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Shakti Teachers
Linda Lalita Winnick has developed Shakti Yoga, a style based on her extensive teaching experience several thousand classes a year for many years) and over 20 years of practicing yoga. After studying with multiple lineages, teachers and styles of yoga, Linda has extracted what she has found to be a succinct method of teaching that can be adapted to all levels of ability. As she is not bound to lineage, but embraces all, she works with creative asana sequencing, shat karmas (cleaning techniques) and pranayama (breath work) that is imbued with the wisdom of Hatha Yoga , Classical Yoga, and Ayurveda (Indian Medicine). It is a modern interpretation of Yoga that appeals to students who want a dynamic, creative approach to navigating the body, mind, and spirit. Each class has a specific sequencing principle that is unique to the group dynamic, time of day and season. Classes are spontaneous and have never been duplicated. Her teacher of yoga and body work for the past 5 years is Glenn Black, internationally recognized as a Master Yogi and Body Worker. Linda currently serves as his Body Master Apprentice. Linda has been training teachers (200 Hour and Advanced 500 Hour) for over 4 years to fill the growing demand. She is committed to the disciple of yoga , focusing on form , alignment and the cultivation of Shakti (Inner Power). Linda has been a popular workshop instructor with the Omega Institute since 2002 She has also taught at Menla, Ananda Ashram and a variety of local studios. She has trained the therapists at the Emerson Spa on Ayurvedic treatments where she also practices Ayurveda. She is a certified yoga teacher and has a Master of Arts in Ayurvedic Medicine and Yoga Philosophy. Linda Lalita Winnick, created Shakti Yoga of Woodstock in 2002 , starting with one class a week in her living room in Upstate , New York. After 2 years, she built a yoga studio based on the need for a larger space, creating an environment suited for practicing yoga. The studio is surrounded by windows absorbing the beauty of the country landscape. Radiant heat floors maintain the comfort of the room during the colder months. Shakti Yoga continues to offer the most daily classes for all levels of ability. Shakti Yoga of Saugerties opened in 2006 to make yoga convenient for those who live in this area. In June 2007, Shakti Yoga of Kingston was opened in the Shirt Factory in order to serve the residents of this community. Our latest studio to open is Shakti Yoga of Boiceville—making 4 studios in 4 years! In Fall 2007 , Linda launched the Shakti Yoga and Ayurveda Enrichment Institute. By creating this Institute, Linda hopes that students who have a desire for learning more about the practice of yoga and ayurveda will have their needs met through the series of workshops and seminars offered. For testimonials about Linda's teaching and Shakti Yoga, click here.
Amy Van Blarcum discovered the magic that happens on a yoga mat after a number of serious knee injuries. Growing up as a competitive athlete- ski racer, gymnast and tennis player, Amy had never anticipated that yoga would eliminate pain, heal her injuries or lighten the competitive edge she developed over her athletic career. After sparking her yoga passion, Amy moved on to study with master teacher Ana Forrest. Amy completed the Forrest Yoga Foundation Teacher Training, Continuing Teacher Training, and continues to study with Ana across the States. Amy has begun the journey of sharing her deep love for yoga with the community. In Forrest style yoga class you will find a major emphasis on breath, focus and intention. Amy ‘s style of teaching is enthusiastic, supportive and specific as she guides you throughout the mysterious places of your unique body and mind. All are welcome!
Corinne Gervai received her certification from The
Jivamukti Yoga Center in 2000 after completing the full year intensive
training program. She taught at Jivamukti Yoga Center in New York
City from 2000-2005. Prior to that Corinne taught the Lotte Berk Method which incorporates
elements of Yoga, Dance and Therapeutic stretching.In 2005 she received her Jivamukti Advanced Certification.
Diana Fitzgerald Yoga has always been in Diana's life, in one way or another. And it is with great joy that she made transformation from student into student and teacher. With a strong foundation in anatomy and physiology (as learned from Linda Winnick and also from her RN experience) she offers a safe and challenging Hatha yoga class. Diana carries with her the knowledge that the student-teacher relationship in regards to asana practice encourages both individuals to be present, focused, and in touch with the present moment. Through the practice of these concepts in a class structure, Diana is able to support students in tuning into that which is constant and timeless within themselves. To breath through discomfort, to honor the body, to listen to the heart, to remember one's wholeness. These are just a few aspirations Diana offers her students at Shakti Yoga.
Dina Pearlman. RYT, has been studying movement since she was four years old. Former dancer and martial artist, Dina came to yoga after years of dappling when an injury forced her to stop dancing. Seven years later, Dina received her yoga teacher training certification and has never looked back. She has studied with teachers from the Anusara, Jivamukti, Iyengar, Ashtanga and Sivananda schools of yoga. She has also studied dance, karate, tai chi, kung fu, Zen Buddhism, Sanskrit, Thai Yoga Bodywork, anatomy, Mindful Meditation and is a certified Reiki Healer. Dina is also a visual artist, occasional poet and has finally returned to dance after healing her injuries through yoga.
Jim Savio has been practicing and studying yoga for over thirty-five years. His personal practice and class methods combine the asana postures and teaching philosophy of Swami Satchidananda, BKS Iyengar, and yogi, Amrit Desai. Jim is a certified Amrit Yoga instructor and believes that the practice of yoga is all about union - the full integration of body, mind and spirit. He teaches yoga at The New School University.
John A. Verner has been a student of spiritual
and esoteric traditions for most of his life. His studies have
taken him on a journey from Sufism to shamanism, philospophy
and psychology, to the meditation practices of Vipassana, and
the non-duality of Advaita and Tantra. As a certified yoga instructor,
he brings his years of study and dedication to his practice and
teaching.
From an early age, Julia Shober spent a good portion of her time in classical ballet, tap, and gymnastics classes. As she entered adulthood, she began to practice Reiki, becoming a Master at the age of twenty-one. Her love for yoga and Pilates developed while in college and was pursued more intensely upon graduation and moving to NYC. The impact yoga had on her mind and life was fantastic, and it only deepened her spiritual connection. Within a few years , Julia became certified as a Pilates instructor and fulfilled her call to Yoga in Jan 2006 when she joined the Shakti Yoga teacher training. As a yogini who like and understands the value of a challenging practice, Julia’s classes follows suit. Julia emphasizes meeting each individual’s capability for further growth. Julia believes centering, focus, and alignment are necessary for a strong yoga practice, as well as bringing awareness and relaxation to both mind and body. Flexible bodies lead to a more flexible mind’s and spirit’s!
Laurie Heaven was first attracted to yoga as part of an overall fitness program, and has practiced on and off for 30 years. It wasn’t until she traded gym classes for studio sessions that she discovered the “other side” of yoga as a means of spiritual growth, and gradually deepened her commitment to yoga, culminating in her completion of teacher training at Shakti in 2007. As a person who has suffered catastrophic injuries and illnesses, and come back to health and wholeness through yoga, she stresses the healing aspects – physical, mental, and spiritual – with her students and focuses on detailed instruction, proper breathing and alignment, and appropriate variations to deal with personal injuries and limitations. At the same time, she brings a lightness and sense of fun to her classes, born of her desire to share the joy that yoga practice has given her. Melissa Cowan
Michelle Duff has been a fitness enthusiast her entire life, and within the last 7 years, her life has been dedicated to teaching and training of Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. To compliment her intense training Michelle uncovered the amazing benefits of a yoga practice. She studied Ashtanga, and after incorporating yoga into her training regiments with her students, she decided to further her knowledge of Hatha Yoga. Michelle is now a certified yoga instructor under the National Yoga Alliance. She studied under the tutelage of Linda Winnick of Shakti Yoga and loves to help others transform their lives with yoga and the many tools the practice has to offer. Her classes focus on alignment and breath in relation to steadiness and ease in order to help students create a perfect unity of mind, body and soul.
Nita Steketee-Sacks Nita has been on the Yoga path all the way from Amsterdam,
Holland and continues her journey since moving to the United States.
She brings her work as a visual artist and her study of Indonesian
Dance with her. She is a certified yoga teacher and Reiki Master.
She studies Vedanta (Indian philosophy) with Shubhraji and Yoga
with various senior teachers. As a Karma Yogini, Nita works with "Art
for Animals," donating the proceeds from specially created
paintings to help animals in need for a better life. She is completing
her 500-hour Yoga teacher training and Ayurvedic studies with Linda
Winnick at Shakti Yoga in Woodstock.
Olivia Grimsland Olivia Grimsland's passion for yoga began at
age 17 when she attended her very first class at Shakti in Woodstock,
NY with a friend. Yoga's serene poses aided stress reduction while
adapting to life as a mature adult. Yoga also provided the much
needed opportunities to meditate on the spiritual aspects of her
life. Her longing to share the benefits of yoga with others came
to fruition in her early twenties when she completed her first
teacher training program.
Rachel has been a serious student of yoga for the past seven years. She began her study in the dead of winter during a time of change and confusion and found that yoga was not only a way to strengthen and relax her body, but a meditation practice that helped shed light on the workings of her mind and open her heart. Her continuing study of yoga led her to Zen meditation and to become a formal student at the Zen Mountain Monastery in Mt. Tremper, NY. She received her teaching certification in Lenox, MA from Kripalu, which offers a yoga that focuses on mindfullness and compassion. Both yoga and Zen continue to inform one another in her mind/body and she brings this perspective to her classes, allowing students to deeply relax by letting go of analytical mind and tuning into intuitive mind through breath and body awareness.
Shari Gold's spiritual journey led her to yoga approximately 6 years ago. Through her travels to India and intensive workshop retreats, her teaching style has emerged as a blend of the Anusara, Iyengar and Vinyasa traditions. She is the founder of the "Karma in the Court" program which provides free yoga to all Ulster County court employees and has been a practising attorney for the past 23 years. Shari believes that the free and flowing aspects of yoga serve to still and liberate the mind and body. She has recently completed her certification training and is a registered yoga teacher.
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Amy Van Blarcum
Diane Bethune
Dina Pearlman 
Heidi Sheasby
Julia Shober
Laurie Heaven 
Michelle Duff
