Fitness Yoga Studios  - South New Jersey Yoga & Pilates Classes - Mullica Hill, NJ

Hot Vinyasa Flow Yoga Meets Tuesdays @ 7PM, Thursdays @ 7:30PM, and Sundays @ 9:30AM

Staff Bios

Laura Bonanni, BS, RYT, Fitness Yoga Studios OwnerLaura Bonanni, BS, CYT, E-RYT 200 is the owner/founder of Fitness Yoga Studios. Laura has been leading an active, healthy lifestyle since the birth of her children over 15 years ago. As a group fitness instructor, Laura discovered yoga during a continuing education workshop at a fitness convention. Laura was surprised at how challenging some of the poses were, and she liked how she felt after practicing. Yoga helped her see what more traditional fitness classes were lacking at that time. There was also a certain mystery to yoga that caught Laura’s attention and made her want to learn more. She began practicing yoga regularly and as her passion for yoga grew, she eventually became certified to teach it.

Laura began teaching yoga classes in 2001 and is still thrilled to be sharing its amazingly transformative effects with everyone. To date, she has completed 200 hours of yoga training through YogaFit®, and is an Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher with YogaAlliance®. Laura has also studied with and has been influenced by other yogis/yoginis, including Baron Baptiste, Seane Corn, and Shiva Rea, all wonderful teachers of her favorite style of yoga, Vinyasa Flow. In 2010, she completed instruction in Thai Yoga Bodywork with Michael "Mukti" Buck. She continues to study the art, philosophy, and science of yoga and looks forward to sharing it with you.

In addition to her yoga certification, Laura is an ACE-certified Group Fitness Instructor and holds many other certifications in various fitness disciplines. When she is not practicing yoga or teaching yoga, Laura enjoys running, cycling, swimming, reading, gardening, music, cooking, and spending time with her family and friends.

Jacqueline Dadario, Fitness Yoga Studios StaffJacqueline Dadario, CYT discovered yoga in 2003. She turned her passion for practicing yoga into teaching, and in 2006 started teaching yoga to children and adults in both studio and beach settings. She has received her yoga certification from Yogafit®, has studied Thai Yoga Massage with Michael Buck and has received her Reiki Level 1 Certification. Jacqueline has been sharing her love of yoga at Fitness Yoga Studios since the spring of 2008, and is also the owner and designer of Earthly Elements Healing Crystal Jewelry.

In addition, she recently graduated from Temple University with a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary and Special Education. Jacqueline is married and she and her husband recently welcomed the birth of their first child, Sophia.

Karen Kapus, Fitness Yoga Studios StaffKaren Kapus, RYT200, has been practicing yoga for the last 10 years, at home, in the gym, and in studio settings. Her passion for yoga fueled her desire to share it with everyone, which led her to become a certified yoga instructor. Karen received 200+ hours of training from YogaFit®, and is a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) with YogaAlliance®. Karen continues studying yoga here and at various locales. She enjoys teaching yoga to all, and recently taught a 5-week kid's yoga series at Wenonah Elementary School.

Karen loves that yoga is truly a system that can be adapted to everybody, and that it can help many people with health issues, such as back pain or stress. Karen says, “Yoga is special to me because, not only does it make me feel great physically, but also mentally. I see yoga as a wonderful journey in my life that has allowed me to grow and improve in so many ways and will continue to do so for a very long time.”

Anne McManamy, Fitness Yoga Studios StaffAnne McManamy, RYT200 began practicing yoga in 2004 and became a certified yoga teacher in 2008. She recently completed her Yoga Alliance 200 hour RYT through YogaFit®. She is also a AAAI/ISMA Certified Pilates Instructor and Certified Weight Management Consultant. Anne teaches a variety of classes including Yogalates and YogaFusion, incorporating strength training exercises in class and has been with Fitness Yoga Studios since 2008. She truly enjoys the balance of teaching and learning from her classes. She is a strong believer in the mind body connection –a healthy body leads to a healthy mind.

Paige Pellegrino-Teti, CYT, RYT 200 & 500. Paige has been teaching yoga for many years. She has completed a 500 Hour Advanced Yoga Certification through the Kripalu Center For Yoga and Health, in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Kripalu is the largest center for yoga and holistic living in North America. She is also a member of the Kripalu Yoga Teacher Association (KYTA). In spring of 2008, Paige was given the honorary title, “Acharya” which denotes significant spiritual and academic achievement in the Kripalu lineage. In addition, Paige has studied and trained in the following areas: Yoga for Multiple Sclerosis sponsored by the National MS Society, Yin Yoga with Paul Grilley and Paulie Zink, Life Force Yoga with Amy Weintraub dealing with yoga to manage stress and depression, Vinyasa, and numerous meditation trainings and workshops with nationally known teachers. Paige is also a certified Thai Massage Practitioner through the The Thai Institute of Healing Arts, Arlington, Virginia, which is approved by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Body Work (NCBTMB).

Nancy Finkle, Fitness Yoga Studios StaffNancy Finkle, CYT brings with her to Fitness Yoga Studios over 20 years of fitness experience. She has taught a variety of disciplines in group settings as well as provided instruction in private and studio classes. Nancy has been teaching yoga for several years, and has completed many workshops and teaching certifications in Yoga, Thai Yoga Bodywork, Prenatal Yoga, Yin Yoga, Pilates Mat, Pilates Reformer, Pilates Barrel and Wunda Chair, Meditation-Relaxation-Stress Management, and Reiki. Certified through the American Council on Exercise (ACE), Nancy also continues to attend Pilates, yoga, and fitness seminars to educate and share the enjoyment of exercising and staying healthy. Nancy also was the host of Sta-Fit the Aerobic Way, a local cable TV fitness program from 1987-1991. She is the owner of Mind, Body & Fitness to Go.

Heather Brown, Fitness Yoga Studios StaffHeather Brown, CYT began her yoga journey in Stowe, Vermont over 13 years ago. For years her personal practice was primarily Ashtanga. Upon returning to her native South Jersey and continuing to study and practice other forms of yoga as well as Pilates Mat, Heather decided to pursue her teaching certification with YogaFit, finding it to be a system that is both user-friendly and all-inclusive. Three and a half years and three babies later, she is finally sharing her passion for yoga and Pilates with others, more recently completing her Mat Pilates certification with AAAI. Heather has also been a dedicated student at Fitness Yoga Studios for the last few years, and recently completed the Fitness Yoga Studios instructor training program. In addition to sharing her passion for yoga, Heather and her husband Dan, owners of Wagonhouse Winery located in Mickelton, love to share their passion for wine!

Jennifer Schwartz, Fitness Yoga Studios StaffJennifer Schwartz is a graduate of the Power Pilates 600-hour Comprehensive Equipment Training Program. A lifelong student of dance and gymnastics, Jennifer expanded her interest to Pilates after a post-partum back issue. In 2006, she became a Certified Pilates Mat Instructor through Power Pilates at University of Pennsylvania, which follows the classical teachings of Joseph Pilates. In 2009, Jennifer completed the 600-hour training program which has expanded her teachings to apparatus including the Reformer. Jennifer’s teaching reflects her belief that Pilates is a powerful whole body workout. The results one receives are endless – improved posture, balance, increased energy, and a longer, leaner, and healthier individual. Jennifer is also a Business Management graduate of The College of New Jersey.

Kathryn McDermott is a certified Pilates Reformer instructor through Balanced Body University, and is currently working towards her comprehensive Pilates certification. A few sessions on the reformer, given as a birthday present, soon developed into a weekly practice. With its goal to lengthen and strengthen, Kathryn enjoys the balance pilates brings to the other parts of her day. When not teaching reformer classes, Kathryn can be found running, cycling, or playing the piano.

June Busch has been practicing Pilates and Yoga for over 5 years. Her passion began with an introduction to Mat Pilates. The benefits of Mat Pilates became evident quickly. In an effort to expand her personal practice, June added the Pilates Reformer to her fitness routine. She was hooked from the start as the benefits of breathing, stretching and toning were above and beyond her expectations. Her new found passion was the result of being instructed in both Yoga and Pilates by the wonderful instructors that she has worked with over those 5 years. These instructors encouraged her to begin her own journey into teaching and obtaining Pilates Reformer and Yoga certification. At present, June is certified by Balanced Body in Pilates Reformer and Pilates Tower. In addition, she has completed Level 1 Training with YogaFit. June currently works full-time in a somewhat stressful corporate environment. Her certification journey, and her ability to instruct wonderful students and share in their joy when they see the positive results from Pilates, help to balance out the stress in her life and allows her to enjoy the personal satisfaction of sharing the wonderful world of Pilates with others.

Brittany Wallrath, Fitness Yoga Studios StaffBrittany Wallrath, CYT, began practicing yoga as a way to ease pain in her neck and shoulders due to a car accident. Yoga quickly turned into a passion and in 2010 she enrolled in a Hatha yoga course at Temple University. She began her teacher training with YogaFit and started teaching right away to family and friends. She completed her 200 hours of Vinyasa yoga training through Dhyana Yoga in Philadelphia, PA. Her passion and love for yoga comes from the inspiration, relaxation and inner-knowledge it brings. Brittany encourages her students to find the mind body connection through their practice. Always a student of yoga, Brittany continues to educate herself through various workshops and teacher training events. In addition, Brittany is currently working towards her Bachelors Degree at Temple University. When she is not practicing or teaching yoga, she enjoys horseback riding, reading, traveling and being outdoors.

Becky Lyons, Fitness Yoga Studios StaffRebecca Lyons discovered the amazing benefits of Pilates about five years ago at her first class and she was hooked. She became an AAAI certified Mat I Pilates teacher and has been sharing her love of Pilates through teaching the past several years. Rebecca loves Joesph Pilates' quote "contrology (Pilates) develops the body uniformly, corrects wrong postures, restores physical vitality, invigorates the mind, and elevates the spirit". She is looking forward to spreading her passion of Pilates at Fitness Yoga Studios. She is currently undergoing her 200 RYT training at Fitness Yoga Studios and is thoroughly enjoying every step of her journey in the program. Rebecca is also an ACE certified personal trainer and is an AAAI master personal trainer. When Rebecca is not taking classes or teaching Pilates at Fitness Yoga she can be found Instructing bootcamp classes and training individual clients. Rebecca (Becky) enjoys spending time at home with her husband, three children, and enjoying all fitness related activities!

Allegra Tiver, Fitness Yoga Studios StaffAllegra Tiver, CYT, has more than 10 years experience practicing Vinyasa yoga, and acknowledges her practice as an access to self-discovery. Allegra is certified through YogaFit ®, recognized nationally and internationally by the Yoga Alliance, and is moving further along her teacher journey with the 200 RYT training at Fitness Yoga Studios. An athlete and adventurer, Allegra views yoga as a perfect complement to fitness and exploration. Allegra believes yoga offers a means to live a more balanced life and encourages students to realize how our practice “on the mat” offers useful tools in dealing with our lives “off the mat.” She currently teaches Vinyasa Flow at Fitness Yoga Studios. Allegra has also developed and taught classes for young children with behavioral challenges, teenagers dealing with the coming-of-age process and artists. Allegra has B.A. degrees in Journalism and French from Rutgers University, New Brunswick.

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