Teachers

Vanessa Nassif

In her role as Bhakti Barn’s Co-Director of Education, Vanessa helps to shape Bhakti’s esteemed Teacher Training. She mentors aspiring yoga professionals and teaches in advanced certification programs. Vanessa has taught thousands of classes in group, private and corporate settings in NY, NJ and CA. She specializes in personalized practice and devotes most of her time to private clients and educating teachers. Her approach is rooted in embodied anatomy, adaptability, breath-centered movement, and functional alignment.

Yoga Alliance, Kundalini Research Institute and Relax & Renew™ certified, she’s grateful to her teachers: Amy Matthews and Leslie Kaminoff of Breathing Project, Dana Flynn and Jasmine Tarkeshi of Laughing Lotus, Sat Jivan Kaur and Sat Jivan Singh of Kundalini Yoga East, and Judith Hanson Lasater. She holds a BFA in Theatre from NYU Tisch School of the Arts. Always the student, she continues her deep study of Anatomy and Kinesiology with Amy Matthews.

Vanessa’s own yoga journey began in 2003 when, on the eve of her NYU theatrical directorial debut, she was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Yoga empowered her to play a role in her own healing process. Since returning to health, she’s dedicated herself to educating others and supporting her students’ empowerment through the practice of yoga and meditation.

Varrita Siryon

Varrita started her journey into yoga over 12 years ago. After having a competitive gymnastics career, she was left with chronic back and joint pain. Through yoga she learned how to manage her physical pain and anxiety. Varrita loves teaching movement and mindfulness, she was a competitive gymnastics coach for many years and decided it was time to teach yoga in 2012. Varrita did her 200hr certification at Frog Lotus Yoga with Jennifer Yarro, later completed a 300hr certification at Ayuryoga Eco Ashram in India, a 300hr Yoga Psychology certification with Ashley Turner and has completed many other certifications focusing on integrative somatic trauma healing, women’s health, birthwork and Ayurveda. Varrita is also a Licensed Massage Therapist, specializing in therapeutic Thai Massage. She is a Reiki Master, Life and Nutrition coach, Doula, and always a student of Yoga and Ayurveda.  Her yoga classes are slow flowing with a balance of effort and ease. Varrita encourages students to focus on connecting to the flow of the breath, the thoughts and sensations of the body to cultivate a deeper sense of self awareness and self compassion.

Tamara Tsoutsouris

Tamara Tsoutsouris (E-RYT500, YACEP), completed her 200 hour and her 300 hour teacher trainings at the Bhakti Barn School of Yoga. She continued her training with Dynamic Gentle Yoga guru Rudy Pierce, and has taken Coaching for your Breathing Body with Leslie Kaminoff, and advanced Pranayama training with Richard Miller.  She has also studied other breathwork modalities such as the Wim Hof method and the Buteyko method. Tamara is also certified in Yin Yoga and 1st degree Reiki. She is a professional classical singer and brings a deep awareness of the importance of the breath to her teaching and her practice. "I first found yoga when, like so many, I was drawn to the physical benefits: general well-being, strength, flexibility.  What I found was so much more- yoga offers me a system for clearing space in my body-mind, helping me to see myself and the world more clearly. With a strong desire to share what I had found, and to facilitate well-being in others, I began my teaching journey.  I’ve been teaching for over a decade, offering Vinyasa flow, Fundamentals of yoga, Gentle yoga, Chair yoga, and Pranayama (yogic breathwork).  I offer precise and detailed instruction, focusing on helping people to find the poses in their own bodies rather than fitting their bodies to some imagined ideal shape.  You’ll experience sensible, intelligent sequencing to guide you on your journey throughout class.In addition to sharing classes and workshops with students, I have a passion for teaching teachers.  I enjoy leading 200 hour trainings and for years have mentored 200 and 300 hour teacher trainees through their trainings.  I have been a guest teacher of Pranayama, Asana, Chair yoga, and Chakras in 200 and 300 hour trainings.

I am forever grateful to Betsy Davis (Betsy-ma!) for her generosity and for creating a loving home in Bhakti Barn."

Stefanie Haberman

Stefanie Haberman (RYT 500, Accessible Yoga Ambassador) teaches weekly gentle, restorative, and mindful flow classes. She also leads adaptive and restorative yoga teacher trainings at both the 200 and 300 hour levels. Her teaching style and philosophy stem from the belief that our bodies, thoughts and energy levels change all the time, and our practice can be adapted to support those changes.  Stefanie strives to create a warm and welcoming class environment in which students can feel comfortable and empowered regardless of their abilities or level of experience. In addition to teaching yoga, Stefanie is an avid reader, aspiring gardener, and loves all things that help you bloom.

Sherri Williamson

Sherri Williamson (Sherri Diva) is a Sound Practitioner, RYT200, Yoga Nidra Instructor, certified Reiki III practitioner, and Moonologer. Sherri’s yoga journey began in 2009 and continues to evolve in profound and unexpected ways. A trained Opera Singer, Sherri feels that music speaks the universal language of the soul and is dedicated to helping you find the harmony within. Everything in the universe is constantly vibrating – including the human body. We each have a personal pitch – a fundamental frequency that is uniquely our own. Sherri weaves breathwork, singing bowls, nature imagery, moon energy, and guided visualization into all of her offerings to provide a soothing, unique mindful experience that gently guides you back into balance. Sherri completed Yoga teacher training with Betsy Davis and Lauren Magarelli at Bhakti Barn and Restorative with Deanna Sidoti at Dyana Yoga Arts; Singing Bowl training with Julia Abramova and Suren Schreta at the Atma Buti Vibrational School in Boulder, CO; Reiki with Sandra Issa at Foundations Yoga, Nidra online through Holi University and Udemy Academy; Moonology with Yasmin Boland. Outside the Studio, Sherri is a master gardener and amateur photographer. She is the proud mother of two adult children and lives in Summit with her husband and two cats. IG @sherri_diva58

Magda Usarek

Magda has been practicing for over 15 years and teaching for over 10 years, her personal journey in yoga has only taught her it's a lifelong practice that can shift and change with the ebbs and flows of life. She was drawn to it at a young age with the influence of her family and as she got older, she needed to find ways to reduce stress and find acceptance. Little did she realize that that journey lead her to teaching and discovering more capabilities that she thought she never had. This is what she wishes to share with you through the practice. Using yoga as tool to find balance in the body, mind, and spirit. If you are here to find strength or stretch for athletics or to find peace in the mind, or balance with stress or maybe all of the above, we can work towards this lifestyle together. Magda enjoys creating a challenging but accessible practice that features various modalities of movement & relaxation; flow, stillness, meditation, breath, mobility, and strength. She is a certified 500-RYT with additional educational hours in yin yoga, sound therapy, and restorative yoga. She is also passionate about cycling and strength training. 

Jen Guarnieri

Jen teaches breath-centered Vinyasa classes that weave together mindful alignment and creative sequencing.  She has been teaching yoga in the New York/New Jersey area for 18 years, after having done her training back in 2005 at Laughing Lotus Yoga Center. Since then she has continued to develop her yoga practice and her teaching, having studied with Kula Yoga founder Schuyler Grant for 14 years and having completed advanced trainings with world-renown teachers Ana Forrest, founder of Forrest Yoga, and Annie Carpenter, founder of SmartFLOW yoga.  Jen has also completed the Physiyoga Global training, a training that applies anatomy, biomechanics, physiology, and kinesiology to yoga asana, thus merging physical therapy principles with yoga for a more integrative practice. She is also certified in Prenatal Yoga, and has worked with many women over the years, both in group and private settings, as they experience the amazing journey of pregnancy.

Deb Kephart

Debbie Kephart (RYT-500) has been teaching yoga since 2023 and completed her 300 hour teacher training at Bhakti Barn Yoga with Betsy Davis & Vanessa Nassif in May 2021.  Having completed her 200 hour teacher training in 2003 with Wendy Pinto and teaching since then, she loved the vibe, the community and the wonderful teachers at BB - she thought “l’ll take what she’s having” as she was considering her advanced teacher training. A former athlete, she first fell in love with the physical benefits of yoga.  The journey is so much deeper.  She has practiced and studied Restorative Yoga with Judith Lasater and further explored with Jillian Pransky (Minimal Prop, Restorative Therapeutics, Slow Flow).  She has also earned her 30hr Yin certification with Sarah Bodner in 2018.  “Yoga has taught me to be more balanced & patient, to be more curious & less judgmental,  to be “ok” with whatever comes up. And encourage others to do the same- on the mat & off- to love living in our bodies in this moment- to balance effort & ease.”

Vanessa Burkly

After practicing yoga for five years, it led Vanessa to receive her 200-hour registered yoga teaching certificate in hatha yoga at the Bhakti Barn School of Yoga in Millburn, New Jersey in March of 2018.  She strives to encourage her fellow students to be kind to themselves, present, patient and to challenge themselves. What resonates most for her is that yoga can be integrated into everyday life through the connection with your breathe. Yoga has changed her life and she is so grateful to be able to share with others the same joys she experienced from her yoga practice. She will meet you wherever you are on your yoga journey. Her mission is to encourage healing and joy through art, nature, yoga and breath.  She strives to bring people together to cultivate more compassion, love and appreciation for each-other and our beautiful earth we live on.

Vianora Vinca

My journey with Yoga began in the early 2000s in a quaint studio of Queens' industrial hub - a room with a sunny yellow wall, a simple altar, and life-altering energy. My deepest gratitude goes to my first teacher Danielle Lee, whose classes healed, uplifted, and put me on the path of Yoga. I will forever be a Yoga student. I have studied with Laughing Lotus in NYC, Lila School of Vinyasa Yoga in Vancouver, and delved into Ayurveda at my NJ Yoga home, Bhakti Barn. I continuously explore new workshops with teachers at the Kripalu Buddhist Center in MA and mentors whose teachings I then love to share in my classes, beyond my own practice and growth.   The classes I offer blend the physical practice with spirituality and the wisdom of the sacred texts, storytelling and poetry. I love being creative and spontaneous with our flows. I encourage a dedicated practice of inner awareness and mindful breath, of moving like yourself, gratitude for the body, alignment and ease.

Nicole De Sando

Nicole is dedicated to helping everyone feel at hOMe as soon as they walk into our Bhakti doors. You can find her smiling at the front desk Monday through Friday. 10 year Bhakti practitioner turned studio Manager, Nicole is always ready to help, answer your questions, and keep the positive energy flowing.

Kayla Dove

Kayla Dove is a E-RYT200, RYT500 hour Yoga Teacher.  After receiving her 200 hour and 300 hour yoga teacher training at Bhakti Barn School of Yogaunder the guidance of Betsy Davis, Lauren Magarelli and Vanessa Nassif, Kayla continued her teacher training, having received certificates in Restorative Yoga with Jamie Lyn Scholnick, Judith Lasater and Jillian Pransky, Yin Yoga with Sarah Bodner, and studying Gentle and Accessible Yoga with Stefanie Haberman. She has also served as a mentor to 200hr yoga teacher trainees. Kayla teaches an anatomy based class that weaves yoga philosophy throughout. She strives to create an environment that is fun, inclusive, safe and welcoming so that each person can continue on their yoga journey, get to know themselves on and off the mat, and experience the bliss and benefits of yoga. In a past life, Kayla earned a master's degree in Dance Education from Teachers College Columbia and taught dance for many years on the college level.

Jenny Hoffman

Jenny teaches an alignment based flow class that keeps the student connected with their breath and body to calm the mind. Her classes offer variations for students who are working with injuries. Jenny likes to remind both herself and her students that yoga is inherently therapeutic in nature and that the practice is accessible to everyone regardless of age, strength or flexibility. She received her 200 hour teacher training at Bhakti Barn School of Yoga in 2014 and her 300 hour teacher training at Bhakti Barn School of Yoga in 2021 . She received a 50 hour advanced training with Rodney and Colleen Yee at Yoga Shanti in 2017. Jenny participates in annual workshops with Jason Crandall who she considers one of her primary teachers to date and has completed a 30 hour teacher training on injury prevention in yoga practice in August of 2018.  She is excited to have recently completed a 7 week MIndfulness Based Meditation Course - The Power of Awareness with Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach.  Jenny lectures in both the 200 Hour and 300 Hour Teacher Trainings at Bhakti Barn. ”Let your practice be a moving meditation on the mat that creates joy and balance both physically and mentally off the mat” You can learn more about Jenny at www.jennyhoffmanyoga.com and on Instagram @jennyhoffmanyoga

Stacy Anuttara Newfeld

Stacy Anuttara Newfeld has been sharing yoga, meditation & alchemy sound immersions for 35 years. Always a student she honors the heart of the wisdom teachings of Gurumayi, Shiva Rea, Hari Kaur & her guides in sound healing Zacchiah Blackburn & Dorothy Stone from the Center of Light Institute. When not teaching you can find her immersed in floral designing or sitting at the edge of the water at her home in Keyport NJ.

Anne Sussman

Anne Sussman is the founder of “Mindfulness Meeting Place” a virtual studio that meets you wherever you are to take you wherever you’re meant to go next with a calm mind, focused attention and greater well-being.  She offers instruction to individuals, small groups, and organizations as well as leading retreats. Since becoming a meditation instructor Anne has taught over 1000 people the simple tools to transform their lives. She is the author of "The Bliss Buddy Project-How Sharing Gratitude Increases Joy”, Anne received her certification in 2015 as a McLean Meditation Institute Meditation & Mindfulness instructor, as well as a second certification as an MMI Mindfulness@Work trainer for businesses. In 2020 she was certified at Bhakti Barn as a 200 hr Yoga RTT. Anne is not a guru, just a person like you, who suffered from crippling anxiety and found the tools needed to change her life. Now her mission is to make the world more peaceful, one person at a time by teaching others the skills needed to create a fluency in mindfulness, to empower them to alleviate stress and overwhelm, increase focus and attention and create greater overall wellbeing.  Anne has been practicing meditation since 2009 , and has seen first-hand how mindfulness can change the way you live. Passionate about supporting others in need, 10% of all profits are donated to 3 non profits;  The Interfaith Food Pantry of the Oranges, which is her local food pantry where she volunteers.  She is also a sustaining donor of the nonprofit "Buy From a Black Woman" supporting Black women entrepreneurs and “ConBody" a foundation that helps those formerly incarcerated by training them and finding viable work/housing options. www.MindfulnessMeetingPlace.com

@MindfulnessMeetingPlace on Instagram 

Cynthia Tarantino

As an outdoor enthusiast and former professional dancer, Cynthia Tarantino (EYT 500) weaves into her yoga classes a passion for nature, breath awareness, alignment and yogic philosophy as a moving meditation for practitioners of all levels. She has completed a 250 hour teacher training with Laurie Green of YogaNine and a 300 hour advanced training with Betsy Davis and Vanessa Nassif at Bhakti Barn in Millburn. To deepen her ability to bring healing and wellness to her students, Cynthia is a Master Practitioner of Reiki, a Japanese hands-on energy healing practice that guides “the life energy” through the body and has trained in deep relaxation in restorative yoga with Jillian Pransky. Sending gratitude to my family and friends, teachers and students for my daily inspiration and joy.

Yuka Sakyo

Yuka is a firm believer in the healing power of yoga in the middle of a high-stress modern world. Her first encounter with yoga was while working in New York City back in 2007. Initially, she found that yoga was a perfect personal solution to relieve work-generated stress. However, a hectic move to the suburbs, a tailbone injury after a fall, and a lengthy healing process left Yuka with an ever deeper need to pursue health and wellness methods. Yoga was a crucial therapeutic tool in her recovery. Yuka strongly believes that practicing yoga helped her to become more present-minded, surrendering to the flow of life during this challenging time and into the current year. She decided to formally pursue teaching yoga in 2018, aiming to pass on this ancient and beautiful relaxation technique to other people. She completed RYT-200 (200-hour Yoga Teacher Training Certification) under the guidance of Betsy Davis and Lauren Magrelli at Bhakti Barn Yoga. Additionally, Yuka has completed a Kids Yoga Certification through Kidding Around Yoga, has taught at elementary schools, and has hosted various children’s yoga events. Through teaching her Bhakti Flow to Yin class, a mix of Vinyasa flow yoga and Yin yoga, she finds the beauty of practicing both qualities of Yin and Yang help her and her students to balance and empower their physical strength by flow practice, as well as calming and relaxing their muscle and mind by Yin practice. She first completed a Yin Yoga Teacher Certification with the reputable Steph Ball-Mitchell and additionally completed Yin Yoga Asana & Biomechanics Teacher Training by Sati Yoga of Jennifer O’Sullivan. She continued strengthening her practice with the guidance of Jacquie Ruderman, Sara Powers, Bernie Clark, and other acclaimed Yin yoga teachers from around the globe. She also completed Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training by Leza Lowitz in 2021 and recently completed RYT-300 through Integral Yoga Institute in NYC. Yuka was raised practicing Buddhism, and her teaching style naturally focuses on the body-mind connection. Her classes aim to be mindful and compassionate, concentrating on the benefits of calming the mind through breath and movement. Her main class incorporates elements of meditation, Chinese Meridian theory, dharma, and inspirational quotes to empower the body and uplift the spirit. Yuka affirms that yoga is not only an exercise method for physical health, but a grounded and holistic way of engaging the mind to remain present in regards to any possible situation. 

Yuka’s website: https://ancientlotusyoga.com

Mary Steuart Dyer

Mary Steuart has practiced yoga for over 17 years, and have been teaching for over 3 of those years. She has extensive experience in many different types of yoga including vinyasa, yin, kundalini, and gentle yoga. After she became a mother, she relied on her yoga practice more and more to help her reconnect to the parts of herself that had become buried in the process of caring for children. Yoga offered a much needed sanctuary for Mary Steuart at that time, and as her practice grew, she became more drawn to the spiritual and meditative aspects of yoga. The effects of this profound practice left her with an immediate inner knowing that she now had the capacity to create a true home within herself, and she realized that she had to share this knowing with others. Mary Steuart seeks to integrate the wisdom and spirituality that she has learned and cultivated in her own life into each and every class, guiding students through a deeply healing experience for the mind, body and soul.Since 2020 Mary Steuart has earned three yoga certifications: a 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training certification in Vinyasa Yoga and a 30 Hour Yin Intensive Training under the guidance of her dear teachers and mentors, Christina Helms and Sarah Bodner of Three Birds Yoga Studio in Florham Park, NJ; and a 220 Hour Level One Kundalini Yoga and Meditation Teacher Training certification under the expert guidance of Angad Kaur Khalsa and Simran Kaur Khalsa of Kundalini Yoga East in New York City.

Steve Dessimone

One of Steve’s earliest encounters with these sacred practices came at a very young age. As a child, his favorite movie was the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. In it, there are scenes when the Turtles sit and meditate, and although the movie is full of action and adventure, these scenes captured a deeper part of his attention and curiosity. Seeds were planted, and only when he began practicing meditation almost 20 years later, did he realize that he’d been storing them in the depths of his mind since childhood, and now was the time to cultivate. After a few months of meditation practice, sitting comfortably was, well…not so comfortable. At this time, Steve’s study of eastern philosophy was burgeoning and through this study he noticed that yoga was also mentioned quite frequently along with meditation. It was clear that this was the next step and before long he began taking classes at Naturally Yoga in Glen Rock, NJ. Since then, he has studied in the traditions of Intergral Yoga, Iyengar, and Ashtanga yoga, infusing all three into his personal practice and always keeping meditation as the cornerstone. In 2016, he completed his 200 hour teacher training at Naturally Yoga and considers Veronica Yacco, Neil and Sheryl Edsall as the well springs from which he has been blessed with these teachings. Steve believes that in this life, the body and mind are the instruments with which we’ve been given to perform, and yogic practices are how we tune them.

Galina Ioffe

Galina Ioffe is a RYT 500h. She has been practicing yoga for more than 20 years.  Galina completed her RYT-200h in March 2016 from Bhakti Barn yoga studio in Millburn under the guidance of Betsy Davis and Lauren Magarelli. She also has a certificate in Kurma Restorative yoga from Dhyana Yoga Arts studio in Chester NJ. Galina received her advanced RYT-300h from Bhakti Barn in November 2019. She loves to study and to learn new things, so she has completed her latest training in Yin yoga in October 2023. She mostly specializes in vinyasa yoga, gentle yoga, restorative yoga, yin and alignment based flow yoga. "I like yoga because it is a very practical discipline and could be easily incorporated into anyone’s life. Most people are interested in flexibility, strength and balance. I can always find ways to apply those qualities off the mat into everyday life. Meditation and breathing techniques help us to handle stress; lots of asanas help us to stay strong and flexible and balanced and focused, but still be soft and kind and compassionate by adhering to major yoga principles of Yamas and Niyamas. All my classes start with dharma talk, meditation, pranayama, contain mudras and mantras, incorporate humor, joy and inspirational quotes and conclude with Savasana at the end of the class. I strongly believe that Yoga is for everyone: all genders, all ages, all religions and cultures. It's a unifying practice. Yoga is a treasure box and every class I will try to explore new poses and new techniques, so you are never bored! Yoga provides us with lots of ancient wisdom and makes our life interesting, challenging, and open-minded, and equipped with tools to handle everyday obstacles. I will carry on to explore the path of yoga by continuing to train, connecting with other people, learning new meditation skills, being flexible and strong on and especially off the mat. Most importantly, I will keep sharing my knowledge, my skills, and my energy with my students!” Galina Ioffe was born in Minsk, Belarus. She earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in social studies and psychology in 1997, and a bachelor's degree in finance in 2003.

Galina Is an avid traveler, hiker, reader, gardener, and a cook.

Diana Schlobom

Diana is a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) with additional trainings in restorative and therapeutic yoga.  Diana began teaching Pilates in 2005 which she taught until 2011. After her breast cancer diagnosis and treatment, Diana decided to deepen her yoga practice.  Now she’s excited to share with you what she has learned along the way.

Ryan Connolly

I'm grateful to have the opportunity to hold space for silence and stillness in this often chaotic existence. I've spend the better part of 3 decades exploring avenues toward self-realization. Have studied with countless gurus, yogis, mystics and holy people to come to the oft reached conclusion that silence and stillness are and forever will be the wisest teacher. I'm grateful to have the accompaniment of a wonderful set of hand-made Himalayan Sining Bowls as taught by the Atma Buti School of Sound and Vibration as a guide so that we can come together and learn the true nature of ourselves together in resonant stillness and peace.