Meet Our Ft. Lauderdale Instructors

Danielle Petrie

Danielle Petrie

Yoga Director, Fort Lauderdale

Danielle was born and raised in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. From the time she was a very small child, she was always artistic and became very involved in dance.

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An avid runner in her early adult years, she tired yoga for the first time to stretch her body and immediately was hooked!

The movements were reminiscent of her dancing background, however on a much deeper level.

Having grown up in a household with plenty of adversity and the disease of addiction, she sought a totally different approach. She found her “home” in yoga and followed-up with a 200-hour Sivananda yoga training and 500-hour Hatha yoga training. From there, she started teaching right away and has taught all over the South Florida area for over twenty years.

In Danielle’s words:

“Yoga means so much to me on so many different levels. I have taught yoga for all types of people, shapes and sizes. From pre-schoolers to the elderly, to professional athletes. I have also created a yoga program for women with post traumatic stress disorder in a psychiatric hospital.

I see yoga transform and change lives everyday. It heals to the soul.

As a yoga teacher, I consider myself to be real and genuine. I believe my classes reflect this too. People feel when you do things from your heart. And my heart is my guide, my gift to share with others, and be the best role model to my students and my two fantastic children.

Needless to say, I am honored to do what I do and so excited to be leading the SOL Yoga Fort Lauderdale team!”

In Danielle’s hands, students can expect to be challenged, uplifted and energized. Enjoy upbeat music and be prepared to use the entire body – heart and soul!

Follow Danielle: @daniellepetrie

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Amy Ross

Amy Ross

Yoga Instructor

Amy’s yoga journey first began in the early 90’s at the encouragement of her mother, wherein she attended an Ashtanga class in a small studio on South Beach.

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She quickly fell in love with the profound healing effect yoga had on her body, mind and spirit and started practicing regularly. Taking her desire to learn more about yoga, combined with a passion to be of service to others, Amy become a certified yoga teacher. Today, she holds an advanced teacher training certification and frequently attends workshops to refine her passion. With attention to alignment as well as beautifully sequenced flows, Amy uses her energetic and compassionate spirit to safely guide students of all levels.

Follow Amy: @amyrossyoga

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Caitlin Gruberg

Caitlin Gruberg

Yoga Instructor

Originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Caitlin is a certified RYT 200. From her very first class, she was completely drawn to the practice of yoga and the ability to mentally and physically shift her own focus inward.

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So much, that within months of her first chaturanga, she was enrolled in a yoga teacher training intensive.

As a teacher, her goal is to share with others the accessibility of their own transformation. In Caitlin’s classes, she creates a space for her students to explore the physical and mental benefits of yoga in order to increase strength, promote flexibility, and improve mental focus. Drawing on her extensive experience as a Registered Nurse in top hospitals around the country, she has a profound understanding of the body and with that a comprehensive awareness of the human spirit. She encourages her students to dig deep, fight hard, laugh a lot, be silly, and enjoy the ride!

Follow Caitlin: @caitgru

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Donna DeAngeles

Donna DeAngeles

Yoga Instructor

Donna’s personal journey to yoga began over twenty years ago. Back pain due to scoliosis and the stress of a high-pressure job combined, were taking a significant toll, both physical and emotionally.

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Not until she tried yoga did Donna began to feel better from the inside, out.A new passion was ignited, and Donna took it further, completing her 500-hour certification in the Barkan Method of Hot Yoga. Years later, she continues to evolve her teaching and knowledge, attending workshops and doing immersions in various styles of Hatha yoga.

In Donna’s words: “I’m an eternal student of yoga and enjoy serving others, promoting healing through the power of love. My mission is to inspire and empower everyone to practice, explore, and realize our highest selves.”

Follow Donna: @donnadyoga

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Jacqueline Udvary

Jacqueline Udvary

Yoga Instructor

Jacqueline is a passionate, heart-centered yoga instructor. Her discovery of yoga began an emotional cleansing and opening.

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A way of connecting that she had never known before. Her deep love for the yoga practice is felt though her classes. She creates a safe space for every student to have their own individual experience through yoga. Follow Jaqueline: j@acq.yoga

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jessica

Jessica Steinlauf

Yoga Instructor

Prepare to move, sweat and be challenged in all the right ways!

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With Jessica at the helm, you get a well-rounded, most inspirational mix of movement, stemming from her trained background in ballet and yoga. Add her exuberant playlists and sequences that synchronize movement and breath, and it’s no wonder this girl has developed a loyal amount of followers! Whether you’re new to yoga or not, Jessica encourages her students to work towards their edge, inspiring them to apply the same confidence for achieving their life goals too. Jessica’s certifications include: 500hr yoga teacher training, 600hr in Classical Pilates, and Vault Barre. Follow Jessica: @jessiebeth81 or www.jessicahealthandfitness.com.

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Jude Kuipers

Jude Kuipers

Yoga Instructor

Jude is an impassioned, most dedicated and inspirational teacher, who’s yoga background includes earning her certification at the Yoga Joint in Fort Lauderdale, with international trainings in Costa Rica and Thailand.

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Among those she has expanded her knowledge and practice from, includes notables such as Kino MacGregor, Kathryn Budig, Sean Corne and Sri Dharma Mittra, to name a few.
A native of Florida, Jude completely embraces the healthy lifestyle, and takes great care to create powerful vinyasa flows for her community to elevate their practice and lives, inside and out. She’s also an expert at workshopping yoga poses, and often posts helpful, ‘how-to’ videos online.
Follow Jude: @jude.kuipers.

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Kim Dorning

Kim Dorning

Yoga Instructor

While Florida is now ‘home’, Kim Dorning is originally from South Africa. She has been practicing yoga for over 9 years, starting her journey with Bikram yoga and then Hot Vinyasa yoga.

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Inspired to teach, she completed her yoga certification, and hasn’t looked back. When she’s not inspiring her students with challenging movement and flows, Kim enjoys traveling the world and exploring other cultures. Follow Kim: @kimmyyogaflow.

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Lauren Cobb

Lauren Cobb

Yoga Instructor

A natural teacher and purveyor of inspirational vibes, Lauren Cobb prides herself on providing her students with a physically demanding vinyasa flow paired with uplifting messages that leave students feeling both physically and emotionally empowered.

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Lauren has been a dedicated yoga practitioner for ten years and she prides herself on fearlessly pursuing what sets her soul on fire, taking the leap and trusting the outcome. For Lauren, this has included completing her yoga teaching certification in Summer 2008, and she hasn’t looked back. Bringing tremendous attention to detail, including her inspiring playlists and sequences, Lauren guides her students towards physical and mental transformation, celebrating the personal power in each of us. When she’s not on the mat as a student or teacher, Lauren can be found by the pool, on the boat, or enjoying time with her two children and husband in South Florida. Follow Lauren: @laurencobbyoga.

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Rosaleen O’Neill

Rosaleen O’Neill

Yoga Instructor

Born and raised in Fort Lauderdale, Rosaleen can always be found in a dance or yoga studio. She is classically trained in ballet and modern dance, and was a BFA Dance Major at Rutgers University.

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Exposed to yoga at the age of 12 to help with her dance training, she says it opened her eyes to the beauty of the body and how to get more out of what we are given. Continuing her education in movement, she completed a 200 Hour Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training with the OM Factory in New York City, and hasn’t look back since. Now attending FAU, Rosaleen is ready to continue sharing the gift of soulful movement to all of South Florida! Her daily practice is to remember that, “life is short, life goes on, so live in peace.” Follow Rosaleen: @rosaleen_oneill.

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Sheba

Sheba

Yoga Instructor

Sheba was a successful media relations and marketing professional for more than 20 years before hanging up her business suit and trading it in for her yoga mat.

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Years of endurance training led to several debilitating injuries but her Jamaican upbringing and exposure to holistic health kept her off the operating table, seeking a more mindful and food conscientious approach to healing her body. As an an avid runner always up on the latest fitness trends, Sheba tried her first 90-minute hot yoga class at the encouragement of a close friend. She immediately fell in love, learning to reengage her injured muscles and joints from a completely different perspective than what she had previously experienced. Despite having a few physical limitations, Sheba continued to challenge her body in yoga, practicing on and off for more than 10 years. Motivated by her own journey, she retired her corporate career to create a new path earning a 200-hour RYT certification from the Yoga Joint—Hot Fusion YogaTMFlow—in her hometown Fort Lauderdale. She is passionate about promoting diversity and raising awareness of yoga’s mind, body and spiritual benefits in communities who might not have access or exposure to yoga. Sheba also hopes to inspire others who struggle with physical challenges, proving that yoga goes beyond a “fancy” pose.

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Vanessa Munley

Vanessa Munley

Yoga Instructor

Vanessa Munley was born and raised in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

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A trained competitive gymnast since the age of six, she went on to receive a full scholarship to Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida for Track and Field, where she completed her Bachelor’s degree in Theatre and Psychology. A certified personal trainer and yoga teacher, her classes fuse movement with strength and soft flows for all levels. When she’s not teaching yoga, she enjoys going to the beach with her dog, doing handstands, and spending time with family and friends! Follow Vanessa: @vanessamunley.

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dan-phalan

Dan Phalen

Yoga Instructor

It’s not the journey into yoga one hopes for, but for Dan it was triggered by the passing of his grandmother. At that time, he was shattered, with no hope of how or when he could emotionally heal himself.

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The first day he walked out of yoga class however, he knew his life was changed for the better, and that yoga was calling him back for more. Almost immediately, he dove right in, saying it allowed him to emotionally, physically and spiritually “drain himself.” Thanks to yoga, he learned his purpose was to spread light and love to those around him. Taking this mission forward, he completed extensive teacher trainings in power vinyasa in both Ohio and Florida. His teaching practice today combines strength building asana with breath work and guided meditation. His goal to help his students unleash any restraints, push them outside their physical comfort zone, and ultimately come into a more grounded, peaceful place that lies within. When Dan’s not teaching at SOL, you can find him sharing his latest on social, inspiring others with his videos and pics of dynamic inversions, strength and positivity. Follow Dan Phalen: @handstanddan.

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Nikkii Holtzheuser

Nikkii Holtzheuser

Yoga Instructor

Known as “nikkiibear”, she may be petite in size, but don’t be fooled otherwise! This girl’s been practicing yoga for most of her life, earning her teaching certificate with years of experience throughout South Florida.

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Whether you’re new to the mat or a seasoned pro, her classes will have you moving through diaphragmatic breath work, with a mixture of vinyasa flow and restorative. Put them together and expect to leave feeling lighter and stronger, with reduced stress and tension – both physically and mentally. When she’s not teaching yoga or hammering away closing real estate deals, you can find Nikki somewhere on the beach doing a variety of water sports while filling-up her Instagram feed with inspiring photos, often appearing in campaigns for leading lifestyle brands. In her words: “Having known Cathy for years, I’m beyond excited to be part of her team and to give Miami locals a yoga experience unlike any other. SOL is where it’s at! See you on the mat real soon!” Follow Nikki at: @nikkiibear.

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Miriam (Mimi) Ghandour

Mimi Ghandour

Yoga Instructor

Born in Paris and raised in Saudi Arabia, Mimi is a certified yoga teacher, lifestyle blogger and busy Mother of two.

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Since discovering yoga years ago, she says it changed her life in every way possible – physically, mentally and spiritually. So much, she took her practice further, educating herself on technique and training. Whether you’re new to yoga or a seasoned student, her classes tend to move at a faster pace for those seeking a good sweat and to feel energized. For more ‘Mimi’ inspiration – including her latest fashion picks, adventures in yoga, travel and family, follow her at: @mimiliciousoffical or www.mimilicious.net.

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Alice Saltzman

Alice Saltzman

Yoga Instructor

Alice Saltzman has been practicing yoga for over 30 years. In 2004, she earned her 200-hour RYT Certification at Kripalu, launching her career into the world of teaching, education and healing.

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Over the years, she has worked at a variety of yoga studios and country clubs, working with actors in theaters and in several local businesses as part of their employee wellness plans.

While teaching full-time, she was inspired to take her knowledge further and began studying with JJ Gormley in 2006. She continued her education by traveling with JJ and completing her 500 RYT certification in 2009 at Eureka Healing Yoga School, now known as Surya Chandra Healing Yoga School. She continues to study yoga philosophy with JJ Gormley today, along with Cynthia Snodgrass and Philip Christodoulou in-depth so that she may continue to teach yoga philosophy through storytelling.

From Anuttara Raja, Hatha, Kripalu and Prenatal to Vinyasa, Restorative, and Yin, Alice is a most versatile and knowledgeable teacher, bringing a most genuine and creative spirit to her classes.

In addition to her yoga background, Alice is also an actress, CSW, has owned and managed a restaurant in New York, and was once a private chef. For those seeking a very special restorative Raja class, be sure to experience Alice’s Royal class here at SOL Yoga!

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Renee Kwok

Renee Kwok

Yoga Instructor

Born in Hong Kong and raised in South Florida, Renee fell in love with yoga at 18 when she stumbled into a yoga class at a gym and has been practicing ever since.

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She earned her teaching certifications with Aananda Yoga and Bala Vinyasa-Green Monkey, giving her a wide range of yoga modalities - from hatha, vinyasa, power, yin, to restorative. Along with yoga, she is also trained in Thai Vedic Body work, which is passive stretching into a series of hands on adjustments and light massage. Next on her list is becoming a Reiki master.

As a teacher, she loves transpiring her creative energy into all-level classes to not only strengthen the physical body, but also to free and empower the mind, as well as heal and restore.

When she’s is not teaching, she freelances as a graphic designer and designer at Yogamuse Inc., her own yoga inspired apparel and jewelry line. She also lives a foodie lifestyle, inspiring others to do the same on Instagram!

Follow Renee: @reneedarling

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Rachel Bash

Rachel Bash

Yoga Instructor

Rachel is a certified Hot Vinyasa teacher and has been teaching for 12 years.

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She has an undergraduate degree in Therapeutic Recreation, and earned her training at The Barkan Method, Level 1 and 2 Hot Yoga and Vinyasa 200-hour teacher training in 2005 and 2007.

In addition to being a passionate yogi, Rachel’s is an all-around athlete who enjoys running, swimming and teaching indoor cycling at CYCLEBAR, Boca Raton.

She fell in love with yoga while finishing her education at FIU and hasn’t looked back. She believes strongly in the importance of weight training and body weight exercises to encourage bone density, a healthy metabolism and lifestyle. She loves teaching at SOL Yoga, and encourages any and all to come to her Vinyasa and Sculpt classes for a healthy sweat!

Follow Rachel @rachelfernyoga

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