Meet the team that helps create your peaceful experience at Lotus Pond!
Below you'll meet Lotus Pond Studio Co-Owners as well as our current Staff, Teachers, and Teacher Trainers.

Certification/Title Key:
RYT = Registered Yoga Teacher through Yoga Alliance
200 RYT = has at least 200 Hours of yoga training
200 E-RYT = has at least 200 Hours of yoga training with over 1,000 hours of teaching experience
500 RYT = has at least 500 Hours of yoga training
500 E-RYT = has at least 500 Hours of yoga training with over 2,000 hours of teaching experience
YACEP = Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider for Yoga Teachers
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Alyssa Liadis • CO-OWNER • RYT 200​​

Co-Owner of Lotus Pond, Yoga Teacher and Assistant Teacher in the 200hr Yoga Teacher Training Program

​Alyssa was drawn to yoga as a way to find movement outside of her corporate job.  As her physical practice began to deepen, she realized there was a bigger connection to her mind and spirit.  With this, and her passion to teach, she knew she found the right path - teaching yoga.  Alyssa has completed her 200 hour yoga teacher training at Lotus Pond and looks forward to meeting with her students.

Katie Beene • co-owner • E-RYT 500 • YACEP

Co-Owner of Lotus Pond, Yoga Teacher, and 200/300 Hour Yoga Teacher Training Director
​
Katie is an experienced yoga teacher and current co-owner of Lotus Pond. She teaches her asana classes at a slow and mindful pace, weaving in philosophy and heartfelt contemplations to inspire emotional and spiritual growth. Katie's yoga classes combine the elements of strength and grace to help each practitioner find balance within their inherent masculine and feminine qualities. Katie weaves her own life experience into her teachings, sharing relatable stories and lessons that she has learned along her yoga journey. When Katie isn't teaching, she enjoys playing the piano, dancing with hula hoops or silk veil fans, spending time in nature, or reading/writing. Katie believes that yoga is fully lived both on and off the mat, and hopes to inspire others to take their yoga practice everywhere they go.

Val Spies • E-RYT 500 • CHopra Health Teacher • Founder of Lotus Pond

Founder of the Lotus Pond Studio and Program Creator of the Lotus Pond Yoga Teacher Training Programs

Val Spies is an E-RYT500 certified Kripalu yoga teacher and Chopra Health & Meditation teacher and Chopra Wellness Coach. She specializes in the inner quest for joy through the practice of yoga, meditation and breathwork. She has been leading workshops, travel tours, and training sessions for yoga groups and corporate enterprises for over 20 years, and offers expertise in tailoring programs to fit the needs of her students.  Today, Val is best known for her ability to deliver the complex studies of yoga in a comprehensive and intriguing style that appeals to students of all levels.  As a Chopra Health Teacher she also leads workshops on Ayurveda Health and Nutrition.  She is the founder of the Lotus Pond Center and "yogi mama" to 700+ graduating yoga teachers across the country. 

Book a 1:1 coaching session or a set of sessions with Val on zoom through her website: www.ValSpies.com

Celeste Abeledo ​• RYT 200

Front Desk Staff
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Celeste dove deeper into yoga in 2019 as a means to workout, and soon realized how it was having a positive impact on her mind, body and spirit as well. After quitting her corporate job that same year, she spent some time in Hawai’i to experience off grid-living and farming with like-minded individuals. When she came back to Florida she was on the lookout for another loving community and found the Lotus Pond!  Celeste graduated from The Lotus Ponds 200 hr teacher training in December 2022. She feels fortunate to now be working on staff at the front desk! When she’s not practicing yoga you can catch her outside, probably at the beach, painting and making jewelry. And of course cuddling her cat Milo. 

Katie Stephens • RYT 200

Front Desk Staff

Katie was born and raised in Tampa. She took her first yoga class in 2008 and immediately fell in love with it. With her background in teaching, she felt like it was meant to be that those two worlds would collide. Katie is certified in Reiki level II and graduated from the 200 hour yoga teacher training program here at The Lotus Pond in December 2022. She believes that yoga is not only an incredible workout, but is a way of living life full of compassion, openness, and pouring love into others. Yoga has always helped her to feel relaxed, centered, and like she has a safe space to explore her practice.
 

Kimberly hughes • RYT 200

Studio Operations Assistant Manager
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​​Kim has been practicing yoga for almost 15 years and completed her 200hr YTT here at the Lotus Pond in 2014.  Since then she has taught in a variety of settings including Yoga for Crossfit, Beach Yoga, and KAY Yoga for Kids.  She is a proud mama of two and is excited to introduce and continue to expose her littles to the teachings of yoga. Kim received her Holistic Health Coaching certification from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition where she was introduced to the concept of bio-individuality: the idea that every BODY requires its own personalized approach to health.  Holistic health and wellness is Kim’s passion and her goal is to create a ripple effect by spreading her knowledge and enthusiasm to her community, focusing on the younger generations.  In her spare time, Kim loves thrifting, arts and crafts, being in nature, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.  She feels extremely blessed to be a part of the Lotus Pond community as it has been a dream of hers to work here since she first stepped through the front door of this magical log cabin oasis.

Meagan Lynn Pilawski • RYT 200

200 YTT Assistant Manager
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Meagan practices Quantum Healing and facilitated immense healing of an aggressive autoimmune disease through tapping into subtle energy work, brain health, and mindfulness practices. She began practicing yoga in 2016, and completed her 200 hr yoga teacher training in July of 2022. She is currently enrolled in the 300hr teacher training program at The Lotus Pond. She is an attuned Chokopa Shamanic Reiki Master and holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Masters of Science in Medical Cannabis Science & Therapeutics from the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. Meagan believes everything to be energy, that our thoughts begin it, emotions amplify it, and actions increase it. She works as administrative staff at the Lotus Pond and is elated to be part of the Lotus Pond Family.

Analiese DeAbreu • RYT 200

Analiese believes the practice of Yoga holds the key to the liberation of the individual soul, as well as the potential to transform the well-being of the community. She teaches from a place of deep compassion and reverence for Life, and her classes are focused on learning to study the self through Loving Awareness of the body-mind. 
​

Carla Jimenez • e-RYT 500 •​ YACEP

Carla Jimenez is a native to Tampa, Florida where she started teaching yoga and dance in 2002. Carla is a Reiki Master and Yoga Alliance 500 E-RYT and YACEP Certified. Carla’s Other Certifications include State of Florida Dance Teaching Certification, Prenatal Yoga Certification, and American Ballet Theater Teacher Certification. Carla has taught yoga and dance to people of all ages and abilities, including the football team at the University of South Florida, The Florida Dance Education Organization Conference, Various Performing Arts Elementary, Middle, and High Schools and The Patel Conservatory in Tampa. In 2011, she became a Yoga Teacher Trainer at the Lotus Pond Yoga Center in Tampa and continues to serve as an adjunct master teacher for the yoga school. She is currently a Dance Director at Orange Grove Middle Magnet School of the Arts. Carla’s yoga classes are creatively fluid and always include her singing the healing sounds of Mantra in the final meditation. She has delivered numerous workshops over the past 20 years on chanting, reiki and teaching methodologies. Carla’s passion is teaching her students to achieve bliss by integrating yoga into every part of life.

Charles Burgess • RYT 200

Charles has been coming to the Lotus Pond for over 5 years after discovering how yoga brought joy and relief to his life that was otherwise filled with bouts of corporate burnout, running-related injuries, and the stress of everyday life. Now, through the teachings of yoga, he helps students find more balance, confidence, and compassion on and off the mat.

With a background in comedy, acrobatics, and mentorship, he takes a light-hearted approach to class that focuses on proper alignment and finding some fun in each posture.

Cristina Yelvington ​• RYT 200

Cristina began practicing yoga regularly in high school while working her first job at a local gym. In her young adulthood, yoga's presence in Cristina's life ebbed and flowed, as she would abandon her practice for stretches at a time and then find herself back on her mat during times of trouble. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Cristina was looking for a way to destress, connect to her body, and dive deeper into exploring the mysteries of human existence - in essence, to come home to herself. This search led her back to her mat - this time for good. Cristina graduated from the Lotus Pond 200hr Program in December 2022 and is currently pursuing her 300hr certification at the Lotus Pond as well. Cristina is passionate about helping people feel strong and confident in their own bodies. She teaches with props and modifications because she believes wholeheartedly that yoga is for every body.

Daezon Sanchez • RYT 200

​Daezon began his yoga journey long before stepping onto the mat. As an athlete with a hyperactive nervous system and an abundance of energy he was hesitant to begin “yoga” as he knew it. Believing he was getting all of the stretching he needed. However he found himself drawn to meditation and studying the spiritual body in other areas. His mother and fellow yoga teacher herself, Lisa, helped him find the truth of what yoga truly is. Now Daezon sees the true nature of yoga and looks to guide his student into their present moment by connecting their mind, body, and breath. As well as being a Certified 200hr yoga teacher Daezon is also a Onesness Deeksha Blesser and a Reiki IIII Master Teacher. Students will find his slow movement flow style invites calmness to the nervous system allowing them to turn inward and leave class feeling light and filled with purpose. Daezon is currently in Lotus Pond's 300hr program and is working towards his RYT 500.

Debbie Palombo • RYT 500

Debbie is a 200Hr & 300Hr YTT graduate from Lotus Pond. Debbie has been practicing yoga for 8 years and within the last year started teaching. She is thrilled to be offering Chair Yoga at Lotus Pond because she is passionate about her yoga practice and her goal is to make yoga possible for everyone. She has certifications in Chair Yoga, Restorative, Yin Levels 1 & 2, Divine Sleep Yoga Nidra, Headstand, Vinyasa and True Core. When not doing yoga, Debbie is a hiker and loves trekking and climbing mountains. She also loves cooking and entertaining with her husband, Larry. They have two sons and are thrilled to be first-time grandparents to their new grandson, Lucas.

Eva Serna ​• RYT 200

​Eva Raquel Serna or Eva Flowers, is from Albany, New York, and moved to Florida at a young age. She began taking ballet classes at 13 and spent six years learning ballet. She signed up for her teacher training shortly after graduating college with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and minor in Entrepreneurship. She enjoys helping others learn how the body has an innate ability to heal itself and how to find peace from within. She is passionate about working at an apothecary, traveling to yoga studios, and gardening. When she’s not doing yoga, she is rollerblading, having fun with art and music, and reading.

Julieane Hudson • RYT 200 • Certified Kids Yoga Teacher

​Julieane has found a home in her yoga mat for the last 5 years. She is passionate about the peace and joy she receives from it and is even more passionate about sharing it. She has experience teaching kids yoga for 3 years and recently received her 200 credit hour at Lotus Pond. Currently, she is actively pursuing her certificate for her 300 credit hour at Lotus Pond. Also, she is recently certified with Kidding Around Yoga, a program for kids yoga teaching. Outside of yoga she has worked with kids as a behavior specialist, cheerleading coach and preschool assistant teacher. At this time she is working as a Respite Care Provider with children with disabilities. As a teacher she intends to teach tools to regulate emotions, exercise and have fun.

Karen Frost • E-RYT 200

Karen was drawn to yoga in 2000 because of work and personal stress, and she felt right at home once she began practicing regularly. A runner for years, yoga provided the chance to really stretch in a unique way. More than that, it pushed her toward regular meditation. Karen became a YTT 200-hour certified teacher through the Lotus Pond in 2012, and she has been a teacher of gentle practice at the Pond since 2013. She invites her students to learn their bodies, to have fun and relax, and to explore the amazing flexibility that the human mind and body can have when you give them permission.

Kristina amiero-Perez  • RYT 200, Prenatal & Postnatal Yoga Teacher

Kristina discovered the practice of yoga in 2014 while working a stressful corporate job and starting a young family. What began as a way to relax and sleep better quickly grew into so much more. Later that same year Kristina quit her job to pursue working in the wellness industry becoming a full time massage therapist, and hasn't looked back since! In 2019 she completed her 200 hour teacher training here at The Lotus Pond and in 2022 she obtained training in prenatal and postnatal yoga from Mama Shakti Prenatal Yoga. Kristina is dedicated to all things personal growth, showing up authentically, and a deep love of nature. She aims to help her students weave the philosophies of yoga into their lives because doing so has truly transformed hers for the better.

Lori Rogovin • RYT 200

Lori has practiced yoga at the Lotus Pond for over a decade and, amid the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown, was inspired to deepen her practice and expand her understanding of the philosophy and history of yoga. She enrolled in the Lotus Pond’s 200-hour yoga teacher training program and graduated in August 2021. It was not until her immersion in the teacher training curriculum that Lori realized a calling to teach yoga, recognizing it as a natural complement to her social work background and the work she does teaching and mentoring social work students. She is more than halfway through the Lotus Pond’s 300-hour teacher training program and credits the training and teachers with cementing the connection for her between her yoga journey and her personal and professional commitment to public service, diversity, inclusivity, and social and economic justice. Her yoga classes foster a warm and welcoming environment, add a touch of humor and play, and are encouraging for practitioners at all levels of practice. When off the yoga mat, Lori enjoys time at the beach and in nature (can never see enough water and beautiful sunsets), playing golf, kayaking, reading, traveling, and spending time with family and friends near and far.​

Lynda Savidge • E-RYT 200 / RYT 500 •​ YACEP

Lynda started exploring yoga when she began studying with Deepak Chopra, MD in 1994. Soon after she became a Certified Massage Therapist in CA and opened her first healing shop. Her desire to share as she learned led to opening an integrative wellness center and co-teaching courses on Ayurveda, Meditation, Aromatherapy, and other healing modalities. Her desire to assist in the healing process led her to delve into a host of healing techniques from Reiki and Craniosacral to Sports Massage and PNF stretching. Lynda sensed a need for clients to utilize their bodies' natural ability to heal and incorporated this into her nurturing treatments.

Lynda's quest for knowledge continues, and the integration of Yoga became a natural extension of her journey. Lynda is a 500 Hour Yoga Teacher Training graduate from the Lotus Pond. Lynda loves teaching Hatha, Slow Flow, Gentle and Restorative Yoga. Her background lends itself to a warm, safe and meditative journey during her classes. The potential she desires for all of her students/clients— bliss.

Margie Sagafi • e-RYT 500

Maryelin has been practicing and studying yoga for more than 15 years, traveling the world and attending numerous workshops and conferences with Rodney Yee, Cindy Lee, Laurence Biscontini, David Regelin, Karin Stephan and others. She traveled to India seeking deeper knowledge; after a month of submerging into the practice of the physical and spiritual aspects of yoga, she received her yoga teacher certification from The Himalaya Yoga Institute. She is trained in Raja Dhiraja Yoga, a more extensive and comprehensive form of Ashtanga Yoga. Her teaching methods emphasize strong practice, precise alignment, meditation, visualization, and intention; flowing in coordination with breathing techniques. She is certified in Prenatal and Restorative Yoga. She teaches private lessons as well as group classes.

MARie Shively • E-RYT 500

Marie discovered her love of Yoga 35 years ago in college and has practiced it ever since. She went on to teach yoga after becoming a personal trainer and group wellness Instructor at the YMCA more than 20 years ago. Marie obtained her 300 hours at the Lotus Pond in 2021 and dedicated herself to spreading yoga’s wisdom and teachings to all. She is passionate about helping people bring healthy practices to all aspects of their life and works with people at all levels, including those who are recovering from an injury or people who have physical impairments. She strives to bring love, kindness, peace, and ease to all who attend her classes, saying “From my heart to your heart, with grace and love, Namaste.”

Melinda Isphording • RYT 200

Melinda began a physical yoga practice as a way to bring more exercise into her life to assist with weight loss and developing physical strength over the past 12 years.  In 2019, Melinda found the Lotus Pond  Center and began taking the public workshops and group classes, finding a deeper connection of spirit with her physical practice.   She felt drawn to continue to learn more about the ancient practices and philosophies, discovering all are aligned and connected when completing the 200 hour yoga teacher training at the Lotus Pond.  Melinda continues this journey of discovery while completing the 300 hour Yoga teacher training and other workshops at the Lotus Pond.  The journey of finding more peace and calm as she works with her inner teacher.
 
Melinda is currently teaching a Gentle Yoga class on Sundays at 2pm.  The class focuses on slowing down, using the breath and the positions to bring more calm, mindfulness and restoration to the mind and body.  She looks forward to  sharing her joy and connection with nature and the community with the students.

Michelle Burgroff • RYT 200 • RCYT

​Michelle has focused on devotion outside of herself as a mother and teacher. While balancing motherhood and self-development, she found yoga to be a welcoming practice to create self-awareness. For her, yoga provides the platform for implementing self-care, developing the tools to journey inward, giving back, and finding mutual inspiration while practicing yoga with children. Michelle is a 200hr graduate from the Lotus Pond. Because of her dedication to children and yoga, Michelle is also a RCYT (Registered Children’s Yoga Teacher). Michelle graduated from theUniversity of South Florida with a degree in Elementary Education. Her Florida Teaching Certificate includes teaching children ages 3 to grade 6.

Nick Paladino • RYT 200

Nick Paladino, RYT 200, is a yoga teacher training graduate of The Lotus Pond. Nick brings the balance of Hatha yoga to his classes and personal practice, combining strength with softness, and emphasizing both focused effort and deep relaxation. In Nick's classes, you will be guided with helpful alignment cues and encouraged to find your edge and experience growth in your yoga journey at a mindful pace. Join Nick on your mat and center yourself, engage your body, and feel the peace of true presence. "I am so grateful for the opportunity to teach at The Lotus Pond, and I value every student here. Whether you come for the challenge of a physical flow--with offerings for varying levels--or for the alive awareness of pranayama breathwork and meditative moments, I will always strive to create space for your practice to flourish."

Pam Velez • E-RYT 500

Pam has been teaching yoga for the past 9 years.  She began taking yoga classes at a gym with the intention of getting a good workout.  What began as part of an exercise routine has become so much more.  Pam credits yoga for helping her to become a better person:  more patient, compassionate and less judgmental.  She has over 700 hours of yoga training and earned her E-RYT 500.  Pam loves to laugh and brings this element of lightheartedness to each class.  Her classes incorporate alignment, flow, humor and a bit of yoga philosophy.

Rosanna Duran • M.Ed. • E-RYT 200 / RYT 500

Like many others, and possibly you, Rosanna began her journey with yoga with the purpose of taking a brief pause from a busy life to seek peace and calm within. Rosanna’s journey led her to bridge her passion for teaching, personal development and yoga, and in 2016, 10 years later, she graduated from the Lotus Pond Intensive YTT program at the Art of Living in Boone, NC. Rosanna has been teaching regularly ever since and is trained in Yin Yoga, Yoga Nidra, and Restorative Yoga. Her teaching style focuses on the building blocks of a foundational practice with the intention that a greater sense of awareness and stability in the body extends to the mind. Besides teaching yoga, Rosanna loves traveling, cuddling with her sweet dog, Dexter, being outdoors (preferably by the ocean or in the mountains) and cooking and eating with friends and family.

Roger Mallory • RYT 500

As a teenager Roger read Yogananda’s book “Autobiography of a Yogi” about the same time he was studying Zen Buddhism and the spiritual teachings of a variety of masters. Roger, coincidentally, researched the practice of yoga, established a home asana practice, was trained in Transcendental Meditation and began intense karate training. Roger discovered, early, the bliss of blending the nourishment of spirituality and meditation with an intensely focused physical practice of yoga and karate. After obtaining his undergraduate degree in Experimental Psych., his juris doctorate (law) degree at Univ. of Fla., working in the part-drama, part-straight-jacket life of a trial lawyer, and, circa 2005, suffering a rapid series of traumatic personal losses, Roger “stopped the clock” and consciously assessed his life to determine whether there was a “way out” of intense and persistent suffering.  Roger brings his years of teaching experience, yoga and meditation practice, gifted speaking and writing abilities, and his bright energy and humor to teaching yoga and meditation, and increasing the awake awareness of his students on and off the mat.

Ryan devin • e-RYT 500 • YACEP

Lead Teacher in the 200 & 300 Hour Lotus Pond Yoga Teacher Training Programs

Ryan Devin has extensive training in intuitive alignment-based yoga, acrobatic yoga, pranayama (yogic breathing) and meditation. With over 2500 hours of experience in teaching, he is a passionate and enthusiastic leader with a patient and loving approach.  His co-teachers and students say he exudes wisdom and intuition beyond his years. With a Bachelor’s in Alternative Medicine, he merges an understanding of the human body and holistic practices into his teachings.

“Nothing is so strong as gentleness, nothing is so gentle as real strength.”

Sahara rodriguez ​• Meditation Teacher

Sahara Rodriguez has been practicing bodywork, teaching classes and workshops for over 30 years. She has studied and trained with spiritual teachers from around the world and brings together many paths in the spirit of Oneness. Sahara is a licensed massage therapist, Reiki Master, meditation teacher, minister, author of the inspirational, "Beyond the Reflection" and is dedicated to heart centered service. Her classes provide a safe, nurturing space which assist people on their healing path and connection to the Source.

Sami Mangione • E-RYT 500 • YACEP

Sami is a 500 hour RYT and is in training to become a certified yoga therapist (C-IAYT). She is the founder of Wild Haven Somatics (wildhavensomatics.com), where she teaches creative and mindful movement practices, and is Creative Director of Phoenix Fire & Performance Art, a fire dancing and entertainment company in Tampa Bay (phoenixfireflow.com). Sami has her B.A. in Dance and her B.Sc. in Psychology from University of Florida. Her creative and therapeutic work is deeply inspired by the mind-body connection, and the ways we communicate, heal, and move through different layers of our being.

Sarah Sclafani • E-RYT 500 • YACEP

Sarah Sclafani is an E-RYT500 experienced yoga teacher with a wide range of class styles for all levels. A certified Chair and Yin Yoga teacher , a Reiki Master and a Silver Sneakers certified in fitness and yoga instructor.  She loves to she share her passion through yoga through her teachings.  Sarah is a mother of 4, grandmother of 7. Sarah's motto: You are one yoga class away from a good mood!

SARA Arroyave Soto • RYT 200

Sara began practicing yoga at the age of 13 when her aunt introduced her to the Lotus Pond, and has now gone full circle by becoming a Lotus Pond Yoga Teacher Training Program graduate. Being an athlete since the age of four, the physical aspects of yoga are what drew her in; but as she grew older, she realized that there is much more to yoga than the physical challenge and benefits. Her classes have an abundance of affirmations and focus on different forms of self-love. Additionally, she aims to facilitate a safe space for those who may have a Spanish to English language barrier by teaching in both languages simultaneously, as well as those who are learning either language, those who want a challenge to listen to a foreign language, and those who simply want a yoga class.

Sujata Martin • ​MS OTR/L, CD

Sujata is a Bhakti Yoga teacher, and a pelvic floor specialist at "Pelvic Soul Pelvic Therapy". She was raised in India, immersed in the culture that gave rise to Yoga, Ayurveda, and the Tantra traditions. Sujata helps individuals & groups deepen their understanding of Yoga by teaching Yoga history & philosophy, and leads Satsang & Kirtan groups. She also provides Yoga-based mindfulness therapy and sex counseling to round off her healthcare practice. Sujata currently leads the monthly donation based women's circles at the Lotus Pond.

Tara Drucker • RYT 200

Tara began practicing yoga in 2019 to deepen her meditation practice. She quickly found that yoga gave her the mind, body, and spirit connection she had been longing for her entire life. Through yoga, she was able to begin healing the grief associated with losing both parents and balance her physical, mental, and energetic body. Following her intuition, Tara completed her 200 hour Teacher Training at the Lotus Pond, where she is currently working on her advanced training to become a 500 hour teacher. She is also a Pranic healer (energy healer) and incorporates it into her yoga practice. Yoga and Pranic healing are a perfect match as both focus on moving energy through the body to avoid congestion as well as connecting on a deeper level to the divinity with us. Tara is passionate about helping students feel ease and confidence in yoga postures so they can find balance and bliss in their lives. She focuses on alignment while incorporating breath work, mindfulness, and joy into her classes. 

Teri Martin • E-RYT 500 • YACEP

​Teri Martin is an E-RYT500 Experienced Yoga Instructor from Boston and has been a yoga practitioner for over 20 years. In her yoga teaching she encourages, leads, and empowers students to tune in to and connect with themselves, creating increased physical and personal awareness.
Teri is an Artist, Art Consultant, Business Advisor and founder of TheArtNetwork. Her left brain has a
Harvard MBA and is a former executive at HBO, Cinemax and Citicorp.
Teri’s vinyasa flow classes are enjoyable, thoughtfully choreographed and appropriately paced flows of ashtanga - based postures and movement with strong emphasis on proper alignment, breath, personal awareness and individual attention.

Tracey Uddin • RYT 200 

Tracey completed her 200-hour yoga teacher training here at the Lotus Pond in August 2018 after relocating from the Dallas area the year prior. And it changed her life in so very many ways! She has completed additional training in a variety of yoga styles including Yin and Restorative and continues learning as a 300-hour YTT student. Tracey is Usui Reiki Level II attuned and a practicing herbalist. Her intention as a teacher is to remain authentic while creating a space where students feel welcome, at ease, and open to all they are meant to receive.

Usha Rani • M.Fin • Meditation Teacher

​Usha Rani was born and raised in India. Her introduction into meditation started at a young age. It was in India, while she was growing up she would listen to Guruji and practicing in the Ashram. She came to America to raise her children with her dear husband. With her financial profession, she kept practicing many different meditation techniques and most recently has been studying under SwamiJi. Usha will be sharing a special Healing Chakra meditation. This meditation brings happiness, love, bliss . Awareness and connection to higher source.

Anne Curtis • Ph.d • E-RYT 500 • Yacep

Anne Curtis is a teacher in our 300 Hour Yoga Teacher Training Program. She is devoted to teaching in a student-centered way, in which each student's unique characteristics are taken into account. Her goal is for each individual to find their way toward greater understanding of their own body and how to work with the yoga poses to bring about a finely tuned mindful balance. In 1996, Anne started studying Yoga and began to devote herself to Yoga as a way of life after using it to heal from an upper back injury. She had studied classical ballet and modern dance for 14 years in Berkeley, California. After her undergraduate studies, she earned a Ph.D. in biology at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In 2003, Anne did her Iyengar-based teacher training studies in Palo Alto, California with Larry Hatlett. She then completed the Yoga Alliance 200 hour certification with Val Spies, founder/director of The Lotus Pond in Tampa, Florida. She founded Yoga Within in 2010. In 2014, Anne completed the 500 hour certification with Val Spies. Anne is currently a member of The Lotus Pond Advanced Teacher Training staff.
Visit www.yogawithin.studio for more information

Dr. Jennifer Swarigen • Orthopedic Surgeon • RYT 500

Jennifer Swaringen is a teacher in our 300 Hour Yoga Teacher Training Program. She began practicing yoga over 20 years ago and completed her 500 RYT yoga teacher training through the Lotus Pond. She also is an Orthopedic Surgeon specializing in Sports Medicine and has taken care of patients in the Tampa Bay region since 2008. The principles of yoga have greatly influenced and improved her life and she feels grateful for the opportunity to share the practice with others. In 2018, she began teaching the Perspectives in Anatomy Course at the Lotus Pond with Anne Curtis. Jennifer is able to bring examples from her medical and surgical background into the workshop to assist students in understanding the anatomy of the human body, especially as it relates to doing, modifying, and teaching yoga postures.
Learn more at www.alexaderorthopaedics.com 

Karin Stephan • Master Teacher • E-RYT 500 • YACEP

​Karin Stephan is a Master Teacher in our 200 & 300 Hour Yoga Teacher Training Programs. She is a leading Iyengar yoga teacher in the United States with a career that has spanned more than 45 years. She credits her understanding and appreciation of the human body to the teachings of BKS Iyengar, the world's foremost yoga master. As a student of Mr. Iyengar's since 1972 and a certified Iyengar teacher, Karin incorporates his insights and acute sense of observation into her yoga practice and teaching on a daily basis. Karin first met Mr. Iyengar on a visit to Pune, India in 1969. Mr. Iyengar's focus on yoga as 'precision in action' complemented her interest in structure and aesthetics, a theme which runs throughout her teaching. In 1985, she co-founded The B.K.S. Iyengar Yoga Center of Cambridge with Patricia Walden.
Learn more at http://www.yogamacro.com 

Larissa Carlson • M.A. • E-RYT 500 • YACEP

Larissa Hall Carlson is a teacher in our 300 Hour Yoga Teacher Training Program and the Pranayama Teacher for our 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training Program. Larissa Carlson is an M.A., E-RYT 500 and Kripalu 1000-hr teacher, co-creator of Yoga Journal's online course Ayurveda 101, and former Dean of the Kripalu School of Ayurveda, guides retreats, directs advanced yoga teacher trainings, and provides consultations across the country. Specializing in pranayama, yoga for performers, Mindfulness and Ayurveda, she supports students and clients in deepening their practice, finding radiant health and making the most of this life.
​Learn more at www.larissacarlson.com ​

Manasa Kanithi M.S. • E-RYT 500

Manasa is a teacher in our 200 and 300 Hour Yoga Teacher Training Programs. Having been a student of yoga from the age of five under the guidance of her parents, Manasa brings authentic teachings of Philosophy, Sanskrit, Mantra, and Ayurveda to the YTT programs at Lotus Pond. As a graduate of the Lotus Pond 200hr and advanced teacher training, Manasa offers classes that draw from multiple lineages that take students right to the heart of yoga.  Manasa holds her M.S. in Medical Sciences from the Morsani College of Medicine at USF. She also carries a graduate certificate in Aging and Neurosciences certificate in Ayurvedic Studies. She strives to weave together the traditions of yoga with the scientific principles to promote health and wellness for her students. Her travels to 22 countries and extensive work with non-profits local and abroad inspire her teachings to promote diversity, inclusivity, and the importance of service and social action

Melissa Caroll • e-RYT 500 • YACEP • MFA

Melissa Carroll is a teacher in the 300hr Yoga Teacher Training Program, a college creative writing professor, and the author of four books, including Going OM: Real-Life Stories on and off the Yoga Mat. In 2006 Melissa discovered yoga and Reiki as paths toward inner peace, and she has dedicated her life to sharing these practices with others. Melissa has taught yoga for the past 11 years and specializes in philosophy, alignment, Yin Yoga, meditation, and the subtle body. Learn more at www.TheYogaWriter.com.
​Creator of the online course SHADOW+LIGHT: A Journey Toward Self-Mastery

Pam Kaplan • E-RYT 500 • YACEP​

​Pam Kaplan is a teacher in our 300 Hour Yoga Teacher Training Program. She has been studying the craft of yoga since the 80's in NYC where she also studied acting, voice, and dance. Pam is a former actress and vocal coach and currently practices as a speech-language pathologist. She has worked with both television, radio and stage actors to assist them reach their vocal potential. Some of Pam's clients have been ESPN2, NewsChannel 8, WMNF and American Stage. She has worked for Eckerd College, USF, Ruth Eckerd Hall, HSN and performed a one-woman show in Tampa.

Willow Marcotte • E-RYT 500 • YACEP

Willow Marcotte is a teacher in our 300 Hour Yoga Teacher Training Program. She is experienced in Yoga Nidra, Chair Yoga, Yoga for Seniors, Restorative Yoga, pranayama and alignment. Her background in nursing, compliments these practices allowing for a deep understanding of anatomy and body function. Her journey began in 1996 while studying Tibetan Buddhism and Meditation. A long-standing appreciation for philosophy, she found the path of yoga a natural progression. Willow’s continued studies in adaptive yoga and trauma training have allowed her to develop a teaching practice that is all inclusive. In addition, she has developed trainings to provide access to the tools needed to safely and effectively teach adaptable yoga with supportive language and insight. Willow invites students to dive into themselves, embracing balance not only on the mat, but in the yoga of life as well.