Emily Darling
The opening of Darling Yoga is a life long dream for Emily who has been teaching in Kansas City since 1993. She began her studies in the rich tradition of Iyengar Yoga. She has also studied Ashtanga, Vinyasa, and Restorative Yoga. Her desire to continually expand her yoga knowledge led to her most recent certification in the fall of 2005 at The International Sivananda Vedanta Ashram in Woodbourne, New York. She creates a style of her own incorporating a variety of aspects from her vast yoga background. Emily is nurturing and compassionate by nature, thus creating a class atmosphere that is non-competitive yet challenging. Her orchestration of rest and movement create inner peace and strength in the body and mind. She credits inspiration to Max Strom, Doug Swenson, Shiva Rea, Judith Lasater, Kim Schwartz, and Bryan Kest, as well as the many great teachers in the Kansas City area including Lisa Uhl, Patricia Gray, Kathleen Kastner, Suzette Scholtes, and Mick Goodman. She thanks her mom who introduced her to yoga in her early teens.
"Yoga is the gift of finding peace within ourselves. It brings an awareness that allows us to see more clearly and live more fully from our hearts. I feel blessed to be able to teach and share what I feel so passionate about. Bringing people into stillness, allowing them to find the present moment is a beautiful art as it softens everyone."
Victor Roberts
Victor found yoga after years of football and the Marine Corps took a toll on his body. His first class, however, opened his mind to a much bigger view of what yoga could offer beyond the physical body, and before long it was evident that teaching was Victor's true calling. His personal experience with yoga as therapy allows him to relate to the differing needs of each student and he approaches each class with this inspiration. He has completed teacher traning programs with Max Strom as well as Marcia Wenig of Yoga Kids International, and he continues to be an avid student attending worshops with many nationally renowned teachers. Also a certified herbalist and Thai Yoga Massage Therapist, Victor truly believes in the practice of healing through the breath. His class encorporates this art along with great emphasis on proper alignment to enable both healing and development.
"I know of no other form of exercise that combines mental and physical awareness the way yoga does in order to open the many windows of opportunity within your own mind.Meditating through yoga is your access to the infinite."
Ashley Walburn
Ashley has practiced yoga since 2001 and received her 200-hour RYT (yoga alliance registered yoga teacher) through the Seattle Holistic Center. She is certified in Pre-natal and Post-natal yoga. Ashley has also completed the Contemporary Teacher Training with Julian Walker and Hala Khouri weaving traditional talk therapy with yoga into an integrated healing yoga therapy. Ashley earned a Master's Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy in 2001 and also works as a doula helping women birth naturally using yoga poses and breath. Ashley teaches a prenatal partner workshop bi-monthly at Darling Yoga. Ashley has been most influenced locally by Emily Darling and believes that creating a nurturing class is essential for healing to occur. You can learn more about what Ashley is doing on her website at:
"As a mother of four sons, yoga has helped guide me to a more peaceful, loving way of birthing and parenting my children. Teaching mothers yoga gives me an opportunity to share that part of me with them."
Lindsay Stephenson
Lindsay has been teaching yoga for ten years. She teaches high school English during the day and yoga as her passion. As former owner of Jiva Studio, she has a history in the fitness and health club industry and a strong following with the athletic community of Kansas City. Lindsay has completed a 30-hour Ashtanga Yoga training course and workshops with YogaFit, Tim Miller, Mark Blanchard, Ana Forrest and Bryan Kest. She has also trained extensively with Kathleen Kastner and Wade Mortenson of Maya Yoga in Kansas City. She continues to be dedicated to her self practice.
"Take your practice into your own hands and see where it takes you!"
Lisa Uhl
Lisa began her practice of yoga over a decade ago and became an instant favorite when she started teaching in the Kansas City area. Lisa is certified through the worldwide Bikram Yoga College of India and has also completed an Ashtanga teacher training program with David Swenson. She has also attended a workshop with internationally known yogi Pattabhi Jois. Lisa's love for yoga extends across many styles rooting with her beginning studies with Iyengar Yoga evolving into the flowing styles of Vinyasa and Ashtanga Yoga. Lisa offers a balanced and inspiring flow that follows the rhythm of the breath, blending fluid movement with careful attention to alignment. In a playful style, Lisa infuses joy and love into her classes encouraging flexibility in both body and mind.
"Yoga has changed me in so many ways. My life is more fulfilling, and I have a clear understanding of my purpose. Most of all I've learned to trust the process of life."
Michelle Warner
Michelle has completed a Restorative training with world renowned yoga teacher Judith Lasater. She is also a licensed massage therapist and is certified in prenatal massage. In 1996, Michelle acquired a degree in psychology from Nebraska Wesleyan University. With her background in health and wellness, which includes multiple certifications, Michelle easily conveys the importance of a yoga and massage to create a balanced life.
Michelle gains satisfaction assisting those with chronic pain, illness and expectant mothers.
"Yoga allows one to relax, renew and replenish. I feel so blessed to have been introduced to yoga and feel it's my calling to teach others the therapeutic benefits. In this busy world we all need to take care of ourselves. Yoga is one of the best avenues to do this. Come experience just letting go completely."
Sarah Darling
Sarah is co-owner and founder of Darling Yoga. She began practicing yoga at the age of 13 with teachers including Emily Darling, Colleen Boveri, Christy Burnette, Patricia Gray, and Kathleen Kastner in Kansas City. Sarah has completed a teacher training course with Max Strom and has attended several workshops with master teachers including Max Strom, Jamie Elmer, Christy Burnette, Kim Schwartz, Les Leventhal, Ana Forrest, Bryan Kest, and others. Sarah's teaching style reflects these influences and is guided by her personal practice and experience.
Sumya Anani
Sumya has studied yoga for 13 years, many traditions; Ashtanga, Iyengar, Anusara. In her exploration of the styles, she's found unity in them all. She is grateful for any meditation practice because it gives an opportunity to live authentically. She is certified through Yoga Alliance (RYT500 hours). She leads annual "Spiritual Warrior" retreats to Jamaica, Guatemala and Colorado. Sumya is a former 4X World Champion in professional boxing. She is a massage therapist and Asst. Professor of Physical Education at Johnson County Community College. She teaches athletes at the college yoga and weight training for sports performance. She is a personal trainer and loves helping people reach their fitness goals. Sumya created and now hosts a weekly health show "Beat the Health Out of You" on Talk Radio 710am (Sundays, 1-2pm.) It covers 7 habits of health for body, mind and spirit, with each habit relating to a chakra. www.sumya.com
"Yoga is a wonderful practice to explore and fulfill our potential. I'm grateful for the daily lessons of being a better person, partner, and parent that yoga brings to my life."
Kory Jacobs
Kory Jacobs has been practicing yoga for six years and teaching for three. A serious injury led her to study fitness and movement of the human body in college, and to delve into yoga as a way to rehabilitate her body. Her classes are taught with the intention to influence personal growth while bringing the body back into balance through understanding ones body awareness.
I love teaching yoga because it has been very healing in my life and I have a passion about sharing it with others."
Susan Richards
After a slow recovery from two spinal surgeries and a decade of headaches, Susan began practicing Iyengar Yoga in 1997 with the hope of managing those challenges. Since that awakening moment during her first class, she not only found ways to manage her health daily but uncovered an inner strength long forgotten. Restorative Yoga, Pranayama, and Meditation have become her solace and passion. With patience, an open heart, and a willing mind, she embraces the gifts of healing and balance that Yoga brings to each moment; and is grateful for the opportunity to encourage others to turn from suffering through the practice.
Susan began teaching yoga in 2005, received Yoga Alliance RYT 500 Level II certification in 2006, Relax & Renew Restorative Yoga Trainer certification in 2010, and is a member of the International Association of Yoga Therapists. She is grateful for the insight and illumination her teachers Dona Hollamen, Judith Lasater, Aadil Palkhivala, Paula Tortolano Self, Elise Browning Miller, Max Strom, Suzette Scholtes, Emily Darling, and her husband, Brian Richards continue to have on her Yoga practice and teaching.
"My purpose as a Yoga teacher is to encourage others to find balance in their lives, awaken their inner light, and find the courage to let it shine."
Nancy Fabiano
Nancy has long believed in the interconnectedness of body mind and spirit. She was a certified fitness instructor for several years before discovering yoga in 2000. She credits her mother for introducing her to yoga. Nancy has been teaching Yoga in the Kansas City area since 2001. Her teaching style is clearly influenced by her training with great Iyengar teachers Aadil Palkhivala, Pauta Tortolano, John Shumacher and Francois Raoult.
Nancy is registering with Yoga Alliance for her RYT certification. She acknowledges Kansas City area yoga teachers Suzette Scholtes and Emily Darling for inspiring her on the path.
"For me, yoga is about reconnecting to our divine nature. It's about bringing light and awareness into our daily living. As our practice brings us into a place of peace and harmony, this has a ripple effect in the world. My hope is to create a sacred space where mindfulness, open-heartedness, and possibility can be experienced."
Tung Bui
Tung was introduced to yoga in 2001 and has since been practicing and studying various styles of yoga, including Ashtanga, Bikram, and Anusara Yoga. In addition to teaching, Tung is also a certified Thai Yoga Therapy Practitioner under one of his favorite teachers Saul David Raye. Seewww.artofthaiyoga.com. Tung is an attentive teacher, teaching from the heart while combining his experience and love of all types of yoga to offer a class that is fun-filled, challenging, healing and beneficial to students of all levels. Come immerse yourself in the present moment as you breathe Prana in Tung's uplifting Hatha Flow class, that blends dynamic flowing sequences to create inner heat along with held postures as you find balance, strength and freedom on and off the mat.
Joy Sutter
Joy has been practicing yoga for five years and gained her Yoga for Kids teaching certification from Caren Lisondra in 2010. Sbe also holds a degree in early childhood teaching degree from Southern Nazarene University (2008) and she has taught preschool in many different settings.
"Yoga for me has help build my self confidence and provided me with an outlet to teach once again. I love teaching kids yoga! Kids yoga is a great way for kids to discover who they are, have fun exploring what their body can do and calming their body and mind."
Sami Aaron
Each morning as Sami begins her Pranayama practice, the very first mindful breath draws her thoughts inside. Her shoulders relax, her jaw releases, and her heart opens. As she comes back to awareness at the end of her meditation, she re-enters the everyday world of brushing her teeth and feeding the dogs with a sense of peace and connectedness that is always present after that final Om.
Her Pranayama inspiration originated with her first teacher, Patricia Gray. She currently is a Pranayama student of Sri O. P. Tiwari of the Kaivalyadhama Yoga Institute in Lonavla, India. She is a RYT-200 through the Yoga School of Therapeutics, with an emphasis on Pranayama & Meditation.
Sami is the author of "The Gift of Compassion"" published in Chicken Soup for the Soul, Grieving and Recovery.For more information about Sami & her classes, visit http://www.beingontosomething.org
Kristi Kliebert
"I truly believe that Yoga is the fountain of youth. Self study through a physical practice focused on breath awareness keeps the mind calm and the body vibrant. A clear mind, expansive heart and adaptable body off of the mat is where the ultimate benefits of yoga begin. The beauty in yoga is the unpredictable, rewarding journey."
Kristi sought out the healing properties of yoga to help combat stress experienced during the completion of her Master's degree in Physical Therapy. She credits that first class as having completely changed the direction of her life. It is her mission to promote mental, emotional and physical wellness through yoga in a safe, playful and supportive environment, both in the clinic and on the mat.
Kristi completed her 200-hour RYT with Christy Burnette in 2011. She holds deep gratitude for the amazing teachers along the way and has recently completed training seminars with Amy Ippoliti and Judith Hanson Lasater.
Kristi is inspired by traveling with her husband, running outdoors and listening to music from all over the world.
Carol Riley
Carol has been a student of yoga for many years-trading in her ballet and jazz shoes for a mat and a good excuse for regular pedicures! She was initially trained in Ashtanga, which compliments her love and appreciation for structure, alignment, and dance like flow. Her teaching style is primarily vinyasa flow, with hatha style holding opportunities to promote safe alignment. She brings a child like playfulness to her classes-encouraging her students to step out of their comfort zone. Her favorite position is being upside down!
Off the mat, Carol practices pediatric occupational therapy. Her "therapy toolbox" includes facilitating yoga postures for her clients, many of whom are significantly movement restricted. She also has training in energy work; a conduit of healing light and energy from Source.
Most important, though, Carol practices parenting her three children. Her training in yogic breath work has proved to be most helpful in dealing with the day to day growth opportunities inherent in raising children!
Her many years as a therapist combined with her natural teaching ability brings an added bonus to the her yoga classes.
Andree DeBauge
Andree has been practicing yoga since 1998. Throughout the past 14 years, she has participated in many workshops with master teachers like David Williams, Max Strom and Bhvani Maki. In the Summer of 2011, Andree got certified in prenatal and postnatal yoga through Debra Geymayr of Prenatal Plus Yoga in Miami, FL. She will also finish the final 50 hours, of her 200-hour RYT (yoga alliance registered teacher) with Bhavani Maki of Yoga Hanalei, in 2012. She is locally influenced by amazing teachers like Patricia Gray and Emily Darling.
Andree believes that mental "dis-ease" is a result of not being able to stay in the present. Depressive thoughts arise from regret of the past. Anxious thoughts are born of worry about the future. She feels that yoga practice is really the practice of learning to stay in the present moment -- the only place we can truly find peace. She is excited to share her knowledge, training and wisdom from experience with pregnant women and new mommies. As the mother of 3 boys, she uses the tools yoga provides to find calm in the chaos of everyday life.
"Prenatal yoga is about so much more than modifying a normal yoga practice for a growing belly. It is all about supporting women to have a connected pregnancy and a fulfilling birth experience. Postnatal and mommy/baby are about so much more than providing a class that accommodates babies. These yoga classes are about celebrating the changes inherent in motherhood and strengthening the bond between mother and child."
