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INSTRUCTORS
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Carly Carney opened the Beverly Yoga Center in February, 2006 to give people a place where they could nurture themselves by cultivating greater awareness in mind, body and spirit. Her sincere hope is to create a place where individuals, inspired and motivated by yoga and mindfulness, can come together with a common thread, affecting not only their own lives but those of others. Because of the impact that yoga and meditation have had on Carly’s life, she hopes to share the joys and discoveries of these ancient practices with others. In addition to her yoga practice and teaching, Buddhism and meditation have greatly influenced her sense of self, marriage and motherhood. Carly believes that through the practice of yoga and meditation we develop kindness, acceptance, compassion and peace that extends beyond ourselves and out to our family, friends, community and world.
Carly's formal yoga training was completed in 2003 under the guidance of Suddha Weixler of the Chicago Yoga Center. She earned certification to teach Hatha Yoga and has also studied extensively in Vinyasa, Yin Yoga and Meditation with Sarah Powers. In addition to being the director of the BYC, she is also a freelance writer for Yoga Chicago Magazine. To see her articles click here
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Michele Blouin began practicing yoga from an old book that she took off her parent’s shelf. Although she did not know the magic of the practice at the time, she continued with the practice. A friend of hers introduced her to several wonderful teachers and many different styles of yoga practice. The yoga community inspired her to wake up to her goals and discover her inner passions. At one point she found and fell in love with Forrest Yoga. Michele has studied with Master Yogini Ana Forrest, the creator of Forrest Yoga-a unique style that not only helps build strength, endurance and flexibility, but also emphasizes on emotional healing. She completed the Forrest Yoga teacher certification in 2004 and is now teaching throughout the Chicago land area.
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Esther Robson began practicing yoga in 2001. She quickly met the woman who was to transform her life and began practicing with Gretchen Borgum who has taught yoga or over ten years. Shortly thereafter she was inspired and encouraged to enroll in a 200 hour yoga teacher training program and became certified in May, 2005 in Hatha style yoga. She regularly practices Ashtanga Yoga at Moksha Yoga Center and continues her journey with Gretchen. She began teaching in January, 2005 and knew immediately that she had discovered her passion. She enjoys giving away the gift which has been so freely been given to her.
Esther has been in the hospitality industry for over ten years and lives in the area with her husband of 12 years and her two Miniature Pinschers.
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Heather Kurut began practicing yoga in 1997 as a way to deal with the rigors of graduate school. She received her Hatha Yoga Teaching certificates (200-hour and 500-hour) from the Temple of Kriya Yoga, where she studied with teachers William Hunt, Kim Schwartz and Jane Wolfe. She completed Yin yoga teacher training in April of 2007 with Sarah Powers, and has written articles for Yoga Chicago. Heather teaches a movement-based Drama curriculum at Morgan Park Academy’s Middle and Upper schools. She and her husband Ray live in the Beverly area with their two cats, Masha and Addison.
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Suzan Bertucci teachings are illuminated by the great works of B.K.S. Iyengar, but she has been most profoundly influenced and inspired by the wonderful teachers and students she has practiced with over the past three decades. Suzan has taught hatha yoga since 1999. Her teaching certifications are from the Temple of Kriya Yoga and she is a Registered Yoga Teacher with the National Yoga Alliance.
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Eileen Olson has been practicing yoga for 12 years. From the moment she stepped on her Yoga mat, Eileen said she felt at home. She studies with Suddha Weixler of Chicago Yoga Center (where she received her Yoga Certification) and continues to study with Donna Wilkinson of Beverly, whom she credits with creating her love for Yoga. She continues to study with various Yoga instructors across the U.S.
Eileen practices and teaches various yoga styles. Hatha, Restorative and Gentle are her primary focus. She calls her yoga – Snowflke Yoga – every day on the Yoga mat is unique, as we are unique on each day. Eileen’s intention is to encourage a focus on breathing and being mindful in each pose, with adjusting the pose for each person’s strength and flexibility. With a belief that everyone can benefit from Yoga, she desires to create a class where everyone leaves with a peaceful heart.
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Annie Malone was introduced to yoga at a young age by her mother. Over the years her practice has taken many forms. In the early 1980’s, she found the Ashtanga Yoga Center in California and the teaching of Tim Miller. Upon her return to Chicago, Annie discovered Moksha Yoga Center and began practicing with Daren Friesen. In addition, she has taken advanced workshops with master teachers from around the world. Anna Forrest, Andrey Lappa, Gary Kraftsow, Shiva Rea, and Rod Stryker are just a few of the teachers that have influenced her eclectic style. At the core of her teaching is Annie’s belief that yoga practices must be continually adapted to the individual’s changing needs to achieve the maximum therapeutic value.
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Daniela DiBennardi embraced yoga as a part of her life in the spring of 2002. She turned to yoga as a means of healing her body, not realizing where the practice would lead her. As her physical journey to healing began, she started to experience the emotional and spiritual benefits that accompany the practice of yoga. In her experience, Daniela has had the privilege of practicing with many wonderful teachers, from workshops with Rodney Yee and Paul Grilley to Seane Corn, just to name a few. In addition, she has had the great fortune of learning under the guidance of Chicago Yoga Center’s Suddha Weixler. She has recently completed the Level 1 training course in Hatha yoga. But the two teachers who have had the greatest influence on her are Suzan Bertucci and Carly Carney, as she credits them for nurturing her talents as a student, as well as, encouraging her to pursue the practice as a teacher. Daniela’s goals as a teacher are to be able to give her students the gift of serenity that yoga has provided for her and the ability to find it within themselves, hoping to create balance between body, mind, and soul.
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Maureen Collins is a Certified YogaKids Teacher and Trainer who is delighted to share her passion for yoga with pre-school children through teens in a variety of creative classes and specialized workshops. A Certified Elementary School Teacher as well, she began her career as a sixth grade teacher for ten years and has served in many teaching roles in her community since that time bringing over 18 years of experience to her classes. Maureen believes that through the yoga poses and breathing techniques kids of all ages gain a deeper understanding of the body-mind connection promoting lifelong healthy habits, a strong self-esteem and a sense of peace.
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Alice Markel was introduced to yoga as a teenager when she tagged along with her mother to yoga class. As life brought many changes, challenges, and opportunities her yoga practice (in one form or the other) was a constant. It wasn’t until she faced months of rehabilitation after a serious illness, that she began to realize the importance of yoga in her life. Alice came to teaching as a way to help others find the peace that yoga has given her. She is certified at the 200 hour level through The Temple of Kriya Yoga and continues to attend workshops and advance training classes. In class, her focus is on proper body alignment and helping students discover the body/mind connection through the breath. Most importantly she encourages students to take poses to their own level by listening to the body and treating the body with compassion.
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Keith Larmon began practicing yoga to supplement his exercise program, at Evergreen Park Recreation Program, with Mary Ann Zellmann in 2002. He quickly learned that yoga would become all he would need to keep his body in shape, and began the process of self discovery and mediation. As his interest in yoga increased he was thrilled to learn of the opening of Beverly Yoga Center, and began practicing there under the direction of Carly Carney and Annie Malone. With encouragement of the instructors at BYC, Keith began yoga teacher training at Chicago Yoga Center under the supervision of Suddha Weixler in the spring of 2009. Keith resides in Evergreen Park with his wife and four children.
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John Loft is a graduate of the Chicago School of Thai Massage, a Registered Therapist (RIT) and a member of the Thai Healing Alliance International (THAI). He has studied eastern philosophies and practiced yoga since 1995. He has practiced with a variety of teachers at Moksha, Yoga View, Beverly Yoga Center, and Tejas Yoga. He has taken advanced workshops with Lino Meile, Anna Forrest, Gary Kraftsow, Andre Lappa, Rod Stryker, and Gabriel Halpern. He believes that good health consisits of spiritual fulfillment, mental serenity, and the absence of physical discomfort and that the theory and practice of yoga support all three.
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Ellen McDermott started "dabbling" with yoga in 2004 while living in Los Angeles. Being a former gymnast with lots of old injuries, she knew deep down that she had found what her body and soul were craving. Now, she looks forward to fusing her gymnastics experience into her new passion for yoga, and reaching out to all others who are interested in experiencing the innumerable benefits yoga has to offer. Ellen received her teacher training certificate in 2009 from Yogaview. |
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Peggy Bergin. During a flare-up of her Crohn's Disease in 1998, Peggy Bergin found that yoga helped to relax her body and mind, and she has been a student of the practice ever since. Peggy completed her Registered Yoga Teacher certification (200-hour) at Global Yoga and Wellness center and specializes in Prenatal, Hatha, and Vinyasa yoga. Utilizing her background in theater and her graduate degree in education, Peggy's teaching goals include sharing the benefits of yoga with a wider audience - especially those living with physical limitations, as well as introducing the practice to the next generation of yogis - children. Peggy is the mother of two young girls who remind her to keep a calm mind and joyful spirit.
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