Teachers

Mara Lileas
(owner)

I've spent most of my life getting to know my voice, body, and spirit in nature. I grew up participating in sports, theatre, music and dance. After practicing yoga for 10 years I finished my RYT 200 hr in 2012. I went on to manage high volume studios in Manhattan and Brooklyn. I have facilitated several teacher trainings in power vinyasa and traditional hot yoga, and lead multiple Silent/Yoga/Hiking retreats. I spent most of 2016 traveling and had the opportunity to teach in Argentina and Colombia! In life I feel it's important to focus on the breath and intuition. Yoga has helped me to trust, respect and honor my body daily and my intention in my classes is to share that as much as possible. In October of 2016 I started a YouTube channel called Yoga For Your Dad. It’s inspired by my dad, but my goal is to make more yoga accessible to more people. I spend lots of time outdoors, hiking, climbing, swimming, running around and balancing on things! I look forward to meeting you! Let's play!

Brian Arsenault

My involvement with yoga began in 2010 while I was playing soccer at the collegiate level. The physical and mental toll that this competitive sport had on my body and the many injuries that arose from it led me to begin practicing yoga. Physically this practice has helped me to repair my body, and mentally it has helped me to find some comfort and clarity in my life and in my own skin. I'm trained in both Vinyasa and Traditional Hot so that I can share with others the mental and physical benefits that this practice has given me and continues to give me. I strongly believe that yoga is for everybody and every kind of body. I strive to hold a safe space for any student to learn about their body, breath, and mind.

Kimmer Gifford

Yoga is a lifeline for me... a meditation for those who just can't meditate yet.. yoga can change your life if you let it.. i'm an lcsw and an ryt.. and i believe that yoga can be the greatest therapy of all.

Anne Burger

My yoga journey began in 2002 when I attended my first Asthanga yoga class and instantly felt a connection to the practice of yoga. The movement of the body as it relates the mind and breath drew me in and I have never been the same since.
I became certified in 2013 and focused mainly on the Hot 26 before coming to NP Rock where I began teaching the Hot 50. My goal when teaching yoga is to make yoga available to any body, making the practioner feel comfortable and welcome. Hot yoga has changed my life profoundly as it allowed me to slow down and notice what is going on inside my head and how I react to everyone and everything. I have 2 young boys, Jack and James and a wonderful husband Jeremiah.

Sofia Troy

After lightly exploring the surface of yoga for a number of years, Sofia found herself delving much deeper into the practice after discovering hot yoga; first primarily excited by the physical effects, and then quickly taken by the mental shift that occurred along with them.
Realizing the positive results Yoga had on her life as a whole, and feeling a desire to pass them on to others, Sofia underwent a 300-hour training through Rock Yoga. She teaches all level vinyasa flows, hot, and restorative, allowing students to find the ability to work through postures, while finding a connection between their breath, mind and body.

amanda Heidel

Amanda discovered yoga after finding herself lost and overworked while working in corporate advertising in New York City. She dove deep into yoga, meditation, and the philosophy of yoga, all of which inspired her to deepen her yoga practice and become a yoga teacher. She completed her 200 hour training through Ohana Rising Yoga School which was deeply rooted in Bhakti and Dharma yoga with an interdisciplinary approach to teaching. She organically weaves inspiration from many different areas of yogic practices, art, and cultures to create nurturing, calm environments for people to be still, connect to themselves and the earth.

Chrissy Rossettie Sakes

Discovering the Yoga Trapeze has changed my life for the better in so many ways. It’s something I feel extremely passionate about and look forward to doing every day. Being suspended in the air feels heavenly, and besides dramatically improving strength, balance, flexibility and mood; it’s also endlessly challenging and engaging. The fact that it can alleviate back pain is another major bonus which I love bringing to my clients. I look forward to sharing this joyful practice with as many people as possible!

janine colangelo

My yoga journey began with a yoga-ish class at a local gym in 2006. I was drawn immediately to the practice , philosophies and how it helped to calm my thoughts. After a life altering event in 2016,I relied heavily on my practice and the thought “One breath at a time”. I was committed to deepening my practice and in 2018 I completed my 200 hour training here at NP Rock Yoga. I love sharing how this practice has allowed me to be more connected with myself, to speak my truth and I believe it can do the same for anyone who is open to it!

MICHAEL STEIN

I was blessed to grow up in a yoga family and began practicing the asanas at five years old. During my teenage years it no longer seemed "cool" but the postures and philosophy I grew up with never left me. At nineteen years old I learned about the dynamic form of Ashtanga Yoga which changed my whole perception of what yoga could feel like, both internally and externally. I began teaching Ashtanga in New Paltz, NY sometime in the last century and then opened my own studio a few years later. During this time I became fascinated with Anatomy and all forms of body movement. I've led eighteen Yoga Teacher Training programs, both by myself and with Ami Jayaprada Hirschstein, and have taught dozens of workshops throughout the Hudson Valley. I love yoga because it offers something to every person, of every age, no matter what their physical or mental state may be. It is the most comprehensive therapy I have come across and still look forward to learning more as the years go by.

ariana basco

Ariana was introduced to meditation by her mom when she was 11 and began her asana practice at 15 in her high school gym class - 45 minutes a day, 5 days a week for two years. Being given these tools at a young age had a powerful effect. She weaves her background in Philosophy into her yoga practice and believes strongly in the science of yoga. Combining movement, breath and meditative focus on a regular basis has the power to heal and transform.
Ariana enjoys teaching a playful yoga class that aids in body awareness, breath consciousness, and mindfulness while building confidence and fostering positivity! Ariana specializes in yoga for children, prenatal yoga, yin and restorative yoga, vinyasa and flow, and hot 50. When she isn’t teaching yoga, she can be found at Village Hall in New Paltz as the Assistant to the Mayor or at Phillies Bridge Farm Project as Co-President on the Board of Directors.