Yoga Teacher Training Graduates: 2014

Becky DiSalvo

As a busy healthcare consultant, Becky DiSalvo relied on her home yoga practice to reduce stress and help her to relax and regain balance. However, the increased travel associated with work made it hard to maintain a consistent practice away from home. Motivated by the desire to deepen the physical aspect of her practice, Becky enrolled in Yoga Teacher Training with Laurel Hodory & Faculty in 2014 and received her certification as a RYT-200. Armed with a deeper understanding of yoga philosophy and the advanced knowledge of how to intelligently sequence postures, Becky now maintains a regular personal practice at home and on the road.

Bente Skille

Bente Skille first entered a yoga shala (or practice studio) in 2004. Ten years later, her desire to share her love of and enthusiasm for the practice led her to enroll in Yoga Teacher Training with Laurel Hodory & Faculty, where she earned her certification in 2014. Her approach to the practice can best be described as a creative process of flow. Bente’s classes link postures in fluid dance-like movements, playful yet still present and at ease. She aspires to help her students find their ground and focus while stimulating their awareness in their everyday lives. In addition to teaching yoga, Bente is an architectural designer and was an assistant professor of architecture at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. She is also the founder of BRIS, an ice cream and coffee bar in Buenos Aires.

Ebru Akman

For many years Ebru Akman practiced yoga on her own at home. Fueled by a desire to deepen her practice and learn more about yoga, she began taking classes in 2011. As her interest in yoga increased, she began to participate in yoga workshops and retreats. In 2014, she made the decision to enroll in Yoga Teacher Training with Laurel Hodory & Faculty, where she earned her certification in Hatha and Ashtanga yoga. Ebru is eager to share her passion for yoga with others and is especially interested in making yoga accessible to under-served populations. Ebru is trained in Work and Organizational Psychologist and has many years of research and teaching experience in that field. To learn more about Ebru’s journey into yoga, visit her blog at https://royogaro.wordpress.com

El-Ri Flataas

After many years of practicing the physical aspect of yoga, El-Ri Flataas discovered the fuller nature of yoga in 2006. More than just a place to exercise, her mat became a sanctuary where she was able to reflect, focus and tune out. Over time and through regular practice, her desire to deepen her understanding of yoga and the yogic lifestyle led her to Yoga Teacher Training with Laurel Hodory & Faculty where, in 2014 in Trondheim, Norway, she received her certification to teach Hatha and Ashtanga yoga. For El-Ri, the training was a powerful learning experience that is shaping her into an authentic yogi as a teacher, as a student, and in every aspect of her life. She is excited to continue her journey, follow her dream and share it with others.

Jenna Zuberi

As a student of Exercise Science and Sports Management with a desire to open a health and wellness center, Jenna Zuberi was drawn to the practice of yoga to help her find balance and to feel restored. In 2014, with encouragement from her personal trainer, Jenna enrolled in Yoga Teacher Training with Laurel Hodory & Faculty, where she became certified to teach Hatha and Ashtanga yoga. Jenna hopes to share her knowledge of different holistic health practices to help others live a healthier and happier life and to help them discover their authentic selves. Jenna has been greatly influenced by her mother, an acupuncturist, and her sister who is an herbalist and also teaches yoga.

Jesse Cook

Jesse Cook discovered yoga in 2009 as a way to manage the various stressor in her life, including graduate school and starting a career as an Occupational Therapist. She was drawn to Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga, as the consistency of the practice allowed her to come to a meditative state and completely clear her mind. Jesse credits her teachers Taylor Hunt, Jane O’Laughlin and Sally Walsh Roberts for inspiring her practice and leading her to Yoga Teacher Training with Laurel Hodory & Faculty, where in 2014 she became certified in Trondheim, Norway to teach Hatha and Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga. In her classes, Jesse hopes that her students take away a sense of calmness and focus and are able to utilize these qualities in their everyday lives.

Julie Midtgard

Drawn to yoga in 2009 as a way to come back into her body after many dark years, Julie Midtgard was not immediately in love with the practice. She resisted, both mentally and physically, but her faith and stubbornness won out and she continued on her journey. Her study of yoga has taken her from Norway to India and South Korea, where she met a Zen monk who led her to Buddha-yoga, meditative dance and Zen. Julie enjoys the steadiness of Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga but also loves to play around and feel the more subtle, meditative aspects of Buddha-yoga. She is also influenced by her study of Iyengar, Bikram and Yin Yoga. In 2014, Julie enrolled in Yoga Teacher Training with Laurel Hodory & Faculty and is now certified in Hatha and Ashtanga Yoga, as well as being certified through the MediLife Yoga Korea Association. Julie rejoices in singing, spontaneous playfulness and art, engaging conversations, unhindered laughs and warm silences and lives by the words of Thich Nhat Hanh: Breathe – you are alive!

Julie Stromme

Julie Stromme felt drawn to practice yoga for many years and the longer she practiced, the more she wanted to learn about it. Fueled by her own curiosity, she enrolled in a teacher training program in 2010 that was based on the principles of Ayurveda, a sister science of yoga. By the end of the first weekend, she knew that the training would be life changing for her. She discovered her passion in life, as well as a source of balance, harmony and strength. In 2014, Julie deepened her understanding of yoga and of herself through Yoga Teacher Training with Laurel Hodory & Faculty in Trondheim, Norway, where she became certified to teach Hatha and Ashtanga yoga. Julie enjoys sharing with her students not only a physical workout, but the techniques they can use for stress management and for their own personal development. In addition to teaching yoga, Julie runs her own clinic and works as a Reflexologist and Naturopath in Biomedicine.

Merethe Hellen

An athlete her whole life, Merethe Hellen began to practice yoga in 1999 and has continued ever since. She finds in yoga a powerful feeling of presence in her body, mind and breath. Merethe’s practice has been influenced by Iyengar and Sivananda yoga and she has attended workshops and retreats both in Norway and internationally. In 2014, Merethe enrolled in Yoga Teacher Training with Laurel Hodory & Faculty, where she earned her certification in Hatha and Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga. Merethe is a clinical psychologist who specializes in working with victims of trauma. In 2013 she participated in a Trauma Sensitive Yoga retreat at the Kripalu Institute in Massachusetts and recently started a support group in Trondheim, Norway where traumatized refugee women use yoga as part of their healing process.

Natalie Davis

In 2009, feeling stressed by the chaos of the corporate world, Natalie Davis went in search of peace and mental freedom. She found it on the yoga mat. Eager to share the solitude and feeling of safety she found in her own practice, Natalie enrolled in Yoga Teacher Training with Laurel Hodory & Faculty and was certified in 2014 to teach Hatha and Ashtanga yoga. Natalie is a firm believer that yoga can benefit everyone, regardless of their size, shape or physical ability. She frequently reminds her students that yoga in not a competition, but rather a journey of acceptance of oneself “as is”. In her classes, Natalie creates a safe practice space where students can be present with themselves and focus on their breath, while having a bit of fun along the way! Off the mat, Natalie enjoys the great outdoors – hiking or gardening – and cooking up a feast for friends. She is a voracious reader and loves hanging out with her three crazy rescue dogs and her beau. Natalie can be reached at linkedin_nadavis [at] yahoo.com

“Solitude is not the absence of company, but the moment when our soul is free to speak to us and help us decide what to do with our life.” – Brazilian Author, Paulo Coehlo

Rachel Bertner

Rachel Bertner first discovered yoga in 2002 and, in the years that followed, developed a strong personal practice. In 2012, after seeing the profound therapeutic and healing benefits of yoga on her own body, she began to consider teacher training as a way to share yoga as a therapeutic alternative for recovery. In 2014, Rachel became certified to teach Hatha and Ashtanga yoga through Yoga Teacher Training with Laurel Hodory & Faculty.

Rachel Kerr

Rachel Kerr is an active athlete who enjoys yoga, hiking, biking and anything outdoors. When the stresses of her work in marketing and event planning began to take their toll on her, Rachel knew that deepening her own yoga practice would help her reduce her stress level and increase her overall health. In 2014 she enrolled in Yoga Teacher Training with Laurel Hodory & Faculty and received her certification as a RYT-200. Rachel hopes to spread her knowledge and love of yoga as she travels throughout the world, looking for adventure. Recently, Rachel has released sea turtles in Guatemala, hiked to the top of a volcano and snorkeled in Aruba.

Rachel Wilson

Rachel Wilson is a lifelong athlete and scholar. While studying in college, she was drawn to yoga to help her maintain balance (physical and mental) between her academic load and her athletics and social life. Her yoga practice has taken her on a physical, spiritual and therapeutic journey. In 2014, Rachel’s journey led her to Yoga Teacher Training with Laurel Hodory & Faculty, where she received her certification as a RYT-200. Rachel is also a trained barre instructor and has developed her own barre method called Barre-OM™ (www.barre-om.com). Rachel enjoys challenging her clients to find their edge, as well as to find comfort, peace, freedom and joy.

Ragnhild Torvaldsdottir

In 1995, as a trained ballet dancer, Ragnhild Torvaldsdottir was initially drawn to the physical aspects of yoga. As her practice deepened, she felt drawn to share her love of yoga with others and in 2011 began teaching energetic and powerful yoga classes that left her students wanting more. She continued to deepen her own practice through events such as the 2012 Nike Blast Convention and 2013 Oslo Yoga Festival, where she met influential teachers Johanna Andersson (founder of Global Yoga) and Jacopo Ceccarelli (founder of Anukalana Yoga). In 2014, Ragnhild enrolled in Yoga Teacher Training with Laurel Hodory & Faculty, where she earned her certification in Hatha and Ashtanga yoga. Ragnhild also holds two Bachelor’s Degrees, one in Dance Pedagogy and one in Public Health.

Sarah Hemker

Sarah Hemker was introduced to yoga in 2006. She was initially drawn to the physical challenge of the practice but soon discovered the added benefits of stress reduction and clearing her mind. In her words, “It was like hitting the reset button if the day was a rough one.” Sarah has studied with noted teachers Laurel Hodory, Sally Walsh Roberts and Marni Task, among others. Through their inspiration and urging from friends, she enrolled in Yoga Teacher Training with Laurel Hodory & Faculty, where in 2014 she became certified in Trondheim, Norway. Sarah hopes to share her love of yoga with her students by helping them discover the benefits of the practice, challenging them in a happy, fun way and instilling in them a desire to learn more.

Sarah Ouellette Albano

It was on a retreat in Tuscany in 2012 when Sarah Ouellette Albano first discovered and fell in love with yoga. An athlete her entire life, Sarah was attracted to the more athletic Vinyasa style of yoga. In 2014, Sarah completed Yoga Teacher Training with Laurel Hodory & Faculty and is certified to teach Hatha and Ashtanga yoga. She enjoys teaching Vinyasa yoga, especially helping students take flight in arm balances and inversions. Sarah currently teaches at Ignite Health and Fitness in Columbus, OH. In addition to yoga, Sarah spent time studying Psychology at Edinboro University in Pennsylvania and Farming at the Wooster Campus of The Ohio State University.

Sharon Armstead

Sharon Armstead has been involved in health and fitness for most of her life. After winning her battle with cancer in 2011, she became passionate about yoga. “Yoga helped me find inner peace, regain my strength and flexibility, as well as become more fearless, on and off the mat.” Inspired by her own personal experience, Sharon was eager to share this ancient practice with others. So in 2014 she attended Yoga Teacher Training with Laurel Hodory & Faculty and became certified to teach Hatha and Ashtanga yoga. Sharon brings enthusiasm, encouragement and awareness of the mind-body connection to each of the classes that she teaches, believing that yoga can transform lives. Sharon enjoys traveling the globe, especially when she can combine her travel with yoga. She recently spent time at the Sivinanda Ashram in the Bahamas and at yoga retreats in Peru. “This is a great way to travel and find inner peace while I continue to grow as a student and teacher.” Sharon is the owner of Worthington Yoga, LLC, offering Corporate Yoga, Group Yoga, Senior Classes and Personal lessons, all with a focus on living a fulfilling, healthy and happy life, on and off the mat. Contact Sharon at worthingtonyoga [at] gmail.com

Sheila Fagan

Sheila Fagan has a passion for making yoga available to anyone. She believes that everyone can gain flexibility and strength by simply beginning to practice, as evidenced by her oldest client, who is 96 and uses a walker. As an athlete herself, Sheila saw an improvement in her tennis game with the addition of yoga to her training regimen. Inspired by her own progress, Sheila enrolled in Yoga Teacher Training with Laurel Hodory & Faculty in 2014 and became certified to teach Hatha and Ashtanga yoga. Sheila enjoys teaching older adults, as well as athletes at the high school, amateur and professional levels.