Balance Yoga

Lynn, co-owner of Balance Yoga, is a 500 hr RYT with a passion for yoga and empowering students and clients in personal healing / strengthening / health. Lynn’s practice began many years ago with meditation and was followed by her yoga practice which was self study. Her yoga practice was truly enriched when she went from self study to studio practice. Enlivened by community and strengthened by various teachers whose styles and refinements continued her growth, Lynn views yoga as one of the best forms of health insurance.

Her certifications and trainings include: 200 hour yoga teacher training at the Himalayan Institute; Trainings in sound and energy practices: Singing Bowls and Gong including Gong Summit Master Classes, Dig Deeper Studies (exploring sound) and 9Ways Academia Gong Camp, Tuning Fork training with John Beaulieu, Reiki level III; and 300 hour teacher training at ShivaShakti.

In addition to her interest in sound work and teaching all levels classes, Lynn seeks to find ways to make yoga accessible to the apprehensive, believing that everyone can benefit greatly from improved balance, flexibility, strengthening and relaxation for mind, body, and spirit. She has worked extensively to create chair yoga classes where students get all the yoga with options that eliminate the floor (stress on knees, wrists, and transitions) and allowing options to keep the standing poses with options for support.

Lynn's sound therapy work (with singing bowls, tuning forks, gongs and more) features a weekly evening virtual session that is designed to transition to retiring for the night and is offered at 8:30pm for east and west coast time zones.  She has moved to Oregon and when the timing is right will again offer one on one work,  sessions for 2, and sound immersion for groups.   Contact her at balanceyogavt@gmail.com for immersion events, restorative with sound, and private/group sessions.

Ashley Hodgetts is a registered nurse, certified health coach and certified breathwork facilitator with a mission to shift the way we look at health. Since becoming a nurse eight years ago, Ashley has worked with patients to be reactive to their health concerns and diagnoses. Over the past three years, she has made the shift to helping people proactively pursue their health.

As a health coach, she meets clients where they are at, and guides them to where they want to be in regard to the pillars of health. She coaches clients through movement, fitness plans, nutritional guidance, stress management and behavioral changes. She integrates guided breathwork as a modality for healing, self-awareness and expansion. Ashley believes you’re your health deserves a holistic, individualized approach to optimize the power within you. 

When she isn’t coaching or guiding people through their breath, you can find Ashley outside playing with her two little girls, hiking or biking with her husband or on the roads training for a race. 

By working with Ashley, you can expect support, accountability, compassion, fun, growth and expansion. True transformation happens at the intersection of pain and love, let’s do it together!

Interested in knowing more? Check out her website: www.fittogetherwellness.org

Abbey began practicing yoga in college, to help alleviate the stressors of nursing school. Through this initial practice she not only cultivated a healthier mind and body, but found a way to slow down and reconnect with her truest self. Abbey strives to incorporate meditation and mindful movement into each of her classes, and encourages her students to be patient, kind, and self-seeking. Abbey’s background in nursing helps her bring a strong foundation in body alignment to her students, and believes every human is capable of being a yoga practitioner. Abbey received her 200 hr yoga teaching certification from Sangha Studio (VT) in June of 2021, and has been leading in-person as well as virtual classes at Balance Yoga Studio and at a private studio in Burlington.

Nicole is an E-RYT 500 hour yoga teacher and a YACEP 500. She holds a BS in Natural Health and Healing and is a Priest in the order of Melchizedek. Nicole is also yoga therapist graduating from Spanda Yoga Therapy and has been practicing yoga since she was 15 years old. Nicole likes to teach classes that are fun, alignment based, focused on yoga theory and most of all full of encouragement and smiles.

Lee has been practicing yoga since 2001. Health issues originally brought Lee to the practice of yoga. She believes the body has the power to heal if we slow down enough to given it a chance.

In 2012, Lee completed her 200-hour yoga teacher training at UVM with John McConnell. She continues to study Principle-Based Partner Yoga™ with Elysabeth Williamson and has completed both Bodhi & Mind Yoga training and Level I Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy training.

Lee enjoys incorporating class themes and great music to help students gently move, flow and let go. She encourages the use of yoga props to ease students into more challenging postures and often adds a partner yoga or group pose to classes for added fun. You can expect a class that focuses on alignment and letting go, incorporating effort and ease as you rest and breathe in a safe place that is most comfortable for you. Check your ego and your busy day at the door!

Besides teaching at Balance Yoga, Lee teaches yoga at “MMU After Dark”. Lee is the original organizer behind the free, annual community yoga event in Burlington, “Yoga On Church Street”. She lives with her husband Luke and her basenji-lab mix Parker in Richmond.

Joann’s classes will inspire you with deep teachings of yoga philosophy skillfully woven throughout her classes. She compassionately guides you so students feel welcomed, supported, safe and valued, keeping the teachings accessible to a wide variety of students. 

Joann has been teaching Hatha Yoga and Yin yoga since 2017. She is a  E-RYT® 200 hour, RYT® 500 hour, YACEP® Certified Yoga teacher. Joann also brings 16 years of Personal training experience, specializing in pre & post rehabilitative work, to her instruction. She holds an ACE Personal Training certification and is a Balanced Body pilates instructor. 

Joann’s work with people who want to grow from stress and injury calls her to regularly increase her knowledge. She continues her studies in pain science; yoga philosophy; trauma healing; fascia studies; biomechanics and neurobiology. Joann is also a certified TRE provider (Tension & Trauma Release Exercise) and assists at TRE® provider Level 1&2 certification training programs. 

Joann has 3 teenagers and enjoys foraging in the woods, paddling, and anything in the snow and cold (including yoga)! 

In her words, “Yoga is my path for growing myself up. By cultivating awareness, acceptance, and aligned action, I am better able to care for my heart, body, and mind and I aim to share these gifts in my teaching. When I first began yoga in my 20s it was for the challenging movement practice and included some weird breathing. Although I thought yoga was exercise, I now see how incredibly diverse, healing, and accessible yoga can be.”

Sara Baer Farrell (also known locally as” Mrs. Baer”) is a mama of three, has taught grades K-4 locally over the last 18 years and is a certified yoga teacher.  Her life’s calling is helping others, especially children, develop self-love, presence, purpose, and community.  This year, she is taking a pause from classroom teaching (most beloved, kindergarten) to pursue a healthier life/work balance.  She is exploring ways to bring her passions and talents to the community and those she loves.