Carrie Sopko - Transformational Breath™

Carrie’s interest in alternative healing began in the early nineties after experiencing the benefits of Chiropractic. Shortly after, Carrie began working for the Chiropractor that was treating her and soon became a certified Chiropractic Assistant. A growing interest in proper nutrition and exercise motivated her to begin researching what worked best for her body. Her awareness of the alternative healing and metaphysical world began to grow through reading books and the healers she began to draw into her life. Moving to Mexico in 2000 she befriended many alternative healing practitioners. When her marriage ended in 2001, and after many emotional challenges through the years, she changed her life, very soon after it became clear that she was being helped and guided by a Higher Force and realized her purpose on this planet was to help others heal and change their lives. Moving back to her home state of New Jersey in 2002, Carrie began her self-healing journey. Obtaining a license as a Skin Care Specialist allowed her to help others as well as afford personal healing sessions and classes to collect knowledge and tools that she would later use to help others. Today Carrie is Reiki Master, Certified Transformational Breath Facilitator and Counselor, and Spiritual Response Therapist.  Her work focuses on the positive. The modalities she performs and teaches gently release the energies that keep us from being our fullest expression of Self. More energy, vitality, clarity, love, joy, peace and higher levels of awareness are yours to be had. Carrie provides a loving environment in which to attain a higher state of being, and learn how to maintain this in your life. Carrie was guided by Spirit to move from New Jersey to Southwest Florida to share her work and to help others. Carrie looks forward to becoming part of the community and being available for those who want to grow and expand through sharing her knowledge, wisdom and experience.

 

Deb Sheme - Pilates, Adult Modern/Ballet

Debbie grew up in Pennsylvania were she began her dance training at the age of three studying at various studios. She has studied ballet, tap, jazz, modern dance and pilates. Her love for the arts started at Carousel Performing Arts in Kennett Square, PA. At Carousel, they stressed the importance of exercise and healthy living. This is where Debbie’s love and passion grew for nutrition, fitness, holistic healing, and dance. As a young dancer she studied with The Brandywine Ballet Company under numerous teachers who were from Pennsylvania Ballet, Harrisburg Ballet, Joffrey Ballet and Ballet Hispanico. Her modern dance and pilates background is in Martha Graham, Lester Horton, Ron Fletcher and she trained under teachers Holly Winje, Pat Thomas, Roni Koresh, Faye Snow who are professional dancers and teachers from University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA Also, she studied martial arts and received numerous awards and received her Taekwondo Black Belt with the American Taekwondo Association. Her modern dance background and pilates teaching grew at the University of Arts in concentration in dance and choreography. As an educator, Ms. Sheme draws on years of experience to develop her own unique style of modern dance, focusing on fluid expressive style of movement. She has taught and choreographed for all ages and levels at studios throughout the states of Pennsylvania and Delaware and is thrilled to now be teaching in Florida. She was a long time faculty member, choreographer, and guest dancer for the Delaware Dance Company and was the modern director for Pennsylvania Ballet’s principle dancer Paul Klocke and his Klocke School of Dance. Her love is to inspire, motivate, encourage, educate and enrich lives through teaching dance and pilates. She lives on Sanibel Island with her husband Mark and loves being a mom to their son M.J.

 

Eric Orkin- Meditation, Shamanic Journey’s

Eric is a Tenured professor and Department Chair, business management, University of New Hampshire and a successful high tech business executive and consultant. He is a certified clinical hypnotherapist and has studied shamanism with Michael Harner, teacher and author of The Way of the Shaman and has studied numerous forms of meditation and other practices. As a teacher of Transcendental Meditation, he's taught over 300 people and studied extensively with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Eric is a Teacher at the Association for Research and Enlightenment (world headquarters for the work of Edgar Cayce), A husband and father and best pal to Kali, our Golden Retriever). Being a snow bird he splits his time between Sanibel and Cape Neddick, Maine.

 

 

 

 

Rabbi Elyssa Joy Auster - Mediation Circle

Rabbi Elyssa Joy Auster has been studying and teaching devotional practices for many years.  She became more invested in seated meditation when studying for a year in Israel.  Elyssa began practicing yoga ten years ago, and loves Dr. Susan's classes here on Sanibel.  Before becoming a rabbi (a teacher and leader in the Jewish Tradition), she received a Masters in Theology.  Elyssa is currently the rabbi at Temple Judea in Fort Myers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Janis Bowersox - Life Coach and Entrepreneur

Janis Bowersox is a Life Coach and Entrepreneur. She has an MBA from Yale University and has owned her own yoga business and managed non-profit organizations.  Janis began her yoga journey with Dr. Susan Pataky in 1995, went on to open her own yoga studio in Connecticut, and returns to Sanibel yearly to take classes with her first teacher.  

She trained with Professors Robert Kegan and Lisa Leahy, authors of Immunity to Change, and is permitted by them to teach the workshop in Immunity to Change.  Currently studying with the Coaches Training Institute, she has experienced the power of coaching in her own life for over 12 years. Janis is committed to providing people with a safe, sacred space, assisting them on the journey so that they may live their lives in alignment with their passions and values. 

 

Kim Kouril - Flow Yoga

Kim has been practicing and teaching yoga for over 10 years. She has completed two 200 hour teacher trainings (RYT)- initially with Ganga White and Tracey Rich at the White Lotus Institute in Santa Barbara, CA, followed by the Yoga Teachers Training Institute in Northport, Long Island with Marianne Mitsinikos, Mokshapriya Shakti, and Dr. Miguel Andujar. More recently, she has studied with Anusara yoga teacher, Jordan Bloom. She is thankful for all the teachers and students who have helped shape her beautiful journey of yoga and is excited to be teaching at Sanibel Yoga. Kim is also a Licensed Massage Therapist, holds an M.A. in English and has taught on the college level. Her greatest inspiration is her family, husband Ken and two boys, Kenny & Kyler.

 

 

 

Rema Boscov - Qigong

Rema has been studying qigong with various masters for 17 years. Certified by the Institute of Integral Qigong and Tai Chi, she has taught at many venues. She brings an eclectic mix of study, a love of teaching, and a special joy in teaching qigong. Rema Boscov is an artist, writer and teacher of qigong. She has studied extensively with many well-known qigong masters, among them Dr. Yang Jwing Ming, Ken Cohen, and Roger Jahnke. She brings an eclectic qigong mix to her classes, as well as an appreciation for qi, nature's energy. Her visual art, writing and qigong practice all relate to the natural world. She has been an artist-in-residence in three of our national parks, and has offered combined Qigong and writing workshops in westerns Massachusetts, where she lives, and at national conferences. Rema, whose mother lives on Sanibel half the year, is a frequent visitor. "In my classes we share the delight of simple movement, and quiet focus. This practice is both energizing and centering. I got certified to teach it so I could pass on the gift."

 

 

Rose Brown - Vinyasa, Flow Yoga

Rose tried yoga for the first time as a free class offered through a gym. It was many years and styles of yoga later that she decided to obtain the 200 hour Yoga Alliance certificate through Jeweled Lotus Studio and Radiant Transitions Yoga. Since her practice began; she has had the good fortune to study with a variety of inspirational teachers including Sarasvati Devi and the late Vaz Rogbeck, among others; each of whom continue to inspire her unique teaching style and desire to continue her yoga education.

Rose's teaching style combines flowing transitions between poses with alignment cues and breath work to increase body awareness both in and outside the studio. Her aim is for students to learn safe and fun movements to help develop a personal practice they can take with them wherever their travels may lead.

 

 

Dr. Susan Pataky - Yoga, Meditation, Yoga/Breath/Energy Therapy

Founder and owner of Sanibel Yoga (2009), Soulstice (2003) and The Body/Mind Connection (1980), Dr. Susan has dedicated her life to sharing Yoga, Eastern sciences and philosophies, and Natural/Holistic (”Wholistic”) methods. Initially Inspired by Jess Stern’s book “Yoga, Youth and Reincarnation” she was led to “The Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga" by Swami Vishnudevananda, & Richard Hittleman’s “Introduction to Yoga” - using the only 3 books available to her back in ‘those days’, she began her personal practice. Then in 1972, she found a new mentor, Lilias Folan, known as the "First Lady of Yoga" and faithfully practiced every morning to the groundbreaking PBS series produced by PBS affiliate WCET in Cincinnati Ohio,  Lilias! Yoga and You. After discovering that an instructed class was far better than the ‘learn by book’ method she sought formal training and received her initial Certification from the Sivananda lineage in 1979. A few years later she left her corporate job to teach Yoga full time. Thru the years she’s studied & practiced most of the classic Yogic lineages and subsequently brought Yoga into the corporate arena. Her clients, located in Fairfield County, CT and Westchester, NY  were numerous - Clairol, Bristol-Myers, Waldenbooks, PepsiCo, GTE, MetLife, Gen-Re, Trans-Lux, Gartner Group, Physicians Health Services, to name a few. Her teachings spread to area Real Estate Agencies, Universities, and Public school systems, as well as local YMCA/YWCA’s in the Fairfield/New Haven County area. She was one of the first Yoga Instructors & Massage Therapists accepted as an Oxford Health Plan provider in CT. While in Medical school, she participated in a week long International Conference organized by Swami Vivekananda Research Foundation (sVYSA) of Bangalore, India, where leading Yogic researchers and Alternative Medical Doctors presented ‘Yoga Therapy’ for  numerous health conditions; Heart, Respiratory, Mental Health, Endocrine, Cancer, Allergies, Pain Management, etc. This fast track intensive emphasized the Body-Mind-Spirit connection, theory and practice as well as research  from  biochemical, physiological, psychological, and neurophysiological laboratory results conducted with modern scientific methods for those in the medical professions in the United States. A true pioneer and visionary, Susan offered Yoga to hospitals, health clubs, and hair salons throughout the decades in a futile attempt to spread the word of Yoga’s numerous benefits. In all instances, she was laughed at and shown the door! Life seems to have come full circle as Dr. Susan delights in the embrace by the 'west' of this 5,000 year old science now offered in all those venues. Dr. Susan has a Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine and is a Certified Breath & Yoga Therapist(IAYT).

“Shanti, Shanti, Shanti ~Peace, Peace, Peace.
Peace in YOUR Heart~~Peace on the Planet, One Heart at a time.”