JENYA ANDRIANOVA took her first yoga class years ago, right after she moved to NYC from Saint-Petersburg, Russia, when a friend brought her to the Jivamukti Yoga School. Moving to a new country with a new language, relationships and experiences was challenging, and that is when she began to realize that, through discipline and daily practice, one can attain peace. By the grace of her first teachers, Yogeswari and Rima Rabbath, their teachings, friendship and love, her practice began to transform. She strongly believes in the infinite capabilities within every person and in her classes encourages students to begin their journey of personal discoveries by means of breath, music, meditation and vigorous asana practice. Jenya is a certified Jivamukti Yoga teacher and has been teaching since 2008. She is a founder of Suryasta Yoga.
	LISA BENGER Lisa has been with Prema for over a year, helping coordinate the karma yoga program, kirtan and other events. She is a long-time student of asana, having started a steady practice in 2000. She is a psychotherapist in private practice and draws upon her experiences from her yoga and meditation practices to inform her work. She is grateful to all of her teachers who have helped guide her along the way. www.lisabenger.com
	MARCUS BERARDINO has been enthusiastically practicing Yoga since 1995. In 2008, he decided to combine his professional skills as a massage therapist with his deepening yogic practice and attended the Laughing Lotus School in San Francisco, where he received his 200-hour certification in Vinyasa Flow. He has also studied with Tias Little and Richard Freeman in New York City. His classes combine movement, breath, spiritual philosophy, alignment, music and humor to awaken and enliven life-giving energy. Pranams to Lesley Desaulniers for her mentorship and support... Namaste!
	KRISTINA CLEMONS has always had a profound love of movement as expression. The ability to pour the energy of the mind into moving the body was her own form of meditation while studying ballet for 13 years. After moving to NY she happened into a yoga class and was immediately intrigued by the physicality yet had no idea at the time how much the practice would shift her life. Breathing and sweating in union with a room full of people to some good music can be pretty addictive and as it turns out serve as a vehicle to quiet the chatter of the mind and discover a truer form of yourself. Kristina has been practicing for 7 years and strives to share her joy of movement through a strong graceful flow with intelligent alignment and focused breath to take you deeper.
	LESLEY DESAULNIERS has been studying yoga and meditation since 1996, taking her practice to New York, Russia, India, and back. In her early twenties, Lesley was a resident at Ananda Ashram in upstate New York, where she intensively studied Sanskrit, meditation, philosophy, and Hatha yoga. She was later certified by Sharon Gannon and David Life and went on to teach at the Jivamukti Yoga Center in downtown Manhattan. Lesley continues to study, practice, and teach daily. Her classes are imbued with a rare blend of scholarly study, spiritual awareness, and good humor. To find out more about Lesley, please visit her website: www.authenticityproject.com
	LAUREN FECAROTTA has been practicing yoga and meditation for the past 11 years. Her classes incorporate creative sequences of traditional asanas and emphasize alignment, opening, and synchronicity between breath and body. She believes that yoga teaches us to move from the heart, with more grace, mindfulness and ease. She also leads community cleanses at studios throughout New York City. Her eight day Kali Yoga Detox program, rooted in the principles of Ayurveda, teaches students to use their own bodies and naturally available medicines to eradicate physical and emotional sludge. www.kaliyogadetox.com
	DAVID FIGUEROA teaches in the Vinyasa (flow) style, with traditional yoga postures linked to the breath through movement. He has been teaching adults and children from a wide range of backgrounds and abilities for over 20 years. His approach is light hearted with a strong attention to detail. David is certified by the Om Yoga Center in New York, and has studied with Rodney Yee, Richard Freeman, Donna Farhi and Cyndi Lee. He is influenced by the Iyengar, Anusara and Vinyasa Yoga traditions as well as his experience as a professional modern dancer and choreographer. In 2005 David founded Movement Arts of Provincetown, a non-profit movement and wellness center in Cape Cod.
	JONATHAN FITZGORDON began practicing yoga at Jivamukti in 1995 and started teaching in 2000 after receiving his certification from Om Yoga Center. After studying extensively with John Friend, he owned and operated the yoga center of Brooklyn until the fall of 2009 and is now happy to be joining the staff at Prema. Jonathan’s classes are imbued with the love of anatomy and the moving body. He is the creator of the FitzGordon Method Core Walking program that has been featured in the New York Times and on Good Morning America.
	SAMMI FRIEDMAN comes from an athletic background of gymnastics and Kung Fu and has been teaching an alignment focused flow with an emphasis on joy, heart, and Dharma since 2006. She considers the asana practice a daily gift of escape, balance, and realignment and her classes invite the discerning yogi to find their own physical evolution into deeper breath focus and awareness. With thoughtful sequencing and a playful approach to the more difficult postures, her classes are open to anyone who wishes to deepen their practice through breath, banda, exploration and self-trust. With every ujjayi breath, Sammi celebrates her friends and teachers from Kula Yoga , Sonic Yoga, and around the globe. Come prepared to sweat a little, discover a lot, and celebrate endlessly!
	AMANDA HARDING was raised in a family of Broadway gypsies where yoga became a natural progression after a lifetime of dancing. Certified through NYC’s OM Yoga Center, she has been teaching privately for over 10 years as well as group classes at Prema Yoga, Equinox, The Shala, Park Slope Yoga, Yoga Center of Brooklyn and many others. Amanda teaches a vigorous and dynamic class incorporating the fluidity of dance and music with heavy emphasis on alignment, breath, patience and fun. Her wish is to impart to her students the many gifts she has received through her ongoing practice and studies – a greater sense of awareness, inner peace, strength, compassion and much joy. www.karunanyc.com
	RAMIT KREITNER has been a devoted practioner of yoga since meeting her first yoga teacher Jennifer Grims at the Yoga Lab nearly 10 years ago. Ramit has her 500 Hour Advanced Yoga Teaching Certification from Laughing Lotus under the direct tutelage of Dana Flynn. Ramit has also studied with Angela Farmer, Richard Freeman, Shiva Rea, Sharon Salzberg as well as seniot Iyengar teacher Kevin Gardner. Having also completed Judith Lasater's Rest and Restore Certification at Om, Savasana will always be taken seriously. Combining love of music, poetry of the mystics, passion for the 8 limbed Ashtanga Raja path laid out in Patanjali's yoga Sutras, attention to alignment, sprinklings of philosophy and bhakti, Ramit brings a lively lighthearted spirit to all her classes and a sincere desire to share with others this beautiful practice.
	MARY LONG founder of Prema Yoga, is a long-time resident of Brooklyn and a devoted student of yoga. She is honored to be on this journey with the community of Prema Yoga students, teachers and friends.
	MONJA MANI started her yoga practice in Germany in 2002 and feels blessed to this day to know and be part of the great yoga tradition. Her interest in yoga led her to pursue teacher training and she completed her 800 hour advanced certification at Jivamukti NYC in 2010. In her classes, Monja helps her students to find that feeling of pure love and to strike a balance between breath, intention and movement. Her teachings are guided by her sincere passion for yoga and a desire to share that experience with her students.
	EMILY MCDONNELL has been teaching yoga in New York City for the past seven years. She is a jivamukti-certified teacher and has studied with Eddie Stern, Shri K. Patahbi Jois in New York and India, and with Richard Freemen in Boulder, Colorado. Emily likes to teach a class that is focused on the breath, a steady rythmic flow where the mind can relax, a class that feels both challenging and sweet.
	KILLIAN O'BRIEN discovered yoga in 1997, and continues to uncover its benefits. She holds two 200-hour certifications in Anusura Yoga, an alignment oriented and devotional tradition, is certified to teach prenatal yoga through Ma Yoga, and is honored to have apprenticed with the flowing grace of her mentor, senior Jivatmutki teacher, Lesley Deslauniers. Killian teaches a dynamic class, linking movement to breath awareness, with particular attention to proper alignment. Her aim is to challenge and inspire students to restore themselves. Uplifting philosophy is also woven into class to elucidate yoga as an holistic experience, incorporating chanting, meditation, and teachings from yogic texts. Killian is eternally grateful for this transformative practice, as well as for the opportunity to share it. She bows in loving thanks to all her teachers, who come in many inspiring forms, and for their guidance in unveiling yoga’s gifts.
	ROBIN PICKERING has been practicing yoga for over 15 years and teaching since 1999. She became a certified 800-plus hour Jivamukti teacher in 2000, drenched in the downtown kirtan scene and the compassionate philosophy of the yogic way of life; not to mention a lot of sweat on the yoga mat. She is currently studying for a 500 hour certification in Iyengar inspired yoga, a practice in the tradition of Donald Moyer, Body-Mind Centering, and Alexander Technique. She is committed to bringing the subtle and experiential alignment wisdom of this tradition to the freedom of movement and joy of vinyasa. A musician as well, her classes include chanting and music playlists from Bombay India to Brooklyn Indie. Her dear teachers over the years include: David Life and Sharon Gannon, Witold Fitz-Simon, Kristen Davis, Josh Korda (Dharma Punx Meditation), Susi Hately (yoga and kinesiology), Lois Nesbitt (Anusara), Eddie Stern (Astanga), Jasmine Tarkeshi, and Kelly Morris. She is a licensed Massage Therapist, a Reiki Level II practitioner, and a Brooklyn Lululemon Ambassador. Robin dedicates all of her efforts to the feet of her satguru, Mata Amritanandamayi Devi.
	TAMAR SAMIR is an advanced certified Jivamukti Yoga teacher with over 800 hours of training. She has been practicing since 2001 and teaching since 2007. In her classes, Tamar aims to pass on the teachings she has received through practical insights, compassion and humor. In addition to teaching yoga, Tamar is a creative director who holds an MFA in Design and Technology. She teaches design at Parsons, The New School for Design in NYC. Many thanks to Lesley Desaulniers and Mary Long for creating Prema Yoga, a loving space for devotional practice. www.tamarsamiryoga.com
	LISA SPINELLI discovered the wondrous journey of yoga in 2004, and has been exploring its many paths every since. From the time she was young, Lisa always wanted to be a teacher, so combining her passion for yoga and teaching was a natural step. She completed her first teacher training, a 200 hour vinyasa style hatha program, in 2007. Lisa has since also completed teacher trainings in Yin Yoga as well as Therapeutic Yoga. Lisa teaches a dynamic vinyasa style class, incorporating a challenging flow with attention to alignment and breath work. Her unique sequences are specifically designed to safely open the physical and energetic bodies, and to allow all levels of practitioners to access their own appropriate expressions of the asana. Lisa strives to make every class a new and exciting adventure, and hopes that her classes will inspire her students to explore all that yoga has to offer, both on and off the mat!
	SARAH WILLIS has practiced Yoga since 1997 and has been a daily practitioner of Ashtanga Yoga since 1999. She traveled to the city of Mysore, in India, in order to study with Sri K. Pattabhi Jois for an extended period in 2001. In 2000 she was certified as a Jivamukti Yoga instructor, has completed advanced teacher intensive certifications with Richard Freeman, and has also has received much guidance from honored Ashtanga teacher, Eddie Stern. Sarah is the director of Nava Yoga in Zagreb, Croatia, and its accredited teacher-training program.
	PREMA YOGA SUBS
	MEGHAN COVINGTON is lucky to have a yoga teacher as a mother, so she developed a passion for the yoga practice at an early age. To better share this passion with others she received her 200-RYT certification through Yoga to the People in NYC. She teaches the vinyasa flow style with emphasis on cultivating an open heart and a calm mind. Meghan is also a personal fitness trainer certified through the National Strength and Conditioning Association, and an actor/dancer with a BFA in performance from Virginia Commonwealth University.
	ADITI DHRUV first came to yoga through her study of classical Indian dance forms, and has been practicing for over ten years. She is Yoga Alliance certified at the 200-hour level, and completed her yoga teacher training in 2006 with Alison West (Yoga Union) in New York City. Aditi has studied with respected teachers including Alison West, Deborah Wolk, Jonathan Fitz-Gordon and Estelle Eichenberger. Her light-hearted classes are informed by her extensive ongoing dance training and practice in the Vinyasa, Iyengar and Ashtanga traditions; and focus on teaching students a series of poses while integrating the physical, subtle, and spiritual bodies, through precise alignment and breath-focused movement.
	AARON DIAS has been practicing yoga daily for over 10 years. Her enthusiasm for teaching is inspired by a firm conviction that yoga can help anyone discover, uncover and nourish her truest, most satisfying self. A lifetime of dance and theater, in combination with her academic background in Philosophy (BA Vassar College), endow her with a special ability to connect students deeply to their bodies and to the yogic teachings. She is certified by the Conquering Lion Yoga school of Kelly Morris, which powerfully combines the yoga asana style of Jivamukti with Tibetan Buddhism. Set to thoughtful instructions and dynamic playlists, Aaron’s classes encourage proper alignment, steady breath and a quiet, focused mind.
	KATE DULCICH has been practicing yoga for over a decade, and holds a 200 hour certification from Sonic Yoga and an 800 hour Certification from Jivamukti Yoga. Kate's classes often include deep asana to energize the body and quiet the mind, an emphasis on breath awareness as a tool to stay present, inspiring and fun music, and practical spiritual teachings. One of her first and formative teachers was Lesley Desaulniers, and Kate is honored to be teaching under the same roof as her as well as many other talented and dedicated teachers at Prema Yoga.
	KEIRA NAUGHTON has been practicing yoga for over 10 years and loves it so much that teaching it was inevitable. She should have known her life would go in that direction when, at 18 years old, she had to choose a maxim to defend for a college application essay and chose "Every now and then it's good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy." A certified Vinyasa instructor, she is now in the process of training to teach Shiva Rea’s Prana Flow through Sonic Yoga. Her classes incorporate elements of Prana Flow along with other styles of yoga including Kundalini, Iyengar, and some Alexander Technique--creative flow with attention to alignment to cultivate Prana. She loves the simultaneously empowering and softening nature of yoga and strives to provide challenge and relaxation in her classes along with fun, joy, and a good playlist.
	MELISSA PASCHKE, LCSW, RYT-200 After a 15 year career in medical social work and the births of two sons, she was seeking a path of wellness that would allow her to slow down and connect with her own spiritual path. She discovered asana and devotional practice as a vehicle for amazing transformation and personal growth. Paired with motherhood and a smaller social work practice, yoga enriches her life in a way that is grounding, joyful and empowering. She is 200-hour certified in Vinyasa Flow from The Laughing Lotus College of Yoga and teaches a vigorous style of practice that originates at the breath and celebrates form, strength, energetic flow and movement that is your own. Melissa lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two boys, and is profoundly grateful to her many teachers for their inspiration and support.
	CAROL TESSITORE was born in Long Island, New York and moved to NYC in 1996 to pursue her BFA in Fine Arts at Parsons School of Design. Her experiments in art often incorporated the human form in movement as Sculpture, which eventually led her to intensive Indian dance and yoga studies. Carol has been studying Bharatanatyam since 2006 with Sonali Skandan (New York) and Guru Sharad Pandya (India). She holds a 200-hour yoga teaching certification from Yoga to the People, is certified to teach Masala Bhangra® through fitness star Sarina Jain (NYC), and is Mini Yogi’s® kids yoga certified. Her asana classes are infused with the graceful alignment cues of classical dance, a deep but non-intimidating approach to spirituality, and with the positive intention of bringing out the brightest light in every one of her students. www.caroltessitore.com
	MEGAN WALSH Megan has been steeped in the healing arts since she was a teenager. She began practicing yoga 15 years ago and became a teacher in 2006. She earned her 200 hour certification from Om Yoga Center, is a certified Relax and Renew Restorative teacher and has 100 hours of training in Anusara yoga. Her classes reflect her love of creative movement, clear alignment, meditation, poetry and yoga philosophy. She is deeply grateful to her teachers Margi Young, Elena Brower, Judith Lasater and Max Strom.