Swan River Yoga. This experience renewed her passion for yoga, and the call to teach was heard again.
Paige’s yoga practice carried her through two pregnancies, and other personal challenges. Her practice has evolved from a physical discipline to a way of life, from something deeply personal to something to be shared.
“Teaching is an honor and a privilege. I am humbled by my students and the trust they place in me. I enjoy bringing them out of their heads and into their bodies, and moving and breathing with them, so that we may have an experience of yoga together.”
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Laura Jarrait Flora
Laura Flora, Certified Anusara Yoga Instructor, RYT-500, is committed to helping students unfold the fullness of their lives through the elegant system of Anusara Yoga. Laura moved to New Orleans in 1996, and was introduced to yoga thanks to an invitation from a passing acquaintance. She began studying Iyengar yoga with Becky Lloyd soon thereafter, and is very grateful for the sound foundation her compassionate teaching provided. She found Anusara yoga during her four month evacuation from New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, and life has never been the same. Laura is deeply grateful for the many hours she has been fortunate to spend in the great company of gifted Anusara teachers Sommer and Paul Sobin, Lila Pierce Brown, and Jordan Bloom, as well as Anusara founder, John Friend, philosophy teachers Dr. Douglas Brooks and Dr. Paul Muller Ortega, and countless inspiring students. It is her heart’s desire to share these gifts, to help others connect into the beauty, power, and virtuosity of their own being and of this resplendent universe one asana at a time, and to cultivate a community in which we support one another on this grand adventure.
In addition to teaching yoga, Laura also is Certified BodyTalk Practitioner, Reconnective Healing Practitioner and Akashic Record Consultant. Through her unique melding of these systems, Laura facilitates deep physical, emotional, and spiritual healing. You can read more about Laura and how these offerings can help you at www.alamkarayoga.com.
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Karla Marie Cochran
Karla Marie, originally from Tegucigalpa, Honduras, has been dancing since childhood. Classically trained in Ballet by Marcelle Bonge, one of Guatemala's most recognized Ballet instructors, founder of Ballet Guatemala. Karla Marie found her passion for dancing at a very young age, studying both Ballet and Jazz throughout childhood and most of her teenage years.
After moving to New Orleans, her passion for dancing brought her to study many Latin styles, including Salsa, Cha Cha Cha, West Coast Swing, among others.
In 2005, a new transplant to Miami (Post-Katrina) she began her Belly Dance studies at the amazing MidEastern Dance Exchange in South Beach (Miami). MidEastern Dance Exchange and Belly Dance opened a whole new world of dance. Through the inspirational belly dance instruction by Tamlyn Dalal and Bozenka (both world renowned Belly Dance Superstars) among others, she was transformed. In New Orleans, she continued her belly dance studies with Marci Selena and other recognized and accomplished belly dancers. She has been shimmying, shaking, and undulating, ever since. "Art is my passion... dancing is another form of expression, a way to discover, to play, to be joyous, to recognize our own spirit and unique energy, and be inspired. I dance because I have to."
A Photographer and French/Spanish Art Instructor by day, Karla Marie enjoys the creative energy that comes from dancing. The love for her culture and appreciation of other cultures allows her dancing to be versatile and tactile.
Karla Marie teaches Belly Dance and Latin Dancing. She is the proud mother of two gorgeous, handsome boys, Gian-Carlo (15) and Stefan Armando (9), a miniature dachshund named Gucci, and she is deliciously married to the love of her life, Charles Johannes Cochran. Life is good.
For more information on Karla click here.
"Dancing is not raising your feet painlessly, Like a speck of dust blown around in the wind.
Dancing is when you rise above worlds, Tearing your heart into pieces and giving up your soul." --Rumi
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Amanda Gonazlez
Amanda is a certified Jivamukti yoga teacher and an advanced certified Swan River
Yoga teacher. She uses yoga as a platform to motivate and inspire each individual to
listen, hear, speak, and become their own personal truth. Her class format includes
strict vinyasa, vedanta philosophy, sanskrit, chanting, sound, touch, and meditation. She
thanks David Life and Sharon Gannon for shattering the old paradigm of proper
nutrition into one that includes the happiness and freedom of all beings. Her biggest
revelation in life has been, “ its not about you”. She finds beauty in old school traditions,
shrewd discernment, radical discipline, tremendous will power, sincere friendliness, and
an authentic voice. She is an LSU graduate with a B.A. in broadcast journalism, an
NSCA certified personal trainer and is currently a student exploring a career in allied
health. Her highest intention is to raise the frequency, hear music and share truth.
Learn more about Amanda at her website.
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Ellen Elmore
Ellen Elmore has a wanderlust soul and has circumnavigated the globe prior to finding Swan River Yoga. Originally from Ohio, Ellen now makes her home in the Irish Channel with her husband, Joel and daughter, Indigo. Living in New Orleans wouldn't be as fulfilling as it is without Swan River Yoga and its beautiful community. Ellen took her first yoga class as a high school senior, trying to find a way out of gym class, not knowing how it would impact her life today. She is truly grateful to her humble teachers, and is constantly inspired by each and every one of her students.
Contact Ellen: Ellen@swanriveryoga.com
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Claiborne Davis
Claiborne is a Registered Yoga Teacher and a Certified Instructor of Yoga Tune Up®, a wellness format that merges yoga with physical therapy, self massage, corrective exercise, mobility training and meditation. He’s completed four YTU trainings: Level One, Core Integration, Integrated Embodied Anatomy and Hips & Yoga Nidra. Yoga Tune Up® is a member school of the International Association of Yoga Therapists.
After practicing yoga for several years to reconcile the inherent imbalances brought on by racquet sports and a lifetime of unconscious postural habits, Claiborne earned his first yoga teaching certification through Wild Lotus Yoga’s 200-hour Soul School . He imbues his YTU and Hatha yoga classes at regional gyms and yoga studios with biomechanics to help people move better not just as yoga practitioners, but as humans. Claiborne also teaches private sessions. He is grateful for the lessons and support of his own teachers, including Jill Miller, Sean Johnson, Maura Barclay and Lillee Chandra.
Claiborne is a New Orleans native, but grew up primarily in Chicago and Southeastern Virginia . He eventually returned, graduating from Tulane University with a French degree before working in the television news industry for nearly seven years in several states. For information on Claiborne and his teaching schedule, visit www.claibornedavis.com.
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Rachael Granberry
Rachael Granberry completed her 350 hours teacher training with Michele Baker in 2011 just after finishing her studies in drawing and Fluxus art at Tulane University. She now works at Swan River's Mid City Mandir as the Workstudy Cleaning Manager, a resident artist, and also as a yoga teacher. She teaches a variety of class styles from aerial to restorative yoga. Her overall mission is to inspire her students to grow closer and closer to their highest potential. She sees all as artists and creators and wants to do her best to help her community flourish.
Contact Rachael: Rachael@swanriveryoga.com
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Brigitte Martin
Brigitte Martin began dabbling in yoga in 2006 often using it as an outlet for stress from her job in the fashion industry in NYC. Finding herself in New Orleans, yoga continued to deeply influence her life and was often a source of peace and fulfillment. After giving birth to her baby boy, Briggs, and stepping back from the world of fashion Brigitte realized her desire to share her passion and enthusiasm had grown and decided to dedicate her life to teaching yoga. A recent graduate from the Swan River 350 Hour Yoga Teacher Training, Brigitte is overwhelmed with gratitude to be teaching Yoga at Dawn on Mondays and Wednesdays at 6:15 AM at the Mandir. She can't wait to share her knowledge and love for yoga with others.
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Laura Pavy
After practicing law for 13 years, Laura Pavy decided to take a hiatus from the legal world to spend more time with her two kids. It was then that she began practicing yoga. Twice-weekly classes soon morphed into a dedicated practice of 4-5 classes a week. "I wasn't making myself take more yoga classes. I knew how I felt after class; the yoga was feeding me. And the more I practiced, the more it fed me. The growth in my yoga practice was completely organic."
A steady practice of both vinyasa and alignment-based yoga transformed her. "The change wasn't just physical. I felt more emotionally free than I ever had in my life. I experienced a shift in perspective that was life-affirming. That's when I realized what an effective practice yoga is, and I decided I wanted to share it with others."
Laura recently became certified to teach through Swan River Yoga's Teacher Training. She is grateful to the students and mentors with whom she has practiced, especially Cecilia Rojas, Laura Flora, Cat McCarthy, Michele Baker, and the many others in her life who have helped her uncover the Universe inside her heart.
Bella Blue
Bella, a native New Orleanian began dancing at the age of 3. She studied intensively under the tutelage of many notable local teachers such as Derek Reese, Reginald Denney, and Harvey Hysell. She attended New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts for high school where she was accepted into the advanced level dance program and studied ballet, jazz, modern, tap, and musical theatre.
Bella went on to have 2 children as well continue to pursue a career in dance. She emerged on the New Orleans burlesque scene in 2008 and hasn't looked back since. She combines her classical training with her burlesque persona to create a stage performance that is as unique as the burlesque scene itself. She is currently the Headmistress of The New Orleans School of Burlesque, produces 2 of her own shows and is a member of The Fleur de Tease Burlesque Review, Slowburn Burlesque, and The Creole Sweet Tease Burlesque Review. She performs regularly in New York City and is proud to have been able to take the art of burlesque as far as Ascona, Switzerland where she performed for the Ascona Jazz Festival in July of 2011.
Bella continues to study ballet, takes various classes at local studios, and is proud to say that she has been practicing yoga at Swan River for the last 3 years. She is very excited to bring the art of ballet to the studio and be a part of the Swan River family!
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Swan River Yoga
Teacher Training Gradutes 2010
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