Val Spies • E-RYT 500

Owner & Director of the Lotus Pond Yoga Teacher Training Programs

Val is a certified Kripalu yoga teacher who specializes in the psychological quest for joy through the practice of yoga and breathwork. She has been leading workshops, travel tours, and training sessions for yoga groups and corporate enterprises for over 20 years, and offers expertise in tailoring programs to fit the needs of individual groups. Val was originally drawn to yoga through an inner yearning to find peace and comfort in her body and spirit. Over the years, yoga became a survival tool for her as she worked in corporate America and found less and less time for inner peace.

Val is best known for her ability to deliver the complex studies of yoga in a comprehensive and intriguing style that appeals to students of all levels. Her teachings encompass the philosophical studies of the yoga tradition and the mind/body connection of the practice. Val is yoga mama to 400+ graduating yoga teachers across the country.

Maia Bellavia • RYT 200​

Studio Manager, Promotions Manager & Event Coordinator
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Maia Bellavia is a heart-centered person with a passion for helping others. With a background in social work, aiding the homeless and managing businesses, she now plays a vital role in serving the Lotus Pond community and maintaining smooth operations. As studio manager, you’ll frequently see Maia at the front desk eager to welcome you with a warm and friendly smile. She graduated from the Lotus Pond teacher training program in 2018, holds a bachelors in Psychology and is currently studying at USF for her masters degree in social work. 

Lynda Savidge • RYT 200

Lynda started exploring yoga when she began studying with Deepak Chopra, MD in 1994. Soon after she became a Certified Massage Therapist in CA and opened her first healing shop. Her desire to share as she learned led to opening an integrative wellness center and co-teaching courses on Ayurveda, Meditation, Aromatherapy, and other healing modalities. Her desire to assist in the healing process led her to delve into a host of healing techniques from Reiki and Craniosacral to Sports Massage and PNF stretching. Lynda sensed a need for clients to utilize their bodies' natural ability to heal and incorporated this into her nurturing treatments.

Lynda's quest for knowledge continues, and the integration of Yoga became a natural extension of her journey. As an RYT-200 Yoga Alliance member and excited to be in the RYT-500 program at The Lotus Pond, Lynda loves teaching Hatha, Slow Flow, Gentle and Restorative Yoga. Her background lends itself to a warm, safe and meditative journey during her classes. The potential she desires for all of her students/clients— bliss.

Ryan devin • e-RYT 500

Lead Teacher in the Lotus Pond Yoga Teacher Training Programs

Ryan Devin has extensive training in intuitive alignment-based yoga, acrobatic yoga, pranayama (yogic breathing) and meditation. With over 2500 hours of experience in teaching, he is a passionate and enthusiastic leader with a patient and loving approach.  His co-teachers and students say he exudes wisdom and intuition beyond his years. With a Bachelor’s in Alternative Medicine, he merges an understanding of the human body and holistic practices into his teachings.

“Nothing is so strong as gentleness, nothing is so gentle as real strength.”

Melissa Caroll • e-RYT 500 • YACEP • MFA

Lead Teacher in the Lotus Pond Online Yoga Teacher Training Program
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Melissa Carroll is a lead teacher in the Lotus Pond Teacher Training Programs, college creative writing professor, and the author of four books, including Going OM: Real-Life Stories on and off the Yoga Mat. In 2006 Melissa discovered yoga and Reiki as paths toward inner peace, and she has dedicated her life to sharing these practices with others. Melissa has taught yoga for the past 11 years and specializes in philosophy, alignment, Yin Yoga, meditation, and the subtle body. Learn more at www.TheYogaWriter.com.
​Creator of the online course SHADOW+LIGHT: A Journey Toward Self-Mastery

Manasa Kanithi, M.S. • E-RYT 500

Having been a student of yoga from the age of five under the guidance of her parents, Manasa brings authentic teachings of Philosophy, Sanskrit, Mantra, and Ayurveda to the YTT programs at Lotus Pond. As a graduate of the Lotus Pond 200hr and advanced teacher training, Manasa offers classes that draw from multiple lineages that take students right to the heart of yoga.  Manasa holds her M.S. in Medical Sciences from the Morsani College of Medicine at USF. She also carries a graduate certificate in Aging and Neurosciences certificate in Ayurvedic Studies. She strives to weave together the traditions of yoga with the scientific principles to promote health and wellness for her students. Her travels to 22 countries and extensive work with non-profits local and abroad inspire her teachings to promote diversity, inclusivity, and the importance of service and social action

Pam Velez • E-RYT 500

I have been practicing yoga for the past 13 years. I began taking yoga classes at a gym with the intention of getting a good workout. What began as part of an exercise routine has become so much more. I credit yoga for making me a better person: more patient, compassionate and less judgmental. I am a goofy person who loves to laugh and I bring this element of lightheartedness to each class. My classes are taught with the end result in mind- leave class feeling like you just had a good workout and a relaxing massage. I am certified as an RYT 500 and received my training right here at the beautiful Lotus Pond. In addition to teaching yoga, I am a holistic health coach specializing in working with corporate clients.

Katie Beene • RYT 200

Lotus Pond Yoga Teacher Training Coordinator, Front Desk Staff & Yoga Teacher
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With a background in dance and circus arts, Katie has a passion for movement! Along with teaching yoga, she also custom crafts hula hoops and teaches workshops and lessons on how to find you flow with a hoop. She's performed at local venues including: Ruth Eckhard Hall and the Straz Center and continues to light up the Tampa Bay Area with her flow props. Her style of yoga is a "slow flow", allowing time for each of her students to savor each moment, each posture, and each breath. She is Yoga Nidra Certified and has a passion for leading guided meditations. She believes that yoga and meditation are beautiful opportunities to slow down and be present, considering that the world can sometimes move so fast and provide many distractions from what's really important. Katie also teaches monthly donation based Full Moon Circles online via Zoom. When she's not teaching yoga, you'll find this blue hair fairy frolicking around in nature or island hopping in the Gulf. She loves being outside and feels the most connected to the teachings of yoga when she is in nature.

Carla Jiminez • e-RYT 500

Carla Jimenez is a native to Tampa, Florida where she started teaching yoga and dance in 2002. Carla has taught yoga and dance to people of all ages and abilities, including the football team at the University of South Florida, The Florida Dance Education Organization Conference, Various Performing Arts Elementary, Middle, and High Schools and The Patel Conservatory in Tampa. In 2011, she became a Yoga Teacher Trainer at the Lotus Pond Yoga Center in Tampa and continues to be a part of the school. She is currently a Dance Director at Orange Grove Middle Magnet School of the Arts. Carla is a Yoga Alliance 500 E-RYT and 200 E-RYT. She also has attained a State of Florida Dance Teaching Certification, Prenatal Yoga Certification, and American Ballet Theater Teacher Certification. Her yoga classes are creatively fluid and always include her singing the healing sounds of Mantra in the final meditation. Carla specializes in classes and workshops such as Gentle Yoga, Mom and Baby Yoga, Prenatal Yoga, Yoga for Dance, and Mantra Meditation.
She sings mantras during savasana in each yoga class and has delivered numerous workshops on chanting. Carla’s passion is teaching her students to achieve bliss by integrating yoga into every part of life.

Charles Burgess • RYT 200

Charles has been coming to the Lotus Pond for over 5 years after discovering how yoga brought joy and relief to his life that was otherwise filled with bouts of corporate burnout, running-related injuries, and the stress of everyday life. Now, through the teachings of yoga, he helps students find more balance, confidence, and compassion on and off the mat.

With a background in comedy, acrobatics, and mentorship, he takes a light-hearted approach to class that focuses on proper alignment and finding some fun in each posture.

Margie Sagafi • e-RYT 500

Maryelin has been practicing and studying yoga for more than 15 years, traveling the world and attending numerous workshops and conferences with Rodney Yee, Cindy Lee, Laurence Biscontini, David Regelin, Karin Stephan and others. She traveled to India seeking deeper knowledge; after a month of submerging into the practice of the physical and spiritual aspects of yoga, she received her yoga teacher certification from The Himalaya Yoga Institute. She is trained in Raja Dhiraja Yoga, a more extensive and comprehensive form of Ashtanga Yoga. Her teaching methods emphasize strong practice, precise alignment, meditation, visualization, and intention; flowing in coordination with breathing techniques. She is certified in Prenatal and Restorative Yoga. She teaches private lessons as well as group classes.

Dana Khazendar • RYT 500

Lotus Pond Studio Front Desk Staff and Yoga Teacher

Dana has been working and studying health and wellness for over twenty years. After she got her Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science she worked as a personal trainer and a group fitness instructor. She added a health counseling certification from the NYS Education Department to expand her knowledge about human health. Wanting to be able to help more people live life to the fullest, she started studying the mind-body connection through yoga and was called to dive deeper into the yoga studies.
Dana’s classes include a strong focus on the alignment of the poses while flowing with the breath. She offers modifications and props to make the practice accessible for everyone.  Her goal is to allow the students to build strength and balance while stretching and creating space in the body, with the intention of finding peace in the mind and connecting with the now. 

Michelle Caulde • RYT 200

From a very young age, Michelle Caudle has had an interest in physical activity. Diving into anything from ballet and gymnastics as a child, to flow arts and team sports as an adult, she has come to find a true
passion for yoga and its teachings.
Chance brought Michelle to the Lotus Pond and at that time in her life, she did not have a consistent yoga practice. Simply spending one afternoon in the Lotus Room, gazing out over the green grass and rocks of the pond, Michelle could sense that this community would be a new home. The very same day Michelle signed up for the teacher training program and began her journey into self-discovery through yoga.
She has been teaching yoga for three and a half years and her flow-based classes emphasize alignment and self-exploration through movement and mindfulness.

Teri Martin • E-RYT 500

​Teri Martin is an E-RYT500 Experienced Yoga Instructor from Boston and has been a yoga practitioner for over 20 years. In her yoga teaching she encourages, leads, and empowers students to tune in to and connect with themselves, creating increased physical and personal awareness.
Teri is an Artist, Art Consultant, Business Advisor and founder of TheArtNetwork. Her left brain has a
Harvard MBA and is a former executive at HBO, Cinemax and Citicorp.
Teri’s vinyasa flow classes are enjoyable, thoughtfully choreographed and appropriately paced flows of ashtanga - based postures and movement with strong emphasis on proper alignment, breath, personal awareness and individual attention.

Sarah Sclafani • RYT 500

Sarah Sclafani is an RYT500 experienced yoga teacher with a wide range of class styles for all levels. A certified Chair and Yin Yoga teacher , a Reiki Master and a Silver Sneakers certified in fitness and yoga instructor.  She loves to she share her passion through yoga through her teachings. 
Sarah is a mother of 4, grandmother of 7.
 Sarah's motto: You are one yoga class away from a good mood!

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analiese Deabreu • RYT 200

Rediscovered her passion for yoga after diving deeper into the studies of meditation and began to teach at the Lotus Pond in 2019. She firmly believes in the “ripple effect” of yoga, the softening that begins towards oneself and spreads to others as the movement and breath do their magic, and carries this philosophy into all her classes. Her focus as a teacher is for her students to leave feeling lighter physically and energetically, with a greater awareness of their daily experience of living. Analiese feels yoga is not a practice just for the mat but for all areas of life and co-teaches a monthly online Full Moon Circle to support others in discovering their own inner wisdom.

Alyssa liadis • RYT 200

​Alyssa was drawn to yoga as a way to find movement outside of her corporate job.  As her physical practice began to deepen, she realized there was a bigger connection to her mind and spirit.  With this, and her passion to teach, she knew she found the right path - teaching yoga.  Alyssa has completed her 200 hour yoga teacher training at Lotus Pond and looks forward to meeting with her students.
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Jennifer gaudreau • RYT 200

Yoga found Jenn over two years ago on retreat.  While she had taken classes before, it was the first time she had experienced a sense of peace and connection to her inner guidance through yoga.  Thus began a journey of inner healing and traveling around the world to learn more about yoga, meditation, sound healing, reiki, vocal activation, sacred ceremonies, and other healing arts. 
Jenn is always learning and growing, recognizing this is a lifelong journey and that we all have something to learn from one another.  It's her deep desire to create a brave and inclusive space, where everyone is welcome.  She is interested in the ways mindfulness and spiritual practice can help individuals find emotional healing.  Jenn is also a personal brand photographer and coach for healers, conscious creators, and mindfulness guides. Jenn completed her 200 hour teacher training at the Lotus Pond and is very grateful to be part of this community.  You can learn more about her work at www.jenngaudreau.com.