SchedulePejman Akbari Pejman (PJ) Akbari began practicing Bikram Yoga in 2007 when he was suffering from back and neck pain due to years of office work, stress, and misalignment. At that time, he was a full-time professor of Aerospace Engineering in New York City. After observing so many physical and psychological benefits, PJ quickly evolved his Yoga practice to a high degree and decided to switch his engineering career to become a Bikram Yoga teacher and share this unique practice with other people who are suffering from physical and mental discomfort. He graduated from Bikram Teaching Training Spring 2009, and since then he has been teaching Bikram Yoga in New York. Besides teaching yoga, PJ also holds an Adjunct Assistant Professor Position in Aerospace Engineeringot at Columbia University.
	ScheduleBen Balfour Ben started practicing Bikram yoga 9 years ago after multiple back injuries left him literally flat on his back. Exhausting all conventional and alternative therapies Ben made his way into a Bikram yoga studio as a last resort and he hasn't look back ever since. Amazed by the physical, emotional and mental healing powers of Bikram yoga he knew what his next step would be. He attended Bikram’s Yoga Teacher Training in the Fall of 2005 knowing it was the right time to embark on the path. In the studio he is inspired by all those who attend knowing that the hardest part is just getting there.
	ScheduleSusan Antonaccio Susan Antonaccio took her first bikram yoga class 10 years ago, but has been a regular practitioner for the past 2 ½ years. Susan has a B.F.A in dance from Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University. After many years of dance training, many injuries started to surface. After two knee surgeries and other aches and pains, she stopped performing and found love in teaching dance to children. Susan got reconnected with Bikram yoga through her sister, and once she committed to having a regular practice began to see a huge improvement in overall health and wellness. She joined the workstudy team on the UES and then was inspired to complete a 30 day challenge, and just became hooked. She decided that the yoga did so many great things for her physically and emotionally that she wanted to study it more intensely and spread it to others. Susan completed teacher training in Fall 2008.
	ScheduleGeorgia Lucy Balligian Georgia was one of Bikram's first students when he arrived to Honolulu to teach in 1971. She received her official certification to teach in 1997. The greatest joy in her life is "seeing her student's happy smiling faces." Her deepest gratitude is to Bikram for never giving up on her. Georgia has been teaching at Bikram Yoga NYC since the studio opened in 1998.
	ScheduleJude Barucha Jude started practicing Hatha Yoga at the Unitarian Church in Cambridge, MA with John Loder in 1970. In 1976 she first taught Hatha Yoga at Harvard University, also teaching, performing, choreographing and directing Modern/Jazz/Blues/Gospel for Expansions Dance Company and Studio in the Boston area. She has a B.A. cum laude in psychology from Boston University and completed a graduate program in Dance Therapy from UCLA. Jude discovered Bikram Yoga at Kripalu and completed certification with Bikram in December 1999. She began teaching at Bikram Yoga NYC in January 2000, and managed the 8th Avenue Studio for about a year. Jude focuses on body alignment and the joy of finding clarity and inner peace.
	ScheduleJim Borsellino Jim Borsellino has been practicing and teaching Bikram Yoga since 1986. In his 23 year career he has taught thousands of students, served several years as director of Bikram’s San Francisco yoga school, and owned and operated his own studio in Florida. Jim’s approach to teaching is to work hard, have fun, and experience the joy of yoga! He brings an in depth understanding of the history and evolution of Bikram Yoga, and has a focused, disciplined, yet light- hearted approach to teaching.
	ScheduleWendii Brooks Wendii began her Bikram yoga practice in her hometown of Louisville, Kentucky in 1999. She was immediately attracted to the physical and mental challenge of the Bikram series. As she continued to practice, she was delighted to discover that the yoga helped alleviate her asthma and heal her knees. Wendii completed teacher training in the fall of 2005 and now enjoys watching her students make their own discoveries through the amazing practice.
	ScheduleJanet Carafa Janet loves teaching Bikram Yoga! Janet is a mime artist and yogini.  She has created the "Yoga of Mime" which combines the two movement forms  that she has been dedicated to.  Yoga of Mime offers techniques for ultimate expression. She performs mime and movement theater in NYC with the American Mime Theatre and and is grateful to have had Marcel Marceau as mentor for mime and Bikram Choudbury as mentor for Yoga. She also owns and runs YourEventSite.com which is an event production company that designs and provides music, performances and decor for corporate events.
	ScheduleLorenza Chiaramonte Born in Milan and resides in NYC. Lorenza literally fell in love with Bikram Yoga. Having worked as a senior jewelry designer for different established brands in the jewelry industry, she is also an accomplished painter and sculpture artist who exhibited her work in galleries around the world and designed for theaters in Milan, San Francisco, and New York. Truly an artist at heart Lorenza also studied and performed Baratha Natyam Indian classic dance in Europe and India for over 15 years. Her work is always a natural extension of herself, after 8 years of practice it made sense to her, to finally become a yoga teacher. She also attended the Sivananda Teacher Training in Madurai, India... But with Bikram Yoga it was love at first sweat!!! It's the Intensity...
	ScheduleChrystine Cooper Chrystine took her first Bikram Yoga class reluctantly as she didn't like hot weather, really didn't like humid hot weather, and wasn't very impressed with other yoga classes she had taken. But at the end of the first class she was hooked. "I recognized immediately that it was a terrific work out with specific health benefits that would be long lasting." As a typical very busy New Yorker, she started as a 'week-end warrior' and eventually made room in her schedule for at least four days a week to practice. Four years later she took the plunge into Bikram Yoga Training and she is "honored to be a part of the Bikram Yoga community." "Please join us! It's one of the nicest things you'll ever do for yourself!"
	ScheduleGraham Coppin Graham moved from South Africa to the US in 1993 with an MSc in Math and began working in Information Technology as a systems analyst and programmer. He plays the piano, is considering taking up the guitar and likes good theatre, great books and new ideas. He is not too fond of jukebox musicals, Internet Explorer and eggplant. Before living in New York he lived in Minnesota for 10 years (amazing what you'll do for a green card) and while there thought he'd try Bikram Yoga to help train for what turned out to be his last marathon. It didn't take long to hang up the running shoes and roll out the mat. When he grows up he wants to be a therapist or a playwright or maybe a musician. He is thankful for his family, friends and teachers, especially Chase whom he misses very much.
	ScheduleMary Dillon After studying Philosophy in NYC, Mary made her way to Oxford, England to study and hoped there she would finally find, "The Truth".  After logging long hours at the library and writing what seemed like endless papers, Mary felt no closer to the truth and, frankly, her back hurt!  By the grace of God she wandered into her first Bikram Yoga class, and knew this class is worth infinitely more than a thousand words.  For Mary it is a great honor to share Bikram's genius with the Bikram NYC students.  She has owned her own studio in Boulder Colorado, was the first Bikram Teacher in Chile (where there are now 4 studios!), and has taught Bikram's method to High School students in Patagonia as part of a rain forest conservation project.
	ScheduleAnnie Dumas After Annie experienced her first Birkam yoga class she walked straight to her gym and canceled her membership. One year later in April 2008 she found herself at teacher training. For years Annie had been dealing with knee injuries and stress fractures she sustained throughout high school and college as an eight-time All-American runner and racewalker. Bikram yoga has allowed her to maintain a healthy lifestyle without her previous debilitating and constant pain. Annie loves the continuous challenges she faces in her practice, and enjoys being part of such an incredible community of people! Her increased interest in the human body and how it functions combined with the desire to help others has led Annie to the field of Nursing. She loves teaching her students about the their bodies and enabling them to realize the potential they have to do anything and to go anywhere! As Bikram says, ‘It’s not what you do, or how you do it, it’s HOW YOU TRY!’
	ScheduleBernadette Duthu Bernadette discovered Bikram Yoga in NYC through a friend. She became a certified teacher in 2000 and enjoys teaching at the various Bikram Yoga NYC studios. Bernadette conducts a class in French every Sunday at the 72nd Street studio. During her time outside the studio, Bernadette teaches French classes.
	ScheduleAimee Follette Aimee Follette experienced an epiphany in her very first Bikram yoga class - this was the golden key to unlock the door that would heal her from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a devastating condition that affects victims of abuse. She knew immediately that she was stepping onto her path and would become a teacher to one-day help others overcome similar challenges and step into the role of a victor rather than a victim. "My practice provided me a safe space to peel away unyielding walls of protection and rediscover health, empowerment, physical and emotional strength, self-respect, gratitude, and my truly authentic happy smiling face." Just one year later, she traded in her rock-n-roll lifestyle and career in the music industry to commit full-time to both her health and sharing her passion for Bikram yoga. Aimee's primary goal as a yoga teacher is to help lead others towards self-empowerment with a sincere desire that everyone will find the strength to open their hearts and discover self-love and compassion.
	ScheduleNatalie Guarnaschelli Natalie became certified as a Bikram Instructor shortly after graduating from Scripps college in 2004. Despite an extensive history in ballet, the series proved to be very difficult immediately when she took her first class in 2000. Bikram has allowed for many transformations in Natalie, and she loves the opportunity to witness the transformations in students as well.
	ScheduleRachael Hobbs Rachael grew up in Bath, England before moving to New York in 2005 with her job in the Financial Industry. Exercise and nutrition have always been a key part of her life and after practicing Hatha yoga for the last 6 years she discovered Bikram Yoga. Her life took on a whole new meaning. She then decided to leave her hectic job to become a Bikram Yoga teacher in Fall 2008 in order to help others experience the same peace, happiness and numerous health benefits it has brought her. Life is too short not to follow your dreams and do something that makes you truly happy.
	ScheduleLisa Hecht Lisa began practicing Bikram yoga in 2001 and found that a regular practice resulted in numerous physical and mental benefits. She took a break from the corporate world during the summer of 2004 to attend Bikram's teacher training in LA. Although she returned to the world of finance, she enjoys teaching a few classes a week and finds that doing both brings a sense of balance to her life.
	ScheduleMishel Herrera Mishel was born in Ecuador but she grew up in NYC. She is trilingual and lives for travel and epicurean delights. During her time puttering around London post-graduation, she took her first Bikram class. Six months later, she traveled to Hawaii to train with Bikram and to become a certified teacher. Now back in NY, Mishel bifurcates her time between giving tours at the Rubin Museum of Art and exploring the multiple gradations of Bikram Yoga. As a student, she relishes in the numerous benefits she has received, while as a teacher, she loves to share her knowledge and passion of the practice with her students.
	ScheduleCarrie Hilligoss Carrie began her Bikram yoga practice in Houston, Texas at the age of 16 in hopes of improving her flexibility for dance. In the hot room she found greater flexibility of body and mind and also healing for her ballet-battered body. At the age of 18, Carrie hung up her pointe shoes and headed for Bikram's Teacher Training in LA. After teaching for a few months in Houston, Carrie moved to New York where she currently maintains a busy, happy lifestyle teaching yoga throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn, studying the mind/body connection at NYU's Gallatin School of Individualized Study, and practicing Esoteric Healing and Reiki.
	ScheduleElitza Datcheva Ivanova Elitza started practicing yoga in 2000 in search of better health, less work-related stress and more fluid breath. She completed her teacher training with Bikram Choudhury in 2003 and has been teaching actively ever since in the US and Europe. Her classes are challenging and contain bits of wisdom from her continued studies. You may find yourself happy for no reason. After becoming a mom for the first time in 2005, Elitza has found immense joy in working with private prenatal clients. She had completed her prenatal teacher training under Carrie Parker and continues to study in the area of Childbirth education in the hopes of becoming a certified doula one day. She is grateful to all her teachers past and present, ancient and new to this world for giving her a chance to see beauty and harmony in every part of our wonderfully chaotic and ever changing lives. Life is Good. Practice Yoga. Live Better.
	ScheduleJaclyn Kahn Jaclyn graduated from Teacher Training in November2007. She did her first Bikramclass at the midtown studio, across the street from her high school when shewas 17. When she moved to Londonto pursue her acting career, she found a Bikram studio there that was about toopen. She worked there as areceptionist and the studio became her home away from home. Jaclyn became hooked to the yoga and knew she wanted it to be a part of her life. While at the Teacher Training, Jaclyn decided she would moveback home to NY where she now teaches and works toward her acting career. She hasn’t forgotten about her homestudio in London. She goes back at least twice a year to teach for them. Jaclyn loves teaching and watching students grow in there practice. No matter what she is doing in life, Jaclyn always brings her yoga with her.
	ScheduleKyoko Katsura A native Japanese, Kyoko started her career as a gymnast then a dancer. She received an MA in dance from New York University and was introduced to Bikram Yoga in LA in 2003. Kyoko was immediately hooked and graduated from the teacher training program in the fall of 2005. Kyoko, along with her regular classes, also teaches classes in Japanese for Bikram Yoga NYC.
	ScheduleLucy Kemp Lucy grew up in Sydney Australia where sports and fitness were always a part of her lifestyle. However, after her very first class of Bikram yoga in 2005, it was obvious no other excercise had presented such physical and mental challenge. Fascinated and curious, the Bikram bug had bitten and 18 months later, in Fall 2006, she was off to seek the source of her intrigue at Bikram's Teacher Training in LA. Lucy came to New York in 2000 with employment in the fashion industry, in which she is still involved. She is also studying a Bachelor of Business degree and finds teaching Bikram yoga, as well as maintaining her own practice, the perfect and necessary compliment to New York life and mind.
	ScheduleBruce Kessler I have many diverse interests – history, baseball, music, and nutrition to name a few, but health and fitness have always been among my passions. Born and raised in Brooklyn, I encountered Bikram Yoga for the first time during a very hectic time (2000) in my life doing concert catering. It brought me balance and strength, both mental and physical, not afforded to me by running, biking, or working out at the gym. In 2004, I made a commitment to become certified as a Bikram Yoga instructor. It took a few years but I graduated from teacher training in the fall of 2007 and I now enjoy sharing the restorative benefits of this practice with others.
	SchedulePatrick Lynch Patrick Lynch is a native New Yorker who started practicing Bikram Yoga in July '03. Before he knew it (and not quite sure how it all came to pass) he found himself in Los Angeles in Teacher Training. Nine weeks later he was certified and began teaching in December '05. In addition to yoga-ing, Patrick is a professional opera singer and has also spent many years in the corporate sector with global management consulting firms. His proudest achievement to date though would be his family foundation established in memory of his brother Michael, a NYC Firefighter who sacrificed his life on 9/11. The foundation awards scholarships to deserving young adults beginning higher education. The Michael Lynch Memorial Foundation can be visited at www.mlynch.org.
	ScheduleTerra Mcleod Originally from Southern Oregon, Terra moved to the east coast mid-2001 and realized the need to remain grounded as she frolicked through the city, thus she returned from a long hiatus to Bikram yoga.  After accomplishing her goal to obtain a MLIS in Library and Information Science, and participating in the 2005 yoga championship, she found it was time to go to training.  She gained her certificate in the fall of 2006 and enjoys furthering her practice as she is continuously inspired by the many yogis that bless her with their presence in her classes.
	ScheduleJessica Monty Health, nutrition, and exercise. She is proud to teach New Yorkers Bikram's Yoga, and supporting her clients around health and lifestyle. Being Miami Beach raised, she moved to New York for teaching experience, and has planted deeper roots than planned. Since discovering Bikram in 2000, she has maintained a daily practice and, in turn, has never felt so happy and healthy. In November 2005 Jessica began her studies in the field of nutrition and is practicing Holistic Health counseling in New York City. Visit her Web site at jessicamonty.com.
	ScheduleKrissy Oakes Krissy moved from sunny California to live out her dream of living in New York City. She has taught Bikram yoga in Thailand, Hong Kong, the Phillipines and Los Angeles since 2005. She loves guiding a mentally and physically challenging practice that empowers students to be the best that they can be -- on and off the yoga mat!
	ScheduleRebecca Pitcher Rebecca went to her first Bikram yoga class while on the road with The Phantom of the Opera. After playing the role of Christine for several years, she found that she was having some difficulties with nerves, and found the yoga room to be the best most centering place for her. After practicing for 4 years she took a break from singing and went to LA for the Teacher Training. Bikram Yoga has helped Rebecca in many ways, and she loves to see and hear about the changes in her students and friends.
	ScheduleMelissa Porricell Melissa walked into her first BikramYoga class in 2002. At the time she has a very stressful job in the corporate world so she instantly fell in love with the balance it brought to her life and has maintained a daily practice ever since. Having played soccer for most of her life, Melissa has had 7 knee surgeries. Bikram Yoga has been the only thing that brought back a natural range of motion to her knee and has strengthened her knee and leg enough to do things she never thought possible again. Her doctors and physical therapists were amazed at the progress she made after starting the yoga. Since she first started practicing Melissa knew she wanted to teach and inspire others the way she had been inspired in her first class. It was not until 2008 that she finally was able to take a break from her job in the health care industry and go to teacher training. Now Melissa enjoys promoting a balance of good health to her students both in the classroom and back at her job in the healthcare industry.
	ScheduleNick Potenzieri Nick, a native New Yorker, has been a practicing yogi for almost four years. He received his teacher certification in from the Bikram Yoga College of India in Spring 2005. He is very proud to be a part of Bikram NYC staff. He believes yoga's power to create what you want in your life though positive intention. When not teaching Nick can be found working his craft as an actor in film and on stage.
	ScheduleKarina Ruiz Karina was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil and moved to the US in 2002. After 7 years as a lawyer, Karina was looking for a change in her life. After a few years of living in NYC, she met a friend on the street, and was amazed by how healthy he looked. He said it was “Bikram Yoga” so she started taking classes with him right away. Immediately she fell in love with the practice, and how it help her cope with her daily life and struggles. In fall 2007 she flew to Hawaii to attend the teacher training program. Bikram yoga has opened a whole new part of her life and when she is not teaching Bikram Yoga, Karina studies and practices Thai yoga body work to increase her knowledge in yoga. She is also interested in gardening and teaching Portuguese.
	ScheduleMaia Ruvolo Maia Ruvolo began practicing Bikram Yoga in 2003 at the urging of a co-worker. It was love at first stretch and within two years she found herself at teacher training. She believes practicing Bikram Yoga can help improve every aspect of your life and enjoys being part of the Bikram Yoga NYC family.
	ScheduleJanet Saia Janet Saia has been teaching Bikram yoga since 2000. Upon completing her certification she toured with "The Phantom of the Opera" and taught Bikram Yoga nationwide. "For a stage performer Bikram yoga is a tremendous tool for opening the body," says Saia. Janet is committed to helping students realize their power to improve their health through this amazing practice.
	ScheduleJennifer Saito Jennifer came out of her first Bikram yoga class short of breath with her gym clothes weighing heavily on her body. But from that day on, she went to practice every single day, knowing this was going to be part of her life forever. She soon realized that it wasn’t just the yoga that kept her coming back; it was the Bikram yoga family that she had come to love and cherish. This wonderful community of people never failed to encourage and love her. From city to city and coast to coast, she knew she could find comfort in the ever-expanding Bikram community. Every single person involved had chosen to be a part of the family, and as such, the family was solid, concrete, one piece, unbroken…As a teacher she feels a tremendous sense of responsibility in making sure that people realize that no matter what is going on in the world, we all have the power within ourselves to find peace, to be at peace, and to stay at peace. It may sound like a tall order, but with this yoga, she has no doubt we can achieve anything.
	ScheduleJohn Salvatore John is a Broadway and off-Broadway singer and dancer who has been a certified Bikram yoga instructor since 2001. John has performed in New York in "A CHORUS LINE," "42nd STREET," "HELLO DOLLY!", "PAGEANT" and many other shows. John is currently in the cast of "BEAUTY AND THE BEAST." Most recently, John has accepted a performance job with "HAIRSPRAY" on the National Tour. As a Bikram Yoga instructor, John has appeared on Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.
	ScheduleJon Stewart Originally from San Diego, Jon is thrilled to be teaching at Bikram NYC. After a stage combat injury (herniated disk in his lumbar spine), Jon found himself in Bikram's Beginning Yoga class in search of healing. What he found was so much more and it has changed his life. Certified to teach in the summer of 2004, Jon hopes to share the gifts and the benefits of Bikram's Beginning Yoga to the New York City Community.
	ScheduleAbigoliah Schauman Abigoliah Schamaun discovered Bikram Yoga when she moved to NYC in 2004. Her first class was with Bernadette and after that she was hooked. After finishing college at The New School University with a BFA in Musical Theater, she headed off to teacher training in fall of 2008. When she’s not teaching Bikram Yoga uptown at the break of dawn, you can find her performing comedy downtown in the middle of the night.
	ScheduleLuke Strandquist Bikram yoga works for Luke. Every aspect of his life has been impacted for the better as a result of this delicious yoga. In addition to overcoming bad knees, bad lungs, and a bad attitude; after almost 6 years of practice Luke also did the unthinkable and attended teacher training in Spring of '08 in Acapulco. A passionate singer, songwriter, and actor- When he is not in the hot room, you can find him performing all over NYC... or occasionally getting arrested around the world as an ardent Greenpeace activist and climber while bringing awareness to urgent enviromental issues
	ScheduleFidela Sy Fidela walked into the hot studio one day to de-stress from years of working in corporate America and found herself embarked on a new path. From that day onward she's never looked back, and is now enjoying a new career as a Bikram Yoga instructor, hoping to share with others the peace and happiness that Bikram Yoga has brought her.
	ScheduleChris Totaro Chris Totaro's friends seem to have an exceeding admiration for him when he tells of how hot it gets in the room. His stories keep them far, far away from the hot-box. Three of them recently moved to Alaska. Chris took his first Bikram class in February of 2003 with his friends, Jordan and Geoffrey. Immediately enthralled, he attempted to make it part of his life but it wasn't until three years later that he committed to accelerating his practice and to becoming an instructor. He completed the certification program in June of 2006 and has been loving every minute of it ever since. Payback, for him, is when he overhears students talking to each other after class about the amazing benefits that they've experienced.
	ScheduleCammi Vance Cammi Vance has been practicing Bikram Yoga since 2000. While she is also a dancer, massage therapist, and personal trainer, Bikram has been her secret weapon for energy, strength, and well being. She became a Bikram Instructor in Spring '09 in order to share the amazing benefits with people and be more deeply involved in the Bikram community.
	ScheduleEmily Smyth Vartanian Emily Smyth Vartanian grew up in Oakland, California and received a BA in World Arts and Cultures/Dance from UCLA. On a visit to New York City in 2004, she took her very first Bikram class at Bikram Yoga NYC, and has been practicing ever since. She did not think the practice could make more of a difference in her life until she attended Teacher Training in Acapulco in the spring of 2008. She loves coming to “work” now, and most enjoys having fun with – and the amazing dedication of – her students.
	ScheduleMaja Wampuszyc Maja Wampuszyc graduated from Bikram Yoga College of India in Spring 2008. She began her relationship with the body and mirror in a classical ballet studio at the age of three. This extensive background in ballet ledher to modern dance, then theater and acting and then back full circle to the body and mirror - BIKRAM YOGA. Her most recent credit in 2009 was her Broadway Debut in Irena's Vow starring Tovah Feldshuh at the Walter Kerr Theater. I have been practicing Hatha Yoga on and off for years. Ichose to be a Bikram Yoga instructor because of the strict physical and mentaldiscipline of the practice and dialog.
	ScheduleMegan Wheeler Originally from Santa Fe, New Mexico, Megan moved to New York in 2001 to study acting at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. Along the way she found the wonderful practice of Bikram Yoga. Bikram offered her a way to stay in shape without torturing herself at a gym and cured her tendinitis, acne, back pain, helped her lose over 20 pounds and kept her sane after graduating college. After becoming a workstudy and then manager for Bikram Yoga NYC, she finally went to teacher training in the fall of 2007 in beautiful Honolulu, Hawaii. She considers herself honored and blessed to be teaching yoga and is for the first time in her life being paid to do something she truly loves.

 

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