"Jill Murphey, the owner of YogaErie LLC, discovered yoga years ago, but it wasn’t until after the birth of her fourth son that she dedicated herself to the practice. Yoga has transformed her life and she enjoys sharing her passion for the practice with everyone around her. Jill completed her 200 hour teacher training program through YogaFit, a Yoga Alliance approved school, in March of 2009. In 2010, Jill furthered her yoga education and training with Amazing Yoga in Pittsburgh lead by Karen and Sean Conley, completing the Level One power vinyasa yoga teacher training.

Jill teaches a vinyasa style of yoga, focusing on flow, strength, grace and power, while at the same time encouraging students to respect their bodies. Her classes are challenging but she is able to offer modifications so that each student is comfortable and confident in each posture. The true gift of yoga is when a student’s light shines through, and Jill is honored to be a part of that journey. Through yogaErie, Jill is able to share her passion with others in the hope that they too will find themselves transformed by the power of yoga."

"Amy Karlein Griffith returns to Erie after 10 years in Philadelphia, PA and New York City. Upon obtaining her B.F.A. in Dance Performance from The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA, she moved to New York. While living there, Amy performed as a Radio City Rockette for three seasons, and in productions of “42nd St", “Spamalot” and “Barnum”. Being a dancer her whole life, Amy has a thorough understanding of the body and how it moves. This inspired her to develop a disciplined yoga practice and become a certified yoga instructor. Amy completed her certifications through Sonic Yoga (200 hours) and The Prenatal Yoga Center (60 hours) both in New York City. Her vinyasa classes flow with creativity and focus on proper alignment. The foundation postures of yoga are well incorporated into every class. Safely learning inversions is also a priority. When the time is right, Amy loves celebrating a student’s first headstand or backbend! Amy truly loves teaching and guiding students through their journey and constant practice that is yoga. "

"Soña is a Yoga Instructor, Reiki Practitioner, Holistic Life Coach, music and dance enthusiast, and Artist. Her love for yoga comes from her own deep personal transformation; healing decade old injuries from a near fatal car accident, weight loss, liberation of depression and anxiety, and an awakening to her truth (Satya). She now devotes her life to sharing the wisdom of self-healing with others, believing fully that we all have the deep rooted capacity to take charge of our destiny, heal ourselves, and invoke lasting personal transformation in our lives.

Trained in Kripalu based philosophy, Soña coaches with a compassion for all, sharing her knowledge creatively to inspire and awaken students to the transformative power of yoga and a holistic lifestyle. She studied nutrition for two years at Northern Arizona University before moving to San Diego, CA to pursue her Bachelor of Science in Business Management. Soña began to experience the healing energy of yoga as a student of Bhava Ram, practicing daily at Ginseng Yoga. A graduate of Mt. Nittany Institute of Natural Health in State College, PA, Soña is a Registered Yoga Instructor at the 200 hour level.

Ultimately Soña guides her students to lifting Yoga up from their mats and bringing it fully into their lives, enjoying the brilliance of the present moment"

"Heather Celio found yoga while searching for the next great workout. Surprised by how yoga transformed the way she felt about all areas of her life, a healthy addiction was born. Yoga is her passion and Heather believes that yoga is not just what happens on your mat but a lifestyle that brings a sense of peace to all you do.
Heather completed the Level One (100 hours) Teacher Training in Power Vinyasa at Amazing Yoga in April of 2010. A resident of Erie, she received a degree in Early Childhood Education from Edinboro University and is the Childcare Director at the Downtown YMCA.
Heather is excited to share her energy and practice and is honored to have the opportunity to teach at yogaErie."

"Stacey’s journey with yoga began when she moved from her hometown of Los Angeles to the east coast. Desperate for a cure for her first experience with the “winter blues,” she stumbled into a hot yoga studio and took her first power yoga class. She was instantly hooked, and through a consistent practice, was well aware of the personal transformation that yoga can offer. Since then, Stacey has studied with several teachers in Boston and Portland within different styles of yoga, including vinyasa flow, ashtanga yoga, anusara yoga, and classical hatha yoga. Stacey completed her 200-hour yoga teacher training certification at the Expanding Light Center in California, where she lived at the Ananda ashram and studied hatha yoga, yoga philosophy, and meditation. Upon completing her program, Stacey moved outside of Erie, Pennsylvania, where she teaches yoga and manages her husband’s music business. Stacey also has a master’s degree in social work from UCLA, and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Kansas. Her background in social work and yoga stem from a genuine desire to help others and to promote healing, a sense of community, and peace… one breath at a time."

"Katie began taking yoga classes at a local gym as a way to stretch and relax after her workouts. After surgeries and a foot injury left her unable to do most of her fitness classes, yoga became her focus to stay in shape. After a couple visits to an Iyengar studio in Ohio she realized yoga was a true passion and began a dedicated practice. Katie loves taking workshops and sharing what she has learned with her students. She completed YogaFit level 1 teacher training in 2011.

Katie teaches an Iyengar-inspired class focused on longer holds of postures, demonstrations, individual adjustments, modifications and an emphasis on alignment and use of props."

"Jennifer Wedzik has always been an athlete, playing basketball and running track for Villa Maria Academy. She wanted a career where she could help people and use her background in health and fitness and in 2007, she earned her Certified Personal Trainer Certification through the National Academy of Sports Medicine. Jennifer worked in Hollywood, CA training high profile clients in the film and music industry and while her time there was a great experience, she missed “real life”. She moved back to Erie in 2009 and was a trainer at Best Fitness for 2 ½ years. She specializes in training females, clients with large weight loss goals, athletes, and pre/postnatal clientele. Jennifer fell in love with yoga when she lived in California and completed her Yogafit level 1 teacher training in 2011 and will be completing other Yogafit training courses this year."

"Pat’s first experience with yoga was in modern dance classes and workshops. But she soon found herself logging fewer hours in the dance studio as she focused more time and attention on her yoga practice. While Pat’s first teacher trainings were in the Ashtanga style, she ended up doing her 200 hour teacher training in Hatha Yoga with Donna Dyer at Yoga H’om, a Yoga Alliance registered school. Just last year Pat finished her 500 hour advanced teacher training, again at Yoga H’om. Currently, she is studying Anusara yoga, an alignment and heart-centered practice that celebrates and honors the unique differences of each individual. Her studies in Anusara are reflected in her teaching style. A long time fitness enthusiast, Pat is also a indoor cycling and dance aerobics instructor. She is a full-time high school Spanish teacher as well.

Expect the unexpected in Pat’s classes. The format does not always follow classical yoga class sequencing. Progression toward backbends, arm balances, and inversions will be included in each class. Often the class builds around a theme and moves toward a pinnacle pose. Pat aspires to encourage each student to go as deeply as they want to go while maintaining optimal alignment."