Erin S

Erin has been leading retreats, events, classes, and workshops since 2012 while also assisting Yoga Teacher Trainings at Kripalu School of Yoga. Erin hosts experiential wellness events and international retreats that specializes in meditation, philosophy, sound healing and pranayama. It is Erin's mission to offer transformative experiences in a supportive environment that inspires connection, compassion, and joy.

 Erin is so thankful to live in Guilford with her family of two young sons, husband, and dog Cusco. She has a passion for horseback riding, animals, and supporting the local community.

Favorite pose right now? Supine twist

Book that changed your life? The science of yoga

What inspires your teaching? Nature

What do you hope students feel after class? Supported

Sofya

Sofya, RYT-200, is certified through CENTER Yoga + Wellness under the guidance of Petra Applegat. With over 15 years of experience exploring various modalities of yoga, her practice deepened after a personal healing journey revealed yoga’s true power—not only in supporting the physical body, but in nurturing the human spirit.

She views yoga as a pathway to cultivate inner peace, longevity, strength, and mobility; to meet life’s twists and turns with greater ease; to embrace all parts of ourselves; and to carry the wisdom of yoga from the mat into everyday life.

Beyond the studio—and alongside her career in technology—Sofya loves traveling with her husband and two daughters, cooking, and getting lost in a good book.

Favorite pose right now? - Matsyasana - supported fish pose - for its heart opening effects on the body and soul

Book that changed your life? - "The New Earth" by Ekhart Tolle, "Yamas and Niyamas" by Deborah Adele, "The journey of souls" by Michael Newton

What inspires your teaching? - Deeply connecting with the people around me - Center Yoga community, family, friends and perfect strangers. We are all so different and yet we all share so many similar life lessons. In the modern age of isolation and the epidemic of loneliness, being able to share them with one another heals our souls and reminds us that we are all connected. 

What do you hope students feel after class? - expansion - more space in their hearts, more space for breathing in their chest, more space between the stimulus and the response, more space between their thoughts, wider range of motion, more space for kindness, compassion and emotions.

Jennifer

FOUNDER

E-RYT 500, founder of CENTER Yoga + Wellness (formerly pradipikaYOGA), Jennifer trained with Alan Finger in ISHTA yoga and trained with Baron Baptiste in Power Vinyasa Yoga. Jennifer teaches a breath-centered practice in an inspired vinyasa flow that is adaptable for various levels of practice. Her classes are fun and light, yet strong and challenging. She aims to inspire and enliven her students in energetic classes that work the physical body, and awaken and balance the emotional and spiritual bodies. Her extensive study of alignment and injury prevention provides a safe environment to encourage students to play their edge. Jennifer also earned a Master's Degree in Human Nutrition and is a Registered Dietitian.

Jill

communications

Jill is passionate about self discovery through movement, introspection and the breath. She completed her 500hr teacher training through YogaWorks in June of 2019 and her 200hr from Kripalu School of Yoga + Ayurveda  in 2014. With a longtime interest in healthy living, Jill originally came to yoga with purely physical goals. While exploring posture and movement, Jill soon began to draw connections between her experiences on the mat and in her daily life. Jill guides core-focused classes full of structured movement and creative flow that highlight the mindfulness, vitality and joy that yoga can bring to our lives. She refrains from hands-on assists and adjustments based on the principal that yoga is a self-guided practice of feeling and intuition. Jill looks forward to moving through a class with you!

Haily

E-RYT 500, Haily’s mission is to offer access to both confidence and creativity through sustainable wellness, alignment and movement. She aims to inspire the celebration of the fullness of life with humor and relatability so that you can feel your most vibrant and in turn share your gifts with the world.

Haily will help you flourish in your yoga practice using alignment based direction, Ayurveda, movement and deep rest. She uses her artistic background to plan fun, fresh classes that will challenge, inspire, and help you to spark your own creative flame. Her teaching is meant to resonate as an experience beyond the edges of your mat and encourage you to find your own unique balance.

Lauren

Lauren is a 500 RYT trained in India and New York City. Before journeying back to the shoreline, Lauren spent time training and teaching with a variety of renowned instructors in New York City, India, Hawaii, and the Berkshires. Before settling back near her hometown of Guilford, Lauren worked at Kripalu Center in the Berkshires which is one of the largest non-profits for yoga and holistic health in the country. Lauren now teaches 7th & 8th grade at a local middle school while still offering yoga classes and other workshops to youth and adults across the shoreline. Lauren believes the yoga classroom is an intimate space where we commit to exploring the many sides of ourselves and learn to accept all feedback with the deepest compassion. With an approachable and calming presence, Lauren strives to make her classes relatable and inspiring, relaxing while still strengthening. Her classes are very breath focused and weave in aspects of mindful meditation. As she continues to deepen her own personal practice, she takes what she learns back into the classroom with a sense of curiosity, playfulness, and a deep desire to make a difference. Lauren is also certified in Reiki and Ayurveda.

Meghan

Meghan has been practicing yoga for twenty years. What started as a physical practice quickly transformed into something much deeper both on and off the mat. Through this practice she has gained a deep reverence for the present moment which directly inspires her teaching. 

Meghan completed her 200 hour with Laughing Lotus in NYC in 2015. She recently completed a two year Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program with Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield in 2024. A  favorite training that heavily influences her classes was The Art of Embodied Teaching (40 hours) with Mary Beth Larue in 2021.

Meghan combines both her yoga and meditation training into her classes; teaching an inclusive, embodied flow. Her classes are thoughtfully sequenced with an attention to the breath. She welcomes all levels in her classes, providing necessary adaptations to ensure all are safe and appropriately challenged. She believes everyone belongs, just as they are. 

Favorite pose right now? Ardha Chandrasana, Half Moon

Book that changed your life? Bringing Yoga to Life by Donna Farhi

What inspires your teaching? an attention to the present moment

What do you hope students feel after class? a sense of feeling grounded and a calm nervous system

Petra E-RYT500, YACEP

studio OWNER

Petra's journey with yoga began as a solution to her struggles with maintaining good health. Through regular practice, she discovered that yoga had the power to quiet her autoimmune system and put it into long term remission. Drawing inspiration from variety of teaching methods, she emphasizes precise instructions, detailed alignment, breath, and fluid movement. Petra's teaching style is centered around creating a balanced Vinyasa-based flow. She incorporates longer holds to strengthen and improve flexibility, while carefully selecting themes to deepen her students' yoga experience.

Understanding that every student is unique, Petra offers a variety of modifications to tailor the practice to individual needs. Her passion lies in working with private clients, guiding them to enhance their practice, recover from injuries, and develop a personal yoga routine that honors and celebrates their individual abilities.

Petra’s advanced studies include extensive training with YogaWorks, and Amy Ippoliti’s Vesselify School of Yoga, and The Container Collective (Baptiste-affiliated), all of which continue to shape her commitment to intelligent, supportive, and deeply human-centered teaching. Since revving her first 200hr YTT, Petra has completed more than 1,650 hours of advanced yoga teacher training and taught over 3,300 uniquely crafted classes.

Favorite pose right now? Supported Headstand (Salamba Sirsasana) because it embodies the qualities I value in teaching — support, trust, presence, and perspective. It reminds us that strength grows from stability, that we don’t have to do things alone, and that when we feel held, we’re more willing to see the world — and ourselves — in a new way.

Book that changed your life? The Great Work of Your Life: A Guide for the Journey to Your True Calling by Stephen Cope

What inspires your teaching? The opportunity to be of service—guiding others in a way that helps them feel seen, supported, and truly heard through their practice

What do you hope students feel after class? I would want them to leave feeling regulated, safe in their bodies, and gently reminded that they belong — both in the studio and in their own lives.

Sue

RYT 200, Sue completed her yoga training through YogaWorks with Angela Botta at pradipikaYOGA. Sue started coming to yoga five years ago after surviving cancer. She attributes her great health to her yoga practice which changed her life for the better and believes everyone can benefit from yoga! Sue focuses on creating a safe and welcoming environment, teaching a step-by-step approach while reminding students of their own breath and to listen to their bodies during practice. Sue also recently earned her Reiki II certification to enhance her connection with her students.

Katie O

Katie, RYT 200, moved back to the shoreline in 2017 after nine years in Charleston, South Carolina. Her Ashtanga-inspired personal practice informs a passion for sharing the union of breath, movement, and stillness. Katie received her 200-hr training from EcoFitness and has additional training in Ashtanga, restorative and vinyasa yoga. Katie's yoga classes are designed to clear the path inward to our own peace and power. Off the mat, Katie loves to cook, read, hike, and learn.

Alex

Alex is an experienced yoga teacher with over a decade of guiding students on the mat. She first turned to yoga in her early twenties, seeking a more mindful way to live and move. What began as curiosity quickly became a lifelong passion, shaping both her personal path and her teaching philosophy.

Her classes blend intentional sequencing with a steady emphasis on breath‑led movement, creating space for students to explore strength, ease, and presence. Since completing her initial training in 2015 with The Yoga Shop, Alex has continued to deepen her studies in The Yoga Sutras, anatomy of the upper and lower body, advanced hands‑on assisting, inversions, arm balances, and restorative practices.

Alex believes yoga is a powerful tool for cultivating flexibility, resilience, and an open mind to life’s possibilities. She is dedicated to supporting students as they discover what the practice can unlock for them.

Beyond the studio, Alex loves baking, spending time with her dog, and crossing off U.S National Parks with her husband. She looks forward to connecting with you on the mat soon.

Favorite pose right now? My favorite pose right now is wheel! Triangle would be a close second.

Book that changed your life? My favorite book is "The Five People You Meet in Heaven" by Mitch Albom. 

What inspires your teaching? My fellow teachers here at Center inspire my teaching the most! Petra's gentle class on Tuesdays is a do not miss for me.

What do you hope students feel after class? I hope students feel more empowered and more aware of their own strength after my power classes! After my gentle and flow classes, I hope students feel more balanced- not just in a physical sense but more emotionally centered and steady. 

Maris

Maris, RYT-500, started her exploration of yoga more than three decades ago. Her deep desire for furthering her learning sparked her mission to begin teaching. Maris completed her 200- and 300-hour teacher trainings in 2018 and 2019 with The Yoga Shop. She has also completed a 50-hour Yin teacher training course under the expert leadership of Bernie Clark. Maris values soaking up as much knowledge as possible to better her students, her friends, her family and herself. As such, she has taken numerous continuing education courses where she has studied anatomy and theories of yoga. Maris teaches a flow class with an emphasis on joy, alignment, and body awareness. She is focused on injury prevention and helping students find authenticity in themselves on the mat. Maris believes that the mind-body connection on the mat truly extends beyond the mat. Her classes are fun, informative, and centering.

Favorite pose right now? Half moon pose. I love hip opening poses and Half Moon brings the opportunity to add balance to the mix. It brings me a sense of being open, balanced, and strong.

Book that changed your life?  I can't pick just one book that changed my life so here is one that I thought was beautiful...  Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt 

What inspires your teaching? I am inspired by my students, other teachers, and the unexpected moments in life that make one take pause. 

What do you hope students feel after class? I hope my students leave class feeling calm with a loving sense of self.

Francesca

After moving off of Martha’s Vineyard to Connecticut in 2012 Francesca blindly walked into a local yoga studio knowing absolutely nothing about the practice but hoping to gain a healthy new past time. After just one Yoga class she knew she could highly benefit from the spiritual and physical offerings of the practice. Fast forward 10 years and she has been deepening her practice ever since.

She received her 200hr RYT from West Hartford Yoga class of 2015 and has been teaching around CT ever since. Francesca brings a creative aspect to the vinyasa and power practice with a love for graceful transitions in her sequencing. She emphasizes on connecting breath to each movement along with attention to alignment. Her hope is for students that take her class to deepen their learning on how to nurture themselves on their mat, whether that be challenging themselves or allowing themselves to soften mind, body and soul. One of her favorite sayings is “The breath is one of the greatest tools to climb out of the mind and into the divine within” 

Victoria  

Victoria completed her 200-hour yoga teacher training through YogaWorks in 2013. She has her E-RYT 200 credentials through Yoga Alliance, having put in over 1000 teaching hours, as well as her YACEP (Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider). Victoria has had the honor of teaching at some wonderful studios across the country since 2013 and is thrilled to be part of and hold space with the CENTER community. Victoria is also a local Chiropractor; she and her husband own Back to Balance Chiropractic & Family Wellness in Guilford. As a Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.), Victoria has extensive training in anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, and biomechanics as well as pre/peri/postnatal populations. An avid supporter of props, Victoria is passionate about guiding a practice that is accessible to everyone. Each day is different from the next; whether it is your fifth or five hundredth yoga class, Victoria strives to offer guidance and hold space that meets you where you are in the present moment. Victoria’s philosophy is simple: she believes in and subscribes to healing and wellness from the inside out!

Favorite pose right now? I have been enjoying working on bridge pose (setu bandhasana) lately.  My posterior chain, extensor muscles, a core need some work post partum so it has been nice to go back to beginning with this pose.  Playing with my proper current alignment and identifying where I can find power and ease simultaneously in this one has been feeling really good to me lately.

Book that changed your life?There is not any one book that has changed my life as I feel we consume different content at various seasons of our lives that is relevant for what we are going through at that time.  I’ve never necessarily had an “ah-ha” moment with any one book, but I enjoy taking pearls from all of the reading content I consume and inviting it to inform and possibly transform my current state.  I also like anything that is going to change my mind about something or give me historical context on something.

What inspires your teaching? Initially, when I first started teaching, my teaching was inspired by the fact that I was practicing yoga all.the.time. and I just wanted to know more and more and more.  That has evolved into getting deeper into the technical aspects of yoga and the asana itself.   I love the anatomy and kinesiology behind yoga practice and how our structure and alignment informs our physiologic function.  And I am always inspired by the fact that you can do just about anything in yoga.  After all, “it’s all yoga.”  So, I guess the broader answer to this question is Patanjali’s sutra 2.1: tapas svadhyaya ishvara-pranidhana kriya-yogah.  Commitment (tapas), awareness (svadhyaya), and surrender (ishvarapranidhana).  

What do you hope students feel after class? Authentic.  More authentic within themselves if they need that.  More deeply connected to their sense of self.

Nicole

Nicole, RYT200, took her first Heated Power class at CENTER Yoga on June 1, 2023, and was immediately drawn to the community she discovered, practicing in the studio 5+ days each week. To deepen her understanding of Ashtanga and to share her passion for the practice, Nicole completed her 200 hour yoga teacher training at CENTER Yoga + Wellness in May 2025, led and mentored by Petra Appleget. 

As a lifelong athlete, Nicole brings a wealth of fitness experience to her mat—as a state championship gymnast, marathon runner, and Ironman triathlete. Through years of training, she discovered the grounding power of the breath, which supported her in every endeavor. Yet it was on her yoga mat that Nicole found true peace—quieting the mind through the balance of effort and ease. She believes that breath expands physical potential, and her thoughtfully sequenced flows are rooted in pranayama, alignment, and meaningful themes.

Additionally, Nicole completed Vesselify's 27.5 hours of Advanced Hands On Assist training with Amy Ipolitti and looks forward to supporting students with assists in order to deepen their experience on the mat.  Off the mat, Nicole is the Executive Director of Kids' Scholarship Fund and a Madison mom of 4 children.  Nicole credits her dedication to yoga with one word:  Ubuntu, "I am because we are."  

Favorite pose right now? Anything upside down!

Book that changed your life? The Celestine Prophecy

What inspires your teaching? My deepest inspiration is unlocked by students who come to class with energy to learn and grow.

What do you hope students feel after class? "Just one."  I hope my students grasp just one nugget of "new" to carry with them as they move forward on and off the mat.  I hope they feel energized, powerful, and satiated.

Laura

Laura is a 20-year student of yoga and completed her 200 RYT at the CENTER Yoga + Wellness in December 2022 with the lead trainer Petra Appleget. Laura found yoga as an alternative to years of hard core running and quickly became devoted to the grace, strength and focus it offers. Her passion is finding the flow of energy in her practice that translates into an inner calm and peace. 

A  true believer in living yoga off the mat, Laura hopes students leave her classes with a deeper connection to themselves—carrying the strength, mindfulness, and compassion cultivated on the mat into their everyday lives   Laura's teaching is inspired by the belief that yoga is not something we do, but something we practice becoming — on and off the mat. Through the study of the Yamas and Niyamas, she has found a steady foundation of wisdom that continues to guide her practice, teaching, and daily life.  

Laura's favorite poses include Warrior II and Savasana believing that in the steady strength of Warrior II and the quiet surrender of Savasana, we discover that power and peace are not opposites, but partners in the same practice.