Tawanna Kane
Co-Director/Owner

Tawanna Kane, RYT is a certified yoga teacher and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction instructor, motivated by the heart and inspired by the healing power of movement. Her teaching style is a joyous reflection of a variety of yoga techniques.

Tawanna founded Soulful Eruption, a movement of peace and ease, as the first yoga studio in Fort Greene, Brooklyn in 2001. Concurrently, she sought to bring yoga, as a vehicle for growth and transformation, to underserved populations. For three years, she served as the executive director of The Lineage Project, a non-profit that offers yoga and meditation to incarcerated and underserved youth throughout New York City.

Her relationship and love for children is informed by working for over 15 years in the areas of conflict resolution, peer mediation, theatrical expressions and building accountability systems and developing for citywide recreational programming in Baltimore and Washington, DC.

Tawanna has created stress reduction curriculum for juvenile halls, level III schools and other specialized populations in New York and Maryland. She has offered workshops at universities and in corporate environments.

She has been featured in Yoga Journal, Ascent Magazine, American Legacy Woman and in the documentaries, "Yoga comes to Brooklyn" and "The Fire of Yoga".

 

Alden Caldwell-Gaines
Co-Director/Owner

Alden has been practicing various styles of hatha yoga such as Iyengar, Anusara, Ashtanga and, more recently, Integrative Yoga Therapy since 1998. She has been influenced by the teachings of Kofi Busia, Victor Van Kooten and Barbara Benaugh. In 2007 Alden completed her 200-hour Integrative Yoga Therapy teacher certification at yama studio in Baltimore. She continued her training and completed her 500-hour yama Therapeutics certification in 2009. She has a focused therapeutic background with and specifically teaches classes geared towards “Yoga for Men”. Alden is a registered instructor with Yoga Alliance.

From her love of yoga sprang a desire to learn more about the human body and the mind-body connection as it pertains to healing. In the spring of 2006 Alden graduated from Holistic Massage Training Institute's 600-hour massage therapy program and continues her private practice as a Maryland Licensed Massage Therapist. Alden has additional continuing education hours in the areas of myofascial release, hot stone therapy, and Thai yoga massage.

Alden loves playing with the complimentary elements of bodywork and yoga. Often she incorporates many of her yogic philosophies and breath work into her bodywork sessions as well as uses her knowledge of anatomy and physiology to aid with correct alignment in yoga postures. Her philosophy is to address specific problem areas while revitalizing the entire being, promoting mind-body awareness, and allowing space for healing to occur.

Her passion for teaching continues as she dedicates her work to the education and empowerment of both her clients and students to help them improve upon their own wellness.

 

Adan Ayala

Adan has led kirtans for the past few years at different yoga studios around the area, as well as in events, such as the Goucher Day of Peace, KarmaFest and the Inspiration Community Winter Solstice celebration. He sees kirtan as a wonderful tool that can be learned and practiced by anyone for achieving psychospiritual healing and growth, self-realization and Presence.

 

 

Betsey Gilbert

Betsey Gilbert is a co-facilitator of the Sacred Parenting Circle. She has been in the healing profession for 16years first as a yoga teacher and health educator, and for the past 10 years as a massage and craniosacral therapist. She studies with Jessica Dibb at the Inspiration School of Consciousness, and is in training to lead Keep the Connection Workshops (sm), which is a series of parenting classes designed by the Molly Koch. Betsey seeks to consciously parent her young son.

 

Christine Garrison

Christine Garrison has been practicing yoga for more than 25 years and teaching throughout the Baltimore area for the past six. She received her 200 hour RYT certification through Integrative Yoga Therapy in 2003 and her 500 hour certification through yama therapeutics in 2009. She also studied dance for many years. Her passion is vinyasa flow yoga, which she has adapted to classes for everyone from seniors and office workers to dancers and runners. She also teaches and mentors students in the yama therapeutics 200 hour yoga teacher training program. In addition to training with Diane Finlayson at yama therapeutics she has studied with Shiva Rea, Joseph and Lillian LePage, Swami Mukhti Dharma, and Swami Karma Karuna.

 

Diana Shea

Diana has been practicing yoga for nearly 20 years and teaching in Baltimore for the past four. She completed training Hatha Yoga Teacher Training with the Chicago-based Temple of Kriya Yoga in 2006 and her prenatal training with Yama Studio in 2007. Diana is passionate about natural childbirth and sharing the gift of yoga with pregnant women to help them reconnect with the wisdom of their hard-working bodies! Diana is also a mother, trained labor doula and part-time analyst for a financial services firm. She is a registered teacher with Yoga Alliance.

 

Geri Bell

Geri Bell graduated from the Baltimore School of Massage in 1992 and is a licensed Maryland State massage therapist. She also received her certification in Jin Shin Jyutsu in 1994 with an additional 500 hours training in that art. Geri's work of Integrative Body Therapies/Integrative Massage & Jin Shin Jyutsu draws upon numerous years of study of various massage modalities and other healing arts, including craniosacral therapy, Touch for Health, Shiatsu, and most extensively, Jin Shin Jyutsu. It is the melding of these different modalities and healing arts in Geri's work that helps create the uniqueness of each session. Geri holds a BSW (Bachelors, Social Work) from Morgan State University and has two grown children and two beautiful grandbabies.

 

Gina Strauss

Gina Strauss is a co-facilitator for the Sacred Parenting Circle. Gina has her Master’s degree in counseling Psychology and has worked at The Community College of Baltimore county for 14 years. In her work as career counselor, academic advisor, and instructor, she has learned the importance of listening, connecting, and providing support without judgment. Gina is the mother of two young girls and is currently pursuing a graduate degree in Applied Healing Arts at Tai Sophia Institute.

Jen Poulin

Jen graduated with honors from the University of Massachusetts in 2003 with a Bachelors Degree in Exercise Science and Premedical. A year later, she found herself in Baltimore, Maryland where she experienced her first acupuncture treatment. After some initial skepticism, she was soon amazed by not only the emotional results, but the physical and spiritual as well. Acupuncture made such an impression on her that she began to investigate the practice and discovered Shiatsu.
In 2006 Jen went on to study at the Baltimore School of Massage. In 2007 she graduated and received her certification as a Licensed Massage Therapist and a National Diplomat in Asian Bodywork Therapy through the NCCAOM. She has been studying and practicing the art of Shiatsu since her graduation. Shiatsu and the study of Traditional Chinese Medicine have become her life’s passion.

Janet Indresano

Janet was introduced to yoga in 1998 in San Francisco and has been practicing various styles of yoga ever since. In 2008 she received a 200 hour RYT certification in Yama Therapeutics. Her teaching style incorporates Hatha, Ashtanga, pranayama, deep restorative asana and meditation.
She strives to have everyone feel welcome and appreciated in her classes and to guide her students through a practice that embraces breath as the link between body, mind and heart.

 

Lorraine Farley

Lorraine attended the Baltimore School of Massage and was certified as a massage therapist in 1999. Lorraine has also received additional craniosacral training at the Upledger Institute. Along with treating adults, Lorraine has developed a deep love for working with infants, children and young adults. Many childhood conditions can be treated with craniosacral therapy such as colic, hyperkinetic behavior, torticollis, and ear infections. The primary goal of Lorraine's practice is to educate, uplift and assist clients in realizing their own healing power.

 

Mira Tessman

'Mira' Mary E. Tessman, MA, LCPC is a Licensed Psychotherapist in private practice and uses traditional psychotherapy, mindfulness-based, and expressive arts modalities that recognize the whole person: body, mind, and spirit. Mary received her Master's of Arts Degree from Loyola College in 1989. She became a Registered Movement and Body-Oriented Psychotherapist in 1996 through Goucher College and the American Dance Therapy Association. She completed training in the sacred feminine archetypes and as a Samyama Healing Practitioner through The School for Women Healers in 1999. Mary has stewarded classes, groups, and workshops for the past 16 years while encouraging participants in a safe, nurturing, environment, to journey inward towards healing and awakening. Mary facilitates Prayer Dance which is offered the first Thursday of the month from 7:30-9 pm.

 

Patsy Kuo Eisenstein

Patsy Kuo has 19 years of experience in yoga, dance, and martial arts. Certified at Kripalu, she is a Registered Yoga Teacher with Yoga Alliance (RYT RYT500) and has trained with many of today's extraordinary teachers. She is also the founder of the Yoga of Dance ™ methodology. Her passion for yoga and dedication to her students makes her classes special. More about Patsy and her work at www.yogaofdance.com

Ragan Sheridan

Ragan is certified in Integrative Yoga Therapy and Prenatal Yoga. She began studying yoga after multiple injuries and chronic pain. She focuses on slow, gentle movement combined with breath work to reconnect with and heal our body, mind and spirit. This nurturing style of yoga, develops self confidence as we learn to trust our inner wisdom for deep relaxation and inner peace. Ragan enjoys teaching gentle yoga, prenatal yoga, seniors yoga, restorative yoga and yoga nidra.

Sarah Strahorn

Sarah Strahorn graduated from Baltimore School of Massage in 2002. She specializes in relieving headaches and lower back pain using modalities such as deep tissue, Swedish massage, trigger point therapy and Thai stretching techniques. She also enjoys working with pregnant women, athletes and the elderly population. Sarah's philosophy is that massage should be intense as well as relaxing, and she strives to meet the specific needs of each client.

 

Simone Smith-Stevens

Simone is a German trained architect and has been working as an architect and interior designer for over 10 years.

Her interest in the healing arts has grown over the years. The personal growth she has experienced led her to become a practitioner.

Simone holds certificates in both levels one and two of Reconnective Healing. She is also a registered Reiki Master. Simone is an active member of the International Reiki Association.

 

Tammy Carr

Tammy Carr holds a 200 hour RYT certification in Yama Therapeutics and has completed levels I, II, and III of Radiant Child training. Tammy is a certified Ayurveda Educator. She has maintained an Ayurvedic lifestyle for over two years. As a military wife and mother of two teenagers, Tammy knows about the stresses of daily living. As well, Tammy has a deep sense of mission when it comes to personal wellness from maintaining her 160 weight loss. She strives to educate and encourage her students to practice yoga to develop a deeper awareness of their body, mind and spirit and respect for themselves. Tammy feels by teaching others to grow from within she is planting the seeds for positive choices tomorrow.

Trish Magyari

Trish Magyari, MS, teaches the Mindfulness/Insight Meditation class on Monday evenings and is a teacher with the Insight Meditation Community of Washington (IMCW). She has been studying both Eastern and Western contemplative practices for over 30 years, including all three primary Buddhist traditions, and is a Member of the Quaker Society of Friends. She has a Master's Degree in Genetic Counseling and is finishing her second Master's degree this year, in Clinical Counseling, at Johns Hopkins. She offers both Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and mindfulness-based psychotherapy at the University of Maryland Center for Integrative Medicine.

 

Yan Jiang

Yan Jiang is a licensed acupuncturist with a combined background in Chinese Medicine, Western Medicine, and Basic Medical Science. In 1987 she received a medical degree from Shanghai Medical University and practiced as a radiation oncologist in the affiliated hospital. Yan completed her PhD. Degree in 1998, which focused on studying the interactions between the human body and pharmaceutical drugs. However, when she became an acupuncture student and had the opportunity to pursue a career in Chinese Medicine, it was clear to her that this is, above all, what she meant to do in life. Her deep love and never-ending curiosity towards the Chinese culture and absolute passion for Chinese Medicine have all come together to motivate her to be a forever learner, thinker, explorer and practitioner in Chinese Medicine. In order to better serve her patients, after graduating from Tai Sophia in 2009, she continues to implement meditation, Tai Chi, study of Chinese Medical literatures and Ancient Chinese philosophy as part of her everyday self-cultivation routine. Yan cherishes every minute in the treatment room with her patients in supporting their journey towards wellness.

 

Wyuna Sacha

Wyuna, known to some as Ally Klein Belmont, began studying yoga more than ten years ago and received her first 200 hour yoga teacher certification in 2002 from Tejal Murray of the Ahimsa Center in Baltimore. After completing this training, Wyuna traveled to yoga centers in the United States and abroad to take part in seva (selfless service) programs and other various workshops. In 2005, Wyuna completed her second 200 hour teacher training in Integrative Yoga Therapy with Dianne Finlayson at the yama studio In this training, Wyuna learned how to work with special populations, and since that time, has been offering classes to the elderly, within corporate settings, and to more advanced students. Along her path, Wyuna has also studied qigong, chakra energy balancing, shiatsu, kundalini meditation and integrative breath work. All of these energies come into play when taking a class with her. Wyuna encourages her students to listen and respond to what is arising on the mat with each breath, and from this place of deep listening, the practice of yoga becomes authentic and constantly evolves.