KAREN MUSCARELLA
Starting my personal experience to a Yoga Practice in 2001, I watched many videos and was inspired by the show Yoga Zone. I decided to find a live local class to begin what has been an amazing journey. The Himalayan Institute of Buffalo was my first true traditional yoga experience. Rolf Solvic was the director at the time. One class with this soft spoken gentlemen and a spark ignited. I was invited to join their teacher training program in 2002. It was a year long study program. I Completed my 200 hours certification in 2003, and have continued to further my knowledge of Yoga ever since. As I feel, the best teacher is always a student. Attending The Yoga Conferences in Toronto gave me the opportunity learn of many other styles of yoga. Taking classes from Lilas Folan, Rodney Yee, Colleen Saidman, Jason Crandell, Seane Corn and many more. I became an Instructor to share with others what I have learned and experienced. In 2018 I completed a Restorative Teacher Training with Judith Hanson Lasater. I look forward to bringing this amazing practice to my students.
BELINDA CLIFFORD
My yoga journey began about 5 years ago using P90X yoga DVDs in my living room. I can honestly say that I wasn’t a fan! While I felt my body becoming stronger and more flexible, I honestly didn’t understand the appeal. I was completely missing the emotional/mental/spiritual aspect of the practice. To me it was simply a “workout”. Fast forward to January 2017 and the opening of East End Yoga. I was turning 50 in a few months and was searching for something, although I couldn’t have put a name to it. I guess you could say that yoga was my midlife crisis. My sister encouraged me to try yoga in an actual class setting. I spent a lot of that first class struggling through the poses and just breathing and I was okay with that. Something about being in that room with others who were all there to support and encourage each other was so empowering. The message of acceptance and love had me hooked. Finally, I saw the appeal of yoga.
In the summer of 2018 I took my yoga practice to the next level by taking a 200 Herizen YTT in British Columbia. Now my goal is to share my love of yoga with the Lockport community!
GAIL MARINACCIO
Like many people, I came to yoga for the physical benefits. I needed something to round out my fitness routine and focus on my flexibility. Taking classes with Karen I did find what I was looking for and a whole lot more. The mindfulness and peace that yoga provided were something I did not even realize I needed at the time. Yoga has helped me through ups and downs both physically and mentally over the years.
In the fall of 2017, I found myself searching for balance personally and professionally. I decided to turn to yoga again and began my 200 hour teacher training with East Meets West yoga in 2018. Their approach to training really connected with my background and interest in anatomy and movement science and gave me knew insight into how the body moves and how to facilitate this movement through yoga. The training also helped me to understand and ultimately deepen my yoga practice with meditation, mindfulness and following the yamas and niyamas.
Yoga helps me find peace and stillness in a very busy world. It allows me to slow down and focus on me. I continue both my physical and spiritual practice of yoga by practicing with my mentors and teachers-Karen Muscarella, Carrie Jacobson, Elyssa Bourke and Leslie Rothschild. I am open to new ideas, challenging myself, opening myself to new opportunities while looking deeper into who I am, finding a stronger sense of self through mindfulness and meditation.
As a teacher, I guide students to discover the body, mind and spirit through yoga practice. I appreciate the individuality of each student’s ability and their motivation for practice and encourage students to embrace those differences, to listen to their own bodies and make the practice their own. I strive to make yoga accessible to all levels and abilities so that each person may enjoy all that yoga has to offer.