Carisa is the owner and founder of The Living Seed, which opened its doors to the communtity in
the summer of 2000. She is a certified Sivananda Yoga Teacher and has completed an Advanced
Teacher Training Course in Forrest Yoga and Anusara Yoga Therapeutics. Her classes are a
synthesis of the teachings and techniques of all these lineages. Carisa believes strongly that all
people should have access to Yoga and experience its many healing benefits. She continues to
volunteer her time teaching throughout the Hudson Valley leading Yoga Programs for Incarcerated
Youth, Battered Womens Shelter's, At Risk Youth Groups, AIDS patients and the Girl Scouts.
Additionally, she has been a Volunteer at Hospice, a pallative care organization for the Dying and
a Big Sister at the Childrens Home of Poughkeepsie. Carisa is honored to practice the art of Yoga,
it is a gift, it brings us back to ourselves so that we can share with our community.

Ricardo has had a longstanding interest in wellness, and over the past fifteen years has worked as a massage therapist,
a Reiki practitioner, an organic cook, and in the health food industry.

Ricardo's practice of Yoga is a blend of Asana (postures), pranayama (breathing), sound work and chants to help ground
the feet and align the body and mind. This can then help to facilitate a sitting practice, to lead one more toward our true nature.

He is a student of Sri Shaymji Bharnagav (Master of Nada) and has been trained in Scaravelli Yoga -2002 and is a certified
Sivananda Yoga teacher from March 2005 in Kerela South India.

Angelique began studying bellydance in 1997, and since then, has been an avid student of the dance,
music, history and culture. Her quest for excellence has taken her into the classrooms of some of the top
bellydancers in the country, such as Yousry Sharif, Morocco, Zahra Zuhair, Jillina, Bozenka, Ava Fleming,
and most notably, her main teacher, Suhaila Salimpour. Angelique has been studying in the challenging
and demanding Salimpour format for 4 years, and is now Level 2 certified. Her deep understanding of
proper technique, and her ability to translate music into movement has made her a sought after performer
and teacher in the Hudson Valley. Angelique's approach towards teaching is to create a warm, friendly, yet
challenging environment where information is conveyed in a clear, educated manner, and students are
inspired to train their bodies to move in all the beautiful ways the artform has to offer.

Lisa began practicing yoga approximately 13 years ago and credits her regular yoga practice with helping
her in every area of her life. She has explored and taken classes in many forms of yoga, and has experienced
and witnessed the subtle and dramatic transformations which become possible through yoga. After discovering
ashtanga in 2001, she pursued her teacher training with Michael Stein in 2003. While ashtanga serves as the basis
for her classes she incorporates many styles into her class sequences.

In the pursuit of inner peace and happiness, Trissa has been practicing Yoga for over 7 years. Obtained teacher certification at
Sivananda Yoga Ashram in 2004, in Woodbourne N.Y and was a resident there for 8 months. Currently a student of nursing and a
devoted Karma Yogi, she brings love and acceptance to every class.

At 40, I found the demands of raising a family and working a stressful job were taking a toll on my overall health and well being. Seeking a way to undo the negative effects of stress, and gain more overall health, I joined a gym. There I took my first Yoga class. Our Jivamukti Yoga teacher chanted, talked about an ethical vegan diet, she introduced us to meditation and Yogic breathing. I was hooked, I wanted to learn more and deepen my understanding & practice of Yoga. I then took my Teacher Training with Linda Winick founder of Shakti Yoga. Linda's dynamic classes were structured on a foundation of Ayurveda and many Lineages of Classic Yoga with an emphasis on alignment and breathing. I bring to each class the love and deep respect for the tradition of Yoga and all my teachers and students.

Donna is a licensed psychotherapist, founder of CenterPoint Integral Wellness Programs, and a Yoga teacher. The therapeutic work Donna offers skillfully integrates contemporary western scientific and ancient eastern body/mind/brain practices and perspectives. In 2004 Donna completed a 500 hour Yoga Teacher Training with Kirin Mishra (Parvathi Nanda Nath Saraswati), Director of Saraswati River Yoga School. In 1995 she trained in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction with the Directors of the Center for Mindfulness - University of Massachusetts Medical Center. In 2000-02 Donna's passion for dance, spoken word and environmental sustainability motivated her to develop a small mixed-medium performance company called GaiaArts Performances. When not doing any of the above she is likely to be hiking the trails and spending time with her beloved family and friends.

As a long time Waldorf Kindergarten teacher, Sue has been teaching and guiding children through their early lives for nearly 20 years. Sue currently teaches full time in an experimental, sensory-integration classroom at The Children's Annex of Kingston.
This unique classroom practices layered with Waldorf inspired songs and activities at morning circle and throughout the day. Teaching children yoga at the living seed, therefore, is a natural extension of who Sue is and what she
has learned. She completed a 300-hour YogaAlliance certification for International in November 2003. Since then she has taught yoga to children of all ages and abilities in after school programs, summer yoga camps, studios, and private lessons.
She facilitated YogaKids teacher training workshops for classroom teachers in the Ithaca City schools and at special education schools in Kingston and Ellenville.
Sue has studied many styles of classical yoga since 1975. Her YogaKids classes, as well as her adult classes are a blend of
the best yoga teachings of many, imbued with her own practice and intention. Sue is honored to share the joys of yoga with the
next generation of yogis at The Living Seed. www.yogakids.com

Vanessa has been teaching Yoga for seven years in the NY and NJ area and has just recently moved into the Hudson Valley.
Her classes are a mixed vinyasa style. The practices are fluid and non-denominational. Vanessa sets the mood with
motivating music and hands on adjustments. Keep breathing and enjoy the ride.

Meghan has been a disciple of Yoga for over 7 years. She found her passion in Ashtanga Yoga, the set Asana series translated from ancient sanskrit text by Sri T. Krishnamacharya and Sri K. Pattabhi Jois. This sacred practice focuses on movement with breath and heating the body from within. Meghan began her devotion to this practice in Woodstock, NY and accredits Baird Hersey from Prana Sound for being one of her first Ashtanga Teachers. After many years of practicing she felt the need to share her passion with others through teaching and became Certified in Ashtanga Yoga through Michael Stein in 2007. Though Ashtanga Yoga, as well as Patanjali's Eight Limb Path philosophy is her Love, Meghan incorporates many different styles of Yoga in her classes, mixing together a Vinyasa flow and an Alignment focus. She has studied Anatomy and physiology working in the MedX Healthy Back and Fitness Training programs for the last 3 years. She honors the Yoga tradition of Ahimsa (non-violence in thought, action and word) and teaches with a fun spirit, beautiful music and love.

I have been teaching yoga for 6 years and continue to grow as a teacher and student of yoga, always learning and evolving. I have studied with Doug Swenson-sadhana vinyasa style, Manju Jois-ashtanga yoga, and Christopher Hildebrant-ashtanga yoga. My vinyasa teaching practice is strongly influenced and rooted in ashtanga yoga with heating linking vinyasas but mixed with a softer form of yoga to balance the practice. I believe that there should be a variety of asanas in a vinyasa class so that each individual student can grow and challenge themselves to their fullest potential. I like to make people sweat, have fun, and mix it up in my classes.

Bryon Abrams is extremely passionate about promoting qigong and has been teaching for the past 9 years. He is a Certified Qigong and Tai Chi Teacher through the Institute of Integral Qigong and Tai Chi (IIQTC) and Health Preservation Association (HPA). He provides regular classes in Mountain Lake Chi-Robics, Ai Chi, Taiji and Qigong at the Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, NY, Taiji at the Emerson Resort and Spa in Mt Tremper, NY and is active coordinator of the Wellness Center in the Cornerstone in Newburgh NY. His trainings include Precious Gestures, Integral Qigong, Yang Tai Chi (modified), Stationary Tai Chi, HPA Tai Chi (specialized for heart, lung and intestine, liver, kidney and spleen and for treatment/ prevention of back and neck pain) Tai Chi Chair, Tai Chi Ruler, Tai Chi EZ, Tai Chi Qigong, Pa Tuan Jin, Hsing-I Five Elements, Pagua Mother Palms, Wild Goose I, IV, VI, VII and VIII, Emei Healing Qigong, Medical Qigong (specialized for Arthritis, Diabetes, Cancer, High Blood Pressure), and Yin/Yang Healing Qigong.