The Yoga Place

The Yoga Place,
Bennington, VT
(802) 447-0101

our teachers

Jane Schaeffer w granddaughter Jane Schaeffer, MA, RYT, is the originator of The Yoga Place. She is a Licensed Psychologist-Master and a Registered Professional Level Yoga Teacher with a 500-hour certification. She was a group, family and individual psychotherapist for many years. Along with teaching yoga for over 8 years, she has taught Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and Relaxation for over 10 years as well as beginner meditation. She is currently a meditation student of Dr. Roshi Joan Jiku Halifax. Most recently Jane has been training with Amrit Desai at the Amrit Institute in Ocala Springs, Florida. Jane, also an anthropologist, has traveled throughout Asia and brings an artful love of movement and balance to her teaching.
Jane first encountered yoga as a college student and resumed her practice after the birth of her daughter, feeling a need to reclaim ownership of her body. "Yoga brings me home to myself. I tend to be a bit of a "talking head" type A personality. When I am connected to life through my body, I like myself and I like my life. It is a great privilege to teach and learn so deeply from the many students of the Yoga Place."

Tracey Forest, CYT, is currently enrolled in Shiva Rea's 200-hour Prana Vinyasa Flow Yoga Teacher Training. Flow Yoga has healed her relationship with her body and and devotional singing has healed her heart. Additionally, she is, with her husband, Founding Co-director of Spirit Hollow, a nature-based retreat center in Shaftsbury dedicated to the transformation of consciousness, where she teaches shamanic healing, conducts private healing sessions, and leads children and women in deep rite of passage work. Tracey is also a performing singer-songwriter who spear-headed Spirit Hollow's first CD Beauty All Around (2007) and co-leads monthly kirtans at the Yoga Place. Currently, she is recording The Most Beautiful Truth, for the group, Bhakti-Shakti, of which she is member. www.spirithollow.org

Richard Hernandez has been involved in yoga for some 18 years. He has been teaching for 8 years. "It was never my plan to teach yoga. I still see myself as primarily a student of yoga. Over the years I've been fortunate to have good teachers, and to be able to study with some of the best yoga people today. My base is the Iyengar style. However, my instruction has evolved into a more flowing form with attention to detail. Students are encouraged to accept their abilities and to work at their own level."
Richard is also co-owner with his wife Tina, of Spice and Nice, our local health food store.

Natasha Judson, M.Ed., RYT500, Certified Anusara Yoga Instructor
"I biked to yoga classes over the hills of Pittsburgh, PA. Later after becoming a high school teacher, I took up yoga again to help with stress. Yoga grew from a therapeutic endeavor to relieve back pain into a practice cultivating fullness, stability, and appreciation. In 1999 I started teaching yoga in the Berkshires, and in 2002 gave up teaching public school to go into it full time. I have been supported to grow by many teachers, including the Iyengar yoga and Buddhist meditation communities. Currently I focus on my training as a student and teacher of Anusara yoga, studying several times a year with John Friend and the merry band of Anusara yogis. Not least among my teachers is my horse Chandler, a lanky bay ex- racehorse, who lets me know by his floppy relaxed ears and round full back when we are in the zone."

Katie Martin, RYT is a professional dance artist/educator and yoga instructor, working within the spheres of choreography, performance, and movement education. She has certification in Interdisciplinary Yoga from Don and Amba Stapleton.
In teaching yoga, Katie's primary interests lie at the intersection and synthesis of various yogic and somatic traditions including Iyengar, Kripalu, Yin, Ashtanga, Alexander and Feldenkrais. Katie teaches dance and yoga widely and also perfoms with the Emergent Improvisation Project, a platform for research, teaching, and performance that investigates time-based art within the framework of natural, complex systems. www.emergentimprovisation.org

Donna Menneto is a Certified Pilates Instructor. She received her certification in classical Pilates from Power Pilates of New York. Ms. Menneto studied Pilates under the tutelage of Master Pilates Instructor and physical therapist, Lisa Hoffmaster. Ms. Menneto combines physical therapy expertise and Pilates seven principals of exercise, centering, concentration, control, precision/flow, rhythm and breath to give a beneficial and challenging workout. This class will leave you feeling refreshed, centered and revitalized.

Lisa Levangie Moses, MA, RYT, is a certified "Hot Yoga" instructor who trained with Jimmy Barkan from the Yoga College of India. She has a Masters of Art in Social Ecology, is a reading specialist at the local elementary school and lives on a small farm where she and her husband built their own house, raise (cows, sheep, chickens, horses, pigs) animals, produce maple syrup and honey and grow lots of vegetables and flowers.
Yoga came into Lisa's life more than ten years ago. Due to health reasons, she was led to "Hot Yoga" which changed her life and health at the time. "Yoga brings my physical, mental and spiritual health into balance and keeps me centered and strong on and off the mat. After practicing 'Hot Yoga' I wanted to share this with other people.

One of Donna Myers' yoga classes Donna Myers was introduced to yoga by Clive Sheridan while living in Hamburg, Germany and working as dance captain for the musical "Cats." After many years in Europe Donna returns to the US with her family and is eager to share her interests and experience with the yoga community in Bennington. Donna is a certified yoga instructor and holds a BS in ballet pedagogy from Indiana University. Her background in working with the body as a dancer and performer combined with her interest in holistic health has fueled her passion to explore yoga as a path for spiritual growth.

Kathryn Shea. Kathryn, mother of 3, has been a returning adult student at Skidmore College in nearby Saratoga Springs, NY for the past 3 1/2 years. Her major is in Environmental Studies with a minor in Dance. She says, "I have learned so much, been challenged and had fun. I am a bit nervous teaching yoga because I am truly still a student, but I am looking forward to sharing what I have learned. I trained under fabulous instructors and developed confidence in my skill, my knowledge and in my compassion for other people's bodies. I welcome the opportunity to teach yoga in the Bennington community, all its aspects are a beautiful part of life."

Diane St. Clair Diane St.Clair. From backpacking around the world to building her own cabin in Alaska, Diane has strived to find ways to push her consciousness to new levels. In 1991 she began studying the famous Professor Chen Men Cheng's Yang style Tai Chi through the Naropa Institute in Boulder, Colorado. She went on to study Qi Gong, the Traditional Yang Family Tai Chi through the Taoist International Retreat in Alaska, advanced energy work and two person exercises at the Taoist Sanctuary in San Diego, California. Diane has a BA in psychology, is a student of world's religions, a member of EnlightenNext and a co-founder of an Oriental Medical Center bringing a wide range of experience to this special class. She will help you to become the embodiment of beauty and grace in motion.

Carol Steinmetz is trained in Anusara-style yoga, spending over 400 hours with Todd Norian in 2003 and has been teaching in Berlin, NY, Williamstown, MA and at The Yoga Place. She also practices Integrative Manual Therapy, a form of bodywork for healing.
Carol's 30 years in nursing compliment her yoga teaching, providing a firm foundation in anatomy and body mechanics. She has a deep understanding and knowledge of the learning process formed when she was coordinator of education at a local hospital. She is currently in continuing study at the Center for Integrative Manual Therapy in Bloomfield, CT.

Nicole Stetson is currently completing a teacher certification in classical Ashtanga yoga studying with Beryl Bender Birch. Having been a professional ice skater and long distance runner, she has always been passionate about finding peace and joy in movement and keeping the physical body healthy. After discovering yoga, she was struck with the overwhelming feeling that she had come home. "I am a life-long student of yoga and the Ashtanga practice and hope to share this beautiful physical and spiritual practice with others." Nicole has worked in higher education for many years and currently teaches and coordinates programs at the Community College of Vermont. She lives in the Bennington area with her husband and two children.

		The Yoga Place, Bennington, VT (802) 447-0101
	our teachers Jane Schaeffer, MA, RYT, is the originator of The Yoga Place. She is a Licensed Psychologist-Master and a Registered Professional Level Yoga Teacher with a 500-hour certification. She was a group, family and individual psychotherapist for many years. Along with teaching yoga for over 8 years, she has taught Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and Relaxation for over 10 years as well as beginner meditation. She is currently a meditation student of Dr. Roshi Joan Jiku Halifax. Most recently Jane has been training with Amrit Desai at the Amrit Institute in Ocala Springs, Florida. Jane, also an anthropologist, has traveled throughout Asia and brings an artful love of movement and balance to her teaching. Jane first encountered yoga as a college student and resumed her practice after the birth of her daughter, feeling a need to reclaim ownership of her body. "Yoga brings me home to myself. I tend to be a bit of a "talking head" type A personality. When I am connected to life through my body, I like myself and I like my life. It is a great privilege to teach and learn so deeply from the many students of the Yoga Place." Tracey Forest, CYT, is currently enrolled in Shiva Rea's 200-hour Prana Vinyasa Flow Yoga Teacher Training. Flow Yoga has healed her relationship with her body and and devotional singing has healed her heart. Additionally, she is, with her husband, Founding Co-director of Spirit Hollow, a nature-based retreat center in Shaftsbury dedicated to the transformation of consciousness, where she teaches shamanic healing, conducts private healing sessions, and leads children and women in deep rite of passage work. Tracey is also a performing singer-songwriter who spear-headed Spirit Hollow's first CD Beauty All Around (2007) and co-leads monthly kirtans at the Yoga Place. Currently, she is recording The Most Beautiful Truth, for the group, Bhakti-Shakti, of which she is member. www.spirithollow.org Richard Hernandez has been involved in yoga for some 18 years. He has been teaching for 8 years. "It was never my plan to teach yoga. I still see myself as primarily a student of yoga. Over the years I've been fortunate to have good teachers, and to be able to study with some of the best yoga people today. My base is the Iyengar style. However, my instruction has evolved into a more flowing form with attention to detail. Students are encouraged to accept their abilities and to work at their own level." Richard is also co-owner with his wife Tina, of Spice and Nice, our local health food store. Natasha Judson, M.Ed., RYT500, Certified Anusara Yoga Instructor "I biked to yoga classes over the hills of Pittsburgh, PA. Later after becoming a high school teacher, I took up yoga again to help with stress. Yoga grew from a therapeutic endeavor to relieve back pain into a practice cultivating fullness, stability, and appreciation. In 1999 I started teaching yoga in the Berkshires, and in 2002 gave up teaching public school to go into it full time. I have been supported to grow by many teachers, including the Iyengar yoga and Buddhist meditation communities. Currently I focus on my training as a student and teacher of Anusara yoga, studying several times a year with John Friend and the merry band of Anusara yogis. Not least among my teachers is my horse Chandler, a lanky bay ex- racehorse, who lets me know by his floppy relaxed ears and round full back when we are in the zone." Katie Martin, RYT is a professional dance artist/educator and yoga instructor, working within the spheres of choreography, performance, and movement education. She has certification in Interdisciplinary Yoga from Don and Amba Stapleton. In teaching yoga, Katie's primary interests lie at the intersection and synthesis of various yogic and somatic traditions including Iyengar, Kripalu, Yin, Ashtanga, Alexander and Feldenkrais. Katie teaches dance and yoga widely and also perfoms with the Emergent Improvisation Project, a platform for research, teaching, and performance that investigates time-based art within the framework of natural, complex systems. www.emergentimprovisation.org Donna Menneto is a Certified Pilates Instructor. She received her certification in classical Pilates from Power Pilates of New York. Ms. Menneto studied Pilates under the tutelage of Master Pilates Instructor and physical therapist, Lisa Hoffmaster. Ms. Menneto combines physical therapy expertise and Pilates seven principals of exercise, centering, concentration, control, precision/flow, rhythm and breath to give a beneficial and challenging workout. This class will leave you feeling refreshed, centered and revitalized. Lisa Levangie Moses, MA, RYT, is a certified "Hot Yoga" instructor who trained with Jimmy Barkan from the Yoga College of India. She has a Masters of Art in Social Ecology, is a reading specialist at the local elementary school and lives on a small farm where she and her husband built their own house, raise (cows, sheep, chickens, horses, pigs) animals, produce maple syrup and honey and grow lots of vegetables and flowers. Yoga came into Lisa's life more than ten years ago. Due to health reasons, she was led to "Hot Yoga" which changed her life and health at the time. "Yoga brings my physical, mental and spiritual health into balance and keeps me centered and strong on and off the mat. After practicing 'Hot Yoga' I wanted to share this with other people. Donna Myers was introduced to yoga by Clive Sheridan while living in Hamburg, Germany and working as dance captain for the musical "Cats." After many years in Europe Donna returns to the US with her family and is eager to share her interests and experience with the yoga community in Bennington. Donna is a certified yoga instructor and holds a BS in ballet pedagogy from Indiana University. Her background in working with the body as a dancer and performer combined with her interest in holistic health has fueled her passion to explore yoga as a path for spiritual growth. Kathryn Shea. Kathryn, mother of 3, has been a returning adult student at Skidmore College in nearby Saratoga Springs, NY for the past 3 1/2 years. Her major is in Environmental Studies with a minor in Dance. She says, "I have learned so much, been challenged and had fun. I am a bit nervous teaching yoga because I am truly still a student, but I am looking forward to sharing what I have learned. I trained under fabulous instructors and developed confidence in my skill, my knowledge and in my compassion for other people's bodies. I welcome the opportunity to teach yoga in the Bennington community, all its aspects are a beautiful part of life." Diane St.Clair. From backpacking around the world to building her own cabin in Alaska, Diane has strived to find ways to push her consciousness to new levels. In 1991 she began studying the famous Professor Chen Men Cheng's Yang style Tai Chi through the Naropa Institute in Boulder, Colorado. She went on to study Qi Gong, the Traditional Yang Family Tai Chi through the Taoist International Retreat in Alaska, advanced energy work and two person exercises at the Taoist Sanctuary in San Diego, California. Diane has a BA in psychology, is a student of world's religions, a member of EnlightenNext and a co-founder of an Oriental Medical Center bringing a wide range of experience to this special class. She will help you to become the embodiment of beauty and grace in motion. Carol Steinmetz is trained in Anusara-style yoga, spending over 400 hours with Todd Norian in 2003 and has been teaching in Berlin, NY, Williamstown, MA and at The Yoga Place. She also practices Integrative Manual Therapy, a form of bodywork for healing. Carol's 30 years in nursing compliment her yoga teaching, providing a firm foundation in anatomy and body mechanics. She has a deep understanding and knowledge of the learning process formed when she was coordinator of education at a local hospital. She is currently in continuing study at the Center for Integrative Manual Therapy in Bloomfield, CT. Nicole Stetson is currently completing a teacher certification in classical Ashtanga yoga studying with Beryl Bender Birch. Having been a professional ice skater and long distance runner, she has always been passionate about finding peace and joy in movement and keeping the physical body healthy. After discovering yoga, she was struck with the overwhelming feeling that she had come home. "I am a life-long student of yoga and the Ashtanga practice and hope to share this beautiful physical and spiritual practice with others." Nicole has worked in higher education for many years and currently teaches and coordinates programs at the Community College of Vermont. She lives in the Bennington area with her husband and two children.

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