Founder, Director
Founder, Director
Gail Silver, ERYT, JD.,
is the founder of Yoga Child, the Yoga Child school based yoga and mindfulness program, Cocreator of the Mind Body Birth program, and the primary teacher of the Yoga Child Teacher Training programs. After several years as a Child advocate attorney, she received her primary Yoga Certification in 1999 and received subsequent certifications in restorative yoga, Children's yoga, and Thai yoga bodywork. Gail was pregnant with her first child when she enrolled in her first Yoga teacher training program. She feels that this created in her a heightened sensitivity to the needs of pregnant women and immediately began to specialize in teaching prenatal yoga and birth preparation programs. A student of mindfulness and member of the Peaceful City Sangha, Gail enjoys teaching students to integrate the practices of mindfulness and yoga, both on and off the mat. She believes that practicing yoga and life in this way can help us to achieve optimal health and to more easily access the kindness and compassion that lies within. Gail is the author of award winning Children's book, Anh's Anger, and forthcoming children's book, Steps and Stones. She provides prenatal yoga editorials to the Expectant Mother's Guide, makes television appearances to discuss and teach prenatal and Yoga babies classes, was selected yoga consultant for PBS Kids Sprout Good Night Show, and has received many awards and honors for her classes, curriculum and Children's yoga CD. Most importantly, Gail is blessed with the love and support of her husband, Michael, and their three children.
Aleeze Moss, Ph.D., RYT,
Completed her 200-hr teacher training at Integral Yoga Institute in Mew York City. She has a doctorate in cultural anthropology and is currently an NIH funded research associate at Thoms Jefferson University on a project that is studying a mindfulness-based intervention for women with cancer. Aleeze is also a graduate of Jefferson University's Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction teacher training program.
Beth Goldberg. CPM,MSW
is a Certified Professional Midwife, La Leche League Leader, founder of Believe in Birth, co-creator of the Mind Body Birth Program and free lance writer for many mothering and birth publications. She is the primary facilitator of many of our Birth Preparation workshops and the mother of three young children.
Brittany Policastro, Ryt, 200
Brittany completed her first 50 hour teacher training six years ago, less than one year after her first experience with yoga. In 2006 she discovered Anusara Yoga and since then has completed the 200 hour Anusara Teacher Training, two 20 hour Yoga Therapeutics Trainings, a Prenatal Yoga Training and the Level 2 Anusara Teacher Training. Brittany has also received training in kid’s yoga through Yoga Child. She has over 5,000 hour of experience teaching and was recently featured on NBC’s The 10! Show demonstrating poses for healthy backs. Brittany brings an enthusiastic and energetic approach to her classes while focusing on proper alignment, cultivating awareness and opening others up to their own magnificent potential. In 2008 Brittany created the One World Many Hearts Project in which she raised $20,000 for the Cambodia Children's Fund and in 2009 traveled to Cambodia with Seane Corn and the Off the Mat into the World Team to experience Sacred Activism first hand.
Chae Yang Bullock RYT®500 has been a student of yoga since 2001 and has studied Vinyasa, Anusara, Iyengar and Ashtanga Yoga. In February of 2006, she took her first module with Shiva Rea, creator of Prana Flow® Vinyasa. By 2008, Chae completed two Vinyasa Yoga teacher trainings including Shiva Rea's Advanced Teacher Training. Chae has continued Vinyasa studies with many teachers including as assistant to Shiva Rea, Maria Garre and Twee Merrigan in Prana Flow Teacher Trainings and Workshops. In 2010, she completed the 100 Hour Anusara Immersion with Michelle Synnestvedt. Currently, Chae is continuing Anusara Yoga Teacher Training and studies in Pre and Post Natal Yoga towards Yoga Alliance Certification. Chae reflects daily upon the teachings in her life with her husband and the many that touch her heart each day. Grateful, Chae has dedicated herself to serving the community through yoga leading classes to benefit families of cancer patients and the homeless in Philadelphia since 2007.
Gabrielle Deburke RYT
Gabrielle Casella initially became interested in yoga practices during her childhood as a result of visiting her Sikh friends & neighbors who had a private shrine/studio in their home. Stimulated by her early interest in the healing arts she began as a young adult studying Hatha and later Ashtanga yoga while in college from 1996-1998. Gabrielle immersed herself in the Chinese medical practices of Taoist internal/martial art forms by training with Master Chik Quadir Mason, founder of the Spirit Wind Internal Arts Society. She received certifications of study in various healing arts such as Kung Fu, Pa-Kua Chang, Dao Yin Yoga, Chi Kung, Tai Chi Chuan, in addition to bodywork techniques such as Lin Zi Chi Therapy & Thai Massage, as well as participating in group collaborations, demonstrations & performances. In 2000, she earned her B.A. from Temple University’s Department of Theater with an exploratory concentration in dance, music & voice. Gabrielle’s work as a healing arts practitioner and instructor continues to intersect with her work as an inter-disciplinary performance artist through the incorporation of internal and martial arts forms in combination with dance, poetry and theater presentation Gabrielle is a certified yoga teacher, registered through the Yoga Alliance. She has also studied Ashtanga Yoga with Miko-Doi Smith, Yin Yoga with Sarah Powers, Vinyasa Yoga with the Rasa School, Yang style T’ai Chi Chuan with Master Yang Jun, Taoist (Yin/Yang) Yoga with Master Pauli Zink & Thai Bodywork with Michael Buck.
Jennifer Loher began practicing yoga in 1999 and since that time has studied Kripalu, Vinyasa, Anusara and Iyengar yoga. She seeks out teachers to help guide her to be a more skillful student and teacher in the study of yoga. Her classes are alignment based with a pace that allows each student to find each pose in their body. Her teaching has been described as calm and focused where each student is encouraged to challenge and trust themselves. In addition to her love of yoga, Jennifer enjoys being outdoors, usually stand-up paddling or hiking with her husband and pup
Jackie Koch
is a graduate of the 2007 Yoga Child Teacher training Program. She Teaches yoga and yoga dance classes for children here at Yoga Child and teaches the Yoga Child program in many Philadelphia area schools. Jackie stems from the mountains of Martinsburg, WV. Since a young age she spent her summers in Panama City, Panama where she became enchanted with salsa and merengue dancing. Pursuing her passion for dance she began taking classes, discovered a love for modern dance, and performed at the West Virginia Dance Festival. Moving to Philly, she attended University of the Arts and graduated with a BFA in Modern Dance in 2007. She has danced and learned repertory at the Merce Cunnigham Studio in NYC. She has had the time of her life performing with Pink Hair Affair at the Philly Fringe, Rocky Awards, music videos & various other performance opportunities. She trains in circus aerial skills at the Philadelphia School of Circus Arts. There she studies the Static Trapeze, Corde Lisse, Fabric, Lyra, and Acrobatics.
Julia Horn, RYT 500
Julia began yoga at an early age by crawling around on a practicing mama in the Appalachain mountains of North Carolina. This was the beginning of a life-long study and curiousity. In addition to her family and origin of birth, some of her most influential teachers along the way have been Genny Kapuler, Richard Freeman, Shri Dharma Mittra, and Kofi Busia. Julia performed worldwide as a principal member of the Yoga-Dance troupe Tripsichore Yoga Theater. Since then, she has become a teacher and choreographer of great merit. She has created original yogic performances for a world tour of Hong Kong, Singapore, Bali, Thailand, Paris, and Iceland. She is also a Graduate of the Tisch School of the Arts, and North Carolina School of Dance. Her diverse performance background and small mountain-town upbringing, infuse her teaching with a rich, artistic, and nature-driven vision that inspires students of all levels.
Kimberly Mendez, SRY 200
Completed her primary 200 training in the Sarawsati River method of yoga and enjoys continued advanced philosophical study with Doctor Pratap of the Yoga Research Society, QuiGong study with Master Hou, and Anusara study with Naime Jezzeny. She has also recently enjoyed a 10 hour Bikram yoga study. In kimberly's class she enjoys the ancient wisdom of Saraswati River yoga with other forms of Yoga & principles of alignment to create a varied and unique style of her own. Kim feels that planting and sharing the seed of Yoga is her way of serving others, but is also why she is here. Kimberly continues to grow her own practice in the hopes of bringing her experiences, education and passion to her students. In her fun and inspired classes look for chanting, pranayama (breathwork) and postures (sometimes linked with flow) to provide a blend of classical and vinyasa style Yoga.
Laura Mann Lawrence
Laura strives to see the world through the eyes of a child and aspires to live life, approach the mat, and teach her classes with loving kindness, laughter, and mindfulness of the breath. Laura has experienced how yoga can cultivate a heightened sense of self-awareness that is available to everyone and is grateful to have the opportunity to share and experience what yoga brings to us as individuals and as a community. She brings fun, good music, and ease into her creative asana sequences and has a way of making yoga accessible to everyone while emphasizing growth. When she's not teaching or practicing yoga, you will find her in the kitchen, on weekend road trips, at a show, or outside exploring with her husband, Ben. Laura completed her teacher training in Washington, DC, at Flow Yoga Center, her children's yoga training at Next Generation Yoga, and her infant and prenatal yoga training at Lil' Omm Yoga.
Maureen Heil, RYT
is certified in Inner Fire Yoga, developed by Shiva Das and David Newman, which embraces the physical, mental and spiritual aspects of yoga. She has recently completed her Anusara prenatal yoga training with Sue Elkind. In addition she is certified through Yoga Child in children’s yoga and teaches yoga to children throughout the Philadelphia area. Maureen is the former director and teacher of a non profit cooperative preschool in New Jersey for many years. This gives her a special ability to reach children using asana, story, song, and games to find a place of calm. Maureen came to yoga several years ago during a family member’s illness and found the healing and positive aspects yoga can have on well being. In addition to sharing and teaching the joys of yoga, Maureen is a Reiki practioner, artist, interested in Ayurveda, is passionate about sustainable environmental practices.
Paige Chapman
Paige was certified at OM yoga studio in Manhattan in 2003 and is inspired to teach yoga through her love of dance, movement, music, and healing. For six years she has taught a blend of Hatha and Vinyasa yoga inspired by the Iyengar tradition of integrating the body, mind, and spirit. This year she completed her Prenatal Yoga certification at OM as well. Having returned from teaching an international yoga retreat in Mozambique, Africa, Paige especially loves to teach beginner students and people who are aspiring to create more balance in their lives. Her classes are light, relaxing, playful, and deliciously rejuvenating. Paige is also one of Philly's coveted doulas. Check out this article for more information on Paige.
Rebecca Ingalls, Ph.D., RYT
is also an English professor, so perhaps it makes sense that her first yoga class several years ago was held in the storage room of an independent bookstore in Michigan. The inspiration of those first classes led her to study Hatha, Ashtanga, pranayama, and meditation, each of which she integrates into her teaching. The greatest lesson yoga has taught her so far is one of its core principles: the knowledge is there, we just have to give ourselves permission to connect with it. Thus, in her personal practice and in her teaching her intention is to infuse the yogic philosophy of ease balanced with effort into a rigorous physical practice that aims to nurture, clarify and awaken. Rebecca's hope is that, when our physical yoga practice ends for the day, the expanse of its wisdom will continue to inform our self-talk, and to help us to let go and breathe into the present. With diligent practice, our yoga can help us to cultivate a kind, compassionate energy that recognizes our oneness despite differences.
Renata Gregori, RYT
Renata Gregori has been practicing Yoga for over ten years. She received her Teacher Certification from Satchidananda
Ashram - Yogaville in Virginia, under the guidance of one of the most revered Yoga Masters of our time, Sri Swami Satchidananda. She returned to the Ashram later as a teacher and staff member and also received her certification in Prenatal Yoga. She was on staff for the Ashram's Teacher Training program in Mexico and also at the Integral Yoga Institute in New York City. Renata has studied extensively in New York, including with notable Yogi Swami Ramananda and at the Sivananda Yoga Center. She continues to study and practice in Philadelphia. At yoga child, Renata offers prenatal, postpartum, restorative, and vinyasa yoga classes.
Sara Trohaugh, RYT
Seven years ago, Sara was introduced to yoga after suffering an injury while on the swim team at University of South Carolina. Yoga helped her move toward full recovery while opening up her awareness of the importance of mental and spiritial heath, as well as outer physical health. She completed her 200 hour teaching certification at the Sivananda Center of Val Morin, Canada and began teaching right away. Since then, Sara has been inspired by and recieved training in Ashtanga, Iyengar and Kundalini yoga. She also is a practicing massage therapist, specialzing in Thai Yoga Massage as taught by the Lotus Palm School of Thai Massage.
Diane Pulvers
In 2006, Diane was introduced to yoga by a dear friend who ultimately inspired her to obtain the 200 hour teaching certification. Diane's training was completed at Montezuma Yoga in Costa Rica. Similar to her life off the mat, you will find her classes to be light, energetic, and balanced in that effort and ease are truly her focus. She is inspired by the mind and body connection offered on the mat and takes this connection with her into her daily life.
