Our teachers

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ERYT500, YACEP 

Owner/Director of Training

Pranayama Teacher 

Ayurvedic Health Educator

After years of attending yoga classes and having two beautiful boys, Andrea became a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) through Yoga Alliance under the direction of Donna Dyer and continued her training at Three Rivers Yoga Institute where she received her RYT500. She has found that regular practice has helped her become a better mother, wife and member of the world community and she loves to share what she has learned with others.

Andrea teaches with an eclectic mix of styles with a playful and lighthearted attitude. She has studied the Hatha tradition, with influences of Iyengar, Ashtanga, Anusara and YinYang Yoga.   She founded Sangha Center in April of 2010 and has since continued her studies with master yoga teachers, The California College of Ayurveda and The Ayurvedic Institute to further her guidance to students in the community towards increased health and vitality.

RYT500

Julia started her yoga journey in her and her husbands’ martial arts studio under the tutelage of Andrea Kirkham. Julia became a martial artist in 1991 after 20 years of dancing. She had already graduated from the Penn State University with a major in Therapeutic Recreation and a minor in dance. Julia has been employed as a child development specialist, job coach, and an intensive case manager for children with mental health diagnosis.  Currently Julia has been teaching martial arts with a special interest in preschool and school age children for 22 years.

 Julia is proud to have been in Andrea’s first teacher training course (2013) at Sangha Center. Yoga might be a relatively new love but it fits well into Julia’s dance/martial arts background. Julia looks forward to a very long journey down the yoga path and enjoys meeting new people along the way. 

RYT500

Sangha officer manager

Tammy discovered yoga “by accident”, attending her first class during a girl’s night out. After only a few lessons, it became evident yoga was to become a permanent part of her lifestyle. She found the practice helped her to increase flexibility and strength while decreasing headaches and anxiety. Having worked in the health insurance industry for over a decade, Tammy believes yoga fills an important gap in the overall health and wellness plan of individuals. Therefore, in 2013 she enrolled in the 200-hour teacher training program at Sangha Center for Yoga and Wellness in order to become equipped to share the many benefits of yoga with others.

Tammy’s most influential teachers have been Andrea Kirkham and Libby Black. She feels most connected to the Ashtanga style of yoga, however, she also enjoys practicing SUP yoga on a sunny day. In her free time, you are most likely to find Tammy enjoying a good meal at a new restaurant or researching recipes.

ERYT500

Loretta has been practicing yoga for nearly 25 years but didn't get certified until she retired from teaching health and physical education. She got her 200 hour teacher training at Three Rivers Yoga. She has attended workshops with David Swenson, Doug Swenson, Kali Rae, Donna Fahri, Rachel Rumbaugh, and Rolf Slovik. Her blessings include her husband, two children, two grandchildren, and her Sangha.

RYT500

Liz began to dabble in yoga in 2000 as a part of her dance and movement studies at Allegheny College. She came to the practice in earnest during a stressful first year of grad school in 2006, and it dawned on her that yoga’s role in her life would be more than just a physical exercise. Yoga teacher training experience includes: 200 hour RYT with Joanne Vandenhengel (2009), Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training with Janice Clarfield (2012), Gentle Yoga Teacher Training with Joni Sturgill (2014), Yin Yoga Teacher Training with Richard Gartner (2017) and various other workshops and trainings. In 2017, she completed her RYT500  hour training with Andrea Kirkham at Sangha Center for Yoga and Wellness. Liz has been teaching various styles of yoga in the Pittsburgh and Beaver County areas since 2009. She plans to continue practicing, learning, unlearning, relearning, reflecting, meditating, breathing, experimenting, and teaching throughout her lifetime.

RYT200

Bailey started her yoga journey back in college when she took Yoga as a gym class. While she loved the class it took a few years and her sister becoming a yoga instructor start her journey back up again. As a birthday present she received a 5 class pass to Sangha and after her first class she hasn't left.  Over the next few years she learned as much as she could about yoga and graduated with her RYT-200 certification from Sangha Center for Yoga and Wellness in September 2017.

She is known around the studio as the queen of props because she is trying to lead the charge in taking the stigma away from the use of props. Her wish for new students that may not think yoga is for them is to keep an open mind because even though you may think you are not flexible enough, yoga is a journey and there is so much you can learn about yourself and your body while also learning to touch your toes!

RYT200

Luke was lured into the Sangha yoga studio by his niece and his wife with a five class pass Christmas present and the promise of breakfast afterwards. While the “accidental” level 3 class was a bit intimidating as an introduction, yoga immediately resonated.

Luke became a fixture at Sangha, practicing several times each week and attending workshops. After 3 years of practice and some gentle prodding he began yoga teacher training under the tutelage of Andrea Kirkham and completed his RYT200 in fall 2018. The study of Astangha (the 8 limbs of yoga) solidified the natural connection Luke felt between the asana practice (postures) and the meditative aspects of yoga.

While in college Luke learned meditation in the Soto Zen tradition as part of an eastern religions class. He continued to practice ‘meditation lite’ for the next 30 years. His practice significantly deepened with his yoga practice and the study of the yoga sutras.  Luke completed Meditation Teacher Training with Susan Piver through the Open Heart Project (Samatha) in fall 2018. Luke is not wed to one meditative tradition and believes in working with students until they find a practice that resonates with them.

RYT200

Terry has been interested in health and personal growth 'forever'. Graduating from Jameson Memorial School of Nursing (now: UPMC Jameson) in 1999, Terry has been licensed as RN since then. He began working in home healthcare in 2008. Having added RYT200 and LMT to his credentials, Terry makes himself available to yoga studios, treatment teams, and clients interested in empowerment through information - in personal growth through diligent self-care.

In the yoga studio, Terry leads fun and energetic classes rooted in Hatha fundamentals, conscious breathing, and a deep understanding of anatomy. 

RYT 200

Toni has been a resident of Beaver county since 2017. She is a lifelong veterinary technician and advocate for all living creatures. Toni started practicing yoga on and off in 2000. Shortly after moving to PA, she found Sangha Center and began to practice more regularly. Because of the amazing teachers there, she was inspired to enroll in the teacher training program. It was then that Toni began to learn that yoga was much more than the physical aspect alone. She received her RYT200 and with excitement in 2020.

Yoga has helped Toni to learn how to accept herself for who she is, and has provided her with more mental focus along with physical comforts. Everyone’s bodies are different. Through instruction, offerings of modifications, and focus on the movement of the body with the breath, the goal is to help empower each individual to explore what works for them and to find enjoyment and peace in their own practice.

RYT 200

Brittany went to her first yoga class with work friends in 2016 to try a new form of exercise. While the class helped her feel stronger, there was something else drawing her back to the class. She started to see the benefits of a regular practice, learning to control her breath not just in class, but in her everyday life. She continued to be curious about all aspects of yoga and quickly learned it was so much more than exercise or stretching. Wanting to tell everyone she knew about the benefits of yoga, Brittany decided to become a certified yoga teacher and completed her RYT 200 certification at Sangha Center for Yoga and Wellness in 2021. 

In the studio, Brittany enjoys vinyasa flow and power flow yoga classes. She can be seen with a smile on her face when she's there because to her, all yoga is fun!

RYT200

My yoga journey began in 2002 while living in New York City as a wellness practice for both my mind and body. It was instrumental in helping reduce stress and anxiety while increasing strength & fitness needed to thrive at that stage in my life. As an avid surfer and skier, yoga also proved to be the best movement for improving my core strength, stamina and balance on the boards and helped boost my metabolism. But it became more than that for me as it launched me on an inner journey of self discovery. I found space where I could meditate on my spiritual beliefs and relate to them more deeply through the Vedic philosophies and teachings. 

I received my RYT-200 Teacher certification in 2018 and have been teaching consistently since then with a focus on vinyasa flow, strength training, balance and the mind body connection. I also received my Pilates Certification in Berkeley, CA and taught at Synergy Fitness for two years while continuing my personal yoga practice at Elevation Pilates & Yoga in San Francisco. 

My core practice is grounded in the Sanskrit mantra Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu which means: “May all beings everywhere be happy and free, and may the thoughts, words, and actions of my own life contribute in some way to that happiness and to that freedom for all.”  

RYT 200

Danielle’s relationship with yoga began in 2005. Like many others, her trail was long and winding. She practiced on and off at various studios and at home. However, her practice was not firmly engrained until 2020. She immersed herself after joining the Sangha Center for Yoga & Wellness. Danielle has a Master’s of Science in Counseling Psychology, is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and has been a Corrections Administrator for over 25 years. Her education and experience bring a unique perspective to her teaching style. 

As yoga transformed her mind, body and outlook, she began to explore a way to deepen her practice.  Danielle became a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT 200) in 2022. She completed a nine-month certification training at Yoga H’om under the direction of Patty Schmidt and Maggie Borza Petrie. She is grateful for Andrea Kirkham, the Sangha Center Teachers and the teachers who have all lit the way along her path. In the studio, she leads classes that are non-competitive, rooted in mindfulness, and most importantly all inclusive. When Danielle is not on her mat, you will likely find her out in nature. She spends her spare time kayaking, hiking and she is an avid concert-goer.