Gloria Ognan

 Glo has been dancing her entire life, from classical ballet to improv to ethnic dance.  She has been a student of yoga for 20 years.  In the 1980’s, Glo began teaching classes in various modalities of movement/exercise.  She is a registered yoga teacher with the Yoga Alliance and certified with Lotus Gardens Yoga and the American Council on Exercise.  She has taken courses in the Nia technique and continues advanced studies in yoga and Middle Eastern dance. 

Her yoga teaching is a blend of disciplines inspired by B.K.S. Iyengar and the Anusara tradition and philosophy “opening to grace”.  Her dance classes are a fusion of styles that combine her passion for movement, laughter and happiness.  Glo offers a safe, spiritual setting for her students to explore their personal expression in yoga and dance, which she believes creates a balance – harmony.  She truly embraces and radiates a sense of joy from the inside out – hence the nickname “Glo”.

She is the co-founder of Harmony – A space for Yoga and Sacred Dance with Cyndi Harron. 

Cyndi Harron

 Cyndi has a degree in business management and an in depth knowledge of computer systems and accounting procedures.  In the 1990’s she joined her family business, Simpson & Vail, Inc., a tea, coffee, specialty food & gift business that has been in operation since 1904.  

Cyndi has been a student of various yoga and dance styles for many years and believes in their ability to have a profound effect on one’s life.  Although she never performed professionally, Cyndi was known to have traveled as a “dancer” with the Grateful Dead. 

She brings to Harmony her wealth of business sense, her love of yoga and dance, her warm, outgoing personality and her sense of humor.

 She is the co-founder of Harmony – A space for Yoga and Sacred Dance with Gloria Ognan.

Kriss Alexander, R.N.

            Guiding people in their goals for health and fitness has been Kriss’ passion for decades. She owned and directed her dance school, Kristine’s School of Creative Dance in Monroe, Connecticut, established in 1979, for ten years. Giving up the business in 1989 to be home with her two sons who are now 18 and 20 years old, she embarked on a career in health care and became a registered nurse. Kriss has worked in a number of fields, from Obstetrics & Gynecology, to Drug & Alcohol Rehabilitation to Geriatrics.

            Several years ago, she discovered yoga purely by chance. A class was offered at the health club that she belonged to so she gave it a try. Kriss loved the yoga class and found herself attending class much more often than she utilized the gym. A yoga studio was located not far from her home. This school offered mainly Ashtanga yoga thus this is where her roots lie. She has studied many other styles since then and enjoys exploring the wide variety that today’s yoga has to offer.

            Kriss is currently working toward her 200 hour yoga teacher certification. She is making her yoga teaching debut here at Harmony Yoga and Sacred Dance... just in time for Spring!

Norah Cross

Norah received her teacher training from the White Lotus Foundation and has been teaching since 1997. She continues to be a student by deepening and renewing her practice, constantly growing in her knowledge and awareness of yoga from the influence of a variety of yoga traditions, styles and teachers.

Norah brings opportunity to discover new poses and new perspectives regardless of your practice experience. Her classes cater to both inexperienced and experienced students, with many options, modifications and approaches to the poses.

Her classes can be challenging. But you may be surprised to find that what’s challenging, is to stay out of the mind and stay connected to the breath and the body.

The 8-limb path of yoga is very much a part of her teaching. Norah has a spiritual approach that leaves students with the possibility of taking their practice beyond the physical. Her teaching has evolved to form the perfect balance of asana practice and spiritual practice.

Her classes use a deep connection to the breath as a medium of movement for the poses, and for quieting the mind, enabling you to transform your practice from mere exercises to becoming a moving meditation.

Norah teaches that by allowing the breath to move the body, you are able to find that balance between effort and surrender in your poses.

Jane Fredlund

Working in corporate America for 21 years, Jane began studying Yoga 20 years ago to assist with stress management.  She feels that yoga has helped to ground her and to relieve her day to day stress. Jane graduated from the Connecticut Center for Massage Therapy in 2000 and began Yoga Teacher Certification training in September of 2004.  She received her 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training Certificate in February 2005 from Lotus Gardens Yoga.

To date, Jane has been a substitute Yoga teacher for Lotus Gardens and Harmony and is excited to now be teaching a class on a regular basis at Harmony.

Jane's other interests include: biking, hiking, snowshoeing, kayaking, reading, and traveling.

RheiC Gordon

RheiC became a certified Nia teacher in l994.  She has been dancing her whole life.   She refers to her dancing as “freestyle”  combining African, Modern, Jazz and Salsa. 

She teaches water movement classes for arthritics in Greenwich CT and Nia at Harmony.  RheiC is a mother, dancer and also a  theatre major at West Conn University.  She loves singing, hiking and the outdoors. 

Kristi Gunnarshaug

Kristi Gunnarshaug is a graduate of lotus gardens yoga 200 hour certificate program and is currently working on her 500 hour certificate.  She is a graduate of Connecticut Center of Massage Therapy in Newington. 

Kristi has a passion for yoga that came through her practice several years ago.  She fell in love with yoga due to the over-whelming feeling of peace and acceptance that the yoga practice gave her.  She has taught classes to different populations from those with physical disabilities to 'seasoned' yogis, from children to teens to adults.   She teaches with a light sense of humor while holding the practice sacred at the same time.  Kristi's made a commitment to always teach with as much compassion and understanding as possible, encouraging all to look within and acknowledge the beauty and light we all hold. Namaste.

Julie Halliday

Julie Halliday has reached the rank of Sifu (instructor) in the Chang style system of Tai Chi under the Grandmaster Frank DeMaria. (The first and only woman to accomplish such an honor). This makes her second generation from one of the greatest names in martial arts history. She holds a Masters Degree from Manhattanville College in Comparative Religion with a concentration in Buddhist Studies. In addition, she is a Reiki Master. Her Tai Chi movement classes promote the integration of body mind and spirit.

Julie is excited to share her experience in this ancient tradition with all of us at Harmony.

Pamela Holick

Pamela Holick is a Licensed Massage Therapist from CT Center of Massage Therapy who has run her private practice here in New Milford for over 3 years. She offers Therapeutic/Deep Tissue, Sports, Pregnancy Massage and Canine/Equine Sports Massage as well.

Pamela took 27 years of tap, ballet and jazz. It became her life passion. During her 11 year corporate advertising career that she left to start her Massage Practice, DANCE was the only thing that allowed her to truly be herself, let go and feel free. Wherever she went she found a place to dance, whether it was African Dance, Hip Hop, Traditional or Free Movement, she was there. She has enjoyed Music Theater and Singing all her life as well so whenever music & movement come together she's in her bliss.

Pamela has now added dance once again to her life as a Certified JourneyDance Teacher. She will help bring you through your own life journey and hold a safe space for you to transform your soul through improv visualization & movement while balancing and aligning your Chakras.

Kyle Knight
Kyle has recently completed the 200 hour Yoga Alliance teaching certification program through Lotus Gardens, LLC.  She has had a desire to become a yoga instructor for many years, taking her first class in the 80's, and always feeling drawn to yoga.  Her first love, however, was distance running and she has completed 20-plus marathons including several Boston Marathons.

In 2002 she was sidelined by Guillain Barre, an illness that brought running to a halt for some time. In striving to find the ultimate way to overcome and accept the debilitating affects of her illness, yoga became her #1 concentration, thus, her savior.  She has found that with a strong practice the exacerbations are kept at bay and allow her to run again. Realizing the healing powers of yoga has allowed her to find inner peace, balance and acceptance. She hopes to share these benefits of yoga with others.

Kyle has had many years of experience in the health industry including: teaching exercise classes, weight training, gymnastics and coaching swim and track and field teams. A mother of four children and owner of a sewing business in Kent, she resides in Gaylordsville, CT.

Lisa Lee

Lisa completed her teacher training certification with Kirpalu in 2000. Over the years she has continued to explore and study with many teachers including Rodney Yee, Colleen Saidman-yee, Richard Rosen, Shiva Rea, Stephan Cope, Angela Farmer, Todd Norian, Yoganand, Ravi Singh and Ana Brett.

Lisa has worked with a variety of schools, yoga studios, woman's groups, churches and with Hartford Hospital teaching yoga for labor, delivery and recovery. She remains steadfast in her commitment to working with inner city children during the summers at Hartford's Camp Courant.

Recently, Lisa has begun to explore "mixing things up" in her classes. Calling on her love & enthusiasm for traditional hatha yoga, kundalini yoga, belly dancing, music, aroma therapy and energy balancing. Lisa's classes emphasize the spiritual restorative and healing aspects of yoga. She aims to create a safe space for self discovery, healing and radiant health with plenty of fun, love and light in the mix.

Janine Mangiamele

Janine has over twenty years experience practicing Iyengar, Kundalini, and Sivananda yoga.  She has studied at Sat Nam Yoga and participated in a Kundalini workshop by Ravi Singh and Ana Brett; as well as practiced and attended lectures at Woodbury Yoga Center.  She believes that the practice and benefits of yoga are for everyone, regardless of age or level of fitness.

Dawn Roy

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Harmony 30 Bridge Street New Milford, CT 06776
860-354-9300
info@harmonyyogadance.com