INSTRUCTORS

John
Barboni

500 RYT, John has been a practitioner of the Atmananda Yoga Sequence under Jhon T’s direction for 10 years. John draws on a diverse background of yoga and professional experience. John turned to yoga to open his body, protect his joints, and balance the stress of his professional career in New York City. John’s classes focus on balancing external strength, flexibility and alignment with internal self-study, pranayama breath control, yoga philosophy, meditation, and vedic chanting.

Kristen
Hwang

500 RYT, Prenatal Yoga Teacher

Founder of Happygirl Yoga Born and raised in Seoul, South Korea, Kristen is a passionate, intuitive and motivated yoga teacher, specializing in an athletic-style Vinyasa and meditation. Kristen’s love for yoga grew during her early corporate years working in TV production to find solace from the high-level stress and long hours. From there, the hobby grew to a passion, and the passion grew to a lifestyle change. During this transformational journey, Kristen came to discover true happiness from within through self care, finding inner joy through the experience of leading a healthy and meaningful life. It is through this realization that motivated her to launch HappygirlYoga.com, with the intention to connect, empower, and motivate all women to shift their focus within themselves to live the best life possible.

Neha Sharma

Full of active energy and the constant need for creative movement, Neha was drawn to dance and athletics at a very young age. Her dancer mother instilled the values of classical dance intertwined with knowledge of yoga when she was just a little girl. It wasn’t until years later when she sought out relief for personal injuries, anxiety, depression, and insomnia through yoga, that she started to understand the pure holistically healing benefits of this life-changing practice. Coming from a traditional healthcare background, Neha understands how individuals in today’s modern society are affected by a variety of mental stress factors, preventable diseases, and chronic illnesses. Her mission is to connect with her students while guiding them to heal and explore their own bodies, minds, and souls through an authentic practice. While each student’s individual yoga journey is unique, she cultivates an inclusive, welcoming space for students of all levels and backgrounds. She describes yoga as “the diving board into an endless pool of awareness, self-discovery, and staircase to higher consciousness.” When she isn’t on the mat or in the studios, Neha pursues a career in public health and behavioral health, aiming to bridge the gap between modern western medicine and “alternative” eastern medicine modalities. After completing her 200 hour training in Rishikesh, India with master yogis and her 500 hour training at Atmananda Yoga Sequence under Jhon T., Neha currently teaches at numerous studios throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn as an RYT-500, meditation coach, and Reiki II practitioner with a deep-rooted passion for holistic health and wellness through integrated movement and breath.

Jhon Tamayo

Founder

Jhon Tamayo was born in 1967 in the south of Colombia. At the young age of 13, he left home in search of his true self. Jhon began traveling throughout South America, where he had the opportunity to meet and embrace countless people, with whom his experiences would later prove to be pivotal in his journey to discover a deeper understanding of life in a raw, organic form. Jhon created the Atmananda Yoga Sequence after he saw many yoga students in New York City injuring themselves, and realized that this was a result of other various yoga styles paying little attention to alignment in their teachings. He created the sequence in such a way that equips yoga practitioners with the tools they need to become more conscious about which movements may be the source of their aches and pains, and learn how to adjust their practice in order to prevent future injuries. The word Atma means ‘self’, and the word Ananda means ‘bliss’. No one has the power to give you bliss, only you can elevate yourself to total self­ bliss.

Sarah Giordano

With over 15 years of yoga experience Sarah continues to study a variety of yoga techniques (including vinyasa, kundalini, tantra, and yoga therapy) as well as pilates, gyrotonics, and dance. The primary focus in her yoga classes is to guide her students through asanas to help them gain flexibility, improve posture, reduce chronic aches and pains, and improve muscle tone. Sarah is also a registered nurse working in an Emergency Department in downtown NYC. Her background in both western and eastern approaches to wellness create a holistic approach to the body. Sarah continues to be drawn towards a lifelong journey of learning which she hopes to inspire in our teacher trainees at Atmananda.

Bryan
D’Alessandro

Bryan’s teaching style is all about connecting and playing with energy. A life-long learner, he’s always seeking new tools to integrate mind, body, and spirit. Classes draw on disciplines ranging from Vinyasa, Ashtanga, and Kundalini yoga, Martial Arts (Aikido), and Meditation, with a focus on form and flow. Expect to go inward, go deep, and to connect with your center.

Navah
D’Alessandro

Navah D’Alessandro, 200 RYT, has been practicing yoga for over 20 years, studying under many great masters around the world from Bali to Costa Rica and of course her home base in NYC. With over a decade in the fashion industry, buying for luxury retailer Barneys New York and Manhattan institution ABC Carpet & Home-it was after a 3 day Paris buying trip packed with 22 meetings and 3 fashion shows-that she realized-just because you can doesn’t mean you should. Taking a leap, she pursued her certification as a yoga teacher. Yoga was the gift she gave herself, the moments on the mat allowed for space and love to come in to the frenetic life of NYC. It is this gift that she shares with her clients. Yoga is not an escape, but rather and integration-allowing for new possibilities, new realities to emerge. From private clients to group classes, the focus is on bringing the individual back to themselves. Navah trained under Jhon Tamayo of Atmananda in NYC. This training, which is imbued in each of her classes, has a foundation based on breath and alignment-ensuring clients challenge themselves from a safe & empowered place, allowing for a lifetime of yoga practice. Give yourself the gift of yoga and be reminded that you are the gift…Namaste.

Megan
Vaccaro

Megan Vaccaro is a 500hr certified yoga instructor. While studying acting at NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Megan was introduced to meditation, breathing, and movement exercises that led her to discover the healing powers of yoga. Now, she is deeply honored to guide and facilitate others through their own yoga practice. In addition to instructing yoga, Megan is an aspiring Occupational Therapist. After finishing her Masters program, she seeks to use mind-body techniques to help others live  their most fulfilling, well-rounded, and healthy lives, both in and out of the yoga studio.

Danielle
Slot

Danielle is a 500hr Certified Yoga Teacher trained at Atmananda Yoga Studio in NYC. She is also a Level 2 Reiki Practitioner. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Alma College where she studied acting, music and psychology and has done Drama and Music therapy at the Center for the Jewish Elderly in Chicago. Danielle will be certified as a Prenatal Yoga Instructor and Leader of Women’s Circles in 2018.

Emma
Simon

Emma Simon is a NYC based actor, singer, and teaching artist originally from Poughkeepsie, NY. She completed her 200 hr yoga teacher certification at Atmananda Yoga Sequence and immediately began teaching at the studio and incorporating elements of her training into her theater classroom. Yoga has helped her to achieve balance and strength in all aspects of her life and she is so excited to share this joy with the community. Outside of the yoga studio, Emma is passionate about traveling the world, spending time outdoors, and enjoying the beautiful community of people she has surrounded herself with in New York City.

Noel
Barrott

My name is Noel aka Sonny. I received my 200 hour certification from atmanada yoga after 5yrs of practicing yoga. My background is dance as a performer and dance fitness instructor. My general love for the body and its health has led me to go deeper into yoga, in order to protect my joints, increase flexibility and strengthen my spine, while lowering stress. Noel’s classes focuses on mindfulness, listening to your individual body. I teach Thursdays candle lit. Class which is a mix of vinyasa at a slower pace and some restorative poses to relax the body and release the daily build up of daily tension.

Christina
Acosta

Christina found yoga through her first love dance. She wanted to find a way to calm the mind and understand the importance of the mind-body connection. After exploring yoga for over a year she felt it was her calling to be apart of such a community. It has been part of her purpose to inspire others to follow their purpose through yoga.

Victoria
Krupnik

I am 500 hr certified, teaching for 5 years, including training to-be yoga instructors. I am also a math teacher and math coach for teachers. I also a PhD student. I bring the theoretical part of learning and cognition from my PhD to teaching yoga – that teaching is not just transmitting knowledge to students, but it requires hands-on, workshop experiences, trial and error, discussions and follow ups, etc. I am experienced with teaching private clients with injuries, clients with less mobility such as older or overweight people, and clients that want to complement their accupunture and other alternative methods of healing with safe, joint-preserving, rigourous yoga. I am very technical, but to the point that it is practical for students.

Pam
Leung

Pam was born and raised in London and started practicing yoga in 2007 as a way of relieving stress in the demanding fashion industry. Having been trained as a dancer in her early years, she was drawn by the physicality of yoga and soon realized there was so much more. In 2008 she found her teacher Sri Dharma Mittra and moved to NYC to train under him. Since then she has completed the 200hr, 500hr, 800hr teacher trainings and feels very privileged to share the teachings of Yoga. Pam’s passion is in developing sequences that are both challenging yet meditative. She encourages all students to have a steady and complete practice so that they can settle the mind and realize the Divine Self within. Pam has also studied with Dr Naina Marballi and Dr Vasant Lad in New Mexico. She is a certified Ayurvedic Counselor with a passion for Marma Therapy and Ayurvedic cooking.

Kelsey
Madsen

Kelsey is a singer/dancer who feels blessed to be a part of the Atmananda community after training at the studio. She is thankful to be on a path of knowing inner peace, learning to understand the connectivity of life and sharing that learning with others.

Elbert
Ma

Elbert has been a student of yoga since 2008 and is an RYT 500 hour yoga instructor. He is a certified running coach and nutritional health counselor with a degree in culinary arts. Elbert is passionate about all things fitness and nutrition, eager to share his knowledge and expertise with others. Elbert’s classes incorporate breathing techniques, yoga philosophy and of course dynamic movement in a safe and nurturing environment.

Laurel
Cummings

Laurel Cummings arrived in New York from Palm Beach, Florida 12 years ago and immediately fell in love with Pilates as a way to tone and treat neck and spine discomfort from a lifetime of Scoliosis. After studying Bikram in Silverlake, Los Angeles for its detoxification benefits, she returned to New York in 2014, where the intensity of the city redirected her study to Vinyasa Flow. She completed her 200 hr yoga teacher certification at Atmananda Yoga Sequence and was thrilled to see her Scoliosis correcting itself just a few weeks into the program. She began teaching shortly after, with a focus on Mindfulness, alleviating stress, and Consciousness in the present moment. When not on the mat, Laurel writes, produces, and performs comedy, and spends time with her dog, Griffin. She hates running.

Julia 
Como

Lola
Decunto

Lola is an Atmananda 500 hr certified yoga teacher with a huge heart and warm welcoming classes. She has found yoga on her path to discovering her True Self, and has reached a deep understanding of the Yoga philosophy and the asana practice. Her view of yoga goes beyond the asanas, and encourages students to continue their practice to ultimately reach a higher state of Self. She welcomes students of all levels, especially those who wish to deepen their practice. Lola’s Detox class is about helping our bodies regulate the digestive, circulatory and respiratory systems.

Lola
Decunto

Lola is an Atmananda 500 hr certified yoga teacher with a huge heart and warm welcoming classes. She has found yoga on her path to discovering her True Self, and has reached a deep understanding of the Yoga philosophy and the asana practice. Her view of yoga goes beyond the asanas, and encourages students to continue their practice to ultimately reach a higher state of Self. She welcomes students of all levels, especially those who wish to deepen their practice. Lola’s Detox class is about helping our bodies regulate the digestive, circulatory and respiratory systems.

Charlotte
Hovey

Charlotte has been practicing yoga on her own for about 8 years. She recently attained her 200-hour Yoga Teaching Certification from Atmananda Yoga in November of 2017. Yoga has always complemented her dance training and career. She has been performing professionally since high school with ballet companies, regional theatres, Busch Gardens-Williamsburg, and Disney Cruise Line. She practices and teaches yoga to connect her mind, body, and spirit in a perfect, peaceful balance and to help others do the same. In her classes you will work up a sweat, stretch out your body, and leave feeling alive and rejuvenated from head to toe.

Caitlin
Ross

After graduating from the University of Tampa with a degree in International Business and Entrepreneurship, Caitlin began a journey of self-healing and personal growth through yoga. She found true peace on the mat along with a strong sense of purpose and a passion to share this beautiful practice with others. Caitlin went on to train under Jhon Tomayo & Sarah Giordano at Atmananda Yoga Sequence HQ where she completed her 200 and 500-hour RYT certifications. She also attained a certification in Trauma Sensitive Yoga at Jamie Surya Yoga Studio. Caitlin now teaches Vinyasa flow style classes that incorporate a variety of different techniques (including Iyengar, Hatha, Ashtanga, and Ananda). In addition to teaching group classes, Caitlin works privately with a variety of people ranging from senior citizens to MMA fighters. She understands and appreciates that everybody (and every body) is different and hopes to help her students develop self-awareness and tools for self-improvement so that they can heal themselves. Caitlin also enjoys diving deeper into the art and science of yoga as a way of life. She guides teacher training workshops on self-awareness and authenticity and the 8 Limbs of Yoga. Caitlin’s classes are a mixture of studying and following the ‘rules’ while leaving enough room for creative exploration and self-discovery. She welcomes all students into her class with an open heart and mind and hopes each time you leave her class you feel a little better than when you walked in.

Valeria
Sassoon

Valeria was born and raised in Switzerland and moved to New York 4 years ago. In addition to taking care of her two toddlers, Valeria just completed her 200-Hour Certification at Atmananda and is now working towards her 500-Hour Certification at the studio. She started yoga a few years ago to work on her flexibility and relax her mind. Very quickly she recognized the benefits of yoga and it helped her discover her own body. If you’re the kind of person that says: “…but I can’t even touch my toes” – Valeria’s class is for you. Valeria believes anybody can have a sustainable practice, regardless of level and expertise. She will help you find what the ideal practice looks like for you.

Kim Wong

 Kim is a native New Yorker, Harrisite, Cal grad, attorney, and former long-distance runner who started seriously practicing yoga in 2011 to recover from illness and offset malaise and fatigue. She loves to teach! Embracing Jhon T’s carefully crafted methodology, she especially enjoys teaching alignment and modifications. She hopes to assist her students practice safely and achieve a few moments of calm, reflection, and vacation while remaining right here in the city. 500 Hr Certified. Follow Kimberly (and her puggle) on Instagram: @theGoobsterNY 

Amanbir

Amanbir is a kundalini yoga teacher, yoga therapist & licensed acupuncturist based in New York City. He offers a healing and fun approach to the ancient lineage of Kundalni Yoga. In each class Amanbir is known for bringing his sense of humor, music, and extensive knowledge of the healing field. Amanbir currently teaches his in-depth understanding of western physiology, eastern anatomy & astrology in various yoga and therapy trainings world wide. He teaches across the world and operates trainings back in the states and abroad. He has taught at many major yoga festivals including Sat Nam Fest, Yoga Journal conference, and Wanderlust. He has produced an album “Akal Groove” which captures his modern embrace of the ancient sound current to inspire and uplift others. He holds a Master of Science in Traditional Oriental Medicine and a Bachelor of Science in Engineering.

Tatiana
Forero
Puerta

Over the last decade, Tatiana Forero Puerta has worked in Comparative Religion and Philosophy in a variety of contexts—from the college classroom to the non-profit world, and into the yoga studio. She is a graduate of Stanford University, New York University, and has completed professional training programs at Columbia University, and IIN. Tatiana started studying yoga in 2003 and teaching yoga in 2008. Today, she is a 500hr Yoga Alliance Registered Teacher, greatly influenced by the Ashtanga and Iyengar traditions. Her teaching emphasizes alignment, breath work, introspection, and the relationship between movement and dharma. Tatiana also teaches yogic philosophy seminars and training that help students translate their experiences on the mat into transformation in their daily lives. Tatiana is especially interested in the use of yogic philosophy and psychology as a healing tool for emotional pain. An award-winning writer and columnist, a recipient of the 2017 Pushcart Prize, and a finalist for the Brutal Nation Prize for Writers of Color and the Auburn House Press Book Prize, Tatiana’s work can be found in New York Spirit Magazine, Park Slope Reader, Elephant Journal. She is the co-author of the book Religion and Psychology Research Progress, and the author of Truth, Language, and Possibility. She is currently working on her second book which delves deeply into the philosophy of yoga and its power to heal emotional suffering. For more information, you can visit her website: www.TatianaYoga.com

Thomas
Miller

Thomas has always loved languages and began learning Italian from neighbors when Thomas was 12 years old. Thomas studied French and Latin in High School and then French, Latin and Greek in College and Graduate School. Thomas has taught Greek and Latin at the university level. Later, Thomas got a Master Degree in Linguistics and became a trainer of foreign and second language teachers. Thomas also taught English as a second Language. After meeting his guru in 1982, Thomas became interested in Sanskrit and have been chanting and studying and reading it ever since. Thomas introduces learners to Sanskrit as a fabric of living sound and Thomas brings his second language acquisition training to helping learners engage actively with the language.

Rosemane
Luma

Rose started yoga to help heal herself from a car accident. Little did she know it was going to transform her life. After 5 years of an on again off again relationship with yoga, she fully committed herself and became a yoga instructor in 2017. She learned so much about myself in those few weeks that she had more questions about who she really was more than ever and decided to take it to the next level and go for her 300hr certification to get to know herself on a deeper level. In her class you simply breathe through it all! She focus on the breathe because one thing she’s learned through her own person journey is if you can breathe through it you can get through it, so just breathe and let go.

Viktoriia

Laura Capito

 Bhakti yogi, Laura Capito is a passionate and heart-driven singing-yogini and teacher. Laura, a 500hr RYT through the Western Yoga College and Certified Sound Healing Practitioner, has cultivated her practice and teaching style through many different backgrounds. She began her journey as a young girl, who fell in love with the playfulness of body-moving, and kundalini as well as heat building, yang-encouraging Bikram yoga.

After moving out to California on her bicycle 3 years ago, Laura fell deeply and madly in love with Ashtanga yoga, finding its strength and sensitivity to be what she was missing. She continues to revel in that sensitivity, luxuriating in breath work, Yin yoga teachings, and serves as a certified sound healing practitioner. While in California, she birthed her baby, Spirit of Love Yoga, that still lives on today. She believes in giving loving, gentle but effective hands-on adjustments, to ensure sustainable form. As a classically trained opera singer, many of Laura’s classes involve chant, or sound therapy. She also leads Kirtan groups, offers private or group sound baths, and private yoga—building a practice that suits the needs of each individual on a mind, heart and body level. Laura is now back in NY to pursue her music career, and so blessed to be working with Atmananda. If she’s not belting show tunes, Verdi, or on her yoga mat, Laura is found cooking Ayurvedic-friendly dishes, serving as a music minister, or spending time with her beloved partner, Charlie.