Valerie Immore

Valerie Immore has been with Sundance Yoga Studio and the Anusara community since 2001. Valerie's journey has always been one of health and fitness and she has a strong background in many facets of the health industry beginning as early as 1985.  As soon as she found Yoga, it became her heart's ambition to teach it and enhance the lives of others with this practice as much as yoga has blessed her own life. She began her full time teaching career with children's yoga and with the faculty and staff of Alvin Independent School District on a therapeutic, gentle approach. Her yoga programs have included private classes, businesses, fitness centers and has maintained an ongoing connection to Sundance as one of the primary teachers and staff. Her training has come from several different styles of vinyasa Yoga but primarily from John Friend's Anusara Yoga. Valerie has come into the community of Sundance with the same vision as Kelly... to teach and to share the beauty of yoga, and all that it reveals to us, all that it reveals within us, one beautiful moment at a time.

info@sundanceyoga.com

Instructors

Kelly Griswold Avril Forster Judi Garris Sabrina Koogler Patti Underkircher

Shelby Cefaratti Peter Eversley Becky Lee Amy Dixon

Donna Lavel Mariana Soare Lisa Cropper Jennifer Allen Laura Jean McGuire

Kelly Griswold
Founder

Kelly Griswold is the founder of Sundance Yoga Studio and continues to maintain close relations to the studio. She has gained experience with a wide variety of teachers and styles of yoga, and upon opening Sundance in 2000, began to focus her studies primarily with John Friend, Mary Romeu and Douglas Brooks from the Anusara Yoga community.  Her heart was taken to Washington, DC in 2005 and is continuing her growth as a teacher by pursuing a freelance career in yoga. She continues to teach at Sundance on a regular basis...please check the Events page or journeysintoyoga.com for class teaching schedule, workshops and retreats. Kelly"s goal in her Anusara teaching style is to bring people more into a place of balance....within their bodies, hearts and minds....and to see the empowerment and the peace that comes from taking the time and effort to look within.

"Svadhyayat Ista Devata Sampra Yogah"
Return to oneself, Discover the Divine

kelly@journeysintoyoga.com

Avril Forster
Instructor

Avril started taking yoga at the beginning of 2002 and from the first day she was hooked!  Sundance is the only studio she has been exposed to and fortunately for her it's Anusara - Vinyasa style truly fits her needs.  After her third year of learning yoga, a lot of "ah ha" moments started to occur.  One particular moment was a growing desire to want to give back in some way, especially to the studio.  With the constant support and enthusiasm from Valerie the owner, her journey into teaching yoga began in 2005.  All the teachers at Sundance have unique styles and strengths that are brought to the studio.  She feels her "hands on" style helps you achieve your pose or go further into it with assistance. Whether it's micro movements to level out your hips or help you release tight muscles after the work day is through, the best part she has been told is the neck massage she gives each student in Savasana!

Judi Garris
Instructor

Yoga was a Mother’s Day Gift in March of 2002—this gift changed Judi's life!
She found yoga to be a journey, which needs to be savored, revered and held in one's heart. Mind, body and spirit blend together to create the unique journey within each of us. Yoga honors the person while asking them to honor themselves. Judi wanted to know the foundation of Anusara yoga and found the principles of alignment to be at the heart of it. In building her practice, Judi's outside body began to soften bringing out her heart to bridge the journey to her mind, body and spirit. She has been touched by influential teachers in her life. Now as a teacher, she is mindful of the journey new student’s take into yoga.

Judi enjoys teaching others to trust in their bodies, connecting their minds and freeing their spirits while opening their hearts. Judi is also a gifted healer located in Sundance where she does private sessions. Holding Masters in Angelic Integrated Energy Therapy and Reiki. Blessed with other energies as well, the Angelic Realm works with her to guide and help people to release "issues in their tissues" of the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual levels without reliving any experience. Judi is a trusted and respected healer.

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Donna LaVelle
Gentle Yoga Instructor

Donna has been studying yoga for about 10 years now under the direction of Raye Lynn Rath. In 1998 she left the corporate world to spend time with her husband since their children were all grown and they discovered that they had a lot of life left. Donna wanted to make a contribution during the second half of her life and sort of fell into teaching. It really wasn't her intention to teach when she started the training. However, it seems that is the way she was led.

Donna has been teaching now for about five years in the Anusara style. As she has grown older (age 60 now), she has discovered that not all yoga needs to be power yoga. Anusara yoga is such a benefit to all bodies, but particularly to those with limitations from illness, injury or age. Donna really feel committed to introducing the benefits to those who think they can't do yoga. The benefits are so wide ranging. She gets such a sense of joy to see someone realize what they can do and how they can feel better. Especially for the Gentle students, Donna believes in lots of encouragement and support. Although all students benefit from that, Gentle students seem to soar with it.

Peter Eversley
Instructor

Peter began taking Yoga in 2000 when a friend told him about The Yoga Institute. He continued taking yoga for several years; taking classes around his work and education schedule. Upon finishing his education, Peter was able to expand and deepen my practice, further pursuing the benefits he knew yoga would offer. Yoga helped him focus his mind and energies in a stressful work environment. It helped him physically to become stronger, but it also helped him to change his attitude and outlook on life. Peter became more open and honest with himself, gaining confidence and the encouragement to try new things.
When teaching, Peter focus on the Universal Principles of Alignment and allowing his students to experience the benefits of the poses while at the same time opening to the heart qualities and the deeper teachings that Anusara yoga offers. Teaching has always been something he has enjoyed in life. His yoga teaching started out as a teacher training class with the intention of merely expanding his own practice! With the encouragement of his teachers; who felt he had the skills and ability, he began to assist and ultimately began teaching my own classes. He has found enjoyment and satisfaction in helping others to experience the benefits of yoga and helping them to open to their own great heart and the world and life around them, as he has.

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Shelby Cefaratti
Instructor

Yoga had been something that Shelby had wanted to try for quite a while… She started taking yoga classes at the gym. Within no time she was hooked and looked for a place that taught yoga exclusively. That’s when she found Yoga Institute and Raye Lynn. She attended every class that she could and soon she was taking a class almost every day. On the days without class, she enjoyed yoga at home. Her body and brain were addicted to this “new” discovery that she had made; quite obviously this was something that she needed in her life. She began to read and take workshops learning whatever she could. In doing so began to know herself on a deeper level.
She started teaching at Yoga Institute in December 2001, and is working towards her Anusara certification. Aside from teaching at YI, she also had the opportunity to teach yoga to the drama department of the local high school as well as teaching a class “Yoga for Fiber Artists” in April 2003 at the Contemporary Handweavers of Texas Biennial Conference. As a teacher, she hopes to inspire her students with a playful, lighthearted, honest approach. She strives to share the lessons she has learned while opening herself to the numerous lessons her students continually teach her. Yoga is fun, challenging, rewarding, stimulating, play! It’s not rocket science, but if practiced with an open heart it can send you soaring to new heights.
Simply said, yoga for Shelby is like eating salad, reading a good book, flying a kite, creating artwork. Life wouldn't end without it, but it certainly makes her a happier, healthier person. Like the balance of Muscular and Organic Energy, as her body becomes stronger from the outside in, her spirit can grow exponentially filling my inner self with grace

Sabrina Koogler
Instructor

Sabrina's journey into yoga began during college in Austin, TX, and led her to the Anusara community in 2001 and Sundance Yoga Studio in 2003.  For Sabrina yoga has always been paired with running, cycling, and other athletic endeavors. It has helped her develop focus, avoid injury, and to remember that there's more to life than competition. Being a teacher at heart,she sought certification through Yoga Alliance in 2004 and has thoroughly enjoyed and learned from her teaching experiences. Her inspiration comes from my three four-legged "children" (dogs) who remind me to take time to play and from her husband who nurtures her patience and creativity. Her intention as a teacher is to share the peace and wellness of yoga with others as they acknowledge their own true beauty.

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Mariana Soares
Instructor

After performing in dance and theatre during many years of her life, Mariana found in yoga what she had been looking for all along. During her first pregnancy, yoga guided her to emotional, physical and spiritual relief . After experiencing the intensity of childbirth and motherhood, she returned to performing only to realize that the only way she could give back the gift of what she had received through yoga would be to continue on the path she had initiated.
Some of the teachers she has had the privilege to train with are Robert Boustany, Misha Laird, Jonny Kest and Doug Swenson. In 1998 she began her practice of yoga, and in 2002 she began to study to be a teacher. She began teaching in the Houston area the following year. Her training includes Hatha, Ahtanga and Vinyasa styles, as well as prenatal yoga.
Mariana is grateful to her two kids and husband for giving her the opportunity to deepen her practice. She is also grateful to her students, whose beautiful souls teach her the art of giving and receiving.

Becky Lee
Instructor

Beginning her first taste of yoga in 2002, Becky has since developed a passion for sharing her love of her yoga practice awith others. After completing the year long teacher training with Robert Boustany in 2006, she is now taking on his 2007 Advanced Teacher Training. In addition, Becky has also studied with teachers such as David Williams, Doug Swenson, Ana Forrest, and Julie Byrd. Becky also enjoys other activities which bring the power of pure presence including dancing tango, rock climbing, playing guitar, bike riding, Tai Chi, and Chi Kung, and Reiki. She is also continuing her studies on a consistent basis in energetics, meditation, applied kinesiology, nutrition, and yoga philosophy. Each class is tailored for the group attending, and the strength of each individual is challenged in a positive light. Classes are intuitively guided to focus on developing your openness and awareness, and sometimes involve being silly and having fun. Please come and enjoy the power of your own strength! You are worth it!

Lisa Cropper
Instructor

Lisa discovered Yoga in 2005 when she was looking for something to help with stress and provide some exercise. She found more than she was looking for. Lisa remembers coming home from class and telling her husband how she felt both energized and relaxed. It was truely awesome the changes it made in her, both physical and emotionally. Lisa has Rheumatoid Arthritis & Fibromyalgia and what she loves about yoga is that she can do it without judgement. Lisa realizes there are poses she will never be able to do and that is ok. If she is tired or hurting there are always modifications that she can do. Lisa's flexibility has become amazing and her Dr is really pleased with the change in her! Lisa became a teacher because she wants share with other the benefits that yoga has given her.

Jennifer Allen
Instructor

Jennifer has been involved in physical fitness her whole life, but not until she found Sundance, did fitness become most important for her mind and soul. Jennifer started her yogic path in Chicago as a way to find an avenue for stress release and fitness after having a baby in 2002. After moving to Texas and becoming pregnant with her second child she found Sundance in 2006. Jennifer knew Sundance’s focus on a heart led practice was the perfect pairing with her desire to honor her physical practice.
Jennifer’s goal as a teacher is pure. She hopes to reach people’s heart. If her students receive even a small portion of the peace and clarity that yoga has brought to her life, she will feel blessed to have served the community. Jennifer traveled to Costa Rica in 2006 to complete her teachers training program and is Yoga Alliance Certified. Jennifer continues her education by attending various workshops. In October 2007 she was blessed to receive a wonderful birthday gift that took her to an Anusara/John Friend workshop in San Francisco. Jennifer is grateful to her mom, who continues to support her and make her dreams possible, as well as the rest of her family.
In October 2007 Jennifer paired up with Valerie to make Valerie’s long time dream (which soon became Jennifer’s dream) of opening a yoga studio in Pearland. Together, they look forward to serving their new community.

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Patti Underkircher
Instructor

Patti teaches Anusara based hatha yoga.  Her class delivery style is heavily influenced by her background in dance and exercise physiology.  She holds certification from the American College of Sports Medicine and has a Doctorate of Education from the University of Houston. She travels to numerous yoga conferences/workshops to study a variety of hatha yoga practices such as Bikram, Ivengar, Vinyasa, and of course, Anusara.  She is also a full time physical education instructor at San Jacinto College.

Amy Dixon
Instructor

Amy has always been drawn to all things spiritual. As an ex-gymnast, yoga is a perfect match for her. For Amy yoga is not only the ideal exercise, but also a spiritual practice, helping her to become the kind of person she wants to be
Amy first attended a yoga class in 2000 at Sundance Yoga, and in 2003 she decided to teach. She became Yoga Alliance certified and continues to attend workshops and classes to grow in her personal practice as a yoga teacher. Amy has been influenced by many styles of yoga, primarily Anusara. She seeks to help her students become their own teachers by listening to and trusting their own bodies and hearts.

Laura Jean McGuire
Instructor

Laura Jean's journey with yoga began with some hatha
classes in Daytona Beach Florida about seven years
ago. Yoga seemed like a natural fit from the start.
Growing up with a backround in dance and some sports
the fluidity of vinyasa and spirit of non competition
were just what she had been looking for.
For the next six years she studied with vinyasa and
ashtanga teachers in Florida while both taking classes
and assisting. While growing in her practice she felt
moved to share her passion and become an instructer.
In the spring of 2007 Laura Jean completed her 200
hour RYT training in Jacksonville, Florida. She has
been teaching and loving every minute of it ever
since. The greatest gift is the ability to grow from
your classes and students as much as they learn from
your instruction.