Barbara HaneyBarbara Haney is honored to be a part of what Shakti represents. The urge to find a community/sangha that reflected her spiritually-infused yoga practice brought her to Shakti. Michelle’s commitment to the community and the spiritual traditions of yoga, as well as the creation of a beautiful space, inspired Barb.
She aspires to hold space for yoga to work its magic on the individual. She believes there is nobody/no body that cannot benefit from yoga. All postures can be accommodated to meet the practitioner’s needs. Everyone is welcome in her class. Barb became a RYT after attending a 200-hr teacher training with Felicitas Kusch-Lango. She continues to study yoga philosophy with Swami Sadasivananda, a direct disciple of Swami Vishnudevananda, in the Sivananda tradition, where she was given the spiritual name Saraswati. Her introduction to yoga began in the late eigthies as a way to alleviate the physical issues of wildland firefighting. She studied alignment-based yoga with a number of instructors in Northern Virginia. She has taught at Healing Waters in East Aurora for many years. “Yoga is union. It is the union of body and breath, the personal with the universal. It allows for better connections with self and others.” - Barb "Barb is a grounded person, whose calm and gentle prompts bring focus and enrichment. I leave her class centered and able to engage fully with life." - Tiffany Nicely |
Em KrysztofowiczEm 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 |
Cory BrummerCory’s first experience with yoga was deeply personal. He was, and still is, a very introverted person that has struggled with everything from depression/anxiety to body image issues.
Cory first learned about Shakti through a dear friend. He was searching for insight about who he was. They would speak at length about the practice and the capacity of influence it had on our state of being. Without physically entering the studio, Shakti and he had already begun working together. The building itself, Michelle’s wisdom and intuition, and the welcoming community are all reasons that fuels his continued participation at Shakti. The most resonant reason, though, is that Shakti affords him an opportunity to delve deeply into what it means to be Cory; free from judgement, and surrounded by nothing but support. Cory values the deeply ingrained sense of community that comes with being a Shakti student. The ability to connect with others, while also nurturing the personal and intimate aspects of self, gift him the opportunity to share more fully. Shakti offers him the opportunity to learn how to nurture every aspect of self, and to witness the truth of our intrinsically linked experiences. It is through these lessons that he gains insight on what it means to be a human being existing in the world. His sessions offer grounded insight on what it means to be a part of community. He holds space for others to realize their capabilities of healing self. He aspires to the idea that having a yoga practice, and exploring spiritual growth is available to everyone. His hope is that by sharing his truth and experience, he can help others see theirs more clearly. “To me, yoga is a filter through which I experience the world. It is a way in which the world experiences me. It is truth. It is proof that we are greater than the sum of our parts. IT IS, and therefore I AM.” - Cory "The first time I went to Cory’s class I walked away feeling nourished in my body, mind, and soul. He brought new insight into movements I have done many times before. His teaching comes from the heart." - Brianna Battista |
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 |
Anni PerrelloAs 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 |
Mara NeimanisMara is a guild certified Feldenkrais practitioner and teaches Physical Theatre/ Aerial Arts in the Niagara University Theatre Program. She has a diverse back ground as a personal trainer, yoga instructor, playwright and performer and is the founder of In-Flight Theater in Baltimore whose unique brand of aerial theater performance takes place atop suspended metal sculpture. Mara blends her unique aerial and theatre training with the creative application of the neuroplastic healing connections of The Feldenkrais Method® to treat both her human and canine clients. (Yes, she works on dogs:) She also offers private sessions by appointment. www.buffalofeldenkrais.com
"The Feldenkrais method with Mara has allowed me to reach deep into my connective tissue. The movements are specifically thought out and designed to get into areas that had previously been atrophied." - Steve Bremner |