Jill Bacharach became a registered member of Yoga Alliance after completing the 300 hour Lotus Yoga Teacher Training program in Montclair, NJ. In addition, she is certified in Prenatal and Kid's yoga. Currently participating in Teacher Training with Christina Sell and Darren Rhodes, Jill has studied extensively with several other Senior Certified Anusara Yoga Teachers including Elena Brower (whom she assisted at Kripalu), Sianna Sherman, Zhenja LaRosa, Desiree Rumbaugh, Christina Sell, Amy Ippoliti, and the entire Yogaphoria team, led by the incomparable Melanie Smith, with whom she has accumulated an additional 300 hours combined. Her interests lie in preventing injuries through exploring proper alignment principles and in living the practice, refining the practice, and working the practice every day off the mat (through courage, fortitude, compassion, and generosity of heart). Often described as being more comfortable on her hands than on her feet, her classes are boundlessly playful and strengthening on many levels. Jill extends deep gratitude to all of her teachers and her students who have inspired her beyond her own reach, and she firmly believes she will be practicing yoga until her last breath.

Nicole Carrubba (RYT) has been practicing yoga for more than 10 years, although it wasn’t until 2 years ago that she began to really deepen her commitment to her practice.   Inspired to learn more and build a deeper connection with her true self, Nicole completed her yoga teacher training at Starseed Yoga & Wellness in Montclair, NJ.  Nicole has her Masters in Business Administration and is a legal marketing guru/entrepreneur by day and a yoga teacher/student by night.  For Nicole, yoga plays a central role in creating balance and stability in her often hectic, professional and personal life.  
Nicole’s classes blend core strength-building and alignment with creative sequencing and a vinyasa flow to draw students out of their routine and outside responsibilities so they can explore their own journeys to connect with their true selves.  Nicole’s classes provide a fun and challenging atmosphere to practice and include pranayama, asana, and meditation.   Influenced by a variety of yoga styles and teachers, Nicole has an open and eclectic style; teaching from her heart.
Nicole is deeply grateful to Amy Para and Michael Cipriano, owners of Starseed Yoga and Wellness for the deep and rich education she received during her training there.  Nicole is also thankful for the many teachers, mentors and friends who have touched her life and her practice:  Mary Paige Snell, Susan Herman, Julie Margolis, Ali Campbell, Sara Martire, and Lynn Schoorl.

Ali Campbell completed her yoga teacher training at Starseed Yoga and Healing in Montclair, NJ. She has a Masters Degree in Education and has worked as an educator for over 10 years. She came to yoga through her background in sports and has developed a strong personal practice over the past decade. Her recent expansion in yoga has come through a gentler practice and devoting herself to meditation—always a challenge with two young children at home. She has taken time away from her career in the public schools to parent and can be found at home gardening, making pancakes with her kids and husband, or sneaking away to the coffee shop to read by herself. She believes fully in the possibility of everyone finding inner peace through yoga. If there is one thing she knows for sure, it’s that she knows nothing.

Kelli DeFlora, RYT, CD trained at the World Yoga Center in New York City and is a graduate of Starseed’s SSYTT. She also has completed several pre-natal teacher certifications and post-partum yoga trainings. She currently teaches a certification program for pre-natal yoga. Kelli is both the director and teacher for the pre-natal and mommy and me classes and specializes in working with women in their child-bearing years. She brings over 15 years of holistic health experience to Starseed. In addition to her work as a yoga teacher, she is a doula (professional childbirth/labor assistant), childbirth educator, Shiatsu and Reiki practitioner, and interfaith minister. Kelli is also a devotee of Gurumayi Chidvilasanada, who has had much influence on her work.
www.motherbirthyoga.com

Susan Herman Ph.D, ABPP is a Psychologist and a Yoga Teacher. As a psychologist in private practice she works with depression, anxiety, and trauma survivors. She has been practicing yoga for 15 years and teaching for 5 years. She has been trained by many different teachers in different traditions; White Lotus, Yoga Synthesis, Om Yoga, Anusara, Restorative, Yoga for Cancer Survivors, and Prenatal Yoga. She is a certified Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapist. She has also studied with Jyoti Chrystal for all of her yoga years. She combines her knowledge of human conditions with the love of yoga in helping her students develop more positive views of themselves and their potential regardless of their limitations.

Jennifer Hondru-Celestin has been an enthusiastic student of yoga, meditation and holistic health for over 15 years.  She holds a B.A. in music from Barnard College, Columbia University, and worked in the recording and financial industries before beginning her private healing practice in 2001.   Also a Reiki Master & Teacher, in 2004, Jennifer completed the 500-hour Yoga Teacher Training at Starseed , where she studied with Jyoti Chrystal and Jason Martin.  After a hiatus to be home with her now four-year-old twin girls, Jennifer is thrilled to be back in the yoga studio!
Jennifer's classes draw on an eclectic mix of hatha yoga styles while focusing on breath and alignment. Deeply influenced by the teachings of her guru, Mata Amritanandamayi, Jennifer believes that the true essence of Yoga is found off the mat, in our daily lives.  No matter your level of practice, Jennifer's goal is to guide and inspire her students to search deep within and discover their own unique relationship to Yoga.
 

Nurturer by nature.  Her search for yoga began in 2000 at the age of 16 in a beginner yoga class with the Montclair Adult School.  The seeds of change and love were then planted in the wide open field of her mind.  The seedlings developed through the passing years as breath and self awareness were the forefront of the journey.  It was working on farms, in greenhouses, and for garden centers where Jess discovered the tools of nurturance.  Watching plants grow taught her the importance of change and the reality of cycles.  In 2008, Jess left NJ to work on a farm in California under the guidance of a shaman and the seedlings developed into many buds spreading through the open field.  Learning to choose love and not fear was the catalyst for beginning her yoga teacher training in 2009.  In 2010, Jess graduated with a 200-hr teaching certificate from Starseed Yoga in Montclair, an accredited studio with the Yoga Alliance.  During this period of growth and change, a metamorphosis took place, revealing the blossoms of Jess’s heart, opening her to the love of the world.  Love is appreciating all things and beings for their natural glory.  Jess is currently enrolled in a meditation teacher training with Guruji Rev Jaganath Carrera.  Come to Jessie Sunshine’s Sunday’s Level One class to flex the mind with modern day mysticism, stretch the body with asana, and open the heart with meditation.  Learn the principles of pranayama while playfully exploring the realms of the soul.  Discover a mind-body-soul connection with breath as your guide and joy as your goal.  Find rhythm.  Share love.  Be happy. 

Jean A. Lyons, R.Y.T. has been practicing yoga for over twenty years. She graduated from the Starseed Yoga Teacher Training program with a 500-hour certification and has since mentored and taught workshops in that program. Having studied yoga with many teachers representing different yoga traditions (Iyengar, Ashtanga, Anusara, Viniyoga) she has developed an eclectic approach in her own teaching. Students leave her classes feeling physically stronger, more flexible and relaxed as well as spiritually refreshed.
In her Open Level classes, Jean offers variations of asanas appropriate for both seasoned and newer students. Her classes combine precise attention to alignment with the joy of movement flow and deeply centering breathwork. She is delighted to share the many benefits of yoga with her students.

Nina began her yoga journey and interest in holistic health and bodywork in the early 90s at a holistic health retreat in the Lake Sebago area of Maine.  Since her introduction to yoga, Nina has completed two teacher training programs - a 500 hour program at Starseed's Center for Yoga and Wellness in Montclair, NJ and a 200-hour program at Yoga Synthesis in Ramsey, NJ.  She has been teaching yoga for seven years.  She will always be grateful to Jyoti Chrystal and Raji Thron, her primary teachers and guides on the yogic path.  Nina is also a practicing reflexologist, trained in the Laura Norman method of reflexology and she has studied Thai Yoga Bodywork with Jonas Westring.

Julie Margolis has been teaching yoga since 2004, when she graduated from the Starseed Teacher Training program. When she took her first Anusara class later that year, she immediately felt she was on to something big. Anusara provided her with a method to heal her body, open her heart, and stimulate her mind. Julie's love of yoga is contagious, and she strives to create a warm, compassionate environment in which to practice. Her classes are characterized by careful attention to flowing sequence, precise alignment instruction, always accompanied by music, and laughter.

One of Julie's students recently wrote of her: "Her knowledge, kindness and inspiration are felt throughout the entire class and shared individually with each and every student. She shares openly and honestly with her personal practice in each and every class. She absolutely makes one fall in love with yoga and eager to get back to the next class."

Julie's study of yoga has made her aware that she is always practicing, whether in the capacity of a student, teacher, or mother to her three young girls. She is grateful to all of her life teachers both on and off the mat. Julie lives in Montclair, NJ with her husband, daughters and a cat named Hanuman Lotus Yustein.

Mary Paige Snell, RYT has been practicing yoga for over 15 years. Her upbeat style is a blend of Hatha and Vinyasa with an emphasis on breath and rejuvenation. Modifications are given, making her challenging classes suitable for all levels. From studios to corporations to privates she brings with her a sense of humor and empathy.
She completed her Yoga Teacher Training with Jyoti Chrystal, via the Starseed Center's yoga teacher training program.

As an actress she has performed at various locations such as Lincoln Center, The Guggenheim Museum, and the Vienna Theater Festival. She can be heard on the Philips Classics recording of a modern opera with Iggy Pop, and often uses music- live and recorded- in her class. Her short stories have been published in various literary magazines and her novel is in the process of finding a publisher.
Developing an artistic spirit and clearer focus is what she hopes for her students- empowering them, through the discipline of yoga, to do more than they thought possible.

Amy began her yoga practice 13 years ago and found it to be an integral part of creating balance and reducing stress in the midst of a hectic corporate career.  Her practice has grown over the years from a strong physical practice to a more inward focused practice infused with awareness, kindness, and authenticity. Amy graduated from the 500-hour Starseed Yoga Teacher Training in 2004, and very soon became a regular teacher on the schedule and mentor in the training program.  She also holds a certificate in kid's yoga from Neney's Yoginis (Jeannene Levinson).  With deep gratitude to her teachers Jyoti Chrystal and Madelana Ferrara-Matthias for the path and practice, Amy is committed to giving her students confidence and skill. Her belief is that yoga is available to everyone no matter what limitations exist.  Regardless of what level class she teaches, she works to create a safe and sacred space where her students are gently encouraged to accept their own grace and light .  Having studied with many teachers and traditions (Vinyasa, Anusara, Restorative, and Viniyoga) her classes are an eclectic mix and compassionate exploration of style and tradition balancing pranayama, asana, and meditation.

Susan has studied essential oil therapies with Alice Carlomagno-Cerqueira and through the Center for Aromatherapy Research and Education (CARE). A second degree Reiki practitioner, she received her 500-hour teaching certification from Jyoti Chrystal's Starseed Yoga Teacher Training program in 2006, and completed Ellen Pfeffer's Masala Restorative Yoga and Judith Lasater's Relax & Renew teacher trainings in 2007.

Lisa Rotell has a challenging style of teaching derived from her committment to, love for and practice of yoga. Her deep knowledge of alignment and the body serve as a doorway to one's self-discovery. Having the reputation as a "teacher's teacher" she inspires many from a variety of yoga backgrounds. Her attention to detail is precise and intuitive. Through her clarity and experience, she strives to encourage students toward a greater sensitivity and awareness.
Lisa began practicing yoga in 1994 while living in NYC. She became certified through Om Yoga in 2003. Craving stillness she turned to Iyengar yoga which she has studied intently for the past 5 years. Lisa remains deeply commited to the teachings of BKS Iyengar and to bringing her extensive knowledge and complete presence to the classroom. She guides students towards their own direct experience of the practice and  a sensitivity to the details within the body.

A longtime practitioner of yoga, Lynn completed her 500 hour teacher training at Starseed Center for Yoga and Wellness in Montclair and also holds a 300 hour advanced certification through Yoga Synthesis. With a background in alignment and a love of vinyasa, her classes are a blend of meditative movement and precision. Students are guided through a challenging vinyasa flow which facilitates the movement of energy in the body resulting in a feeling of being connected to yourself in a more authentic way.  Classes frequently include breath work and chanting honoring the broader teachings of this ancient practice.  Lynn is sincerely grateful to her early teachers Jyoti Chrystal and Madelana Ferrara-Matthias and is currently studying vinyasa with Raji Thron. 

Beth Schultz teaches Iyengar-inspired yoga, focusing on alignment and breath work, building strength, flexibility, and balance in both body and mind. As creator of the Seedlings program, she enjoys welcoming first-timer yogis to the mat. As an instructor of both Level 1 and Advanced Beginning classes at Starseed, she encourages students to deepen their physical practice and develop their meditative awareness. Beth believes that "yoga is for every body," and offers multiple variations on poses and propped support to encourage each student to discover their highest potential. She is a graduate of the Starseed Yoga Teacher Training Program and a Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Teacher (500-hour level)
Student Testament: "Something I really admire is how you are able to reach each student-regardless of their level. Your cues are always so clear. Often times, it was as if my body just did the poses if I followed your clear instruction." -A.C.

Suzanne Seligson, MPS, ATR-BC, RCYT
Suzanne is a certified Children's Yoga Teacher through the Radiant Children Yoga Program, guided by Shakta Kaur Khalsa. Suzanne also holds her Masters degree in the Creative Arts Therapies from Pratt Institute, and is a Board Certified Registered Art Therapist with the American Art Therapy Association. She has 9+ years of clinical experience working with children, adolescents, and adults utilizing creative arts, play, music, and yoga therapies. In addition, Suzanne is a first degree Reiki practitioner.
Suzanne first discovered yoga 18 years ago, and has been inspired by her use of yoga and the arts in guiding her on her own life journey. Her hope is that she may utilize her knowledge, experience, and energy to help to guide young children early on in their journeys.

Sonia Sequeira has been teaching yoga since 1997. She is a certified Instructor in Hatha, Kundalini, Naam Yoga and a practitioner of Harmonyum Healing. Having trodden many paths, she is infinitely grateful and humbled by the guidance and Grace of her teachers and students.
With a background including a Ph.D. Neuroscience, she has found particular joy and meaning in the teachings by Joseph Michael Levry, and the scientific hypothesis that self-healing is the most effective form of medicine through the Yoga of Sound (Mantra) and Light (opening the heart)

Elisa Stearns holds a B.A. in Humanities and Philosophy from Montclair State University and is a registered member of Yoga Alliance. Elisa first discovered yoga in a college class with Dr. Rob Gilbert. She was drawn to the philosophical and practical connections yoga presented in her life. Looking to further her practice after college, Elisa studied privately with Esther Lambert, one of her first mentors. After raising two children, Elisa found her way back to yoga, and became a certified Yoga Synthesis teacher in May 2002, receiving her training from Raji Thron.
Elisa teaches multi-leveled Vinyasa classes and conducts private lessons as well. She has continued her yogic studies and trainings with teachers such as Dharma Mitra, Doug Keller, Rodney Yee, Ana Forrest and Aadil Palkhivala, Raji Thron and Ellen Pfeffer. Elisa's classes are stimulating and uplifting, reflecting a passionate devotion to teaching. She encourages her students to integrate yoga, pranayama, meditation and mindfulness into everyday life. Elisa's goal is to make the yoga experience accessible to all, specifically looking to bring yoga into the schools to benefit our children.

Joni Wellness (Jill Yecalsik) has been in the field of Wellness and practicing and teaching yoga for over three decades. She has relocated back to the east coast from Redmond (Seattle), Washington where she ran a popular and expanding yoga program.
Based in Manhattan for over 20 years, Joni taught classes and Teacher Trainings at the top NYC yoga studios, including four years at Jivamukti Yoga Center, where she served as a bridge between the Iyengar and other styles of hatha yoga, and gleaned a broad exposure to many aspects and branches of yoga. Joni began practicing and teaching yoga when, at age 13, while considering topics for a school report, yoga chose her. Researching through reading, attending yoga classes, and experience, she began and continued a personal practice. With the yoga and genuine Consciousness Raising of the early 70s Women's Movement, her personal and spiritual journey began. She endured many hardships and learned through many struggles about balancing all aspects of Living for greater happiness. From the science of yoga to nutrition, to living our Life Purpose, Joni trains others with shortcuts about how to form a great Spiritual and practical toolbox. She shares how to tap into ones Inner Guidance for the best possible mentoring.
She attended Rutgers University, passionate about Political Science and especially Women's Studies. Joni has had the unique privilege of having several precious apprenticeships: in the 70s with her main massage teacher and mentor, Gael Parks; with Master Shiatsu teacher Wataru Ohashi; and most recently, a 7- year intensive apprenticeship with Indian Yoga Master Aadil Palkhivala.
For more detailed information on Joni and her work, please visit her website at www.joniwellness.com