About The Yoga Sanctuary

Anna Martin

Office Manager; Instructor E-RYT 500, YACEP

Born and raised in Moscow, Anna discovered yoga in 2005 with the help of a friend who brought her to a class. She practiced at Lithe and Easy Yoga Studio for three years and began practicing at The Yoga Sanctuary in 2008. In 2010, she joined the TYS team as Office Manager. During a 2013 yoga retreat in Santa Fe with Nicolai Bachman, while studying the Yoga Sutras and Sanskrit, the aspect of Kriya Yoga came to the forefront in her practice. This same retreat also sparked her interest in continuing to study and grow. In 2014 Anna completed the 200 Hours Yoga Teacher Training at Rishikesh Yog Peeth in Rishikesh, India. Putting knowledge to practice and gaining some experience in teaching for 2 years, in 2016 she returned to India to complete the 300 Hours Yoga teacher Training at the same yoga school – Rishikesh Yog Peeth. In 2015 Anna followed her interest in Restorative Yoga, getting certified in Relax and Renew LI with Judith H.Lasater and in 2019 completed the full certification with Relax and Renew Advanced LII.
Learning and sharing is a life long journey. A mantra that Anna follows in her life is “The world is there to be traveled and knowledge is there to be shared.” Anna also holds a BA equivalent in Teaching and Foreign Languages from Moscow State Linguistic University.

Patricia Francis

Instructor E-RYT 200, YACEP

I took my first yoga class at The Yoga Sanctuary in 2011. I was in my late 40’s, and went for the physical benefits, but quickly realized that the benefits of yoga practice went far beyond the physical. Leaving class, not only did I feel great physically, but I also felt calm and relaxed. I began to understand that yoga was not a “class,” but a lifestyle. Eager to learn more, I took the 200-hour teacher training offered by TYS in 2015 and have been teaching classes here ever since. As a teacher, what I love most is introducing new students to yoga. I love showing them that it is never too late to start practicing—look how long it took me! For me, yoga is not about performing a perfect pose, but about how and what you feel while in the pose. It’s a holistic practice, that unites and heals the body, mind, and soul. It’s about accepting our capabilities and our limitations, without criticism or judgement. It’s a journey of self-discovery, self-worth, and acceptance. Sometimes the journey is challenging and requires a sense of humor! Most often, though, it’s a joyful one, that has helped me to become gentler with myself and more mindful about how I go through life.

Jackie Block

Instructor RYT 500, Certified Sound Healer

In 2019, Jackie decided it was time to move away from the stress of healthcare to find a more balanced lifestyle. After attending a yoga retreat with The Yoga Sanctuary (TYS) in 2020 and years of practicing as a dedicated student, it became clear that it was time to pursue her desire to become a yoga teacher. Jackie earned her first 200-hour certification virtually with Yoga Farm Ithaca in June 2020, followed by an in-person 200-hour training with Jennifer French at The Yoga Sanctuary in April 2021. She further expanded her expertise by completing a 300-hour training with the Himalayan Institute in Pennsylvania.

Since joining The Yoga Sanctuary team in May 2022, Jackie has taken on a range of roles, including teaching Yin Yoga and offering personal sound healing sessions using crystal bowls and other instruments. Through her formal training in both Yin Yoga and Sound Healing, Jackie now shares her passion for these practices by bringing their calming and restorative qualities to her students.

Karen Ascher

Instructor RYT 200

Karen worked in the human service field for over 30 years helping others focus on their abilities and reach their goals. Karen has been practicing yoga since 2008 on the North and South Forks of Long Island, New York, and feels privileged to have studied under some of the leading practitioners in the country. She obtained her 200 hour RYT certification in 2013 with Hamptons Yoga Healing Arts, to both deepen her practice and to share her love of yoga with others. Karen has a Vinyasa-based practice, with a strong focus on alignment and flow. In 2018, Karen moved to Punta Gorda, Florida where she found The Yoga Sanctuary, and immediately felt a sense of connection. She is honored to be joining the talented teachers at The Yoga Sanctuary, and is looking forward to offering her teaching in her new yoga home.

Heleen Schouten

Instructor RYT 200

Heleen was introduced to yoga as a young child growing up in the Netherlands. In 2013 she joined The Yoga Sanctuary and it was like coming home. Previously an art teacher in the Netherlands and a golf teacher in Westchester, NY, it follows that after she completed yoga teacher training at TYS in April 2015, she also pursued certification as a Yoga for Golfers instructor. She recently completed the Foundations Course for the Gokhale Method, which uses healthy posture and movement to help people regain a pain-free life. Heleen’s goal is to help her students integrate yoga into their everyday life. She is grateful to her teachers, mentors, and students for their support, guidance, and inspiration.

Amanda Obley

Instructor RYT 500

As a teenager in Fayetteville, Arkansas, in 1991, Amanda Obley first began practicing “hot yoga” at home; she used a beach towel for a mat, followed instructions from a book, and set up a space heater to warm her bedroom. It kind of worked, so she stuck with it. Yoga seemed to give her more stamina, agility, and focus. In February 2001, when Amanda joined the U.S. Army, her yoga mat became like her home away from home. It felt great to simply be herself, listen to music, and challenge her body. As she moved to different duty stations, she sought out yoga studios and began learning about a variety of yoga practices. During her fourth deployment in 2011, she even hauled yoga mats and blocks with her to Afghanistan and taught yoga classes to her fellow Soldiers. She quickly discovered that teaching was very different from practicing, and she was eager to learn more. In January of 2020 and nearing retirement, she decided to complete yoga teacher training. After finally retiring to Punta Gorda, FL, in June of 2021, Amanda was thrilled to meet Jennifer French and complete the Yoga Teacher Mentorship program at The Yoga Sanctuary. Using the tools from teacher training and her years of practice, she is now excited to offer classes at The Yoga Sanctuary. Amanda has explored many different styles of yoga, including Ashtanga, Hatha, Pranayama, Yoga Nidra, Restorative Yin Yoga, and Meditation. To ensure her classes are safe, accessible, and inclusive, Amanda has learned to adapt a variety of postures to support individuals with differing levels of flexibility and strength. Her classes combine elements of power, focus, and peacefulness in hopes that her students will walk away with a feeling of calm, clarity and balance.

Debbie McGlade

Instructor RYT 200

Debbie recalls her first yoga experience as flipping through a paperback yoga book belonging to her mom around the age of 12, trying poses and not really “getting it.” Excluding the occasional yoga class at a local gym, her first regular practice at a studio was part of a new years resolution to try new things, resulting in a groupon for Bikram yoga in San Diego in 2010. After going almost daily for a full month, she felt invigorated and strong, but allowed perceived pressures at work to take priority, eventually losing her fledgling yoga habit.
Debbie found TYS in the midst of personal change in early 2019 and began developing a consistent practice at the studio later that year.
Continuing along a lifelong path of mentoring and training others, she became the student and completed teacher training at TYS in 2021.
Debbie holds a BS in Computer Science and spent her first career in technical roles at fortune 500 companies over the past 25 years. With this great change in career path, Debbie looks forward to sharing the benefits of yoga with others.

Gillian (Gill) Ward

RYT 500 Certified Instructor

Gillian is originally from the UK and has lived in the US since 2004. Trained as a clinical psychologist, she began practicing yoga in 2013in recognition of her need to find a more centred, mindful approach to her own life and to assist her in her clinical practice. She quickly recognized that Asana was only one aspect of yoga and decided that further study would be helpful both to her own practice and in her approach to others. Gill completed her teacher training in Punta Gorda, Florida, in April 2017,  and discovered a love of teaching that superseded her love of practicing as a psychologist. She is registered with the Yoga Alliance and intends to pursue further studied to broaden her skills .

Melissa Cage

Instructor RYT 200, Chair Yoga Certified, Physical Therapist Assistant

Melissa‘s initiation to yoga began with a fateful mandatory PE requirement while in college to become a physical therapy assistant. As she shuffled into her first yoga class, she had no idea how yoga would forever change her life. The physical portion of the class was not difficult. She had always been “flexible” and had “exercised,” but her yoga journey really began in the final Asana; nothing had ever felt so grounding and spiritual as Savasana. Melissa continued taking yoga classes, practicing at home primarily for the physical benefits, but it was those last moments in Savasana that really fed her soul.

Melissa‘s real journey with Yoga started in 2010 when she began her recovery from alcohol addiction. The philosophies and teachings of Yoga created a path for her to return to her authentic self, to journey inward and quiet the constant chatter of her mind.

In 2019 melissa attended the 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training at Yoga Bird Studios in Fort Myers. With no real plan to become an instructor, the goal was to learn more about the practices of yoga as laid out by the teachings of the ancient texts and philosophies. Nevertheless, as her understanding of Yoga deepened and the spiritual and emotional benefits became so gratifying, she felt called to share these gifts. She became very interested in helping others discover the many benefits of yoga practice.

Melissa now helps others use yoga to help discover their own inner body wisdom. With her physical therapy background, she strives to make the practice of yoga more accessible with the use of props and alternative pose modifications during her classes. Melissa considers herself a life-long student of Yoga, often learning as much from her students as they do her. As she moves into the Crone phase of her life, she is learning to meet her body where it is. Yoga is so much more than achieving the most intense variation of a pose; it is also, and maybe more importantly, the transformative energy exchanged between all who practice.

Melissa Goodwin

E-RYT 500 Certified Instructor

Melissa has been teaching classes for The Yoga Sanctuary for 10 years, teaching yoga for 15, and practicing for more than thirty. Now living on Cape Cod in Massachusetts, she is delighted to maintain her connection with the TYS sangha through online offerings. Currently, her steadfast exploration of yoga teachings and practices is focused in the areas of meditation, chant, and somatic asana practice. Melissa is a 500-hour certified instructor through Prajna Yoga and holds certifications in restorative yoga and SAYTA, a somatic movement practice developed by Prajna.

Sharon Fultz

Tai chi Instructor; RYT 200

Sharon Fultz has been practicing Tai Chi since 1995. As a natural progression of her passion for this ancient art, she began instructing in 1997. Sharon is certified by Dr. Paul Lam to teach Tai chi for Health programs, including Tai chi for Arthritis and Tai chi for Diabetes. Sharon’s enthusiasm for the art is apparent in her teachings. Her creative style weaves the five styles of Tai chi together in a slow moving form. While Tai chi is Sharon’s great love, she has been practicing yoga for many years as well. In 2015, Sharon graduated from The Yoga Sanctuary’s Teacher Training Program and is grateful to share both of these loves with her students.

Amanda Ricker