instructors

Upper Valley Yoga Instructors

	Leslie Carleton has been practicing yoga since 1988, and teaching since 1994. She completed teacher training in both the Iyengar and Ashtanga-Vinyasa traditions, primarily in Chicago and California, where she lived before moving to the Upper Valley in 2002. Her classes, though they generally focus around flowing vinyasa sequences, reflect both of these traditions--Woven along the thread of vinyasa, but with a deep attention to alignment, and healing to body, mind and spirit. She has trained with Tim Miller, David Swenson, Manuso Manos, David Williams, Shiva Rea, Gabriel Halpern, Beryl Bender Birch, Roger Cole, Ana Forrest, and many other inspiring yogis, but her most important teachers are her students at Upper Valley Yoga. You can reach her at Leslie@uppervalleyyoga.com.
	Sharon Gouveia has been practicing yoga since 1999. She practiced primarily Bikram yoga until moving to the upper valley in 2003, when she discovered the joy of the Ashtanga Vinyasa tradition. Sharon has been teaching exercise programs, including yoga, at senior centers since 2000, and started teaching at Upper Valley Yoga in January of 2006. She has taken workshops with Beryl Bender Birch and David Williams, and is certified by Yoga Fit. Sharon also performs with local dance theater company FLOCK Dance Troupe, and teaches FLOCK dance to children through school residencies. She is thrilled at the chance to learn from and with others by leading classes and brings her sense of exploration and excitement to her teaching. Please contact her at Sharon@uppervalleyyoga.com.
	Michele George, M.Ed., has been a certified hatha yoga teacher since 1998 and is presently working toward her Anusara Yoga certification. Her extensive Anusara training includes over 700 hours of instruction in this tradition. With John Friend, Michele has completed Level I and Level II Teacher Trainings, a Therapy Teacher Training, a Master Immersion, and many workshops. In addition, she completed and then assisted a 200 hour teacher training with Deb Neubauer, a Senior Anusara teacher. Michele continues to enhance her yoga studies whenever possible through workshops and trainings with John Friend and other Anusara teachers. Consistent with the Anusara tradition, Michele weaves into each class her knowledge of yogic philosophy and a creative, challenging posture flow that will inspire your body, mind and heart. Contact her at Michele@uppervalleyyoga.com.
	Vanessa Waxman tells this story. “Early one morning, after a rainy night, I was driving to Upper Valley Yoga and thinking about the yoga class I was about to teach. I asked myself, ‘What is it that I’m always trying to teach?’ At that moment the glare of the low sun on the wet road became so intense that I could hardly see in front of me; it was if everything had been washed away. Not knowing what could be right around the corner, instead of feeling fear, I felt wide awake: my heart beating, my body sitting up straight, my eyes taking in the brightness. Then the glare faded and I realized that this wakeful quality was what I’ve always aspired to teach.” Vanessa grew up in New York state, spent three years in Japan, and lived in Colorado, where she studied Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga with Richard Freeman, and Iyengar yoga with Nicky Knoff. She moved to the Upper Valley in June 2006 to help run Pema Osel Do-Ngak Choling, a new Tibetan Buddhist center in Vermont. Contact her at Vanessa@uppervalleyyoga.com
	Stacey Glazer has been practicing yoga since 1988; in NYC, Boulder,CO, Arizona and here in the Upper Valley. During her seven years in Boulder, she studied at Richard Freeman's studio, the Yoga Workshop. Over the years she has practiced many different forms of yoga, but her passion continues to lie with the Ashtanga-Vinyasa lineage, and her teacher training has been primarily with Beryl Bender Birch. Stacey has taught Children's Yoga in after-school programs and at camp, in addition to being a frequent subsitute instructor at Upper Valley Yoga, where she also practices regularly. Contact her at Stacey@uppervalleyyoga.com
	Justine Fahey has been practicing yoga since 1998, first in Cambridge Ma at Baron Baptiste's studio and then in the Upper Valley since 2000. Mainly focusing on Astanga and vinyasa practices, she believes yoga is the perfect combination of physical and emotional release. Justine lives in the Upper Valley with her husband, two kids, two dogs and a cat. Contact her at Justine@uppervalleyyoga.com
	Erin Cochrane began practicing yoga in 1996, and has been teaching since 2002,when she completed David Swenson's Ashtanga primary series teacher training. She has studied with a number of the early Ashtanga teachers, including David Williams, Nancy Gilgoff and Richard Freeman, and incorporates this style into her vinyasa classes. She credits local teachers Stephen Leslie and Chris Buhner with igniting her love of yoga as well as instilling the importance of a daily practice. In spring 2009, Erin completed Sarah Power's Insight (yin) Yoga and Meditation teacher training, and has added this highly complementary style of yoga to her personal as well as teaching practices. Yoga has become a platform for broader study into the Eastern contemplative traditions, and Erin regularly attends workshops on these subjects. Erin's day job is with her MBA alma mater, the Tuck School. Contact her at Erin.R.Cochrane@Dartmouth.edu
	Katie Friedland was introduced to Ashtanga yoga shortly after receiving her certification as an athletic trainer by the American Council of Exercise in 1998. After practicing for a year with a local Ashtanga teacher, incorporating yoga into athletic training and fitness classes and keeping Beryl Bender Birch’s Power Yoga by her side, she was offered a job to teach at Dartmouth College in 1999. Influenced by the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali, Katie has woven the spiritual path of yoga into her Ashtanga Yoga Primary and Secondary series classes at Dartmouth. She has taught several varsity athletic teams as well as students, faculty, staff, and members of the greater community. More recently she has developed and taught instructor training courses on the art of mindful assistance and has trained Dartmouth apprentice yoga istructors who have gone on to establish their own teaching careers. She has studied extensively with Beryl Bender Birch of the Hard and the Soft Yoga Institute and Kathy McNames of YogaVermont as well as with many others of differing yoga lineage. She writes a weekly blog, http://livingtheeightlimbs.blogspot.com and can be reached at katie.friedland@dartmouth.edu.
	Geraldine moved to the Upper Valley area in 2007 and quickly realized her passion for community, health & wellness, positive youth development and love of Vermont while working for a local community coalition. Geraldine is now the assistant director of a non-profit community arts and music center where she has been working with infants to children in early elementary grades for the last three years. After researching the benefits of children's yoga and realizing the need within the community, Geraldine obtained her certification as a children's yoga instructor and founded "Yogi In Training" in 2009. You can read more at her website, http://yogiintraining.com and email her at info@yogiintraining.com
	Bri embarked on her yoga journey in college, when her friend (now husband) Geoff brought her to a class at the university gym. As an avid athlete, she grew to love its therapeutic benefits. Her practice has since blossomed, and Bri has developed a deep appreciation for the healing effects of yoga and meditation on the mind, body, and heart. Bri has a Masters Degree in Education and taught high school math for three years in New York City before moving to the Upper Valley. She earned her certification to teach yoga through Lotus Gardens Yoga in Sherman, CT in 2009 and completed the Anusara Immersion I in Darien, CT. She weaves energetic flow with deep relaxation in her classes, focusing on correct alignment and body and breath awareness. Bri's email is bri.schreiner@gmail.com