Staff List
(Showing 1 - 25 of 139)
Megan Grace
I am so very grateful to have landed firmly in the center of my dharma at this stage in my life. The call I heard from the Universe can be summed up by the words of Crosby, Stills & Nash - “Spirit is using me, a larger voice is calling.” My answer to that call is the creation of spaces for yoga and meditation to happen, a 200-hour yoga school/teacher training program and more recently my time and energy is flowing in the direction of the creation of a Mystery School. It is sending me into deep waters and I simply love it. I am a consumate lover of spiritual wisdom and practice and I'm always seeking ways to live first from my spiritual nature and to support others in doing the same. I see everyday how Perennial is making it possible for beautiful human beings to unleash their best energy - at home, work, locally and globally.
Like many others I discovered yoga seeking a self-help practice. It has reshaped my body, mind, lifestyle and understanding of who I am and why I'm here. It helps me let go of what doesn't matter and elevate the things that do. The beauty of yoga is that it’s a lifelong course on learning how to live life well. My framework for my life and what I hope to invite others to is the “middle path,” a path I’ve jump on and off in almost equal parts. But because of greater discernment, which is one of yoga’s most important contributions to one’s life, I see it sooner and jump back on with more grace, self-forgiveness and with the ability to laugh at myself.
I lead a flowing and reverential style of vinyasa yoga that is sprinkled with ancient and modern Wisdom. My hope is that you’ll leave my yoga class grounded in your body, flowing to your natural rhythm, and inspired to live wholeheartedly. I feel privileged to co-lead, along side Keith Borden, our Perennial Wisdom Yoga School program. Please join me for a yoga class. Together we'll seek inspiration, possibility, truth and Grace. We'll share some tears and a whole lot of laughter along the way.
Ken Kloes
Ken discovered yoga in 2003 as an alternative to knee surgery recommended to fix years of wear and tear. After 60 consecutive days of yoga, healthy knees, a revived spirit and mental clarity he was convinced that yoga would be a key part of his life. In April 2008 Ken took the leap and resigned from his corporate job as a systems analyst to devote his attention to practicing and teaching yoga. As a Certified Forrest Yoga instructor he is thrilled to be teaching his students about the joy, well being and fulfillment of a regular yoga practice. In training for Respiratory Therapy he is deepening his knowledge of breath and is bringing the benefits of yoga to students with lung conditions such as asthma, emphysema and cystic fibrosis. Ken’s group and private classes focus on the healing power of breath while engaging in a rigorous series of asana’s that will challenge you to go deeper, building your strength, integrity and spirit.
Marina Koyen
Marina is a world traveler and yoga teacher with over a decade of experience. She has a deep passion for exploring different aspects of human existence through her practice and meditation. She sees yoga and mindfulness as ways to tap into the ancient wisdom of the body and soul, as well as to uncover the self-healing potential that all of us possess. Marina’s approach to teaching honors Tantra Yoga Tradition, the ancient practice that is a powerful combination of asana (posture), pranayama (breath work), and bandha (energy lock). This approach can support practitioners in moving through the modern world with confidence and contentment. Marina's teaching style weaves insights from the fields of psychology, philosophy, anatomy, and neuroscience into a holistic practice that enlivens the body, mind, and heart. Her classes are intelligently sequenced to emphasize a mindful connection to one’s breath and a compassionate attempt to understand one’s body and mind. It is Marina’s intention to create a safe and welcoming environment in her classes for every student to experience the transformational power of yoga.
Marta Behrens
Marta’s love for yoga started to take root when she felt something gently “tugging” at her heart and mind following her very first class and that love continues to unfold years later. “It felt like a seed had been planted that would grow into something profoundly life changing… I continue to be amazed by the power of yoga to keep me grounded, resilient, and happy."
"My intention is to hold space that feels safe and accepting so that healing can happen when and where it is needed." Marta's instruction emphasizes sound alignment, body awareness, mindful breathing, and self-acceptance. She teaches from a profound sense of service to help her students realize the transformative powers of yoga that helped change her life. Drawing from various healing modalities and being a lifelong learner, Marta is continually seeking new ways to help her students access yoga and help it to fit their needs. Marta has been teaching since 2006 and holds a 260-hour teaching certification from Pure Yoga, Hong Kong. Marta plays music primarily without vocals in her classes.
Carla Coleman
Carla arrived in Perennial's Earth studio in 2012 and often says she was “born there”. The transformational practice of breath and body brought her Home to her self again. It has been her joy and pleasure to teach yoga at Perennial since her certification in 2014 from Perennial’s very first teacher training program. She is a yogi born and raised at Perennial Yoga!
Her classes are carefully crafted to provide a strong foundation in the basics of yoga asana in a vinyasa flow experience. Weaving yoga philosophy, dharma, poetry, and guidance into opportunities for relaxation, meditation, breath work, and physical movements, the fabric of her classes take form. Wide-ranging musical selections from traditional mantra to classic rock provide rhythm and support for energies to shift, rise, rest, float, and dance. Crystal bowls and koshi bells accompany savasana, bringing you home to yourself once again.
Carla’s intention is to introduce new students and reacquaint seasoned practitioners to a simple yet dynamic experience crafted to open the heart, rest the weary, soothe the soul, and energize the spirit in community. In this way we ready ourselves to shine our light into the world.
Carla is a lover of dogs, horses, travel, time in nature, in solitude, in friendship in community, and in the sanctuary of Home.
Keith Borden
Keith Borden is consistently turned on by the stillness within movement, the silence hidden in sound, and the esoteric in the everyday. I love to practice yoga, and sharing this practice that I love for the last decade has been a terrific gift. I'm very lucky. I have great teachers in my life – Jasmine Tarkeshi, Dana Flynn, David Robson, David Gellineau, Manorama, and Rabbi Joseph Gellberman – and being a student is one of the best parts of the yoga practice. The classes I offer are energetic and balanced, and are infused with playfulness and creativity. I strive to live, breathe, and offer the devotion-rich yoga that comes out of my daily home practice. I'm a singer, kirtan wallah, a bhakti yogi, and an interfaith minister. I always chant with my classes, and occasionally I play and sing during savasana. I love to experiment in my practice, and years of Muay Thai, Tai Chi, and Qi Gong have taught me that all movement is healing and complementary to my sadhana. My goal is to hold a space that fosters inner quiet, true strength, and a healthy, joyous spirit where students can re-unite with and REJOICE in their true Self.
Dar Vander Hoop
Dar is a seasoned yoga instructor with 37+ years of teaching classes, workshops, and leading teacher trainings in a variety of yoga styles. Her background is in modern dance and Movement Therapy. Dar is a certified Bikram Yoga Teacher with 8000 classes taught and innumerable taken. She has an E-RYT 200, a 200-hour certification in Vinyasa, and a 50-hour Yin credential from Bernie Clark. Dar has logged in over 9,000 teaching hours, spanning the globe. She is returning to Australia for the third time this February to train teachers. Dar says, "I love to teach and be taught. I attend many workshops and retreats yearly and am now exploring more deeply mindfulness and meditation. Currently I’m working on my memoir about a rich, wild life, well-lived. Stay tuned. In the meantime see you on the mat!"
Nora Stieglitz
Nora Stieglitz found yoga in 2012 as a tool for healing and the journey back to self-love after many years of suffering from eating disorders and exercise addiction. It re-introduced her to the true nature and beauty of this body. Yoga helped her listen to her body, learn to trust it, and reconnect in ways she thought were long gone. It provided a new understanding of the peace that living in the present moment can nurture. Asana gave way to living yoga.
Her dynamic vinyasa classes will invite you to let go of expectations, control, and perfectionism; to have compassion toward yourself; to observe your mind, boundaries, and preferences; and to have fun! Soon yoga will become apparent not only through asana, but in how you speak, love, and treat yourself and others.
Nora became a registered yoga teacher (RYT200) at Perennial Yoga & Meditation, Fitchburg, WI in May 2014. In 2017 she completed a 50 hour Advanced Bhakti Training with Rusty Wells. Nora is forever a student and cannot wait to learn with you! If you join Nora for one of her ZOOM classes (live or recorded), stream a playlist on Spotify (user: Nora Groeschel; playlists: Flow @ Perennial 1, 2, 3, 4).
Her dynamic vinyasa classes will invite you to let go of expectations, control, and perfectionism; to have compassion toward yourself; to observe your mind, boundaries, and preferences; and to have fun! Soon yoga will become apparent not only through asana, but in how you speak, love, and treat yourself and others.
Nora became a registered yoga teacher (RYT200) at Perennial Yoga & Meditation, Fitchburg, WI in May 2014. In 2017 she completed a 50 hour Advanced Bhakti Training with Rusty Wells. Nora is forever a student and cannot wait to learn with you! If you join Nora for one of her ZOOM classes (live or recorded), stream a playlist on Spotify (user: Nora Groeschel; playlists: Flow @ Perennial 1, 2, 3, 4).
Scott Lamps
I have yet to find the limits of yoga practice. Many years ago, I was a soccer player who began yoga in order to keep my body healthy and strong while avoiding the injuries that come with competitive sports. Along with a healthy body came mental control, determination and patience. I love yoga for its athleticism – I participate in the USA Yoga Asana Competitions. I also love it for its physical therapy – Ghosh yoga is founded on the principle of creating health in the body, both inside and out. I also love it for its serenity, spirituality and stillness of mind – breath control and meditation are growing parts of my personal practice. I studied with Tony Sanchez, a yogi who has been practicing for 40 years without injury, focusing on sustainability, spinal health and individual modification. My teaching is always focused on using proper body mechanics combined with mental control and stillness. I strive to balance each class with strength, determination, relaxation and stress relief.
Amy Speed
When Amy found yoga 16 years ago, she fell in love. For the first time in her life she experienced a physical practice that invited her to connect with her body exactly as it was in that moment. Years of battling weight and self-image issues meant that this idea was liberating for Amy. Life took her away from her practice for a few years, but she never let go of the ideas yoga had introduced to her. After the birth of her second child 5 years ago, Amy was once more called back to her mat. Now, through a dedicated practice she finds yoga allows her to bring more presence, patience, strength and gratitude into her life. As a teacher, Amy uses her experiences to authentically connect with her students. Expect her classes to balance an invitation for physical challenge through thoughtful sequencing and strong holds with moments of surrender to integrate body, mind and heart. It also should be mentioned that she loves to laugh, and works tirelessly on not taking herself too serious. Amy received her 200-hour training at The Studio in Madison, WI. She is also a certified Stand Up Paddleboard Yoga instructor.
Jennifer Anderson
At the heart, yoga is a spiritual practice that creates a deep connection with Self. This understanding continues to inform my life and my work as a yoga teacher/therapist. I started practicing yoga in 2007, looking for a way to help me cope with chronic back pain. I fell in love with the movement, the teachings, and the way I felt after savasana. Magically (?), my back started feeling better. In 2009, I enrolled in yoga teacher training and almost immediately, I realized that my passion for yoga would far exceed my initial expectation. My personal experience led me to expand my study and in 2018, I completed the Yoga Therapy program at The Soul of Yoga in Encinitas, California. I am a certified yoga therapist, experienced 500-hour yoga teacher, and Level 2 iRest meditation teacher. I have been teaching yoga and meditation since 2009, while also working as a change leadership consultant, advising business leaders through complex organizational change. As a yoga therapist, I specialize in supporting people with spine health, pain care, mental and emotional well-being, and cultivating resilience. My yoga classes are steeped in the Hatha tradition and include a blend of alignment-based asana, somatic movement, pranayama (breath), mantra (chanting), and mindfulness. All of my work is trauma-informed, heart-centered, and accessible. In addition to group classes and private yoga therapy sessions, I offer yoga and meditation workshops, tailored to a specific group or need. I never tire of exploring the vast field of yoga. What started as a practice that might help me minimize back pain has turned into so much more. Yoga has taught me acceptance, presence and love. I look forward to continuing to learn and explore along with you and our beautiful Perennial community.
Kaila Pooler
Kaila Pooler is a fitness and nutrition coach, yoga instructor and personal trainer that has been professionally committed to the wellness industry since 2007. Kaila found the path of yoga during her undergraduate career, earning her original yoga instruction certification through OM Yoga of NYC. Her instruction philosophy and methods are curated from a collection of experiences gathered over many seasons of life: her Bachelor of Fine arts in Acting, years as a performing artist, robust education in the fields of yoga/fitness and nutrition, professional competitive bodybuilding and most recently motherhood alongside her fantastic husband James. Her classes are a combination of thoughtful strength-building sequences, even-paced flow, exploration of the nervous system, and opportunity to move into a feeling of slow time and space.
Tracy Traeder
Tracy started her professional career as a CPA and consultant and after 13 years decided to stay at home with her young kids. She always knew that she was meant to do something different and over time she began to listen to the whisper deep within her heart. She is currently a motivational spiritual teacher, a Happiness Coach, a professional blogger and author of “Braving the Hot Mess”. Tracy is so happy to have found a second career that allows her to fulfill her passion to teach and inspire others to honor their spirit, mind and body. She aspires to co-create ripples that will cause a shift in people's lives and ultimately positively change the world. She believes that this earthly world can at times be challenging, that life can be messy, that sometimes we can feel like it's a hot mess or that we are a hot mess. For Tracy, Braving the Hot Mess means acknowledging the challenges and being brave enough to navigate your way through them with love, gratitude, forgiveness and grace. Her goal is to bring overall well-being of the spirit, mind and body.
Amanda Boerboom
Amanda believes we are all inherently whole, born with all the wisdom we need to live a wholehearted, fulfilling life. However, due to societal conditioning, life experiences, or trauma, we develop limiting beliefs, unconscious behaviors and patterns that block us from embodying our wholeness. As a 200 hr E-RTY, certified sex, love, and relationship coach, somatic embodiment practitioner, Mindful Grieving facilitator, and long time educator, she uses yoga, embodiment practices, somatic parts work, mindfulness, breathwork, and nervous system regulation tools to support her clients and students to live more integrated lives in which they can thrive and come home to themselves. In her trauma-informed approach she creates an inclusive space that invites students to (re)discover deeper experiences of presence, safety, love, acceptance, curiosity, compassion, and belonging. She also guides people to learn to build inner resources in joy, pleasure, and authentic power. With sincerity, reverence, and humor, Amanda infuses creative, dynamic sequences with eclectic music that empowers students to embody their wholeness.
Sarah Peters
Sarah has sought to combine her training and experience as an occupational therapist with the practice of yoga to bring the gift of movement, connection, and healing to others. In 2005, she found her way to yoga seeking personal healing physically and emotionally after a traumatic event. Yoga has been the catalyst to find deep connections spiritually, emotionally, and physically. Her passion for sharing healing wisdom and holding nurturing space for others leaves an open invitation to explore the path of awareness and presence together. Following her compassionate and committed heart, she completed her 200 RYT certification in 2017 at Perennial Yoga with Megan Grace and Keith Borden. Sarah’s classes embody her knowledge of movement patterns and the subtle body. She is honored to hold a safe space to explore and seek together through breath, rhythm, embodiment, and presence. Sarah offers group classes and 1:1 occupational therapy sessions to individuals seeking to feel calm and connected in their body due to the effects of chronic stress or trauma. Sarah offers a unique perspective to integrative healing. With more than 15 years of experience working as an occupational therapist, Sarah has specialized in treating individuals of all ages address underlying connections within their nervous system and movement patterns to assist in healing trauma. She integrates her holistic view and advanced training in sensory processing, reflex integration, and trauma to help individuals understand their body and nervous system. As a healer, Sarah believes she is here as a guide to help you remember the healing wisdom of your body, create a safe space for healing, and support you to reconnect with your true self. She invites you to explore and release what no longer serves you and remember what connects you.
Staci Burkard
Staci Burkard graduated from the University of Illinois-Chicago with a Physical Therapy degree in 1993. Her 23+ years of physical therapy practice have been focused on reducing her patients’ pain and returning them to their previous level of function. She has extensive training in various manual therapy techniques such as myofascial release, soft tissue mobilization, joint mobilization/manipulation, neuromuscular retraining, pelvic floor treatments and trigger point release to name a few. During her career she has also had opportunity to treat injured workers and athletes with focus on ergonomic/sport assessment, return to work/play treatments and conditioning
Her treatment philosophy is based on finding the root cause of a condition then treating that condition with the appropriate manual skills and specified exercises. Her treatments are focused to reduce joint, muscle and fascial restrictions while improving flexibility, strength, range of motion and function to the optimal level of an individual.
She has noted throughout her career the reduction of quality time Physical Therapist are allotted to treat their patients in the standard healthcare systems we find in the U.S. Her search for a location to provide more one-on-one time with a client has led her to the Perennial Yoga Studio. Here she feels she can spend the necessary time with a patient in a supportive environment to benefit a patient’s health and well-being through Physical Therapy.
Her treatment philosophy is based on finding the root cause of a condition then treating that condition with the appropriate manual skills and specified exercises. Her treatments are focused to reduce joint, muscle and fascial restrictions while improving flexibility, strength, range of motion and function to the optimal level of an individual.
She has noted throughout her career the reduction of quality time Physical Therapist are allotted to treat their patients in the standard healthcare systems we find in the U.S. Her search for a location to provide more one-on-one time with a client has led her to the Perennial Yoga Studio. Here she feels she can spend the necessary time with a patient in a supportive environment to benefit a patient’s health and well-being through Physical Therapy.
Crystal Hanson
Crystal Ann Hanson is an Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher(E-RYT500), Certified Ayurveda Yoga Specialist (AYS), Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach (CFNC), Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider (YACEP), Sacred Activist Leader and holds a BS in Psychology. She uses an integrative approach utilizing all of these modalities when conducting private client consultations, workshops and teaching classes. Crystal enrolled in her first 200 Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) in 2009 through the Himalayan Institute. After feeling the many emotional, spiritual and physical benefits that Yoga and Meditation brought to her daily life, she had a strong desire to continue to learn and share with others. Crystal has now completed a second 230YTT, 540YTT, Ayurveda Yoga Specialist Certification and Chair Yoga Certification. She is grateful to have had in-depth study-training opportunities with Indu Arora, Sarah Powers, Lauren Walker, Rod Stryker and many others from the Himalayan Institute and Kripalu for Yoga Nidra, Yin Yoga, Mudra, Energy Medicine Yoga, Yoga Therapy, Yoga Philosophy and Meditation. Her professional and personal studies are ongoing….. always a student of Life. Crystal teaches from her heart as she invites students to pause, connect, look inside and feel what is happening in the present moment, to observe the effects a practice reveals. Her classes are rooted in traditional Hatha & Tantra Yoga sharing from the lineage of Swami Rami (founder of the Himalayan Institute) and teachings of Indu Arora (International Ayurveda and Yoga). Crystal’s classes include Mantra (chanting), Mudras Pranayama (breath & prana practices) and other teachings from the Vedas (ancient books of “wisdom”). Crystal holds sacred that which Indu Arora has taught, “Yoga is a work IN, not a workout”. Crystal is honored to teach and share from all of her training, modalities and life experiences respecting an integrative approach. Crystal believes that we are ALL teachers and we are ALL students.
Shari Henning
Meditation has always helped me keep my life in perspective. My practice continually reinforces my belief that all living beings are connected, and the importance of respecting and appreciating this connection. For as long as I can remember, I have been encouraged to be curious about what existed beyond our perceived reality. When I was a child, my parents regularly practiced Transcendental Meditation (TM), and shared with me the principals behind the practice. When I was older I experimented with other methodologies of meditation and mindfulness and have been practicing regularly since 2001. One methodology, which I continue using today, is floating in an isolation tank and meditating. I noticed how quickly I was able to enter the void, that wonderful place of ultimate stillness, when I included meditative music during my floats. The vibration and sound from the music took my practice to the next level effortlessly. And so began my love of including sound with my meditation practice. I have always been drawn to the idea of teaching others about meditation and its benefits, and eventually this idea became a calling. I became certified in vibrational sound therapy and use Himalayan Singing Bowls to facilitate the joy of meditation.
John Gefke
At the present, I am exploring Yoga as both a student and teacher. I bring a curiosity to my own practice which allows me to strengthen my own surrender to my Divine connection...and it is through this connection that I have found my True serenity in life. Through the years, I have had a long history with alcohol addiction and I have been living in recovery for over nine years. I have also battled nicotine, drug use, negative thoughts, and I am currently working on my relationship with sugar. I am familiar with most of the common recovery programs, and I attempt to integrate these programs with Yoga to take a holistic approach to help people transform their lives from living mired in addiction to living in a beautiful life of recovery. It is a lifestyle change where addiction simply no longer has a place to live!
Sarah Barasch
Sarah Barasch offers the full range of Ayurvedic services: Ayurvedic health consultations, Ayurvedic bodywork treatments, and PanchaKarma options at Perennial Yoga in Fitchburg. Ayurveda, the sister medicine of Yoga, uses food as medicine, lifestyle routines, herbs, 5 sense therapies, bodywork treatments, and gentle cleansing to nourish the tissues, remove fatigue, and increase health and vitality. Sarah provides Ayurvedic wellness plans and bodywork treatments as a Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner and a PanchaKarma Technician (Ayurvedic Bodyworker). To find out more about wellness services Sarah offers, email sarahmbarasch@gmail.com, schedule a free 15 minute phone consultation, or visit www.sarahbarasch.com Sarah completed two years of Ayurvedic studies at the Kanyakumari Ayurveda and Yoga Wellness Center in Milwaukee. Sarah holds a membership with the National Ayurvedic Medical Association (NAMA), and has taught a full time Ayurveda Health Counselor program. Sarah gently keeps herself and her clients on the path of self-care and vibrant health. She is a Reiki Master and has studied: Neurovascular Therapy, GeoTran, EFT, Holographic Tools, Marma training, Medicinal Aromatherapy, and flower essences. Bonus secrets: she's fluent in Mandarin and crazy for British period dramas.
