Meaghan Zeoli started her journey of yoga seven years ago and has watched her life and the lives of others blossom. In 2006 she decided to share her love of yoga and under the guidance of Michael Johnson became a certified instructor with the Yoga Alliance. She believes that the benefits of yoga are universal transcending all ages. Meaghan has developed classes specific for teen and in 2008 became a Yoga Education teacher for grades K-8. She has studied at length with Mira Shati and the Venerable Lodsong Chukyi to deepen her study of yoga philosophy. Her wish is that all beings see the beauty inside of themselves and others. Be present to the world around you and you will find clarity.

Barbara Obrien is a  certified Group Fitness Instructor and Personal Trainer (ACE -American Council on Exercise.) At the age of 15, she began her career by teaching fitness classes to grade school students. She enjoys teaching fitness classes and helping students live healthy lifestyles.

 Barb firmly believes that everyone’s lifestyle should include daily exercise and good eating habits. Regular physical activity can help cope with stress, improve moods, and increase self-esteem. The better we take care of our bodies today, the better our bodies will treat us later. Physical activity is a must, and the benefits are simply endless.

 Barb attends fitness conferences and stays current with the latest trends in fitness and health. She is extremely excited to be part of the Fitness Staff at Sean Downey Yoga & Health Center.

Bruce McCallister RYT, yoga instructor,  having worked in retail sales for many years  became overweight and stressed-out. He had back pain, digestive problems as well as the start of an ulcer. One day, while looking at books on exercise, Bruce came across a book on Yoga. It said Yoga has been around for 5,000 years. Bruce started practicing the physical postures and noticed immediate results. He decided to get serious about his practice and signed up for and completed Michael Johnson's teacher's training. Bruce is excited about being a part of the Downey Yoga Studio and is committed to helping students attain their yoga and fitness goals.

Paula Cutcher-Jackson, RYT, yoga instructor, is a dedicated student and teacher of yoga. She is Jivamukti certified. Her sincere faith in the traditional methods of yoga guide her practice and teaching. In sharing yoga's  transformational promise, Paula wishes to provide space and inspiration, allowing students to discover new abilities and expand in infinite possibility. Paula is grateful and devoted to her teachers, Janaki Swalwell, Sharon Gannon and David Life for their great love and guidance.

Chris Hurd is the Pilates instructor. She took her training at Neita, and AFFA and  has been teaching Pilates, senior aerobics, and weight training in Romeo and Washington Twp.   Chris trains beginners and more advanced classes according to individuals skills. She has approximately a thousand  hours training her clients

Julia LaTorre, a 42 year old wife and mother of three, who resides in Lenox, Michigan, is a certified fitness trainer through the International Sports and Science Association and is also a certified specialist in Performance Nutrition.  In addition, Julia holds a certificate in Muscle Mastery and has most recently been certified as a Zumba instructor.
     "I was inspired with fitness at the age of 15.  I found at that young age, I loved the way a fit body looked.  I was hooked!"  Julia found the love of dance and studied ballet and jazz for the next 7 years.  "Best move I ever made," says Julia.  "I'm a better trainer because of it."  Personal training is one of Julia's passions.  Because of her strong commitment to fitness and her need to share it, Julia started her own personal training business known as Independently Fit. 
     Julia's dedication to health and fitness has been her motivation.  She has written many fitness articles and was quoted in the September, 2006 issue of Oprah Magazine in the article titled "Dropout's Fitness Plan."  Julia has partnered with the American Heart Association in the promotion of the "Go Red for Women Campaign" which helps to create awareness for women in regard to heart disease.  Her involvement in the American Heart Association's campaign was recently featured in the Macomb Daily newspaper.
     Julia's involvement in fitness inspired her to be a part of a nation wide search for fitness trainers for the reality show Fat March, which aired August, 2007 on ABC.  Out of thousands that auditioned for the show, Julia was one of the top ten finalists.  "I felt like a winner just knowing that," says Julia.
    Julia also has had the privilege to work with nationally know photographer Lisa Spindler, whose work as appeared in Health and Fitness magazine.  One of Julia's photo's was featured with the article "Reverse Sun Damage" in the spring/summer 2008 issue of
New Beauty magazine.
   

Tanis Redd, RYT  

Her life was changed in the summer of 1999, while searching for a low impact workout, when she began to practice yoga and realized that the direction of her life was not as it should be. With her newly found enthusiasm for yoga, she soon began teaching yoga at local community centers. She ventured into the yoga studios with a variety of teachers that continued to inspire her passion in yoga and further enriched her experience. These interactions lead her down a path to refine her yoga practices and teaching skills and from 2004-2005 she completed the Yoga Teacher Training Program at Updog Yoga of Rochester and is currently a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) through the Yoga Alliance.

In addition to yoga, Tanis has twenty years of experience in the automotive engineering industry. This experience working with technical precision and multi-discipline methodology she feels draws a parallel to yoga and has served as a firm foundation for which she has built her development of yoga practice and style of teaching upon.

Tanis believes yoga is a valuable tool that connects
breathing with movements allowing both the mind and body to remove stress and inspire well-being, experiencing “Meditation through the Art of Movement”, to further extend rejuvenation and relaxation to your daily life.

Michael Maniscalco is a licensed Professional Counselor and Certified Advanced Addiction Counselor with 25 years of experience helping people to develop stress reduction skills. In his work, helping people over come hard to break habits, Michael uses Mindfulness Meditation techniques in the tradition of Insight Yoga. The Mindfulness Meditation class will be a first step toward freeing yourself from unhealthy, habitual patterns. 

See www.basictools.com and click Home Grown Buddha to find out more about Mindfulness Meditation.