About Us & The Studio
Katrin Elia Yoga is not the typical yoga studio. Its approach focuses on personal attention (in small group classes and privates) and its goal is healing. One ad described the studio perfectly with “the studio is an oasis of peace and healing.”
The Practice of Yoga was not designed as pure physical fitness. Yoga which means “to unite” the body and mind to become One is a healing tool as Breathing Exercises (Pranayama) and Meditation is. Practicing yoga on a “regular” basis is health prevention par excellence. Personally designed Yoga sessions help with balance (physical and mental), gaining flexibility, circulation and blood pressure problems, strengthening the immune system and much more. Katrin will design customized yoga classes post any surgery to nourish and strengthen areas of weakness. Not to forget, Yoga can be seen as the mother of physical therapy because it is nearly 5000 years old.
Besides Yin Yoga, Alignment Yoga (Iyengar method), the yoga wall and restorative yoga, the studio offers Ayurvedic Health Consultations (translated from Sanskrit with “the science of Life”). Katrin is trained in Ayruveda (traditional Indian medicine). All yoga classes are highly influenced by this deep healing science.
Katrin Elia
Before Yoga became a passion in her life, Katrin trained since childhood in classical ballet. Chosen for the National Academy of Dance & Music in Hannover, Germany to continue her studies, she discovered and practiced within the world of Joseph Pilates. Yoga, for Katrin, became a natural extension of her practice. She came to realize that classical dance does not evolve “from the inside out.” In order to perform, correction from the outside world, through the use of a mirror or a teacher, is needed. With this discovery in mind, she decided to devote her private time to Yoga only. Katrin’s Yin Yoga classes are these days a combination of Yin and Alignment Yoga. Her Alignment Yoga Classes show her dedication to the Iyengar Yoga tradition due to her devotion to this style for over 12 years.
Katrin certified in Vinyasa at the (former) Main Line Yoga in Ardmore, Pennsylvania under Daniel Shankin, and in Yin Yoga at Wake Up Yoga in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 2009, she completed Erich Schiffmann’s Yoga Teacher Training in Los Angeles, California. Besides teaching Yin Yoga and Alignment Yoga, she teaches privates and small groups on the Yoga Wall – a technique that helps students to find proper alignment in yoga poses. She worked intensively with Paulie Zink, the father of Yin Yoga, completed in 2011 Bernie Clark’s Yin Yoga Teacher Training in Vancouver, and 2012 her Anatomy Yin Teacher Training (Paul and Suzee Grilley). In 2014 she took a restorative yoga teacher training with Judy Curiel. In 2010 Katrin received her Hormone Yoga Therapy Certification (I, II, III) with Excellence in Montreal, Canada by Dinah Rodriques, the founder of the powerful Yoga Therapy Treatment (that helps to reduce menopausal symptoms). Katrin holds a 500 hour course of study and practice as an Ayurvedic Life-Style Counselor (by the American Institute of Vedic Studied, David Frawley & Ed Zahlo). She studied for many years regularly with Joan White in Philadelphia and Adina Ghen, Philadephia. In 2016, Katrin was trained by Dr. Lad, The Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque, NM in Marma Point Therapy. She holds several other Ayurvedic certificates. She opened her Yoga & Ayurveda studio in Bala Cynwyd in 2013 and her studio in Palm Harbor, Florida in 2023.
Before teaching yoga on a full time basis, Katrin worked for many years as a Curator for Contemporary Art and Exhibition Manager in New York City. She grew up and spent most of her life in Northern Europe before settling down with her American husband in Bala Cynwyd, PA over twenty years ago. Now her journey in life takes her to the west side of Florida. She opens her new studio in Palm Harbor, FL in December 2023.
Teachers/Therapists
Katrin Elia
Guest Teachers
Katrin Elia Before Yoga became a passion in her life, Katrin trained since childhood in classical ballet. Chosen for the National Academy of Dance & Music in Hannover, Germany to continue her studies, she discovered and practiced within the world of Joseph Pilates. Yoga, for Katrin, became a natural extension of her practice. Pursuing Yoga for over a decade, she came to realize that classical dance does not evolve “from the inside out.” In order to perform, correction from the outside world, through the use of a mirror or a teacher, is needed. With this discovery in mind, she decided to devote her private time to Yoga only. Katrin’s classes, often very dance-like, are built on one movement flowing into another—with one breath connecting them together. She loves to integrate Yin (passive approach to Yoga) into her more Yang, actice teachings. As Katrin teaches, both Yoga styles are beneficial and balancing for body and mind when practiced together.
Katrin certified in Vinyasa at the (former) Main Line Yoga in Ardmore, Pennsylvania under Daniel Shankin, and in Yin Yoga at Wake Up Yoga in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania under Corina Benner. In 2009, she completed Erich Schiffmann’s Yoga Teacher Training in Los Angeles, California. Besides teaching Yin and Alignment Yoga, she teaches privates and small groups on the Yoga Wall – a technique that helps student to find proper alignment in yoga poses. She worked intensively with Paulie Zink, the father of Yin Yoga, completed in 2011 Bernie Clark’s Yin Yoga Teacher Training in Vancouver, and 2012 her Anatomy Yin Teacher Training (Paul and Suzee Grilley). In 2014 she took a restorative yoga teacher training with Judy Curiel. In 2010 Katrin received her Hormone Yoga Therapy Certification (I, II, III) with Excellence in Montreal, Canada by Dinah Rodriques, the founder of the powerful Yoga Therapy Treatment (that helps to reduce menopausal symptoms). Katrin holds a 500 hour course of study and practice as an Ayurvedic Life-Style Counselor (by the American Institute of Vedic Studied, David Frawley & Ed Zahlo). She studies for many years regularly with Joan White in Philadelphia. In 2016, Katrin was trained by Dr. Lad, The Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque, NM in Marma Point Therapy. Every year she continues her Ayurvedic studies with Dr. Lad, her main Ayurvedic teacher.
Before teaching yoga on a full time basis, Katrin worked for many years as a Curator for Contemporary Art and Exhibition Manager in New York City. She grew up and spent most of her life in Northern Europe before settling down with her American husband in Bala Cynwyd, PA twenty years ago.
Allyn Miner has been playing north Indian classical music on the sitar for more than forty years. She studied with Thakur Sri Raj Bhan in Varanasi, India, for eleven years and later became a disciple of Ustad Ali Akbar Khan in Marin County, California. She has performed in venues all over the U.S and in India. Allyn has a Ph.D in Indian musicology from Banaras Hindu University for her work on the history of the sitar. She has a Ph.D. in Sanskrit from the University of Pennsylvania for her study of a fourteenth-century musicological text from Gujarat. She is a Lecturer in the Department of South Asia Studies at Penn where she teaches sitar classes.
Mary Flinn has been teaching Yoga for 20 years. She has co-directed several yoga centers in NYC including the Kundalini Yoga Center of NY and Satya Yoga Center in Brooklyn, NY. She has run numerous teacher training programs in Hatha and Vinyasa yoga. Her daily practice has been Ashtanga yoga since 1997 and has been blessed by the late Shri K. Pattabhi Jois and his Grandson Sharath Rangaswami to teach the first and second series of Ashtanga Yoga. Mary received her 500 hour Ayurvedic Consultant Certification from Yoga On Main under the tutelage of Ed Zadlow. She has studied Yoga philosophy and Pranayama with Dr. Shankaranarayan Jois in Mysore India as well as the teachers at Ananda Ashram in upstate NY for many years. Mary has taught internationally and was a guest teacher in Japan at the Tokyo Yoga conference in 2007. She co-directed Brooklyns’ ‘Energy Center’ Teacher Training programs in 2004 and 2005. She also directed the training program at Satya Yoga in Brooklyn NY in 2006. She is grateful for the teachers in her life who have inspired her and transformed her life!
Rebecca Hooper is interested in the relationship between the body and the mind, the poetics of the external mirrored within the internal and the integration of yoga philosophy through asana and pranayama. She is a certified Iyengar Yoga teacher under the guidance of Joan White in Philadelphia, and has studied with the Iyengar’s in Pune at the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute in 2013, and will return in 2015. Rebecca continues to study and practice with her primary teachers: Joan White, Kofi Busia, Carrie Owerko and Edwin Bryant, and assists Joan White in her classes and workshops in Philadelphia and the Omega Institute in New York. Rebecca runs an Iyengar studio in Northern Liberties, Philadelphia, the Yoga Room. She has a background in the Fine Arts, and a Bachelor of Arts Honors Degree from Edinburgh College of Art and also Chelsea School of Art in London.
Regina Dalton: With roots in Buddhism, Regge Dalton taught Hatha Yoga for 15 years in Miami, Florida. In 1997 the discovery of the Dzogchen practice of Tibetan Buddhism revolutionized her understanding of the body/mind connection. This ancient method provides complete and realistic practices for healing and internal awakening. Upon moving to Philadelphia in 2000, Reggie began to explore the Tibetan practice of Yantra Yoga. This deep interest lead to her current teachers, Marcy Vaughn, senior student of Tenzin Wangal Rinpoche. Since 2006, She studied and practiced The Yoga of Tsa Lung and Sound Healing (mantra) with Marcy intensively and frequently has attended retreats and teachings with Tenzin Rinpoche. Tenzin Wangal Rinpoche is a lineage holder in the Bon Buddhist tradition of Tibetan Buddhism.
Michael Carroll is the COO of Global Coaching Alliance and the author of Awake at Work (2004), The Mindful Leader (2007) and Fearless at Work (2012) and over his 30 year business career has held executive positions with Shearson Lehman/American Express, Simon & Schuster and the Walt Disney Company. Michael presently coaches and consults with such enterprises as Procter & Gamble, Google, AstraZeneca, Starbucks, RED, and National Geographic Expeditions. Michael has been studying Tibetan Buddhism since 1976 and is an authorized teacher in the Kagyu-Nyingma lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. He has lectured at the Wharton Business School, Swarthmore College, Virgina Tech, Columbia University, Drexel University, Kripalu, Zen Mountain Monastery, Omega Institute (assisting Pema Chodron) and many other institutions throughout the US, Canada, Europe and Australia.
Rachael Taylor completed her massage training at East West College of the Healing Arts in Portland, Oregon in 2010 (focused on Shiatsu and Polarity). Since, she has practiced massage full time in Philadelphia and Amerhest, MA area. In November of 2013, Rachael received her certification as an Ayurvedic Lifstyle Consultant from the American Institute of Vedic Studies. Additionally, she studied Ayurvedic bodywork at Kripalu where she began her study of Marma Therapy (Ayurvedic acupressure). Rachael’s approach toward massage is centered within her study of Ayurveda/yoga and focuses upon the whole person – the subtle and material bodies. Rachael’s is proficient using deep tissue/neuromuscular techniques as well to address postural or activity related stress. She considers Western and Eastern approaches toward wellness complimentary and equally invaluable in the process of healing and works with great reverence for these sciences and the innate ability of the human body/psyche to repair.
