Elaine Hansen is director and founder of Yoga Shunya. Elaine has been a teacher for more than 30 years. She began teaching English as a second language in Paris in 1978, then painting and drawing at universities and colleges. In 1997, she started offering yoga classes in her painting studio at 111 First Street in Jersey City. Elaine believes learning is a creative act and that the study of yoga, in all its forms, offers a deep awareness of the connection between body and spirit and between the individual and the community. She practices and teaches yoga with a dose of precision, leaving space for intuition. Elaine is thankful for all her teachers: John Friend, Rodney Yee, and the staff at the Integral Yoga Institute in NYC. Her students are also her teachers.

Marc Dennison began practicing yoga in 1999 and completed Anusara teacher training with Vishali Varga and Jonas Westrig in 2004. Marc has since accumulated over 650 hours of teacher training while studying with John Friend, Mitchel Bleier, Siana Sherman, Naime Jezzeny, Sue Elkind and Douglas Brooks. He is passionate about using the yoga practice as a gateway into the heart and vehicle for expressing the heart's intrinsically good intentions. He loves the physical aspects of yoga, its deeper philosophic aspects, and its practical uses off the mat as a metaphoric teaching tool for life. Marc is extremely grateful to all of his teachers.

Andrea Frade infuses her teaching with poetry. Through each pose Andrea highlights the elegant power of beauty that unveils itself when you meet the present moment fully. Interweaving the Universal Principles of Alignment with a vibrant sensitivity, Andrea invites and encourages you to step into the current of your own heart and expand the infinite boundary every time you practice. Andrea is tremendously grateful for all her teachers, Zhenja LaRosa, Elena Brower, John Friend and Douglas Brooks as well as all her students, who continually provide the ever- expanding sphere of discovery, creativity and illumination. Andrea is an Anusara-Inspired yoga teacher working towards full Anusara Certification.

Sharon Kenney, a Certified Anusara® Yoga Teacher, encourages students to recognize their inherent freedom by approaching the practice with playfulness and dedication. With precise alignment instruction she weaves Tantric philosophy, mythical stories and tales of the everyday to remember and celebrate the boundless capacity of the heart. Her knowledge and application of Anusara Yoga® therapeutics has helped students of all ages and abilities relieve chronic pain and heal injuries. Sharon enjoys teaching a broad spectrum of students, from inspiring beginners to explore yoga in a supportive and encouraging environment, to offering advanced students a gateway to extraordinary self-expression. Sharon holds deep gratitude to all of her teachers, students and the abundance of blessings that Anusara Yoga has brought to her life.

Kim earned her yoga teaching certification from OM Yoga Center in NYC and her prenatal yoga teaching certification from Janice Clarfield. After 10 years in the corporate world, she took a leap of faith and turned her love of yoga into a full time job. She is eternally grateful to Elaine Hansen for providing her with her first steady yoga teaching gig in 2006. On a daily basis Kim is amazed by the benefits provided by a regular yoga practice including a greater sense of mindfulness and clarity, an improved sense of well-being, and increased strength and flexibility. It is a joy to assist the lovely students at Yoga Shunya in discovering these and other countless benefits which bubble to the surface when yoga is present in our lives. Her teaching style is primarily vinyasa flow with an emphasis on proper alignment and breath awareness, infused with a little bit of fun. She is guided along the path by the thoughtful teachings of Margi Young, Genny Kapuler and Edward Jones.

Eileen McGurty's classes fully celebrate the gift of embodiment through the practice of yoga. In a safe and nurturing environment, her students explore the unlimited potential of their hearts. Eileen has studied yoga since 1998 but in 2002 she discovered Anusara Yoga, and it transformed her practice. Her classes weave Anusara's alignment principles together with its life-affirming philosophy, and emphasize the therapeutic benefits of yoga. A registered yoga teacher with the Yoga Alliance, she completed her teacher training at World Yoga Center in New York. When not teaching yoga, she is a professor of environmental sciences and policy at Johns Hopkins University teaching masters level students and conducting research in environmental justice and urban environmental management.

Jessica Van Itallie began practicing yoga 10 years ago and her love for the many facets of the practice only increases with time. She received her yoga teacher training at the 200-hour level through Yoga Union in 2003 and is currently completing a 200-hour training in Anusara yoga. Jessica encourages her students to expand their individual practice through connection with the breath and finding the beauty of alignment in each pose. Her belief that yoga is beneficial for everyone has led her to teach adults, prenatal and children's yoga. Jessica is grateful to her teachers who include Ellen Saltonstall, Mark Whitwell, Julie Dohrman, Lois Nesbitt and Alison West. Jessica is also a mom. Her son Caetano is 3.

Heather Warfel (Ekabhakti) has been practicing yoga since 1993. She has studied intensively at the Sivananda Yoga Centers in the Bahamas and Canada, where she received her certification as Yoga Siromani in 2006. Heather is a professional dancer and artist. She currently directs the dance program at County Prep High School in Jersey City, and is an Adjunct Professor of Dance at NJCU. Her deep love of movement and creativity greatly influences her yoga practice. Heather is an approachable teacher whose classes offer challenging asana sequences with a thorough and logical progression.

Ola Widera's classes combine the knowledge of yoga, science and human anatomy to explore the power of the body on all levels. Her students learn how to use their inner resources, breath and internal awareness, to discover their full potential. Her first training was in Vinyasa at Sonic Yoga Studio, NYC. This led to studying Ashtanga Yoga under the eye of Pathabi Jois in India. Finally, it was the elegant arrangement of the principles of Anusara Yoga that became her foundation and passion. She continues to deepen her study of Anusara Yoga under the guidance of a great community of teachers: John Friend, Elena Brower, Zhenja Larosa, and philosophy teacher, Douglas Brooks.

Laura Lacey is a licensed massage therapist and nutritional consultant. She is one of those lucky people who love what she does whether it's massaging out stress or teaching a nutrition workshop. Laura works mainly with women and infants. She has been teaching baby workshops in Manhattan for the past 6 years and also has a practice in Jersey City. Good health is everyone's birthright. It's all about balance; nutritious food, low stress and exercise. This is just as valid for babies as it is for adults. Her workshops are fun and factual. Whether you are receiving a massage or taking a workshop, the focus is on you! www.lauralaceymassage.com

Michelle Goitia was an avid equestrian while growing up in Albuquerque. She equates the calmness she found riding horses in the open spaces of New Mexico with the tranquility on her yoga mat. Inspired by the free-flowing direction of teachers Jillian Pransky, Suzanne Taylor and John Friend, Michelle pursued teaching as a way to help others tap into their own inner peace and strength. A graduate of the Bright Spirit program, Michelle holds additional certifications in Prenatal Yoga from Integral Yoga Institute, Itsy Bitsy Yoga® from Spirit Into Life, Inc., Restorative Yoga from Yoga Works and Children's Yoga: Ages 2-13 years from Next Generation Yoga. Students often say Michelle's soft-spoken manner and gentle guidance allow them to feel welcome in her classes.