Yoga Teacher Training Graduates: 2015

Dawn Valasco

Dawn Valasco first discovered yoga in 1998 when she attended a Hatha class. She has been doing a personal practice of combined aerobic dance and yoga since that time. Dawn sought out yoga as a means to help with a personal illness, and has been amazed at the power of yoga to heal mind, body, and spirit. She is also particularly interested in the connection between food and health.

Dawn has been a special education teacher for many years. She has worked with children and adults with learning disabilities and mild autism.

In order to deepen her knowledge of yoga, Dawn enrolled in the 200 Hour Teacher Training with Laurel Hodory in 2015.

Dawn loves being outdoors, especially hiking and gardening. She and her husband have been married for 30 years and have two wonderful, adult daughters.

Emily Robinson

Emily Robinson began her exploration of the body through years of dance and various workout routines. In 2007, Emily came to yoga as a way to compliment her primary trainings. Emily fell in love with yoga not only for the physical benefits, but for the peace and calm it brought to her life.

After years of attending classes, Emily wanted to deepen her personal practice and learn how to give back through sharing yoga. Emily received her Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Teacher Certificate with Laurel Hodory and Staff in 2015.

Emily endeavors to share her joy of yoga with all she meets both on and off the mat. She strives to support and empower those around her through the creation of a safe space where accomplishments can be made and challenges met.

When not on the mat, Emily can be found continuing her education through reading and exploring new opportunities, cooking some Cajun recipes, and adventuring with friends and family.

Megan Grunewald

Megan Grunewald became a RYT200 with Yoga Teacher Training with Laurel Hodory and Faculty in 2015. She came to yoga as a way to cultivate a deeper awareness of her own body. She has studied other movement arts since 2006 including hula hoop dance, poi, hip hop, jazz, and modern dance, and her experience with yoga encouraged her to pursue it as a way to incorporate healthy functioning and use of her body into her life as a movement artist. Megan is passionate about nurturing healthy bodies as well as a healthy planet. It was this passion that inspired her to complete a sustainable agriculture internship with The Green String Institute in 2012, an experience that strengthened both her spiritual and visceral relationship to the natural world. Megan’s desire to reduce her ecological footprint and find a path to personal health motivates her to eat a mostly seasonal, plant-based, whole foods diet. She worked with Luna Burger because of their dedication to creating relationships with sustainable Ohio farms, and she volunteers with Goodwill Columbus to plan and implement a garden-based life enrichment program for on-site residents. Megan practices mindfulness of the present moment, leading her to appreciate her own strengths and limitations. She incorporates her passions for growing and eating healthy foods into her life as a yoga teacher.

Michele Stollard

Michele Stollard came to yoga as a way to exercise and relieve stress after long days as an R.N. in the Operating Room. She quickly fell in love with not only the physical, but the emotional and mental support it offered her. She was constantly surprised by what her body was capable of doing.

After practicing regularly for about 2 years, Michele realized she wanted to be a yoga teacher so that she could share her passion for yoga with others. Michele truly believes that Yoga can cure, not only through the physical postures, but by allowing people to really connect with their bodies and to open the communication between the mind and body. She hopes that through her classes and teachings that people will begin to accept themselves and start to appreciate their amazing body. Michele received her 200RYT Certification through Yoga Teacher Training with Laurel Hodory & Faculty in May 2015.

In her downtime, Michele enjoys spending time with her husband and their three dogs. She also loves to eat at local restaurants and practice creative transitions and arm balances.