Meet the Team
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Liana WingenbachLiana began exploring yoga as a tool to prevent back pain from scoliosis in 2010. She soon discovered that breath was soothing and therapeutic. She had yet to learn how soul-healing the practice can become.
She first came to Shakti to support a fund raiser for social justice. While in shivasana, she began to see that there was more to this ancient practice. The journey had begun! Years later, Liana attended Shakti’s Healing Journey to San Miguel de Allende, and enrolled in Shakti’s Immersion Program. There, she was able to delve deep into the practice. Now, what Liana most values from Shakti is its community and incomparable practice space. It is easy to see that the historic building that houses and hosts Shakti’s community is lovingly and intentionally cared for. Liana has discovered that by embracing the supportive Shakti family, she has it has fostered community in other aspects of her life. Shakti‘s teachings have helped her to live in the present moment . For the “now” is where she trusts that her life will fall into place. Liana offers a steady pace and provides a nurturing atmosphere in her classes. You can expect her soothing voice to lead you to a healing state of relaxation. “Yoga is a path of peace, compassion, and truth. This is realized through a devotional practice of meditation, pranayama, and asana. It is processed through a state of creative flow.” Liana Wingenbach |
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Megan Townsend MaloneMegan began practicing yoga in 2011 after a serious injury and fell in love with the practice. She has been teaching since 2014.
Megan started attending classes at Shakti in 2016 when she began to crave a deeper healing experience in her personal yoga practice. She fell in love with the offering and space and has grown to know Shakti as a place of healing and inspiration. Megan’s invitation to students is curiosity, honesty, and creativity of body, heart, and mind. Her classes are dynamic, heartfelt, and challenging. She prioritizes physical and emotional safety and values spiritual growth Students can expect traditional vinyasa flows and some intuitive “out of the box” movement. She offers modifications to increase or decrease physical challenge with the intent of practice being accessible to all. “Yoga is union – to dissolve separation of self.” - Megan "Practice with Megan is an experience of embodiment and care that weaves breathwork, physical therapy, energetic flow and somatic healing together. Her vast knowledge of the body and capacity to hold our heart is a gift. Her thoughtfully sequenced and trauma-informed classes allow us to slowly ground. Megan holds a magical space that allows us to move as we need and then bring it into our lives." - Dana Watson |
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Candice BrowningCandice, was an active adolescent, when first introduced to yoga. It was a nice way to bring balance to running and other work outs.
She has been practicing for two decades, finding it helpful for injury-recovery and a way to move different from running. Yoga provided her with some foundation so that when she found herself pounding the pavement she could be supported from other arenas of muscle memory. Candice found her way to Shakti through Grace, and community, while in a delicate place, after a major life disruption. She was provided a thread to help her heal after a traumatic accident. She returned again and again to Shakti due to the way she felt throughout each class. She began to experience a more comfortable place within the walls of her body. The “come as you are”, “bring it all”, “nothing need be left out” approach at Shakti is what she cherishes most. Safety, guidance and support are prevalent while lying on her mat on Shakti’s heated floor, with its high ceilings. She meets herself most honestly as she is, even when feeling broken. She is forever grateful for all she has learned from Shakti, of which is far too much to list here. Essentially, Candice has learned to breathe, to trust, to compassionately hold space for herself, and therefore others. From her committed daily practice she affords a freedom, curiosity, and a softening that has taught her that discomfort is able to show her an half full glass. Understanding one’s sight ability depends on the eyes of the beholder. She offers follow students the same opportunity from an open mind, and dynamic movement based on ancient teachings. She firmly believes there is always hope, sometimes mixed with colorful pain, but it is all a message from a greater Source. The spectrum of life will present itself when the nervous system allows it. A session with Candice will assist others in finding ground and its energies to yield a point of view that was not previously available. To feel in the body but understand we more than the body, is possible “Yoga is to unite body, mind, spirit. To move all parts through breath and mental fortitude, allowing all three energies in synchronicity to take you to that union” - Candice Browning |
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Amy T. KempfAmy came to Yoga in 2017 as part of her breast cancer treatment plan, to move the chemotherapy through her body. She soon realized what she really needed was to move back in to her body. This began her way back to herself.
In 2018 her only sister passed away. Amy’s grief spiraled and Shakti was her safe place, where she could cry out load. What keeps her coming back to Shakti is spiritual growth and conscious movement. The devotional practice at Shakti continues to awaken her. Here, she has discovered the capacity to hold space and to be of service to community. Amy has learned from Shakti that showing up matters and that we are better together, especially during these dark days. She offers to those that join her Open Practice a smile, a sincere greeting and accurate information of what Shakti is all about. Students can expect a room ready to support their personal practice. She is grateful to a dear friend David Mussen for bringing her in when she wasn’t well enough to come in on her own. “Yoga is devotion + movement + community.” - Amy T. Kempf |
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Christopher BealeInitially coming to yoga to find an activity that would improve balance and coordination. To his surprise, Chris found the merge of physical and spiritual at Shakti to be so much more rewarding.
Practicing since 2009, he started at Shakti’s original location on Lexington Avenue and never stopped, in part due to the community of yogis that gather. What he has learned from Shakti’s teachings and experiences are far too many to list here, but one of the most important is: be present. Chris aspires to hold space for beings to explore their own practice. Students can expect a welcoming environment, one that allows a trust to build so each person can choose best for themselves. “Yoga is the act of finding union with Divine through movement - Christopher Beale |