dibora’s journey into yoga emerged
from a desire to spend time nurturing relationships
with friends who were already practicing. her commitment
to the practice continued to grow as new friends
were made through the love of the practice and as
challenges on the yoga mat became inspiring, joyful,
and humbling events. teaching yoga is her way of
sharing something valuable to her, and also a way
to express gratitude to the many teachers and fellow
yogis who have inspired, challenged, and supported
her on the journey.
she brings to her classes an enthusiasm for the
practice, and a belief in the benefits of allowing
ease for each student’s practice to evolve as it
may. she views the journey to the yoga mat as a
continuous process of perseverance, commitment,
and joy – as new boundaries are met, challenged,
and happily navigated. dibora enjoys teaching energetic
and fluid classes, focusing on the breath to guide
movements of the body. she completed tranquil space’s
200-hour teacher training in 2007.
caroline is deeply devoted to the
practice of yoga, having studied in washington since
1999 and with kimberly wilson since 2000. a graduate
of tranquil space vinyasa yoga teacher training
program, she is a registered yoga teacher (ryt)
certified with yoga alliance. her approach to teaching
and life is dynamic, adventurous, and filled with
love. her teachers have influenced and inspired
her to teach from a place of compassion and wisdom.
caroline has a playful and supportive teaching style
as she encourages students to explore the boundaries
of the mind, body, and soul as they reconnect with
the authentic joy and beauty within themselves.
she uses purposeful sequencing in which students
open their bodies safely through alignment, recharging
and feeling satisfying evolutions in their practice.
her classes are filled with carefully selected music,
creating an environment for focus and movement through
vinyasa flow. cervantes said: "where there is music,
there can be no evil."
born and raised in the south, caroline is a classical
pianist having earned a ba in music from the university
of georgia. she sings with the cathedral choral
society, holds a degree in french culinary techniques,
and is an active member of the jr. league of washington.
she is admissions and concert manager at the phillips
collection. she believes her own soulful practice
reflects her conviction of yoga's strengthening
powers on and off the mat.
marianne leal -
dupont, bethesda
although she feels like she has
been practicing yoga all her life (evidenced by
early childhood photos of her in eka pada sirsasana),
marianne was formally introduced to yoga in 1999
and immediately fell in love with the poetry of
meditation in movement. she is certified through
yoga alliance, having completed the 200-hour teacher
training at tranquil space.
marianne is honored to be a part
of the tranquil space community and hopes her classes
will provide the space for students to connect to
spirit, cultivate inner awareness, joy, and compassion.
she loves that yoga teaches us that every breath,
every moment, is a moment of potential practice
and that we already possess all we need to be truly
happy. yoga allows us to be in a state of awareness
and gratitude for our own strength, our own body,
our precious heart, and because of this we find
it much easier to share that awareness and compassion
with others. it is this simple act of honoring the
divinity in ourselves and everyone else that make
the little moments in life much more profound.
marianne is a registered nurse with
over 20 years experience in women's health, as a
labor and delivery, high risk obstetrical and neonatal
nurse, childbirth educator and grief counselor.
she is also a returned peace corps volunteer having
served in lesotho, southern africa, from 2001-2003
where she taught women about health, nutrition and
cooking, hiv/aids and yoga. she is a breast cancer
survivor!
marianne wishes to thank all her
teachers, past and present, for being constant examples
of how to live one's yoga practice. she is grateful
to her daughters tracy and kristin, her husband
chris, and her own yoga mat for their daily inspiration.
marci love thomas -
dupont
sharing the benefits of yoga with others is one of marci's true pleasures. she began practicing kundalini yoga over ten years ago in columbus, ohio. marci was not immediately enamored with yoga, but she did appreciate the physical benefits her yoga practice had on her long-distance running. as marci developed a regular yoga practice, she discovered additional rewards; she felt more grounded, gained a new sense of awareness, and increased her joie de vivre.
marci completed her 200-hour teaching training with tranquil space in 2004, is a registered teacher with yoga alliance, and has received additional training specifically dedicated to prenatal and postnatal moms. marci is passionate about guiding students through a supportive and challenging breath-driven vinyasa practice. marci encourages students to use meditation and movement to discover and celebrate the divine in each day.
currently, marci serves as an attorney with the u.s. small business administration, shares her yoga mat with her son, dylan, and is working with her husband, ryan, on home improvement projects. she continues to enjoy running and is making progress on a pact with a best friend to run a half-marathon in every state.
brittny mccarthy
dupont, arlington
brittny's yoga journey began in
2002 when she discovered an ashtanga yoga studio
in minnesota while attending graduate school. After
a move to washington dc in 2004, she practiced at
several different studios until she found what she
had been searching for -- a studio that combined
her passion for vinyasa and her desire to find a
sense of community within the hectic pace of the
nation's capitol- tranquil space!
when taking a seat as a yoga teacher, her intention
is to create a space in which each student can discover
his or her own yoga path through a flow of asanas
that calm the mind, open the heart, and awaken the
spirit. her yoga and teaching style honors the beauty
of the breath, the power of the bandhas, and the
amazing connection between our asanas on the mat
and our lives off the mat. her yoga - on and off
the mat - is inspired by tanya boigenzahn, jennifer
grey, darren main, max strom, doug swenson, and
the teachers at tranquil space. as co-coordinator
of the yoga at work program at tranquil space, brittny
is committed to spreading the benefits of yoga into
dc's cubicles, conference rooms, and corner offices
so that we can all experience the benefits of more
yogis breathing a little deeper here in the nation's
capitol.
brittny completed her 200-hour teacher training
certification in may 2007 at tranquil space and
is a registered teacher with the yoga alliance.
she has a masters degree in education policy, is
currently writing her dissertation for a phd in
education policy; she also directs the federal relations
program for the american association of state colleges
and universities.
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jenni pfeiffer - arlington, dupont
jenni came to the practice of yoga through a
chance meeting with a wise, old indian man at a
local college coffee shop. in 2002, she moved
back to the DC area and found tranquil space in
a church off of 16th street. in 200,7 she
completed the 200-hour teacher training
program at tranquil space.
working as a teaching assistant for the equally
engaging, yet different anne thiel and danielle
pollen has helped to nurture her understanding
of the art of teaching yoga. she believes that
tranquil space is the best yoga studio in DC
because of its community, people
who are dedicated to practice yoga off the mat
and in their daily lives.
her favorite definition of pranayama is "life
force extension," and she believes that the most
powerful practice lies in the balance of pose
and breath. she loves the vinyasa style of yoga
because it invites the yogi to creatively
explore the possibilities of the practice.
jenni encourages all yogis to give their best,
and let the rest be given to them…
"the sage sees things as they are, without
trying to control them. she lets them go their
own way and resides at the
center of the circle." – tao te ching, chapter
29 (stephen mitchell translation)
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danielle polen -
dupontdanielle, a native of texas, initially
sought out yoga as a means of recovery from recurring
dance-related injuries, but quickly found that the
effects of her practice reached far deeper than
the major muscle groups. while danielle currently
earns her livelihood as an immigration attorney,
she views the role of teacher as a great privilege,
and has enjoyed teaching a variety of movement,
writing, and law courses over the years. she completed
the 200-hour teacher training at tranquil space,
and her classes reflect her solid grounding in both
the iyengar and anusara traditions coupled with
the vinyasa flow. in addition, both her respect
for yoga and her interdisciplinary teaching style
continue to be informed by ongoing studies with
shiva rea, rodney yee and sarah powers, among others.
danielle is also a massage therapist
specializing in deep muscle massage and brings to
her classes a solid foundation in anatomy and physiology
gained both from her training in massage therapy,
and from her many years in the dance studio. danielle
has been a longtime member of the spanish dance
theater, and has also performed as a dancer with
the washington opera, gala hispanic theater, ballet
el paso and ballet chrysalis, among others.
danielle believes creative expression
to be a powerful, transformational force, and aside
from her dancing, enjoys creative writing, photography,
road trips, and quality time at the dog park with
her willful but soulful xoloitzcuintle dog, miss
mulabandha. she also volunteers her time as chair
emeritus of the international "just say no to bakasana"
coalition. when not at the studio or lobbying for
positive immigration reform, danielle can be found
at her favorite local cafe, penning anonymous love
poetry to senator ted kennedy or working on her
autobiography, tentatively entitled "men & hair
— my not-so-secret obsession." she also continues
to be haunted by the eternal, burning question —
"kirk or spock?"
danielle is grateful to, and continues
to be inspired by, kimberly wilson, as well as by
her fabulous colleagues and students here at tranquil
space. through a sense of compassion, humor, and
intuitive awareness, danielle encourages her students
to challenge themselves while simultaneously accepting
and embracing their current state of being.
brian
sano - arlington, dupont
brian turned to yoga in 2005 after
knee surgery and ongoing injuries kept hindering
his ability to play soccer and squash competitively.
he immediately felt a connection to the yoga mat.
his yoga journey has allowed him to express his
creativity and fun, energetic approach to life in
a joyful way that allows him to challenge himself
while simultaneously letting go of the ego’s desire
and need to be praised or achieve recognition.
his teaching philosophy and style incorporates the
ideas of playfulness, power, poise, precision, persistence,
and presentness and has been greatly influenced
by his time playing on the yoga mat with simon park,
jasmine tarkeshi, darren main, cameron shayne, judith
lasater, kevin waldorf-cruz, and kimberly wilson.
he encourages his students to practice yoga off
the mat by going towards the places that scare us,
facing our challenges with a gentle, open heart
and curious mind, seeing that everything is workable.
brian is a practitioner and student of tibetan buddhism
in the shambhala tradition of chögyam trungpa rinpoche,
sakyong mipham rinpoche, and pema chödrön, to whom
he is especially grateful. brian also leads a weekly
meditation practice at tranquil space'’s dupont
studio. he is a level i reiki practitioner and hopes
to become a level ii practitioner.
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niyati shah (niya) -
dupont
"the sun and moon guide me, lift
me and soothe me . . ."
it is the spirit of this image that
drew niya to yoga — the forces of opposition and
the resulting space created where passion, peace,
and love reside.
though she was born and raised in
the midwest, her passion for yoga stems from numerous
life-changing trips to india. she sincerely thanks
her teachers, students, family, and friends for
supporting and inspiring her on her own journey.
after practicing many years on and off, niya completed
the 200-hour teacher training at tranquil space
and she is certified through yoga alliance. she
is elated to be part of the tranquil space community
and thankful for her training with such an amazing
group of yogis. she hopes that her classes will
be a place to call "home" for students, a place
to connect with their spirit and grow passion, just
as she has. niya views every class as an opportunity
for transformation, growth and healing on all levels:
physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.
niya has a degree in communications
and documentary film. she currently works in television
production, and is involved in numerous artistic
endeavors, including painting and spoken word. she
is continually energized and humbled by how teaching
and practicing yoga continues to grow and nurture
her journey.
gina tauschek
- dupont,
bethesda
gina's yoga journey began in 2000
when she landed in washington, dc, after some major
life changes. initially, she sought out yoga at
her local gym to manage stress and to counteract
the wear and tear of running and cycling. looking
back now, she couldn't even begin to understand
the impact yoga would have on her life in the years
to come.
early in 2005, gina's path became clear to her and
she knew she wanted to teach yoga; she just needed
to find a studio that fit her independent style.
after months of searching, she took a class at tranquil
space and in 75 minutes she just knew. the rest,
as they say, is history.
gina completed her 200-hour teacher training certification
at tranquil space in 2006 and is a registered teacher
with yoga alliance. she believes that every person
has the ability to find beauty and wholeness within
themselves — their own way — but it is her hope
that through teaching yoga she can contribute to
that process in the tiniest way. she coordinates
the voluptuous vinyasa program at tranquil space
as well as co-coordinates the newbie program for
beginners.
when she's not on her yoga mat, gina can be found
running or biking on the various dc trails or on
the mall walking her main man — her 8-year-old yellow
lab. she has a master's in public administration
and for years has worked for a small consulting
firm whose main focus is strengthening education.
she is grateful to all of the tranquil space teachers
and students who have contributed to her growth
through study, support, and inspiration. in particular,
kimberly wilson for her vision and siobhan troy
for her guidance. she would also like to give a
heartfelt thank you to her mom, who has been her
biggest supporter on this journey.
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anne thiel -
dupont
anne is a teacher and the prenatal
program coordinator at tranquil space. she completed
the 200-hour yoga alliance -approved teacher training
at tranquil space, is a certified prenatal yoga
teacher, and has studied with several nationally-known
teachers (shiva rae, sarah powers, doug swenson,
etc.).
she has worked as a midwife in germany
and delivered 450 babies before moving to the united
states to enter a PhD program in german studies.
she later left the academic world and has since
then worked in various positions in environmental
ngo's.
initially, she began practicing
yoga to find relief from stressful dissertation-writing
process, but has discovered that it is much richer
than just a stress management tool.
"every time i step onto the mat
i become witness of a fascinating interplay of oppositional,
yet harmonious forces. it is an opportunity for
me to quiet my mind and reconnect with a still center
inside myself while getting blocked energies inside
me moving; it is a chance to cultivate a healthy
balance of strength and flexibility that i then
try to carry with me into my 'practice off the mat.'
in my classes i hope to create an environment that
allows my students to do the same."
for her prenatal yoga classes, she
hopes that they will support women during their
pregnancy as they prepare for labor and childbirth
and begin the journey of becoming a parent.
siobhan troy-
dupont, bethesda
siobhan completed her 200-hour
teacher training at tranquil space and is an
experienced registered yoga teacher with yoga
alliance. she first came to tranquil space in
2001 and has since been opened up to a whole new
world. in 2004 she embarked with
kimberly
wilson on opening
tranquil space bethesda. siobhan enjoys
teaching since it allows her to nurture her
students and in turn she has learned so much
from them.
in addition to studying at tranquil space,
siobhan has studied with nationally known
teachers: ana forrest, shiva rea, and baron
baptiste. her knowledge of yoga, past experience
teaching and her love for children motivated her
to study with shakta kaur khalsa, author of fly
like a butterfly: yoga for children. siobhan
enjoys encouraging adults to nurture their inner
child while finding their edge on the mat.
drawing on her experience not only from yoga but
from running three marathons, swimming,
coaching, protecting the environment, and
helping to raise money for AIDS services enables
siobhan to relate to her students. all of us
come onto to the mat with our own strengths and
weaknesses, siobhan strives to help her students
embrace these and see themselves as the
beautiful person they are meant to be.
in 2006, siobhan became a mother to a baby girl.
she and her husband are enjoying their new roles
and have each gained a greater respect for their
parents.
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melissa
van orman - dupont
melissa began her study of yoga
in 1993 as a high school student in rural maine.
since that time she has practiced several styles,
including iyengar, kripalu, and slow flow, before
finding her home at tranquil space, where she recently
completed her 200-hour teacher training certification.
melissa's style is fluid and creative, with a reverence
for classical teachings and attention to alignment.
she emphasizes breath, mindfulness, and sheer delight
in the experience of movement. witnessing how her
own practice changes with time, she believes that
yoga adapts to the needs of each practitioner. she
strives to create a nurturing space where students
can safely explore their innate gracefulness.
melissa's style has been influenced by kimberly
wilson and the tranquil space team, barbara benagh,
and seane corn. she has a master's degree in health
communication and works as a health educator.
alison lemon wadhwani -
dupont
alison began practicing yoga in
2001, and completed both level 1 and 2 teacher training
at tranquil space and an advanced yoga therapy training
with joseph lepage of integrative yoga therapy.
she has also studied with such noted teachers as
doug swenson, cyndi lee, rodney yee, shiva rea,
darren main, and baron baptiste.
alison has taught human sexuality,
yoga, and pilates in the exercise science department
of george washington university. her work at gw
also includes a "therapeutic yoga for depression"
series that she taught at the center for integrative
medicine and a teacher training for future gw yoga
teachers. she has created yoga workshops on back
pain, stress reduction, and women's health, as well
as lectured on yoga to the american medical association.
she has been the tranquil space at work teacher
for the kaiser family foundation since 2003.
in her "day job," alison works as
a health educator in the food and drug administration's
office of women's health. she holds a b.a. in public
relations and psychology from syracuse university,
and a master's degree in health science from the
johns hopkins university school of public health.
kevin
waldorf-cruz, lgsw -
dupont
kevin is a yogi who seeks to bring
creativity and laughter to his yogic path. he has
studied under kimberly wilson and is a tranquilspace
certified teacher. kevin teaches energetic basic,
intermediate, and advanced levels. he encourages
his students to detoxify the body and clear their
minds of clutter, in a safe and nurturing environment.
kevin has also had the opportunity
to study with other amazing instructors including:
cyndi lee from om yoga, baron baptiste of the power
vinyasa institute, as well as darren main from yoga
tree. he appreciates the integrated path of yoga,
which honors the individual and the whole, through
body, mind, and spirit process.
kevin is licensed social worker
and holds a combined master's degree of social work
focusing on welfare policy and clinical therapeutic
practice. he has worked with many disenfranchised
individuals and populations. he has mainly worked
with hiv/aids issues over the last several years.
kevin believes that every individual has the potential
to develop their own sense of peace, regardless
of circumstance.
kimberly wilson -
dupont, arlington
kimberly wilson is a teacher, designer,
writer, activist, and entrepreneur with a master’s
in women’s studies. she is the founder of tranquil
space yoga in washington, d.c.
she penned
hip tranquil
chick with hopes of inspiring fellow
femmes to lead a mindfully extravagant life on and
off the yoga mat, and is currently working on her
next opus, tranquilology – a fusion of
spirituality, entrepreneurship, and creativity.
when she's not bookstore browsing, you'll find her
designing the eco-luxe
TranquiliT
lifestyle line and her one-of-a-kind
tranquilista
jewelry collection, sipping oodles of tea, or leading
retreats globally. her work has been featured on
martha stewart living radio and in
daily candy, fit yoga, yoga journal,
lucky, and shape.
with a passion for do-gooding, kimberly founded
the
tranquil space foundation to assist women
and girls with finding their inner voice through
yoga, creativity, and leadership. she also serves
on the board of the mid-atlantic yoga association.
indulge in ongoing musings of the yoga lifestyle
through her blog
and podcast. learn more at
www.kimberlywilson.com.
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chuck
zebrowski - dupont
chuck started on the yoga journey
with tranquil space in 2002. he has taken the level
1 teacher training and will complete the level 2
teacher training at tranquil space this april. chuck
started climbing 10 years ago and was instantly
hooked. chuck's climbing has taken him to some of
the most beautiful places in the eastern and western
united states as well as british columbia, mexico,
ecuador and france. currently chuck teaches movement
technique to climbers at the sportrock indoor climbing
gym in alexandria, virginia. the links between climbing
and yoga exist on a number of levels. both activities
offer pathways to nurture the spirit through mindful
movement, balance, breathing, and connection with
the world. chuck is always excited to help make
that connection with fellow climbers and yogis.