Background and Credentials

karen heller
Karen Heller's love of yoga stems from the integration of mind, body, and spirit. After many years of running, cycling, and aerobics, she found harmony and peace of mind in yoga. She completed her teacher training with Clayton Horton of Greenpath Yoga. She is a student of the Ashtanga tradition and continues her studies with local teachers and in workshops. Her classes encourage modifications so the practitioner controls intensity. Music is used to enhance the practice and inspire lightheartedness.

kelli barnett
9/11 was the impetus of my journey in yoga. In this tumultuous time yoga grounded me. I have since studied at the Shoshone Ashram, with Rusty Wells, Clayton Horton and Shiva Rea. Yoga has become a center for my life. My hope for my teaching is to enable us to become sources of consciousness. Movement and breath flowing together will take us all to a more light-filled now.

kim love
To me, children are the very essence of life: exuding energy, enthusiasm, innocence, and unlimited joy. I have been working with children in some form since I was 15 years old. My journey has consisted of teaching in preschools, day care centers, directing summer camps and working with "at-risk" youth at group homes. After graduating from Queens University in Charlotte, NC and doing a year of graduate work at Wake Forest University, I headed west to become a Recreation Director for the city of San Francisco. I was a Senior Director for 8 years while I continued to take classes in Early Childhood Education. In 1998, I started taking yoga classes at the Iyengar Yoga Institute of San Francisco while I was pregnant, to relieve the symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. I studied there with Nora Burnett and Kathy Alef. I have since taken classes at The Yoga Company in San Ramon and have a daily home practice. I had no idea of the incredible impact that yoga would have on my entire life: mind, body, and spirit. And now, I am doubly blessed by being able to integrate my two greatest passions: teaching children about the joy of yoga.

laurie gallagher
Laurie believes that practicing from Spirit will lead you to your own true nature of pure happiness and bliss! Laurie considers her struggle with chronic depression to be one of the greatest gifts of her life. It eventually led her to yoga and when she embraced the practice she found great relief and joy. She has found truth in the words of Thich Nat Hanh who said, "your own life is the instrument with which we experiment with the truth." Laurie completed her formal training with Clayton Horton. She pulls knowledge from her many years as a fitness instructor/personal trainer and her classes are dynamic, challenging, light-hearted and sweaty! During class, she places emphasis on expanding physical and spiritual limits. Rusty Wells, Laura Camp, Steve Ross and many of the teachers at the Yoga Company have profoundly influenced her personal practice and teaching styles. She is intensely grateful for the powerful grace that yoga has brought into her life.

lynn hannon
Lynn Hannon comes to Be Well with unique expertise in the arts of Swedish, Vibrational and Deep Tissue Massage. Vibrational Massage is a method of healing that allows the body to align naturally. Lynn uses these techniques to release stress and pain, specifically around the joints, ligaments and tendons, by gently stretching the muscles. Combining different healing modalities, Lynn provides a deep, thorough and relaxing massage. She is highly intuitive and loves her job!

michelle hood
Michelle Hood has been practicing yoga since 1998. After taking her first yoga class, she knew there was something much more than the physical benefits of yoga. In order to deepen her understanding of the philosophy and acquire a teaching certification, in 2003, Michelle started the teacher training program at The Yoga Life Institute located in Philadelphia. She completed her certification in Classical Hatha Yoga in 2004. She has been teaching Classical Hatha Yoga with an emphasis on the philosophy since then. Michelle is happy to be sharing yoga and helping others discover the true gift that yoga brings to lives.

michelle sanchez
Michelle Sanchez has been teaching yoga since 2004. In her teaching, she focuses on alignment and integrity of asana in harmony with the breath. Michelle's emphasis in teaching is on helping each student to come to a deeper understanding of their individual constitution and the use of yoga positions, breathing practice and meditation to stimulate and support the body's natural healing mechanisms. Currently, Michelle is integrating the knowledge and experience gained through a comprehensive 200 hour yoga teacher program at Greenpath Yoga in San Francisco as well as her studies with Judith Lasater, Tias Little, Tim Thompson, Sean Corn and Ramanand Patel.

In her practice as a certified Life Coach, Michelle continuously draws from the personal growth she's gained through her own yoga practice. She considers herself a life long student of yoga and meets her students with a sense of curiosity and a heart of compassion for the individual student's life path.

mike madden
Mike Madden is not a certified yoga instructor. He has not studied under anybody famous, nor has he been to the top of the mountain. Nirvana to him is a rock & roll band, and Mysore, India is not on his “places I must visit before I die” list. He played football and ran track in college, and has a very broad training background. He has lifted every weight, strapped himself into every machine, swam in a few pools, jumped from boxes, and has run long, short and interval distances. Now, in his early forties, he doesn’t need to add muscle, has no desire to run a marathon, and doesn’t think anybody at a cocktail party would be all that impressed if he could still run a 4.9 forty. He wants to stay in shape, and most importantly feel better.

He was introduced to yoga through his wife, and believes that “there really is something to it.” His goal is to strip away the mystery, and work through some of the baggage that the word “yoga” brings to American ears. He introduces yoga to his classes with a fun, easy-going manner, where nothing is taken too seriously.

mollie schrodi
Mollie greatly enjoys teaching yoga to all: adults, families and children. As a Registered Yoga Teacher with Yoga Alliance®, she is able to provide a rewarding yoga experience to all students. Following years of experience as a fitness instructor, Mollie went on to graduate from the Advanced Studies Program at Downtown Yoga, where she studied advanced hatha and vinyasa yoga techniques under instructor Kate Coughlin. In her classes, Mollie fuses endurance techniques to build physical strength, relaxation, flexibility and a calm, focused mind - all key ingredients to a dynamic and enjoyable yoga experience. Mollie strives to make the practice of yoga vigorous and fun, and believes everyone should view the world upside-down whenever possible.