Instructors

Meet our Ann Arbor Instructors!

Jasprit & Teresa Singh (Owners/Instrustors)
Currently Teresa is mainly teaching in Santa Barbara and Jasprit teaches in both Ann Arbor & Santa Barbara.

Click here to read more about Jasprit and Teresa!

 

 

 

Jane Allen (Certified to Teach RY Level 2)

At 54, I am so far, the oldest new teacher.  After a year of circuit training at the YMCA, I first attended RussaYog® in the spring of 2007.  At that point, I thought I was in pretty good shape.  This delusion was quickly dispelled after my first class, and it was clear that there were many deficiencies in my prior workout routine—starting with incredibly weak core muscles.  For a time, I continued to attend the gym and RussaYog®, but eventually decided that I enjoyed RussaYog® more and that I received more fitness results without injury for my efforts.  When I began RussaYog®, I had an old shoulder injury, along with poor range of motion in my shoulders in general.  Areas of my neck and back hurt in a sore-muscle way most of the time, and were more painful and stiff after any activity.  I have arthritic knees, which prevent me from running. Slowly, the shoulder pain has disappeared, my range of motion has significantly improved, my knees can take a great deal more stress and my general fitness level has greatly increased.  RussaYog® has done so much for me, that I became determined to keep it in my life always, and decided to become certified as a teacher.  I hope to always have a studio wherever I might live, so that others can experience the many joys of RussaYog®.

Kevin Bowker (Certified to Teach RY Level 2)

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Jasmine Crumsey (Certified to Teach RY Level 2)

I attended my first RussaYog® class almost three years ago and fell in love – with the yoga style, the people, the feeling, and the chai! I completed RussaYog® teacher training in April 2010. Yoga has greatly improved the way I navigate through life and my ability to stay in touch with my personal growth. I also enjoy the rich interactions I have with people as a result of teaching and taking classes. I believe that one can only become a better teacher by always remaining a student and learning continually. I consider my greatest gift as a student my eagerness to learn and my openness to new ideas. I’ve found my greatest challenge as a teacher is designing classes that meet the needs of students and inspiring a personal practice for each of them. Training with Jasprit and Teresa Singh at RussaYog®, has helped me meet these challenges with confidence and chardi kala (unbounded optimism). (see an article about Jasmine’s professional work at the University of Michigan here).

Amy Hutchison (Certified to Teach RY Level 2)

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Emily Kauffman (Certified to Teach RY Level 2)

I started taking classes at the RussaYog® studio several years ago. After the first class, I realized I didn’t have a strong core and upper body. Without a doubt, RussaYog® has been the perfect complement to my running and training for triathlons. I was so happy that I found something to help make me healthier and stronger. I decided to take the RussaYog® teacher training in the Fall of 2010. The sense of accomplishment at the end of the teacher training was amazing. It helped me gain total body strength and reduced my stress level. RussaYog® has been one of the best things that I have done for myself and for my two children. I look forward to teaching others how to harness and build their mental and physical strength through RussaYog®, in order to live a happier, healthier and less stressful life.

 

Jenny Koppera (Certified to Teach RY Level 2)

I first made my way to RussaYog in 2006 prior to officially moving to Ann Arbor.  I found my way back a few years later and was so pleased to make my way through the teacher training program.  I am so grateful to Jasprit and Teresa to be breathing, moving, and centering myself and others through RussaYog!

Coming from a background in dance, theatre and teaching, I am consistently looking for creative atmospheres that challenge and support my growth, movement, strength, and peace.  I find all these in the RussaYog studio, in the teachers, and in my fellow classmates as we journey through the pranayam and asans together.

RussaYog allows me to witness my own mental and physical strength, and this flows outward into the rest of my life.  It helps me to release any negativity and remain full of optimism.  With RussaYog, I approach my artistic work and teaching with renewed energy and clarity.   Chardi Kala!  It is a joy to come full circle and to share my love of yoga, breathing, and movement at RussaYog.

Becca Lindsay (Certified to Teach RY Level 2)

I stumbled upon RussaYog® for the first time when I was 16 years old. My sister and I were at the Ann Arbor Art Fair when we spotted the bright colors of the studio and the pictures of beautiful poses adorning it. I felt the ropes calling to me. When I began my freshman year at the University of Michigan, my friends and I tried a RussaYog® class together. I was instantly hooked. We went to RussaYog every week together. It was something we always looked forward to. During my last year of graduate school in Public Health, I finished my training and now I am using RussaYog® to teach others how to better their health and wellness. For me, RussaYog® brought relief in times of anxiety and heartbreak. It taught me how to let go of hurtful memories and focus on the beauty of the present. It is a tool I hope to share with the world and continue to use myself as I grow.

Anthony Nitsos (Certified to Teach RY Level 2)

When asked to write this entry, I did not realize how difficult it would be. It has literally taken me over a year and a half since I became a teacher to even begin to come to an understanding of RussaYog’s impact on my life.  Part of this impact finally came clear to me recently when I met a friend whom I had not seen in over 15 years.  As we met and caught up quickly with each other’s lives he asked what was new in mine and I mentioned that I taught yoga.  Without missing a beat, he responded “Ah, the fountain of youth.”  And so it is, and so there is my answer.

However you approach RussaYog, whether as someone like myself who came to it new, or as someone who has practiced yoga forms elsewhere, there is no denying that yoga and RussaYog in particular, simply dials back the clock on your body, mind, and spirit’s timepieces.  RussaYog totally shatters the “common knowledge” that as we age we must physically and mentally decline.  And there is ample scientific evidence accumulating all the time on the benefits of yoga if you don’t wish to take my word for it.

In the end it is simple.  As a new father, to have the chance to maintain the energy, stamina, and flexibility as my son grows is truly a fountain of, and for, youth.   There can be no greater gift to give yourself.

 

Sherry Nitsos (Certified to Teach RY Level 2)

Russayog is the best discovery that I ran across in 2008, when I was looking for something physical and spiritual to improve my life.  It didn’t take me long to realize that I want to put more effort in learning more about it and eventually becoming an instructor. I am so glad that I made that decision. Because in the following months and years I have learnt so much from Jasprit and Teresa, the yogis who regularly come to the studio, and the yogis who I have only met a few times. I enjoy every minute of the time when I teach a Russayog class and when I take a class in the studio. Chardi kala.

Jill Ostrowski (Certified to Teach RY Level 2)

I completed the RussaYog® training in April 2010. I enjoyed the de-stressing, relaxing and energizing effects of RussaYog® all through my undergrad and graduate studies at the University of Michigan. I now work for Environ International as an environmental engineer in Ann Arbor and continue to enjoy teaching and being a part of the RussaYog® community.

 

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Rashmi Rama (Certified to Teach RY Level 2)

I was initially introduced to and became interested in yoga at a young age. On and off, I would look to it for a source of inner strength and inspiration. However, it was not until RussaYog® that I started incorporating this interest into many more aspects of daily life. I first tried RussaYog® in 2006, but became more focused towards and committed to its life enhancing qualities and benefits closer to 2009. I have learned a lot so far from Teresa, Jasprit, other instructors, and my students about living a healthier and happier life and hope to continue doing so as my journey continues.

 

Laurie Ruel (Certified to Teach RY Level 2)

Anticipating the “empty-nest” stage of my life (with two wonderful sons now in college) and looking for a wholistic and exciting challenge, I completed the teacher training in Spring 2011.  Engaging with my fellow trainees and reconnecting with my physical and spritual self has been amazing and fun!  I’m so grateful for the  joy, balance and insight that being a part of the RussaYog family provides.  I look forward to continuing my adventure, improving my well-being on all levels, and sharing my journey with others, especially my husband, Brian, who supports and inspires me always.  Chardi Kala!.

Jenny Vainberg (Certified to Teach RY Level 2)

In an attempt to find some sense of balance in my life when I came to study at the university as an undergrad, I found RussaYog® tucked away on the top floor of a building I frequently passed by.

Because I had been a competitive dancer for eight years prior to coming to U of M, I wanted something to replace dance that was just as challenging and dynamic. I attended several different yoga studios in the area at first but none of them held my interest until I came to RussaYog®. Initially I was intimidated when I walked into the studio and saw ropes hanging from the ceiling, but the welcoming smiles of the teacher and students reassured me to stay and take a class.

Within a couple of weeks, I was regularly attending classes and liked the concept and methods of RussaYog® more every day. Several months later, I overheard a student talking about being a part of the next teacher training session and immediately knew I needed to talk to Jasprit about participating as well.

The teacher training program has taught me such valuable concepts that I will hold with me wherever I go. As a teacher, I hope pass on what I have learned from Jasprit, Teresa, and the other teachers, to my students and hope that they will pass on what learn to others in their lives. My goal is to strengthen my students both mentally and physically. Therefore, I make every one of my classes a challenge so that when the students are faced with a challenge brought upon by stresses in life, they will instinctively act to overcome it in a healthier manner. Furthermore, I think physical wellness is one of the most basic things every person should aim to have and I want to help everyone achieve it. To be happy, I believe, a person must be fit from the inside out. I am here to help facilitate that and am thrilled to do so.

 

Deborah VandenBroek (Certified to Teach RY Level 2)

Richard Yau (Certified to Teach RY Level 2)