Barbara Ruzansky, director
Barbara’s own path to health is at the heart of her teaching. She has a deep conviction that yoga can help you “observe how you’re treating yourself, feeding yourself and affecting your community.” She wants to introduce yoga and healthful eating to people, so they can “shine and touch those around them.”

Barbara spent over two decades struggling with eating disorders and depression and found healing mainly through yoga and whole foods cooking. In 2002, she opened West Hartford Yoga, a center for yogic life, which offers yoga classes and workshops, teacher trainings, intensives with international teachers, reading groups, lectures, massage, meditation, kirtan, and hiking. In 2006, she collaborated with international yoga teacher Ana Forrest to create a 6 day Eating Disorder Intensive, pursuing her lifelong goal of finding a holistic treatment for the highly resistant diseases of eating disorders.

Her teaching emphasizes “staying conscious and developing the art of self- awareness.” She spent 20 years as a macrobiotic chef and teacher, and her yoga training includes work with Ana Forrest, David Swenson, Shiva Rea, and Dan Leven (Expressive Movement Therapy) as well as a deep study of Bikram yoga, Kripalu yoga and a 500 hour yoga alliance certification. She has blended this knowledge into a style she calls WHY Power, a dynamic yoga combining Ashtanga, vinyasa flow and Forrest yoga. WHY Power encourages people to explore their edges, develops core strength, and connects people to their breath.

Barbara’s classes are in heated rooms and are physically rigorous, but accessible. Having severely hurt her back in a horseback riding accident many years ago, Barbara understands how to use yoga therapeutically and is creative in developing modifications for her students. Barbara is compassionate and insightful about students’ individual needs. Her classes move people deeply. Students have said she has an uncanny ability to see where they are blocked and help them move forward and heal.

Dr. Peter Meadow, assistant director
Dr. Peter Meadow has been a student and teacher of yoga for 40 years, taking his first class in 1969. He graduated from St. John’s College in Santa Fe, New Mexico with a BA, Magna Cum Laude in 1973 and received his MA in philosophy from the University of Texas in Austin in 1976.

Peter moved to California in 1977 to study holistic healing. He lived in Kayavarohana ashram in St. Helena, California from 1978 through 1981, practicing and studying yoga under Yogeshwar Muni in the lineage of Swami Kripalu. There he taught and administered the “Energy Mastery” course, taught hatha yoga, and trained as an Enlightenment Master. He led Enlightenment Intensives on the east coast from 1981 through 2001.

Peter now serves as the assistant to the director of West Hartford Yoga and leads workshops in yogic philosophy and meditation. He has run a successful chiropractic practice since receiving his DC, Summa Cum Laude, from Palmer College in 1984.

 

Kristen Wold, business manager
In a previous life, Kristen Wold managed the administrative and financial areas of the Equity Capital Markets Group for 6 years. She was then promoted to Vice President of Human Resources managing the Payroll and Compensation departments. After eleven years, she left the corporate world in an effort to find a healthier way of life. In 2004 she began working at WHY and is now the full-time Business Manager.

Kristen took her first yoga class with Barbara in 2001 and soon became a dedicated yogi. “I didn’t realize that yoga would change my life so dramatically. Just being present on my mat has helped me to have more compassion for myself and for others.”

Kristen’s passion is sharing her love of yoga with children. She completed the Next Generation Yoga® teacher training in 2006. In March of 2007, she completed the Integrated Movement Therapy™ training, a yoga-based therapy technique for children with special needs. Kristen created and leads the WHY Kids! program at the studio.

Shankara Newton, WHY senior teacher
Shankara Newton has been studying and teaching yoga and meditation for over 20 years. A former resident of the Kripalu Yoga Center in Lenox, Massachusetts, Shankara brings a wealth of knowledge and experience of yogic living into his teachings. He is trained in various traditions including Kripalu, Ashtanga, Bikram and Forrest Yoga.

Shankara leads Enlightenment Intensives, a 3 day breakthrough retreat intended to connect us more deeply to the truth of who we are. In addition, he has created the Love, Passion, and Enlightenment workshop to assist in working on and recovering from psychological and emotional trauma and abuse. He has conducted his own private practice as a counselor and life coach for 10 years.

Shankara's teaching is filled with compassion and humor. His unique approach provides a foundation of support for students to reach for their full potential in an atmosphere of comfort and safety.

 

Ellen's desire to comprehend her felt experience led to a multi-disciplinary integration of Anatomy, Physiology, Oriental Medicine, Ayurveda, Psychology,Craniosacral therapy, and deep bodywork. In addition to teaching anatomy, Ellen maintains a thriving bodywork and Visionary Craniosacral practice in Southern California.