Teachers

Meet the Team

Em Krysztofowicz

Em came to Shakti after a gentle push from a friend. She immediately fell in love with the space and the community. The first time she walked through the doors it felt like a welcome home hug.

The practice of yoga at Shakti, has helped Em shape her life. The loving and supportive community helped her meet her true self.

Through Shakti’s Immersion Program, she learned to trust herself and the Divinity of the universe. This has placed her in harmony and flow with all that is. Through trust and faith, she now is able to truly listen and be an observer, knowing that whatever happens in life is a gift from God.

Em holds space for the community with compassion and kindness. She aspires to guide class through mindful movement that is connected to the breath, while leaving time for play and meditation.

The practice of yoga has helped Em dig deep within herself and allowed her to surrender to what is. It is her goal to help community find that for themselves.

“Yoga is the true connection between mind, body and spirit.” - Em

"Em’s classes reflect her warm, gentle, strong spirit. Her pace of flow is just right. Her instructions are always clear and easy to follow. I look forward to practicing with her every week." - Sue V

Liana Wingenbach

Liana 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

Megan Townsend Malone

Megan 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

Anni Perrello

As a child, Anni enjoyed sitting alone in nature. This later developed into an interest in meditation, which eventually evolved into her steady practice of yoga since 2016.

She found her way into Shakti when a coworker asked her to go to a yoga class, specifically to “look at yoga butts.”

The lark soon became a deep experience. It was the palpable energy in the room that kept Anni going back to Shakti after everyone else faded off. It was so different from anything she had ever experienced. She used to say that going to Shakti was like going to church and getting a work out at the same time, a perfect fit. It has since developed in to a lot more.

Anni appreciates the spiritual nature of the practice at Shakti. She is on a path of trust, surrender, and acceptance because of Shakti's teachings.

Anni can offer the students safe space to practice physical asana flow, breath work and meditation. Anni understands and respects that everyone is on their own journey.

She believes that the most important lesson is the breath. Shakti has taught her how to focus on the breath in asana flow practice and in life. As this has transformed her, she holds space for this possibility for others.

Students can expect to leave their expectations at the door.

“Yoga is Union – connection with the Divine and with the Self.” - Anni Perrello

"As a working mama, I appreciate the quality of space and the gentleness that Anni holds for us in class. I absolutely love the moments of deep stillness and quiet she encourages." - Stephanie Saline

Samantha Attard

Samantha is an Āyurvedic Health Counselor, nutrition PhD, and Yoga Instructor with over 2,500 hours of teaching experience. Through her business Spiro Collective, she helps women find alternatives to artificial hormones and medications for chronic issues using the holistic, soul-nourishing practices from Āyurveda. Her goal is to help women enjoy menstruating, optimize fertility, and step into their feminine gifts and power. Samantha is a Buffalo native and lives in the Elmwood Village with her husband and toddler son.

Samantha Attard has been teaching Yoga since 2014 and has over 2,500 hours of teaching experience. Her training spans many asana styles in addition to study in Yoga philosophy, chakras, and texts such as the Bhagavad Gita. She studies Supreme Release Yoga with its founder, Kaya Mindlin.