Claire, owner

In middle school, at a book fair, a book about yoga caught my eye, and through at home practice I was instantly hooked. During the rest of my schooling, yoga played a significant role in supporting my athletic lifestyle. In college, I majored in business management with a focus on advertising and marketing. While working at an advertising agency in Boulder Colorado I learned a valuable lesson: “you must sell the truth of the product.” The truth of the matter was, there wasn’t anything I believed in enough to commit to selling. On top of a mountain, while skiing I confessed this dilemma to my husband. His response seemed so simple, so obvious “why don’t you own a yoga studio?” Finally I had found a way to combine my two passions: business and yoga. The next natural step was to formally go through yoga teacher training. At Core Power in Denver I received my 200 hour certification in Power Flow and Bikram styles; in addition, to children's yoga and pre-natal. Then, after teaching and living in PA, Dana Barone offered me the opportunity of a lifetime: to become the new owner of Yoga Innovations. I look forward to continuing to build the yoga culture in the south hills and sharing the passion I have for the practice.

Dana, teacher

I must admit my entrance into the world of yoga was thru a back door. I was a “must workout hard” enthusiast who practiced yoga for the "exercise" of it all....until one day I realized that I was getting stronger in ways that had never before seemed possible. My studying included many styles and types of yoga, with different yogis across the United States, Canada and Pittsburgh. It was here, in my own backyard, that I attended my first “Hot Yoga” class. The class was intense, and required a different kind of focus than anything I had previously encountered. I came to recognize the effects of consciously finding stillness and intentionally facing the physical challenges of a yoga practice. The effects have included moving beyond the boundaries of what I thought was possible on my yoga mat and in my life. My wish is to assist you in experiencing the same peace, strength and stillness in your lives that I am working toward in my own …… one breath at a time.

Helen, teacher

"Everything you have today, some day, you will not have." Those words spoken to me by Beryl Binder Birch, the First Lady of Power Yoga, have resonated within me ever since she spoke them. As I begin to age and move into the next decade of my life, I feel my yoga practice and experiences changing in many ways. I have learned that yoga is less about gaining, and more about letting go. I have embraced the yama of ahimsa and am kinder to myself than I was in my youth. I forgive myself more, and try to criticize less. After a severe rotator cuff injury with a long rehab and recovery, I found the healing power of yoga in a restorative practice. I have embraced the teachings of many including Cindy Lee, Rodney Yee, Baron Baptiste, Judith Laseter, Beryl Binder Birch, Dharma Mittra, and Ana Forrest. Each of them have motivated me in different ways. Each teacher has a unique perspective from which they share their practice. It is my hope to share my perspective with the yogis and yoginis that I have the blessing to teach. On the mat, I am a yogini striving to engage my mind, my body, and my breath. Off the mat, I am a wife, teacher, friend, and lover of Rooney, Schnitzel, Grace, and Pippy.

 

Candace, teacher

My first experience with yoga was at my mother’s behest. And, although I refused to admit it to her at the time (I was 16 and full of teenage angst), I loved every bit of it. The teacher was charismatic, guiding the class through encouragement rather than the kind of heavy-handed instruction I was used to getting from high school teachers. I loved how my body, mind and spirit felt during and after class, and was hooked by the warmth the class gave me during the cold Pittsburgh winters. I was addicted immediately. As a teenager it seemed silly to me to dream of becoming a yoga instructor. So I dutifully went to college. However, while I was studying for the psychology GREs I had a break down. I vented to a friend that I didn’t want a life spent behind a desk; all I have ever wanted to do was help people by teaching yoga. She simply replied, “why don’t you then?” Within a few months I was enrolled in my first yoga teacher-training program. Once I started teaching I knew I had made the right choice. I am most happy and at peace when I able to share or experience yoga. When I’m not teaching or practicing, I’m a nanny and new mother, more jobs that bring great joy and satisfaction to my life. I also love the outdoors, and whenever the weather permits I’m in the woods with my dog and husband.

 

Kate, teacher

I took my first power vinyasa yoga class in 2008. The feeling of strength and calm that was a result of that first class had me hooked! As a wife and a busy mother mother of 3 children, yoga has been a gift! As a student of yoga, I am constantly working towards being more present in the moment, instead of just plowing through my never-ending to-do list. It's a work in progress, for sure, but I know that after I practice, I feel stronger, healthier, happier and better suited to take care of the needs of my loved ones. I received 100 hours of training through Amazing Yoga in the Spring of 2010. I enjoy teaching yoga, and have found yogis to be among the kindest people on the planet!