Center for Health and Healing
245 Atlantic City Blvd Beachwood NJ 08722
732 505-8282
Leave detailed message if no desk person is available
or TEXT ONLY 732 604-4946
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 20,000 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.
Tova B.
Yoga Instructor
Tova began her yoga journey back in 2009. She discovered that yoga not only helped her cope with life’s struggles, but also opened her eyes to a new positive perspective on life! She started her practice with Bikram Yoga (hot yoga) and over time branched out to other styles as well.
She currently works as a credentialing & liaison specialist at a managed care company, is a wife & mother to 3 beautiful children, and dedicates the rest of her available time to teaching yoga and it's benefits to her students.
Tova really strives to teach her students how to connect their breath to their asanas, making the practice a moving meditation. She believes that everyone can benefit from a yoga practice and is enthusiastic about sharing this gift with 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 P.
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. (On Family Leave)
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. (On Leave)
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 M.
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.”
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 C. (On Leave)
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.
Belle B.
Yoga Instructor
Belle began her yoga journey in 2018 when she started taking classes at her gym and local community center. After just a few classes, she soon realized she could not live without it! Before the door to the yoga world was opened, she already had years of experience with meditation, chakra work, and a very spiritual personal life. The factor that made her take her 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training at the Center for Health and Healing was taking online yoga classes every single day in quarantine in 2020.
After realizing how healing yoga was in such a stressful time, she decided it was time to dive deeper into the world of yoga and be able to offer the healing energy herself. Now Belle is happy to be able to offer classes that are fun, empowering, inclusive, healing, and mind expanding. She has always been an advocate that yoga is for everybody and sticks to the roots of it's culture.
When not teaching, she works at the Ocean County Library pursuing a Master's degree to become a Librarian. She loves the beach, nature, music, art, learning, and all things health, wellness, and metaphysical. As Above So below, As within So without, As the universe So the soul. Namaste!
Jody
Yoga Instructor
Jody is a Nurse Practitioner and a Yoga Instructor. She found yoga to manage Back pain. 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.
Jody is a Yoga Alliance 200hour registered Yoga Teacher, having completed her Hatha Flow Teacher Training at The Center for Health and Healing.
As a teacher, Jody is warm and friendly. She grounds students in an ongoing awareness of breath while guiding them through poses with clear directions, modelling, and hands-on adjustments.
Modifications and advanced options are made available for new students and experienced yogis so that all can reach their potential. Gently spiritual in her approach, she provides a physical workout that students of all levels can easily modify.
Linda H
Yoga Instructor
Currrently teaching our off site Location- Jakes Branch. 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-
Linda L
Yoga Instructor
Motivated Yoga Instructor with training in Hatha, Power, Gentle, and Yoga HIIT.
Experienced in group, private, and special event yoga. Enjoy sharing the practice and benefits of yoga to promote the balance of the body and mind.
HIGHLIGHTS-
Encouraging leader, adaptable professional, flexible instructor, team player, life-long learner, customizes programs to individuals, works well with all experience levels.
Baptiste Yoga Level 1, Completed August 2019
Baptiste Yoga Advanced Art of Assisting, Completed December 2017
Ishta Yoga, Mona Anand Yoga Nidra Training, Completed November 2017
Restorative Yoga Training, Completed August 2017
200 Hour Power Yoga Training, Completed March 2017
Yoga for Athletes, Completed October 2016
200 Hour Sivandanda Teacher Training, Completed March 2001
Lis S
Yoga Instructor
Lis began her yoga practice at The Center for Health and Healing in 2017, seeking relief from chronic pain after many years of believing she was "not flexible enough for yoga". In addition to physical health, she discovered an unexpected peace on the mat that began to follow her into her daily life.
After receiving the gift of yoga from her amazing teachers, Lis surprised herself when she felt compelled to deepen her practice and complete the 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training with Dawn Keen. She is now honored to share the connection to yoga and is inspired by her students.
Lis believes in the transformative and healing power of yoga and that yoga is for every body, every ability. Her goal is for each student to leave class feeling well, strong, and empowered.
Off the mat, Lis works in Alzheimer's research and loves gardening, floral design, reading, and exploring nature with her husband and dogs.
Maryann
Yoga Instructor
I am a wife and mom to two grown children. I have been working out and active for many years and about three years ago incorporated yoga practice into my routine to help control pain from sciatica. However, what I discovered instead, was not only did yoga help with that discomfort, but the overall benefits this practice provided me was beyond my expectation. The calm, peace of mind, pain reduction and physical strength I achieved from a regular yoga practice encouraged me to take yoga to another level by earning my 200 RYT certification so that I could teach others and share all the benefits provided by yoga! I very much enjoy teaching all ages and levels of experience and feel that everyone can feel better and notice a difference by adding yoga to their lives.
When not teaching yoga, I work full-time for a Dental Service Organization (DSO) in the Revenue Cycle Department and enjoy spending time with my family, tending to my flowers in the yard and summer!
“ Whether you think you can or think you can’t, either way you’ll be right” Henry Ford
Christine
Yoga Instructor
Christine’s yoga journey began in 2011 when she decided to start taking yoga classes at the rec center while she was in college. She had always been drawn to holistic health and wellness so sure enough her yoga practice began to develop into something beyond just a respite from studying. She began to understand that yoga had a profound way to heal not just the body, but also the mind, heart, and spirit.
Christine decided in 2018, to take her yoga practice to another level and learn more in depth about this ancient practice by becoming a RYT 200 Yoga Instructor. At first, her motivations for becoming a yoga teacher were more to deepen her own practice and indulge her inner yoga nerd. However, she started to really enjoy sharing yoga and her ever evolving understanding of the practice with others. She believes that, even though we all come to yoga for different reasons, we all have some deeper understanding that this practice is a tool to help us live better lives and become better human beings. Christine hopes to continue to learn and further her own yogic knowledge so she can be a better guide for those seeking their own path to yoga.
In addition to being forever a student of yoga and life, Christine is also a Massage Therapist and Licensed PTA. She enjoys drinking copious amounts of tea, sitting on hammocks, being in nature, reading tarot cards, pondering about life, and adoring her kitty cats.
Siobhan
Tai Chi Chih Instructor
Siobhan is an accredited T’ai Chi Chih®, Seijaku, Guigen Qigong, Reiki Master/Teacher, Medicinal Aromatherapist, and Certified Clinical Eden Energy Medicine Practitioner.
The United Fellowship of Martial Artists awarded her Holistic Healing Artist & Qigong Master.
She has studied in China and continues her studies with a variety of holistic practitioners.
Her passion is stress relief and walking in serenity.
Requested speaker at: Caregiver and Cancer Coalitions, Adult Protection Symposiums, Hospitals, Wellness Centers, & University classes & programs.
Chrissy
Yoga Instructor
Chrissy’s an active mother of two young girls started her yoga journey in 2013.
She became certified to teach through a teacher training program at Inlet Yoga located in Manasquan.
She has a passion for health and fitness and aspires to aid others in achieving their own personal wellness goals. Her dedication to nutrition and fitness reflects in her daily routine. She has a great compassion for others and is actively involved in the community making her a valued teacher.
She is honored to be a student and teacher of the Ashtanga Yoga method.
Chrissy's classes are an artful blend of movement and stillness, strength and flexibility, breath and awareness.
Her vinyasa classes blend physical alignment and core strength in a fluid rhythm.
Each unique class inspires students to unite body, mind and heart in the present moment, enhancing well being on and off the mat.
Ilona
Yoga Instructor
I am a lifelong learner and a yoga practitioner. I have been a student of yoga for the past 15 years.
My joys include hanging out with my family, practicing "yoga" with my granddaughter, reading, taking walks in nature with my dog, and raising monarch butterflies.
For the past three years, I have worked in the mental health field teaching mindfulness practices to those in treatment for substance use disorder, anxiety, depression, and trauma.
My classes focus on maintaining wellness and improving balance, flexibility, and vitality. With my background teaching in mental health facilities, I infuse my classes with mindfulness techniques to lead students toward better overall health.
