School Support and Yoga Teachers

KARA ANDERSOn School Admin, RYT200

Kara Anderson’s heart for service and community has always led her to see the beauty in every thing and every person. She stumbled into her first yoga class in 2010 at Pranayoga, but instantly knew it was much more than just an exercise. She soon began to notice both subtle and dynamic changes in her life and body after diving into a daily practice. After completing her 200 hour RYT with Pranayoga, she carries her love of beauty, breath, and community into each of her classes. Utilizing gentle flows and playful awareness, she brings forth the experience of connecting to the Divine light within each of us.

CHRisty brames School Admin, CYT 200

Christy came to Pranayoga School searching for relief from some of her medical conditions, but found so much more. In addition to relief for her conditions, she has been able to extend her practice into aspects of everyday life – from her relationship with her husband, Charlie, to parenting their three boys, Gavin, Skylar, and Miles. Her desire is to “live yoga” in every part of her life and to continue at Pranayoga through extensive teacher training and more.

After her first asana practice at Prana, Sherina was overjoyed to find a renewed connection to harmony, community, and love; the philosophical maxims intrinsic to life in Thailand, where she spent her formative years. Prana proved to be a hidden gem in the pockets of Fort Wayne. After completing her requisite 200 hour RYT with Dani McGuire, Sherina is grateful for the opportunity to now incorporate her love for connecting and laughing, as well as her passion for natural healing, into her classes as she guides others in finding their own passions through practice.  She firmly believes in: healing the body with what mother nature provides, the mind with breath, and the spirit with love and compassion. Sherina is also building a crafts/health collective for the Fort Wayne area via her business, www.FromMeWithLove.us. She is also a consultant for DoTERRA Essential Oils, and completed her B.A. in Spanish, which she hopes to incorporate into yoga in the future. Sherina believes, "if we become still and open enough to let guidance in, we can discover a land flowing with milk and honey." 

ERIN ERB           RYT200

Since her love affair with yoga began over a decade ago, Erin felt passionately that every person in the world deserved this sacred practice. Now more than ever, with an RYT 200 certification, she is thrilled to serve others by teaching. As a strong believer in the physical, emotional, and spiritual benefits of yoga, Erin's goal is for students to take what they learn in class and expand it into their personal practice at home. 

Rachael Eyrich RYT200

Rachael's first experience with yoga was in 2001 after suffering a running injury. She began practicing yoga as a way to regain her range of motion and correct the underlying postural imbalances that contributed to the injury. As a result, she feels stronger, faster, and more flexible than before her injury. Due to her experience using yoga as a rehabilitative tool, Rachael advocates cultivating a firm foundation - building your house on a rock. Strongly influenced by Iyengar and Ashtanga yoga styles, her classes emphasize structural alignment to create physical strength and develop fortitude. Her teaching style is best described as power vinyasa.

Rachael received her 200 hour Yoga Alliance Certification in July 2008 through Cityoga School of Yoga and Health in Indianapolis, Indiana. Her teachers were Nikki Myers and Marsha Pappas. Rachael also holds a B.A. from Indiana University in Communication and Culture. She and her husband, Chad, live in Fort Wayne with their 3 children.

LIbby Gamez   RYT200

Libby began yoga 9 years ago for stress relief and fell in love with its connection of mind, body and spirit.  She feels that, unlike other forms of exercise, yoga brings with it an almost magical sense of hope and healing. Having recently received her 200-hour teaching certificate from Pranayoga, Libby is thrilled to be able to bring newcomers the joy of yoga.  She holds a B.S. in psychology from Ball State University and lives in Fort Wayne with her 4-year old son.

Linda Krebs E-RYT200

Linda’s interest in yoga has been lifelong, however,  has become her main focus in the past 10 years.  Knowing that yoga would be a natural healing for anxiety, she became a serious student of yoga and from there began her teacher training.  She has been a registered yoga teacher through Yoga Alliance since 2008 and has taught over 1000 hours of group classes and private sessions since, upgrading her certification  to an ERYT (Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher) in 2012,  and is near completion of  Pranayoga’s 500 hour Advanced Teacher Training program with Vani.  Linda’s passion for yoga shows in her ability to encourage and guide others in developing an appropriate practice to enhance their well-being. 

Lindsey Maksim RYT200

Lindsey has been a dedicated yoga student since 2005 after searching for a way to find balance and peace within her life. Through her journey, she has been able to explore her inner self and has found courage, light and a deeper connection to her entire being. In 2009, she completed her 200 hr RYT through Prairie Yoga. She is very grateful for the opportunity to share her teachings and guide her students along their own personal journeys of peace, light and self-awareness. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Saint Francis with a dual concentration in history and sociology. She thanks her teachers and her inspiring grandmothers for their constant wisdom, guidance, love and support.

Sonya Maldeney-Cull RYT200

Sonya's journey through Yoga began in college, purely as a way to boost her GPA. "Little did I know how long that simple intention would last! A once weekly practice evolved into taking Yoga 'off the mat' in 2004. Just practicing a Warrior posture in class and keeping a steady breath even though my legs are shaking has carried me through more than a Saturday morning class - it has carried me through life. I’ve studied and taught various styles & levels of classes since 1991, including Iyengar, Hatha, Vinyasa, Anusara and Yin Yoga. I am a RYT (Registered Yoga Teacher, 200 level certification) and a certified instructor of YogaFit’s Kids Yoga.   My intention as a teacher is to share the gift of yoga and all its benefits - both on and off the mat - to everyone."

Tammy Maroney RYT200

Tammy's life long love for being active, healthy and fit brought her to yoga. She has always been a runner but wanted more for her mind and flexibility for her body. She started with Vinyasa Yoga and Core Synergy and loved the benefits so much that when she was asked to teach Core Synergy she knew she had to share her love of the class with others.

Tammy has a strong following as an instructor as she is an inspiration to others in helping them achieve their goals. She loves that Core Synergy gives your whole body a complete workout, clears your mind and makes your body stronger, leaner and toned. 

As a NETA Certified Pilates instructor in mat pilates, Tammy now also offers mat pilates classes as well. She says the beauty of pilates is it is low impact with high results! She invites you to come join in the fun.

Chris McGuire RYT200

Chris was introduced to yoga over a decade ago by his then girlfriend, Dani. Practicing Kundalini, and more often, the Power Yoga styles of the Kest brothers with some inconsistent regularity, Chris developed a foundation for a slow growing interest that turned into a passion in the years to come.

It wasn’t until the recurring pain of an auto-collision related back injury led Chris to his mat. In an attempt to repair what several chiropractors and physical therapists could not, he began to see the overwhelming health benefits of the asana practice. The healing of his back, witnessing the transformation in Dani’s life through her teacher training, and studying the yogic philosophy solidified fascination, passion, and gratitude for this ancient art.

Completing the 200 Hour Certification with Pranayoga School of Yoga and Health, under the guidance of his lifelong guru Dani “Vani” McGuire, Chris is thrilled to have received training that stems from the Prana Flow lineage of Shiva Rea. He continues to receive Prana Flow training through Vani and friend/mentor Simon Park, and is enrolled in the Pranayoga 500 Hour Teacher Training.

Chris currently teaches a power/vinyasa style hatha yoga, infusing yogic philosophies and pertinent sacred scripture, vedic and original stories into the class; as means to nurture and fully engage the physical body while addressing the spiritual being as well. Carry it off the mat and into the world.

Dani McGuire Founder, Ayurveda and YogaTherapist, Prana Flow Teacher, E-RYT500, IAYT, AANC

Dani "Vani" has practiced yoga for 15 years, beginning with Iyengar and currently having studied Integral, Yoga Therapy, Prana Flow, and many more schools that inspire her own unique style of teaching, which focuses on initiation of the present moment, ayurveda, creativity, intuition, energetic vinyasa, and pure nurture.

Dani believes that when the student is ready the teacher appears, and has found this to be true both in her experience as a teacher and a student. 

Dani received her 200 Hour Yoga Alliance certification through Cityoga School of Yoga and Health and her 500 Hour certification with teachers Marsh Pappas and Nikki Myers, and in the art of Prana Flow, her 300 hours with Shiva Rea.

Dani is also dedicated to teaching yoga to people with cancer and chronic pain. She is a Yoga Therapist and is registered with the International Association of Yoga Therapists. Her teacher and mentor is Jnani Chapman and she has received her certification through Integral Yoga Academy. Her goal is to make these services available to everyone living with cancer, regardless of their income.

Find out more about Dani HERE and the Pranayoga foundation HERE.

Tara Nehls Kids Yoga and Prenatal Yoga Teacher

Tara has enjoyed practicing yoga for almost 10 years. What began as something new to try, turned into something wonderful to share with the world. Tara teaches Prenatal, Kids, and Chair Yoga. She has completed yoga teacher training with YogaFit and Healthways Systems, as well as, earned her M.Ed. and B.S. in Education. She works full-time as an elementary school art teacher. Tara's most important and gratifying job is being a mom! She has the most beautiful daughter, Amelia, who is the love of her life and a light to the world, and she is expecting her second little one soon! "Yoga has brought me great peace and stability to my life. I am blessed to share this with others, especially my own children."

Mary Newell RYT200, Enhance Fitness Certified,ACSM Certified Fitness Professional

Mary first began studying yoga in 1994. Since then she has completed over 200hrs of Master instruction. Her practice evolves and changes daily. She firmly believes that continuity is the secret to success. 

Mary’s classes include asana practice incorporating techniques from various styles such as vinyasa, yin-yang, ashtanga and restorative. Pranayama, meditation and reflection are interwoven so that each class tells a story.  Students leave class in the calm balanced state helpful for dealing with life’s ups and downs. Mary enjoys spreading her love of yoga to others. She has taught students ranging from age 2 to 92.

In 2009 Mary received her 200 hour Yoga Alliance Certification through Prairie Yoga.  That same year she completed EnhanceFitness training and became a certified instructor for the aging and elderly. Since 1999 she has been a Certified Health Fitness Instructor through American College of Sports Medicine. Mary also holds a B.S. from Indiana University in Business Management. She lives with her husband, Steve and their 3 daughters.

Jenn nichols  RYT200

Jenn’s love of yoga began 18 years ago after a back injury left her unable to dance any longer.  Not finding the back relief she needed from Western conventions, she happened upon a yoga tape of Ali Macgraw – YogaMindBody with Erich Schiffman and never looked back. 

Jenn’s style of teaching has been influenced from many styles of yoga including Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Jivamukti, Yin and Hatha.  In 2003, she took her first 200hr Yoga Alliance certification through the Yoga Center of Minneapolis to go deeper into her own practice and in 2012, received her second 200hr Yoga Alliance certificate throughPranaYoga School of Yoga and Health.  She feels very blessed and honored to have studied with many master yoga teachers including Doug Swenson, the late Larry Schultz, Cyndi Lee, Dharma Mittra, Giselle Mari, John Salisbury, Dave Romanelli, Phil Askew and Simon Park in addition to her present and past teachers Vani McGuire, Tanya Bogeinzahn Sowards and many others. By day, Jenn dones high heels and works in the corporate world as a Business Analyst for Lincoln Financial Group and by night, moonlights as a yoga student, teacher and Holistic Health Coach.  In addition to her Yoga Alliance Certification, Jenn holds a BS in Dietetics and her Holistic Health Coach certificate through the American Association of Drugless Practitioners.  She draws her high energy and humor for her classes through a combination of her son who continues to enlighten and humble her every day and her love of people and this life of which we are all a part.

Lauren Nieman RYT200

Lauren first found yoga in 1999, in looking for an easy “A” to boost her GPA while in college. Instead she found a close friend that has stuck with her through thick and thin over the last decade. She thoroughly enjoys the continuous physical challenge the practice brings, as well as the focus and discipline that have opened her heart and mind to the wonders this world has to offer. Everyone goes through days that feel like a complete train wreck and days that make us feel unstoppable.Yoga has been the consistent thread through the hills and valleys of life and has helped her to give thanks for anything that is thrown her way. She wants to share this feeling with her community and strives to aid her fellow yogis in any way she can along their path of self-discovery. 

Lauren has studied in the areas of hatha yoga and vinyasa flow and anticipates completion of her 200 hour certification through Prairie Yoga in the spring of 2011. Gratefully, her mentors are Tricia Fiske and Marinda Stopforth. Lauren holds a bachelor’s in science from Ball State University, with a double major in exercise physiology and psychology. Lauren will soon embark on a new journey, returning to school to complete her training in massage therapy. She is thankful to her yoga community, who has offered nothing but love and support as she begins to record this new chapter in her life.

Nicole skelton RYT200, Yogastrology-inspired

With a life-long interest in the mind-body-spirit connection, Nicole realized her     passion for teaching self awareness by following her heart into a 200 hr teacher training at Pranayoga in Fort Wayne, Indiana. From elemental yoga to the expanding fields of metaphysics and astrology, Nicole has developed a breadth of experience, resulting in a Yogastrology-Inspired teaching style with pioneer Diane Booth Gilliam in Colorado Springs, Colorado. As a yoga teacher, Nicole reveals the subtle, esoteric concepts of yoga through a combination of alignment based on sacred geometry, meditation, visualization and pranayama. Tailored to the individual, her classes often include elements of meditative movement, sun and moon attunement (as presented by Diane Booth Gilliam's Yogastrology out of SanFrancisco), intention setting and gentle yet strong yoga. Nicole deconstructs poses down to their elemental and restorative design with influences from tantra and Tibetan traditions from her time as a teacher at the Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center in Bloomington, Indiana.

Nicole is trained in Shambala Meditation, teaches Hatha, Vinyasa, and Restorative Yoga with a RYT 200 hr from Pranayoga, and is currently practicing yogastrology under the guidance of Diane Booth Gilliam, established astrologer and founder of Yogastrology.

Janice schmidt RYT200, BSN, Interim Admin

Janice's yoga journey started sometime in the 1970s watching “Lilias, Yoga & You” on the Detroit PBS station. In 2008 she started practicing regularly with Dani McGuire, learning what yoga could bring to her life.  Soon after, she attended the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction course started by Jon Kabat-Zinn at the UMass Medical School. "Those 10 weeks were transformative; I came to see yoga and meditation as a way to quiet myself and to listen." Janice completed 200 hours of teacher training at Pranayoga School and continues learning through frequent workshops and additional training in Prana Flow style. Janice is looking forward to bringing more Restorative elements to her teaching practice as well.

When she's not on the mat, Janice spends her time knitting, traveling, and enjoying the company of her husband and their 3 children.

Taya SMYTHE RYT200, School Manager

Taya was first attracted to yoga by its ability to heal and to support growth. A practitioner of asana for eight years, she currently teaches at Pranayoga School of Health in Fort Wayne where she leads group and private classes. Through her study with many teachers, Taya incorporates a variety of asana styles and develops her classes through creativity, and with the intention of giving space and strength to the physical body so students may explore themselves within and beyond it, tapping into truth and human connection in every second. She is also the manager of Pranayoga and an active writer for Elephant Journal.

"The pearl is in the oyster. And the oyster is at the bottom of the sea. Dive deep." -Kabir

John steinbech Meditation

John Steinbach has been a student and practitioner of various meditation approaches for over 25 years. Each week, John will give brief instructions on awareness-based meditation before a period of silent meditation.  The approach to meditation will not be tied to a particular tradition or belief system and will cultivate the inherent clarity of the aware mind.  There will also be a brief time for discussion and questions after the meditation session.  

John has been a workshop presenter and consultant for over 25 years and has presented to dozens of organization on a variety of topics that include stress management and personal wellness.  John also works as a financial professional for New York Life.

TINA TAZIAN RYT200

Tina’s greatest joy as a teacher is helping people find health and inner peace through yoga. Her yoga journey began 30 years ago when she was introduced to yoga and meditation by a friend while still in high school. Later she practiced traditional yoga with Indian swamis and Tibetan lamas while attending Indiana University. But she took a break from yoga for many years while pursuing her love for Modern Dance. In 1983 she received a BA in liberal arts with dance concentration from Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, New York.  After a 10 year hiatus, she returned to yoga. 

She loves both the athletic aspects and the more subtle work with prana or life force energy. For her yoga was never simply a physical practice but a form of creative expression and sacred healing. Her style combines alignment, slow flow vinyasa and tantric elements. Her goal is to integrate poses, breath and guided meditation in an organic whole.

She has studied with master teachers, Rod Stryker (ParaYoga), Desiree Rumbaugh & Todd Norian, (Anusara) Gabriel Halphren & Manouso Manos, (Iyengar), Seane Corn (Vinyasa), Lilas Folan and others. A lifelong student, in 2009, she received her 200 hr RYT through Prairie Yoga. She thanks her mentors Tricia Fiske and Joanne Snow for guiding her teaching practice. And she is grateful for her family’s support and the life she shares with her husband Marc and daughters Adrienne and Sophie.

anita theart RYT500, Viniyoga

Anita Theart, RYT 500, Registered Nurse, Personal Trainer and mother of two is a dedicated student and teacher of Yoga. She started her yoga studies at CITYOGA School of Yoga and Health in Indianapolis where she completed her 200 hour teacher certification. In 2010 she co-founded Beatree Yoga studio in Richmond Indiana  and went on to more advanced study with the premier American Viniyoga teacher, Gary Kraftsow, director of the American Viniyoga Institute in California where she recently completed her 300 hour teacher training in the Viniyoga Foundations Program for Teaching and Yoga Therapy.  She has a deep respect for the ancient teachings of this practice and is inspired to transfer these teachings with the highest possible integrity.

Colleen towner RYT200

Colleen's yoga journey began when she accidently walked into a yoga class at a gym in 1998, and participated so as not to be rude. At the time, she worked as a fitness instructor/personal trainer and preferred the high intensity, "no pain, no gain" approach to exercise, but the poses were challenging enough to bring her back to the class, and the pain she encountered in calming the mind and learning to relax provided life-changing results. As a former high school science teacher, her experience in education led her to pursue yoga certification if only to learn more. As her knowledge and passion grew, she began sharing her practice with those around her, and has now been teaching for twelve years.

"My practice permeates my entire life. Whether it's balancing the schedules of my  four children, breathing through pain and stress, or consciously extending out of my comfort zone, I'm always doing yoga...on and off the mat."

Studying the yamas and niyamas of Patanjali's 8 limbs of yoga also led Colleen to a choose a vegan lifestyle. You can read more about this at www.wakingupvegan.com.

LEA Ilse RYT200

Lea has been practicing yoga for over 10 years. She was shanghaied into teaching in   her second year of practice, she lacked training and experience, but the gift of teaching sparked the fire of yoga within her. Since then, she has trained with many inspired teachers from such diverse schools of yoga as Kundalini, Ashtanga, Iyengar, Yin, Anusara, Tri Yoga and Tibetan Heart. Two years ago she met her beloved teacher, Michael Johnson. It was through him she received intensive training and earned a 200 hour certificate and completed a 500 hour yoga certification. Lea is also trained in Thai Yoga Massage through Lotus Palm.

Lea's classes include mantra, pranayama, asana, dharma and savasana. Her classes are influenced by Tibetan Heart yoga/meditation with an emphasis on posture and the movement of prana.

Jenny Young RYT200 Jenny started yoga for her daughter in 2010 but stayed for herself. This is when powerful healing began to transform her body, mind, and spirit, not necessarily in that order. Through a regular asana and sitting practice, studying with phenomenal teachers and soaking in the love of the beautiful yoga community, she has begun to discover a quieter mind. She became RYT 200 certified through Prana School of Yoga and Health in 2012 to deepen her own practice and to share the gift of yoga with others. As a teacher, she sees each student as beautiful. She strives to create a supportive environment in which each student can safely experiment in uncovering the beauty and joy that reside within the heart of each of us.