Thomas’ background and formal training is in the music field
where he taught music lessons for 17 years as well as owned and operated his
own music store, B Sharp Music, for 7 years. He now pursues holistically minded
endeavors full-time after leaving a 7-year teaching position at Pro Music
Lessons.
In addition to
helping others connect with body, mind, and spirit, he also works with small
businesses to help them “take it to the next level” with
a business of his own called Excelsior Business Consulting.
Dawna Bennett
Dawna is a Certified Anusara-inspired Yoga Teacher who teaches an awesome class that invigorates and uplifts. Enjoy her teaching style and her warmth as she guides you and teaches you the art and science of yoga.
Mary Ellen Carges
Born to Dance, Mary Ellen's life has ventured along the dancing path as a musicioan, teacher, choreographer, dancer, wife, mother, yogini, meditator, and life long student of spirituality. In her personal journey, Mary Ellen dances to the calling of her spirit for creative awakening, health and vitality, spiritual ecstasy, and healing. This powerful calling has been integral to her life long exploration of wisdom traditions and movement styles. She holds degrees in Music, Choreography and Modern Dance, and has enjoyed extensive experience in Afro Carribbean dance. Throughout her performing, teaching and choreographing career, mary Ellen has been able to weave in the the age old wisdom tradition of using the art of dance as a source of healing and liberating the spirit.
Mary Ellen has enjoyed teaching Dance Meditation workshops and classes in Buffalo area yoga studios, community ourreach, and holistic wellness centers. She has developed a style of facilitation that honors the individual's life mysteries. Her gentle apprach to movement allows the unfolding of the individual spirit.Her own experience with the dance of life as a path to healing, health and wholeness has fueled her passion for teaching.
Quinn Caya
Quinn Caya, RYT, is a mind/body therapist and teacher of Hatha & Restorative Yoga inspired by B.K.S. Iyengar. His aim is to educate people to use yoga in practical ways and empower them in their mind-body awareness. Quinn is in the Medical Massage program at Trocaire College and a student at Open Sky Yoga Center where he has completed the Essential and Advanced Teacher Trainings with François Raoult. Since his childhood at Kripalu Yoga Ashram, Quinn has been influenced by yoga science and natural healing. He has studied chi kung, martial arts, wilderness skills, herbology, and nutrition for over a decade and has advanced training in energy/reiki therapy. Together, Quinn and his wife, Janet Hinkel, direct Yoga Therapeutics of Buffalo. Quinn is a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) with Yoga Alliance.
Paula Connors
Paula Connors is a devoted mother of three, nature enthusiast, longtime member of the alternative and educational communities in WNY, and Director of Outreach for the PeaceWeavers, a spiritual community and retreat center in
Over the years, Paula has worked as a program instructor for People, Inc, a teacher at
Paula found her passion for yoga, meditation and other wellness practices after meeting the PeaceWeavers and their Spiritual Director, Greg Lynn Weaver in 2001. It has been a turning point in her life to be part of a community dedicated to conscious, heartfelt living and creating greater health and happiness in the world.
Lisa Griffis
Lisa Griffis, a Buffalo native and long time advocate of the visual and performing arts, is a certified yoga instructor. Her initial passion was dance -- studying and performing as a youth, teaching and promoting as an adult. She spent many years fund raising for the Ashford Hollow Foundation which includes the Essex Arts Center and Griffis Park.
In the 1990's, Lisa managed the Essex Arts Studio offering yoga, modern dance and creative movement. She also taught dance to inner city children through the Pick of the Crops 'Learning on the Move' program. Lisa has also worked in the jewelry industry in sales, design and display. Currently, she continues practicing and instructing the art of movement through Hatha Yoga. Lisa enjoys teaching both children and adults and has developed quite a following in the Easy Yoga classes
Philip Oppenheimer
Philip Oppenheimer was raised in Amherst, graduated from Binghamton University with a B.A. in Literature and recently returned to Buffalo to spend time with his family and teach what he learned while living in China. Philip is currently an Exercise Science major at UB and loves to play all sports and games (especially chess).
Philip is a disciple of the Chen style of Tai Ji Quan (Tai Chi as most have seen it spelled). He studied in the lineage of Master Chen Zheng Lei and was blessed to have 3 1/2 years of 1-on-1 study in China under Master Luo Jin Sheng, of the city of Jinzhou, Liaoning province.
He received traditional training in the Chen style system, which included, for 3 - 4 hours on a daily basis, Tai Ji warm-ups with basic muscle and joint stretches, Chen style foundational exercises, silk-reeling, Qi Gong, standing meditation, 6 open-hand forms, 3 weapons forms, and 5 levels of Push Hands with martial applications. Additional studies include Daoist Qi Gong, Ba Gua Zhang, and Yoga.
Philip is the owner of several resourceful Chen style Tai Ji Quan manuals (written in Chinese) handed down from Master to Master, embracing history, philosophy, Qi Gong, and open-hand form explanations. He has in-depth personal experience with Chinese herbology and reflexology and continues as a student of the Chinese language and culture.
Cathy Skora
Cathy Skora has been studying, teaching & performing dance for over 20 years and is the founder and executive director of Folkloric Productions Dance Co., Inc. Her dance studies have included Modern (Graham-Based) and African (Dunham-Based) dance. Her areas of special study are the dances of the Middle East and
Michael Sutton
Michael Sutton is the founder of Rising Sun Yoga. He is a certified Hatha yoga and martial arts instructor. He believes in practicing a holistic lifestyle - yoga, meditation, smart eating, fitness and a healthy outlook on all that occurs in one's own life. Michael also believes that your thoughts are as powerful as anything else you put into, or let come out of, your body.
He is a practicing herbalist, an Iridologist, and a health consultant. He also practices kinesiology, lectures on health-related topics, and conducts seminars in self-defense for women. He studied martial arts for 30 years before being introduced to yoga in 2000. Before then, he worked in the banking and software industries for 20 years prior to pursuing holistic studies.
Michael founded Rising Sun Yoga to bring people together in community as a center for education in body, mind, and spirit. His classes are filled with laughter and fun while learning and stretching your boundaries.
