Samudra is a Sanskrit word for Ocean. Samudra Yoga is about finding that natural rhythm of flow in your life through the practical, powerful and transformational practice of Yoga. To explore the rhythm that flows within all of us and to awaken our inner power with the knowledge that life is a flow of energy. Gerry Lopez, beloved surfer says it best: “Out in the surf, everything’s moving; everything’s happening. It never holds still, and life’s the same way. It doesn’t hold still for you, either. If you don’t move with it, life just like the wave, will pass you right by. You have to be paying attention; you have to be spontaneous; you have to be able to go with the flow.”
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We will move through the physical form of Yoga with the breath to slow down our mind chatter and become more intuitive to the living sensations within.
We will breathe and move simultaneously to release tension, create flexibility, and strengthen our mind, body, and spirit.
We will learn to relax during challenging poses; relaxation is power.
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“When the body relaxes, the mind follows. This skill can be applied to anything we do to increase the impact of what we do.” Eoin Finn
This dynamic of effort and ease (Sthira-Sukham) is available to us with whatever we choose to do.
There is a sense of freedom when we allow ourselves to go into the depth of our being.
“You are not just a drop in the ocean; you are the mighty ocean in the drop.” Rumi
TEACHERS
SYLVIA EHRHART
Founder/Owner/Yoga & Meditation Teacher
Practicing yoga and meditation is not just a part of my life, it is my philosophy. It is the path that gives me structure and more freedom and joy in my daily living.
I attended my first yoga class in 1995 and was deeply moved. It was clear from that moment on that a change was afoot. I continued my practice throughout NYC, Tokyo, and Long Island. My desire to deepen my practice led me to enroll in a Teacher Training course. In 2003 I received my 200 hour ISHTA (Integrated Science of Hatha, Tantra, and Ayurveda) certification at Be Yoga, NYC, under the guidance of Yogiraj, Alan Finger. My continued thirst for knowledge led me to study with Shiva Rea in 2005. In 2011, I attended Laughing Lotus in NYC for their 300 hour advanced teacher training and was fortunate to have been mentored by the incomparable Dana Flynn. I also completed a Yoga Restorative Training with Ellen Lenson in 2019. In 2022, I received my 100hr teaching certification for Mindfulness Meditation through Dharma Moon and the Tibet House led by Senior Buddhist teacher, David Nichtern.
I continue my studies and training by selectively practicing with skilled and devoted yoga and meditation teachers, a personal daily practice, reading relevant works, and learning from my own students. We are all students, and we are all teachers. I have found that by living with an open heart and a receptive mind, the true lessons are in our awareness of the present moment. There is truth in the words of Mahatma Gandhi,
“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”
My mission through teaching this transformative practice of yoga and meditation is to help others find that deeper connection within themselves and the beautiful life around them. When we connect with the peace and love that is our true nature,
we can bring it out into the world.
DONATELLA BESCHLOSS
Yoga Teacher
Donatella is a 200-hour certified yoga teacher.
She began practicing in 2007 and yoga has been an essential part of her life ever since. Since leaving her native country of Italy, she has traveled, lived, worked, and practiced yoga in different cities around the world. She completed her teacher training in the summer of 2013 in North Carolina at “Transcending Yoga”. Donatella enjoys the study of the yoga philosophy, in an effort to seek a deeper understanding of its benefits beyond the physical practice. Her yoga teaching style embraces self-exploration and her vision for people to become more connected with their spiritual side as well as their physical well-being. Her classes aim to promote a safe emotional environment while focusing on proper alignment and controlled breathing, combined in a dynamic flow to help students achieve mindfulness both on the mat and in their daily life.
DENA CODURI
Yoga Teacher
Dena Coduri is a yoga instructor and Reiki energy holistic healer, known for her challenging, yet soul-soothing yoga classes that address the whole person: physical, mental, and spiritual. She encourages her students to contemplate their existence, notice their own mind, and seek the truth within. This 500-hour registered yoga teacher is certified in a variety of styles, from the active and dynamic alignment-based vinyasa flow, to the quietly intense yin yoga, to the gentle and meditative restorative yoga. Additionally, she is a Reiki Master Practitioner and holds a B.S. and M.A. in Mathematics. Dena strives to teach educational classes, while still leaving room for silence so that her students may have their own unique experience. Her classes often involve eclectic music, essential oils, philosophical themes, and gentle adjustments. Dena is grateful to spend her time doing what she loves: teaching yoga, tutoring mathematics, and sending healing vibes!
MARK DONATO
Yoga Teacher
Mark Donato has certifications in Vinyasa Yoga from Om Yoga Center with Cyndi Lee.
Shamatha Meditation from Om Yoga Center with David Nichtern & Cyndi Lee.
Advanced Teacher Training with Rodney Yee and Aadil Palkhivala.
Mission Statement: Vinyasa Yoga & Mindfulness Meditation, infused with Yogic and Buddhist philosophy. Taught with consistency and repetition; this practice will unite the mind,
heart and spirit of all - creating the conditions for the community.
Additional Skills:
Sanskrit chanting, deep knowledge of Yogic, and Buddhist philosophy.
Dual career as a Classical/Opera singer. Rhythm Tap Dancer.
14 (of 40) verses of the Hanuman Chaleesa memorized :)
Featured in: The New York Post, The New York Blade,
The Advocate, Massage & Bodywork, & Thomas Clair’s book “Yoga For Men”
SARI FRIEDMAN-ROSNER
Yoga Teacher
My background in clinical social work has shown me that making small changes can have big impacts on people’s lives. For me, yoga started as something small, but has become a way of life. I began practicing yoga because someone I care about recommended it to me. I was diagnosed with osteoporosis relatively young and needed a way to stay strong and active without causing any harm to my bones. What I didn’t know, was that yoga could also help improve my bone health. I decided to become a yoga instructor to bring the benefits of yoga to other people like me. I am passionate about sharing these
benefits with people of all ages and abilities.
Credentials:
Yoga Alliance RYT 500hr plus Yin/Restorative Certification, with advanced training in Yoga for Osteoporosis & Adaptive Yoga.
MSW, LCSW with over 30 years experience.
LAUREN GOLDFARB
Yoga Teacher
Lauren is a 200hr certified yoga teacher. She also completed an advanced training in soul and sequencing and a restorative yoga teacher training.
"Yoga has allowed me to have a different perspective on life both on and off the mat which is something I love to share with my students. I love teaching classes that are accessible and provide options for all bodies. When you walk out of my class, I hope you feel calm, relaxed and rejuvenated.
MORGAN GERTLER
Yoga Teacher
Morgan Gertler received her 200HR RYT certification in 2014 from highly esteemed Kripalu teachers and then continued her learning in 2017 by completing her 300HR RYT certification with teachers from Yogamaya and the Iyengar Institute in NYC. Morgan also completed her Yin Level 1 & 2 trainings and loves being able to teach both sides, the yin & yang, of the yoga practice. Morgan views yoga as a vehicle to get back to yourself – through movement and breath work, we learn how to live a more authentically happy & content life and meet all situations with confidence.
CAROLINE HOFFMANN
Yoga Teacher
Caroline is a Long Island, New York-based yoga teacher with an RYT 200 Yoga Alliance designation who completed her teacher training at New York Yoga. She received a B.S. in Biology from Saint Joseph’s University and a M.S. in Nutrition Science from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. She is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator specializing in weight management, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. She is also an ACE Certified Personal Trainer. After taking one yoga class, she was hooked as she found the practice transformative both mentally and physically. She hopes that after taking her class, her students are able to find a few moments of stillness in their fast-paced lives and feel more open both physically and mentally.
JENN McCANN
Yoga Teacher
"I am a 200hr E-RYT with an additional 200+ hours in sequencing and hands-on adjustments. I am passionate about continuing to grow as a student and teacher of yoga. I am always amazed by the depth of this practice and how its teachings seem infinite. When not on the mat, you can find me with my children, spending time outdoors or at the beach.
I love music, especially LIVE music!
Art and design, traveling to new and far-off places.
Laughter with friends and discovering new outlets to stay active."
MAGGIE McHUGH
Yoga Teacher
Maggie describes herself as a yoga nerd who loves to geek out on anything from pranayama to Patanjali. She became serious with her practice while pregnant with her first child and found it helped her connect deeply to her body during the
transformations of pregnancy.
After the birth of her third child, Maggie received her RYT-200hr certification at Om Sweet Om in Port Washington and hasn’t stopped learning since then. Maggie teaches an open vinyasa flow and also specializes in kids yoga, people with disabilities and senior citizens.
As someone living with Rheumatoid Arthritis for more than two decades, Maggie’s mission is to make yoga accessible for all to help everyone feel their best in body and mind.
CHRISTINA RAU
Yoga Teacher
Christina M. Rau is a 200-hour Yoga Alliance and NESTA certified yoga instructor and Level 1 Reiki Practitioner. She has practiced and taught yoga and meditation for decades and finds the most joy in rhythmic vinyasa, getting a little groove on between poses. She is also an award-winning poet whose work meets at the intersection of scifi feminism and grief and gratitude.
CARMEN RUBIO
Yoga Teacher
"I started practicing yoga in my 40s, which to be honest, used to bother me since I'd often wonder how different my life would've been had I found yoga sooner. Luckily, I'm no longer bothered by the "would've/could've/should've" since I believe in "divine timing" and accept that things have happened at the right time for me.
l look forward to sharing the practice of yoga through breath work, asana (postures) & meditation to any and all that are interested or curious (it's never too late to start!) Yoga is for everyone, regardless of age, size, color, income, or mobility. There is no “yogi mold”. I look forward to sharing the love & practice with all."
KIMBERLY SHERBACH
Yoga Teacher
Kimberly has been practicing Ashtanga Yoga since 2013 and continues to re-discover the practice every day, with every breath. She completed her 200 Hour Teacher Training under the loving guidance of Patricia Morris at Little Yoga House in 2014. She continued to deepen her practice, completing an additional 300 hours as an apprentice at Ashtanga Yoga Long Island with her teacher Aura Reverol. Her goal as a teacher is to encourage students to find a balance between strength and comfort in their movement, and to make the practice of yoga accessible to anyone who is willing to show up.
MONICA SHIN
Yoga Teacher
I discovered yoga seven years ago when I was in a state of dis-ease and feeling the most out of sync with my body. It did not take long for me to realize that this newfound hobby of mine would stick and become a paramount component of my identity. As I accumulated more and more years of practice under my belt, my spiritual and physical practice began to plateau. My practice became increasingly haphazard and visceral, rather than one of intention and mindfulness. I began to desire a new sense of clarity and purpose and decided it was time to advance my practice through a 200-hr YTT at YogaWorks NYC under the incredible and always inspiring Chrissy Carter. It was through this training that I discovered my love for an alignment-based, systematic approach to Asana. It helped me attain the mind-body connection I felt I was formerly lacking. As a Registered Nurse, I have been granted the gift of witnessing transformative levels of healing in my patients throughout the course of their treatments. As a teacher, I have realized the same level of joy and spiritual bountifulness from the subtle transformations I’ve witnessed in my students. As the amazing Maty Ezraty once stated, “alignment is love.” I believe that through a devoted and intricate approach to asana and moving meditation we do not practice to improve ourselves, but rather unlock our awareness of the perfection already within us.
IRENE SUBA
Yoga Teacher
Irene is a 250 hour certified yoga teacher and has been a practicing physical therapist
for over 30 years. “As a physical therapist, movement and body intuitiveness come second nature to me. It was this intuition that led me to develop a dedicated yoga practice. What started as a need to change up my exercise routine, quickly became something greater and deeper. Soon after my first class, I felt the yoga mind-body connection that changed my life physically, emotionally and spiritually. This sparked a daily yoga practice which eventually brought me to teacher training. My classes are strength and alignment focused with a deep connection to the breath. I’m passionate about bringing my students to a place where they feel strong, confident, and restored in mind and body alike.”