AMY LISBERG  Amy discovered yoga on her quest towards spiritual, mental, physical and emotional healing. Yoga has been a journey of turning inward and has taught Amy more peaceful ways of relating to herself as a whole, integrated being. She uses her mat as a safe place to explore her body and soul, as a reminder to stay present and let go of her judgements, and as a playground to have fun.
Amy completed her 230 hour teacher training at the Yoga Center of Minneapolis, and is currently completing her 500 hour teacher training and yoga intesnsives at Devanandi Yoga. She also volunteers weekly with Matthew Sanford's adaptive yoga program at the Courage Center.
Amy's goal as a teacher is to create an atmosphere of acceptance, safety and nurturing that allows students to quiet their minds and venture inward. She is passionate about adapting yoga to meet the individual needs of each student, and encourages students to move beyond any pre-conceived limitations. She loves teaching students of all ages and all abilities!
ANDY LEAR  At the age of twenty-four, Andy sustained a severe spinal injury. For the next three years he lived with debilitating chronic pain. After exhausting traditional therapies, Andy set upon an alternative healing path that eventually led him to Matthew Sanford. When he began to practice yoga Andy’s pain not only dissipated, but he also felt the sensation of safety and containment-something he hadn’t experienced since his accident. Andy’s success inspired him to help others develop their own sense of boundaries. He has been practicing Iyengar yoga since 2002 and his teachers include Matthew Sanford, Momi Jhung and William Prottengeier. He has been teaching since 2007 and teaches both traditional students and disabled students while drawing on his experience with traumatic injury and rehabilitation. Andy says: “There is a sensation of knowing that travels through the mind body relationship and this sensation is a reminder of space in our body where we can always rest.” ANN CHRISTIAN  JACQUELINE VLIETSTRA
 Jacqueline began practicing yoga in 2003. Yoga has had a profound impact on her daily life, bringing increased peace, compassion and physical well-being. She completed her RYT (registered yoga teacher) 200 hour training at the Yoga Center of Minneapolis. As a yoga teacher, Jacqueline encourages students to focus on breath and alignment in order to find a practice that brings physical and mental strength, stability and flexibility. She lives in Minneapolis with her husband and their two wonderful children.
Jacqueline says, "Yoga has been a tremendous gift to me. I feel privileged to have the opportunity to share it with others."
JESSA WALTERS  Jessa's life began on the northern-most banks of the Mississippi River. Born into a family of steadfast Nordic farmers, a natural love of the midwestern earth and the kind hardiness of her people vibrate strongly within her. But, a wild, seeking spirit has taken her far across skies and oceans, deep into the world. From marching for human rights down the freedom streets of San Francisco to meditating with monks and nuns in monasteries throughout Asia...from discovering yoga in the howling jungles of Costa Rica to making a pilgrimage to the last matriarchal community in the farthest reaches of China...for over ten years, Jessa has immersed herself in the study and practice of ancient wisdom traditions, yearning to understand what it means to be both body and spirit and how to rest at ease in the midst of all the uncertainties of life. Jessa received her 230 hour Yoga teacher certification through the Yoga Center of Minneapolis. Drawing from the diversity of her experience, Jessa weaves together an inspiring tapestry of asana, breathwork, meditation, wisdom and qigong in her classes. Jessa says, " Most of all I desire to create space for people to gather together in community and reconnect with that calm abiding center within each one of us." JILL PATTON  LAURA ACKERMAN
 Laura was born and raised in Saginaw, Michigan. It was during her college years at Western Michigan University that she began the pursuit of her two biggest passions today: biology and yoga. Her interest in biology brought her to the University of Minnesota, where she received a graduate degree in Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer Biology. It was yoga that helped her finish graduate school and learn to appreciate the subtle side of life! Today, she teaches yoga influenced by both Hatha traditions and her scientific knowledge of the human body. Laura teaches as she learns, through discovery and practice. To her, the most important thing about yoga is that it is a journey, just like life. LINDA CRABLE  My name is Linda Crable. I am a certified yoga teacher, registered with Yoga Alliance at the 200 hour level. In November 2009, I completed the rigorous 230 hour year-long yoga study/teacher training at the Yoga Center of Minneapolis. I discovered yoga after several years as a ballroom dancer. From the first class, I found it to be the perfect complement to dancing as it encourages some of the same physical principles. I enjoy movement and am grateful to be able to dance and do yoga as they are both renewing and energizing activities. I have been teaching hatha yoga for over a year and prefer the Anusara style with its uplifting philosophy of looking for the good in all things and emphasis on proper alignment. I am also influenced by Mi-An developed by Monique Maxwell. I have held classes at Free Spirit Fitness in Bloomington, Dark Raven Studio in St. Paul and am currently teaching at the YMCA-Southdale. I am also a volunteer assistant with the adaptive yoga program at Courage Center in Golden Valley. I hope to inspire people to stay active in their middle years by sharing the benefits that yoga has to offer. I am friendly and welcoming. My classes are built around a theme as I invite students to take a little time out of their day to relax and stretch while building strength and flexibility. Modifications are given to enable each student to fit the pose to their body. I enjoy sharing with others what I’ve learned and continue to learn about yoga.
I am grateful to my teachers Ronna Rochelle, Chris Gordon, Monique Maxwell, Todd Norian, Christy Burnette, Desiree Rumbaugh and others for their encouragement. MARGARET GORDON SCHLOEGEL
 Born and raised in New York City, Margaret first got to know the Twin Cities during her undergraduate years at Macalester College. After years away, her Macalester roots and love for the cities brought her back in 2008. Now, she is here to stay. She lives with her husband, step-daughter and beautiful new baby girl in South Minneapolis. Margaret teaches her students with a familiar, tender and humorous voice. She is always trying to remind them that their yoga is not some new stress in life to perfect, but a time to explore the playful, more free and more courageous parts of their being so they can come to relax in the body they were given, understand it and then maybe be able to see beyond it. Her hodge podge of traditions and her humble gratitude is owed to the many profoundly inspiring teachers she has been graced to learn from. Margaret says: "I started practicing yoga in 2004 in Brooklyn, NY and I remember about six months into it realizing that it didn't matter what poses looked like, it just mattered how they felt. And, I began to see that I could practice simply for the sake of practicing- no goal in mind. So, I don't know the exact moment I saw that yoga was changing the outlook I had on my whole life and the strange, new feelings of courage and optimism it provided. I probably can't pinpoint it because the changes continue. But, sometime during those first months I began to let go of limitations I had had physically and emotionally. And maybe most importantly, yoga began to wake me up to the beauty in the world and the beauty in other people. I decided to open a yoga studio because I want to share that. Really that's all. I envision a studio where students learn yoga with an open mind and teachers teach with an open heart. I believe yoga can change people and by changing people it can change the world." MOLLY IRENE TILSEN
 Molly says: “Initially I turned to yoga as a way to de-stress, and create strength and balance in my body. I discovered something I could not imagine life without. Through yoga I was able to see how I was detaching from my body, and find the connection, and confidence. Yoga brings me closer to myself. I am so grateful to the teachers and students who continue to guide me, cheer me on, challenge and inspire.” NATALIE SCHWEHR  Natalie says: “Yoga and related explorations have been a part of my life for many years because I'm inspired by the depth and diversity of yoga traditions and the warmth of the yoga community. I love the energy and strength of vinyasa, flowing with the breath and enjoying movement. And there’s always more to learn: about connecting mind and body, subtleties of alignment, and quiet renewal.” PATRICIA SALEK 
PAUL CHERBA  In addition to teaching Yoga, Paul Cherba is a Watsu (WA-ter + shia-TSU) and Healing Dance Therapist and does Shiatsu/Neuromuscualar Massage. You might also find him assisting in Shiatsu classes at The School Of Shiatsu and Massage in Middletown, CA. Shiatsu (literally meaning "finger pressure") uses the same 14 meridian system, 5-Element Theory, and the concept of Yin and Yang (balance) that traditional Oriental Medicine uses. It balances the whole body through touch diagnoses, meridian stretching, massage (mostly) and energy work. He loves sharing his Shiatsu knowledge and you are sure to learn a point or two on your body that will encourage Chi (Energy) flow in his yoga classes. Read about Paul and his Watsu therapy work: http://www.watsuyoga.com RACHEL HILTSLEY  Rachel is a yoga teacher because it gives her an opportunity to share her love of life with a broad array of people. She has had the good fortune to sit and listen at the feet of her beloved teachers David Life and Sharon Gannon. Rachel has not always been a good listener but somehow yoga changed that. She is a Jivamukti certified yoga teacher and is currently working towards her advanced certification. Yoga is a way of creating a paradigm shift and she firmly believes that as more people become aware of the stillness and peace that yoga can give them the world will have more stillness and peace. She believes that to be truly human you must be able to snap between childlike playfulness and absolute seriousness at a moment’s notice. Her classes reflect this belief.
ROSE LEE  As an avid runner and triathlete, Rose began to dabble in yoga after a sports injury and was advised to take some time off from all high impact exercise. Her journey with yoga began as a means of exercise and improving flexibility. Gradually, the effects of yoga on the rest of her life began to seep in and she began to experience what it felt like to be grounded and centered, and what it felt like to be able to let go of her corporate-driven racing mind.
Rose says: "Prior to corporate life I was an Occupational Therapist. As I began to see the profound impact of yoga on my life, I saw the perfect opportunity to utilize my extensive knowledge of anatomy and physiology, and get back into the realm of serving others. This led me to complete the 200 hour yoga teacher training program with the Yoga Center of Minneapolis, as well as begin my studies in Energy Medicine. Throughout my journey with yoga, the compassion I have for myself and others has grown. As a yoga instructor, my intuitive nature allows me to be thoughtful and insightful in my teaching." SARAH JANE WROBLEWSKI  Sarah Jane Wroblewski is on a mission of love. Recognizing love as the most powerful healing agent in the world, she finds in yoga the perfect vehicle. She believes there is something for everyone in yoga, and loves tailoring a style to really fit her students’ physical, emotional and spiritual needs. Sarah Jane teaches the wisdom of this ancient tradition from deep within her heart, and weaves applicable dharma themes into her tranquil and hypnotic Vinyasa classes. Sarah Jane feels exuberance for the yogic path which she is called to share with others. She particularly enjoys teaching those who are new to yoga, finding endless satisfaction in the first time her students open their hearts in a backbend. SHELI GINSBURG  Sheli is a yoga instructor and licensed skincare therapist with a unique focus on prenatal and postnatal women. She has been intrinsically drawn to personal health and wellness since she was a child. Reading every book and magazine she can find on yoga, nutrition and health is a passion and love she has never grown tired of. Her pregnancy with her son in 2007 was a pivotal point in her life, experiencing a powerful shift in her mind-body connection through her prenatal yoga practice. Sheli received her 230-hour yoga teacher certification through the Yoga Center of Minneapolis in 2008 and completed additional Prenatal Yoga trainings in April 2008 and in May 2010. Being a mother has been one of her greatest joys in life. She is currently expecting another baby boy in September 2010.
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