Maggie Stonecash (she/her) is a mindfulness and yoga instructor based in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. She has been practicing and integrating various styles of yoga and mindfulness into her life since she was a college student. Maggie is a Certified Special Education Teacher with a Master’s in Education from Shippensburg University, and she has been a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) through Yoga Alliance since 2012.
Maggie is originally from Syracuse, New York. She began her life in Carlisle after graduating from Dickinson College with a degree in Sociology; there, she began working for the College Farm as an apprentice. She then found her way into education as a teacher in an experiential and adventure based alternative school for students with emotional and behavioral challenges. As a teacher, Maggie’s mindfulness personal practice took off as a way to manage stress and anxiety. She continues to find her mindfulness practice to be transformative for her life, especially as a parent.
Maggie has found various ways to integrate her passion for youth education and mindfulness. She has trained with Mindful Schools based in California, and most recently trained and worked with Wynne Kinder and Wellness Works in Schools in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Maggie has a deep belief in the power of yoga and mindfulness to help people build self-awareness and strength both physically and mentally, develop skills to manage stress and emotions, and increase self-esteem and self-compassion to find more peace and ease with themselves. Her goal is to make yoga and mindfulness available to all kinds of people and bodies.
Maggie teaches weekly adult yoga classes and strength classes to all levels along with kids, tween, and teen yoga at Yoga at Simply Well, in Carlisle, PA. She also teaches in a variety of community settings to a range of populations from chair yoga in nursing homes to corporate employees, law students, and students in preschools and elementary, middle, and high schools.
When not teaching, Maggie loves being active outdoors, gardening, hiking, trail running, paddleboarding, traveling, and hanging with her family, including her four year-old daughter, two teenage stepsons, and husband.
Aproteem Choudhury (he/him) is excited to work with students of all ages at RTC. As a teacher of mindfulness, Apro himself is a lifelong student and is always seeking to improve his capacity to educate through continued learning, an open heart, and an “empty cup”. In the past, he has served K-12 students as a Sensorimotor, Behavioral, and Academic Coach with Brain Balance Centers, a company seeking to support children through evidence based approaches grounded in Neuroscience, along with serving as a peer counselor for K-12 STEM Summer Camps at the University of Texas Medical Branch. He currently provides support for the Department of Psychiatry at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston TX, teaching yoga, mindfulness and meditation to children and their families. Apro loves getting to know and often becoming friends with his mindfulness students. In fact, forming a friendly, understanding, and compassionate relationship with his students is a reflection of the relationship he aspires for his students to form with themselves through the practice of mindfulness!
Apro is also a Center for Mind Body Medicine Certified Mind-Body Skills Facilitator and Faculty, a position he assumed after he was called to respond to his community’s need to heal through various forms of meditation, mindfulness and mind-body practices following Hurricane Harvey’s flooding of Houston, Texas. Apro has also served as a group leader with enCOURAGE Trauma Center, where he integrated trauma sensitive mind-body practices in an intensive outpatient setting to support his patients’ growth, and as the Mind Body Spirit Institute (MBSI) Associate at The Jung Center of Houston, where he worked to teach individuals and organizations to reduce stress and burnout, improve health and resilience, and nourish the human spirit. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience from the University of Texas at Dallas and has five years of experience as a researcher from his time at the Department of Psychiatry at Baylor College of Medicine, and the Michael E. Debakey Veterans Affairs Hospital.
When he’s not working, Apro finds great enjoyment in connecting with his partner, his two dogs (Chickpea the chihuahua, and Layla the black lab) and nature through hikes, trail running and camping. Apro is also an avid enthusiast of music, listening to his ever growing record collection, hosting friends for jam sessions, and exploring all the live music Houston, Texas has to offer. As society begins to safely open up, Apro has found himself caught by the travel bug, and is looking forward to trips with his family and friends.
Amy Necci (she/her) considers herself a teacher and a student every single day. She has been practicing yoga and mindfulness for many years and loves weaving them into her work as a public school educator in Pennsylvania. For Amy, yoga and mindfulness are practices both on and off the mat and incorporate skills that can be taken out into life to empower each unique individual. In all aspects, these practices have been powerful tools for helping her through anything that life might bring her way.
Amy began her Spanish teaching career in the Pocono Mountains, teaching high school for seven years. She started her yoga and mindfulness journey when a fellow teacher invited her to take Kripalu yoga classes. Amy moved to Carlisle, PA in 2007 to teach at the middle school level and began incorporating elements of mindfulness and yoga into her Spanish classes in a variety of ways. She also found a yoga community that has changed her life and deepened her own practice. In addition to her Spanish teaching certification from Bloomsburg University with two study abroad experiences, Amy holds a Master’s degree in Education from East Stroudsburg University. She has extensive training and experience in teaching mindfulness and yoga to all ages, from adults to children. Amy has studied with Yogi Beans, Mindful Schools, and Pranakriya School of Yoga Healing Arts. As she continues to learn, Amy also shares with others as a yoga teacher trainer with Pranakriya, leading programs on Gentle Yoga and Making Yoga Philosophy Accessible for Kids.
Amy is especially passionate about serving youth and educators. She feels strongly that yoga and mindfulness can benefit anyone at any stage of life and that the skills learned through these practices are important to teach to today’s youth.
Amy loves learning and continues to seek out training in a variety of areas, continually in a process of self-study and personal growth. She is committed to cultivating brave, supportive, and inclusive spaces of acceptance and comfort that offer everyone permission to be themselves, trust themselves, and grow at their own pace.
In her spare time, Amy enjoys reading, cooking, taking yoga classes from others, listening to music and dancing, and spending time with her family and friends.
Cyrus Wirls (he/him) is a meditation instructor, yoga teacher, and mind-body skills group facilitator. In his full-time work, he serves as Director of Programs for the Institute for Spirituality and Health (ISH) in Houston, Texas, where he collaborates with a wide network of spiritual teachers, healthcare providers, and academicians to organize programs around the intersections of spirituality and mental and physical well-being. In his seven years with ISH, Cyrus has learned, practiced, and taught a wide array of contemplative practices including yoga, Tai Chi and qigong, mindful self-compassion, and many forms of mindfulness and meditation, and regularly leads mind-body workshops for a wide range of populations including medical students, healthcare professionals, and human services providers.
Cyrus graduated from Rice University in 2013 with a Bachelor’s in Cognitive Sciences and Mathematics. During his sophomore year at Rice, Cyrus took a course which first exposed him to mindfulness, and he began to notice the pleasant calm and clarity that he experienced after meditating. Through his studies of the mind and these experiences with meditation, he came to realize that his deeper pursuits of truth and a moral life both depended on his awareness of himself. Since then, meditation and mindfulness have become increasingly central to his life.
In 2017, Cyrus received training from the Center for Mind-Body Medicine, which prepared him to facilitate mind-body skills groups. In these groups, participants learn about the physiology of stress and practice deep breathing, meditation, imagery, and expressive writing, drawing, and movement exercises. For Cyrus, facilitating these groups has been transformative in developing his capacity to create a safe space for others to authentically express themselves and feel empowered to manage their own health and life. As part of his role at ISH, he coordinates the collaborative of 100 trained facilitators who continue to offer these mind-body groups and workshops across the Greater Houston area. Cyrus is certified as a yoga instructor (NACYT, 200hr), Tai Chi Easy Practice Group Facilitator (IIQTC), and Mind-Body Skills Group Facilitator (CMBM).
Cyrus is sensitive to the challenges that young people face in finding belonging and identity, and the complex ways that those needs intersect with academic engagement and success. He knows from experience that mindfulness practice can help quiet the mental noise of peer pressures and self-doubt and strengthen one’s sense of authentic motivation and confidence. Knowing that young people learn most effectively when they can relate material to their personal lives and priorities, Cyrus strives to meet students where they are by creating a safe space for them to express themselves. Listening to the students communicate their interests and challenges, he then tailors the teachings and practices to resonate with each unique individual. Cyrus cares deeply about helping young people to hear and value their own inner voice and to live self-directed lives amidst the constant pressures and comparisons they face. He believes strongly that helping people to become more self-aware and self-accepting is not only the key to their individual well-being and success, but is also the essential ingredient for creating a more compassionate and harmonious society.
Cyrus is an avid traveler and seeker of new experiences. While working remotely during the pandemic, he has road-tripped coast to coast across the U.S. and Mexico. He relishes adventure and enjoys talking to strangers and listening to their stories. Most at home in the outdoors, he loves hiking, climbing, scuba diving, and playing sports. A pianist by training, he delights in making music, especially as a way of connecting with others. He has one younger brother, John, with whom he is very close.
Hilary Fox (she/her) is a Yoga, Pilates and Martial Arts practitioner, Mindfulness instructor, and works in the mushroom industry as a clean area production manager. Based in Avondale, Pennsylvania, Hilary seeks to encourage and guide others to reach their full potential, drawing from her own experiences and knowledge of mindfulness.
Hilary was born in Philadelphia and moved to Glasgow, Scotland in 1978. It was here she attained a B.Sc. in Agricultural Botany at the University of Glasgow. She also holds a Ph.D. in Fungal Genetics from the University of Nottingham, England. Hilary returned to the States in 1991 and has worked for 30 years in the mushroom industry as a mycologist, spawn maker, and clean room manager. She is the mother of two boys on the Autistic spectrum: one has graduated from Pennsylvania State University; the other is currently a senior there.
It was through her experience working with schools, therapists, and doctors with both of her sons that Hilary first began learning about and practicing mindfulness. Mindfulness taught her how to manage her boys’ sensory issues, lessons she initially learned from their therapists and shared with their teachers. She learned more about life and its lessons through mindfulness, along with the vital importance of being open to receive experiences and let go of the need to attach to constant fear and anxiety. This philosophy informs much of Hilary’s practice and teachings, where she brings warmth, wisdom and open-mindedness to her interactions, tailoring her approaches to each individual with her analytical and enquiring mind.
On her journey of mindfulness, Hilary was led down a path of mindful movement, initially with her Pilates practice, followed by Martial Arts and Yoga. Hilary has RYT-500 ERYT 200 certifications and is registered with Yoga Alliance; she is also trained in Power Yoga, Vinyasa, Hatha, Yin, Restorative, Somatic and Chair Yoga. In addition, Hilary has certifications with ChildLight Yoga, and she enjoys working with learners across age ranges. Through mindfulness tools, Hilary helps others to connect with an inner calm and cultivate a positive and healing mindset while forging their own path of enlightenment.
In her free time, Hilary nurtures her passion for fitness, gardening, yard work, never ending home projects, cooking, and reading.
Jamie Hartman (she/her) is a mindfulness teacher based in Southern California who loves to work with students of all ages. Jamie was born and raised in Colorado, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies at Colorado State University and her Master’s Degree in Education from Regis University. Jamie is licensed to teach K-6 and works with both K-12 and adult students on mindfulness practices.
Jamie discovered mindfulness in 2009 while working as a third-grade teacher. Because Jamie struggled with perfectionism and overthinking, she felt overwhelmed trying to serve her students and keep balance in her own life; she was burning out. Jamie began participating in yoga classes and guided meditation exercises. Through consistent and purposeful practice, Jamie felt the powerful way mindfulness improved her overall well-being and ability to remain calm and present. Mindfulness transformed her life.
Jamie began to share these powerful mindfulness strategies with her students throughout the school day. Introducing her students to mindful moments of breathing, pausing to become present to the five senses, and gentle stretching significantly improved transitions and challenging moments for them, and they became comfortable with these mindfulness tools. Jamie’s third graders found mind-body strategies essential during state testing to calm and regulate their nervous systems. Her students achieved better focus, working from a place of calm knowing. Jamie enjoys sharing these same transformative skills with her students at RTC!
After moving to California and becoming a parent, Jamie wanted to expand her teaching to focus on social-emotional learning through mindfulness skills. In 2020, Jamie and a collaborator launched Heart and Goal Inc., a trauma-informed program to support local school communities to build resilience, reduce stress and anxiety, and cultivate self-compassion through mindfulness and movement. So far, Heart and Goal has served hundreds of students and staff members in several K-12 school districts throughout Southern California.
Jamie’s approach to teaching is collaborative. Her unique style offers compassionate listening, creativity, and an empathetic approach to working one-to-one with her students. She works to help them feel valued and understood as they try different mind-body tools to meet their individual needs and goals. Self-awareness and presence are key components to learning how to manage our thoughts and emotions, and these must consider a learner’s individual physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual needs. Taking this into account, Jamie’s collaborative, friendly, and compassionate approach guides her students to find what a mindfulness practice can do for them!
Jamie has more than a dozen years’ experience teaching mindfulness to people of all ages. She completed her initial mindfulness training at Rice University, and has also completed yoga training with the Pranakriya School of Yoga Healing Arts in Teaching Yoga to Tweens and Teens. As a lifelong learner, Jamie is currently enrolled in a Master’s program in family therapy.
In her free time, Jamie can be found enjoying time in nature, hiking, mountain biking and exploring new places. She also enjoys reading, cooking, and spending quality time with friends, family, and pet bunnies.
Kat Denton (she/her) is a Mind-Body Medicine Practitioner who teaches mindfulness in Houston, Texas. Kat came to mindfulness in 2017, after Hurricane Harvey devastated Houston. Kat attended a mind-body skills workshop offered by The Center for Mind-Body Medicine, followed by a training for community members to help each other through the trauma. From the moment Kat tried mindfulness techniques, it was love at first sight: she knew she wanted to learn everything she could about mindfulness, and she knew she wanted to teach it.
Kat has completed Professional and Advanced Training Programs through the Center for Mind-Body Medicine, culminating in full Certification as a Mind-Body Medicine Practitioner and CMBM Supervisor. Through CMBM, she facilitates Mind-Body Skills groups for trauma relief. Kat is also a part of the Greater Houston Healing Collaborative, the community-wide trauma relief program initiated after Hurricane Harvey (a local manifestation of the CMBM) that continues to provide mind-body skills groups and workshops to meet the many ongoing psychosocial needs of the Houston community. In addition, Kat is an NACYT Certified yoga teacher and a Certified Tai Chi Easy Practice Leader.
In furthering her growth, Kat has trained with Healing Circles Houston to facilitate circles for grief and loss. She was inspired to do this work because of her own grief process after the death of her mother. Kat believes these circles are a wonderful way to be in community, deeply listening to the sharing of the heart, a deep exploration of compassionate togetherness. With HCH, Kat has brought Healing Circles to core teams of nurses who will then continue to offer the circles and train other staff, so they can all help each other.
In her mindfulness coaching work, Kat enjoys teaching with students collaboratively, talking through and trying things on for size. Her lessons have a natural flow, as though she and her student are sitting virtually over tea. Kat’s goals for her students are that they listen and share, give everything a try, and end up with an innate resiliency. Kat most wishes that her students will leave their time together with a toolkit full of options for use in challenging times, and that reaching for those tools feels natural and easy.
Kat loves animals, gardening, and photography. She was previously a sea lion trainer at the Houston Zoo, where she also worked with bears, big cats, giraffes, and koalas. After many years of attending college part-time as a single mom, Kat will be excited to complete her B.S. in Biology soon.
Samara Anjuli Sevush (she/her/they) is a trauma-informed Mindfulness teacher based in the Philadelphia area. She has practiced meditation for over twenty-five years, since she was introduced to it as a small child by her mother, a second-generation yogi. Samara also spent her youth tutoring younger children, babysitting, and working in daycare settings, all of which offered her lessons in the inherent wisdom of children. She believes strongly in relating to children as equals and allowing students to lead in their own learning process.
After struggling with the impacts of PTSD and depression for many years, Samara found her way back to a yoga studio and found respite in the ancient practices of yoga and meditation. After a year of committed daily practice, she recognized the radical transformation she was undergoing in both her body and mind: her symptoms were gently subsiding, while her inner narrative was beginning to slow down. Samara followed her curiosity about why these practices were so impactful for her own nervous system, and as a result, she began studying to become a Hatha yoga and meditation teacher.
In her initial trainings, Samara found a challenging paradox: the practices were clearly healing for her, yet she would often find her nervous system spontaneously activated by some of her teachers’ approaches. This caused her to realize that she needed an embodied healing practice informed by modern scientific approaches to mental health and trauma. This led Samara to seek advanced teacher certification as well as extensive training in trauma-informed practices, somatics (body-based nervous system regulation), and mindfulness-based practices for mental health support. She has studied with some of the pioneers in the fields of trauma and somatics, including David Emerson, (creator of Trauma Informed Yoga at the Trauma Center in Boston), Peter Levine (founder of Somatic Experiencing Therapy), and Gabor Mate, MD. Samara received her advanced Yoga Teacher Certification from her primary teacher, Shiva Das, at Yoga on Main, Philadephia’s preeminent yoga studio. She now teaches throughout the greater Philadelphia area and owns her own private practice, Rise Venus Rise Healing Arts, where she offers these powerful ancient healing modalities as an adjunct to psychotherapy.
Samara is gifted at making transformative self-regulation practices accessible and practical through deep compassion. At RTC, she finds joy in empowering students with tools to help them gain more presence and gently transform their inner narratives as they gain confidence in their test-taking skills and ultimately access deep self-trust. She is inspired and humbled when students share how they apply these skills in practical situations and use their newly learned resources to break through their blockages.
Samara credits her early introduction to yoga and meditation as a primary contributor in her ability to develop resilience and healing in the face of early life adversity. She is deeply committed to the path of collective liberation and believes strongly that sharing these transformative practices is a crucial component in creating a better world for us all. Samara is a lifelong learner and is always training in new approaches to her work. When she is not teaching or studying, Samara spends her time connecting with nature, cooking, reading, and tending to her tiny jungle of plants.
Kelly Noone (she/her) is a studio owner, fitness trainer, and Mindfulness teacher living by the beach in Ocean City, New Jersey. Kelly grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia and obtained her B.A. in Elementary and Special Education from La Salle University. After college, Kelly spent four years teaching Special Education in the city of Philadelphia, English in Thailand, and early literacy and hygiene in Kenya. While teaching, she became a personal training and adult and children’s yoga instructor; that is where she found the spark to teach Mindfulness.
Eventually, Kelly became a full-time fitness instructor, studio owner, and children’s yoga and Mindfulness teacher. After seeing firsthand how fitness and Mindfulness transformed her own life, Kelly became passionate about helping others to live a well-balanced and healthy lifestyle mentally, physically, and spiritually. Seeing how she could help others in such a positive way, she worked to create her own community, HeyNoon Fitness.
After witnessing children meditating daily in Thai schools, Kelly was so excited to bring these practices to the United States! School and life can be stressful, and it is important to teach children and young adults ways to deal with their stresses, emotions, and thoughts. Teaching yoga and Mindfulness in schools allowed Kelly to be able to help her students control their thoughts and emotions to keep out of trouble and focus on the work at hand. Through breathing techniques, meditations, games, and asanas (yoga poses), her students were able to process their feelings, thoughts, and emotions in healthier ways.
Kelly gets such enjoyment when students share how the yoga practices taught in class have been used to help them not only in school, but also at home and in real life situations. At RTC, Kelly uses Mindfulness to help her students learn to reduce their anxiety, especially around test-taking, so that they can focus well and take their best test. Kelly is thrilled to see her students remove barriers to their happiness and potential so they can achieve their best!
In her free time, Kelly enjoys cooking, baking, taking care of her many indoor plant babies, and spending time with family and friends. She also loves to travel and has been all over the world. Some of her favorite places are Kenya, Spain, and Bali.