Instructors
Wendy Andersen
Wendy Andersen is a certified Anusara® Yoga instructor and is registered with the Yoga Alliance as an RYT500 and eRYT200. Wendy is the owner and director of Shine. She is blessed to share this life with her husband Scott, their two boys Luke and Sam, and their new addition, Baby Jane.
Wendy was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, and completed 21 years of Catholic education finishing law school at Notre Dame in 1995. That same year, Wendy met her husband Scott who introduced her to yoga. Right away, her perspective on life began to shift and the vision of Shine began to form.
Wendy opened Shine Yoga Center in 2002 after an early retirement from a creer as a corporate litigation attorney. Wendy's experience in listening to her "inner voice" and making such a radical shift in her own life has made her a firm believer in the power of intention to manifest your dreams into reality. In her loving and supportive way, Wendy inspires students at Shine to take that step into the unknown on their yoga mat and in their own lives.
True to her Capricorn nature, Wendy is calm and efficient, gentle and focused. Her students appreciate the clarity of her alignment instruction and her ability to express the energetic action of yoga in and understandable way. Her intention is to help her students connect to their own inner wisdom and appreciate the fullness of who they are.
Shalini Latour
Shalini (eRYT500) is a certified Anusara® Yoga instructor. She began her journey into hatha yoga while living in an Ashram. She practiced yoga, meditation, chanting, studied philosophy, and traveled to India twice during her 10-year stay there. She has been dedicated to the study and practice of Anusara® Yoga since 1989. Shalini is known for her fun loving, light-hearted teaching style. The therapeutic aspect of yoga is of special interest to her and she enjoys sharing the knowledge she accumulated thru her extensive studies and her own injuries. Shalini is also a very fine chocolatier and pastry chef. Visit her web site at www.chocolatslatour.com
Rosanna Juncos
Rosanna has been teaching yoga since 1996 and is certified by both Anusara® Yoga and the Yoga Alliance at the RYT 500 hour level. She’s had extensive training with John Friend, Sianna Sherman, Rodney Yee, Judith Lasater, philosophy teacher Prof. Douglas Brooks, and other internationally acclaimed yoga teachers.
As an ex-athlete with many old sports injuries, she knows the importance of healthy movement and understanding the way our bodies work. She believes that yoga is not what you do, but how you do it, and that this the key to unlocking the powerful effects of a yoga practice.
Her classes therefore emphasize basic functional anatomy and bio-mechanics that students can take with them into every aspect of their lives, whether it's the 5-K run or the computer.
She chooses yoga postures that are therapeutic, encourage mindfulness and body awareness, create relaxation, alleviate or eliminate pain, and avoid injury (in other words: no acrobatic poses!). Her classes include meditation and breath work, are playful and light-hearted and her students ages range from ages 20+ to 60+.
Kathleen Noble
Kate is a certified Anusara® Yoga instructor. The inspiration for her teaching style is rooted in the poetry and celebration of everyday living. Her greatest hope is to help friends and students find a deeper level of insight, comfort, and joy in their unique experience of life. She is eternally grateful for the transformative practice of Yoga and feels blessed with the opportunity to share it! As well as yoga for grown-ups, she leads family-based Yoga classes and Yoga for Pregnancy. She also offers private sessions with a focus on re-establishing balance throughout the musculo-skeletal system of the body to cultivate greater harmony and ease of being. Please visit her website for more info and inspiration ar www.flourishunlimited.com, or contact her through e-mail ~ kate@flourishunlimited.com
Karen Johns
Karen (RYT200) has been practicing asana for over 13 years, and teaching for more than 8 years. Her personal yoga practice is a combination of three passions: hatha yoga (the physical practice), raja yoga (meditation) and bhakti yoga (devotional chanting). Her classes often combine all three, plus a giant helping of humor, a welcoming spirit and the sheer joy of watching her students leave feeling better than they did when they walked in. Who could ask for a better job?
Karen has been gifted with hundreds of hours of classes with certified Anusara instructors, as well as extensive trainings with Sianna Sherman and Anusara's founder, John Friend. Karen has been a part of the Shine community from the beginning, and wears the hat of office manager most days of the week.
Karen recorded a cd of Sanskrit chants that is always for sale at Shine, but if you'd like to download it, visit her website and follow the link at www.karenjohnschants.com
Brenda Villa
Brenda Villa is an Anusara-inspired™ teacher. She is dedicated to teaching classes which leave people feeling expanded within their bodies, mind and spirit, ready to live their best lives. She knows that yoga is for everybody and every-body can benefit from a little movement and breathing with asana, the Universal Principals, and time surrendering in savasana. Students feel supported, challenged and uplifted by Brenda's teaching. She has studied at Shine since it opened and is a longtime and dedicated student of Sianna Sherman. Brenda is deeply grateful for all she's learned from the many amazing Anusara teachers & students in her life.
David Martin
David looks forward to the yoga classes he gets to teach. It's always a highlight of his week. He works as a consultant and coach for executives and enjoys helping them experience simple insights that lead to big breakthroughs in their business. He hopes to do the same for his yoga students bringing their lessons on the yoga mat to life with a playful spirit and caring direction. David began practicing Iyengar yoga in 1994 and has studied Anusara yoga since 2000, studying with many great teachers, especially Sianna Sherman. He's also a devoted student and big fan of the gracious spiritual teacher Sally Kempton. David is registered with the Yoga Alliance as an RYT200. He has also completed all pre-requisites to certify as an Anusara instructor and is currently working through the certification process.
Alan Hundley
Alan is a licensed massage therapist and has been teaching Tai Chi and Qigong for Health since 2005. He is currently working with Grand Master Ken Cohen towards a Certification in Medical Qigong through Ken's Qigong Practice and Research Center in Boulder Colorado.
Donna Covrett
Donna has been a student of yoga since 1974 (including five years living in Sri Rudrananda ashram), and a teacher and Thai Yoga therapist since 1997. She’s had the great fortune to study with many gifted teachers throughout the United States in a variety of yoga disciplines, all of who continue to inspire her classes and daily life. With profound respect for the physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of yoga, she provides tools that emphasize a blueprint of alignment through attention to detail, awareness of breath, an open heart, and an understanding that life consists of simple relationships between pairs of opposites that long to meet in balance.
Bev Palmer
Bev (RYT200) has been a member of the Shine community since we opened our doors in 2002, and has been teaching since 2007. Coming to yoga as the result of a serious condition in her spine, Bev has experienced first-hand the therapeutic benefits of a regular yoga practice. She has studied with all of our teachers at Shine and, in addition, with all of our visiting veteran Anusara yogis, including founder John Friend, Sianna Sherman, Betsy Downing, Desiree Rumbaugh and many more. Bev infuses her classes with the joy and enthusiasm of a heart-centered practice, balanced by competence and a solid understanding of the principles of alignment. She is committed to helping each student find the optimal blueprint for his or her unique physical challenge and to encouraging self-love, compassion and gratitude as the foundations for healing and growth.
Patsy Baughn
Patsy Baughn completed her first teacher training in 2001 in Los Angeles, CA where she spent 5 years training and teaching in Anusara® Yoga studios. She became an Anusara-inspired™ teacher in 2004 and received her prenatal training under the tutelage of certified Anusara instructors. In 2006, Patsy returned to her previous Cincinnati home and is honored to teach at Shine. She has extensive experience with prenatal as well as Mommy and Me classes. Patsy loves teaching students of all levels with a special love of beginners. Her teaching style is light-hearted and playful.
Kim Nietch
Kim Nietch (RYT500), a former New Jersey yoga studio owner, offers her adept skill as a teacher and yoga practitioner in all of her classes whether teaching here or at her home studio. Her classes flow and move beautifully to her own fabulous music mixes. Her classes are unpredictable, creative and challenging. A perfect opportunity to apply your alignment principles in a more flowing practice style.
Beryl Donenfeld
Beryl's (RYT200) energetic classes are based on her extensive study of vinyasa yoga, Anusara Yoga and Yoga therapeutics. With over 20 years experience as a Personal Trainer and group fitness instructor, Beryl teaches creative classes with clear cues and precise focus on anatomical alignment. Beryl has studied with many wonderful teachers all over the country and has been inspired by her travel in India. Beryl loves to share her passion for yoga with her classes.
Jo Griffith
From Jo's heart:
Why do yoga? Because it's about cultivating greater skill in navigating our lives. Why don’t we create healthy bodies and minds in order to attract the riches life has to offer? Let’s become stronger, more flexible, and balanced. Why don’t we learn how to be skillful in the way we move to heal old injuries? All of this and more is yours for the taking in my classes.
An RYT and Anusara-inspired™ teacher, I have been teaching yoga for 5 years. I love to investigate, and Anusara® Yoga uses a system of alignment to better access the the riches of life. Come explore and experiment with me.
I am honored to be an ambassador for Lululemon Cincinnati. www.lululemon.com
Kathleen/ Patsy
Kathleen Noble and Patsy Baughn will alternate the teaching of the Saturday prenatal class.
Patricia Sheerin
Patricia Sheerin (RYT200) has been practicing yoga faithfully since 1996 and teaching since 2000. Her students value her great love of yoga, which she shares enthusiastically through her open-hearted approach. She is also known for her knowledge of functional anatomy, clearly communicated through voice, touch and demonstration. This combination of compassion and precision creates a non-judgmental atmosphere in which one can explore the energetics of a deeper yoga practice.
Patricia's studies in Anusara Yoga have been complimented by her training in Yoga Therapy, Ayurvedic diet and Meditation. Her foundation practice is also informed by her practice in Shiatsu, Thai Yoga Massage and Synergetic Structural Integration (Deep Tissue Bodywork).
Leslie Kreines
Leslie has been an avid hooper for 2 1/2 years. Ignited by the energy and contagious fun hooping inspires, her passion for hooping got a kick start at the Hoop Convergence where she received her teacher training. Last year, the hooping class at Shine was voted best fitness class by Cincinnati Magazine. Who knew that a hooping class burns as many calories as a spinning class? AND it's an amazing core workout. Leslie also teaches hooping at the Blue Ash Recreation Center on Tuesday nights at 6pm.
Sharon Byrnes
Sharon Byrnes, MS Ed., RYT200 has years of experience as a teacher, coach and exercise specialist in the fields of Health and Physical Education. She was drawn to yoga after a work-related injury that precluded participation in competitive sports. Yoga's therapeutic aspects were of particular interest as they are not limited just to body, but to the healing of mind and spirit as well. Sharon teaches Gentle Yoga and the New Beginner classes in January at Shine. She enjoys working with newbies, students returning to yoga and students who may be recovering from an injury or who suffer from chronic conditions such as arthritis, sciatica, etc. She believes that taking the time to focus on and understand the foundation and Principles of Alignment provides a solid base for students to increase their awareness and better serve themselves on and off the yoga mat..
Pascal Buckley
Pascal (RYT200 and Anusara-inspired™)has been blessed to study with many gifted teachers, including (in alphabetical order), Wendy Andersen, John Friend, Noah Maze, Todd Tesen, Sianna Sherman and Stephanie Waugh. He is dedicated to exploring the sweetness, potency and therapeutic power enshrined in the technology of Anusara Yoga. His classes are supportive, driving and playful; students are invited to create their poses from the inner expression with their full heart.
Sharon & Judy
Sharon Byrnes and Judy Hirsh have joined forces to create the ideal situation for the New Beginner students: more attention! There will always be two teachers present now for this class so that new students can get a better understanding and feel for the poses with the expert attention of these two fantastic teachers. Read their individual bios for more information.
Judy Hirsh
Judy Hirsh, RYT200 has been practicing Anusara yoga since 2002. Beginning yoga practice at mid-life has taught Judy that you don't have to be perfectly "flexy-bendy" to benefit from yoga, both on the mat and off. Judy feels that yoga has transformed her life and is inspired her to share the physical and heart-opening qualities of yoga with new/beginner students in a non-judgemental, friendly environment.
Sarah McCosham
wassermansb@gmail.com
Sarah McCosham is a Cincinnati native who currently resides in Pleasant Ridge with her husband Tony, son Julian, and dog Lady. She is a freelance writer whose work regularly appears in Cincinnati Family and Cincinnati Parent. Sarah has been practicing yoga for four years and is excited to be teaching the Baby & Me class with Julian!
