Our Teachers
John Beauregard
John came to yoga as a result of a dance injury six years ago. Initially invested in the practice of yoga as a physical healing process, he soon discovered a remarkable consistency, strength, and solidity growing out of time spent on the mat and within the quiet mind. He studied to teach under Corina Brenner and Jill Manning at Wake Up Yoga in Philadelphia and relocated to Somerville just in time for Bow Street's grand opening! Off the mat he combines his physical practice with a performative one, creating collaborative dance-theater pieces with Green Chair Dance Group and touring dance festivals. He studied literature at Swarthmore College and remains a student of words: just as the breath bridges the gap between mind and body, words join the internal experience to our environment.
John's classes aim to cultivate attentiveness to the breath and body, paving inroads for honest and compassionate inquiry into the self and its surroundings. Knowledgeable, matter-of-fact instruction is balanced with the inherent joy and playfulness of physically rigorous asana, helping students build a solid foundation of strength and mobility.
Stephanie Troy
Stephanie Troy, LICSW, RYT, licensed clinical social worker and a 500 hour registered yoga teacher. Stephanie integrates a mind/body approach in her work; both in individual psychotherapy and yoga. Stephanie has practiced yoga for ten years. During this time she has witnessed the calming of her anxious mind and seen it bring her deeper into the present moment. She is grateful to be able to share with others the transformative affects of Yoga; physical, mental and emotional. She thanks her teachers David Vendetti, David Emerson, Ana Forrest and Sean Corn for their unique gifts and wisdom. She teaches Vinyasa flow yoga with special emphasis on safe sequencing to help her students go deeper and experience emotional release through the body. Stephanie has also completed the Trauma Center’s 40 hour Trauma Sensitive yoga certification.. She has a private practice in Watertown which integrates mind/body techniques into psychotherapy as well as offers private mind/body yoga instruction.
Michelle Brenes
Michelle began practicing yoga in 2005 on a whim – or so she thought. Yoga truly awakened her inner spirit and over time it began to weave together, piece by piece, mind, and body, strengthening her awareness and her connection to herself and the world around her. She found tremendous guidance and support from amazing teachers such as Jacqui Bonwell, Alex Amorosi, and Jene’ Rossi, and ultimately studied with all three in addition to Taylor and Philippe Wells for her 200-Hour Yoga Alliance Certification in 2008. She is also a Level II Reiki practitioner and in 2009 she studied Yin Yoga and Insight Meditation with Josh Summers. Her classes balance the strength, surrender, and physical exploration of asana practice, with compassion, breath work, and the subtle shifts yoga provides as we work towards energetic alignment. Guiding her students towards Santosha, or contentment, is a true joy and blessing for her.
Michelle’s devotion and love for yoga has had a remarkable impact on her life. She credits her practice for rescuing her from 18 years of battling severe migraines and anxiety. She believes whole heartedly in this healing practice and its ability to empower and transform lives. She honors the courage and strength it takes for every individual to step onto their mat and teaches with complete compassion and sincerity. “I believe we can all transform our lives and create perfect harmony. I believe it begins with the smallest shift in perspective. It happens every day, one class, one breath, one smile at a time.”
Theresa Briggs
My sister dragged me (reluctantly) to my first vinyasa class and I have to admit I would have preferred to meet her at the gym. But although I was initially put off by the “weird” aums and the man next to me thanking me for my energy, I couldn’t deny how amazing I felt leaving the studio that day. Since then I have grown to LOVE the auming, the energy shared, and the amazing tranquility this practice has given me. I love exploring the tiny shifts that can bring integrity to a pose, and the larger internal shifts that allow me to be comfortable in my own body. After leaving college with a degree in psychology and the unfortunate mindset that certain illnesses just cannot be healed, yoga has renewed my belief in the therapeutic process and the possibility of change. I teach to share the multitude of benefits a daily yoga practice can provide, and guide my students with a light heart and a sense of humor. My classes are inspired by my incredible teachers of all yoga styles throughout the years- including Richard Lanza, Cat Kabira, Noah Maze, Ana Forest, and Sean Corne- and all the beautiful family and friends I am blessed to share my life with :)
Angela Marie Buffone
On the Mat: Yoga has become an extension of the alternative healing modalities that Angela has studied for the majority of her life. Her classes are light-hearted yet physically challenging. With her gentle approach, she introduces the postures and techniques of the practice to reveal the liberating quality of yoga. Through creative sequencing she hopes that all come to their mats with the ability to laugh a little while practicing; unlocking new possibilities with the journey.
Off the Mat: When she is not teaching yoga, you may find her in the front of a classroom exposing undergraduate students to the details of modern sciences.
Lauren Egavian
The yoga asana practice entered my life in the cold New England winter of 2005. I was ready. I needed something. I was searching for something, not really sure what but I was restless. Then came yoga. I took my first yoga class during college winter break 2005. Something woke up inside of me, I left class feeling revived, refreshed and clear. I was hooked.
Once I graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst I worked in print and online advertising sales. I hated it. It just wasn't for me. My energy and focus was elsewhere. I decided to sign up for David Vendetti's 200 hour yoga teacher training in Boston which would be held from August 2007 - June 2009. It was the best decision I have ever made. In March 2008, I quit my corporate job and made the choice to pursue the wonderful life of being a yoga teacher. I never looked back.
I currently teach 18 classes in the Boston area. I absolutely love what I do. Possessing an exuberant teaching style, classes are Vinyasa inspired, focusing on alignment, assists and well thought out sequences set to music. I allow my students to learn, live, play and grow in an open and non-judgmental space.
Check out Lauren's website www.laurenegavian.com
Ryan Hill
Yoga has completely changed the way I live my life! After one of my first long savasanas, I realized that I have been safe all along. I’m enamored with the architecture of the body and use my daily practice to remind myself of life’s simple truths. The journey never ends and the realizations become more and more profound.
My practice is about passion and joy! It’s too easy to forget the basics of being alive- to breathe, sweat, laugh and cry! I’m here to provide you a safe space to fully experience yourself; to question and evolve your perception of reality. You’ll be encouraged to make the practice your own by modifying to meet your own needs.
I trained with David Vendetti at South Boston Yoga and have studied extensively with Anna Forrest, playfully with Sadie Nardini, and consistently with Magi Pierce and Todd Skoglund. I am also trained in myofacial yoga therapy and actively help people to manage body pain and break through their walls and masks.
Come play!Carolyn Little
Registered Yoga Teacher, Reiki II practitioner, has studied and practiced yoga for more than 10 years and during this time has moved and traveled extensively both nationally and internationally. No matter where she is in the world, her mat is her home. Yoga is a grounding force in her life; a unification of mind, body and spirit. She hopes to share this inner peace and strength she has found through yoga with her students as she guides them through a safe and loving, yet vigorous vinyasa; or through a meditative, grounding and centering yin yoga class.
Carolyn has a background in ballet and various other types of dance which lead her to connect with the the graceful flow of vinyasa yoga. She has studied yoga, energy work and meditation with Richard Lanza (owner of Open Doors Power Yoga & Healing Center), Gary Kraftsow (founder of the American Viniyoga Institute), Desiree Rumbaugh (Anusara), David Vendetti (owner of South Boston Yoga), as well as with various international yoga teachers and healers in Southeast Asia. Carolyn also completed a yin yoga teacher training program with Josh Summers (Yin yoga and Insight Meditation) and is influenced by Paul Grilley and Sarah Powers (Insight Yoga). Her Yin classes combine traditional yoga poses with the meridian system from Chinese medicine, as well as Buddhist meditation.
Carolyn has a master's degree in International Relations in Social Justice and has worked in South America on issues of women's health and reproductive rights. Her goal is to be a catalyst for positive change by embodying a compassionate and holistic health approach to life.
Michelle Pfennighaus
Michelle Pfennighaus is continuously amazed how yoga has changed her life. Yoga guided her away from a stressful, anxiety-ridden lifestyle and career in advertising and slowly but surely towards a more authentic way of living. She is now registered through Yoga Alliance and has studied with David Vendetti, David Swenson and Josh Summers among other amazing teachers. Michelle is also certified by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners and the Institute for Integrative Nutrition as a holistic health counselor. Visit Michelle at http://FindYourBalanceHealth.com
Jenn Pici
Jenn is a Yoga Alliance certified Power Vinyasa instructor with 10 years of practice and close to 5 years of teaching under her belt. A former collegiate distance runner, Jenn turned to yoga for guidance and balance. She believes in the healing power of yoga and welcomes people of all levels to be challenged and inspired by it. She creates her “flow” series for the day depending on the students’ energy, the moon cycles, and her own creative inspiration. Jenn uses music to guide the flow of each class and says teaching yoga is her favorite and most fulfilling part of each day.
Check out her blog for more information or insight: jpiciyogini.blogspot.com