Teachers
Graham Fowler, founder of Peachtree Yoga, has trained and certified over 400 yoga teachers. His teaching arises
from the depth and breadth of 37 years of study and practice of the yogic arts. His exploration of yoga began with meditation
in 1973 and continued under the guidance of many Indian and Western teachers. His guidance in attuning to and awakening
the energy body through sensitive awareness in the poses creates an effective bridge to and from the more subtle aspects of
our existence. By weaving attention to physical alignment, sensitivity to subtle flows of energy, and improvisation, Graham brings
a rare opportunity to explore the deep, subtle, and life altering potential that Yoga practices offer.
For Elizabeth "Ursula" Nix , yoga is her passion and a blueprint for living, and she loves nothing more than sharing this with others. She has studied many different forms of yoga, and respects each and every tradition, but for her the practice of Yoga transcends any one style. More than anything else, it is a way of connecting with Spirit and cultivating the most life-affirming qualities of compassion, balance and trust. In her classes, which are infused with joy and deep insight, expect the dance of vinyasa flow, the focus of held posture, and the stillness and sweet surrender of shavasana. Ursula offers her gratitude to those who have guided her and walked with her on this path, who have all graced her with the wisdom of this practice. A special thanks to her very first teacher, Graham Fowler, who she continues to learn from and with. Also, blessings for both Erich Schiffmann and Rodney Yee, who have deeply influenced both her practice and her teaching.
Betsy Blount (E-RYT500) began her journey into yoga in 1971 at which time she also became a student of meditation and Eastern philosophy. A teacher of body, mind and spirit for the past 20 years (with an emphasis on emotional release work and meditation), Betsy has also practiced massage therapy including neuromuscular technique and Reiki. She received her yoga certification from Peachtree Yoga under Graham Fowler, Ursula Nix and Sean Tebor. She has also studied under nationally acclaimed teachers Tias Little and Doug Keller. Betsy has the gift of inspiration and teaches from the heart. She brings a relaxed atmosphere of warmth, coziness and fun to her classes. While her flowing style can be challenging and energizing her hands on approach is supportive and soothing. Taking her students at their own level she encourages each to do their best in a non-competitive environment. Betsy inspires her students to reach for their dreams mentally, physically and spiritually.
For Seth Adams (E-RYT500), yoga is sharing the process of reawakening to our true nature, a source of boundless peace and love. Seth refined his practice at Peachtree Yoga under the guidance of Graham Fowler and Ursula Nix, receiving both his 200- and 500-hour teaching certifications and has since served as Course Mentor and Posture Focus Leader over seven 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training courses. Knowing that there is something extraordinary in this life that is not taught in ordinary schools, Seth continues to grow and learn from the many spiritual teachers in his life, seeking inspiration and personal study with Doug Keller and Erich Schiffmann. In addition to teaching, Seth is also the Business Manager of the studio, allowing him to combine his formal Hospitality education from Georgia State University with his spiritual passion of yoga, further influencing him to travel to teach yoga internationally at spa resorts. He continues to ceaselessly give gratitude to the ancient teachings of yoga passed down for generations, paying respect to the teachers before him and to his future students for giving new life to this practice.
Mostly a student, Sally Maxwell (E-RYT 500) shares her passion for yoga through teaching. After two decades of the physical injuries of running and the mental injuries of corporate sales, she was inspired by the sensitivity, compassion, sincerity and spirituality of Graham Fowler, Ursula Nix and Peachtree Yoga Center. A student since l994, teacher since 2001. Her intention as a teacher is to deliver yoga as a lifestyle of courage, moderation, awareness, abundance and creativity. She incorporates principles of Ashtanga, Anusara and Iyengar and believes in the cultivation of a telepathic relationship with students to offer what they need without a verbal expression. She completed her 500-hr Yoga Alliance certified teacher training in 2008 at Peachtree Yoga. She has also studied with and found inspiration through Tias Little, Shiva Rea and Doug Keller.
In awe of the transformative powers of meditation, she strives to create a class environment that is safe in silence to access the infinite possibilities within each of us. She emphasizes the anatomical, postural, energetic elements of yoga to create a clear mind and intimacy with our bodies, our spirit and each other--where we find peace.
Daniela Simina geared from competitive karate to yoga, seeking stress relief and recovery from injuries. The consistent asana, pranayama and meditation practice took her far beyond the initial goal. It became a life changing experience, a spiritual journey she embarked on with the decision to live yoga instead of just practicing it. With the utmost desire of passing along the gift of yoga as she received it from her teachers, Daniela completed the 200-hour certification program at Peachtree Yoga Center. Being a pranic healer has deepened her understanding of prana, life force, and enhanced greatly her own yoga practice and the classes she teaches. Daniela's teaching style reflects the energy and precision she brought from karate, the graceful flow coming from a modern ballet background blending with a healing touch. Working for many years as a personal trainer taught her how to deal with people's injuries and physical limitations, knowledge she uses in her classes and private sessions. She uses the synergetic work of yoga and pranic healing as a way to help people improve the quality of their lives at all levels, physical, mental, and spiritual.
Natalie Biniasz has been practicing yoga since 2004 and completed her 200-hr certification at Peachtree Yoga in 2009. Through her own personal meditation and yoga practice, she has been delighted to discover depths of calm awareness, joy and compassion in everyday life. She enjoys living each moment fully in the present and connecting with others in an open-hearted way. Her classes are infused with subtle humor and warm encouragement. She creates a nurturing environment using softly flowing movements, held postures and deep breathwork where students can grow in their practice in an authentic way.
Gina Minyard is a certified Anusara Yoga teacher. She has practiced, studied and taught yoga since 1999. She received her certification through Atlanta Yoga Fellowship in 2000 under the guidance of Graham Fowler and Ursula Nix. In 2001, she met John Friend, founder of Anusara Yoga. His teachings illuminated her heart and swept her up into a magical flow. For Gina, yoga is the opportunity to engage life; to be truly empowered, joyful and free. Her classes flow playfully and philosophically with the harmonizing Universal Principles of Alignment, uniting body, mind and heart with the intention to awaken. It is her deepest joy to watch her students blossom with insight into the luster and delight of who they truly are.
Todd Delaune's path to yoga began in 2000 as a stretching and injury prevention mechanism for adventure race training. Years of athletic activity left him with almost no flexibility, and he was unable to even touch his toes. As his body, eyes, and heart opened to the depths to which yoga could take him, he eagerly dove in for more. Yoga soon became an integral part of his life; his desire to deepen his practice lead him to Peachtree Yoga's Teacher Training in 2002. After graduating, he continued his spiritual journey by traveling the country for 9 months, visiting yoga studios along the way, teaching yoga to the people he met, and experiencing the country's majestic National Parks. He brings the life lessons learned during this journey to the mat. Since returning to Atlanta his overwhelming desire has been to give back to the community by sharing these life lessons through the gift of yoga. With his varied background, Todd brings to his teaching a wealth of personal and professional experiences, inspiring his students' minds and bodies with his intuitive teaching style. He brings a warm nurturance, a sensitive touch, and the inspiration to achieve anything.
"I honor the place in you where, when you are in that place, and I am in that place, there is only one of us." -Ghandi
Sonya Peedin Kuropatwa's gentle guidance and loving touch extends from her fascination with the body as an instrument of spiritual and creative expression. Sonya came to yoga after more than 20 years as a classically trained dancer, teacher, and choreographer as a means to further understand the mysteries of the mind-body connection. She has witnessed and guided her students through the wonders of movement, self-awareness, and connection to the Universal. Her belief in the magic of touch as a means of healing and as a conduit for energy informs her teaching style, which relies strongly on imagery, humor, and hands-on interaction. She has completed both the 200-hour and 500-hour teacher training and certification courses through Peachtree Yoga Center under the nurturing guidance of Graham Fowler and Ursula Nix, beautifully enriched by study with Sean Tebor, David Kyle, Deborah Quibell, Dr. Michel Angot, and Bhagwan Awatramani. She sends blessings to the teachers, students, and community of artists who've so generously shared the knowledge and wisdom that informs her teaching and personal practice.
Nicole Delaine was first introduced to yoga in 2003, by her now husband as a way to help deal with work related stress. To deepen her practice, Nicole attended several conferences and in 2006 enrolled in the 200 hour PYC Teacher Training. Immediately after graduating, she subbed several prenatal yoga classes and again craved more knowledge. In 2008, she attended the Khalsa Way® Prenatal Teacher Training under the guidance of Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa at Golden Bridge Yoga in California. In September 2009, Nicole was blessed with the birth of her first child. Nicole believes that the challenges she experienced during pregnancy, labor and delivery allowed her to understand that unexpected and unplanned events can be blessings in disguise. Nicole enjoys helping mothers by guiding them to overcome their fears, to get in touch with their bodies and to connect with their babies while sharing their experiences with other mothers as they make the journey into motherhood.
Kelly found her love for yoga while attending the University of Georgia.
She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in photography and ceramics,
and her Master of Fine Arts from the San Francisco Art Institute. While
working many years in Fine Art galleries she never lost her passion for
yoga. Moving from city to city her practice was becoming more integrated
with her daily routine. In 2010 she completed her 200 hr certification
with Peachtree Yoga. She continually grows while attending workshops
and various trainings and every time she steps onto her mat. Her love for
people and teaching is what inspires her light-hearted practice. She enjoys
movement and the transitions that accompany it. Coming from an art
background, her passion and creativity is what ignites her teaching. Finding
the breath and fluidity in the body and mind is a curiously deep practice.
She encourages playfulness along with a sense of ease and strength with her
students. She enjoys and is endlessly inspired by the body and mind and the
authentic and unique ways we emerge from it.
Paula Phillips Marrotte (RYT500) is a passionate teacher and dedicated yogi who balances the sacred aspects of yoga as she experiences these with her own nuts-and-bolts approach to teaching. Already a dedicated practitioner, Paula found Peachtree Yoga in the spring of 2009 and the call to dive deeper in her study of the ancient practice unfolded. She has since earned Yoga Alliance Registered Training and Certification at both the 200-Hour and 500-Hour level through the shared love, knowledge and experience of Graham Fowler, Ursula Nix and the Peachtree Yoga community. Guided by breath, Paula’s classes balance the challenges of flow and stillness equally, achieving a meditative and integrative experience for her students. Her style is accessible for all levels, offering modifications designed to tailor opportunities for growth to each individual. Her hands-on adjustments support healthy alignment and encourage depth in the postures. Paula embodies yoga's ability to transform, slowly integrating body, mind and spirit with integrity. Through her practice, she seeks liberation from misperception and the realization of her own essential nature. Paula offers endless gratitude to her teachers and students and welcomes you on this path.
Rachel began her yoga practice at the YMCA in 2003 with Kelly Colihan, a graduate of the Peachtree Yoga Teacher Training Program. After five years of dedicated practice and the inspiration of her mentor, Rachel began Teacher Training at Peachtree Yoga Center in 2008, receiving her 200-hour certification in February, 2009. For Rachel, yoga provides a gateway to access our “truest self” – that calm, joyful, endless center of love we all have inside. Watching her private clients and her in-class students access that place through asana and meditation gives Rachel so much joy and gratitude for her practice and for all of the teachers that came before her. Rachel recently completed the “Soma Sadhana” adjunct to her 200-hour certification under the care of Graham Fowler, and has received countless blessings from her daily practice.
Advanced Teacher Training
Introducing a Two-Phase Advanced Yoga Teacher Training Program for Yoga Alliance-approved 200 hour course graduates.
PHASE ONE Samata Abhyasa: Balanced Practice for a Balanced Life, healing and empowering teaching strategies targeted to individual student needs.
PHASE TWO Soma Sadhana: Accelerating the establishment of Wholeness at the gross, subtle, and subtlest levels of our existence through the Inner Practices of Yoga.
Yoga Teacher Training and Certification Course
Training in practical knowledge in all aspects of teaching yoga: asana, pranayama, anatomy and physiology, mind-body integration and the theory, philosophy and psychology of yoga. A deeply felt sense of each posture gives you the foundation for teaching from the inside out and deepens your own personal practice. Extensive practice teaching and training in hands-on guidance prepares you to be a knowledgeable and confident yoga teacher. More Information >
