OUR TEACHERS
Root Yoga Center is incredibly grateful to have some of the very best yoga instructors and teachers in Denver. Each individual has a unique background and style that make their lessons and classes distinct. We also have some instructional videos from our Teachers of the Month. Here they are!
Alana Foeller
Training: B.A. Exercise Science & Adult Fitness, Minor in Nutrition - Metro State College of Denver, American Council on Exercise (ACE) Certified Personal Trainer, Vital Yoga Certified Yoga Instructor
Teaching movement through Yoga and Personal Training is a wonderful gift to be able to share. Through teaching Yoga, it is my goal to encourage the growth of my students with a practice that is both challenging and playful, and which will strengthen the physical body and the mind and foster spiritual growth as we apply these principles to all things in life. I believe a truly healthy physical body is a combination of strength, flexibility, and balance, and a calm mind facilitates these qualities.
I was initially drawn to Yoga for the physical benefits. As I practiced more, I became aware of the impact it also had on my mental and spiritual well being. I found myself more calm, joyful, and able to handle challenges. I have practiced many styles of Yoga, including Power, Ashtanga, Forrest, Anusara, Bikram, and Vinyasa. Having a diverse Yoga practice helps me to be a more versatile teacher and connect with students from different Yoga backgrounds. I love the physical challenges of Yoga, but I find the most opportunity for growth in the practice of quieting the mind and staying connected to the breath. Bringing meditation into my practice has helped me focus and connect with my deeper being. This is where I see the greatest benefits of Yoga, and it is my passion to share this with my students.
In addition to my Yoga practice, I enjoy playing outdoors; snowboarding, mountain biking, rock climbing, and camping. Good music, dancing, laughing with friends, having a wonderful family, and belonging to a supportive Yoga community makes me forever grateful for life!
Amy Baker
Training: BA Exercise Science; University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Ana Forrest 200 hour Foundation Teacher Training; Ana Forrest Advanced Teacher Training; Darren Rhodes and Christina Sell Anusara Immersion; so darn many I stopped counting workshops with Brock and Krista Cahill, Janet Stone, Rusty Wells, and Andre Ram. Co-Founder of Evolve Yoga Teacher Training 200 Certified Yoga Alliance Teacher Training Program. Founder “Yoga in the Eagle Town Park” in Eagle CO; a donation based outdoor yoga class that contributes 100% of all donations to Canine Companions for Independence and Operation KurmAlliance.
I am an eternal student of yoga, and am inspired daily by the notion that self inquiry and education lead to personal evolution. I believe that a strong, sweaty, challenging physical practice, with great tunes provides the opportunity for piercing introspection. I also believe that yoga is to be shared with all with no prerequisite. Each yoga practice is different and it is my goal to create space and modifications for all.
I teach from a place of personal experience and wisdom, but asks that my students discover their own truths. In classes I bring a contagious lighthearted humor and a wonderful charisma to keep things flowing. There is no pretense with me; no judgment... leave your expectations at the door and come laugh, play, and take the opportunity to look inward with each class and discover what makes you come alive so that you can go out into the world and do just that.
Angie Arnold
Training: Kula Yoga Project was my home for six years in NYC. Schuyler Grant is my main squeeze, but I have trained with Alison West, David Regelin, Nevine Michaan, John Friend, Zhenja La Rosa, Elana Brower, Amy Ippoliti, and many more.
"Al Dente" (translated in English as to the teeth) is the term initially used to describe the firm and tender texture of pasta. Chefs use this term as instruction to avoid soggy or wet noodles, and to cook the pasta just to the point where it is slightly firm and yet tender to taste.
Over the years of practicing yoga, I have discerned that it is that "cooked just right feeling" that allows us to unfold, to open, and to live with a heightened awareness of our actions and it's direct effect to our family, friends, and micro-interactions.
The class I teach is the class I would want to take: Firm intentions, intelligent alignment, zested with a bit of creative juicy vinyasa to taste, and a side of pranayama please, of course pepper it with inversions and arm balances along the way. And make that for here, not to go, as I like to linger awhile in savasana.
-Breath is always first the postures always second. –
I strive to surrender any rigidness towards ONE way in my teaching, hoping the softer I get towards myself, the softer I will be with my loved ones. For more: www.yogawithangie.com
Carrie Varela
Training: 300 hour Yoga Teacher Training at 3 Om Yoga in Parker, Colorado, Foundation Course in Yoga Science for Wellness at the Morarji National Institute for Yoga in New Delhi, India, Ana Forrest Intensives, Reiki Master Healer and Teacher
To me, yoga is union and linking of oneself with a cosmic sense of Self. I find yoga to be a powerful tool for personal transformation. Be it healing, freedom, joy, self-expression or love...all of these fabulous energies I have found on the yoga mat and this is why I come back to my practice every day. Philosophically, I am inspired by the teachings of my guru, Sri Aurobindo and by countless other bits of insight interwoven throughout my life. Teachers who I love are Ana Forrest, Shiva Rea, David Swenson, Cheryl Deer and countless others.
Teaching yoga is a source of challenge and wisdom which encourages me to look for ways to express my passion and dedication to yoga. As a Reiki Master, I see the world through energy and I weave in energetic themes and yoga philosophy into all of my classes. It is my intention to guide my students through their practice with hope they may discover a deep sense of inner peace which can flow into life as a result of yoga.
Cheryl Deer
Training: Basic, Advanced and Continuing Education Teacher Training Intensives with Ana Forrest; Forrest Yoga Guardian; Ashtanga Teacher Training with David Swenson; Studies in Iyengar, Power, Vinyasa, Anusara and Jivamukti yoga; 500 Hour Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) with Yoga Alliance.
Cheryl Deer, RYT 500, Forrest Yoga Guardian, has taught yoga since 1996. Cheryl’s classes and workshops are joyful and motivating, designed to leave you awakened and inspired. Expect to receive gentle yet powerful adjustments, connect to your core and engage in your practice in a way that brings greater presence, healing and transformation.
Cheryl’s teaching is deeply rooted in the Forrest Yoga philosophy; an approach designed to address the stresses and challenges of our daily lives and support our journey toward physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing.
In addition to teaching classes, privates, workshops and teacher trainings in Denver, Cheryl also spends time each year assisting her teacher Ana Forrest, creatrix of Forrest Yoga. She draws on her knowledge from Ana and her many years of experience to teach how to bring Spirit into life.
To visit Cheryl's personal website, go to www.CherylDeerYoga.com
Christen Bakken
Training: 2007- CorePower Yoga, 2011- Bhakti Flow Teacher Training with Rusty Wells
Photo: Kellie Coughlin PhotographerYoga means union. In an asana class, yoga is a call to link together the breath and the body. In my life, which is where yoga is really transforming, it is a call to link together my personal choices to the impact they have on my own present moment, my closest relationships, and my community. My favorite yoga classes ask me to dig deeper, to explore the body, the breath, or the heart, in a new way to help open my eyes to what is possible in the larger world. For me, the practice of yoga is a call to service with intention always on gratitude.
I teach a vinyasa style of yoga called Bhakti Flow. Its roots are in vigorous vinyasa with an emphasis on gratitude and spirit. It is my intention that students leave the mat feeling challenged, feeling a little burn or sweat, but even bigger than that, feel a deeper connection to who they are, what they already have, and how to carry the practice off the mat. In my experience, the poses serve as a warm up to what is really happening in my life and in the world. And of course, with a bhakti class, there is always a chance we might lift our voices in a joyous chant.
I teach Vinyasa classes on Mondays at noon. I hope to see you in class!
Crystal Hinton
Yoga is living radiant through our body, intellect and breath! It's a deep integrative practice that connects us to our heart, while reaping the endless physical/mental benefits. It's a shift in consciousness that allows us to see what's beneath the surface and engage in a way that creates more beauty. Raise the vibration!
I teach a strong, grounding, challenging, yet light and inspiring full spectrum class. I'm biased to sequencing the top 24 most therapeutic poses that help reverse the curves of everyday life. Sure to have you light on your feet, feeling relaxed, connected and open after class...I teach a slow flow heavy in therapeutics to create a dynamic balance of muscle energy and organic openings. Look forward to seeing you on the mat!
Dustin Shroyer
Training: 200 hour Core Power Certified in Power, and extension in Yoga Sculpt, 33 hour Shiva Rhea Fluid Power Training, 200 hour Forrest Yoga Foundation Training
Balance plays a huge role in my life. I love to eat healthy, but rarely skip out on delicious food. I love to work, when work involves a lot of play!! It all stems back to my childhood when I traveled back and forth from the West Coast to Texas. There are no two places more opposite than Eugene, Oregon and La Grange, Texas. Austin represented a perfect balance between southern hospitality and the liberal hippie culture of Eugene. I spent 10 years there before realizing my childhood hub, where I spent so many layovers looking out the window at the snow, was the perfect balance for me. Denver is located right in the middle, the fulcrum of my life, and it was my karma to move here and discover yoga.
Yoga is balance. It is the point at which we all come together, where we can have fun and work hard. It is a safe place to feel free and natural in the middle of a city. Yoga gives us a way to release stress and take in positive energy. When body parts work in opposition to each other to support your body, mind, and spirit we have balance. Yoga provides a place to release stress and teaches us techniques to help manage it. Yoga brings balance to my life, and keeps me healthy and smiling.
Kat Saks
Training: 200 Hour Registered Yoga Teacher from Laughing Lotus Yoga Center in NYC; Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training from Prenatal Yoga Center in NYC
For decades, I thought I wasn’t good enough. Whether through drugs, a demanding job, or a negative body image, I found countless ways to mask my true self. When I unrolled my yoga mat, I finally took a step towards self-acceptance. Through yoga I discovered the beauty of authenticity and learned to live from a place of truth. I knew I had to share this experience with others.
I invite my students to uncover and express their most powerful and authentic self. In every class, I co-mingle a wild playlist with a creative Vinyasa flow to encourage an atmosphere of playful challenge and self-discovery. Whether you’re moving to the beat of Lady Gaga, or musing on the poetry of Rumi, you’ll never come to the same class twice. But, one thing is certain; my class is a celebration. You can always expect to leave the room uplifted by the reminder that you are awesome – exactly as you are.
I graduated from Laughing Lotus’s College of Yoga in NYC and am also certified in prenatal yoga by the The Prenatal Yoga Center in NYC. I count Dana Flynn and Amy Ippoliti as two of my most influential teachers.
Keri Bergeron
Training: Master of Science, Physical Therapy, Northeastern University; Bachelor of Science, Rehabilitation Science, Northeastern University; 200 hour YA certification after completing Forrest Yoga Foundation Teacher Training
I was introduced to yoga 11 years ago upon first moving to Colorado. After growing up a competitive gymnast and studying Physical Therapy, I could immediately identify with the physical benefits of the practice; strength, flexibility, balance. Over the next few years, I developed a deep curiosity for all things yoga. This led me to my first yoga teacher training with Ana Forrest and I have since studied with Darren Rhodes, Christina Sell, Janet Stone, Andrei Ram,Brock and Krista Cahill, and Annie Carpenter. Aside from these yoga superstars, I appreciates and draw from many styles of yoga. I continue to be inspired daily by the great teachers I encounter in the studio and outside who are constantly living their yoga.
I believe in a playful, non-dogmatic approach. I believe in a strong physical practice as an invitation to pierce inward. I believe that there are no prerequisites to practice yoga. I believe that curiosity is the first step to creating change.
In my classes you can expect to be challenged, to be educated on the physical aspects of the practice, and to feel safe. I ask only that you bring an open mind and a willingness to explore..
Lauren Turnage
Training: 200 hour Forrest Yoga Foundation Training, Forrest Yoga Mentorship Program, Forrest Yoga Advanced Teacher Training 2011
Growing up I was encouraged to find what gives me life. Yoga gives me life. It gives me community, breath, asana and meditation, and fills my life with joy, laughter, love and many other things. But most important to my life is my spirit, and yoga connects me to my spirit. When I am embodying my spirit, I am full of life. My union is yoga, life and spirit. My devotion as a teacher is to use the gifts yoga brings me to help my students find what gives them life. I have been inspired by many teachers along my yogic journey. My inspiration comes to me from my core teachers and my students. Ana Forrest gave me the tools I need to live my dharma and help others find their own. Regina Zwilling gave me my determination and presence to be there for others. Cheryl Deer daily gives me my inversions and encourages my ability to love. My students motivate me to grow as a teacher and also as a student. I teach Forrest yoga, because I love the abs.
Mark Perna
Training: Forrest Yoga Foundation Teacher Training, July 2012
"Healing is something done by us; not something done to us." I truly believe in the healing power of Forrest Yoga. As a Marine Corps combat veteran, I struggled with the physical and emotional wounds of war. I've found Forrest Yoga to be such a profound tool for healing that I feel it is my responsibility to not only bring these tools to other veterans through my nonprofit organization, but to share them with the community at large. Yoga, to me, is not about having a certain philosophy or living a certain way—it is about knowing yourself and walking in your own strength.
I challenge my students to be compassionate in a new way. When you're in class and standing in warrior two for what seems like forever: know that there's a purpose. It's a chance to battle that inner critic, the voice that says "this is too hard," or "I need to stop." It's an opportunity to work in a new way, to stay out of that mode of existence that doesn't serve you to follow your dreams, to step out of your comfort zone. How will you know what your edge is, if you've never been there?
At Root Yoga Center, I teach Forrest Yoga, sequencing the poses I find most powerful for healing.
To learn more about Mark and his yoga programs, visit his website: www.warriorcorpsyoga.com
Michelle Lee Weldon, LPC RYT
Training: I received my 200 hour certification in Vinyasa yoga, and have delved into a deepening study with Bhava Vinyasa, a healing centered flow and restore yoga. My teaching and practice are influenced by both Prana Flow and Anusara yoga. Yogis whose workshops I try not to miss include Shannon Paige, Chris Muchow, Douglas Brooks, Lorin Roche, Ana Forrest and so many more! My cup is literally overflowing with teachings I'd love to immerse myself in…
I teach because it is what I love to do MOST in the world. Vinyasa yoga is the culmination of everything I love and never knew I could put together in one cohesive practice. In my teaching, I weave the magic of movement and dance into yoga asana transitions and blend music, psychology, poetics and a little sanskrit into the landscape of your experience. I pretty much geek out on this stuff!
In my classes at Root Yoga, you can expect an integrated flow, with light hearted thoughts and a good deal of adjustments to encourage the deepening of your own practice. Outside of the studio, I am a Psychotherapist. In the studio, I bring some of my knowledge of neuropsychology and somatic psychology to help you move through the walls your brain sometimes puts up during practice.
But mostly, I love to move and I love to laugh… And you will experience both if you come practice with me!
Nancy Tomb
Training: 200 hour in Hatha Yoga at Shoshoni, Baron Baptiste Level One, 200 hour Hot Series at Yoga on 6th, Prison Yoga Project, Veterans Yoga Project, Advanced Yoga Teacher Training with Ana Forrest (2013)
Nicole Maurrae Landrus
Training: 200 hour Forrest Yoga Foundation Training
Breathe...if you acknowledge your breath, feed it magic, and wash it through your body you can make it through anything. Yoga came into my life when my spirit and body needed it most. Yoga saved me. Finding my mat brought me hope, pure happiness, strength and acceptance. Yoga has grounded me and helped me find balance in life and teach me how to handle real life with a positive and bright attitude. It has helped me connect to my spirit, my authentic self. Stepping on to my mat now brings me positive challenges, inspiration and a desire to shine.
I feel fortunate to have such amazing teachers and loving community around me, to support me, while I breathe through my transformation and begin to step into my wiser self. Laruen Turnage and Kate Mulheron have been my biggest inspiration. Their sparkle, love for yoga and spirit brighten my life and challenge me to be a better person everyday. I feel blessed to have such wonderful women in my life and honored to be a family member at Root Yoga Center, where I teach ground level Forrest classes...come join me!
Roger Martin Pressman
Roger Martin-Pressman is an Anusara-Inspired yoga teacher who has been studying yoga for 10 years. Roger has dedicated the last three years to studying and teaching Anusara yoga. As a student of Anusara he has learned to incorporate the Universal Principles of Alignment into his classes in a heart-felt and humorous way.
Roger is committed to expanding his students’ knowledge of their own potential and empowering them with awareness of their bodies and hearts. By combining his knowledge of anatomy and physiology with life experience and philosophy, Roger’s classes offer something valuable to practitioners of all levels.
ROOT Yoga center is such a beautiful place to practice, teach and expand the limits of what is possible. I teach Mighty Root, a class that blends fitness and yoga; join me and the wonderful community at Root.
Sarah Corcoran
Training: 200 hour Forrest Yoga Foundation Training
Yoga is an opportunity to open into one’s life through body movement, breath and increased awareness. My first teacher, Susan Skellenger, told me more than 15 years ago, to ‘notice how you feel.’ Years later, I discovered the Forrest practice and felt like I had come home. Forrest yoga is designed to connect us to our own bodies, strengthen our support structure and clear out the ‘toxic gunk’ of stress. Lauren Turnage has guided me in using the heat of abs in the practice to melt away the layers of stress and strain, to allow healing. As a life-long athlete, student, teacher and seeker, I emphasize proper alignment and engagement of your neglected and forgotten parts, as well as activation and development of your natural strengths. Cheryl Deer has lit a path of deepening commitment for my practice and for my desire to teach. ‘It is your birthright’, she says, to explore your life and draw closer to your true self. Alternately, our culture often involves repetitive movements, stress paired with shallow breathing and, perhaps, a dulling of our senses. At Root, I have found an accepting community of people searching for new ways to move, to release the stress, to deepen the breath and to explore this life. I encourage you to seek out an inspiring experience here. Light and Love!
Sarah Venema
Training: Baron Baptist Style of Power Vinyasa Flow, 200 hour RYT at Yoga on 6th. I have also taken booster Yin Yoga classes and posture series classes.
Yoga to me is a deeper way to connect with my inner self. I come to my mat to connect with my potential, strength and inner beauty. Although I appreciate all kinds of yoga, I find I thrive best in yoga classes that challenge and push me. If you want to get to something you have never had, you have to do something you have never done. My personal motto is to “be the light”. By striving to be the best you can be, you not only shine as brightly as you can, but show others that they too can shine as brightly. For me, yoga is a way to harness that positive energy on the mat so that it can be carried out into life.
Yoga for me is fun so first and for most I want to make yoga fun for all my students. I strive to create a safe and playful environment that allows my students to explore their practice and discover what our beautiful bodies are capable of doing. I encourage my students to help design the classes by telling me what poses they wish me to incorporate in the next class, that way we can discuss that pose deeper and classes become more about us as a group than me as a guide. I very much encourage modifications and I teach that it is important to challenge yourself, but to also find the balance of being humble by accepting where you are in class at that very moment. You might not yet know how to do a headstand, that does not make you any less of a yogi, it just gives you a goal to strive for. I am also very hands on, instructing not only with my voice, through demonstration by actual physical adjustments. I believe that we all learn differently and I incorporate all different ways of learning into practice. You are your best teacher, I am just a guide on the journey with you.
At Root Yoga I teach Beginner Yoga, with a focus on Vinyasa flow. The class is one hour long and incorporates core work, inversions as well as the basic Vinyasa yoga poses. My goal is to help you discover your connection with yoga.
Sarah Teddy
Training: Sarah completed both her 200 hour and 50 hour teacher trainings through the It’s Yoga system under Larry Schultz and David Kyle.
Being moved by the strength, power and focus within Ashtanga yoga, her classes incorporate an upbeat, fun and energetic Ashatanga based flow. Teaching from the Rocket routines Sarah’s classes are designed to take the ancient eastern tradition of Ashtanga yoga and make it accessible to the western thinker. The rocket routine is a reconfiguration of the first and second series of Ashtanga yoga, intended to work with the nervous system and increase energy as well as vitality.
Sarah strives to lead a class in which individuals of all levels and yoga backgrounds feel comfortable and able to develop their own personal practice. Aiding students in pushing themselves to the edge, but no further. Her mission is to spread the art and science of yoga to the masses, assisting others in finding a moving, breathing, meditation on and off the mat.
With Bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Human Development, Sarah places great value on the mind and body connection. Sarah strives to assist students in finding mental and physical health through the practice of yoga, believing that true health is a balanced recipe of the two. For more information on Sarah check out her website www.sarahteddyyoga.com
Sarah Weight
Training: Corepower Hot Yoga & Hot Power Fusion Teacher Training Program, 200 Hr Certification
I am happily addicted to the array of sensations- strength, balance, invigoration, and tranquility- that practicing yoga lets me find within myself. Yoga lets me make peace with myself and quiet the inner naysayer. It lets me feel alive. A principle I love and teach from is from the documentary Yoga Unveiled: "Yoga does not bring peace and relaxation to a person like a Valium. It quiets down. Yoga teaches a person to calm the body & mind so we can see our natures are calm and relaxed." I don't believe we are designed to be chaotic and stressed out; we are designed to feel joy and love. Teaching yoga fulfills me on levels I never thought possible before beginning this journey. I can't help but teach with a smile on my face. I love guiding and sharing the gift of yoga with others, teaching from a place in my heart of non-judgement and compassion, encouraging us to not be our own worst critics but to be gentle on ourselves. Indeed I am a student first, loving all that the students in my class teach me about yoga and about myself. My style is a loving, eclectic fusion of typical Hatha yoga postures, hot-style postures, and Iyengar-influenced postures. At Root, I teach Vinyasa Flow.
Una Viggiani
Training: 200 Hours from Nosara Yoga Institute in Costa Rica, Anusara Immersion and 8 Drops Tantra Training
Yoga is a way of life for me. It is a practice that allows me to meet myself NEW everyday that I step on my mat. By being fully present, and grounded in my body, yoga allows me to live a full, focused and joyful life. As a yoga teacher, I inspire students to feel that same connection with themselves. I teach at a gentle, conscious pace that allows beginners to feel comfortable, while offering challenging sequences and poses. I love teaching and practicing a Slow Flow that keeps things moving but also gives time to feel each pose.
I teach Vinyasa classes at Root, Mondays 7pm All Levels & Fridays 4 pm Beginners
Root Yoga Center
Root Yoga Center offers the Denver community a variety of yoga classes, instruction & yoga workshops for beginner to advanced yogis. Our goal is to help people cultivate awareness and connection through yoga, and a balanced lifestyle – thus our moto is “Feeling is Living!”. Please join us at the yoga studio for one of our healthy lifestyle events, like our fall and spring nutrition programs, forrest yoga events, art events, outdoor classes and more! We now offer yoga teacher training. Don't hesitate to contact us with any questions. Namaste!