Instructor Bios...

Alicia Cuervo

Certified Yoga Instructor.

Yoga has given me a love and respect for my body that I never thought possible before. A body that so often I abused with alcohol, cigarettes, lack of sleep, and poor eating habits. The unity between mind, body and soul that yoga has given me is the greatest gift that I have ever received. Pure love and gratitude is the result.

Neal Stokes

I have been teaching Kundalini and Ashtanga yoga for 3 years. I have a great love of sports,
especially football and basketball. I Graduated from Mcdaniel college in 2007 with a degree in Sports Medicine and minor in business. I have always been an active person. I try to create a class that is balanced and open to anyone. I would like everyone to be challenged but successful.
 

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Kirsten Norris

After years of practicing yoga, Kirsten trained with Yogafit, receiving Level I and Level II certificates. She leads mixed-level vinyasa flow classes in her community and also teaches at Fitness First and Gold's Gym. Her classes emphasize movement, breath, and mind-body awareness. In addition to yoga, Kirsten teaches spin and is certified by Mad Dogg Athletics. She enjoys fitness, being outdoors, and spending time with family and friends.
 

Christina Martinez

I experienced deep personal change when I began practicing yoga. My habitual patterns melted away as my body came into balance and my mind shifted toward centeredness. I have completed over 500hrs in training and also have a background in massage therapy. I have practiced many styles of yoga including Ashtanga, Anusara, Hatha, Iyengar, Kundalini, Forest, Vinyasa and Yin. My classes are an eclectic blend of teachings reflecting my years of practice with many amazing teachers. I offer my students challenging classes infused with heat and strong spirit. I encourage them to push past their self-limiting behaviors with an open heart, while in a safe and playful space.

Katie Yee

Katie Yee is a nationally certified massage therapist. She is currently licensed to practice in the state of Maryland and is a member of the American Massage Therapy Association.

She has background and experience in Swedish, Deep Tissue, Trigger Point Therapy, Myofasical Release, Sports massage, massage in a clinical setting and Shiatsu. 

Katie completed her training at the Swedish Institute in New York City, while there she fell in love with the body, the way it works and improving the quality of life for people. She continues to take classes in Exercise Science and Nutrition Education.

Katie is a self- proclaimed gym rat, she loves to run, (even though at her pace it could probably be more accurately described as jogging), spinning, hiking and yoga. She thinks it’s good for the soul to break a sweat every day.

Paula Pelkey has been practicing yoga for 14 years and teaching for 8. Her yogic background is peppered with various styles of yoga; from Iyengar to Ashtanga to Hot Yoga.  She is a dynamic and integrative yoga teacher who brings elements of all forms of yoga to her practice.

Paula also is an exciting and interactive teacher of children's yoga. Prior to moving to MD Paula was the owner and operator of The Littlest Yogi, a program for children held at schools, rec centers and yoga studios alike.  She is a firm believer in making yoga fun and exciting no matter what the age of the practitioner.  

Tanya Proffitt

Tanya Proffitt began her love affair with fitness and training in the Colorado Rockies while attending the United States Air Force Academy. Years later in Texas, she became an ACE Certified Personal Trainer and an AFAA Primary Group Instructor. She has taught multiple variations of both water and land Aerobics since 1998 and her pertinent certifications include: PIA Pilates Mat I and Mat II, Healthy Moms Pre- and Post- Natal and Specialized Women’s Health, Schwinn Indoor Cycle, H2O Fitness, Resist-A-Ball Levels I and II, and Les Mills Body Combat. More recently, Tanya earned the title of Competitive Triathlete. Using her own methods and philosophies, she is self-trained and has achieved Personal Bests including placing first in her age group and third overall for women in the 2007 Worldgate Super Sprint in Reston, VA, as well as breaking into the Top 100 in the 2008 Iron Girl Triathlon in Columbia, MD. Her hobbies include cycling, going to
the
beach, skiing, reading, cooking, being with friends and being outside. She currently resides in Olney with her wonderfully supportive husband and her beautiful two children. Tanya is in firm agreement with Joseph Pilates in that living in good health is a normal condition, a condition that is both our duty to attain and to constantly strive to maintain. As Pilates himself was quoted: "In 10 sessions, you will feel the difference. In 20, you will see the difference. And in 30, you'll be on your way to having a whole new body." Contact Tanya at: www.peacecorewellness.com

Trish holds a Masters degree in Acupuncture from the Tai Sophia Institute in Laurel, MD and is licensed by the state of Maryland. As an acupuncturist and wellness coach, I am 100% committed to partnering with my patients in all of their health and wellness goals. I am truly passionate about acupuncture, and believe in the power of the body, mind and spirit to heal and transform. I treat everyone as a whole and unique person. Using the laws of nature, acupuncture can help to maintain balance and harmony in the body, while also awakening your mind to great new possibilities.
I discovered my path to acupuncture while living in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, my mother’s home. While in Brazil, I began to explore different ways of healing and found an acupuncturist that opened my mind to the amazing depth this medicine has to offer. I began to receive treatments and was able to heal many past wounds that were ruling the way I lived my life in the present. Through the course of treatment I found a profound sense of peace and confidence in myself I had never felt before. And now, I am excited to share those possibilities with you!
Please visit www.trishtwifordacupuncture.com

And here's a little about acupuncture: (not sure how much you want, so feel free to cut it down too!)
Acupuncture is the oldest continuously practiced medical system in the world and is used by one third of the world’s population as a primary health care system. It is likely that more people have been treated by Chinese medicine throughout history than by any other formalized system of medicine. Because of its relatively low cost and its noninvasive nature, acupuncture has become a highly popular form of complementary health care in the United States.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has endorsed acupuncture treatment for over 40 conditions including: all types of pain, menstrual issues, headaches, high blood pressure, infertility, respiratory issues, digestive problems (including nausea and vomiting resulting from chemotherapy), addictions, anxiety, tension, sleep disorders, depression/emotional disorders.
Acupuncture is also helpful for many chronic illnesses and health concerns that have no clear origin or cause. Patients committed to a healthy lifestyle who receive ongoing acupuncture treatment for maintenance and health promotion often experience:

*Longer periods of health and recovering more quickly from illness

*Improvement of vitality and stamina

*Greater success in managing their own health

*Relationships with others deepening and becoming more harmonious

*Reductions in long term health care costs