Lesa Kingsbury, ERYT, Director
Lesa is an Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher with the Yoga Alliance, and a Certified Yoga Therapist. She opened the first Amba Yoga Center in January 2001.
Strongly rooted in the Iyengar tradition, with over 15 years of experience in this style, she brings to her yoga practice a deep appreciation of form and function, together with a special attention to detail from her past career as an architect in California and Manhattan.
Lesa's teaching philosophy is simple: address each student at their own level, so that they can learn each pose in a manner and at a pace which offers them maximum benefit.
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Lisa Iacono, RYT
Lisa began her yoga journey 12 years ago. In an effort to enhance her martial arts practice (she has a black belt in Tai Kwon Do and Jujitsu), she began studying yoga, initially with Certified Iyengar Instructor Rose Dwyer. Achieving her RYT status through both Yoga Fit and Kripalu she went on to her first teacher training with Shiva Rea. From here she developed her Shakti Yoga teaching style and love of Vinyasa. Some of her favorite teaches are Shiva Rea, Duncan Wong, Baron Baptiste and John Friend. Her teaching style blends science, philosophy and art into one, creating the path of the Peaceful Warrior to transform and energize body, mind and spirit. You can find out more about Lisa at www.flowintoyoga.com.
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| Regina M. McGowan, RYT
Regina began her journey into yoga through a love for Asana practice and a desire to bring balance to her life. She passionately leads her class to build confidence in each individual student while inspiring a balance of their own mind and body that can be brought off the mat and into their life. Having found her roots in the Vinyasa style of yoga, Regina is currently a 500-hr certified yoga instructor with Yoga Alliance. She is a key Yoga Teacher Trainer for the Always-at-Aum Yoga 200-hr certification program, specializing in anatomy. In addition, Regina is an Attorney licensed to practice in New York and California a Reiki Practitioner, a Natural Equestrian and an Equine Acupressure Practitioner.
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| Christina Wenger, RYT teaches a Gentle Vinyasa class with a strong focus on anatomical alignment, as well as a Restorative element, for the purposes of rejuvenation, relaxation, and healing. She loves to work with students of all levels, ages, and stages of life. She comes to her yoga practice with over twenty years of training and professional experience in Dance and Theater. Her studies included Anatomy & Physiology, Kinesiology, and Alexander Technique, all of which give her insight into the mechanics of movement and breath and enable her to envision and exercise the body as an instrument of self expression and well being. After completing her training and certification at New York Yoga in Manhattan, Christina’s experience as a teacher and as the new mom to rambunctious little boys, quickly led her to the realization of how versatile and beneficial a gentle approach can be, not only to expectant and new moms, but to the unique needs of a much broader range of students, for which a less aggressive but still challenging yoga class is possible and appropriate.
“The Sun Shines everywhere…it does not shine only here and there.
In the same way yoga is for everyone.” BKS Iyengar
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| Amy Biondi, RYT, LMT, AOS
is a Yoga and Mat Pilates instructor who has been teaching in the fitness industry for over twenty years. She holds certifications from Aerobic Fitness Association of America, Yoga Fit, and New York College of Wholistic Health. Other specialties include Thai Yoga Massage and Pre-Natal wellness.
Amy's teaching style is strongly rooted in alignment and the appropriate pose for each student. She believes that everyone, regardless of age and fitness level, has the ability to become fit through yoga and pilates. Her Mantra for teaching is "Listen to the Body". Her classes cultivate an ability to listen more deeply to the messages our bodies are telling us so that the connection between mind and body wellness is deepened. Her nurturing and articulate class flows with grace and deepens the student's skill and self awareness from beginging to advanced.
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| Francesca Nowak – CPT, RYT began her personal yoga practice in 2007 as a way to maintain strength, flexibility and relieve stress. She is a 200-hour certified Yoga Instructor in the Hatha and Vinyasa styles from the Long Island Yoga School in Great Neck, NY and is a certified Personal Fitness Trainer since 2008 through AAPTE and Hofstra University. She is also a member of the Long Island Yoga Association. Through her experience, training and background within the medical/health/fitness field, she brings an awareness and emphasis on safety and alignment in her classes. Francesca encourages her students to take what they’ve learned on their yoga mats and transfer it into their lives as well.
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Carol Eugenia Burns, PhD
Carol has studied and practiced yoga for over 30 years. Her primary teaching at Amba is Pranayama, or controlled breath work. She is a certified intermediate instructor in the Iyengar Tradition, and has taught since 1980. She has studied with, among others, the senior advanced Iyengar teachers Radames Silvestri in Italy and with the great B.K.S. Iyengar in the US and in India.
Carol also holds a PhD. in Art History, having specialized in Venetian Renaissance Architecture. In addition to the able bodied, she has worked extensively with the ill and the injured.
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Nancy Popp, RYT, LMT
Nancy has been teaching in the fitness industry for over 16 years. Starting in aerobics as a teacher, national competitor and aerobic champion she has also been featured in a wide variety of fitness videos. Her enthusiasm for health and healing now takes the form of teaching yoga and massage. Her classes are both challenging and light hearted. Nancy is dedicated to a practice linked to her roots in the Iyengar tradition and a flow of grace from her past dance training as well.
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Donna Dragani, RYT is a certified yoga instructor registered with Yoga Alliance. Donna is dedicated to bringing the gift of yoga to people from all walks of life within the Suffolk community, including teaching at a correctional facility for female juvenile offenders. In her graceful vinyasa class she incorporates pranyama and meditative techniques as well as philosophies from the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Donna supports the traditional precepts of yoga by respecting every individual in their uniqueness, and by teaching yoga as a holistic system that empowers students -- enhancing their physical, mental and emotional well being.
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