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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.
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 Melissa Cowan began to practice yoga with Linda Winnick at Shakti Yoga in 2005. As a new student to yoga it took no time at all before Melissa was deeply committed and enthusiastic about her new passion of yoga. Yoga impacted Melissa's life in ways she never imagined, not only did it positively effect her physical body but it deepened her awareness of the peace that is accompanied by meditation and respect for oneself and those around. Melissa's deep love for yoga is evident in her classes, which focus on strengthening the body while maintaining steady breathing and quietness of mind. Melissa seeks to safely challenge her students and is passionate about bringing into the practice an appreciation of yoga and its many benefits.
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.
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.
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.
Wendy Rothkopf
J Julie began studying yoga in 1986, in a NYC basement on Ave. B, in the heart of the East Village. She went on to complete the Jivamukti Yoga Teacher Training program in May 2003, and became an Advanced Certified Jivamukti Teacher in 2005. Since then she has served as a mentor to other teachers and has continued studying, practicing, and learning about yoga from many sources, including her teacher's teachers, Sri Brahmananda Saraswati, Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, Sri Swami Nirmalananda, as well by the study of Sanskrit inspired by Manorma De'Alvia, the human body as taught by Kriota Wilberg, and the journey of life as inspired by her children, Jules and Alex. According to the Jivamukti method, Julie incorporates meditation, devotion to a higher source, yoga scriptures, inspirational music, and asana practice that leads the practitioner into a deepening of the experience of a spiritual/yoga journey.
Mark Kinder is a master yoga teacher (former owner of the popular New Paltz Yogashala, Urban Yoga, Saratoga, & Anhad Yoga, Seattle) and has over 1,000 hours of yoga teaching certifications and over 15,000 hours of teaching experience. He has studied with many wonderful teachers, in both India and in the USA and brings over 14 years of experience into his classes. Mark calls his style Anhad Yoga (Eternal/Limitless Yoga), which is a creative, contemporary approach to the authentic teachings of yoga. The fundamental basis of Anhad is the “Five Elements Practice” (Pancha Mahabutas Sadhana) and bending/twisting the spine in all six directions in every class: Mark’s Anhad Yoga blends together modern vinyasa and alignment principles, traditional hatha, Tibetian Yoga, Sufi “HU” chanting, and the practical aspects of Surat Shabda Yoga into a class that will challenge you physically and expand your consciousness all at the same time.
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Diane Bethune
Dina Pearlman 
Heidi Sheasby
Julia Shober
Laurie Heaven 
Michelle Duff
