Meet Your Instructors
Jenny Otto, E-RYT®500
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Jenny is co-founder and co-director of Golden Heart Yoga. Jenny started Body Balance Yoga in 1993 as a full-time yoga teacher. Since 1981, Jenny Otto has dedicated her life to finding ways to move people from pain to wellness. She is nationally and internationally known for her in-depth understanding of anatomy and therapeutics, having studied not only with yoga masters but osteopaths, chiropractors, physical therapists and rolfers. Jenny became certified in Anusara® Yoga and a designated teacher trainer by John Friend in 1999. She has trained the majority of Anusara teachers in the Annapolis, Baltimore and Washington, DC areas. She co-founded and co-directed the teacher-training program for Willow Street Yoga Center, the largest Anusara center on the east coast from 2002-2007. Jenny is a certified Structural Integrator with Thomas Myers of Kinesis Myofascial Integration. Jenny shares her extensive background and innovative approach to training yoga teachers and students in the art and science of yoga.
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Lynn Matthews, E-RYT®500
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Lynn is co-founder and co-director of Golden Heart Yoga and founder of Yoga 4 Life. After graduating from the University of Virginia and pursuing a career in information technology, chronic back pain led her to Anusara® yoga in 1997. Yoga had such a positive impact on her body and life, Lynn felt compelled to share this gift with others and began teaching in 2000. She became Anusara® Certified in 2004. Her desire to teach the more subtle aspects of yoga to her students led Lynn to ParaYoga® and Rod Stryker in 2002. Now a Certified ParaYoga® teacher, Lynn enriches her students' experience by weaving pranayama (breath work), meditation and chanting into her classes. She brings compassion, humor and encouragement to her teaching. Lynn also enjoys teaching Yoga Nidra, using this ancient practice to help students learn to relax, reduce stress and define the direction they want their lives to take. As co-founder/director of GHY's 200-hour and 500-hour teacher trainings, Lynn continues to share her passion and knowledge with aspiring teachers and students who wish to learn more about the art and science of yoga. She continues to be a guest instructor for Willow Street Yoga Center's teacher training program after managing the training for six years and helping to develop their 500-hour program.
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Jill Dorosz, RYT®500
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Jill is an Anusara-inspired yoga instructor who holds certifications in both pregnancy yoga with Janice Clearfield and infant massage/family bonding with the Foundation for Infant Massage and Family Bonding. Jill currently studies with Rod Stryker, founder of ParaYoga. Meeting her students where they are, Jill joyfully nurtures her students as they discover the healing spirit of yoga.
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Janelle Jones, RYT®500
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Janelle was first introduced to yoga about ten years ago while attending Florida State University. She immediately fell in love and has been practicing ever since! Since a vinyasa flow teacher training program, Janelle has continued her studies in the Anusara style of yoga with her teachers Lynn Matthews and Jenny Otto. As an Open Water SCUBA instructor, Janelle was given insight into the various learning styles and abilities of each individual. In her yoga classes, she honors this individuality in each of her students and through her love of teaching creates a space where students feel empowered to safely explore the gifts their yoga practice can offer.
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Molly Harding, RYT®500
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Molly has been studying yoga since 1999. Her first 200-hour teacher training with Robert Boustany was Ashtanga-based which she loved. Molly discovered that Ashtanga Yoga met her ever-changing needs: a heating, more challenging practice on some days and a gentle, more therapeutic practice on others. Molly is passionate about helping students develop the skills necessary to create their own home practice because she has seen what a difference her home practice has made in her life and roles as wife, mother and artist. She graduated from the 500-hour Advanced Teacher Training at Golden Heart, as well as the 200-hour Advanced Studies Yoga Immersion. Molly holds a Prenatal Yoga Teacher Certification with Jacci Reynolds and has completed 128 hours of therapeutic yoga therapy training at Golden Heart Yoga with Body Balance Yoga.
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Joan Livingston, RYT®500
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Joan has been a student of spirituality and mindfulness for many years and is a recent graduate of GHY's Advanced Studies Yoga Immersion. She began studying yoga 7 years ago with one of her current teachers, Linda Howard. After practicing Kung Fu for many years, Joan found yoga to be a natural transition from martial arts. She sees her practice as a sanctuary from the busy rhythm of life and hopes to share this gift with her students. Joan continues her studies in the Anusara style of yoga with teachers Jenny Otto, Lynn Matthews and Linda Howard. She is a recent graduate of GHY's 500-Hour Advanced Teacher Training program as well as the Advanced Studies Yoga Immersion.
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Hans Merkl, RYT®500
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Hans was introduced to yoga in 2001 after a shoulder injury forced him to stop practicing boxing. Since then, he has deepened his practice and continues to study with Lynn Matthews and Jenny Otto. Hans is a graduate of the Golden Heart Yoga Advanced Studies Yoga Immersion. He encourages his students to focus on alignment, meditation, and breath - not only on the mat, but also in their daily lives. Hans is a graduate of the Golden Heart Yoga 500-Hour Advanced Teacher Training program and the Advanced Studies Yoga Immerson
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Charlotte Byrd, RYT®200
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Charlotte began studying Iyengar yoga in 1999 with Mitra Tredway. She completed the Advanced Studies Yoga Immersion program at Golden Heart Yoga. Charlotte has studied various modalities of massage and energy therapies and practices massage therapy and Reiki. She utilizes her knowledge of anatomy, physiology and philosophies of energetic systems to create a multi-leveled approach to studying yoga. Now a practicing social worker, Charlotte brings her skills of intuition and observation to assist students as they explore growth through yoga. | 
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Melinda Frisch, RYT®500
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Melinda took her first yoga class in 2004 when she went to a therapeutics class looking for help with a debilitating disease. This was the beginning of a wonderful journey that not only helped her with her physical problems but added a beautiful spirituality to her life, as well. In 2008 she graduated from the Golden Heart Yoga Advanced Studies Yoga Immersion, and in 2009 from the GHY 500-Hour Advanced Teacher Training. She is currently continuing her studies in therapeutics with Jenny Otto to become certified in Body Balance Yoga. Melinda teaches how to incorporate yoga into everyday life and wants her students to know that anyone can do yoga and benefit from the never-ending possibilities that it offers. | 
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Kathy Cocoros
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Kathy has been practicing yoga since the 1970s. She retired from Special Education in 2003 and graduated as a Physical Therapist Assistant in 2007. As an Aquatic Therapist, Kathy uses many of the practices acquired through her Yoga studies to treat patients in the pool. She graduated from the Golden Heart Yoga 200-hour teacher training and continues to study with Jenny Otto and Lynn Matthews. Kathy’s teaching style is relaxed and energetic and always stresses the proper body alignment. Her belief is that Yoga is therapeutic in all ways--physical, mental and emotional. Kathy encourages her students to explore the many benefits of Yoga. Yoga has much to offer every student both on and off the Yoga mat! | 
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Kirsten Chapman, RYT®200
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Kirsten started studying yoga in 1999 and immediately found reward in the physical benefits to her body as both a unique form of exercise and as a relief from a disc injury. She received her BA from Bowdoin College in Biology and French and after many years in sales and recruiting, auspicious timing provided a chance to pursue her passion in yoga. She graduated from the Golden Heart Yoga 200-Hour teacher training in 2008 and continues to study with Lynn Matthews and Jenny Otto. Kirsten understands the challenges of balancing the much needed time for yoga with pregnancy, motherhood and a career, which is why she is excited to teach both the Prenatal class and the Sunrise class in an effort to help others incorporate yoga into their busy and changing lives. | 
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Sandra Moore, RYT®200
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Sandra began studying yoga in 2004 and is 2008 graduate of the Advanced Studies Yoga Immersion program at Golden Heart Yoga. Sandra has a background in health and physical education and currently directs a program in Radiography. She brings her strong background in anatomy and human movement to her teaching where she believes that the practice of yoga contributes to the wellness of body and mind. | 
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of Annapolis...
