Yoga is an exploration of the ongoing relationship with the life force (prana) as it is expressed through the layers (koshas) of our being. Through self study (svadyaya) in a yoga practice we may begin to cultivate awareness that brings the physical, emotional and energetic experiences of who we are to a place of stability and clarity. Our effort towards steadiness supports our health and well being as individuals, and on a larger scale, as a global community. We are all connected.
Hari om tat sat,
Basil
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Basil's interest in yoga began when he worked as a chiropractic assistant in NYC in 1995. After seeing hundreds of patients per month, he began to feel that wellness stretched beyond the body. Basil questioned whether energetic patterns unintentionally held by people such as, “clinging to tension,” “shallow breathing,” and, “dis-ease,” could be replaced with time tested techniques from the practices of varied traditions of yoga that allowed the individual to rebuild patterns of wellness. He went on to pursue studies in yoga philosophy, postures, and energetics.
In 2005 Basil co-created the Aer Yoga Studio and Wellness Center in Upper Westchester NY. The studio expanded quickly to include holistic massage and acupressure and added an organic café and juice bar selling products that supported sustainable agriculture, bio-dynamic farming and locally grown fresh foods. Recognizing the need to bring the benefits of yoga to include the community of people that favored health clubs over yoga studios, Basil additionally created and directed a yoga program for the Saw Mill Club from 2005-2009.
In mid 2008 Basil went on to pursue an independent teaching career and created Basil Yoga, where he continues to teach and bring the yoga community of the area together at the historic Union Hall in North Salem NY. He is an advocate for the non-for profit group Green Chimneys which supports the nurturing and development of children, animals and wildlife, and organic farming.
Inspirations: Through his personal journey exploring all facets of yoga, Basil has been awakened by the teachings and gives thanks to Patanjali, Swami Satchidananda, Osho, Sharon Gannon, David Life, BKS Iyengar, David Swenson, Seane Corn, and Dharma Mittra. His clients include celebrity TV talk show hosts, Golden Globe and Emmy Award winning actors, international fitness gurus, carpenters, and everyday people. Basil has appeared on the Martha Stewart Show and is featured in her publications. Since beginning his teaching career in 1999, Basil's path has brought him through certifications, close studies and alignments with Integral Yoga, Jivamukti Yoga, David Swenson and Seane Corn.
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To fuel her appetite for life, Bryn Page Northshield has combined her love of art in her own design business and her passion for happiness and health in yoga instruction. Having always been a dancer, Bryn transferred that love of movement into beginning a personal yoga practice in 1998.
Inspired by a desire to share with others Bryn became certified through YogaFit and has been teaching yoga, with Janet Muller in Rye, NY, since 2004. She also holds teaching certifications through MAMAsutra and Karma Kids Yoga.
She has been teaching yoga to children since 2007. And Bryn’s most recent source of inspiration, especially for her pre-natal teaching, is her and her husband Andrew’s little yogis, Mirabelle and Hazel.
She is constantly inspired by the knowledge and creativity of her mentors, teachers and students and the love and support of her friends and family.
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Alicia Gibson is a 200-Hour Registered Yoga Teacher certified through Mitchel Bleier of Yogapata in Wilton, Connecticut. She offers a spirited and fun Vinyasa-style yoga class that is open to all levels and promises to strengthen body and mind. Alicia has been practicing yoga for 10 years and draws from her many life experiences both on and off the mat to inspire and challenge her students. By weaving in music, philosophy, and humor, she keeps her classes interesting.
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Rosa believes in the service of teaching yoga. As a veteran teacher of teens for more than two decades, Rosa is a recent graduate of Basil Yoga 200-Hour Teacher Training. She has studied the Chakra system with Anodea Judith at Kripalu and the Open Center in NYC. Additionally, she has training in several schools of meditation: Centering Prayer and Mindfulness & Vipassana Insight Meditation.
Holding ‘sacred space’ is the focus of her teaching: "You do not need to know precisely what is happening, or exactly where it is all going. What you need is to recognize the possibilities and challenges offered by the present moment, and to embrace them with courage, faith and hope."
- T. Merton
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Bre's initial training was with Mitchel & Tracy Belier. The last two years Basil Jones and others in the BYC community continue to inspire me as a teacher as I open up to greater realms of philosophy, energetics, and the chakras. In my classes, I hope to inspire others to open their hearts to the great possibilities within all of us when we practice Yoga together.
______________________________________________________
Caity took her first yoga class over seven years ago and has been hooked ever since. During her recovery from a knee injury from running, yoga provided Caity with the opportunity to get both an energizing workout and the time to rejuvenate and relax. Her yoga practice has since developed into a sacred space to connect mind, body, and breath.
Eager to deepen her practice and also share the benefits of yoga with others, Caity completed her 200-hour teacher training in Hot Hatha and Baptiste Flow at YogaOne Houston with her teachers Roger and Albina Rippy. Caity's favorite classes combine intense physical practice with life lessons that can be applied off the mat. Caity incorporates these elements into every class she teaches and her calm and relaxing demeanor compliment her vigorous yet light-hearted classes.
When Caity is not practicing or teaching yoga, she can be found practicing the flute. She holds a Doctorate in Music Performance, plays with orchestras across the nation, and loves spending time with her husband and two pugs.
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Melissa began exploring yoga 10 years ago, hoping to find calm amidst the storm of being home all day with 3 kids age 5 and under. Alas, the storm has since passed, but having drunk the Kool-Aid on this journey of growing mind, body and spirit, she is now more deeply committed to practicing and teaching yoga than ever. Melissa believes in authenticity, laughter, and living in integrity. Her Vinyasa style classes are infused with wit and wisdom and taught from the heart with love, compassion, a sense of humor, and with respect for what each individual can accomplish both on and off their mat. Her dream is to inspire and enable people to improve their lives and the world around them.
Melissa graduated from a 200 hour Power Yoga teacher training lead by Lyn Kehoe in 2011 and has since completed workshops with Baron Baptiste, Sean Corne, Bryan Kest, Debbie Williamson, Philip Urso, and Elena Brower. Melissa is also a Certified Teachers Assistant and has trained in and teaches restorative yoga.
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Kiernan found her way to yoga over 15 years ago, as an off-day activity during marathon training as well as a welcome relief to her work as an attorney. Two years later, Kiernan fully realized the power of mindful breathing – as well as the peace that can be found in surrender – when she relied on her yoga practice to navigate her first childbirth experience.
Over the years, Kiernan found that her athletic pursuits – running, martial arts, triathlon and other challenging activities – were less taxing on her body the more yoga she practiced. When a knee injury sparked a desire to immerse herself more deeply in her yoga practice, Kiernan enrolled in the 200 hour Teacher Training program at Buddhi Mat Yoga in Ridgefield, CT. Through her study of yoga philosophy, Kiernan began to understand that the physical balance she sought through asana was only the tip of the iceberg. Yoga became a whole-life practice.
Since receiving her certification in October of 2010, Kiernan has joyfully shared her practice through group and private instruction in the greater Danbury area. Kiernan’s classes are an invitation to follow one’s breath wherever it leads. The challenges will be met most effectively with calm focus and an open heart. Come to class prepared to breathe, move and allow yourself to feel.
Hari om tat sat,
Basil
______________________________________________________
Basil Jones
yoga teacher, spiritual activistBasil's interest in yoga began when he worked as a chiropractic assistant in NYC in 1995. After seeing hundreds of patients per month, he began to feel that wellness stretched beyond the body. Basil questioned whether energetic patterns unintentionally held by people such as, “clinging to tension,” “shallow breathing,” and, “dis-ease,” could be replaced with time tested techniques from the practices of varied traditions of yoga that allowed the individual to rebuild patterns of wellness. He went on to pursue studies in yoga philosophy, postures, and energetics.In 2005 Basil co-created the Aer Yoga Studio and Wellness Center in Upper Westchester NY. The studio expanded quickly to include holistic massage and acupressure and added an organic café and juice bar selling products that supported sustainable agriculture, bio-dynamic farming and locally grown fresh foods. Recognizing the need to bring the benefits of yoga to include the community of people that favored health clubs over yoga studios, Basil additionally created and directed a yoga program for the Saw Mill Club from 2005-2009.
In mid 2008 Basil went on to pursue an independent teaching career and created Basil Yoga, where he continues to teach and bring the yoga community of the area together at the historic Union Hall in North Salem NY. He is an advocate for the non-for profit group Green Chimneys which supports the nurturing and development of children, animals and wildlife, and organic farming.
Inspirations: Through his personal journey exploring all facets of yoga, Basil has been awakened by the teachings and gives thanks to Patanjali, Swami Satchidananda, Osho, Sharon Gannon, David Life, BKS Iyengar, David Swenson, Seane Corn, and Dharma Mittra. His clients include celebrity TV talk show hosts, Golden Globe and Emmy Award winning actors, international fitness gurus, carpenters, and everyday people. Basil has appeared on the Martha Stewart Show and is featured in her publications. Since beginning his teaching career in 1999, Basil's path has brought him through certifications, close studies and alignments with Integral Yoga, Jivamukti Yoga, David Swenson and Seane Corn.
______________________________________________________
Bryn Northshield
yoga teacherTo fuel her appetite for life, Bryn Page Northshield has combined her love of art in her own design business and her passion for happiness and health in yoga instruction. Having always been a dancer, Bryn transferred that love of movement into beginning a personal yoga practice in 1998.Inspired by a desire to share with others Bryn became certified through YogaFit and has been teaching yoga, with Janet Muller in Rye, NY, since 2004. She also holds teaching certifications through MAMAsutra and Karma Kids Yoga.
She has been teaching yoga to children since 2007. And Bryn’s most recent source of inspiration, especially for her pre-natal teaching, is her and her husband Andrew’s little yogis, Mirabelle and Hazel.
She is constantly inspired by the knowledge and creativity of her mentors, teachers and students and the love and support of her friends and family.
______________________________________________________
Alicia Gibson
yoga teacher, Lululemon AmbassadorAlicia Gibson is a 200-Hour Registered Yoga Teacher certified through Mitchel Bleier of Yogapata in Wilton, Connecticut. She offers a spirited and fun Vinyasa-style yoga class that is open to all levels and promises to strengthen body and mind. Alicia has been practicing yoga for 10 years and draws from her many life experiences both on and off the mat to inspire and challenge her students. By weaving in music, philosophy, and humor, she keeps her classes interesting.______________________________________________________
Rosa Esposito
yoga teacherRosa believes in the service of teaching yoga. As a veteran teacher of teens for more than two decades, Rosa is a recent graduate of Basil Yoga 200-Hour Teacher Training. She has studied the Chakra system with Anodea Judith at Kripalu and the Open Center in NYC. Additionally, she has training in several schools of meditation: Centering Prayer and Mindfulness & Vipassana Insight Meditation.Holding ‘sacred space’ is the focus of her teaching: "You do not need to know precisely what is happening, or exactly where it is all going. What you need is to recognize the possibilities and challenges offered by the present moment, and to embrace them with courage, faith and hope."
- T. Merton
______________________________________________________
Bre Ferguson
yoga teacherBre's initial training was with Mitchel & Tracy Belier. The last two years Basil Jones and others in the BYC community continue to inspire me as a teacher as I open up to greater realms of philosophy, energetics, and the chakras. In my classes, I hope to inspire others to open their hearts to the great possibilities within all of us when we practice Yoga together.______________________________________________________
Caity Massoud
yoga teacherCaity took her first yoga class over seven years ago and has been hooked ever since. During her recovery from a knee injury from running, yoga provided Caity with the opportunity to get both an energizing workout and the time to rejuvenate and relax. Her yoga practice has since developed into a sacred space to connect mind, body, and breath.Eager to deepen her practice and also share the benefits of yoga with others, Caity completed her 200-hour teacher training in Hot Hatha and Baptiste Flow at YogaOne Houston with her teachers Roger and Albina Rippy. Caity's favorite classes combine intense physical practice with life lessons that can be applied off the mat. Caity incorporates these elements into every class she teaches and her calm and relaxing demeanor compliment her vigorous yet light-hearted classes.
When Caity is not practicing or teaching yoga, she can be found practicing the flute. She holds a Doctorate in Music Performance, plays with orchestras across the nation, and loves spending time with her husband and two pugs.
______________________________________________________
Melissa Rodgers
yoga teacherMelissa began exploring yoga 10 years ago, hoping to find calm amidst the storm of being home all day with 3 kids age 5 and under. Alas, the storm has since passed, but having drunk the Kool-Aid on this journey of growing mind, body and spirit, she is now more deeply committed to practicing and teaching yoga than ever. Melissa believes in authenticity, laughter, and living in integrity. Her Vinyasa style classes are infused with wit and wisdom and taught from the heart with love, compassion, a sense of humor, and with respect for what each individual can accomplish both on and off their mat. Her dream is to inspire and enable people to improve their lives and the world around them.Melissa graduated from a 200 hour Power Yoga teacher training lead by Lyn Kehoe in 2011 and has since completed workshops with Baron Baptiste, Sean Corne, Bryan Kest, Debbie Williamson, Philip Urso, and Elena Brower. Melissa is also a Certified Teachers Assistant and has trained in and teaches restorative yoga.
______________________________________________________
Kiernan Ignacio Villeneuve
yoga teacher Kiernan found her way to yoga over 15 years ago, as an off-day activity during marathon training as well as a welcome relief to her work as an attorney. Two years later, Kiernan fully realized the power of mindful breathing – as well as the peace that can be found in surrender – when she relied on her yoga practice to navigate her first childbirth experience.Over the years, Kiernan found that her athletic pursuits – running, martial arts, triathlon and other challenging activities – were less taxing on her body the more yoga she practiced. When a knee injury sparked a desire to immerse herself more deeply in her yoga practice, Kiernan enrolled in the 200 hour Teacher Training program at Buddhi Mat Yoga in Ridgefield, CT. Through her study of yoga philosophy, Kiernan began to understand that the physical balance she sought through asana was only the tip of the iceberg. Yoga became a whole-life practice.
Since receiving her certification in October of 2010, Kiernan has joyfully shared her practice through group and private instruction in the greater Danbury area. Kiernan’s classes are an invitation to follow one’s breath wherever it leads. The challenges will be met most effectively with calm focus and an open heart. Come to class prepared to breathe, move and allow yourself to feel.