Kimberly Hardick

Yoga Educator and practitioner since the January of 2001

In 2001 I took my first Yoga class at Bikram College of India. After 9 months of an intense physical practice something happened. I began having an emotional experience in class that I did not understand. A friend took me to her studio where she practiced and it was there I was introduced to Priya Yoga. What a blessing. I continued to experience emotional releases but with less intensity and more understanding. What began as a physical practice has turned into a way of life for me. The changes in my physical body are just as noticeable as the changes in my mental and emotional body.
Fascinated I wanting to learn more, I began studying with Michelle Andrie, the founder of Priya Yoga. Completing the 200 hour teacher training program in the fall of 2005 inspired me to continue with the 500 hour teacher training Yoga Therapy Program. I have been given the honor of carrying on Michelle's work and adapting some of her teaching into The Colibre School for Yoga Educators.
In 2005 I went thru the Nia White Belt Intensive and have been teaching The Nia Technique as well as yoga. In May of 2006 I completed the second half of the Thai Yoga training, and use these techniques in my yoga classes and in my private sessions, In the Fall of 2008 I traveled to Thailand with several of my students and returned to Thailand in 2009 to lead a Yoga retreat as well as traveling to India to study Yoga and be a student for 3 weeks. I am excited to teach and share what I have learned with fellow students, future educators and current yoga educators as I too continue to grow as a Yoga educator

We are fortunate to have some amazing Yoga Educators here, and we all strive to continue to learn and grow as teachers as well as students. We attend workshops and trainings together as well as meet often to share new bits of information we have come across. It is not uncommon for you to find one or all of us in each others classes as we believe we all have something we can learn and teach each other. Already we have created a sense of community, as well as a safe and fun place for you to begin or continue your Yoga/Nia practice closer to home. I am pleased to introduce to you our fabulous teachers.

Terry Olsen

Terry has a great
interest in fitness. She has a degree in Physical Education K - 12 from the
University of Northern Colorado. She has been involved in many sports
playing several in college. She went to the Olympic selection trials for
field hockey for the 1980 Olympics. Being pushed to the physical limit day
after day taught her how the mind and body must work together in any type of
physical exercise to get the most out of the workout. Terry has worked at
health and fitness centers and recreational centers. She has volunteered at nursing homes, worked with the mentally and physically handicapped sharing her love of exercise and movement From these experiences she has learned
to be even more compassionate and sensitive to the needs of people with
limitations. Having hip problems of her own caused her to make a lifestyle
change. Facing a future of limited physical activity she turned to Yoga.
Slowly with patience and time she began to improve. Terry became so excited about the amazing benefits that Yoga can provide she completed her 200 hour Yoga Teacher training in December 2006 at Yoga Island with an emphasis in Vinyasa Yoga. She started practicing Yoga in 2003 and started teaching in May of 2006. Her goal as a teacher is to help others enjoy and learn the benefits of yoga so they can improve their quality of life mentally and
physically. Recently Terry had the honor of studying with Paul Grilley, and took an indepth study of his yin style of yoga. Terry has been with us since we opened and it has been an honor to work with her and watch her grow into an amazing teacher and friend.

Amanda Powers, L.M.T.

Amanda Powers, L.M.T.
www.changingbadhabits.com

Taking dance classes well into my teens instilled my passion for movement. So, years later when I discovered Nia, I was hooked after the first class. I finally found the freedom and joy dancing offered me for so many years prior. After taking a few Nia classes I understood the healing energy it offered on so many levels and it soon became my form of therapy, exercise, and stress relief all rolled into one. After dancing as a student at Soul Fitness for six years I was ready to take the next step and become a Nia White Belt. In November of 2007 I went through the White Belt Intensive Training with Holly Curtis in Boulder Colorado and have been teaching at Aledo Yoga and Nia since March of 2008. My focus as an instructor is to offer a high energy class for all levels of athleticism.

In 2003 I became a Licensed Massage Therapist and have a small studio in my home in Fort Worth, TX. I am also a Lifestyle Educator teaching people how to live healthfully through a 12 week Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes “TLC” program in which I learn about my client's daily routine and current eating habits, then tweak what is not working well for them by offering fun and healthy alternatives to improve their lifestyle.

Currently, I am enrolled in the College of Natural Medicine and will be a Licensed Nutritionist in January 2009. Upon completion of the Nutrition program I plan on proceeding to Holistic Practitioner; with the ultimate goal of building a health and wellness retreat where the skills to obtain and maintain well-being and longevity are provided.

Rasha

Rasha brings an energetic style to the art of belly dance that is all her own. Drawing on her background in jazz, ballet, and competitive dance, Rasha’s performances showcase the dynamic combination of lyrical and percussive movements that make belly dance beautiful.
Rasha has been a principal dancer with the Crescent Moon Dance Company in Fort Worth since 2004. In addition, she is a gifted choreographer and serves as Artistic Director for Anahata Belly Dance Company. As a soloist, Rasha is a featured dancer at Kasra Persian Restaurant in Richardson and performs regularly at various venues and private functions across the Dallas/Ft. Worth metroplex.
While continuing to further her own dance education, Rasha is also an instructor. Her teaching emphasizes proper body alignment, mastery of basic technique, and musical interpretation. Her technique and choreography build on the fundamentals of “raqs sharqi” (Eastern dance) while incorporating elements of traditional Western dance forms and modern American belly dance.

Lauren Wessinger
Prenatal Yoga and Mommy and Me

My first yoga class with my mother and aunt was in the mid-90’s in high school. I dabbled in it here and there, but once I got into college it became a more serious part of my life. In my early college years in Arizona I hit a point where yoga was the only thing that gounded me during crazy college days, it brought me back down to earth. Just the smell of the mat made me feel like I was home. It truly became a religion for me. I continued practicing in all schools of yoga throughout the years, and as life brought my family and I its series of serious challenges, yoga helped me to breathe through it all.


My husband, our 3 year old son and I just relocated to Ft Worth after being in Arizona for over 30 years. For the first time I am not a full time working mom, and I jumped at the chance to devote my energy and time to start my 200 RYT training. It felt like a natural progression. Relocating has had its challenges, and once again, yoga is saving me and keeping me on an even path, allowing me to be happy and strong for my husband and son. The teacher training at Aledo Yoga is an enlightening and precious way to delve deeper into the philosophies and practices of yoga.


We are expecting baby #2 this year, and yoga training is leading me into a pre-natal focus. I have a strong desire to create a sense of community through yoga for other pregnant women. I feel it is so important during pregnancy to have the support of other pregnant women around you. Plus, the advantages of having a yoga practice throughout a pregnancy is truly priceless in preparation and recovery.


Namaste

Elizabeth Balyakina

Elizabeth started doing yoga in 2002 at Yoga Yoga in Austin, TX. Inspired by the warmth and kindness of the yoga community and teachers there, she completed her 200 hour yoga teacher training at Yoga Yoga in April 2008. Her influences include viniyoga, particularly its focus on making yoga practice fit an individual's needs, ashtanga, and hatha flow. Elizabeth is drawn to the creative possibilities of yoga as a way to explore the connection between our internal and external experiences, and enjoys sharing that with students.

Elizabeth moved to Fort Worth in January 2008 to work on her MPH in Community Health, and has been blessed to teach and continue practicing yoga in Aledo and Fort Worth!

Tammy Lindsey