HomeCommunity Yoga Teacher Bios
Amy Schneider - Owner
Hatha Yoga teacher, Amy studied at The Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center in Neyyar Dam, India. She has been greatly influenced by many renowned teachers and spiritual leaders making her teaching very open, eclectic, and beneficial to students of all levels and body types. Amy began her path in the mountains of Upstate New York with Rob Greenberg. She will be forever grateful to him for this gift of yoga. Amy believes that yoga is a personal and sacred practice. Her love of yoga is evident through her teaching. Amy has recently returned to us from the Treasure Coast in Florida.
Stephanie Berg
Stephanie Berg is an RYT, having just completed her 200 hour Subtle Yoga teacher training with Kristine Kaoverii Weber. She is also a certified personal fitness trainer and has trained clients privately and in local fitness clubs for the last six years. Stephanie discovered the physical, mental, and spiritual benefits of yoga while helping one of her children deal with anxiety. It was during those turbulent two years that she realized how much yoga can help people with anxiety and trauma. Yoga is therapeutic for parents, siblings, and other care takers of those with anxiety. In addition to teaching basic yoga classes, she also wants to teach yoga for adolescent anxiety and yoga for parents of children with anxiety, so that others can find a release and support system during difficult and stressful times. She is excited to be a part of the Community Yoga family and looks forward to sharing her love of yoga with others.
Marjorie Dana
Marjorie Dana grew up in Davidson and now lives in Troutman. She began doing yoga 5 years ago, when she attended prenatal yoga at Community Yoga. Knowing the huge difference yoga made in her how her body and mind felt during her pregnancy, she decided to become a yoga teacher to help others find the same benefits. She took Kaoverii's Subtle Yoga Teacher Training in 2011 and currently has a 200-hour certification. She prefers to teach classes that are gentle but still include challenges, and that can be accomodated to any skill level. Her earliest teaching experience was co-teaching a chair yoga class at a facility for adults with chronic mental health issues.
Marjorie also has a Bachelor's degree in Religion and Philosophy from Catawba College in Salisbury and a Paralegal Certificate from Duke University. In addition to teaching yoga, she is also a freelance writer who regularly contributes to the regional sections of the Charlotte Observer. She enjoys spending time with her daughter, being outside, reading, playing Scrabble, and watching anything that makes her laugh.
Julie Flanagan
Julie Flanagan spent most of her life in the Midwest, moving to the Lake Norman area in 1999. Julie is a certified Yoga Teacher with more than 250 hours of instruction with Yogi Kaoverii Weber, the originator of Subtle Yoga. Julie's yoga practice has provided her a new way to view the world with a calm spirit, renewed strength and reduced stress. She is especially thankful for the health benefits derived from her Yoga practice, which have allowed her to enjoy life fully, after having suffered debilitating back pain all her pre-yogic life. Having first come to Community Yoga in 2008, Julie has a great appreciation for this very loving and special place. Julie is also co-hosting the Woman's Sacred Circle beginning March 5, 2010. Julie's hope is that while continuing to learn and practice, to share and pass inspiration on to others. Julie's greatest love is spending time with her incredible husband, Al and her wonderful kids, as well as their beloved puppy-dog, Stella Bean! With more than twenty years experience in the Financial Services field Julie is currently a Marketing Director with TIAA-CREF.
Kathy Gardner
As a wife, mother and grandmother seeking a way to de-stress and help with knee and neck pain, I am a nurse who was not finding help with high aerobic exercise and diet. Two years ago I started practicing Svaroopa® yoga with Polly Breen Certified yoga Instructor. I took Foundations of Svaroopa® yoga in March 2010 and am qualified to teach Introductory classes in the Svaroopa® yoga style. Svaroopa® yoga is a compassionate style of yoga that uses guided awareness, breath work, asanas and meditation to provide spinal release and awareness to the inner bliss of healing and peace. I plan to continue my training in Svaroopa® yoga in the Fall. I am excited to be teaching this style of yoga. Kathy Gardner is certified to teach the Foundational poses of Svaroopa® Yoga.
Cristin Gregory
Cristin is the owner of Wellbeing, a holistic health clinic in Cornelius, NC, and she is a Licensed Acupuncturist (LAc) in the state of North Carolina. She is board certified by the NCCAOM in both acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine, and she has a four-year Master of Science in Oriental Medicine (MSOM). She has studied Qi Gong for eleven years in the US, China, and Tibet through the Heron Institute and the National College of Natural Medicine. She has studied under the tutelage of Heiner Fruehauf, Master Wu Zhongxian, and Master Wang Qingyu. She is trained mainly in the Mt. Emei and JinJing Schools of Qigong. In her clinic, Cristin treats a wide variety of conditions such as pain, fertility, depression, anxiety, insomnia, digestive disorders, and cardiovascular health issues. Cristin uses a combination of Acupuncture, Chinese herbs, Medical Qi Gong, Shiatsu Massage, natural supplements, and dietary counseling to offer her patients a holistic treatment that address the physical, spiritual, and environmental causes of illness. Cristin encourages her patients to participate in their own healing process and to work with her as a team to find their most optimal treatment strategy. Outside of work, Cristin enjoys taking her dog Kelsey to the local dog parks, participating in her book club, and learning how to prepare foods from around the world. She is an avid swimmer, Qi Gong junkie, and 'wannabe' potter.
Cheri Lassiter
My mission as a yoga teacher is to help others find the teacher within themselves, to give you the tools to enable you to better handle life's challenges and stressors off the mat. As a former IBM project manager for 15 yrs and mother of 3, including a set of twins, those tools have certainly helped me cope with those challenging times. I have been practicing yoga for 12 years, have attended workshops with Brian Kest, John Friend and most recently completed Subtle yoga teacher training with Kaoverii Weber. I teach a subtle flow class with gentle assists including relaxing head, neck and/or foot massages during savasana! I welcome all levels and encourage those who are new to yoga to not be intimidated. In my class it is not trendy to be bendy! It is my mission to make you feel welcome and comfortable. Teaching yoga is a gift and each class is my gift to you. All you have to do is come with an open mind and heart. We all are busy with life's daily grind, so it is important to take time for yourself to re-energize so that you are able to give the best of yourself to others. I live in Huntersville, with my husband Marty who is a Mixed Martial Artist, and my son Trey and twin daughters Hannah and Sydney. I am currently pursuing a career in Massage Therapy. I look forward to meeting you in a class soon! Namaste
Meredith Luber
Meredith’s yoga journey has deeply personal roots for her. After completing her collegiate gymnastics career and graduating from the University of Alabama in 1998, Meredith moved home to be her mother’s full-time caregiver after her mother was diagnosed with stage IV bone cancer. Searching for some holistic healing to alleviate some of her mother’s mental/physical suffering caused by chemotherapy, Meredith found yoga. Yoga gave both Meredith and her mom the freedom to embrace that small amount of time in class when cancer didn’t dictate their world – they were simultaneously empowered and at peace. When her mother passed away in 2000, yoga helped her grieve in a powerful way by allowing her to feel an eternal connection to her mom every time she stepped onto a yoga mat. Yoga guided Meredith back to laughter and joy through learning to nurture her true self. Wanting to share the light and healing she learned through yoga, Meredith completed her 220 hour teacher training through The Bodhi Tree with Lesa Crocker in 2007. The other joys in her life besides yoga are her husband and two small children. She enjoys taking family walks, dancing in the living room with her children, jewelry making, reading and watching college sports with her husband. Meredith is honored to be a part of the Community Yoga family.
Helen Mason
Helen is an RYT, having recently completed Subtle Yoga teacher training under the guidance of Kaoverii Weber. She has long been a student of yoga having taken her first yoga class in 1975, after seeing yoga asanas demonstrated in school. Over the years, she has relied on her asana practice to keep her grounded thru the ups and downs of life. Helen uses a gounding and smooth approach to yoga, knowing that the effect of this great tradition can be beneficial for body, mind and spirit. Her class is a great way to get your day started. With the philosophy that yoga is available to everyone, she teaches to all levels and encourages her students to find their own bliss in her class. A long time resident of the Lake Norman area, she loves to spend time with her family and friends. Her daughter Lauren, often joins her in asana practice. She has nearly 30 years in the IT industry and is currently an IT director with Delhaize America, parent company of Food Lion stores.
Ellen Morrissey
Ellen started studying belly dance in 2003 under Yasmine (who toured with the Bellydance Superstars). She has also studied with Nayna, and taken several workshops with well-known belly dancers such as Cassandra, Bozenka, and Amani Jabril. She continues to attend workshops and study with other dancers. For Ellen, who had no prior dance experience, belly dance started out as a way to get a great low-impact workout, and became a way to learn to move in her own skin, to get to know her body with its strengths and limits, and to quiet her mind. She started teaching in 2007, and especially enjoys teaching those with no prior experience, leading them to a higher comfort level with their ability to move and to express themselves with motion.
Marcy Murphy
Marcy has a life long passion for dance, fitness and staying in good shape. She loves not only the physical benefits of exercise, but the psychological benefits as well. She was first introduced to yoga during a business trip to California and she loved it immediately. After retiring from the medical sales industry to be a full time mom, Marcy found the time to pursue her love of yoga. Marcy obtained her Yoga Fit certification in 2005 in an effort to learn more about yoga and to explore teaching to beginners on a volunteer basis. Marcy was naturally drawn to the idea of teaching, but she really hoped to gain an even greater understanding of the more technical aspects of yoga, proper alignment, and yoga philosophy. “I realized there was so much more to yoga than the fitness aspect”. As a result, in 2010 she completed a 250 Yoga Alliance approved certification, Subtle Yoga and Personal Transformation. Marcy sees yoga practice as a life long learning process, and will continue to gain knowledge through various educational programs. “I love all aspects of yoga and what it does for me mentally and physically. I am excited to share my knowledge with others through teaching, and hope my students too will benefit from it as much as I have”. Marcy has recently started a yoga club at an area high school, and hopes to expand the programs to other schools. Outside of teaching, Marcy loves to spend time with her terrific husband, Greg, her kids; Sean and Alex, her four legged friends; George and Dexter, as well as her wonderful friends. She also enjoys volunteering and pursuing her love of photography.
Kimberly Neater
Kimberly Neater RYT 200 began practicing yoga since 2002 by the prompting of a friend. Being in the fitness industry for over 20 years from Health Club Management, Personal Training, Teaching Aerobics, Spin, Athletic Conditioning and competing in Fitness Competitions, she was looking for more than a physical workout. She fell in love with Yoga. She continued her practice for several years having some great teachers to influence her…..Rolf Gates, Bryan Kest, Dolly Stavros, Amy Schneider, Sam Noto and Grace Moralis. She began her yoga teacher training with Kristine Kaoverri Weber and the Subtle Yoga Teacher Training in 2009. She loves teaching to all levels and feels she offers a physically challenging practice that is welcoming to all levels of students. Kimberly is a Licensed Massage Therapist LMBT #5046. She completed her massage training at Southeastern School of Neuromuscular Massage in Charlotte in 2004. She offers several different types of massage and is employed at The Dancing Leaf Spa in Cornelius. She believes that her experience in fitness and as a body worker creates a great blend and can be quite a compliment to any yoga class. She has crazy love for her family, friends, career, and dogs. She feels yoga has brought her to a different level physically and spiritually.
Samantha Noto
Sam Noto is a wife and mother of two who believes that yoga is a highly personal and spiritual practice which can be available to everyone, regardless of age, experience or body type. She is thrilled to be a part of Community Yoga. Her style of teaching can be playful and sometimes irreverent, yet respectful of individual needs. She is heavily influenced by her teachers Stephanie Keach, Todd Norian, Kaoverri Webber and Rod Stryker. Set to rich, expressive music, this class draws from traditions from Yin to Vinyasa to Viniyoga. Participants will build physical strength, flexibility and capacity of breath in a manner that supports a balanced nervous system. Each class begins and ends with centering meditation as the practice of finding stillness is the ultimate goal. This yoga class is for all levels of experience. The only requirement is a flexible mind!
Christina Natichioni
In 1997 my body began having very strange symptoms and by 1999 I was losing strength in my entire left side. The doctors were stumped and didn’t know what to do. I decided that since nothing else was working I would try yoga. I immersed myself in the month long Yoga Teacher at Kripalu Center for Health and Yoga and graduated in October 1999 at the age of 52. By the end of the month, my body was “well” my strength had returned and I was feeling whole. This sparked a desire to share this with others who maybe were feeling comfortable in their bodies; so although I went to school to regain my health and not to teach, I decided I had to share this wonderful yoga practice with others. In the summer of 2008 I completed her 500-hour Professional Level Teacher Training Certification with my main focus on therapeutic yoga. A long time yoga student, from the 60’s, my love of yoga has deepened over these past years; I have become a life-long learner in the experiences of life and yoga. I have studied with Judith Hanson Lasater, Lilias Folan, Carolyn “Suda” Lund, Michael “Yoganand” Caroll, John Friend, Sara Meeks, PT, and many other teachers at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in Lennox, MA. My specialties are Gentle Yoga, Restorative Yoga and have recently attained my Advanced Restorative Yoga Trainer Certification.
Suzi Rasmussen
Suzi has been on a yogic path for many years. As a child she loved to MOVE and studied and taught dance. She began studying yoga at the age of 16 in St. Petersburg, FL. During the 60's and 70's she explored and practiced meditation. Her love of the physical yoga practice was reignited when she began to practice again, teaching Kelley Akin's daughter Katie in kindergarten. Suzi studied with Stephanie Keach in Asheville to obtain her yoga certification and continues to practice, study, and teach as much as her busy life allows. For the past three years, Suzi has taught this life-balancing practice to her 6th graders at Brawley Middle School and is looking for a way to incorporate these teachings into her new career path of coaching teachers at Statesville Middle. She now teaches at Community Yoga and is working on a program that includes dance and yoga. Suzi feels that the world would be a better place "if everybody did yoga."
Meg Smeaton
I love the body and how it serves us; I love the spiritual and how it graces us. I love yoga and how it brings the two together. A former distance runner, I was led to Yoga after a running stress injury. I have been practicing yoga for seven years and completed the Yoga Alliance Teacher Training in 2003. I have studied with a variety of yoga teachers including Erich Schiffman, Desiree Rambaugh, Bryan Kest, Richard Freeman & Guramukh. I travelled to India in February 2007 where I attended the International Yoga Festival and traveled down the Ganges, exploring and studying with various yoga masters along the way. I completed Massage Therapy training in 2007 and am nationally certified . I recently completed training at The Guild for Structural Integration (Rolfing) in Boulder Colorado. I am also a Cranial Sacral Therapist and Level 2 Reiki practitioner. I love all disciplines of yoga and try to blend them together as well as incorporate my body work knowledge in my classes. I am grateful for the opportunity to share this beautiful practice of yoga with others. Namaste.
Lisa Tendler
Lisa started practicing yoga at the age of 16. At 18 she began taking dance classes at CPCC in Charlotte, NC. She went on to earn her Diploma in Dance at North Carolina School of the Arts. She danced with Footpath Dance Company of Cleveland and Toronto Dance Theatre of Canada. Lisa continued her yoga studies with David Life and Sharon Gannon at Jivamutki Yoga Center in New York City and soon began teaching there. Lisa was introduced to Ashtanga Yoga by Eddie Stern who became her main teacher. She then went to India to study with Sri K. Pattabhi Jois. Lisa's additional yoga studies include Iyengar, Sivananda, Kundalini, Bikram, and Anusara. From all her yoga experience, Lisa draws most from Ashtanga and Anusara in her teaching. Lisa is also certified in Pilates Mat and Reformer and is a NYC licensed massage therapist. Lisa is a true believer in the energetic balancing of the body, mind, and spirit to achieve peace and alignment in the universe in which we live.
Laurie Walker
Laurie Walker is an RYT, graduating from the The Bodhi Tree teacher training program with Lesa Crocker in June this year. She also has a masters degree in education and has taught at the high school and college levels. Her yogic journey started fourteen years ago when she checked a book out of the library called Women and Yoga and started a self practice. Beginning as a method of stress relief, her yoga practice has evolved and become so much more, creating peace and increasing joy in her life. Yoga is credited to helping Laurie manage her symptoms related to multiple sclerosis and other challenges life brings. She wishes to share her love of yoga with her students, hoping to bring more peace into their lives!
Stephanie Yewcic
Stephanie (“Stef”) is a family & psychiatric nurse practitioner/clinical nurse specialist and president of “Divine Wellness”. Her journey into yoga began in 1999 while she was a personal trainer & spinning instructor at a local gym. Walking into a yoga class to “relax” was difficult for her, but she was introduced to a whole new way of “being”. Stef’s interest grew and she began to study Anusara Yoga on a deeper level. In fact, she spent several years traveling to study with its founder, John Friend & Desiree Rumbaugh to workshops in the US and abroad, such as Costa Rica and India in 2007. She has plans to go to Machu Pichu, Peru with Desiree in March 2010. With a medical background, Stef’s strong interest in yoga therapeutics developed as a way to heal the body. Completing over 500 hours of training, 100 of which are specific to yoga therapeutics, she is dedicated to this modality to heal the body. Her classes focus on healing, both from a physical perspective with alignment, but also from a mental and emotional focus, as a way to shift us subtly in the energetic body. Each class has a theme or “focus” to think about both on and off the yoga mat as we take our practice into the “day to day” world. Stef believes in the “work hard – play hard” motto of life. She currently works in a private psychiatry practice in Winston Salem 2 days a week, travels to nursing homes for her specialty of geriatric psychiatry, and fits in running marathons, yoga, reading, and travel in between to relax. She believes that your yoga mat is a "personal playground" of fun and exploration. Her classes are challenging, yet playful. Stef hopes to make a difference in the lives of others by who she is and what she does. She always has a smile and hug for those she meets!
