Yoga Teacher Training Graduates

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.

Michelle Mineo

Sparked by curiosity, Michelle Mineo began her yoga practice as treat to herself for her 30th birthday. Over a decade later, her practice has anchored her through many milestones and transitions. Guided by her curiosity, Michelle has explored a variety of yoga styles, including classes in Ashtanga, Bikram, and recently kundalini. Her desire to share the gift of yoga led her to enroll in the Yoga Teacher Training with Laurel Hodory and Faculty, where she became certified as an RYT-200 in November, 2013. Michelle comes from background of service, having worked as a speech therapist for over 20 years. She enjoys an active lifestyle, as the mother of 3 boys as well as tri-athlete and half-marathoner. Her personal mantra, (courtesy of Lennon and McCartney), “And in the end, the love you take, is equal to the love you make.”

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

Nicole Caldwell

Nicole has been practicing yoga for over 10 years. She was introduced to the practice while in medical school, and after the birth of her first child. Searching to find a physical activity that would help her lose the added weight after childbirth, and provide stress-reduction for her busy life, a friend recommended a weekend yoga retreat. Since then, she has explored many different styles of yoga, and entered teacher training in 2010. She will complete her Yoga Teacher Training Certification with Laurel Hodory in November of 2010. Nicole has studied extensively with local instructors including Donna Winters, Joanie Delph, and Laurel Hodory. She has also attended workshops at the Kripalu Yoga center, and with Vinyasa instructor, Seane Corn.

She completed her Bachelor of Science in Psychology in 1995, and received her Medical Degree in 2003 from the Ohio State University. She has an interest and understanding of anatomy, as well as the connection between the physical body and the mind. She strives to provide an energetic yoga class that combines a physical workout with an opportunity for self-exploration, leaving the student feeling relaxed and centered.

Patti Petrella

Patti Petrella has 33 years experience as a personal trainer and group fitness instructor, and has been a yoga teacher since 2002. As a past fitness center owner, she has over a thousand hours experience in teaching Yoga, and she presently teaches at The Wellness Community, for cancer survivors, as well as privately scheduled classes.

Patti has immersed herself in Yoga teachings and has been lucky enough to have trained recently with Yoga master, Laurel Hodory, in Hatha, Ashtanga and Anusara Yoga, receiving her certification through the Yoga Alliance.

Her certifications in Pilates, Focus on Healing, Personal Training and a Reiki, as well as special training on how yoga can be used to restore cancer patients, further enriches her ability to create a nurturing and safe environment in her classes.

Yoga has been the foundation for Patti’s own personal spiritual practice believing that yoga can help us all achieve peace, happiness and physical well-being, and through this path we can experience ananda (bliss).

“I am a strong believer in focusing on positive energy and compassion as I encourage each student to find their own uniqueness, through a sense of lightheartedness and awareness.”

Perry Finley

Perry Finley, RYT 200, M.A. Sport Management, began practicing yoga in 2008 during his first year of undergraduate at Ohio State and has been practicing ever since. He earned his 200-hour certification through Laurel Hodory and Faculty in 2013. A former athlete, Perry’s passion for sports initially sparked his interest in the physical aspects of yoga. But fairly quickly, the transcendent qualities of the practice hooked him, enhancing his spirituality and relationships. He was drawn to yoga’s ability to increase mental and bodily awareness while helping him overcome his chronic ankle injuries and elevating overall strength and stamina. Perry firmly believes that the tools for a happy, successful, fulfilling life lie within and that each student has the ability to recognize and harness these qualities and abilities through focusing inward. His students have describes his classes as motivational, heart-felt, energetic, and fun. When he’s not on the mat, Perry has a passion for music, the outdoors, and travel.

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.

Richard Georgoff

Richard Georgoff, a practicing Podiatrist for the last 26 years, started his fitness journey with marathons in his early twenties, triathlons in his thirties, Spinning/Body Building in his forties, and finally yoga as he entered his fifties. He also recently became certified in Muscle Activation Technique, a physical therapy modality to balance the muscular system. He has been a fitness and wellness education presenter at local and international fitness conferences and has an intense passion for nutrition. Richard believes that most healthcare issues are the result of improper nutrition and lack of proper wellness and fitness practices.

Through Yoga, Richard explored a different understanding of body movement, while still seeing connections between all his prior fitness experience and medical knowledge. The doors of yoga philosophy began to open when Richard was exposed to Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras during Yoga Teacher Training with Laurel Hodory & Faculty in 2013. Through contemplation of the Sutras he experienced a spiritual cultivation, of sorts, and picked up the nickname “Raja” from fellow classmates for his ongoing humbled study of what it means to live a yogic life. His most loved word and lifelong goal is Balance!

Rita Ritchie

Rita Ritchie discovered yoga at age 60 while looking for a new direction in life. Through the encouragement of her daughter, who is a yoga teacher, she enrolled in the teacher training program with Laurel Hodory at It’s Yoga. She describes her experience as one of self-discovery and growth. She is living proof that you can begin practicing yoga at any age. Her practice has inspired her to dedicate the rest of her life in service to others through teaching yoga. Rita feels as though her journey has just begun. Upon graduation in November 2008, she will continue to take advantage of opportunities to expand and grow.

Sara Fischer

Sara was introduced to yoga as a way to de-stress when preparing for her candidacy exam during graduate school, and has been hooked ever since. As a life-long dancer and athlete, she found that yoga created the perfect blend of strength, flexibility, and calmness of the mind. Her first love is a vigorous yoga style such as Ashtanga or Vinyasa Flow, however she also has a great appreciation for slower moving Hatha styles and the occasional Yin or Restorative practice. Sara’s yoga classes are athletic, sweaty, and fun, and are a blend of Ashtanga and Vinyasa Flow styles. Sara has a passion for teaching beginner students, and hopes to bring yoga into the lives of as many students as possible. She has attended several workshops, and recently attended an intensive workshop with David Swenson. She completed her 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Certification in Ashtanga and Hatha Yoga with Laurel Hodory in June 2011, and is registered with the Yoga Alliance.

Sara received her Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences with a minor in Psychology in May 2007 from the University of Michigan-Dearborn. She will complete her PhD in Integrated Biomedical Sciences with an emphasis in Immunology in August 2011 from the Ohio State University. She hopes to combine her practical knowledge of science and medicine with the teaching of yoga in order to better serve her students in their yoga practices as well as their lives off of the mat. Besides practicing and teaching yoga, working in the lab, or spending time with family and friends, Sara works as a freelance medical and scientific writer.

Sarah Bauman

Sarah Bauman first started practicing yoga in 2005 because it was a physical activity that her injured knee could tolerate. She started yoga as a rehab for her physical injuries and it turned into a rehab for her life off the mat. She found she was taking steps towards a healthier more balanced lifestyle. It was a nice surprise that yoga gave her space, time, and a repertoire to explore self-awareness, self-care, and karmas. Sarah began with an alignment based anusara yoga practice, then moved to a faster paced Ashtanga, with a splash of meditative yin. After completing her 200-hour yoga teacher training in hatha and ashtanga yoga, with Laurel Hodory in 2009, she hopes to provide students their own safe space and time to explore physical movements, philosophies, and fun.

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.

Sarah Pierson

Sarah Pierson began practicing yoga in 2004 and soon shifted her focus to mediation, after seven years if deep meditation practice with Dr. Reggie Ray, Sarah reintroduced asana yoga to her daily practice as a way to bridge meditation and movement. In doing so, she found a new depth to the practice of yoga and an additional tool for becoming more fully embodied in her life.

Sarah received her 200 hour yoga teacher certification with Laurel Hodory in May 2013. Sarah encourages her students to explore meditation in movement. Through this, her students have the opportunity to experience their lives in a fuller, more embodied way.

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.

Siv M. Haugsdal

In July 2013, after four years of practicing different types of yoga, Siv M. Haugsdal became certified to teach Hatha and Ashtanga through the Yoga Teacher Training Program with Laurel Hodory and Faculty. Through her study she deepened her own understanding of yoga and of herself. She gained awareness of her own strength and abilities, including a solid foundation of human anatomy and its application to her own practice. With her increased confidence and self-esteem, she looks forward to applying the wealth of new information to her own practice and someday perhaps to others through teaching yoga.