OUR TEACHERS | devotionyoga

Liza Bertini

Liza Bertini is a 500 E-RYT Kripalu Yoga Teacher, Entrepreneur and Career & Life Vision Coach. Liza has been practicing yoga since 1998 and teaching yoga since 2003. Founder and Studio Director of Devotion Yoga, Liza teaches yoga which she infuses with inspiration gained from my own yogic journey and offers space for students to safely explore life with an open heart and mind. She is Co-Director of Devotion’s 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training and Co-Founder of One Hundred Skies Yoga Adventures and hosts domestic and international retreats. Liza’s dharma is to foster community and provide experiences that inspire others to live conscious, healthy, full and authentic lives. She is also a single mother of twin toddlers, Luca and Delilah, who have become her greatest teachers. You can find out more about Liza at www.lizabertini.com.

Patrick Franco

Patrick is a 500 E-RYT and Yoga Director at Devotion Yoga. Patrick has practiced and studied yoga since 2001 and received his initial 200hr certification from Laughing Lotus Yoga Center and his 500hr certification from Yogamaya New York. His classes are devoted to creating a light-hearted atmosphere that encourages self-study through traditional yogic philosophy and rhythmic movement. He offers an energetic and devotional vinyasa practice infused with a gentle, compassionate, and soulful spirit that comes from his own daily practice. Recently drawn into the Bhakti path through the teachings of Dhanurdhara Swami, Jai Uttal, and Kausthubha Das, and stories from the timeless Indian epics the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, the past year has been an exploration of the heart through chanting, kirtan, and storytelling. These days, his greatest teachers are his wife and his two sons who constantly draw him into the deepest gifts of yoga - service to those matter most.

Brendan Gibbons

Brendan has been practicing yoga since 2001. He studied yoga intensely while traveling through India, Nepal and Thailand for 6 months in 2007 and then completed his certification in 2008 with YogaWorks in New York City. Since then he has been teaching at studios in New York City, Hoboken, and Los Angeles while managing yoga studios in both NYC and LA. After living in Los Angeles, Brendan has returned home to join the Devotion team. Brendan teaches a fun, energetic Vinyasa class with careful attention to the breath and alignment. Brendan will guide you through seamless sequences set to music and leave you feeling refreshed, invigorated and centered in your mind, body, and spirit.

Coco Duan

Over decades of practicing in China and the US, Coco’s relationship with yoga has evolved from a purely physical experience to discovering an essential re-energizing and grounding force in her life. After completing her MBA at Duke University, Coco moved New York City to work in Marketing at a Fortune 500 company. Working successfully in the corporate world for over a decade left her wanting for professional passion. Coco found that passion in yoga and so she decided to take her love for it to the next level.

Coco obtained her 200-hour teacher certification from Yogamaya in the summer of 2014. This experience ignited her love for teaching, as well as her own personal practice, which she intends to continue to develop herself and from her inspiring teachers - Stacey Brass, Bryn Chrisman, Patrick Franco and Julie Pasqual. She was also part of the Devotion Yoga Teacher Apprentice Program, with Julie as her mentor.

Coco possesses a natural talent for body movement and rhythm; in particular, Coco embraces dancing and Brazilian capoeira. As such, Coco's vinyasa classes are energetic, challenging, and thoughtful with creative sequences and precise alignment cues. Her genuine interest for working with people along with her bright personality shines through in Coco’s teaching.

Eileen O'Sullivan

Eileen has been practicing yoga for over 15 years, she found herself hooked during her first years of practice and has been a dedicated student ever since. Deeply inspired by the grace, strength and serenity cultivated by yoga asana and breath, she likens to evoke the same in her classes. She was first certified in 1999 with the White Lotus Foundation, and began to advance her training as her practice matured. She is greatly influenced by her studies of ashtanga yoga with Richard Freeman and yin yoga with Sarah Powers, and in 2007 completed a yearlong study of yoga anatomy with Leslie Kaminoff at The Breathing Project. Registered with Yoga Alliance (E-RYT), Eileen teaches vinyasa, yin and ashtanga classes in the local area. Grateful for all her generous and knowledgeable teachers, she finds the wonder and joy in practicing and teaching both a passion and a blessing in her life.

Erica Arce

Jessica Namit

Jessica first discovered yoga as a teenager and has been a dedicated student ever since. She is a Yoga Alliance registered teacher, having graduated from the Bright Spirit Teacher Training program. A few of the reasons why Jessica practices yoga are to reduce stress, to complement her running, and to prepare for meditation. She appreciates that everyone has their own unique motivations for practicing yoga, which is why it is her intention to create a safe and supportive environment where students can discover the wonderful benefits of yoga for themselves. Jessica’s teaching style is thoughtful and calming, and her soothing voice allows students to turn inward and really focus on how each pose resonates within their own body. Jessica first discovered yoga as a teenager and has been a dedicated student ever since. She is a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher and registered prenatal yoga teacher as well as CPR/AED certified. She is grateful for the opportunity to share yoga with her students. Her website is www.jessicanamit.com.

Jillian Fiore

Jillian completed her 200-hour training at Devotion Yoga. Believing in the healing power of mind-body work, she continue training with Jillian Pransky with an additional 65+ hours of yoga education in Restorative and Therapeutic style teaching. Jillian continues to learn from yoga how to bring lightness, playfulness, and the ability to laugh at herself to her practice both on and off the mat, and hopes to bring that same sense to her students through fun, bright vinyasa flow classes; through the benefits of connecting body, mind, and breath, she believes yoga can provide the tools to be with whatever comes up in class and in life. Jillian tries to bring these practices to life at her full time job at a tech company in NYC, and strives to be a person who can improve the day of whomever she meets.

Joanne Silver

Joanne’s life changed the first time she stepped onto a yoga mat. She knew she had found a way of moving and being that could open her body, yet soothe her soul. She completed her yoga teacher training with Laughing Lotus Yoga Center in 2002. She has been teaching yoga ever since. The yoga practice has taught her that being flexible is often more a state of mind than a physical state of being. Never-the-less, she can now touch her toes with ease, and is living proof that with perseverance, and a lot of fun along the way, you can make life-long changes to your body and mind.Joanne studied restorative yoga with Judith Lasater. Her therapeutic training was with Cheri Clampett and Arturo Peal. She is certified in pre-natal yoga with Mary Barnes. Joanne studied Urban Zen with Rodney Yee and Colleen Saidman. Additionally, she completed her Reflexology training through the New York Open Center and her Reiki training with Mary Mallon.

Julie Pasqual

Julie Pasqual is a 500-hour RYT, having received her 200 hour certification with the Bright Spirit Teacher Training here at Devotion Yoga with Carrie Parker and Jillian Pransky, and her 300 hour certification at Yogamaya with Stacey Brass and Bryn Chrisman, with whom she continues to study. The path of Bhakti Yoga is central to her life and teachings, and she studies it's yogic philosophies regularly at The Bhakti Center in NYC with Kaustubha Das, Dhanudara Swami, Gyanasham Das, and other guest teachers there, as well as having traveled to India on pilgrimage. In her classes she tries to incorporate a vigorous, alignment focused physical practice with the open heartedness of Bhakti.

Kim Larkin

Kim earned her yoga certification from OM Yoga Center in NYC and her prenatal yoga certification from Janice Clarfield. She left her corporate job in the summer of 2007 and turned her weekend yoga teaching gig into a full time job. Always a student herself, Kim’s teaching is informed as much by her students as by her own studies. She enjoys going along for the ride as her students learn and grow and discover the joys of yoga for themselves. She is guided along the path by the thoughtful teachings of Margi Young, Genny Kapuler and Edward Jones. She feels privileged to be a part of the Devotion Yoga community, and is thankful to Liza Bertini for creating such a nurturing and supportive atmosphere for both students and teachers.

Kimberleigh Weiss-Lewitt

Kimberleigh is known for her thoughtful and caring approach to teaching yoga to pregnant women and everyone else. Her goal is always to guide her students to make their practice their own and to take yoga off the mat and into their lives. Kim has been teaching yoga for close to a decade with her initial 200-hour certification from Lotus Gardens. She has nearly completed her 500-hour training with Laughing Lotus in NYC and holds a certification in prenatal yoga from Yoga Haven. Kim is an active volunteer both with Le Leche League in Hoboken and Liberation Prison Yoga where she serves pregnant women and new mothers at Rikers Island Jail. In addition to teaching prenatal yoga to many women in our community, she is honored to attend births as a birth doula-- always so thrilled to witness how yoga and mindfulness can make a profound difference at such an important time!

Kristie Marciniak

After earning her 200 hour certification from Bright Spirit Teacher Training in 2012, Kristie became an apprentice at Devotion Yoga under the guidance of her mentor Julie Pasqual. In March of 2014 Kristie became Pre-Natal Certified under the teachings of Carrie Parker Gastelu. Kristie feels that not only do the practitioners of yoga learn from their teacher, but that as a teacher, you learn so much from your students. Through her yoga practice, Kristie has brought a calmer, more relaxed outlook to her daily life.

Laurie Goldstein

Laurie has has been sharing the gift of Dharma with students for ten years. She is a certified teacher of ISHTA Yoga: the Integrated Science of Hatha, Tantra , and Ayurveda. Continuing studies in various traditions inform her work and her own explorations in movement are at the heart of her practice and teaching. She is a registered teacher of Yoga Alliance (at the highest level of certification) and a Level III Certified Radiant Child Yoga Instructor.

Laurie’s creatively sequenced classes are guided in an ever-evolving organic flow seeking to restore the body’s natural alignment and the fullness of the breath. She consciously creates a sacred space for practitioners to calm the waves of the mind and honor guidance from within, while her one-on-one work provides clients with the tools they need to live more comfortably in their bodies on and off the mat. Proceeds donated from her monthly candle-lit, live music-filled Moon Flow & Glow Gatherings have provided thousands of dollars to numerous local causes. Her life and work are rooted in her studies of Dharma through the Asian Classics Institute and the Yoga Studies Institute. She has been featured as a yoga instructor for Yoga Weekends at New Age Health Spa. She is currently studying harmonium and receiving private vocal instruction through the Kalavant Center for Music and Dance. Her wholehearted dedication to promoting the overall well-being of her clients is undeniable and her love for what she does infuses every aspect of her work.

Maja Sidebaeck

Maja first discovered yoga in her hometown of Stockholm, Sweden in the early nineties. From the sense of clarity, balance and openness the practice of yoga brought her, she knew immediately that she wanted yoga to be part of her life. Through the years her love for yoga has only grown and she has been teaching since 2006. She is primarily trained at the renowned OM Yoga center with Cyndi Lee where she completed both her 200 and 500 hr certification. She has also completed the Relax and Renew, restorative teacher training with Judith Hanson Lasater and studied Breath centered yoga anatomy with Leslie Kaminoff. Among her other teachers are Alison West and Shiva Rea.

Her classes combine a mindful vinyasa flow steeped in yoga philosophy with attention to alignment and the transforming power of the breath. As a new resident of Hoboken she is excited to join the Devotion teaching staff!

Sarah Anfora

Sarah wants to guide the awakening of the soul by using inspiring material; encouraging and allowing the growth and creativity of the Self. Aside from being a 200-hour RYT, Sarah is an actor and singer with a strong commitment to serving others. Sarah came to yoga as a way to compliment her dance training, and, like so many others, quickly learned she had embarked on a life-changing path. A perpetual student, Sarah was drawn to be a yoga teacher as she was finishing up her M.F.A. from the Actors Studio Drama School. The universe's gift of her harmonium has led Sarah to the practice of chanting, which she brings into her classes.

Sarah received her 200-hour certification from Bright Spirit Teacher Training. Then she became an Apprentice at Devotion Yoga with Julie Pasqual serving as her mentor. She will soon be certified by Toni Bergins as a teacher of Journey Dance. This January Sarah will be starting her 500-hour certification at Kripalu.

Sarah Bond

Sarah C. Bond is a Nutrition and Health Counselor with a growing private practice in Hoboken, NJ where she is a resident. She has been an avid student of health and nutrition most of her adult life and her formal education includes the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York City, The Natural Gourmet Cooking School in New York City and a B.A. from Rowan University, Glassboro NJ. Sarah specializes in nutrition and health for young active adults, the connection between mood and food and deconstructing food cravings. In her practice Sarah works with clients to empower them to make food and lifestyle choices to create a healthier life. She assists them in achieving their highest potential by providing a competent, supportive one-on-one relationship. As a yoga instructor she is able to complete the mind, body, spirit connection necessary in keeping balance and harmony in life. Sarah’s love of travel and wellness has inspired her to be a Co-Founder of One Hundred Skies Yoga Adventures where she is enjoying planning and offering retreats for others to find more balance in their lives. For more information about Sarah visit www.hints4life.net.

Shannon O'Connor

Shannon’s love of yoga began more than a decade ago in Hoboken, New Jersey. Shannon completed her 200-hour certification for Yoga Alliance through the Bright Spirit Teacher Training program at Devotion Yoga LLC with mentors Patrick Franco, Liza Bertini, and Carrie Parker-Gastelu, and is also prenatal certified through BabyMoon Prenatal Yoga. Working a full-time finance job in New York during the day, her yoga practice allows her to relieve stress, quiet the mind, and find space within her body and heart. Shannon strives to provide her students with an invigorating class and also a space to find stillness in the mind. She spends a lot of time crafting the perfect playlist for each class, pairing the flow of the class with each song. Shannon completed her Stand Up Paddle (“SUP”) Yoga certification through Bliss Paddle Yoga© under the tutelage of Taylor Chaput and Amy Wyman. Combining her love of the ocean with her appreciation for yoga, SUP Yoga has allowed her to express herself in a more gentle way, inviting nature and the tranquility of being on the water to guide the movement. She is grateful for the opportunity to educate others and to share her love of asana and yoga philosophy. Shannon feels privileged to teach what she enjoys most and also strives to remain a perpetual student. Visit her website at www.dwellinyoga.com.

Tam Terry

Tam Terry, E-RYT completed her 200 hour certification for Yoga Alliance through the Bright Spirit Teacher Training program with mentors Jillian Pransky and Carrie Parker-Gastelu in 2002. She is also certified in the practice, theory and teaching of Restorative Yoga by Judith Hanson Lasater and through Yoga Works in New York. In addition to continuing her own education, Tam has assisted the Bright Spirit Teacher Training program since 2004. She is known for her warm, nurturing presence and offers a heart-centered, breath based practice in which students are given the space to discover their connection to the peace that resides within.