7312 Center Street
Awaken Yoga School - 300 hour yoga teacher training and yogic studies in Mentor, Ohio 
2008 Graduates
Jeanette Peters
I am Jeanette Peters, a Certified Awaken Yoga Teacher at the 300 hour level by the Yoga Alliance Standards. My eyes were opened to yoga in high school after the death of my father. At that time I was looking for a way accept a new change in my life and my heart found peace by doing yoga. Through the trusting guidance of my teacher I realized that learning anything new takes time and patience. Yoga isn't just about a physical posture (asana) it's about learning how to accept the things you cannot change and embracing the difficult things in your life with an open heart. One of the greatest joys of teaching yoga is seeing the peace of mind that washes over your students while in a class. Yoga has changed my life and being able to share that with others is one of the most beautiful gifts I could ask for.
Where you can find Jeanette teaching...
Jeanette is now teaching at Agni Studio in Mayfield Heights, Ohio. See her website for more information: www.LunaBellaYoga.com
Liza Enos
It is liberating to be encouraged to seek out the roots of my personal blockages. Studying through Awaken Yoga is leading me on this journey. Our study of asana, meditation, and the practice of consciously seeking the connection of breath, mind, and spirit has led me to understand a deeper level of myself. Jennifer has been extremely supportive and caring as I've confronted my "dark" places. I have seen positive growth in self-confidence, self-worth, and self-acceptance. The enthusiasm I'm experiencing for facing the challenge of being me and loving myself anyway is owed to Awaken Yoga’s teacher training program. I know that this enthusiasm will help my future students know themselves as well.
2009 Graduates
Lisa Fleming
My favorite asanas are any inversions because looking at the world in a new way almost feels like I am in a new place and it's very liberating. The most challenging part of yoga, is the art of quieting the mind; but when I actually do accomplish it, it's the most amazing feeling I've ever had and I can't wait to have it again. In the 1 year that I've been practicing, I have been told by the people closest to me that I have made a 180 degree change for the better. I'm more calm, clear headed, patient and loving. I have Lupus, and the relief yoga has brought me in regards to pain management, emotional release, and Lupus activity cannot be compared to any medicinal drug I've ever tried. Yoga is more than amazing; it's a healer and I am so grateful to have found it.
in 2010, Lisa took over as owner and director of OneTree Yoga Studio in Euclid, Ohio.
Paul Schmaltz
Bakasana, or crow pose/crane pose is my favorite asana. Not only does it help me improve strength, balance, and focus, it is a pose that my Dad taught me when I was young (although he had no idea it was an asana!). The most challenging part of yoga is keeping my mind in the present moment. Not thinking about the next asana, or the plan for the rest of my day, is something I strive for every practice. It amazes me that in the six months of practicing under Jennifer how much I�ve learned that is not specific to yoga. For me, it is a gradual change to a more positive mind set. Like a chain reaction, the asana practice strengthens and cleans the body. A clean body leads to a clear mind. As the mind becomes clear, compassion enters. With a compassionate heart, love and happiness is abundant.
Sue Kamensky
(440)897-2116
sue@ansirmusic.com
Sue is a 300 hour Certified Yoga Instructor who completed her training through Awaken Yoga, a registered Yoga Alliance School. Her training includes the History of Yoga, the Chakra System, Sanskrit, Anatomy, and the Therapeutic and Healing aspects of Yoga. Her focus and passion is on the traditional teachings of Hatha Yoga. Sue has found Yoga to bring her many joys in her life, such as peace, balance and confidence in her mind, body and spirit. She has a passion to inspire and pass these benefits onto her students. "When you guide someone through a yoga class and they appreciate and accept it, both the teacher and the student will feel the true depth of this amazing practice." Peace and Namaste.
Classes/Locations
**Private Sessions and Group Rates available upon request
Michael Maly
I think of my "favorite" asana in a couple of different ways, which reflects some of the self-evolution that I am finding in yoga. My competitive, perfectionistic, ego-driven part would call Halasana, or Plough Pose as my favorite, because I do it very well, and it comes pretty easily. I have disliked back bends, but I'm now finding that harder-for-me poses, like Chakrasana, or Wheel Pose, can really be great when I find where in the body and mind I resist the pose. When that happens in Chakrasana, it's as though I'm no longer "doing" the pose, it's just somehow being done, and I feel more like a wheel, as opposed to a reverse table. That's cool. So, finding the inner resistance and moving through it is most challenging for me, but it's also the most rewarding--not just on the mat but off it and into everyday life.
Deb Bunnell
Ardha Chandrasana (Half moon balancing) - I love stretching with strength in all directions while trying to maintain my balance and focus. I'm having great fun learning the bind. It's an asana that immediately gets me "out of my head" and into the now of my breath and body. Staying "out of my head" throughout my life when not practicing asana, pranayama, or meditation is a definite challenge but my practice and studies are helping me. Through yoga, I find myself maintaining my peace of mind in stressful or chaotic events as I am not attached to the "drama" of the situation.
Deb Teaches at Agni Studio and subs at Awaken Yoga, OneTree Yoga
Michael Lewandowski
My favorite asana is Salamba Sirsasana (supported headstand). When I first started doing this pose, I wasn't too concerned with proper form because my ego was screaming "look at me, look at me, I'm balancing on my head". When I learned the proper alignment and the 
preparatory and intermediate steps to salamba sirsasana and started practicing them, I gained much respect for this asana. I've now been practicing this asana focusing on alignment and moving with control and it has taught me that journey to the finish is just as important.
The most challenging part of yoga for me is "leaving my ego with my shoes", though through yoga I am learning to observe without judgment. I am learning to put my ego aside and to accept where I am on a given day in a particular asana. Instead of telling myself, "why are my knees so high of the ground in baddha konasana, my hips are too tight, I wish they weren't so tight", I'm learning to say "oh, my hips are tight today, let me experience this tightness and enjoy this asana where I am at today."
Where you can find Michael teaching...
Michael now teaches at OneTree Yoga Studio in Euclid, Ohio.
Sarah Leptic
Namaste! I would love to take this opportunity to offer my thanks and gratitude to my wonderful teacher Jennifer. 
Besides being an inspiring teacher she has given me an open door to growth and freedom. Teacher training has opened my eyes to not just the art of yoga but the art of living a full and joyfull life. Though my yoga journey started years ago I feel as if I have just begun to unravel my personal pitfalls and see my true nature, the One Divine. One of my favorite asanas would have to be Ardha Chandrasana, Standing Half Moon. During this asana, I feel expansive. I have a great gift every time I find myself in this pose because it shows me how 'I' am so much more than any thing I can imagine. I experience an all encompassing presense that we are all a part of. Yoga has taught me faith and compassion, focus and contentment. My dream and goal is to teach others that they too can find love and freedom.
Where you can find Sarah teaching...
Sarah is now teaching at Yoga Now in Concord, Ohio
Barb Kuchta
My favorite asana is Halasana (plow pose). The first time I tried this pose I felt like I could not breath and I wanted out of that pose as 
fast I could. I decided that I needed to try practicing this pose regularly and work on my breathing while I was in the pose to get over the feeling that I was suffocating. I now love this pose and all of the benefits my body receives from practicing it. One of the benefits of this pose is that it calms the brain, which is the most challenging aspect of my yoga practice. Staying in the moment and trying to calm the mind chatter is very difficult for me. Yoga has truly helped me learn to clear the mind and take that in to my daily life, which keeps the craziness calmer. Over the past 7 years of practicing yoga I have learned to accept what my body has to give during that class. Every day is different and every day your body responds differently so it has helped me accept what my body can or cannot do that day and to age a little more gracefully.
2010 Graduates
Amy Alexy
My journey in yoga started about 5 years ago, and began strictly as a physical practice. I didn't know much about yoga at the time, just that whenever I did practiced (a few times a week) I felt better. Through readings, great teachers, and yoga therapy I had confirmation about what I was feeling both physically and spiritually. It was about this time that I went to one of Jen's classes, and it completely resonated with me. It was physical, spiritual and true to yoga's traditions all at the same time. I knew then that I had found a great teacher - one who would both challenge and enlighten me. Over the course of the past year, I've learned an incredible amount, most importantly that yoga is no longer just a physical practice for me, but rather a lifestyle. My daily practice keeps me feeling strong, healthy, grounded, and filled with a desire to share the experience I've had (and continue to have!) with others. Much love to you on your journey as well!
Carissa Moon
It has been over 15 years since I first began practicing asanas and the occasional meditation. From the first Om, I was enchanted by this 5000 year old way of life. My personal practice had ebbed and flowed. I would stay on my mat daily one year and not do a thing for months at a time the next. One aspect remained consistent: I always felt a calling back to Yoga. While reading Rodney Yee's book 'Moving Toward Balance', in an attempt to revise my practice, I found a paragraph that claimed this on again off again pattern was normal. After laughing out loud and rereading, I accepted my guilt and found the courage to begin anew.
Years later, following the birth of my third child, I found myself looking again for a spark to enliven my life.There was Jennifer and Awaken Yoga! I had looked for two years for some sort of training. The location was to good to be true, though not so for the timeing. Still, there was a now or never kind of urgency in the air. So I listened, and started her 200 hour program. Now I'm near the end of TT and the beginning of another chapter in my Yoga Practice. It seems the proper course for my personal evolution. Perhaps now I can invite and aid others on their own journey to Yoga. The overwhelming amount of information learned and strengthened respect and love stirred by my teacher and training prompts me to answer "Yes, I Can!". I am so very excited to learn what the universe has in store for me next! - Namasta, Carissa
Where you can find Carissa teaching...
Carissa teaches at OneTree Yoga Studio and a Slow Flow Yoga class here at Awaken Yoga School.
Kristin Dalakas
I started this yogic journey with Jennifer for a few reasons; one being that I have been a massage therapist for eight years and wanted another type of wellness to offer my clients. Another being that I often have a chattering mind and wanted to learn what meditation was on a higher level. It will be a long time before I get there, but I now feel I have the proper guideline to help me achieve Samadhi (bliss). Lastly, I did it for myself because I had practiced yoga on and off for 12 years and knew 
how great I felt when I was in a six month stretch of going to classes.
I absolutely love yoga because it helps me turn my focus inward on my mind, body, breath connection and be in the present moment. It's like a mini vacation from whatever troubling me. Not to mention how great you feel from practicing. I highly recommend Jen as a teacher, she is very passionate on keeping the true essence of yoga alive in the west. NAMASTE!
Paige Solmen
I began practicing yoga after completing a marathon over 5 years ago. I had been avid runner my whole life and was searching for a more nurturing way to care for my body. Once I began practicing yoga, I experienced a sense of peace that was so foreign to me it was actually surreal at first. Eventually, I was no longer satisfied with the physical asanas involved in my yoga practice. I felt like I needed an explanation for what was happening inside me that felt very much like a transformation. I began Jennifer’s 200-hour yoga training program with the hope of immersing myself into yoga for a full year so that I may begin to understand why this practice of yoga was having such a profound impact on my state of mind. Throughout my training, I discovered so many other elements of yoga, aside from asana, that I can practice and achieve and even greater sense of calm. Meditation, breathing techniques, chakra scans, music, sadhanas, trataka, and yoga nidras are all ways to help me achieve that same sense of peace, but at an even deeper level. However, even now, as my training comes to a close, I am still left with unanswered questions and realize that I will always have an immense hunger for this 5,000 year-old tradition that has become so influential in my life. I know that I will always pursue this practice faithfully as I move forward into the second half of my life and I look forward to my continued journey. I have discovered, through this training that to me, yoga is a lifestyle, a state of mind, and a daily practice. It encompasses the mind, body and breath. It is not a religion but instead, a practical and personal guide to living a clean and wholesome life. I hope to always practice yoga in a way that allows me to strive for peace, wellness, spiritual growth and balance. Thank you, Jennifer, for being such an influential part of my journey through your inspiring teaching methodology!
2011 Graduates
Amy Bowser
I love the way yoga heals my mind, body and soul. Awaken Yoga is very appropriately named in that it has awakened so manyareas in my life. This is especially true of your spirit. This teacher training program is a gift.
What I hope to do with my gift is to pass it on and teach others how to be their yoga.
You can find Amy on her website www.chaturangachic.com
Jeannie Sefick
I have been practicing yoga for about 4 years. I am attracted to the revitalizing and renewed feeling during and after a practice. I chose to attend Awaken Yoga Teacher Training to learn as much as I could about yoga traditions so as to share it with as many people as possible.
I hope to begin teaching at studios on the West Side when I complete my 300 hour certification this July.
Jen Margolis
Yoga has given me insights into my mind, body and beyond what I thought possible. Yoga is a constant teacher, allowing me to stretch myself, learn and grow on and off my mat. I am excited to share the beautiful gifts of yoga with others through teaching. Awaken Yoga Teacher Training has provided a rich foundation of tradition, inspiration, and methodology to teaching that has given me the tools I need to give that teaching.
Feedback about Jennifer Langsdale and the program: I knew that when I signed up for this training that I would go through a personal transformation of some sort. How could I go through this without changing? The training itself would have provided an amazing path toward personal growth and development - you have put together a wonderful program and I knew early on that I'd made the right choice. The training and experience of our class paired with many other changes and transitions in my life this year have made for an incredible transformation. I am in a very different place than I would have imagined myself being a year ago. I am grateful to be on this path, one which I believe is much closer to my true path than I've ever been before and grateful to you as a wonderful teacher and guide as we've all gone through this year together in many ways.
Jessica Guerrieri
Jessica is a Registered Yoga Teacher certified at the 300-hour level with the Yoga Alliance, having completed her training with the Awaken Yoga School in Mentor, Ohio and is also a practicing Licensed Massage Therapist since 2005. She currently practices massage therapy at Agni Studio. Jessica discovered Yoga over 10 years ago while seeking a deeper meaning in her life. Finding calm, clarity and beauty, she knew she had found her true path. Through this practice, she has begun to experience the peace of letting go of fear and doubt and has instead begun to cultivate strength, courage, consciousness and compassion. The beauty of Yoga is that the opportunity to practice exists within every day and within every person. With fresh eyes we see that each moment is filled with an abundance of gifts and with an open heart we receive these gifts with gratitude.
As Jessica continues her yogic studies with Awaken Yoga School and other studios and teachers throughout the Northeast Ohio area, she is humbled to have the opportunity to help guide others on this journey. Through her classes at OneTree Yoga in Euclid and as part of the Mentorship Program for the Teacher Training Summer Intensive 2011 at Awaken Yoga School, Jessica hopes to inspire others to also find hope, courage and peace in their lives. Jessica teaches a Conscious Flow class at OneTree on Thursday evenings, 5:30-6:45 pm. She is eager to share her passion for yoga and for life and warmly invites you to practice with her, on and off the mat. - Namaste
John Coppedge
You can spend a lifetime practing yoga, and you will never have a "perfect" practice. The cool thing about yoga is that simply by tuning in and showing up you will find yourself living a happier and more fulfilled life. I didn't realize this when I first began yoga but that's what has kept me coming back all these years and the message I intend to deliver as an instructor.
Meghan O'Donnell
I have practiced yoga for a few years and always loved how it made my body and mind feel. I wanted to learn more about this discipline and challenge myself to work through my personal struggles, which is why I came to Awaken Yoga. Jennifer, Awaken's Director, is an awesome teacher, who is not afraid to help you reach your goals while always being supportive and understanding. Yoga is teaching me to learn to accept and love myself as I am now. I look forward to helping others and share in the joy of yoga and pass on some of what Awaken Yoga has taught me.
Melissa Arcuri
I took my first yoga classes while I was completing my undergraduate degree in Business Marketing 7 years ago. When I resigned from my corporate job, I was without question drawn to yoga. Yoga is not something I do, it is how I live my life. It awakens every part of your being and especially that which is within.
Nicole Fahey
I started practicing yoga about 3 years ago while I was living on the west coast. I was immediately drawn to yoga for its soothing and calming effects on my mind, body and spirit. Through yoga, I have experienced extensive personal growth and transformation. I enrolled in Awaken Yoga Teacher Training to further my own knowledge and to study with someone who is passionate about yoga and her students. I hope to share this practice with you on your own wellness journey of growth and true ultimate happiness.
Robert Murdock
I am looking forward to sharing the experience of my practice with you! I am a student in Awaken Yoga Teacher Training working with some very extraordinary people. I have learned so much from this yoga experience and I hope to help students participate in an exchange of energy and experiences that can aid in our development.
Barb
Namaste to Everyone! I have been practicing yoga for a little over 3 years and received my teaching certificate from Awaken Yoga; a Registered Yoga School.
Yoga has inspired me to look inside myself, becoming energized in my mind, body and soul in ways I never thought I could feel. Through the asanas (poses) and meditation I have learned to activate an amazing energy flow from within. My intention is to share, through teaching, the inner peace and invigorating experience the journey of yoga has to offer! We all have choices in this world and each one of us controls our own attitudes. We can choose to be happy or unhappy, motivated or unmotivated, inspired or bored, the list goes on…it’s an incredible power that each one of us holds…it’s our own journey. Honor your life with positive thoughts, you will be giving yourself an awesome gift and find there is nothing you can’t do!
Love & Light to all!
I teach out of my home studio, revive yoga, by appointment (ebcanc@yahoo.com) in Westlake and starting January 14th at Palmieri’s in Avon Lake every Saturday 9 am- 10 am and 10:30 am – 11:30 am.
Eric
I am currently a construction superverison. Finding yoga has helped me find myslef and a spirit that will one day be balanced. I am interested in all Branches of Yoga, but Ashtanga and Kundalini are my favorties right now. Working with children is somethng I am sure to do as a father myself! I am almost finished with my Thai Yoga Massage training as well.
Jennifer
I am a Liscenced Massage Therapist, Esthetician and certified Thai Yoga Body Worker. Yoga has taught me how to live the yogic life on and off the yoga mat. Yoga is more than a physical exercise, it is a way of life for me. Yoga has brought me incrediabe balance to my life, I have improved my posture, become aware of my breath, and relive chronic pain from years of poor body mechanics. I have deepend my spirititual awarness and improved my physical stregth. I am grateful for finding teachers who have led me into a direction of life and given me the courage to teach.
Jessica
I have been practicing yoga for 2 years and it has completely changed my life. Before my life was a constant struggle to keep my head above the turbulent waters of depression, but through yoga I became able to swim through life much more peacefully. I decided to become a yoga teacher to learn as much as possible to better my practice and to share my expereince of freat change and growth with others. I will be so grateful if my kowledge can help just one person overcome the mental struggles that many of us face. I am a college student and live in Akron, OH.
Nikki
I hope that through teaching I can share the experieince yoga has taught me. These days we look for remedies and cures from the outside, and some will buy into the quick fixes. I have disconcered that though the practice of yoga on and off the mat. Looking inward to heal our bodies and our souls is a far more effectice and fulfilling approach to healing. I hope I can continue to transform and share in transformations with my students.
Rebecca
I live in Painesville, OH and I am a vertified personal traininer and group exercise instructor. I have been practicing yoga on and off for many years and I love the health benefits yoga has given me. I have seen it impact many peoples lives in a positive way. I revently became a Reiki Master which I believe will help deepen my yoga experienve. I am looking forward to starting this journey to become a Yoga Teacher!
Tiffany
Tiffany lives in Parma, OH and loves yoga because it helps her with all the frustrations of having to work in corporate America! Combining the yoga path to the hectic modern life is what inspires her to want to teach yoga, in an effort to share that joy with others!
2012 Graduates
Gina Mateucci
I went to my first yoga class back in 2008 as a recommendation from a friend to help heal chronic anxiety. Focusing on the breath and the awareness of being in the present allowed me to let go and not worry! Everyday I use "yogic" breathing as a way to center and ground myself throughout the day. I am so thankful for Awaken Yoga School! Jen and her wonderful group of teachers, have helped me strengthen not only my external body but have truly awakened my spiritual side! Yoga makes me happy. Yoga keeps me healthy.
It is a direct connection to my body and heart and forces me to look inward. I am looking forward to sharing with my students what yoga can do for them! Namaste!
Susan Berneiki
I had dabbled in yoga on and off for several years prior to coming to one of Jenn's classes. I was immediately hooked on her Vinyasa Flow classes. After having a consistent practice for a few years, I decided to take a leap into the teachers training program. I currently work in the social service field and would eventually like to teach yoga to underserved populations or those with special needs. I typically prefer a more physically vigorous practice like Ashtanga although I have been more open to exploring different styles and classes lately. I feel that yoga has brought more balance into my life and I won't lie, I really love that post yoga class "high".
Jennifer Shope
Thanks to my yoga therapy and teacher training experiences with Awaken Yoga I have learned that not only can our bodies retain emotional stress and manifest as pain, but yoga provides the path to releasing and healing, emotionally and physically. After multiple traumatic events in the past few years, yoga allowed me to face some demons I didn't even know I had, leaving me stronger, wiser, more confident and more aware of myself and the world around me. There is still a long journey ahead in my life, and there will always be demons to face, but with the peaceful gifts of yoga I feel better prepared for life than I ever have. I look forward to sharing and teaching these gifts to others and helping them find the same transformation and liberation that I have found.
Maria D'Amico
I wandered onto my path of yoga 10 years ago because at the time, yoga seemed an interesting and new activity. Little did I know when I bought my first yoga tape that this path would change me in profound ways. Yoga brought clarity, confidence, and peace to my busy and often chaotic life. As my practice progresses, I continue to grow stronger physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I especially love a flowing vinyasa practice because it sparks my creativity while challenging me physically. Creativity is important to me because I am also an Art Therapist. It is my intention to guide others along their own path of yoga, so that they too can cultivate serenity in our fast paced world. Namaste!
