About It's Yoga-Cincinnati

Teachers and Directors Bios

Indu Bala Bhardwaj, E RYT 500, Program Director and Co-Owner
Indu has 38 years experience in teaching and living the yoga lifestyle. She began studying yoga with Swami Satchidananda while attending the American Musical & Dramatic Academy and the International Dance School in New York City. She deepened her studies of Yoga Philosophy and Sanskrit for 22 years with her Indian Guru and Sanskrit scholar, the Late Yogi Raj Sharma, Shastri. She continues her Sanskrit studies at the American Sanskrit Institute with Vyaas Huston.

Indu was one of the first yoga teachers in the country to receive the highest registration level of the National Yoga Alliance (ERYT 500). She completed her 500-hour certification in Hatha Yoga from Integral Yoga and has additional certifications in Ashtanga, Raja Yoga, Cardiac Yoga, Multiple Sclerosis Yoga, Yin Yoga and Pilates. She also has extensive experience with Fibromyalgia/Chronic Fatigue and Senior Care yoga. A graduate of the Canadian College of Massage and Hydro Therapy, Indu's experiences as a Licensed Massage Therapist help her bring the benefits of yoga to those with limited mobility.

Co-Chairman of Cincinnati Yoga Teachers Association for two years, Indu co-founded two of Cincinnati's first yoga schools, Cincinnati Yoga School and It's Yoga Cincinnati. Under her leadership, It's Yoga was acknowledged by the National Yoga Alliance as Cincinnati's first Registered Yoga School (RYS) and the first Registered Yoga Teacher Training Program (RYT) in Ohio. Her mentors are Larry Schultz (It's Yoga), Richard Freedman (Ashtanga), Paul Grilley (Yin Yoga), and Eric Schiffman (Vinyasa).

With her experience as a professional ballet dancer, Indu brings a love of movement, meditation and breath to the yoga flow. Her preferred teaching style is facilitating a balance between the flow of Vinyasa with Hatha alignment techniques. She encourages surrender of effort to the breath, leading to a moving meditation. Her teaching philosophy is, "Work smarter not harder". Email:itsyogaindu@earthlink.net

Mike Burgasser, RYT began his yoga practice in 1996, studying with Vickie Russell. He began his teaching practice in 1998. In 2000, he completed his ashtanga yoga teacher certification with Larry Schultz of It's Yoga in San Francisco, CA. Mike has taught yoga for several local organizations, including the Art Academy of Cincinnati, AT&T, Cincinnati Enquirer, and Ethicon Endosurgery. In addition to teaching yoga he has worked for a number of years as a personal fitness trainer, a corporate fitness program manager and a cardiac rehabilitation program exercise physiologist. He earned a BA in Psychology in 1978, and M.Ed. in Health Education in 1988. Mike is also one of the founders of the It's Yoga-Cincinnati. While he has had the good fortune to study with many teachers, it was Vickie Russell that inspired his love of yoga and Larry Schultz that awakened has passion for teaching. Tim Miller and Paul Grilley were also influential teachers. Mike has a playful attitude and likes to challenge his students. In addition to teaching yoga, he also is a Thai Yoga Therapist. Email: itsyogamike@earthlink.net

Anele is a certified Ashtanga & Hatha yoga teacher, receiving her training and 200 hour certification from It's Yoga-Cincinnati. Why practice yoga? It's not just about keeping the body healthy.... It's about bringing joy into you life. Anele's class emphasis is on integrating the physical benefits of the asanas as well as the space to come to a truer realization of the self. The practice of compassion for oneself is a must in her classes. Every chance she gets to further her knowledge on yoga asana, meditation, spiritual healing, & health.... plane, train, or by foot, she's there. Anele is eternally grateful to all of her teachers, especially for the guidance of Paramahamsa Prajnanananda. "To Gurus, Gods, & Teachers, I humbly bow."

Alexandra began practicing yoga at Moksha yoga in Montreal as an attempt to keep warm in the winter months while pursuing her BA in Environment at McGill University . After a month of daily classes she developed an addiction to her daily practice and that's where her personal journey into the world of Asana began. When she moved home to Northern Kentucky in 2008 and began attending It's Yoga she felt an immediate sense of comfort and appreciation for the teachers there. She was inspired to learn more about Ashtanga yoga and her personal practice through the teacher training. She received her training and 200 hour certification from It's Yoga. After subbing a few classes she realized teaching was a wonderful way to help others listen to their bodies and learn more about her personal practice.

She believes that yoga will bring a person in tune with their environment by strengthening energy awareness and this will lead to better decisions for your personal health. Alexandra has a keen interest in the association between a person's physical environment and human health. She is a strong proponent of living/acting locally while listening globally to learn how to live the best life possible by creating strong healthy communities. She hopes to help people through health promotion and is working towards creating a life where people are empowered to help themselves by listening to their bodies and learning from their communities.

Alexandra encourages students to overcome the fear of a pose by just giving it a shot, one step at a time. Her classes challenge each person to work at their own capabilities and acknowledge their limits.

Cindy took her first yoga class when she was twelve. She was certified to teach therapeutic hatha yoga through Integrative Yoga Therapy in 1998, and later completed 500 hours of study with IYT. Recently, Cindy deepened her love of Ashtanga yoga by completing the Yoga Teacher Training at It's Yoga, and she is working toward the Intermediate/Advanced certification at It's Yoga. Cindy is also a psychotherapist with an office in Mt. Lookout.

Jon is a certified Ashtanga Yoga instructor, receiving his training and 200 hour certification from It's Yoga-Cincinnati.

Kurt Mathys, RYT-200, M.A.
Kurt has studied yoga and has lived the yoga lifestyle for 13 years. He trained in Kripalu Yoga, Integral Yoga, Hatha, and Vinyasa Krama, and is one of the few who have mastered the First, Second, and Third Series of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga. A Registered Certified Yoga Teacher, Kurt is dedicated to yoga philosophy and Sanskrit.

Kurt follows a daily practice of Asanas, Yogic Breathing Techniques (Pranayama), Meditation and Chanting. He teaches It's Yoga's weekly Meditation Class and meditation/pranayama for the Yoga Teacher Training Programs. Also Kurt is a regular substitute teacher for advanced yoga classes at It's Yoga. His mentors are Indubala Bhardwaj, David Swenson, Vicky Sorenson and Srivatsa Ramaswamy (Vinyasa Krama).

Kurt's teaching philosophy is to have fun and be open to challenges during weekly studio classes. He strongly encourages students to develop a personal daily home practice.

Lori is a certified Ashtanga Yoga instructor, receiving her training and 200 hour certification from It's Yoga-Cincinnati.

Michelle was born and raised in Taiwan. She followed her mother's path of living a healthy lifestyle. Michelle enjoys nature and feels the energy of all creation. She is a practiced Christian and strongly believes the body is the temple of God. In her teaching, she focuses on the balance of Yin and Yang and encourages the students to feel the healing effect from the practice, both physically and emotionally.
She received her 200-hour certification from It's Yoga-Cincinnati. She will be finishing her 500-hour RYT training in September 2011. is a certified Ashtanga Yoga instructor, receiving her training and 200 hour certification from It's Yoga-Cincinnati.

Rebecca grew up in the arts. She is a graduate of the School for Creative and Performing Arts. Rebecca has continued her studies in movement at Nosara Yoga Institute in Nosara, Costa Rica with a Masters in Interdisciplinary Yoga. She also received her Pranassage Practitioner training thru Nosara. Rebecca is a student of Balance Body University studying under Nico Fitness for continuing education in Pilates. Nimble Arts is Rebecca's home base for her aerial silks training. Rebecca enjoys traveling around with her aerial silks for where ever they may find a place to hang. Her favorite silks experience was sharing the space with a tree in a horse pasture in Tenorio, Costa Rica for community performance. Working with nature's environment, wind, birds, uneven ground, is always full of fun and surprises. If there is nowhere to hang her silks you may find her performing or unwinding thru yoga/dance/acrobats on the Pilate's Reformer equipment at Mercy HealthPlex in Fairfield, OH.
She was apart of Cincinnati's very first Fringe Festival with Colleen McCarty from Moving Art Dance Company. Rebecca choreographed with Holly Price for Fringe for the show "All" where they incorporated aerial and modern dance. Rebecca also composed the music for "All." She attended 2 Fringe Festivals in aerial dance under Jeremy Millsaps from Jamming Talent Productions. Rebecca has been accepted twice in Choreographers Without Companies presented by the Contemporary Dance Theatre. Rebecca worked for the Contemporary Dance Theatre for 6yrs teaching a fusion of dance/yoga/pilate's. She has recently brought a new type of yoga to It's Yoga called Udharma Yoga/Uplifted Yoga It's Yoga will be Cincinnati's first studio to offer a group aerial yoga class. Rebecca is a musician with Destiny-N- August they compose and record their own music for music meditations or what ever inspires them. Rebecca found Circus Mojo in need of a new home to train and hang her silks, along with that she found that hidden memory of roller skating as child. She looks forward to her future with Circus Mojo.

Rini was born and raised in Rajasthn India. She has been practicing yoga since the age of 13. Rini is a certified Ashtanga Yoga instructor, receiving her training and 200 hour certification from It's Yoga-Cincinnati. Ever since she has got married life's journey has taken her to many places such as South America and Europe. As a result learnt that Yoga is not just about poses but a lifestyle which helped her learn to appreciate the commonalities in different cultures.

Christina "Sunshine" Celesti is a strong proponent of finding your own way through the teachings of many. She has been learning creative approaches towards life and health, and teaching what she's picked up to all who are receptive. Cultivating a personal yoga practice for nearly 10 years and teaching several styles of movement for 7 years, she continues to study the human body and how it fits into this world of constant change.

A free spirit with a strong ethical bent, Sunshine is always attempting to harness joy in her own life and teaching, and also with her students. She challenges her students to look inward to their own blockages and strong points. Thoroughly trained in pilates from Chicago-based Power Pilates and certified in over 200 RYT hours of Ashtanga yoga from It's Yoga-Cincinnati, and 60 RYT hours of Paul Grilley's physical and subtle anatomy and yin yoga, Sunshine is well versed in various aspects of movement. A passionate and garrulous woman, she's always attempting to turn a menacing bolt of lightning into a beacon of light for those who cannot see.

Shalini, RYT started practicing yoga in 1989 and starting teaching in 1990. She has studied yoga with world renowned teacher John Friend since 1992 and she teaches the Anusara style yoga that he established. This is a unique system of hatha yoga which blends precise body alignment and actions with a focus on the heart and an open attitude. Shalini also works with yoga therapeutically to help with specific physical challenges. She is a certified Anusara instructor.

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