Director, Karina Ayn Mirsky, MA, E-RYT
Devidas, Karina Ayn Mirsky is the owner of Sangha Yoga and a teaching faculty member of the Himalayan Institute. She has been teaching yoga since 1998 and training teachers since 2003. Karina is a senior certified teacher of Rod Stryker's Para Yoga® and a student of Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD. She also holds a Masters Degree in East/West Psychology. Karina specializes in the custom needs of individuals. Her therapeutic approach addresses the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of students lives. Read more
Schedule a private session. View her national teaching schedule. |
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Kara Aubin, RYT
Kara Aubin has been discovering yoga since 1998, and teaching since 2002. She brings 15 years of movement experience as a modern dancer to her mat along with study through Iyengar, Ashtanga, Kundalini, and Para Yoga. Kara completed the Para Yoga Foundations Teacher Training with Karina Ayn in 2004 and completed her 200 hour RYT training in 2009. Kara find both peace and joy in the yogic overlap of movement (action), and a one pointed mind (intention). Kara specializes in working with beginning yoga students and athletes. In a nurturing and vibrant manner she helps people discover what they CAN DO in yoga pracitce. Kara's classes provide a safe, structured format, with attention to clear verbal and visual instruction. She offers both group classes and private sessions at Sangha Yoga. |
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Jerry Givens, RYT
Jerry Givens is the Sangha Yoga General Manager and part of the senior teaching staff. Jerry graduated from Western Michigan University in 2007 with a Bachelors of Art in Organizational Communication. His journey in yoga began in January 2006 and has since been studying under the tutelage of Devidas, Karina Ayn Mirsky. It wasn't long before Jerry started assisting his teacher by demonstrating asanas in two to three classes a week. He completed the 200 Hour RYT Program at Sangha Yoga in 2009. Jerry teaches the popular "College Night" vinyasa yoga classes, as well as substituting for other teachers at Sangha. Jerry's constant endeavor is to find peace in all aspects of life, while helping others to do the same. |
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Lillie Wolff, RYT
Lillie has been practicing yoga since 2003 and teaching since 2006. She earned her degree in Human Development and Social Relations from Kalamazoo College in 2004. In 2005 Lillie completed her first 200-hour level Tantric Hatha Yoga teacher training at Union/Yoga In Lake Leelanau, MI. In 2009 she spent four months in Mysore, India studying at the Shri K. Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute and with acclaimed teacher, Noah McKenna. In 2010 she completed the Sangha Yoga Teacher Training Program with Karina Mirsky. Lillie has also attended workshops with several seinor American teachers. Her classes integrative, intuitive, deep, and therapeutic. Lillie feels her highest purpose as a yoga teacher is to offer a safe and open environment in which her students can not only increase flexibility, strength, and concentration, but also discover their own equanimity, presence, and inner-strength on and off the mat. Lillie is a registered teacher with the Yoga Alliance. |
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Kristin Fiore, RYT
Kristin completed her 200 hour teacher certification at 7 Centers Yoga Arts in Sedona, AZ.. She began studying yoga at Sangha in 2007 and is currently serving as Sangha;s Front Desk Manager. Kristin's teaching is influenced by teachers including Karina Mirsky, Melissa Spamer and Sraddhasagar (Ruth Hartung). Her interest and training also include studies in Ayurveda. Kristin teaches a blend of hatha and vinyasa flow yoga that is accessible to beginners and also challenging for more advanced practitioners. She is a mother of three and feels that the study of yoga is a foundational training for the body, mind and spirit that helps bring balance and joy into our busy lives at any age. Kristin continues to find peace, truth, and connection through yoga, both as a teacher and a student, and she is passionate about sharing that experience and helping others. |
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Ann M. Beattie, RYT
Ann discovered yoga at the age of 12 while watching Lilias Folan on TV. When Ann moved to Texas in her 20’s, she found her spiritual teacher in Gurubachan Singh Khalsa. She studied Kundalini Yoga for 10 years and taught under his guidance. Upon moving to Kalamazoo in 2000, Ann studied Yoga Fit and began teaching hatha yoga at various gyms and fitness centers. Ann completed her 200 hour RYT training with Karina Ayn Mirsky at Sangha Yoga in 2009. This imbued Ann with new dedication and enthusiasm for her practice and for sharing her knowledge with her students. She continues to study with Karina Ayn and has participated in workshops by Chandra Easton and Gary Kraftsow. Ann believes that with yoga, there is the potential to experience your true self, and she feels honored to be able to help guide her students as they deepen their own self knowledge. |
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Chelsie Downs, Sivananda Certified Teacher, RYT
Chelsie has been practicing yoga since 2001. In 2004, she received her yoga certification from the Sivananda Ashram of Paradise Island, Bahamas. At the same time she was pursuing her parallel passion in nutritional health at The Institute of Integrative Nutrition in New York City, completing her Holistic Health Counseling certification later that year. As a member of the American Association of Drugless Practitioners, Chelsie supports the philosophy that yoga and nutrition are two essential components for healthy living, and integrates these concepts into each of her lessons. Since the birth of her son, Chelsie is especially fond of working with expecting mothers and children. She is dedicated to inspiring and empowering health and happiness in individuals of all ages. |
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Affiliate Teachers |
Melissa Spamer, E-RYT, LMT
Melissa completed her first certification to teach yoga in 1997 in the Sivananda tradition, and has been consistently teaching since that time. In 2005, she completed her 500 hour teaching certification with the International Yoga College, specializing in Yoga and Conflict Transformation. Melissa teaches energetically expressive vinyasa flow classes that are grounded in the subtle awareness of our body-mind patterns. Her approach to yoga is very organic and weaves together a rich tapestry of inspired teachings from such celebrated teachers as Angela Farmer, Victor Van Kooten, Rama Jyoti Vernon, Shiva Rea, Kali Ray and the students of Desikachar at the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram. Melissa has founded The World Yoga Fund to help increase the level of diversity within the global yoga community. She is also the Founder and Director of Lotus in the Flame, School of Yoga and Healing Arts. www.lotusintheflame.com |
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Rhonda Egidio, PhD
Rhonda Egidio completed her Ayurveda Health Practitioner training with Paul Dugliss, MD, Director of New World Ayurveda, an Ayurvedic Physician and renowned author who is shaping modern Ayurveda . Rhonda’s central belief is that all healing comes from the underlying field of Consciousness and our connection with The Divine. We can prepare ourselves with readiness to receive divine healing through the time-tested practices and principles of Ayurveda. Rhonda is also a professor of education at Michigan State University where she specializes in international education, adult learning and educational technology. She looks forward to supporting your self-care and longevity practices with the age-old and modern wisdom of Ayurveda that seeks to correct the causes of health problems, restore balance, and cultivate physical, emotional, and spiritual well being. Rhonda offers Ayurveda classes & consultations at Sangha |
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Johanna Maria Potter, RYT, TYT
Yoga found Johanna in 2000. At first she was simply drawn to the physical benefits of the postures but it wasn’t long before she discovered a deep connection to the Divine. Johanna began teaching yoga in 2007. In the same year she developed a yoga ministry at her Church in Fort Wayne, IN. Johanna is a certified Thai Yoga Therapy practitioner, and a NETA certified Pilates instructor. Johanna has studied yoga and bodywork with William Hufschmidt, Pheobe Diftler and Marinda Stopforth. In 2010 she completed the Sangha Yoga 200 Hour Teacher Training. Today she continues her studies with her teacher, Karina Ayn Mirsky. Johanna also teaches Christian inspired classes. She believes that through yoga, we can cultivate awareness and learn to be deeply loving and compassionate. “And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” (Colossians 3:14) |
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