Instructors

Meghan Arata

Meghan likes to think of her profession as art, saying that "art has always been why I get up in the morning". She completely and wholeheartedly believes in the necessity and miracle of movement. She became certified to teach yoga one year after her first class as she was amazed by the transformative power of the movement. A sophomore in college at the time, she didn't know how it would play out, but she wanted to learn everything she possibly could.

"Strong body, strong mind" was her mantra throughout a particularly trying period of her life and she was amazed at the healing power of thought, movement, and intention. In 2005, she stumbled onto the reformer. After about two months she again wanted to learn everything she could about Pilates. She feels like she is at the tip of the iceberg and remains elated that she has the rest of her life to study, learn, practice, and teach.

As a teacher, her sincerest hope is that movement affects her student's lives in any of the multitudinous positive ways it has affected hers. In her opinion, she teaches a class that will surprise you to find out how powerful you truly are. When she practices, she personally likes exploring the boundaries of her stamina and focus. Her classes tend to follow this trend - powerful, challenging, and, if you ask her fiance, devastating. When she is not teaching, she fancies herself as an amateur dog whisperer, a junior psychologist and an aspiring anatomist. She loves drinking tea and dissecting the world with her varied friends and family.

Her qualifications include National Yoga Alliance 200 HR RYT (Registered Yoga Teacher), National Yoga Alliance 500 HR RYT, Pilates Mat and Reformer certified, Ellie Herman Reformer and Springboard Certification, and currently pursuing her Balanced Body University Comprehensive Certification through The Breathing Room.
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Anissa Dowling

Anissa has a Bachelors in Nutrition and Dietetics from the University of Cincinnati. She currently runs a household of five, which is much harder than any job or workout she's ever done! With a sports/fitness background, I didn't see the connection with yoga...until I tried it. She's fascinated by the benefits that Yoga has to offer. She holds a 200 RYT Certification in Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga and enjoys sharing yoga with others. She believes that it is truly for everyone - a practice that has existed for thousands of years must be doing something right! So, go with the flow and enjoy!
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Carmen Morgan

At first, Carmen seems like one of the sweetest people you could meet. But beware. Underneath, she is a strength building, mind bending, mindbody aficianado looking for fellows on her path to flow. With her 200hr RYT, her power yoga style is fresh and powerful all wrapped up inside one of the most attentive and thoughtful yoga teachers around. Come experience the pain/pleasure of yoga at its finest.
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Christine MacConnell

Christine has been practicing yoga steadily since 2000, focusing on Ashtanga, Vinyasa, and Hatha Yoga. Teaching and subbing since 2006, in 2008, she received her 200-hr Yoga Teacher Certification from It’s Yoga-Cincinnati, and she is a registered teacher with the Yoga Alliance. She currently teaches in several diverse studios and clubs, with a wide range of students, from beginner to more advanced levels. In addition to yoga, MacConnell is a freelance writer with a master’s degree in creative writing, and she yearns to bring this creativity and passion into her teaching style. Combining a sense of hope, awareness, self-reflection, and strength, when teaching, she hopes to help others on the path of individual growth, paying attention to the whole being— mind, body, and spirit. Mostly, she likes to hang out with her two cats, smile, and move. Namaste!
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Hannah Dwertman

Having practiced yoga for years, Hannah explored all the power and beauty that yoga has to offer. Since joining The Breathing Room, she has added some serious pilates knowledge to her repitoire, making her a rising star in the mindbody game. Playful, fun, and caring, Hannah makes learning an experience that is both personal and enjoyable.
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Jennifer Lynn

Jennifer is an Honors Graduate of Xavier University, Class of 2000. Upon completion of her degree, Jennifer subsequently pursued her certifications for Spinning, Pilates, YogaFit and personal training. She studied under Balanced Body University, Mad Dogg Athletics, The Physical Mind Institute and the National Academy of Sports Medicine. Jennifer is AFP (Aquatic Fitness Professional) Certified. Currently she is teaching in all these areas while always adding to her education by attending conferences and mentoring notable and respected members of the fitness community.
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Katie Stanbery

Katie Stanbery began doing Pilates and yoga over 10 years ago, as a dance major in college. She was very quickly amazed by the strength and stability Pilates brought to her dancing, as well as the grounding and focus it brought to her performance energy.

After graduating in 2003 with a BFA in dance performance, she began incorporating Pilates work into the modern dance and ballet classes she was teaching, and her students found profound results as well. In 2007 she completed Pendleton Pilates' teacher training and certification program, and quickly became one of their most beloved teachers. She also completed a master's degree in social work concurrently with a law degree at the University of Cincinnati in 2007. As a mental health therapist with incarcerated women (2007-2010) and, more recently, with elementary schoolchildren, she has been honored to bring the benefits of breath, focus, and body awareness to clients who might not otherwise find their way to Pilates or yoga.

She completed her 200-hour RYT (registered yoga teacher) training in 2010 through yogahOMe, and is delighted with the inspiration and freshness that yoga has brought to her Pilates teaching, and with the stability and strength Pilates has instilled in her yoga classes. "Pilates makes me look better, feel stronger, makes me a better dancer, a better runner, and brings me to a stronger yoga practice. Yoga makes me a better person and connects me more fully to myself, to others, to my loved ones and not-so-loved ones, and to the greater world around me, in a warm, compassionate, joyful way. Without both Pilates and yoga, I wouldn't have my grounding and strength, and I would be less able to express my spirit with music, dancing, and teaching too!"

Katie is honored to be able to pass on the gifts of wisdom and good cheer that her teachers have given to her.
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Logan Brookbank

Logan fell in love with movement and yoga as a freshman in college when she found the neighborhood yoga studio becoming her sanctuary and she quickly learned there was more to these ancient asanas than many classes seemed to grasp.
In 2007, she met a true yogi and signed up for her teacher training that year at the Asheville Yoga Center in North Carolina. She has been teaching ever since. In 2008, she began studying Ayurvedic medicine and yoga with Dr Vasant Lad and the Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque, NM. Now a certified practitioner of Ayurveda, Logan appreciates the marriage of her two biggest passions in life- Ayurveda and Yoga.
She believes that each class teaches a personal lesson that should be brought into one's daily life to make it more fluid and appreciated. You can expect her classes to be grounding and expansive; dynamic asanas meet restorative relaxation as one begins to explore the power of breath and movement and its role in surrendering to the pose in that moment.
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Myra Pucci

A lifelong interest in dance, exercise physiology, and movement led Myra to the beginning of her Pilates journey eight years ago. She turned 40 and was struggling with depression and weight gain plus constant neck, shoulder and low back pain. Her kyphotic (head forward) posture and slumped shoulders made her look as defeated as she felt.

She took many classes, committed herself to the discipline of Pilates and found tremendous improvement in her physical and mental fitness. Her strong belief in the transformative power of Pilates led to a desire to teach. She received certification on the Reformer apparatus and has been teaching throughout the Greater Cincinnati area for the past 4 years.

She is happy to be a part of The Breathing Room community. She is currently pursing her Balanced Body University Comprehensive Certification through The Breathing Room.
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