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Emily
Gretz
Emily is co-owner of Crofton Yoga with Shelbi
Miles. Emily brings a career in Education to her
role as studio owner and yoga instructor for adults
and children. She holds a Masters in Education
from Loyola College and is a 200-hour Registered
Yoga Teacher (RYT). She has been trained by Yoganand
Michael Carroll in the Kripalu & Pranakriya
styles. Additionally, she is a certified Radiant
Child Yoga Practicioner (RCYP-2).
Most recently Emily was certified as a YOGAed. Instructor.
During her former career as academic advisor to college
students, she focused much
of her energy on developing and implementing life-skills
programs. She enjoys teaching children and adults
of all ages. Emily and her family
live in Crofton. |
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Shelbi
Miles, CMT, RYT
Shelbi is a 200-hour RYT (Registered Yoga Teacher)
in the Kripalu and Pranakriya traditions and is the
co-owner of Crofton Yoga with Emily Gretz. She began
her yoga path in 1991, and after years of studying
various styles of yoga in New Zealand and in the
States, Shelbi found Kripalu/Pranakriya yoga and
found the true heart of her practice. She is now
studying toward her 500-hours in the Pranakriya tradition
with her teacher, Yoganand Michael Carroll. Shelbi
believes that her regular yoga practice has been
instrumental in maintaining her health, optimism
and inspiration and she strives to help others find
this for themselves. She has a strong sense of
self and purpose and she is committed to helping
her students find the joy, serenity and vitality
that a yoga practice can bring. Her background
in Psychology and detailed knowledge of Anatomy & Physiology complement
her fun loving and cheerful teaching style. Shelbi
is also certified in Prenatal Yoga and is a CMT (Certified
Massage Therapist) with extensive training
in CranioSacral Therapy. (Click
here for more details)
She lives in Crofton with her husband and her two
daughters. |
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Pam Blum
Pam began teaching modern dance and fitness in 1983 and evolved into teaching group fitness after being certified by the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA) in 1988. She is also a Certified Group Fitness Instructor with the American Council on Exercise (ACE), a Star 2 level Spin Instructor with Mad Dogg Athletics, and a System Level 1 Power Pilates Instructor. After witnessing the remarkable benefits that clients experienced with Resist-a-Ball Training, Pam eagerly joined the Resist-a-Ball Master Trainer Team in 2001 and was awarded The Circle of Excellence in 2003. Pam enjoys traveling and continuing her studies with Physical Mind Institute, Yoga Journal, Polestar and The International Health Racquet and Sports Association (IHRSA). |
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Eric Brown
Eric is a multi-certified 200-hour RYT in the Kripalu, Pranakriya and Kundalini Yoga traditions. He grew up in Maryland, and has returned after living in Los Angeles for many years. For over 20 years, he has practiced various styles of yoga—Ashtanga, Iyengar, Kundalini, and Kripalu. Originally certified in Kundalini yoga, he has branched into teaching in the Pranakriya style originated by Yoganand Michael Carroll. Currently, he is working toward a 500-hour teacher certification in the Pranakriya tradition. His classes tend to be very focused and challenging, while encouraging his students to search inward, to breathe, to cultivate strength, to express their uniqueness and to also have a lot of fun.
“Yoga has given me a deeper knowledge of who I am. It has been one of the greatest gifts in my life and I’m passionate about sharing it. My goal is to get to know each of my students and learn about their story. I want to help guide them to their own flexibility, healing, wisdom, and strength. Jai Bhagwan. Peace and Love.”
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Yoganand Michael Carroll
Yoganand Michael Carroll is a Master-Level teacher in the Kripalu Yoga tradition. Through many years of intensive study and practice of the Kripalu approach to yoga, Yoganand has gained a profound facility to distil and interpret esoteric yoga texts and techniques. After studying with Kripalu Yoga masters in India and America, Yoganand taught at Kripalu Center for more than 15 years before founding Radiant Well-being Yoga Center in North Augusta, South Carolina, where he leads Kripalu and Pranakriya Yoga Teacher Training and a variety of other programs. Yoganand is registered with the National Yoga Alliance as an E-RYT500 level teacher. |
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Holly
Cotton
Holly melds together several different styles
of Yoga into her classes, drawing from her training
in Iyengar, Anusara, and Vinyasa Yoga. Her classes
have a meditative tone, incorporating breath
work and visualization. Holly is inspired by every
day life and the path that Yoga has led her on, and
hopes to inspire her students to discover
their path as well. She is also a certified massage
therapist and studies CranioSacral work and energy
healing modalities. She is grateful to all
her wonderful teachers and is influenced by Rolph
Gates, Cyndi Lee and Moses Brown. Holly completed
her 200-hour Kripalu/Pranakriya Yoga Teacher Training in February 2007.
She lives in Millersville with her
husband, two children, and her Yellow Lab. |
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Mandii Hodge
Mandii was introduced to dance at age 3, by her supportive parents. She started with Ballet and Tap, and danced , until she was introduced to the world of cheerleading. Mandii cheered for 10 years competitively and won numerous awards including All-American and she was also named Captain of her squad.
When Mandii was 16 her Mom urged her to try something new, and suggested Belly Dance. She started with DVD, Videos, and websites, and eventually signed up for a belly dance class. Mandii’s teacher, Shahrzad, was so warm and enthusiastic about Belly Dance, Mandii has joined her troupe, The Desert Dreams, and has studied with her for nearly 3 years. She has studied with other teachers and will continue to study with as many dance instructors as she can find, so she can bring more to her students. Mandii wants all of her students to learn something new, have fun and feel good about who they are!
Mandii is also a face and body painter, and has a passion for American Sign Language. |
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Niisa Morton
Niisa is a certified Pilates, Healthy Moms Perinatal
Fitness instructor, and Personal Trainer. She is
certified through AFAA, ISMA/AAAI and has continued
her energy work studies with the Sacred Centers
in California. Through her personal practice and
teaching she emphasizes mind-body awareness and integrates
this principle into all aspects of
bodywork. Niisa completed her 200-hour Kripalu/Pranakriya
Yoga Teacher Training in February 2007. She lives
in Severna Park with her husband, daughter Alexia, son Tucker and their black lab, Loki. |
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Katie Moore
Katie is a certified 200-hour Kripalu and Pranakriya instructor. She received her certification at Crofton Yoga under Yoganand Michael Carroll. Katie believes in the joy of yoga and to play and have fun with it. Having completed her training while (very) pregnant, Katie has great respect, admiration and understanding of the challenges and strengths of the female body that come with each stage of pregnancy and postnatal recovery. She believes that yoga is one of the most important things you can do for yourself and your baby while pregnant and after you deliver to bond with your baby, connect with others who understand what you are going through and to exercise your mind, body and spirit. Katie received her B.A. in Sociology from Roanoke College, with a double minor in Communications and Creative Writing. She lives in West River with her husband and two young children that inspire and humor her daily. |
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James O'Leary
James O'Leary is a dedicated yoga practitioner and Pranakriya teacher at the 500-hour level. Jim's longing and aspiration for yoga's deeper benefits led him to the Kripalu Center where he trained under Yoganand Michael Carroll and received his yoga teacher certification becoming part of the teaching staff at Kripalu Center in Lenox, MA. Jim currently teaches classes at Radiant Well-being Yoga Center and directs the Advanced Asana courses in the Pranakriya 500 Professional Level Teacher Training program. |
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Jacci
Reynolds
Yoga is a practice that affects every aspect of Jacci's life both on and off the mat. A 500-hour Kripalu instructor and 200-hour E-RYT, Jacci has been practicing yoga since 1997 and teaching since 2001. An instructor of many modalities during adulthood her yoga practice is what has brought her the greatest sense of aliveness in her body and life. Amazed and inspired by the changes yoga brings to the body, mind and spirit, Jacci traveled to the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health to complete her 200-hour training. She also completed her 500-hours with Kripalu and continues to train with her teacher, Yoganand Michael Carroll, in the Pranakriya tradition. Jacci is the prior owner/operator of Crofton Yoga in Crofton, MD and is currently a Director of the Pranakriya™ 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training Program. She also directs the Prenatal Teacher Training Certification program for Pranakriya Yoga. Jacci is dedicated to creating an environment of compassion, permission, acceptance and patience guiding each person in the experience of being present in their practice and their life. She brings a strong sense of self and humor to her teaching. Jacci also has a Masters of Health Science from The George Washington University. |
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Sally Rud
Sally Rud was raised in California and has a B.A. in Philosophy from the University of California at Santa Cruz. Sally has had a passion for yoga and movement therapy since 1999. She used yoga as a way to rehabilitate a knee injury which was caused from years of dance and athletics. In a few months, Sally’s knee injury was healed and she became convinced of the therapeutic benefits of yoga. She has a 200-hour certificate from Down Dog yoga in Washington DC. She is also a certified Thai massage practitioner from the Thai Institute of Healing Arts based in Arlington, Va. She currently works throughout the area specializing in heated vinyasa and therapeutic yoga for seniors. She continues to study yoga and Thai massage through various workshops, conferences, and trainings. |
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Christina Schriver
Christina began practicing yoga to find a connection to her physical self, a way to soften the edges that years of over-work and under-spirit had created. With time Christina found a regular personal practice and discovered that yoga increased her strength, range of movement, self-awareness and sense of balance (both physically and emotionally). Crofton Yoga offered a wonderful community in which to explore these benefits. Deciding that she would like to follow in the footsteps of her yoga teachers, Christina completed the 200-hour teacher certification at Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health and subsequently designation as Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) from the Yoga Alliance. She approaches her newly-minted teaching with an emphasis on alignment, breath, and compassion. |
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Claire Spencer
Claire is a Registered Yoga Instructor with the Yoga Alliance. She has over 10 years experience in the fitness industry. Claire's teaching style encourages students to grow and recognize their body's full potential. She believes yoga is a journey for all who choose to travel its path. Warmth and humor can be experienced in all her classes; students never leave her class without having smiled at least once. |
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Marlysa Funderburk
Marlysa is a professional physical therapist and Yoga instructor. Her experience in becoming a yoga teacher and her pursuit of further knowledge in meditation has shown her how building awareness and knowledge of the body and mind can empower a person in their own healing process. This has led her to practice therapy in a way that focuses on mind and body awareness through traditional therapeutic treatment combined with Yoga, breathing and meditation. By helping her patients and students find a path of inner knowledge, they can unlock their own potential for helping themselves as well as having the tools to continue addressing physical, mental and spiritual challenges as they come up throughout their life. Marlysa continues to research and develop new methods for integrating Yoga and physical therapy. She is a member of the International Association of Yoga Therapists and is pursuing further certification and study with Yoganand. Marlysa is an instructor of Advanced Anatomy and Therapeutic Yoga for Pranakriya Yoga Teachers and collaborates with therapists across the country on the integration of Yoga into current therapy practices. |
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Steve Wolf
Steve got his first exposure to yoga during his teenage years from an aunt who had studied for many years with a guru in her home country, Brazil. After experimenting with an assortment of classes over the years, his yoga practice solidified in the 1990's when he realized how much it benefited his other passion, Aikido. Steve has been a devoted student of this philosophical Japanese martial art for 25 years. He is now co-head instructor at Northern Virginia Ki Aikido where he has been teaching for the last 17 years. Aikido's emphasis on centered movement and balance strongly influences his yoga teaching style. He completed his Yoga Alliance 200 & 500-hour RYT (Registered Yoga Teacher) requirements with Yoga West near Houston, Texas. He is currently on the fitness staff at American University, Ft. Belvoir and the D.C. Marine Barracks. For 35 years Steve has been a professional musician traveling throughout the U.S. and Europe, and he currently leads the popular swing/jazz ensemble Swing Speak. Steve's yoga/aikido website: (www.traditionsinmovement.com) |
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