The OM Collective Bio’s

Ali is a Certified Anusara® Yoga instructor, wife, mother, and has been a passionate yoga student for 12+ years.  Upon meeting John Friend in 2003, Ali left the corporate world to begin teaching and co-creating the community of Anusara® yogis in the Twin Cities.  Her classes weave precise physical instruction, practical application of tantric yoga philosophy, and tales from everyday life that remind us of our innate beauty, power, and strength. Ali is abundantly grateful for her 3 wise children, unwavering supportive husband, Martin & Jordan Kirk, Desirée Rumbaugh, the brilliance and guidance of John Friend, and for her mother who started it all.

Offerings: Group + Private Anusara® Yoga Instruction, Immersion Programs
Website: BeginWithIntention

After leaving a long career in Fashion Design, Jennifer completed Vinyasa Yoga teacher training in 2005.  As her life expanded her yoga study did as well.  Through fertility challenges, pregnancy and parenting yoga has immersed itself in every aspect of her life.  Studying in depth in Women’s Health, she has trained extensively with amazing mentors in Fertility, Prenatal, Postnatal, Yoga for Babies, and Kids.

She founded JenYoga in 2005, creating Yoga at the Lake, weekly opportunities to practice yoga outside in the Minneapolis Parks, enjoying the glorious weather and a connection to the earth like no other.  In 2009 she founded Fertile Grounding Yoga after she and her husband had their own challenging journey of fertility, and began teaching yoga and educational workshops for women seeking pregnancy. Her classes support women in the midst of intense fertility treatment, as well as those just beginning to seek pregnancy. The same year she became a Birth Support Doula, and had the honor of supporting one of her Fertile Grounding Yoga students through her labor and delivery of a sweet baby girl!

In 2010 she wrote her first Teacher Training program focusing on Prenatal Yoga, and she has thoroughly enjoyed passing on her knowledge and expertise in teaching pregnant women. Her studies keep expanding through all aspects of women’s health, as each stage of life melds into the next she enjoys being able to offer yoga and education to support each path.

Offerings: Gentle Vinyasa Classes for All Levels, Fertility Yoga/Fertile Grounding Yoga, Prenatal Yoga, Postnatal Yoga, and Yoga Bonding (parent and baby yoga). Fertile Grounding Yoga Workshops, Non-Toxic Living Workshops, Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training and Private instruction.
Website: JenYoga

 

Ronna Rochell is a Certified Anusara® Yoga Instructor and has been teaching yoga for over 20 years. Presently, she dedicates her life to bringing yoga into every aspect of her life, from teaching, to her marriage, to being a mother of three boys. Prior to deepening her journey through yoga, Ronna was a professional modern dancer, also earning her MFA in Dance in 1989. All of her life experience gives her unique perspective on the body’s optimal health, expression, and bio-mechanics. Ronna is an enthusiastic teacher who inspires her students with her playful yet serious approach to her classes. Ronna invites her students to step into their own truth: their place of connection of mind, body, and spirit.

Offerings: Group + Private Anusara® Yoga Instruction, mixed level group classes as well as beginning level classes, Partner Yoga Workshops and Retreats, Anusara® Immersion program.
Website: BodyWisdomYoga

 

Lisa Van Ahn has been in the business of getting fit, being fit, and living fit for over 10 years. As a nationally ranked amateur and professional competitor in the world of kickboxing and boxing she knows how to push the limits of the body to the brink and in record time. Her best skill is designing signature kick-your-butt workouts that are short, to the point, and get the job done. The job of course, being, looking as hot as possible in a minimum amount of time. She offers every session with consideration for all fitness levels, light heartedness, and her excellent expertise.

Offerings: LVA: 9V5 Workout, intenSati, Kickboxing. Full body workouts, strength, cardio, core, and stretch included, private kickboxing and boxing instruction, Nutrition and Health Consultations, Reiki healing sessions.
Website: Lisa Van Ahn

Nikki is a Yoga instructor, student, and lover of the outdoors, baking and photography. With a background in dance and various athletics Nikki has always found joy through movement. Nikki began yoga in 2006 as she experimented with various traditions such as; Iyengar, Ashtanga, Bikram and Vinyasa Yoga. Nikki’s curiosity continued to expand as she fell into her own daily practice and received a Level One and Two training through Yogafit in 2007. Nikki guided gentle and advanced Vinyasa classes at the YMCA and Winona State University for three years and offered donation based classes to raise money for local organizations providing care for individuals escaping sexual slavery and forced labor. In 2010 Nikki received her Yoga Alliance certification with Fred Busch’s Power Vinyasa teacher training in Lima, Peru. Her experience in Peru cultivated a desire to continue to deepen her understanding of Yoga, which brought her to the Yoga Center of Minneapolis to continue her studies as both instructor and student. Nikki’s classes create a space where individuals can listen, laugh, breath deeply and move beautifully, arriving at a sacred space of stillness in the mind and body. Nikki hopes to continue to work with instructors in her community to make the practice of Yoga accessible to ALL individuals.

Offerings: Vinyasa Yoga
Contact: ann14nikki@gmail.com

Jeff Guhin is an IT professional in corporate America, and a certified Budokon and Vinyasa yoga instructor. He believes the integration of yogic and martial arts is a perfect balance to incorporate into any practice. Jeff takes a holistic approach to each class by incorporating components of mind/body/spirit in various aspects. His classes appeal to those looking for a “good” workout as well as practitioners living the yogic lifestyle.

Offerings: Budokon Yoga
Website: Guhin

Rev. Pauline Kaplan M.S., L.P.–Transformational Psychologist, Ordained Minister, Embodiement Specialist and Shamanic Ritualist supporting sacred empowerment,  reawakening and healing of the spirit/soul split towards an authentic whole. Through her psychotherapy practice with individuals, couples, groups, workshops, retreats and intensive trainings, Pauline works around the medicine wheel to re-ignite the sacred marriage with the visionary, warrior, healer and teacher archetypes. Pauline incorporates tools and practices of the alchemistic seer through breath integration and re-birthing, dream work, active imagination, yoga, chakra work, meditation , rituals of healing, celebration and transition along with conscious relationship practices. Pauline holds a safe, joyful and warm-hearted space for those wanting to deepen their relationship with the authentic whole being always emerging and forever eternal.

Offerings: Meditation
Website: PaulineKaplan

 

A passionate student of Yoga, Jenn is currently in the midst of a 600-hour teacher-training program with the Association of Himalayan Yoga Meditation Societies International, recognized by Yoga Alliance and of which The Meditation Center in Northeast Minneapolis is an affiliate member.  By leading others in Yoga meditation, she hopes to share the beauty of self-transformation that meditation awakens. A poet, philosopher, and writer, she also thrills at the relevance of ancient Yogic thought to the modern world and our common yearning for grace, beauty, connection, and truth.

Offerings: Yoga Meditation: Peace, Truth, Bliss
Contact: jmanion@earthlink.net

Andrew Mills started Wing Chun training in 1997. In 2002 he started Wing Tzun Kung-Fu teaching and training from international Master Dai-Sifu Emin Boztepe, founder of EBMAS (Emin Boztepe Martial Arts System). In ’08 Sihing Andrew became a certified 1st Technician in Wing Tzun Kung-Fu. Andrew teaches and trains for effectiveness but does not glorify fighting. His mindset is one of peace and the return to peace as quickly as possible in any forceful exchange. With this in mind training in WT is intense, real and safe for students. Also balance can be achieved between your mind and body which brings  a sense of calm and peace to each student. As a result reducing stress, anxiety and fear in every part of their lives. Sihing Andrew is always looking for students that want to train and learn realistic Wing Tzun Kung-Fu.

Offerings: Kung Fu
Website: EBMAS or contact at Andrew@EBMASTC.com

Through her journey with cancer from 1998-2000 Michelle embraced yoga further as a means to help heal her body and mind while fighting illness. She credits her yoga practice as one of the main reasons for being cancer-free today and is grateful for the balance it creates in all aspects of her life. Her passion and curiosity for yoga, along with her personal experience of transformation, transfers to the classroom where she encourages students to practice mindfully and to be curious about their own journey and the sensations that arise on and off the mat.

Michelle was trained and certified in the 250-hour Atmananda Yoga Sequence (a Vinyasa-based sequence) in New York City. She is also a certified Yoga Therapist in the Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy tradition working with clients one on one to help create emotional, mental and physical release through yoga. She has done further training in Yin Yoga with the founders of Yin, Paulie Zink and Paul Grilley. She works closely with local Iyengar teacher Matthew Sanford in teaching Adaptive Yoga to those who live with disability including spinal cord injury and brain injury. Matthew is also Michelle’s teacher and guide in her own personal yoga practice.

Michelle has worked with a wide range of students from those living with chronic pain and illness to athletes at the elite level to yoga teachers in training. Her work with athletes includes teaching hockey players in both the Minnesota Wild and Pittsburgh Penguins organizations using yoga as a tool for recovery. Her ability to make space for all individuals, regardless of their level and range of motion, is one of her greatest assets in the classroom.

Offerings: Guys Yoga combining Yin and Vinyasa styles of yoga
Website: OMWithMichelle.com

Alan Pritz is an Interfaith minister, life coach, consultant, meditation & yoga teacher who has trained in and taught meditation, yoga, and martial arts collectively for over 37 years. A spiritual disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda, Alan draws upon those universal teachings to help individuals and groups interested in spiritual growth – regardless of their faith tradition – or work/life-balance issues. Selected by the US Army Reserves as “Meditation & Life–Balance Resource” for National Combat Veteran Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program, Alan is also the author of Pocket Guide To Meditation, Meditation and the Spiritual Life, plus producer of two devotional chanting CD’s. Alan lives and works in Minneapolis and can be contacted at AlanPritz@q.com, 612-721-4100.

Offerings: All Faiths Meditation Worship Service
Website:  Awake-in-Life

 

Teaching for over 25 years, Velleda Schervee is a Registered Yoga Teacher (Yoga Alliance-500), and a graduate of the Iyengar Yoga Institute, San Francisco. Inspired by many years of intensive study with Angela Farmer, founder of Inner Body Yoga, Velleda brings a sense of creative exploration to her teaching of yoga and meditation. She blends philosophy, therapeutics and humor into her friendly teaching style. Velleda has studied many forms of yoga, bodywork and healing modalities. Her other primary teachers have been Judith Lasater, Iyengar Yoga, author of ‘Relax and Renew, Yoga for Stressful Times’, and Emilie Conrad, founder of Continuum Movement. She graduated from the Minnesota Center for Shiatsu, the Acupressure Institute of Berkeley and continues her study of mindfulness meditation, positive psychology and Buddhism. Velleda is also a visual artist who enjoys creating semi-abstract oil paintings of figures and landscapes. She lives in south Minneapolis and works at Linden Hills Co-op.  Space is limited, please pre-register with instructor prior to class. Class fee: $15.00.

Offerings: Restorative Yoga
Contact: vschervee@gmail.com

Lisa came to be a yoga instructor because of her lifelong passion to connect with and to help people. Certified in Hatha/Vinayasa styles through the wonderful Frog Lotus Yoga school in Massachusetts, she loves to incorporate dynamic and creative flow elements in her classes. She strives to make her classes fun, challenging, positive, and life-affirming at all levels… and she loves to see her students smile. Lisa enjoys working with a diverse range of people, and teaches to a wide spectrum of ages and abilities: in addition to her vinyasa flow classes, she can also be found working with babies and new moms in Yoga Bonding classes, working with 2-6 year olds in Kids Yoga classes, and at an assisted living facility teaching chair-based yoga to some particularly amazing yogis in their 90′s. Lisa considers it a gift and a privilege to be able to share yoga with others, and she is grateful for all that her students teach her on a daily basis.

Offerings: Senior Yoga
Website: lisaventicinque