Faculty
Lotus Gardens Yoga School is honored to have the following gifted and talented yoga instructors, physicians and training staff share their knowledge as faculty.
Lara Azzarito Ward, 500 E-R.Y.T., Founder & Director
In 1979, Lara was introduced to Masakazu Takahashi whom she studied traditional Japanese culture, ki energy and martial arts under for 20 years. In 1985, Lara had a minor car accident that left her in chronic pain. Her love of eastern philosophy wellness and healing combined with movement development into her own style of gently flowing yoga she called Relaxation Through Movement. In the late 1980's Lara began her quest to understand yoga and its many traditions. She began studying with teachers such as Eric Schiffman, Rama Birch, Sandra Anderson, Dr. David Coultier, Brian Kest, Ravi Singh and Richard Freeman. For several years Rodney Yee became her major influence as well as Ganga White and Tracey Rich of White Lotus Foundation and David Swenson where she earned certifications.
In 1994, Lara developed the first yoga programs for cardiac rehab patients at Danbury and New Milford Hospitals. She also created employee programs for Danbury and New Milford Hospitals, Boehringer Ingelheim, Cendant Mobility, Dow, Duracell, Ethan Allen, Goodrich, Honeywell, Praxair and Scholastic corporations where Lotus Gardens continues to guide weekly classes.
Lotus Gardens teacher training program was created in 2000 out of her love of sharing yoga and the growing need for yoga teachers. Today she has held more than 20 certification programs which have certified more than 200 teachers who now share the gift of yoga throughout the world. Lara works from the home she shares with her husband, Will, and two dogs in Sherman, CT and enjoys time spent with their grown sons.
Contact Lara at laraward@lotusgardensyoga.com
Lisa Alexander, M.S., R.Y.T.
Lisa is the director and founder of Soluna Yoga Studio in Niskayuna, New York. She brings many years of experience as an educator to Soluna. Her passion for teaching and learning has motivated and directed her towards the art of teaching yoga. Lisa holds a Master's Degree in Education and received a certificate for teaching yoga from Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health. She is a registered Yoga Alliance teacher and has studied with David Swenson, Shiva Rae, Todd Norian, Seane Corn and Suzie Hurley. She enjoys learning as much as teaching, and continues her studies so she can bring much knowledge about yoga to all her students.
Contact Lisa at www.solunayoga.com
Lisa Bizier, B.S.
Lisa is a registered Respiratory Therapist and instructs anatomy and physiology of the respiratory and circulatory systems along with breathing techniques. She was a clinical Respiratory Therapist for Danbury Hospital in ICU, Neonatal Care and the E.R. for seven years. Since 1995, Lisa has worked with private practice Pulmonologists, and today works with Advanced ENT, Plastic Surgery and Allergists practices and has been with Advanced ENT, Plastic Surgury and Allergists.
Contact Lisa at lisabizier@charter.net
Colleen Breeckne
As a young woman, Colleen began studying yoga while traveling across the US. She has maintained a regular practice for over twelve years and received her 200 hour certification through Lotus Gardens. She has studied Hatha Yoga, Pranayamana, Yoga Therapeutics and Yogic philosophy in a variety of traditions. Colleen is a single mother of a spirited young boy. Once becoming a mother she quickly realized that practicing yoga and meditation enabled her not only stay fit but to also keep up with the demands of modern life: balancing career goals with family life. Colleen blends her dance background with her yoga practice to deliver a physically challenging vinyasa flow sequence. Her Yoga classes are designed to empower the spirit that lies within you. Colleen leads workshops & classes for adults, teens and children throughout Connecticut and in New York. She specializes in Anusara, Vinyasa, Yoga for self esteem, Yoga for health and wellness, Yoga for terminal Illness and posture alignment & sequencing.
Contact Colleen at colleenlilayoga@gmail.com or (860) 868-3546
Sarah Britton. R.Y.T.
Sarah is a certified Hatha Yoga instructor who received her training at Lotus Gardens. Her accessible teaching style is reflective of her ten years of personal experience and her great passion for the transformational power of yoga. She incorporates asana (postures) with pranayama (breathing techniques) to quiet the mind and relax the body. She teaches students of all ages and all levels in the Hartford, CT area.
Contact Sarah at www.uniqueyogact.com
Penny J. Cidri
Penny brings gentleness and compassion to her work in helping people maintain a healthy lifestyle. She earned her Health/Fitness Instructor Certification through the American College of Sports Medicine and her 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Certification under the direction of Lara Ward. In 2009, Penny continues to share her knowledge and passion for wellness and became a Certified Life Coach. As a former 9-to-5-er, she understands the necessity of keeping the body flexible and fit when much of our lives are spent close behind a desk. As a health and fitness enthusiast, Penny has successfully motivated many students of varying abilities and ages, providing them with the tools necessary to achieve their individual goals and stay active for a lifetime.
Jacqueline Flynn, D.C.
Dr. Flynn a board-certified Chiropractic Physician graduating suma cum laude from the University of Bridgeport College of Chiropractic. Jacqueline is also the founder and director of the Balanced Body Chiropractic Center. Her center is a realization of her vision to bring various healing practices to the community. Dr. Flynn treats a variety of health issues through chiropractic techniques, rehabilitative exercises and individualized nutritional counseling and specialize in treating pregnant women to achieve a more comfortable and enjoyable pregnancy and deliver.
Contact Dr. Flynn at www.balancedbodyct.com
Jane Fredlund
Working in corporate America for 21 years, Jane began studying yoga 20 years ago to assist with stress management. She feels that yoga has helped to ground her and to relieve her day to day stress. Jane graduated from the Connecticut Center for Massage Therapy in 2000 and began Yoga Teacher Certification training in September of 2004. She received her 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training Certificate in February 2005 from Lotus Gardens Yoga. To date, Jane is enrolled in Lotus Gardens 500 hour Advanced Teacher Training and has been a substitute Yoga teacher for Lotus Gardens Corporate Yoga programs and is excited to now be teaching a weekly Gentle Yoga class at Harmony Yoga & sacred Dance studio.
Contact Jane at (203) 313-3382
Kristi Gunnarshaug
Kristi is a graduate of Lotus Gardens' 200 Hour Teacher Certification program and is currently working on her 500 hour certificate. She is a graduate of the Connecticut Center of Massage Therapy in Newington, CT. Kristi has a passion for yoga that came through her practice several years ago. She fell in love with yoga due to the overwhelming feeling of peace and acceptance that the yoga practice gave her. She has taught classes to different populations from those with physical disabilities to ìseasonedî yogis, from children to teens to adults. She teaches with a light sense of humor while holding the practice sacred at the same time. Kristi's made a commitment to always teach with as much compassion and understanding as possible, encouraging all to look within and acknowledge the beauty and light we all hold. Namaste.
Sara Holland - M.Ed.
Sara is the owner of Growing Tree Yoga, llc and a firm believer in the connections between the mind and body, a passion that has inspired her work with athletes from the elementary to collegiate level. As an active child, Sara learned about the life lessons that physical activities can generate: lessons in self-esteem, positive thinking and imagery, self-discipline, teamwork, confidence, goal-setting, and a love for an active, healthy lifestyle. Sara earned her B.A. in psychology from the Univ. of Kansas and her M.Ed., specializing in motor learning, from the Univ. of Virginia. Her resume includes physical education instructor (K-4 and 7-8) at St. Anne’s-Belfield School, Charlottesville, VA and assistant softball coach at Texas Tech Univ., Lubbock, TX and the Univ. of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA. Her love for working with children also inspired her to begin a business dedicated to the well-being of children and their families, after having observed the need to emphaisze physical activities in young children. Sara is certified through Karma Kids Yoga, YogaEd and Lotus Gardens 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Trainings and is member of American Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. Sara is also certified in Infant/child and Adult CPR.
Contact Sara at www.growingtreeyoga.com
Pat Lund
By incorporating yoga into her daily fitness agenda, Pat has achieved a sense of peace and balance that she now enjoys sharing with her students. For thirty years, while Pat's career kept her confined to a desk and computer, yoga was her place of peace. As a 200 Lotus Gardens certified yoga instructor, Pat's outlook on life has changed dramatically. In these "later years" when many of her colleagues are looking toward retirement, Pat feels she is on the threshold of a whole new, exciting, and very active life. Combining a light hearted, fun teaching style with knowledge and experience of "the office place", Pat creates a practice that can be surmised as a fountain of youth.
Contact Pat at Patricialund005@comcast.com
Jody Murray, M.A., L.Ac., A.T. C.
Ms. Murray is a National Board Certified, Licensed Acupuncturist, with additional training in Chinese Herbology from New York College of Health Professionals along with post graduate training in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Gynecology and Obstetrics Jody earned her master’s in Exercise Physiology and is a Nationally Certified Athletic Trainer. Jody gained years of experience working for Danbury Orthopedics where she continues a reciprocal connection working with the Doctors to improve client health. She has a private practice in Brookfield, CT.
Contact Jody at www.acupxtherapy.com or (203) 740-7500
Anne Novak, R.Y.T
Anne is a certified Kundalini Yoga Teacher, a Member of the Yoga Alliance, an ACE-Certified Personal Fitness Trainer with a background in physical therapy and a certified Hypnotherapist, who has been working in the health and fitness industry for over twenty years. Anne teaches students of all levels of fitness and experience and focuses on creating an environment that is safe, accessible and effective for all.
Contact Anne at annenovak@charter.net
Gloria Owens
Gloria Owens is a co-owner of YogaSpace, a thriving studio in Brookfield, CT and a Certified Kripalu Yoga Instructor who has been teaching yoga since 1994. Her accessible & compassionate teaching style is grounded in Kripalu's non-judgmental approach, and her joyful classes also draw inspiration from her studies with Angela Farmer, Lilias Folan and Daniel Leven as well as many dance and movement forms including Kripalu YogaDance, Figure Skating and more. Gloria weaves together yoga, expressive movement, energy awareness, conscious self-reflection and creative visualization for a rich and varied yogic experience that awakens the body's innate inner wisdom. As a talented graphic designer, artist and photographer, Gloria brings her playful, creative spirit to each class, and invites students to do the same. In addition, she offers a wealth of practical knowledge about running & marketing a successful yoga business.You can find out more about Gloria and YogaSpace at www.yogaspace-ct.com. P.S. Gloria also designed this website!
Contact Gloria at gloria@yogaspace-ct.com
Michelle Wenis
Michelle holds a 200 Hour yoga certification from Lara Ward’s Lotus Gardens, llc. She received her advanced training in Prenatal Yoga through Rose St. John Bergen’s Transformation Arts and Suzanne Cardinal’s Into This World Productions, Inc. She holds a certificate in Children’s Yoga for Karma Kids Yoga, NYC. Together with her husband Erich, she teaches the Bradley Method of Natural Childbirth. Michelle has taught for the last five years in the following locations in Fairfield County: Destination Maternity in Danbury, Yoga Space in Brookfield, The Enchanted Garden in Ridgefield, the Wilton Y in Wilton and the Family Education and Fitness Center in Brookfield.
Contact Michelle at www.greenwomanyc.com
Darlene Yedowitz
Darlene is a Lotus Gardens certified yoga instructor teaching corporate and public classes. Her style includes a strong powerful flow as well as gentle stretching and relaxation. With a background in fitness, Darlene has learned to combine both disciplines with surrender, stretching and strength, while focusing on the breath and proper alignment. Darlene's style enables students to free their minds while opening their bodies.
