Jessica Carr Phillips

Originally a movement, dance and theater teacher for children, Jessica decided to incorporate her personal love for yoga into her existing skills. Jessica is certified to teach yoga to children through the Radiant Child Yoga Program (RCYP), Next Generation Yoga, and through Karma Kids Yoga. She is also certified to teach baby yoga through Itsy Bitsy Yoga.

Jessica joined our team over three years ago and works with kids ages 2 months through Teens. Children really respond to her sweet and nurturing personality. She's also known to be quite silly.

Jessica is a Karma Kids Yoga Teacher Training Program facilitator, and a mentor to many childrens yoga instructors.

Jessica's favorite yoga pose is Urdhva Dhanurasana or Wheel Pose.

Jovan Clay

Originally from Long Beach, California, Jovan began practicing yoga in 1999. She began working with children in Atlanta, GA, as an entertainer at parties and other social events. Her patience and positive attitude quickly made her the most requested entertainer at the company.

However, Jovan's interest in children goes way beyond entertainment. Having the desire to educate kids about healthy lifestyles, she joined AIM to help at risk youth with their life choices. Jovan felt she could do more knowing the importance of movement for people, and having a background in dance, she decided to take her experience and love for kids to become certified through Karma Kids Yoga. Jovan is also certified to teach Mom & Baby Yoga through Jyothi Larson's Yoga Mom, Buddah Baby program.

Jovan believes that exploring and discovering is a wonderful way to promote confidence and self-esteem in kids. All of her classes include a goal of developing a sense of awareness and respect for oneself and others. You can tell by her creative spirit and warm personality that fostering creative expression, imagination and helping to set a foundation for well-being is her overall goal. And, Jovan is so much fun!

Jovan's favorite yoga pose is Urdhva Dhanurasana or Wheel Pose.

Jennifer Cohen

Jennifer is a native New Yorker and has always aspired to be an educator. She spent eight years studying and practicing yoga, while teaching Kindergarten and working with kids in a domestic violence shelter. Inspired by her own experiences, she soon realized that she could couple her twin passions of education and yoga to impart a sense of wellbeing, self-esteem and continual joy in learning to children. She became certified through The Center for Yoga Studies at Sonic Yoga, The Radiant Child Yoga Program (RCYP 1 and 2), and through Karma Kids, and immediately knew that she had found the work she would do forever.

Jennifer's inner child lies just below the surface and affords her an instant connection with all of her students. Children appreciate her boundless energy and willingness to indulge in mutual silliness. They look forward to her ever present smile, gentle instruction and the laughter and love that come with it.

Jennifer's favorite poses are Salamba Sarvangasana or Shoulderstand and Ardha Chandrasana or Half-Moon Pose.

Melissa Diaz

Originally born in Thailand, Melissa has lived throughout South Asia, Southern United States, and now calls New York home. Her yoga practice began 18 years ago when she took it as an elective in college and fell in love.

She brings a playful aspect to her yoga that carries into her life off the mat. Melissa is a fine artist specializing in hand painted yoga mats. She is certified in both the Karma Kids Yoga Program and the Radiant Child Yoga Program.

Melissa also teaches at St. Ignatius Loyola Day Nursery where she is known as the "Yoga Fairy" to 130 preschoolers. Melissa believes that there is magic in a yoga practice that illuminates people from the inside out. She brings this belief into all of her classes.

Melissa is also known as mom to Scarlet, 7 years old and Pascal, 11 years old, who have both practiced yoga since birth.

Melissa's favorite pose is the bird of paradise.

Lisa Feuer

Lisa grew up in the cornfields of Edwardsville, IL, but always knew she was bound for the Big Apple, where she received her 200 hour certification in the vinyasa style from Om Yoga, and is certified to teach childrens yoga through Karma Kids Yoga.

Lisa enjoys all aspects of family yoga - teaching Prenatal, Mommy and Baby, and - the most fun of all - kids' yoga! She loves going on yoga adventures with all the children, finding their creativity and imagination a constant source of inspiration!

Lisa is mother to five year old son Sasha, who very much enjoys yoga in the Karma Kids style!

Lisa's favorite yoga poses are Vrschikasana or Scorpion Pose and Natarajasana or Lord of the Dance Pose. They make her feel warm, fuzzy and open-hearted!

Jen Fink

Originally from Montclair, New Jersey, Jen discovered yoga while attending a cheerleading camp in high school. While cheerleading at the University of Pennsylvania, Jen continued her yoga practice to help strengthen her core and to help her perform countless stunts at football and basketball games.

Jen holds a dual MA degree from NYU and teaches Spanish and ESL. She is also certified to teach yoga to children through Karma Kids Yoga. Even after a long day in the classroom, Jen loves to come to our studio to teach new yogis her craft. She loves to incorporate Spanish into her classes as well!

While small in stature, Jen's energy in the studio is infectious. She loves to take her students on imaginary trips to places far and wide - you never know where her class will travel to on any given day, and getting there is half the fun!

Jen's favorite pose is Salamba Sirsasana or headstand because she loves the meditative state of standing on her head.

Kaelin Foster

Kaelin was raised in Michigan and moved to New York City to attend NYU's Tisch School of Fine Arts. She has worked as a producer of corporate fundraising and private events since 1999.

As a child, Kaelin was introduced to the practice of yoga by her very cool grandmother, Donna Lander. She's continued to practice since then and gained her 200-hour teacher certification through the Jivamukti Yoga Center, and is certified to teach yoga to children through Karma Kids Yoga.

Kaelin has trained in the Alexander Technique, as well as in various forms of movement for dancers, artists and actors, and is very interested in the connection between the body, the spirit and the mind. She is dedicated to bringing the full extent of her knowledge, as well as her fun and giggly spirit to every class she teaches.

Kaelin's favorite yoga pose is Bhujangasana or Cobra Pose.

Claudia Fucigna

Claudia hails from Washington, D.C. She first came to New York to attend NYU for a joint degree in Theater and Psychology. While in school, she took her first yoga class and has been hooked ever since. Claudia has studied with Victoria Hoffman, Sri Pramod Tiwari of Varanasi, Raju Saini, and Gary Damsky. She is certified through Sonic Yoga and the Banares School of Yoga in India, and has extensively studied Mysore Asthtanga. Claudia is also a certified Karma Kids Yoga Teacher, and is also certified to teach Mom & Baby Yoga through Jyothi Larson's Yoga Mom, Buddah Baby program.

Claudia teaches people of all ages, from Telluride, Colorado, to India, and has found being with kids to be a great inspiration on how to lead a life full of play, wonder, joy, curiosily, and endless learning. This is the same approach she takes when teaching her wonderful and magical classes at Karma Kids Yoga.

Claudia's favorite pose is Salabhasana Sirsasana or Lotus Headstand Pose. She enjoys practicing this pose because it changes her perspective on things.

Heather Fine Grinspan

Heather began practicing yoga in 1996 while pursuing an acting career in New York and Los Angeles.  While her passion for acting diminished, her love for yoga developed and she began to teach yoga in LA and in her home town in Michigan.

Heather especially enjoys the freedom of spirit and creativity that is present while playing and working with children.  Most recently, Heather taught yoga and meditation to elementary school students while working as a school counselor at a public charter school in Washington, DC. She can be found on her free time creating silly songs and dancing with her baby niece, Lucca.

Heather is certified to teach yoga to children through Karma Kids Yoga. She holds 200-hour certifications through Jonny Kest Center for Yoga, YogaWorks, and Namaste Yoga.

Heather’s favorite yoga pose is Pinchamayarasana, or Forearm Stand, because it is exhilarating, takes concentration and reminds her that yoga is an opportunity to explore challenge with a sense of fun!

Jen Guarnieri

Jen was introduced to yoga five years ago when friends urged her to join them in a class. She had so much fun playing with the different poses, that she became hooked and has been in love with yoga ever since!

Jen sees her yoga practice as an integral and inspirational part of her life that transpires into each breath, helping to unleash more joy and smiles into each new day.

Jen graduated from Laughing Lotus's College of Yoga where her teachers, Dana Flynn and Jasmine Tarkeshi, encouraged her to teach from personal experiences and to see teaching as an offering of the heart. She also completed the Karma Kids Yoga Teacher Training, which she believes has helped to reinforce her sense of fun and playfulness into her teaching. Jen is forever grateful to all of her teacher and spiritual gurus that continuously inspire her along this journey.

Jen loves bringing yoga to children, seeing their movement and play as a beautiful and creative celebration of life. She has a very warm nature and really knows how to keep kids engaged and having fun in their yoga classes.

Jen's favorite pose is Ardha Chandrasana, or Half Moon Pose.

Malia Jade Hawley

Malia has been practicing yoga for twelve thankful years. She has taken her practice all over the world until landing here in New York City where she received her 200 hour teacher certification at the Laughing Lotus Yoga Center. She first discovered the joys of teaching yoga to kids by volunteering at the East Village Community School. She also brings the fun of yoga to the PS 116 After School Program, the Urban Academy High School, and of course, Karma Kids Yoga.

Malia completed the Karma Kids Yoga Teacher Training program, and is certified to teach yoga to babies through Itsy Bitsy Yoga. Kids really react to Malia's animated nature, fun personality, and infectuous laugh.

Malia's favorite pose is Parsva Bakasana or Side Crow or Crane Pose because it takes strength, balance and focus.

Amanda Hester-Smith

Originally from Michigan, Amanda discovered yoga at the age of 16. Her love for yoga grew and she completed a 200 hour certification with the Jonny Kest Center for Yoga, which changed her life. Amanda moved to New York City, where she found Karma Kids Yoga and completed the Childrens Yoga Teacher Training. She also trained to teach Mom and Baby Yoga through Jyothi Larson's Yoga Mom Buddah Baby program.

Amanda loves teaching children because she believes that yoga gives them strength and confidence to overcome challenges in life, and she loves being a part of that. Her yoga classes are always creative and fun. Her enthusiastic spirit and gentle nature make children feel comfortable and is the basis for a great class! Amanda is also very silly.

Amanda is a Karma Kids Yoga Teacher Training Program facilitator, and a mentor to many childrens yoga instructors. She also facilitates the KKY Teen Internship Summer Program.

Amanda's favorite yoga pose is Virabhadrasana II or Warrior II Pose because it is empowering.

Erin Mallon

Erin has had a lot of movement since she's learned how to walk! She is facinated by how we use our bodies to play and tell each other stories. Her training as an actor and dancer led her naturally to her yoga practice, where new stories are being told everyday!

She loves teaching children because of their beautiful willingness to take adventures. In addition to acting and teaching yoga, Erin is currently training to become a Sign Language Interpreter. She also teaches "Baby Fingers" classes, a musical sign language class for parents and their babies around New York City.

Erin is certified through Sonic Yoga's 200-hour program, and has been teaching yoga to children for 3 years at Sonic KIDZ and Fit Kids NYC. Her yoga classes at Karma Kids Yoga foster a love of dance, music, creativity and play!

Erin's favorite yoga pose is Natarajasana or Lord of the Dance Pose.

Cleandra Martin-Waldron

Cleandra began her journey with yoga when she was two and a half years old by imitating her mother's morning asana practice. Most mornings ended in a fit of giggles, and yoga has remained a source of inspiration and joy ever since.

While on an extended trip to Thailand in 2003, Cleandra decided to become a teacher and enrolled in a Yoga Alliance certified 500 hour program upon her return to New York, She is also certified to teach yoga to children through Karma Kids Yoga. Cleandra helps her students of all ages explore the space within every pose (giggling is optional).

Cleandra's favorite yoga pose is Trikonasana or Triangle Pose.

Shell Merrill

Shell Merrill has always enjoyed using her imagination and expressing herself physically; from the first plays that she wrote and performed with her sister as a child, to her career as a modern dancer and later as a zany Spinning instructor in her hometown of Minneapolis, MN.

Shell has a huge belief in the knowledge gained through trying new things, learning to "practice" rather than trying to be perfect and most of all, being able to laugh through the whole experience. She brings a sense of fun, play and compassion to all of her classes, for both adults and kids.

Shell is a 500 hour certified RYT trained at BeYoga/Yoga Works and calms her inner "bouncing off the walls" big kid energy through her own yoga practice. She is also certified to teach yoga to children through Karma Kids Yoga. Her classes are engaging and hysterical, always filled with laughter.

Shell's favorite pose is Trikonasana or Triangle Pose.

Adam Roper

Adam was born in Washington DC, and moved to NYC to attend the Tisch School of the Arts, where her received a BFA in Theater.

During his time in school, Adam discoverd the wonderful hot and steamy room of Bikram Yoga, and then decided to spend 500 hours training so he could teach it. Adam was also the head camp counselor at the Colorado Academy Day Camp, as well as created and executed a kids fun/art space for the Momentum AIDS Project in the Bronx.

Adam currently teaches adult Bikram classes around NYC and loves to practice all kinds of different yoga styles, including children's yoga! Certified by Karma Kids Yoga, Adam teaches kids of all ages. His classes are imaginative and fun, and he's a natural at making kids feel comfortable. Adam loves children for their honest natures and their lack of cynicism, and kids love to watch him twist into pretzel-like shapes! He also believes that yoga is a great opportunity for children to learn to be healthy, physical, silly, and to breathe!

Adam's favorite poses are Dandayamana-Dhanurasana or Dancer's Pose, and Eka Pada Rajakapotasana or King Pigeon Pose.

Jax Schott

Jax grew up in Long Island, and loved to express herself through movement from the early age of 3. Later in her adulthood, she was introduced to yoga and found herself in love with the movement, and inner-strength she felt during her practice.

Jax was certified through Karma Kids Yoga and holds her 200 hour certification from the Sivananda Ashram. She is also certified to teach Mom & Baby Yoga through Jyothi Larson's Yoga Mom, Buddah Baby program.

Jax makes sure her students learn something new in each class, and feels that there is always something new to learn from them, too! She believes that teaching children the practice of yoga, both ethically and physically, can make a huge difference for our future.

Jax's favorite yoga poses are Salabhasana or Full Locust, and Sivshasana or Headstand, because they make her feel like anything is possible.

Juliana Secches

Juliana Secches was born and raised in Brazil, where she was a dancer for many years. It was only after she moved to New York that she found Yoga and in her very first class she knew that Yoga was something she wanted to do for the rest of her life.

Juliana has been a teacher for over 17 years. Having earned a certification from Be Yoga and Karma Kids Yoga, she continues to study with some of the best instructors in New York. Her life-long passion for working with kids also led her to further her studies of childbirth, child development and postnatal physiology.

Juliana currently teaches Vinyasa classes, as well as Prenatal, Mom & Baby and Kids Yoga. Her classes are fun and her nurturing personality always makes even first-time Yogis very comfortable. She builds her classes around what she sees as the most important limb of Yoga: Satya (truthfulness).

Juliana's favorite pose is Eka Pada Rajakapotasana or King Pigeon Pose.

Marita Stryker

Originally from Austin, Texas, Marita has taught musical theatre and dance classes for many years. She moved to New York to pursue a career in theatre and fell in love with yoga along the way.  Marita holds a Bachelors degree and is half way through a Masters in Musical Theatre and Opera from Oklahoma City University.

Marita completed her 200 hour certification at the Center for Yoga Studies at Sonic Yoga and is certified to teach children’s yoga through Karma Kids Yoga and the Radiant Child Yoga Program.  She is also certified in infant/child CPR.  

Marita’s favorite yoga pose is Eka Pada Rajakapotasana, or King Pigeon Pose, because it’s so much fun to do and say.

Tracy Toon

Tracy is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC), a member of the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and is a graduate of the Co-Active Space Leadership training program. She has been coaching individuals and leading workshops since 2000. She now combines her passions as a coach, yoga teacher, a workshop facilitator with women and couples undergoing infertility treatment to help them stay connected and fertile in mind, body, and spirit in the process.

Tracy has completed her Anusara Yoga training with Amy Ippoliti and John Friend, YogaBaby training with Dr. Deansin Parker, and pre and post-natal Yoga for Two training with Mary Barnes. She's been teaching Mom & Baby Yoga classes here at our studio since 2004, and has been an inspirational addition to our family. Moms and infants always react positively to Tracy's gentle approach and moms note that they always leave the class learning something new. As a mommy to yogini Henry, Tracy loves to use her knowledge and expertise on her own little one, too.

Tracy's favorite pose is backbending of any sort. She loves the challenge, the open-heartedness, and the freedom she feels in the pose.

Liz Vacco

Originally from Stow, Massachusetts, Liz discovered yoga while at Yale University where her studies focused on theater and dance.  She found that yoga complimented these two passions immensely and has continued to make all three part of her life while living, performing and teaching in New York since 2000.

Liz has been teaching ballet, theater, art and yoga to children ages 10 and under for the past six years.  She is inspired by children everyday as they remind her to be instinctual, creative, and most of all to keep things fun. Her classes are energetic and imaginative - she encourages children to create stories, games, and poses that excite and challenge them (and that often make everyone laugh.)  She is certified to teach yoga through Karma Kids Yoga and Baby Om.

Liz’s favorite poses are many including One Legged King Pigeon Pose and Flying Crow Pose.  She loves yoga poses that ask her to balance, to stretch, and to be strong all at the same time.

Jessica Van Itallie

As a kid, Jessica was afraid to even try a headstand, much less a handstand! That changed when she started practicing yoga five years ago and she eventually realized that she'd much rather spend her days practicing and teaching yoga than sitting at a desk. She received her Yoga Teacher Training at the 200-hour level with Alison West in NYC, is certified through Karma Kids Yoga, the Radiant Child Yoga Program (RYCP), and has also studied with Marsha Wenig of YogaKids.

Jessica's big smile, enthusiastic and comforting nature puts the shyest of children at ease. In addition to being part of our family, Jessica also teaches pre-school in Union Square.

Jessica is mom to yogini, Caetano.

Jessica's has numerous favorite yoga poses, including Baddha Konasana or Butterfly, Garudasana or Eagle, and of course, Adho Mukha Vrksasana or Handstand.

Erin Wilson

Erin Wilson has always been a mover and a shaker! She studied dance beginning at the age of five, and began practicing yoga at the age of fourteen. Erin received her 500hr teacher certification through Integral Yoga, and her children's certification through Karma Kids Yoga. A native of North Carolina, she attended the North Carolina School of the Arts where she studied dance and classical piano.

In addition to teaching children, Erin also teaches adults and gentle classes for seniors in the city. Erin is thrilled to teach at Karma Kids and share the gift of yoga with spirited youngsters! She teaches with the conviction that every child is an artist, and brings an attitude of joy and free-spirited play to her classes.

Erin's favorite yoga pose is Kurmasana or Turtle Pose.