LeShan Barrios

Instructor

I began my yoga journey in 1997 with Sivananda Yoga in Miami. I attended the class because two friends had invited me to join them on their first class. I had no expectations and no real impression of what yoga was. During my first class I experienced such a strong connection and affection for what we were doing, it was as though I had done yoga before. After the class I experienced "perma grin" from ear to ear; which I could not release for the rest of the day. Something in me had been unlocked and it was wonderful – I was floating.

After returning to Tampa for a brief 6 months in 1998, I began to feel my body and mind close in on itself. It was at this time that I truly understood the magic and intrigue of yoga. I returned to Miami and began to practice Iyengar and Ashtanga influenced Vinyasa, Pranayama as well as study of yogic texts. I knew that this was it. This was how I was to make a difference and how I was to make my contribution to society.

I took a teacher training program but decided not to teach right away. I wanted to absorb all I could from the teachers around me. In 2003 I was planning to move back to Tampa. My peers and teachers were constantly advising me that I was "supposed to be teaching". It was not until I knew that I was coming back home to Tampa, that I felt the calling to begin teaching. This was the right time. I opened a studio in Tampa and after three years I was called to leave the four walls and venture out. I am now reaching out with the intention of touching as many people as possible. Yoga is a gift we give to one another; it is gift we give to ourselves.

Jamie Blessinger

Instructor

Jamie believes everyone can benefit from yoga as it facilitates personal growth and brings a holistic awareness to light as it integrates body, mind, and spirit. Jamie’s love for yoga permeates her entire being. She has noticed the tremendous impact that it has on her own life as she feels her absolute best while practicing, teaching, and studying yoga. She is always willing to share yoga classes, private sessions, or just conversation with anyone who is interested. Jamie has an Associates degree in Human Services, a Bachelors in Liberal Studies with a concentration in Social Sciences, she is a 500-hour graduate of PranaVinyasa School of yoga. She plans to allow her yoga journey to continue to evolve as she embraces it as a lifestyle.

Bari Ruck

Instructor/Therapist

Bari Ruck is a Licensed Massage Therapist and Registered Yoga Teacher, with over 5 years experience. Bari specializes in teaching beginners and those who do not think that they are flexible. She also enjoys teaching those who want to deepen their practice. Bari is one of two yoga therapists at Moffitt Cancer Center. She has extensive training in both yoga and massage for oncology. She can work with people who are survivors of cancer in any stage of treatment. Bari has training in Hatha Yoga, Yoga for People with Cancer and Thai Yoga Massage. She is also trained in Swedish Massage, Myofascial Release and Passive Stretching. She is currently studying Jin Shin Jyutsu, a form of energy healing. Private Sessions with Bari are tailored to the needs and comfort level of each individual. Sessions can include elements of massage, active and restorative yoga poses, breathing practices, deep relaxation, and energy work.

"The ancients based their concept of physical fitness and health on an entirely different set of criteria: a feeling of lightness in the body; an ability to withstand change; and a stable body and focused mind...”. ~Gary Kraftsow

Richard Olmstead

Instructor

Yoga first called to me about 25 years ago, but I did not listen. I was working at an ad agency in Minneapolis, some friends started taking yoga classes, and it was in the same building where I was working. Yoga called to me then but I did not respond. In 1999 after moving to Tampa, it called again…this time I responded. I started taking yoga classes at TreeHouse Yoga. I wanted to learn more and the only way to get there, it seemed, was to enter the teacher training program even though I had no intention of teaching.

Well, hundreds of hours later, after much practice, workshops, seminars, and classes I find I am teaching yoga and have done so since 2001. I experience yoga as a moving meditation. I try to practice and teach the body/mind as a movement of the breath though the asana. I teach to whoever is in front of me. The level of the student is how I proceed with a class. The purpose of the class is to have fun, follow the breath, and possibly a slight stretch to where the student has not been before.

Through my practice, I have studied many styles of yoga. I have blended these complete forms into my classes which I fondly call "Mutt Yoga". Those methods of influence come from my teachers who are Tony Nenov: Ashtanga, Karin Stephen: Iyengar, John Friend: Anasara, and Bob Smith: Hatha. I use a mixture of all of the above styles keeping the air element of flowing with the breath as the energetic instrument of change.

I live in Tampa; have two adult children, and two cats, at the moment. Most of my other life, before I listened, was spent in the entertainment and media businesses.

Amy Chin

Instructor

Amy believes yoga weaves souls together, creating strong and beautiful communities of people, infrastructure, lifestyle, and spirit. She aims to promote individual, innate patterns of movement with her students so each individual can connect with him or herself spatially through mental and experiential body exploration; thus discovering one self in harmony with a greater whole. Amy spent the first half of her life as an elite gymnast. After gymnastics, Amy obtained a Masters of Architecture at the University of Florida in Gainesville. In 2002, Amy relocated to Tampa to pursue the profession of architecture. While diligently working in architecture, Yoga found Amy one random evening after walking her dog. She recalls an innate familiarity instantly encompassing her whole being and was very excited to discover an avenue that combined her passions for body movement, architecture, and human spirit. Since then, the profoundness evolved in to something less significant, more cohesive, and even more spacious. She continues to explore these concepts with the help of her yoga practice, her students, her teachers, and her life. In 2009, Amy completed her 200 Hour Ananda Yoga Teacher Training with LeShan Barrios, ERYT, at Jai Dee Yoga and Wellness Center in Tampa, Florida. She also holds certification in Prenatal and Postnatal Yoga from Stephanie Keach, ERYT. Amy's yoga training is grounded in Ashtanga, Iyengar, and Hatha. She trains extensively with Antonin Nenov, at Gardens of Yoga in Tampa, Florida. Amy is humbled and thankful for the opportunity to share her passion, her enthusiasm, and her heart. She hopes to inspire her students to be free, find their place, and discover their own harmonious tapestry. Together, we learn, we love, and we be one.

Deb Muller

Instructor

I first came to yoga through my curiosity. While living in NYC about 10 years ago, I noticed my gym was offering yoga classes so I decided to be adventurous. I had no idea what I was in for. I became drawn to these classes after noticing how good I felt afterwards. I didn't realize it at the time, but this practice was laying the foundation for a new life. Since then, I have developed an understanding of the importance and relevance of yoga to the journey. Yoga has helped me through some of the most challenging experiences, and has become an essential piece to my life. Besides receiving an education through yoga in how to connect to myself, I've earned a Bachelor's degree in Social Science with a concentration in Sociology and Anthropology, an MBA, and am certified in first and second degree Reiki. I completed the 200 hour registered Yoga Teacher Training at Jai Dee. Through the gift of transformation that yoga has brought to me I am truly inspired to spread the gift of possibilities that yoga has to offer to others.

Elsa Valbuena

Instructor

Working both the physical and the spiritual well being, Elsa's classes pay close attention to alignment and the fluidity of movement with the breath. Her class is infused with the generously shared knowledge she has acquired in her studies with Master Teachers and Artists. She has been teaching movement for over two decades .Elsa has completed her 200 hour Yoga certification from St.Petersburg Yoga and will continue on to the 500 hour. She believes Yoga is an ongoing process and is thrilled to share it with you.

Justin Kaye

Instructor/Therapist

From a very early age Justin Kaye had a keen interest in mysticism, and he also realized the intrinsic union of the body/mind/spirit and the potential for it as a vehicle for tapping into the deeper realms of reality. Justin became a student of both Eastern and Western psychology as a teenager while simultaneously training in bodybuilding and powerlifting, winninga Silver Medal in the Junior Olympic games. At age 20 Justin began practicing yoga at the fitness center he worked at as a personal trainer. It was love at first breath! He went on to study yoga and massage at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in Massachusetts for over 3 years. In that time he had the pleasure of meeting his Hatha Yoga teacher Mark Whitwell. Whitwell studied with the teacher of teachers , Professor Krisnamacharya. Mr. Whitwell was a amazingly sensitive and caring friend/teacher to Justin. After a couple years of study and practice, Mark encouraged Justin to teach others. In 2010 Justin completed his Yoga of Heart teacher training with Mark. Justin has taught yoga for 3 years and also brings with him 10 years experience working with others as a certified personal trainer. His classes have a focus on creating a moving meditation through use of coordinated breath/movement. Justin is also a licensed massage therapist and specializes in thai yoga bodywork receiving his training with the Lotus Palm School of Montreal.

Leslee Colen

Instructor

I first began practicing Yoga to become more flexible, to reduce stress and to cultivate creative energy. I am an artist and a Fine Art/Art Education graduate of University of South Florida. To maintain a fresh, ongoing and evolving flow of joy, fun and centeredness in my Art, I chose a somewhat alternative path. For the past 25 years I have been a VP of Operations for a large Florida Company, while nurturing a working studio crafting functional and sculptural high fire ceramics. My Art is shown in juried exhibitions and in galleries nationwide. I create approximately 200 limited edition functional vessels plus several one of a kind sculptures yearly. To accomplish this duality, dedication, focus, balance and centeredness is necessary.

Leslie Jones

Instructor

Ever since I was little girl I was always interested in yoga and meditation. My father has been teaching me meditation techniques and yogic principles from the time I was very small, and this has helped me immensely in my studies in yoga. I grew up many different cities in both the U.S. and Europe, but eventually made Tampa my home in '04. I began practicing yoga with Richard Olmsted in '08 and have recently done my teacher training 200/hr course here at Jai dee. I enjoy many styles of yoga but my favorite is Anusara. I believe that each and every human being can derive some benefit from the principles of yoga, and I look forward to sharing my love of yoga with my students as we each move along the journey that is the yogic path.

Ruben Vasquez

Instructor

I began practicing Yoga daily in 1996, and every day I look forward to the overall well-being that Yoga brings into my life. As is the case for most yogis, Yoga continues to inspire my way of being in the world. I feel that teaching Yoga is an honor and a responsibility that requires my attention, knowledge, caring, preparation and flexibility. More than a teacher, I see myself as a dedicated student who loves to practice, learn and share. I am grateful for the opportunities I have to facilitate this journey of exploration and I hope that Yoga brings as many teachings, joy and well-being to every practitioner as it has brought to me. Following the example of teachers I admire, in every class I do my best to help students discover their own way of practicing.

Tres Armour

Instructor/Therapist

With over 13 years as a licensed massage therapist, Tres has a long standing passion for the healing arts. Holding certifications in Swedish, Sports, Neuromuscular and Thai massage, as well as Shiatsu, Qi Gong, and Yoga, Tres has access to a broad range of healing modalities to support each client's individual needs and well-being. Tres completed massage training in Tampa, Florida at the SunCoast School of Massage Therapy in 1998. Upon completion, Tres pursued further education in the eastern healing arts and obtained a Shiatsu certification in eastern philosophies, energy meridians, acupressure points and reflexology. His passion for eastern philosophy led him to travel to Thailand where Tres experienced first hand eastern culture. In 2004, while living in Thailand, Tres received a certification in Thai Yoga Massage from the Institute for Thai Massage in Chaing Mai, Thailand. Tres has been practicing and studying yoga longer than he has been massaging. This past year, he received his Yoga Teacher Training certification with LeShan Barrios, ERYT, at Jai Dee Yoga and Wellness Center in Tampa, Florida. His yoga training includes foundations in Hatha, Ashtanga, and Raja. He trains extensively with Antonin Nenov, Gardens of Yoga in Tampa Bay. Tres is a natural healer, intuitive listener, and attentive teacher. His specialties extend deep in to the art of movement and meditation, and have a strong focus on breath.

Sarah Lesch

Instructor

I always knew I enjoyed yoga as an exercise experience, but it wasn't until I became pregnant with my first child, that I began to embrace the deeper aspects of yoga. I found that yoga and the practice of meditation, helped me to stay more present in each moment, instead of thinking of “to-do” lists or preoccupied with other mental chatter. Once I felt the positive effects of yoga and breath off the mat, I decided to follow my inner voice and become a registered yoga teacher (200 level). I have been practicing yoga consistently for the past six years, have taken workshops with wonderful people to deepen my practice, and have had a great deal of fun along the way. I believe the breath can lead the way in our yoga, when we link movement with breath, to places of inner strength and flexibility that we may not have realized were possible. Yoga can help you find the ease and confidence to go with the flow of your life's rhythm.

Chi-Chi Schickel

Instructor

After being an avid athlete and runner for many years Chi-Chi embarked on her yoga journey. It was a welcome and refreshing change from the rigorous sports training. She was completely hooked as yoga allowed for a new, almost childlike way to explore and play within the body while also stretching the mind. Throughout the years her yoga practice has helped facilitate tremendous personal growth and transformation. Chi-Chi is grateful to every teacher she has had along the way who have helped her to discover the “magic” of yoga. She is thrilled to be able to share her passion for yoga with others through teaching