I came to the mat 9 years ago after years of endurance athletics left me worn out and no longer inspired. I was in search of a sweeter physical expression, craving a spiritual ground and a need to make peace with my body. I found a warm home for my spirit and an overwhelming physical strength on my yoga mat.

After receiving my 200 hour Yoga Teacher Certification at Silver Lotus Yoga Institute in the fall of 2001 with Susan Hamadock in Rehoboth Beach, DE, I opened Inner Bliss Yoga January 2, 2002. The intention of Inner Bliss has always been to encourage a vibrant yoga community on the Westside of Cleveland that supports a safe, nurturing environment for the exploration of the self through the practices of yoga.

I am grateful to Susan for showing the way and to all of my teachers, past & present. I am currently inspired by: Mitchell Bleier, Marni Task, Naime Jezzeny, Max Strom, Rowan Silverberg, Tim Miller, and Laurel Hodory. My greatest teachers however, are my students who fill me with inspiration and gratitude even during my most difficult moments.

I have extensive background in anatomy, physiology and fitness training, bringing over 20 years of teaching experience to my students. My classes are offered from the truth of my heart, my studies and personal struggles and insights. As a teacher, I assume the role of guide and encourage students to cultivate a dialog with their own, inner wisdom. My compassion & commitment to my students creates a joyful environment at Inner Bliss Yoga. You will feel the tender acceptance as you step inside the space.

Ginny has practiced the art of Yoga since 1992 and is a Registered Yoga Teacher with the Yoga Alliance. In spring of 1997 she began teaching her first classes at the Lakewood Y. Her home practice is Ashtanga yoga.

Her students range from beginners to advanced. She has proudly taught the elderly who begin yoga in chairs and has run classes for high school girls. Ginny's "Yoga in the Park" summer series, held on the shores of Lake Erie at Rocky River Park, was voted by Cleveland Magazine in 2004 to be one of the top activities to do in the summer in an area park.

Ginny has trained with numerous nationally-known teachers and has taken advanced training in Ashtanga with Tim Miller, David Swenson, and Pattabhi Jois, the father of Ashtanga yoga. She lectured with her husband on "Health Benefits of Yoga for the Modern Woman" for Cleveland Clinic for three years. Since 2003 she and her husband have held an annual conference for Ob/Gyn doctors and nurses at Pura Vida Yoga Resort in Costa Rica.

"Yoga has become the backbone of my life. It has weaved its threads into all aspects of my daily living. My dealings with family and friends are colored by my practice. My athletic endeavors are helped tremendously by yoga, especially as I grow older. After two injuries over a few years from windsurfing adventures I have had to start fresh as a beginning yoga student. I learned the value of keeping the integrity of the posture and keeping my ego out of the way. My yoga practices helped tremendously by giving me insight into the value of small increments of progress; it helped me stop feeling the helplessness that can occur during recovery from injury and surgery."

"My passion is watching my students expand their personal vision. Many times I watch as they show surprise and amazement in their abilities to master a posture. First we must believe in ourselves even through the (seemingly) impossible, then all will fall into place from there." (Thank you to my students who have taught me everything!)

Kristen earned her 200 hour Om Yoga Certification with Cyndi Lee. Kristen will be teaching a vinyasa style class with some breathing techniques and some yoga philosophy. Students leave feeling happier and plugged back into life so to speak.

Tom was certified to teach yoga by Bhumi in 2000 and has had a personal yoga practice that goes back over 25 years. His style has been labeled by others as "like Kripalu flow" but he avoids trade names and brands so he just calls it "yoga". It is permitted to enjoy yourself while practicing yoga with Tom. In his class you play with the range of motion in each of us because within our limitations there are infinite possibilities. There a sense of exploration and curiosity within asana practice with Tom. We go to the shape of the poses and fall in and out of alignment as we listen and respond to what our bodies tell us, a constant dialogue in finding our center. When we synchronize the breath and the mind with our practice we find a unity that might otherwise remain unconscious. This makes lifes challenges less threatening.

A dedicated yogini with a well-rounded teaching experience. Janice passionately immerses herself into her teaching and is known for inspiring and impacting her students. Janice did her teacher training with Erich Schiffman and studies with a variety of soulful teachers including: Shiva Rea, John Friend, Rodney Yee, Sharon Gannon, Brian Kest, Dharma Mittre and Paul Grilley.

Kathy fell into yoga when a chronic running injury made all other forms of movement painful. Within a few weeks of dedicated practice the pain dissolved and yoga became an integral part of her life. What unfolded over the next 8 years of practice is what Kathy offers to you in her class, a combination of physical movement, combined with greater self awareness and possibility.

During 8 years of practice, Kathy has studied with Bikram, David Swenson, and Shiva Rae and has learned from many other talented teachers to become a certified yoga instructor. She loves to share what she has learned on her journey: incorporating mind, body and spirit together to create harmony and balance for your life.

Borrowing from the inspired and timeless words of Krishnamacharya, "Yoga is a life discipline, it is a means to improved health; to restored well-being in the face of illness; and to emotional balance and enhanced mental clarity. It is also the accessible path of progression toward union with the Absolute---whether conceived as a named God or a Nameless Truth." Robert believes that each person is unique and has a different starting point, and progresses in different ways but ultimately through Yoga, everyone is able attain balance, harmony, purification and strength in the body, mind and soul. Robert has studied with Tim Miller, Dean Learner, Doug Swenson, Johnny Kest and Sri Swami Srinivasananda to name a few...His classes are a fusion of many different Yogic styles but are primarily Astanga based and include Vinyasa (a method of flowing movement connected with controlled breathing) which create an inner heat and challenges the physical as well as astral body to break through our set boundaries. Come join Robert as he leads you through an energetic, and meditative Yoga class.

Laura Ross, Certified and Registered Yoga Teacher. Laura began her practice in 2002. She was certified by Bhumi’s Yoga and Wellness Center and shares yoga with a wide arrangement of students.  She teaches yoga at the Domestic Violence Center to women at the shelter where she also coordinates their Volunteer Program.  She believes yoga should be shared with as many people as possible: in yoga studios, schools, churches, jails, outside, anywhere and to anyone with an open mind.

”Yoga has completely changed my life. I love it!  I am forever grateful to the wonderful teachers that have inspired me in my life and my teaching.” Laura teaches to all levels a flowing class that is filled with continuous awareness brought to the body and mind through the breath.

Angela comes to Inner Bliss from Charleston, South Carolina where she was stationed with her husband who is in the Coast Guard, which is also what brought her to Cleveland. She has a background in fitness (competitive swimming and running) and is a certified personal trainer.

Angela first began her practice in 2000 seeking some to add some yin to her running, swimming, and weight training regimen. She began practicing Iyengar yoga at Sun and Moon Yoga in Arlington, VA. Then in 2003, after moving back to Charleston, SC she began to practice vinyasa yoga and fell in love with the flow which was much different from her Iyengar beginning. After a running injury in 2004, she began to practice daily and realized how her body began to heal, her mind became calm, and she left her mat with a lighthearted spirit. Yoga brought balance into every aspect of her life and convinced by the powerful physical and spiritual benefits of yoga, she completed her 200 Hour Teacher Training at Holy Cow, Charleston, SC in Integral Yoga.

Angela has studied with K. Pattabhi Jois and is inspired by Erich Shiffman, Sharon Gannon and David Life, Judith Lasater, Doug Swensen, T.K.V Desikachar and Sri Swami Satchidananda who influenced Integral Yoga. Angela loves teaching flow classes with a balance between effort and surrender and gives modifications for every level. She favors flow classes because of the freedom it allows the student to dictate the intensity…some days we come to our mat and may need a little more yin after training hard. She also loves the many benefits of Restorative Yoga and has seen them in her own practice. Angela is delighted to be a part of the Inner Bliss Community.

Dawn came to yoga in the mid-1980s when she had a physically demanding and stressful job as a Bond Futures Broker at the Chicago Board of Trade. Yoga was invaluable during her 10 years at the CBOT and before, during and after the birth of her 3 children. Yoga has been a constant if her life for many years and she has enjoyed witnessing her yoga move off of her mat and into all aspects of her life.

She received her Hatha yoga certification in 1986 to deepen her personal practice. She began teaching yoga at the Beck Center in Lakewood in 1997 after her family made a conscious decision to move to the Cleveland area. Since then, she has actively continued studying many styles of yoga with nationally-prominent teachers by attending teacher trainings, conferences and workshops. She is a Registered Yoga Teacher with the Yoga Alliance at the 500 hour level. Dawn is also an adjunct professor at Baldwin-Wallace College where she teaches yoga and techniques in relaxation. She is currently working toward her Thai Yoga Massage certification.

Dawn was introduced to Kundalini yoga in 1996, was deeply draw to it and it quickly became her personal practice. She believes yoga is the perfect compliment to our wonderfully hectic lifestyles. She loves all yoga and appreciates how different styles resonate with different people at different times in their lives ~ Yoga is the journey.