O2 Yoga Teachers


	Ann Panopoulos From the moment I first stepped onto the mat, I knew this was more than just a physical practice, and something that would always be a part of my life, as my mind and body began to transform in ways not achieved with other forms of exercise. I've practiced many different traditions, yet upon taking my first class at 02, I knew I had found something truly special. To this day, the amazing teachers and wonderful sense of community contribute to a sense of coming home, the moment I walk through the door. As a clinical social worker, my days are spent attending to the needs to others; a work that it satisfying, yet often profoundly effective on my emotional state. Yoga not only bestows a sense of physical well being, but restores me to a sense of grounding, empowerment, and connectedness. Throughout life's challenges, the mat has been my sanctuary, teaching me strength, serenity, and surrender. My practice is deeply rooted in the astanga system, and my classes delve into the heart of the yogic process with creative exploration, focus on alignment and promoting the mind/body connection. It is my hope to allow students to experience a sense of empowerment, balance, and above all, ignite the spirit.
	Barrett Reinhorn Barrett Lauck Reinhorn (Certified Yoga Teacher [CYT], 500 hours) has been teaching yoga since 1998 throughout the metro Boston area. She teaches beginner through advanced vinyasa yoga, and specializes in prenatal/postnatal yoga. Trained in Astanga Vinyasa yoga and Interdisciplinary Yoga, Barrett melds asana, breath, music, philosophy, and rhythmic improvisational movement into her vinyasa sessions. Every class of Barrett’s is different, combining the energies of sun (dynamic warmth) and moon (calming cool) so that students are deeply rooted in their bodies and yet light and free in spirit. Additionally, Barrett teaches prenatal and postnatal teacher trainings. She brings to her teacher training extensive training in yoga for the childbearing year along with experience as a doula, childbirth educator and mother.
	Carol Ciaravino I discovered yoga in mid-life through a class at Brookline Adult Education. I found yoga to be a bright light for its simplicity. Just show up. Come to the mat and practice, practice, practice. Accept who you are and where you are in this moment. Over the past decade yoga has woven itself into the fabric of my life. Yoga has given me a feeling of peacefulness, a sense of optimism that I can do things that I once would have thought impossible and a connection to the wonderful teachers and community of O2. A friend of mine says that we teach what we most want to learn and so it is that I teach yoga
	Devon Wilson-Hill I took my first yoga class in the local high school cafeteria at the suggestion of a doctor to help relieve some chronic pain. I liked it and eventually bought a book and starting following the sequences. Yoga made me feel confident got me through those angst filled teenage years. A decade later, after flirting with different yoga styles, I got serious and started practicing five times a week at O2. I had never sweat so much in my life! Some days my body felt like Jell-O. And I worked on falling with grace and being resilient. Other days I was shocked by what my body could do. What amazes me still is how yoga supports me and changes me off the mat. I feel taller, fresher and have more energy. I am quicker, more patient, happier and more focused. Yoga has changed me and continues to change me. Being a teacher is just another part of this journey for me. I am so excited to be at O2 and share what I continue to learn with others. I enjoy O2’s style because it is challenging and rewarding. Most importantly, practicing with students just adds to the conversation and the journey we’re all on together; I never stop learning from the entire O2 community!
	Elliott McEldowney I came to yoga after a history as a runner followed by a near endless stint in graduate school and substantial time in the gym, all of which left me chronically sore and tight. What I found in yoga was a way to challenge myself physically, intellectually, and emotionally and heal my body. I try to incorporate that combination of challenge and healing in my teaching. I have trained with Beryl Bender Birch, Ana Forrest, Baron Baptiste, Richard Freeman, and Mimi Loureiro. My classes incorporate strength, flexibility, effort, and surrender.
	Emily Sullivan I appreciate yoga for the simple fact that it is not a sport or a performance; the big event is the practice itself. Having grown up in the world of classical ballet, this concept was once very foreign to me. I signed up for yoga in college, and I didn’t get it. The dancer in me was concerned with wrenching my leg the highest or balancing the longest, and I was annoyed by the reminders to breath. I dropped the class. Years later, after becoming a massage therapist, I was paying more attention to self-care and wellness. I decided to give breathing another chance. I went to O2 because it was near my house, and I have stayed because I’ve found the practice healing for both mind and body. Today, my approaches to bodywork and to yoga-teaching constantly play off of each other. I’m lucky to have found a second home at O2 as a teacher, a massage therapist, and a member of a fun and supportive community.
	Emily Leadholm I took my first yoga class at O2 five years ago and it has slowly and steadily become a central part of my life. I get a feeling of strength and peacefulness from the practice and a sense of belonging and friendship from the community at O2. And then there are all the ways it's changed me that I'm only barely conscious of; yoga does its work on me without me even knowing it.
	Karen Caiazzo a.k.a. Shanti. I have been a yogi for lifetimes. It is a delight to work for Mimi and Steven, and alongside Elliott, to keep O2 Yoga thriving. My mother took me to my first yoga class at age 19, yet I remember busting out lotus, shoulderstands, and handstands from a very young age. I took my first Teacher Training at the Konalani Yoga Ashram (Big Island, HI), which essentially solidified my desire to live by the philosophical principles and practices of yoga. Upon returning to Somerville I began workstudy at O2, and eventually took Mimi’s O2 Yoga Teacher Training. Years later, I strive to bring both modalities into my teaching. I believe strongly that yoga is a lifestyle beyond asana. People get happier when they practice yoga, and I am grateful to call that my life’s work.
	Kate Brigham With a background in ballet and modern dance, I had always dabbled in yoga as a complementary physical practice, but it wasn't until I joined the incredible community here at O2 that it became a cornerstone of my life. Aside from the obvious physical effects, I found yoga changing me in emotional and spiritual ways I had never expected and while initially they seemed contradictory, I soon realized they were in fact complementary- I was becoming simultaneously stronger and more flexible, both more focused and taking myself less seriously, increasingly patient and quicker. I soon realized this quest for balance was what I had been(and continue) searching for. Each time I come to the mat I discover something new about myself and others- I always leave feeling better than when I arrived. I am thrilled to be teaching, in the hopes that I can share some of the amazing benefits that I have gained from yoga with others.
	Katherine Pomponi I began practicing yoga to achieve purely physical goals not expecting this practice to become such a cental and integral part of my life. Yoga has not only allowed me to achieve those goals and more, but has inspired me in so many ways. Yoga has brought a sense of balance, peace and mindfulness not only on my mat, but in my personal and stressful corporate life. My goal in teaching is not only to provide a solid foundation to build a strong physical practice, but to give to other students the joy and passion of yoga that I have received from so many knowledgeable, wonderful and supportive teachers.
	Kim Freeman As an English professor and writer who spends most of the day in my head, I love yoga because it reminds me of the connection of mind and body. It helps me to remain in the present moment as little else does. Although I have a background in ballet and modern dance, I had only done yoga off and on. It wasn’t until I first came to O2 that I began to practice consistently. For me the vigorous but careful and fun practice at O2 provides a balance between athleticism, technique, and philosophy that carries over into my daily life. I decided I wanted to teach yoga because it seemed a perfect way of bringing many strands of my life together and because it’s been so good to me that I want to spread that goodness around. On top of that, I’m fairly new to the Boston area, and I’ve found the community at O2 incredibly welcoming. It’s great to be a part of it.
	Kristen Lewis I discovered yoga as a teen when I took a class at my local gym. I spent the next five years practicing sporadically, trying different studios and styles of yoga, looking for a similar athletic style. I eventually stumbled upon O2 and it was a perfect fit. I loved the physically challenging yet noncompetitive classes, creative sequencing, knowledgeable teachers, and friendly community. Yoga was still a casual hobby until I began practicing several times per week. Then, the physical and mental benefits of a regular practice quickly became obvious. I found it an effective way to manage stress and I made it a priority to come to class. I never imagined that I would become a teacher, but could not pass up the opportunity to participate in the O2 Teacher Training. It turned out to be one of the best decisions I have ever made. I am so grateful for the friends that I have met, the supportive environment and mentorship present at the studio, and the opportunity to share something that has had such a positive impact on my life with others.
	Lynn Carr I love yoga! I truly do. I love it for who it has helped me to become and for how I see others transformed. For a long time, I dabbled in yoga. I fit it in where I could, given a super busy schedule as a software development consultant. In 2004, after 14+ years of being a desk/airport-jockey software programmer/consultant, I needed a major change. I was making money, but losing sanity. 2004 was also the year that, after much encouragement from the wise-beyond-years man in my life, we got our first ever dog, Seabiscuit. My life was filled with love, but somehow still empty. I felt called to yoga, not to fill this emptiness, but with the simple sense of being drawn to my mat time and time again. Each time, I practiced, I felt better than when I started - no exceptions. I continue to find this remarkable. No other activity quite compares. These experiences somehow led me to walk away from my job, embrace the unknown and enroll in yoga teacher training. These past 5+ years of teaching have been challenging, uplifting and one of the best decisions I have ever made.
	Mimi Loureiro To learn more about Mimi click here.
	Rebecca Sisson Like many others, I turned to yoga to heal my body after years of long distance running had taken a brutal toll on me. The physical challenge of yoga first attracted me to the practice, but it's the peaceful and meditative qualities that keep me coming back. This practice has brought a sense of balance, love, empathy and humility to my life that I’m eternally grateful for. As a teacher, I strive to blend a strong and challenging physical practice with a sense of playfulness and grace, and hope to encourage a connection with rhythm and energy of the mind, body and spirit.