Our Yoga Teachers
Our instructors at the Center teach and practice yoga with the deepest gratitude for the tradition of yoga. All our staff members are committed to the highest professional standards. We feel blessed to be able to offer our strong diverse depth of knowledge to our students/clients. We are further committed to improving the health and wellness of all our clients. We gladly offer our experience and dedication to all our students in a inspiring, spaciously sunny, and uplifting environment.
Dawn Keen
Owner/Founder - Lead Yoga Teacher
Dawn did not intend to become a yoga teacher; but felt the need to follow the sweet calling of yoga. She is the lead instructor, founder, managing director and handles our off-site corporate & school based chair and various yoga classes.
Dawn has taught in excess of 12,000 plus yoga classes, as it is her full time commitment. Her practice gave her so much, that she felt the need to share and teach her passion of yoga with others. Yoga inspired her to evolve on and off of her mat; It became integrated into all areas of her life. She feels ~Yoga is a journey; there is no destination only exploration.
She is a RN, Massage Therapist and a certified Yoga instructor/therapist. She completed her 200 hour certification at The Freehold Yoga Center in 2005, her Prenatal Certification at Yoga Works in 2007, her 500 hour certification at Dharma Mittra Yoga in 2008 and her Yoga Therapists at International Association of Yoga Therapists in 2011. She feels they all share a common thread: healing.
She is a teacher known for her humor, inspiration and compassionate approach to teaching who honors yoga as a practice of transformation and healing. She considers it a great privilege to be able to help guide others on their own paths to healing and self awareness.
Dawn, like all good teachers, is also an avid student, always expanding and evolving her own practice.
Jen B.
Yoga Instructor
Jen is known for her innovative and mindful approach to movement and yoga. Acknowledging the body as the teacher. She is still enjoying her yoga, she is still falling in love with the practice.
She obtained her Hatha flow 200 hour RYT certification from The Center For Health and Healing. She
is currently in the process of obtaining her 500 master level yoga teacher training. She has had the opportunity to experienced many influential mentors, leaving her with a solid foundation and a healthy understanding. Your own personal practice is your journey.
Yoga is for everyone, as you relieve stress, it helps create peace and balance and increasing awareness of where you are in this moment. It helps not only strengthen and tone muscles and vital organs, it increases and sharpens focus and lung capacity. Using the breath, opening your heart, trusting yourself, you find balance as you are constantly evolving. With the practice you learn, everyday to listen to your own truths, and accept changes that may affect your life. The practice is yours to enjoy, with no competition, as we learn to be present on our mat, and take that into our daily lives.
She feels yoga is a practice of acceptance, patience, and compassion (for yourself and others). Her yoga classes facilitate the unfolding of the body, mind, and heart of her students into the beauty of wholeness.
Linda H.
Yoga Instructor
Yoga for me is a practice of acceptance, reflection, and gives me time reconnect with myself on and off the mat. I decided to attend a 200 hour teacher training because I wanted to know more-the history and philosophy, how it has evolved and spirituality. As an Artist and Art Educator I was hoping to be able to intertwine my practice and my art.
I completed my 200 hour YTT in 2016 and just completed my 500 master level yoga teacher training in 2019 at the Center for Health and Healing. I love to learn and have taken courses and achieved certification in Children's yoga, Yoga Nidra and always looking to expand my knowledge.
My mission as an instructor is to encourage others to become more connected and find a mindful practice on and off our mat. Connecting with breath, the physical, mental and emotional bodies can bring us to an awareness of ourselves and our purpose as human beings.
May we live our lives with kindness, peace and love.
Namaste-
Jan C.
Yoga Instructor
Jan began her career as an Artist & Art Teacher. She became a Yoga Instructor after being inspired by the overall health benefits Yoga provides.
Her personal goal was & is to achieve strength & balance in her own Yoga practice.
Jan is a Yoga Alliance 200hour registered Yoga Teacher, having completed her Hatha Flow Teacher Training at The Center for Health and Healing.
Jan’s classes focus on breath work and building whole body strength- the result of which is a positive physical, mental, and spiritual body. Jan feels blessed to be able to share the beautiful gift of Yoga with her students.
Pam M.
Yoga Instructor
Health and wellness has always been a huge part of Pam's life. She discovered yoga in 2004 when a close friend became a yoga instructor and introduced Pam to this practice of yoga. Discovering the bliss both physically and emotionally after every yoga class, she decided to take this practice of yoga to the next level. Pam completed her RYT 200 certification training in 2014 at The Center for Health and Healing in hopes of sharing the gift of yoga with others through teaching. In 2019 Pam completed her RYT 500 teacher training certification also at The Center for Health and Healing to deepen her own personal practice and knowledge of yoga. Pam became a Certified Prenatal Yoga Teacher in September 2019, she believes yoga can be a valuable tool through pregnancy, postpartum and beyond. Yoga has made a major impact on Pam's life and believes everyone can benefit from the healing powers of yoga. Pam's yoga practice has provided the avenue for an inner journey of self discovery, a new confidence, and compassion for herself and others.
Alexis R.
Yoga Instructor
Alexis discovered yoga over twelve years ago and has been hooked ever since. After a ten year long search for the perfect program, she finally found her home and yoga family at the Center for Health and Healing.
She earned her 200 hour RYT training in April of 2014 with Dawn Keen and nine other beautiful yoginis.
Alexis’ personal journey with yoga began with some close friends in a small home studio with a talented teacher and her only goal was to find a new way to exercise and relax. As her practice grew, she began to recognize an inner calm, ability to cope better with the stresses of life and incredible sense of emotional and physical gain so personally enlightening, yet also socially effective.
With patience, time and compassion toward herself, she realized that every win on the mat extended tremendously into her self and outward into her relationships. She began to realize a connection between the benefits of yoga practice and an increase in quality of life, and felt a deep desire to share yoga with others and show the world how strong and present one could feel inside and out. Every class, every asana, even every intention is a tiny move in a positive direction, improving our lives and even the lives of those around us. Positivity is contagious.
Approaching life and teaching yoga with humility, gratitude and humor, Alexis hopes to bring physical, mental and emotional growth, healing and peace to her students. Alexis believes everyone can benefit from the practices of yoga and meditation and strives to bring a compassionate approach to teaching and living yoga both on and off the mat.
Even as teachers we are forever students. Alexis is grateful every day for her teachers and students and for the opportunity to touch others with the gift of yoga, and welcomes all students of all levels to her classes.
“Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.” –The Buddha.
Brenda Z.
Yoga Instructor
Brenda is a registered nurse with over 30 years of critical care experience who currently works in the operating room. She had practiced yoga intermittently for many, many years and wanted to be a yoga teacher but life was
Finally, the pieces all came together and she was able to obtain her 200-hour teaching certification here at Center for Health and Healing. She believes that a yoga practice is possible for everyone and is inspired to make it more accessible and understandable to anyone who wishes to have more balance in his or her life. She has her 500 master level yoga teacher training.
Brenda, forever a student herself, is fascinated with yoga philosophy and is eager to delve deeper. She loves to teach with an emphasis on alignment and proper form to build strength and improve balance. She is grateful to be able to share her passion for health and well being through yoga and hopes to encourage others on their path to better health and improved well being.
Janice
Yoga Instructor
Janice began her yoga journey back in 2008 when an after work program was offered and curiosity got the best of her, She discovered how she felt “so good” both physically and emotionally after this gentle practice, she ventured out to studios to further her curiosity.
She found a studio that offered “hot” yoga where she became a Karma yogi for a few years and found this practice at this time was not for her. She discovered that Yoga was not just headstands, fast paced flows and model yogi bodies; Yoga was much much more.
In 2016 she completed her 30 hour Yin Yoga certification where the basic concept of holding poses (seated or lying down) for an extended period of time allows your muscles and connective tissues to lengthen and create flexibility to help slow us down in this busy world. She started teaching this practice of Yoga which inspired her to continue her education and get her 200 RYTT certification at New Jersey Teacher Training in June of 2017. Continuing to grow with the concept of mind, body and spirit, Janice became a Level II Reiki practitioner as well as receiving her certification in Restorative yoga, a practice supported by props that allow complete relaxation and rest. Poses held for 5-7 minutes, include light twists, forward folds and gentle backbends, all on your mat
She is has her 500 hour master level yoga teacher training at Center for Health and Healing. Yoga is a journey which is always a mystery ahead.
Whether it’s a beginner’s vinyasa class, gentle, slow flow, restorative or Yin, Janice brings fun to her classes. You will go deeper into your journey with the knowledge of poses, the healing and spiritual aspect to help balance your life and learn to love and know the meaning of Yoga. Janice loves teaching students of all ages and levels of experience. She is committed to her practice both on and off the mat and brings this to her classes
Sarah M.
Yoga Instructor
Sarah is a passionate yoga teacher who received her 200 hour certification in April of 2017 and her 500 hour certification in September 2019. In August 2019, Sarah trained with Special Olympics NJ to offer Unified Yoga to those with intellectual disabilities at the Center. She is also a Level 3 certified Reiki practitioner.
Yoga has affected Sarah in every aspect of her life and she is so grateful for the opportunity to teach yoga. She is devoted to instruct and inspire students of all ages and levels, making yoga accessible to anyone who wants to try it. She loves it when a student has that a-ha moment on the mat. Yoga philosophy is an important part of her life and she hopes to impart those lessons to her students. When Sarah is not on her mat, she is a wife and mother of three beautiful children. She loves dogs, the beach, hiking, crocheting and paddle boarding.
Jacki A.
Yoga Instructor
Jacki has always been active and enjoys a healthy lifestyle. Her love of yoga began 4 years ago after her first yoga class at the Center. She immediately fell in love with it, the physical practice as well as the spiritual practice.
Jacki never intended to become a yoga instructor but she enjoyed it so much and decided that she wanted to be able to share her love of yoga with others.
Jacki obtained her Hatha flow 200 hour RYT certification from The Center for Health and Healing, where she was able to have so many amazing mentors and received an excellent foundation for living yoga on and off the mat.
She has her 500 master level yoga teacher training.
Yoga has helped her grow stronger, more flexible, fearless and confident in yoga and in her personal life. She feels it helps her live each moment more mindfully.
Jacki is excited to share her love for yoga in hopes of changing lives in the same positive ways it has changed hers. She designs her classes to accommodate all who come to the studio whether it’s a person’s first time in a yoga class or they are a seasoned yoga student. She likes to encourage her students to find a connection with their breath and body and to have fun with their yoga practice.
When Jacki is not teaching yoga she works at the Lakehurst Naval Base for the Department of Defense as a Logistics Management Specialist. She is a wife and mother and she has 2 adorable Rottweilers. She loves the beach, being outdoors, reading, and spending time with her family, friends, and her pups!
Anthony
Yoga Instructor
Power, precision, and progress -- physically and spiritually, on and off the mat -- are the essence of Anthony’s spirited and stimulating classes. Through mindful movement, unique teaching tools, and a commitment to proper alignment of body, mind, and breath, Anthony guides students of all levels and abilities to experience Yoga’s transformative effects: an energized body; enlivened mind; and an empowered spirit.
Fully registered and credentialed with Yoga Alliance, in 2017 and 2019, Anthony proudly received both his 200-hour and 500-hour master level teacher training at the Center for Health and Healing and is profoundly grateful to Dawn and all of the other CHH instructors for their training, guidance, and encouragement. In 2018, Anthony also completed celebrated yoga instructor Baron Baptiste’s Level One: Journey into Power Course and going forward aspires to RYT-1000 level certification.
Believing that, no matter how much training we receive, the practice always has something more to teach us, Anthony is constantly improving and refining his own practice and exploring new and innovative approaches to enhance his students’ experience. For Anthony, each hour on the mat is magical and powerfully transformative, and in each class he strives to lead students of all levels, abilities, and limitations to the same encounter.
Off the mat, you’ll find Anthony balancing a career and family obligations, most often spending joyous quality time with his two toddler nephews, Carson and Bennett. As a compliment to his Yoga practice, Anthony maintains a strong fitness regimen, focusing on gymnastics movements, and enjoys reading, time at the beach, traveling, and singing in his church. Yoga has enabled him to experience these activities more deeply. He wants all students to remember that “Yoga is not about becoming superhuman. It is about realizing that being human is super.”
Laura P.
Yoga Instructor
Laura Porcaro is a Yoga Teacher, RYT 200, trained at the Center for Health & Healing, a Neuromuscular Therapist, NMT, an Integrated Positional Therapist, IPT, a Public Speaker on Wellness, and she holds a Bachelors Degree in Business Management. Laura is passionate about teaching people to heal themselves where she gently yet effectively addresses neuromuscular and musculoskeletal pain patterns at the root cause, addressing and correcting imbalances through yoga poses, muscle releases and stretches. Come take her Hot Hour class and focus on proper alignment or one of her workshops where you will learn “yoga for pain relief” which is a new approach to an ancient practice.
Morgan
Yoga Instructor
Morgan is a Nurse and a Yoga Instructor. She found yoga and found a different meaning to life. She describes how things she practiced on the mat started to bleed into the rest of life. She found ways to notice and embrace anxiety, frustration, and anger before things got out of hand. She learned to notice and embrace happiness, joy, and empowerment when they came along. She learned the meaning of awareness and to acknowledge and accept things as is through yoga. All of this can sound far fetched but when you slow down in a posture and learn to move slow and steady you feel more balanced. When life starts to get wobbly you learn to slow down and get steady to find balance. Morgan found what an amazing gift yoga can be for a person. So she trained to become a teacher to be able to share the true meaning of what yoga is all about, to share the practice of mindfulness.
Linda S.
Yoga Instructor
Linda was an elementary school teacher before finding her yoga practice. She started her journey by volunteering at the karma desk at the Center for Health and Healing in Toms River in 2016 to see what yoga was all about.
She was hooked in one class. Linda never planned on becoming a yoga instructor but everyday she became more committed to her yoga practice. She yearned for more knowledge.
Linda completed her 200 hour teacher training in April 2018 with Dawn Keen at the Center for Health and Healing.
Yoga has so many benefits and Linda would love others to discover the healing power of the practice. Through yoga, lower back issues diminished and strength took over. All aspects of life improve both physically and mentally with yoga.
Staying active is a daily part of Linda’s life. Biking, walking, boating, yoga and an occasional visit to the gym keeps Linda smiling and personable. Spending time with her husband and vacationing makes life perfect.
Linda’s motto is, “Life is too short so live life and enjoy every day”. Namaste .
Angel
Yoga Instructor
Angel's yoga journey began in 2016. From the first class she knew she had instantly found her passion. It felt totally naturally. For the first time in her life she was exactly where she was supposed to be, doing what she’s was supposed to be doing! After practicing for a few months her mentor recommended she become a yoga teacher.
Angel attended & graduated with her 200hr yoga certification from Liquid Bliss Studio in LBI under Jenn McConnell & Kevin Corey. She is also certified in SUP, a Reiki Master, Crystal
Practitioner, performs Soundbaths & Full Moon Yoga with her Crystal/Tibetan Singing Bowls as well as playing the Buffalo, Indian, Ocean, & Tankdrum. Holding monthly Drum Circle’s. She also trains in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu & teaches yoga to BJJ Fighters (UFC, MMA, Muay Thai)
Her yoga journey has changed her life in a very positive direction. She loves Yogas healing path. As Yoga has healed her inside & out! She has found her true true self on the mat. Feeling Yoga isn’t just about the asanas, it’s about finding your true divine essence!
Karen
Yoga Instructor
Karen’s life changed when her yoga journey began in 2003. She started to practice as a result of a knee injury, along with the desire to improve her lifestyle. After 2 years of dedicated practice of Bikram yoga she decided to attend Bikram’s 500 hour teacher training in Los Angeles in 2005 where she resided for the duration of the 9 week program. Immediately upon completion of her certification, she transitioned to teaching in San Francisco. After relocating to New Jersey in 2010 she continued to teach Bikram yoga but felt motivated to expand her yoga knowledge. She completed a second 200 hour Yoga Alliance approved Vinyasa training in 2013 and has been enjoying the balance between Bikram and Vinyasa styles of yoga. Karen has also volunteered for Kula for Karma (a non-profit charity organization which brings yoga to communities in need) to help develop a yoga program for the Veterans. Despite having almost 18 years of experience, Karen is always seeking growth and appreciates any challenge in the yoga room to expand and continue her life long journey as yoga teacher and practitioner.
“Yoga has been a catalyst to my own personal growth, enabling me to grow in ways I never would have expected and make space for more acceptance, love and compassion in my life. I believe that students at any level can excel in yoga, that every unique practice can bring that yogi to a place of better understanding of their body, mind and spirit.”
Doreen Cooper
Yoga Instructor
Doreen is know for her humor and the way she makes everybody feel welcome. She has worked in healthcare for over 35 years as a radiologic technologist. Feeling the need to work with more purpose and passion, she became a Certified Health & Wellness Coach. She is married for 32 years with 2 daughters. She is also a Hospice Volunteer.
She began assisting middle aged women with lifestyle habit change- making healthier choices for their mind and body. Realizing there is a need for healing not only in the physical body: but also emotional, mental and the spiritual self, she continued to learn new skills.
She became a Reiki practitioner to promote relaxation and a Neuro Linguistic Programmer. All tools to help in breaking unhealthy habits and promote a healthy happier lifestyle.
Finally, in searching for a gentle exercise program for herself and her clients, she discovered Yoga. Doreen believes whole-heartedly in yoga's transformative nature, and respects the power that yoga possesses to keep one grounded, focused, accountable, and aware of even the smallest moments on and off the mat.
She is Certified from the Center for Health and Healing 200 hour Teacher Training Program, she enjoys the emotional peace, mental clarity and the physical wellness the practice of yoga brings. Doreen feels yoga is a safe space to be yourself and to show up just as you are without judgments, doubts, fears, or expectations.
