YOGA INSTRUCTOR

Tolly considers herself a recovered yoga skeptic. After many years of trying random yoga classes throughout the Pioneer Valley, Tolly stumbled into an Iyengar yoga class and immediately recognized the many benefits it had to offer. She continued regular yoga classes and went on to study at Karuna. During her 200-hour training, she lost any possible skepticism, discovered an affinity for yoga philosophy, and was inspired to share the gift of yoga with others. Following the Iyengar tradition, Tolly’s classes are approachable and lighthearted while they at the same time explore how to move beyond individual barriers. Her compassionate and intuitive style creates a deeply fulfilling and safe way for her students to practice yoga while also cultivating their body’s natural intelligence and connecting it with mind and spirit.

Tolly is adding to her training with the slow but steady process of studying Sanskrit, Vedic chanting, and yoga philosophy. She is also completing Prenatal PYT 90-hour yoga certification training. She has been a Level 3 Reiki master practitioner since 2006 and has uncovered the natural healing power of food as medicine. When she isn’t busy with these disciplines, Tolly can be found sipping tea, hiking, kayaking, or playing with her two lively children. She is also the co-chair and co-founder of Deerfield for Responsible Development, a member of the Outreach and Justice Committee of the Common Share Food Co-op, and an eternal questioner and rebel.

CERTIFIED IYENGAR YOGA INSTRUCTOR

Suzie Goldstein is a Certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher and has been teaching in the Northampton community for 15 years including at Smith College and as the owner of River Valley Yoga Center for 10 years. She is dedicated to working with students of all ages to improve and restore their health and vitality. Through the intelligence of the Iyengar method, she has extensive experience observing students closely and teaching students how to stabilize and integrate the function of the muscles, bones, and joints with the nervous system while relieving pain, addressing specific injuries, disorders, dysfunctions, and common postural habits. Suzie is a rigorous teacher, but also light-hearted, fun-loving, and compassionate. She infuses her teaching with joy and enthusiasm weaving in yoga philosophy to each class. She is dedicated to cultivating a warm and loving environment where students of yoga can thrive, better understand themselves, and increase health and vitality. She adheres to “NO PAIN - NO PAIN” messaging, and through creative, adaptive, unique, and radically personalized instruction meets each student where they are each day. She hopes to make the Iyengar yoga classroom an inclusive, welcoming, interactive, collaborative, creative, healing, and equitable space that values and honors the full scope of human experience and affirms all markers of identity.

Suzie is thrilled to be offering classes at Karuna. She also works privately with students and hosts retreats. Suzie is a lifelong student first and continues to advance in the Iyengar system studying closely with her primary teacher and mentor, Senior Certified Teacher Jessica Becker, as well as Senior Certified Teachers Doerthe Braun, Marla Apt and many others. She has also studied directly with members of the Iyengar Family to whom she is eternally grateful. She honors their profound teachings that live on through Suzie and her students. Visit suziegoldstein.com for more information about Suzie.

YOGA INSTRUCTOR

Heather has been practicing yoga for 17 years. She became enamored with yoga’s profound and beautiful effects on the mind and body while living in Taipei in her early twenties. Heather has always practiced a variety of styles of yoga and most enjoys yin yoga, vinyasa, Iyengar, hot vinyasa, restorative yoga, hot yin, and guided pranayama practice. Heather is passionate about yoga and has a deep appreciation for the calm openness of mind, body, and soul that the yoga practice invites. She credits yoga for guiding her towards her path of continued healing and personal development. Heather Kovaci first earned her Yin and Restorative Teacher Training at Sacred Sounds Yoga in 2018 in New York City. Heather earned her 200-Hour Vinyasa Yoga Teacher certification at The Yoga Room in Queens, New York City in January of 2020. During the pandemic, Heather relocated with her partner from NYC to Western Mass! Heather taught at Sacred Roots Healing in Easthampton, MA from 2021 to 2022. After dedicating time to focusing on her own practice and getting to know the yoga community in Western Massachusetts better, Heather has found a home at Karuna Center for Yoga and Healing Arts. Heather is 34 years old and lives in Amherst, Massachusetts. She is also a local elementary school teacher of 16 years who currently teaches in Amherst. Heather is a passionate traveler who has visited 30+ countries and is always planning her next tri. She enjoys quality time spent with her partner, her dog, and her family and friends. Heather also created and leads community women's empowerment events or “goddess gatherings” since 2021. You can also connect with Heather on Instagram at @heather_kovaci_yoga.