Jacquie
DeFlorio-Reid

After suffering the sudden and tragic loss of her father, Jacquie found herself in search of a way to calm her nerves and heal her pain. A friend took her to her first yoga class and an immediate shift occurred. There was life before her first yoga experience and life after. That was in the fall of 1996 and the instructor was Debra Monaco. Jacquie continued to study on her own and with Debra until coming to a point in her life when she felt the need to deepen her knowledge of the philosophy of yoga and to surround herself with like-minded beings. This decision led to a life altering experience at the Yoga Room in Patchogue, LI. There she studied with ten amazing women and received her yoga certification deeply rooted in the Iyengar tradition. During this period of time, studying with Lucia Tucci-DiPalo and Rosemarie Schiavone, Jacquie experienced amazing life lessons and awakenings. These experiences led her to dreams of teaching and perhaps being able to create a space where people would come and search out that place of peace and serenity that is our divine right while residing on this planet. Through the support of her husband, family and friends, her dream has been realized. During a recent public teaching with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, a prayer was given in the spirit of Green Tara. Jacquie was present at this teaching and has been moved to present Green Tara, the Buddhist deity represented by a beautiful woman perched on her lotus pad ready to leap at a moments notice to offer compassion and nurturing with love greater than that of a mother for their child, to the community. She has done so in the form of a sanctuary known as Om Tara Yoga Studio. May all come in peace, may all find peace, may all share peace with those that surround them. Namaste.

Debra Monaco

Debra has been teaching yoga for 18 years, but she’s been practicing yoga for most of her life. She was introduced to yoga at a very early age; it was part ofthe household. After a back injury at 12 years old, her sense of discipline, and consistency increased concerning her yoga practice. Throughout her life, Debra’s attention and work has always turned toward the fine arts, the healing arts and mysticism, and as a student of different philosophies, and spiritual practices, yoga is the natural contributor to all of these. Though her earliest exposure to yoga was Sivananda and Kundalini based, she has studied a wide range of styles with an even broader variety of teachers. She’s a certified teacher through YTTI and nationally registered with Yoga Alliance –E-RYT. Debra’s philosophy is simple. Yoga is already within each of us, shedding the superfluous, surrendering the blocks that keep us from the natural wisdom within, that is the consistent, rather relentless, practice that we all-yogi or not-undertake everyday. A conscious yoga practice means opening your heart to it, embracing it all lovingly, with awareness, and that is a helpful edge.

Cindy Filippelli

Cindy has been practicing and teaching pilates since 2001. She is well known in the community for having managed and taught a† her own studio. Women have always been drawn to her for her spirit, her tireless energy and her ability to bring out the strength that is inherent in all of us. Her approach to pilates is one of deep knowledge and respect for the body. Her classes are geared towards making the beginner feel safe and the experienced feel challenged. She presently manages two large chain gyms and is always updating her certifications. She is due to be certified in the fall for work with the Reformer and we look forward to her bringing her ever evolving knowledge of physical fitness to the nurturing environment of Om Tara Yoga Studio.