Just Plain Yoga
Just Plain Yoga
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just plain yoga studio is special for a number of reasons...

  • just plain yoga is a place for education, community and a unity of different styles of yoga.
  • just plain yoga is dedicated to the art of yoga; our senior instructors have been studying and practicing yoga for decades. Most of our instructors are registered with yoga alliance, which requires 200 plus hours of yoga training and yearly continuing education and teaching hours.
  • just plain yoga also hosts nationally and internationally recognized teachers for workshops and teacher training.
  • just plain yoga is a place for people to learn more about yoga and themselves, to have fun meeting new people and to deepen their yoga practice. Yoga can be translated to mean "union" and we provide a space for the yoga community to grow.
  • just plain yoga offers various styles of yoga allowing the student to find the style that suits his or her particular personality and needs. There are many ways to truth and one way is not better than another, only different.
  • just plain yoga offers complimentary water and tea after practice.
  • just plain yoga has mats and props for you to borrow.
  • just plain yoga has a selection of yoga accessories, books, instructional CDs/VHS and DVD, and other yoga related items for sale.

our teachers

 

tinatina m. stroh, BA, ryt

"The mind is it's own place and in itself can make a heaven of hell or a hell of heaven." - John Milton

Tina, Founder and Director of Just Plain Yoga Studio, has been a student of yoga for 21 years and has been teaching yoga since 1997. In her teens she was introduced to yoga and the yogic philosophy by her first yoga teacher, Marylou "Pranana"Bacas, who taught Kripalu yoga and the yogic lifestyle of Kripalu Yoga Ashram.

After completing a BA in International Affairs and Theatre, she received her 200 hour certification as an Interdisciplinary Yoga Instructor at Omega Institute for Holistic Studies with Don Stapleton and Amba Camp-Stapleton of Nosara Institute in 1996. That same year she discovered a love of the ashtanga vinyasa yoga practice. Beryl Bender Birch, author of "Power Yoga" was her first inspiring ashtanga teacher. Since then she has taken classes with David Williams, Shri K. Pattabhi Jois, Sharath, Manju Jois, Christine Hoar, Kathy Mcnames and others. She has received teacher training in the Primary Series from Nancy Gilgoff, David Swenson, and Beryl Bender Birch. She has also done 2nd Series training with Nancy Gilgoff several times and continues to study regularly.

just plain yoga was founded in 2001 with a love of all styles of yoga, the importance of community and an appreciation for Indian culture. Tina hopes to teach people that yoga is a science and an art that can empower them to understand and appreciate themselves and humanity. Due to a chronic travel-bug, she has been to India several times and plans to return again soon! These pilgrimages have enriched her knowledge and appreciation of the culture from which yoga originated.
Tina's trip to India in 2000 included a visit to Dharamsala, the Dalai Lama's home in exile. While there, she assisted in producing a documentary film with Andrea Campbell of Natural Light Films. Visit Andrea's site to see a description of the documentary Andrea and Tina produced and shot together. The working title is "Naked Philosopher". Also, Andrea edited footage of a Tibetan New Year Celebration from their 2000 trip: http://current.tv/watch/10190034.htm .

Thank you to a special peanut salesman who taught that the one true religion is "humanity"! Namaste, Shankar!

RON BLOUCH

Ten years ago Ron was running a successful business in suburban Washington, DC.  After a dramatic, unexplainable incident that shifted his life he spent years attempting to understand what had happened to him.  Western science and medicine were of little help so he began to immerse himself in every available technology to see which ones worked to clear the negative effects he was experiencing but, more importantly, to see which ones lead to increased ability to live life fully.   What does it take for humans to change if they want to?  How can we make that happen rapidly and permanently?
During those years he studied many different modalities with a variety of master teachers. All of this with an intent to filter in the effective parts of the practices while eliminating the extraneous cultural and religious artifacts.  Among other things he has trained in Reiki, La-Ho Chi and Kundalini energetic practices and he is a Reiki Master.  He is certified as both a Neuro Linguistic Programming practitioner and Sedona Method facilitator.  He has delivered many hours of processing to others using the Emotional Freedom Technique and various other clearing and energetic practices.  He has done work in Chi Kung, Taoist, yoga,  meditation, Buddhist, and a plethora of Western change practices.

ANNE FALVO, RYT

Six years ago, amid the happy chaos of raising four children, Anne stumbled onto the path of Ashtanga yoga. While initially attracted by the physical challenges of Ashtanga, she soon noticed other beneficial effects of her yoga practice. Her curiosity led her to pursue the more spiritual aspects of yoga as well. Since then her study of Ashtanga yoga, Tibetan Buddhism, and meditation has brought her a sense of peace and balance. She is learning to extend the feeling of inner calm that she experiences on her mat into other aspects of her life. As her personal practice developed, she felt a desire to share this joy with others. She began teaching ashtanga in 2002.  Through fellow practitioners she  met and studied extensively with Beryl Bender Birch, the author of Power Yoga and founder of The Hard & the Soft Yoga Institute. With their guidance and support she has found a loving compassionate way to teach this very challenging discipline. She is always amazed at the abundance of happiness and health yoga brings into the lives of students. With her children now becoming more independent, she has decided to further integrate her background in healthcare with the study of yoga and meditation. As she looks forward to continuing her training with Beryl and she will continue on this journey of well being and spiritual growth.

 

susansusan charles ms, rhn, ryt
After retiring from a successful marketing career with IBM and Lexmark, Susan discovered yoga.  Always into exercise, she used to think yoga wasn't enough of a workout and she wasn’t flexible enough to be good at it. So with the little time available, she lifted weights and did “cardio”.  When a hip injury sidelined her, forcing her to walk with a limp, a perceptive therapist recommended yoga.
Yoga has since become a vital part of Susan’s life. Her pain and stiffness are much less, and she feels like years have been erased.  She has sought out great teachers and worked with senior Iyengar instructors in California and Florida, as well as many excellent local teachers.  She recently completed a 200 hour intensive teacher training at White Lotus Foundation in Santa Barbara-- one of the foremost yoga teacher training programs in the United States.
Since I know first hand what it feels like to hurt and have tight muscles, it is easy for me to empathize with beginners or people with injuries.  Teaching is a pleasure for me, and my reward is seeing people grow and progress. Discover the marvelous benefits a regular yoga practice can have on your body, mind, and soul.”

DAN DAN COMA, ryt

Dan felt drawn to yoga in high school and taught himself hatha yoga postures, using a book appropriately titled Yoga Self Taught. He found it as challenging as football and basketball, but also restorative. More importantly, it nourished his spirit and he felt he had "come home."

At the age of 18, Dan started Kundalini Yoga classes with Siri Neel Kaur Khalsa and began studying with the Master of Kundalini Yoga, Yogi Bhajan, who challenged him to travel the spiritual path with courage and humility. He learned from Yogi Bhajan the teachings of kundalini yoga, sound and mantra, meditation, White Tantric Yoga, hydrotherapy, yogic diet, and the soul's journey. As students and practitioners of 30 years, Dan and his wife Paulette (who also teaches) have kept Yogi Bhajan's simple advice to them -- "Keep Up!" -- in their hearts through difficult times. They are blessed with two adult children.

In addition to his Kundalini Research Institute certification, Dan is a member of the Yoga Alliance and the International Kundalini Yoga Teachers Association. He has training in Therapeutic Touch, and is continuing with in-depth study and immersion in Kundalini Yoga and learning the healing technique Sat Nam Rasayan, with world renowned healer Gurudev Singh. In addition to ongoing classes open to both beginners and experienced students, Dan also teaches Stress Management Yoga and Yoga for Athletes.

Expect a class with Dan to be challenging, meditative and uplifting, with music and a dose of humor. Kundalini Yoga uses postures and movements (asana) with meditative focus, breath work (pranayama) and chanting (mantra) along with a deep relaxation (yoga nidra). It brings physical health, mental clarity, emotional balance, stress relief and personal transformation. And students are always welcome to stay after class for a cup of Yogi Tea and cozy conversation.

 

Carrie fleming, ryt

Carrie started practicing yoga in 2000 as a way to reduce the stress she was encountering through her career and also as a new parent.  Once she tried it, she didn’t look back.  In 2004/2005 she went through the yoga teacher training program at the Mt. Nittany Institute of Natural Health http://www.mtnittanyinstitute.com/ in State College, PA.  The type of yoga that Carrie teaches is an “eclectic” style of Hatha, with a strong basis in the Kripalu Yoga tradition, while incorporating free movement and meditation-in-motion.  Self-awareness, stress-relief, and relaxation are the emphasis of Carrie’s classes, as well as gaining strength and balance on and off the mat.  Carrie has taken workshops with Ana Forrest, and plans to study with Jason Crandall.

DALE HAILS, MA. E-ryt-500

dale

Dale Hails has been studying Iyengar yoga since 1977.  She is certified by B.K.S. Iyengar, is registered with Yoga Alliance as E-RYT 500 where she serves on the Standards Committee, and is a member of the International Association of Yoga Therapists.  In addition to training with senior Iyengar teachers, Dale has studied with the Iyengars in Pune, India and through attendance at US Iyengar conventions.  Her Master’s degree is in Exercise Science with an emphasis on Motor Learning and Biomechanics and is certified as Group Health Instructor by the American College of Sports Medicine. For more info about Dale check out her website: <http://www.dalehails.com>

LORI KLEIN, RYT lori

Lori started practicing yoga in 1998 to ease a stressful pregnancy. She started taking Ashtanga yoga classes in 2000. Lori immediately connected with this powerful, vigorous yoga style that helped soothe the chaos of being home with two young children. The physical benefits of yoga were quickly evident. She lost her extra “baby” weight, her blood pressure stabilized, and recurrent migraines disappeared. The emotional benefits started with a sense of calm and continue to progress with practice. Lori uses the practice of yoga in all areas of her life. She works to be mindful and compassionate in raising two boys with her husband, Michael.

Lori has been studying the teachings of Ashtanga Yoga with Beryl Bender Birch since 2002. She enjoys teaching the Ashtanga practice and modifying her classes to be accessible to everyone. In addition to teaching classes at Just Plain Yoga, Lori teaches adult education yoga classes for her school district in Dillsburg.

STACY McKEE, BA. RYT

Stacy has been practicing yoga since 2000 and has been teaching for over 2 years. She ia a certified yoga instructor from a Yoga Alliance registered 200 hour program. In addition, she has attended various workshops and classes in a variety of styles resulting in her eclectic yoga background and teaching style. Her intention is to keep growing on the path of yoga and share her knowledge with others for the highest good.

She holds a BA in Communications from Penn State and is a Reiki practitioner.

staci smith, ms

"Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape." Staci started practicing yoga at Alpha with Debbie Alderman several years ago. She then met Tina at Friendship Community Center classes and was inspired to take teacher training with David Swenson in 2002. She has also studied at Himalayan Institute and with Beryl Bender Birch. She enjoys teaching Ashtanga yoga and seeing students gain strength and flexibility and experience Yoga Joy as they achieve postures that they never thought possible. She has her BS Food Science, MS Nutrition and works full-time for Hershey Foods. With her position at Hershey Staci travels quite a bit and enjoys experiencing different types of yoga by visiting studios around the country. This is a great way to get new ideas to bring back to yogis at Just Plain Yoga. When she is not traveling the country, Staci enjoys bicycling, gardening and cooking.

shanishani stevenson ryt

Shani Stevenson has been studying yoga and other healing arts since 1995.  She received her yoga teacher certification in 2000 at The Omega Institute of Holistic Studies with Don and Amba Stapleton.  Currently, she is enrolled in an advanced yoga teacher training program with Shiva Rea.  She has studied with many fabulous members of the international yoga community.   And has been inspired by her experiences with Jonas Westring, Simon Park, Sean Corne, Ram Das, Krishna Das and Dr. Paul Muller-Ortega.  Shani is passionate about energetically expressing yourself through yoga.  She is dedicated to teaching students to fully connect with their own experience as they deepen the awareness of the relationship between their mind and body.  She designs her classes to enhance natural fluidity, brighten the subtle bodies and to promote inherent joy.  Shani's classes are creative, informative, filled with inspiring ~ groovy music and a lot of fun!  Married to an Australian, she enjoys traveling "down-under" and strives to live with "no worries".   She loves her garden, a wide range of music, studying Ayurveda and exploring the mystery of the unknown. Shani is a part-time professor of yoga at PSU, Middletown, a certified massage therapist and reiki practitioner. However, considers her greatest accomplishment her two children.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   
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