LORI HAWKINS

After dabbling in yoga most of her adult life, a distance running injury sidetracked Lori.  She renewed and strengthened her relationship with yoga to find that there was physical healing and strengthening in the practice.  Yoga also helped her to build emotional strength and inner peace that made her feel like she was a more present mother and better able to take on the pressures in life.  A longtime public school educator, Lori decided to switch things up and earn her RYT-200 yoga teacher designation in order to bring yoga and mindfulness to children through her Yoga in Schools workshop.  The vision blossomed over the years and grew into what is now Sankulpa Yoga Center.   She is happy to bring yoga to her community so that others may reap its benefits.  

JANET GELLER-LESKO

Born and raised in Connecticut, Janet Geller-Lesko moved to the Midwest in 1981 to obtain a Masters degree in Healthcare Administration. She is a retired Naval Officer and retired Hospital Administrator who has been practicing yoga since the 1970s, as her 99 year old mother started her own daily yoga practice in the 1960s! She and her husband, Mark, are both active as volunteers in our community, practice mindfulness and meditation daily, and also have a tree nursery, Arbor Hills. She teaches yoga as River Lily Yoga, and loves showing people that ANYONE can practice yoga!

SALLY GILL

A former dancer and long distance runner, Sally has been practicing yoga for almost 20 years.  While her study began with Ashtanga Yoga, Sally loves the mindfulness that Hatha Vinyasa practice has brought to her teaching style.  Believing that we all gravitate to the unique rhythms that our body craves to find peace and harmony, Sally enjoys finding balance through the many forms that yoga can take - from a more rigorous experience in a Hot Yoga class, to a gentle restorative or more mindful flow.  Sally believes in listening to the cures our body gives us, finding peace through dedication to a lifelong yoga practice. 

KRIS LESLIE

Kris has been a fitness professional for 30 Years, teaching all types of classes and acting as a personal trainer.  She has earned her B.S. in Exercise Science and her M.A. in Educational Psychology.  Kris earned her yoga teacher certification and training as a golf conditioning specialist through SCW Fitness Education.  She is an Adjunct Assistant Professor for the Exercise Science department at Carthage College.  

Having worked out since her teens (mostly running, teaching fitness classes, and strength training), Kris remembers that she didn't put much effort into stretching.  As she got older, that caught up to her.  She started looking into yoga to help relieve pain.  But, Kris didn't fully appreciate yoga until she went through a personal crisis.  As she dove into spiritual and self-help books, Kris found that yoga was going to help her not only physically, but also mentally and spiritually.  Having fully experienced all of the benefits of yoga, Kris wanted to share with others by teaching it.  Her two passions are yoga and strength training, and that is why she especially enjoys combining the two in her classes.

NANCY NEDLAND

Nancy started practicing yoga more than 20 years ago as a way to be more patient and present with her children. After a rewarding career as a therapist, she became a registered yoga teacher in 2009 and has been teaching and practicing yoga ever since. Her practice has helped her to deepen all of the important relationships in her life.

The physical aspect allows Nancy to maintain strength and flexibility in her active lifestyle, the philosophy gives her a framework for understanding her place in the universe, and the breath awareness practice helps her find balance again and again. Nancy likes to incorporate all of this into her classes along with a healthy dose of humor to keep things light and fun. She believes that yoga is truly a lifelong practice, and she enjoys teaching all age groups and in many settings.

From preschools to special education classrooms, from studios to therapeutic settings, Nancy feels privileged to take the seat of the teacher. She is humbled by the process of accompanying her students on their journey towards self-awareness, physical health and spiritual clarity.

LINNEA RUTKOWSKI

Linnae discovered her passion for yoga almost 15 year ago after the birth of her daughter and was searching for easy fitness ideas at home.  She discovered the power of the practice was so much more!

After selling real estate for over 15 years, Linnae went back to school and earned a Masters in Counseling Psychology and Spirituality and recently passed the state licensing exam earning her Licenced Professional Counselor designation.  She saw the need for mindfulness in the therapy world and decided to integrate yoga into her future therapy profession.  In addition to yoga, she has a strong passion for teaching others about the use of essential oils.  She soon found another hand in hand therapy technique for both counseling and yoga.

She continued her education and graduated with her RYT-200 hour certification from the Emerald Heart School of Yoga with the amazing and life changing teacher, Mara Campbell. 

Linnae is honored to teach and inspired by her students everyday. She lives with her husband Mike and their four amazing children, Jack, Molly, Maggie and Kate. 

HEIDI ZALEWSKI

Heidi has been practicing yoga since 2006. She has always been physically active and at the same time always sought a sense of connection and wholeness through spiritual and meditative practices. Heidi found the perfect combination of these aspects of health and wellness in Yoga.  She has her Master’s Degree in Social Work and originally worked with adolescents with substance abuse issues. As her children have grown and become more independent, she has had time to focus more thoroughly on her yoga practice.  She said it was like coming home, as Heidi felt the trajectory of yoga for her has been a lifelong process of reconnecting to her true self and purpose.  It seemed a natural progression to complete her 200 hour yoga teacher training, enabling her to share the healing and growth she has found through yoga with others.

Heidi's teaching style emphasizes healthy alignment as it applies to each individual. She focuses on connecting to and working with the breath and body enabling one to be fully present in one’s yoga (and life) in a mindful way. She places great importance on enabling students to take ownership of their yoga practice in a way that is right for each student beginning with a sense of acceptance and love.