Yoga Teacher Training Graduates

Jane O’Loughlin

Jane O’Loughlin started practicing yoga in early 2001 and quickly found her preference for ashtanga in Laurel Hodory’s Yoga One studio in Columbus. Jane followed Laurel as she moved and renamed the studio (It’s Yoga), and followed as Laurel’s style moved from ashtanga to anusara-inspired vinyasa. Jane’s ashtanga preference has not disappeared but it is complemented by the variety and creativity offered by vinyasa yoga.

After years of requesting a space for yoga in the fitness center where she works, an expansion project included a meditation/yoga room. Motivated by the desire to keep the space for her own practice as well as to invite others to yoga, Jane volunteered to offer yoga at work beginning in January 2008. At the same time, she enrolled in teacher training under Laurel Hodory at It’s Yoga. She expects to be certified at the Yoga Alliance 200-hour level in early 2009.

Jane currently teaches yoga (hatha and ashtanga) to her colleagues at work where outside the meditation/yoga room, she is a technical manager. She is also a physicist and theologian who loves to learn, laugh and love.

Jen Simmons

As a Firefighter/Paramedic for 12 years, Jen saw chronic health issues and pain every day. She started practicing yoga ten years ago from a TV program. Initially it was just another form of exercise; one that she found surprisingly challenging, yet left her feeling terrific. It wasn’t until she suffered a stroke in 2006 did she realize the healing power of yoga. Her beloved career was lost. By using yoga to rehabilitate her body, she found not only physical and emotional healing, but a glorious new path and a grateful outlook on life. She learned that some of life’s greatest blessings come in challenging disguises.

Jen recently received her Yoga Alliance RYT-200 certification after graduating from 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training with Laurel Hodory. She currently teaches Gentle Yoga for Arthritis and Beginner’s Yoga in rural Croton, Ohio. She intends to spread the joyful healing of yoga to rural areas as well as spread the word that yoga is for EVERY body. Jen enjoys spending time with her family and reveling in the quiet splendor of country life.

Jenna Durban

Jenna Durban played soccer at Otterbein University up until a career ending injury the summer before her senior year. Having played sports her entire life, she searched for something that she could sustain throughout the different stages of life. Through her injury rehabilitation Jenna stumbled into a home yoga practice. During this time she became aware of the internal conflict of what the mind wants and the body needs. She started recognizing how our bodies are silenced daily, put on the backburner and disconnected from the mind. In 2013, Jenna completed Yoga Teacher Training with Laurel Hodory & Faculty and was certified to teach Hatha & Ashtanga Yoga. Her classes explore the forgotten conversation between the mental and physical self, working to place a balanced importance of both facets. When she’s not on the mat Jenna enjoys hiking, cooking and hanging out with her husband, Kyle.

Jenna Gantzer

Jenna Gantzer In Spring of 2007, Jenna took an elective yoga class at Indiana University. She grew up a dancer so the physical practice came easy to her. Once she moved back to Columbus after graduation she found a deeper meaning to her practice. Not only has it helped shape her be a better person but has influenced those closest to her. Spring of 2010 she joined Laurel in Costa Rica for a retreat and knew from that moment that she had to do Laurel’s teacher training.

Jenna is excited to share her passion with others on the mat as she starts teaching. It is her escape from reality and allows her to be herself. Yoga has influenced Jenna to know her true self and to continue on that journey. The asana practice is what attracted her but the svadhyaya is what keeps her on her yoga journey.

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.

Jennifer Gleichauf

Jennifer Gleichauf began studying yoga in 1999 through videos at home, and local and resort classes. Her interest has increased ever since. Yoga was integral to her recovery from back surgery in 2006. After a full recovery, her practice continued to grow, and she received her 200-hour RYT certification in 2009 in hatha and ashtanga yoga with Laurel Hodory. In addition to teaching yoga, Jennifer loves teaching young children music and how to grow in faith, and she enjoys volunteering with MRDD adults. Her nurturing spirit, soothing voice and comforting touch are an asset to her teaching. Jennifer encourages her students to accept where they are, and inspires them to grow in body, mind and spirit.

Jerri Lybarger

Jerri Lybarger will always have a natural intellectual curiosity about the practice of yoga to share with her class. She has held a life-long interest in the area of personal health and fitness leading her to earn the 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training certification through the Yoga Alliance organization. Her beliefs are that everyone can benefit from the practice of yoga by gaining physical conditioning, inner strength and peace of mind. Over the past 7 years she has been privileged to be a regular student of Sally Roberts and to complete her teacher training with Laurel Hodory. Her goal is to share the message of yoga with beginner students and she believes that the benefits of yoga are available to all of us, no matter where we are in our lives. When we begin the practice of yoga we reap the advantages of physical fitness, reduced stress and more energy. She incorporates a beginner style of yoga with simple poses lead by the breath, internal focus and continued learning. Previously Jerri was an avid runner and understands the benefits of yoga to tight muscles and the person who might be interested in trying a different form of exercise for both the mind and body.

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.

Jill Endres

Jill Endres was introduced to yoga in 2003 when her sister dragged her to a yoga class. She went into the class filled with assumptions and was pleased when she found it challenging and enjoyable. She began to go to class regularly. Being into fitness Jill viewed yoga as just another workout. It was in 2009 that Yoga found Jill, during a difficult time in her life yoga became more important and less about the fitness. Jill began to expand her style of practice and found herself loving all different forms of yoga. Jill currently is in the business world, but her background in Psychology and counseling has helped her depth of understanding the psychological benefits of yoga. Jill is a strong believer in giving back to her community, and is actively involved with the Sexual Assault Response Network of Central Ohio (SARNCO), and has provided free “self-care” yoga for SARNCO, and believes strongly in sharing the gift of yoga. Jill is an avid tennis player and runner. In her down time she spends time with her two wonderful dogs, Sandy & MoJo. Jill received her 200 hour certification in 2013 from Laurel Hodory and Faculty. Jill’s teaching style has been described as vigorous, strong and challenging.

Jill Reyna

Having been a gymnast as a child, Jill Reyna enjoyed the challenges that yoga offered to her flexibility and strength. When she established a regular practice, she realized that yoga was effecting her “off the mat” through increased mindfulness and learning to breathe into a place of calm. After relocating to Columbus in 2013, Jill completed the Yoga Teacher Training Program with Laurel Hodory & Faculty and became certified to teach Hatha and Ashtanga yoga. She enjoys the creativity and play in the practice and believes in the importance of being able to laugh at herself. Her classes offer a break from the chaos of life and an opportunity to connect mind, body and spirit.

Jill holds Bachelor of Science degrees in Biology (Xavier University) and Nursing (University of Cincinnati) and is certified as a Baby’s First Massage instructor. She enjoys trying new foods, dancing, bicycling, reading and spending time laughing with her husband and three children.

Julia Purdy

Julia was first introduced to yoga in 2005 when she signed up for a beginner’s series at It’s Yoga in Grandview, but it wasn’t until 2 years later that she was called back to yoga as a means of dealing with severe anxiety and panic disorder. Through asana, pranayama and meditation, she felt a great weight lifted and was able to breathe again. After experiencing the vast physical, mental, and spiritual benefits of yoga she was determined to share it with others. Julia is trained in both Hatha and Ashtanga yoga and completed her 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training certification in June of 2011 with Laurel Hodory. This intensive training combines the intelligence of the Ashtanga Vinyasa system and the refined alignment principles of Hatha Yoga, incorporating hands-on assists and modifications. You can find her teaching at The Winchester Institute of Chiropractic Health and Wellness in Dublin, OH. Her classes are light-hearted and playful and allow space for each student to step into their own light, both on and off the mat.

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.

Kara Lough

Kara Lough started practicing yoga in 2001, searching for a mind-body connection. It was through this exploration that she was inspired to rethink and refocus her life. In 2007 she decided to step away from her career as a Pastry Chef and dedicate herself to her practice and to teaching others. Her intention in teaching yoga is to empower and motivate her students, guiding them to discover the beauty of life, around and within themselves. She is currently enrolled in the 200 hour Yoga Alliance registered teacher training with Laurel Hodory, at It’s Yoga in Columbus Ohio. After she graduates, she plans on continuing her studies and obtaining her 500 hour certification. Kara teaches classic Ashtanga and more contemporary Vinyasa Flow classes in the Columbus and Dublin area. Her favorite pose is hanumanasana.

Kathleen Crowley

Kathleen Crowley was introduced to yoga in 2002 when she decided to take an introductory class with Laurel Hodory. She was immediately impressed with both the physical aspects of yoga and more importantly its underlying philosophy. The mind-body connection helped provided Kathleen with balance in her otherwise demanding life as an attorney and eventually inspired her to want to teach yoga to others. Kathleen has attended workshops given by Bryan Kest and Tim Miller, and in 2013 received her certification in Ashtanga and Hatha from Yoga with Laurel Hodory and Faculty. As a teacher, Kathleen hopes to spread the benefits of the mind-body connection and help others develop a healthy lifestyle through the practice of yoga.

Katie Pardi

Katie Pardi has been a yoga student for the past 10 years and has been cultivating her teaching voice for the past 5. She recently completed her 200HR Yoga Teacher Training with Laurel Hodory. She gains inspiration from many Columbus teachers including Laurel, Julie Pipes-Verhoff, Heidi Bell and Angie O’Brien. Katie loves to travel and finds a great deal of pleasure seeking out the nearest yoga studio during her travels to try something new.

Katie is a Columbus native, an Ohio State grad and now lives in Upper Arlington with her husband, Paul, and their new baby girl, Paige. When Katie is not taking or teaching a yoga class you will find her running, walking, hiking or anything else to stay active often with husband and baby in tow. Being a former college athlete she enjoys yoga with an athletic twist and brings that into the classes she teaches. She enjoys the challenge of creating classes that are physically demanding but have her students leaving their mat with new inspiration and energy to conquer their day.

Keisa Lee

Keisa Lee has been practicing yoga intermittently for 10 years. It wasn’t until after losing 100 pounds through intense physical workouts, about three years ago, that she dedicated herself to yoga more fully. She found yoga to be a wonderful healing way of staying in great physical and mental shape. Yoga helped Keisa through out her pregnancy in 2007 tremendously and after giving birth she knew that she wanted to further her experiences with yoga into teaching others. She enrolled in Laurel Hodory’s 200 hour teacher training program in 2009 and would describe her experience as a beautiful journey of understanding herself in ways she had never experienced before. Off of the yoga mat Keisa enjoys spending time with her wonderfully supportive husband, Mike and 2 year old son , Zaeden. Keisa hopes to help her students on their own journeys of self discovery and is excited to embrace what the universe has in store for her next.

Kelsey Jo Evans

Kelsey Jo Evans Bachelor of Arts: Theatre and Dance & RYT-200

As soon as Kelsey could walk she was following her Dad to acting auditions and her big sister to the dance studio. She has danced all though out her youth going on to compete on a national level through adolescence.

While attending The Ohio State University for Theatre and Dance her freshman year, Kelsey found a local Yoga studio and after her first Savasana, has never looked back! After four years of working on her own Yoga practice, her studies through the Department of Dance lead her to guest instructor, Laurel Hodory. Inspired by the lifestyle and passion for the practice, Kelsey has found her calling, certified in 2012 as a Registered Yoga Teacher at the 200 level featuring certification in Ashtanga and Hatha Yoga with Laurel Hodory.

As a Buckeye Nation Alum and all around health nut, Kelsey is working professionally on her two greatest loves: Entertainment and Yoga. She looks forward to continuing her training in both arenas and hopes to see you on the mat!

Kim Crigger

Kim Crigger has been practicing yoga since 2000 and was originally drawn to the physical aspects of yoga. Soon she was inspired to take her studies to a deeper level and because of the many gifts she has received from yoga practice and its teachings, she now wants to share it with others! Her style is playful and challenging. Through breath and flow she invites the student to go to the place inside where fears and obstacles can be dissolved. Through her encouraging teaching style, she intends to help each student open their hearts and find the blissful connection to the true self and the interconnectedness of all beings. Kim first became certified with YogaKids International in July of 2007 and has had taught yoga to children in schools, summer camps and fitness centers. She is currently in the process of earning her 200 hour certification with Laurel Hodory at It’s Yoga, a training program that took her practice to a more dedicated and spiritual level. She currently teaches adult classes at Premier at Sawmill fitness center, children’s yoga at BalletMet and at It’s Yoga. She also offers private family and individual lessons. Kim is also a Reiki level 2 practitioner. She is grateful to Laurel as well as her other teachers and students for their inspiration, amazing knowledge and loving guidance. Om Shanti!

Kim Emmelheintz

Kim has been practicing yoga for over 5 years, her background studies include Ashtanga yoga, as well as Hatha. She has a Bachelor of Arts from the Ohio State University in Spanish and she has had the pleasure of teaching many subjects including Spanish Language, English as a Second Language, Piano, Beginning Guitar, and even a little French! She enjoys teaching both children and adults. Her variety of teaching experience brings a lot of fun and creativity to her yoga practice.

She has attended workshops with Cyndi Lee and David Nichtern of OM Yoga New York, studying vinyasa yoga and Buddhist meditation. She is will complete her Yoga Teacher Training Certification with Laurel Hodory in November of 2010.