Our Staff - Teacher Bios

Lara Demberg,, RYT, is an Certified Anusara teacher, with 6 years teaching experience. Anusara yoga is a style that focuses on a balance of effort, full enjoyment of life, and precise alignment.

Anusara was created by John Friend, who continues to train teachers in this joyful heart centered style. Lara was introduced to the Anusara style through her teacher, Kate Hagerman, while at Quan Yin in Garrison. Since then, Lara has studied with and offers much gratitude to Senior Certified teachers Ellen Saltonstall, Jackie Prete, Bernadette Bernie, Jim and Ruthie Bernaert, and Ross Rayburn, as well as Tantric scholars Douglas Brooks, Paul Muller-Ortega, and Carlos Pomeda. Lara has taught at Quan Yin, Golds Gym, Allsport, and East End Garden in Beacon.

Since beginning teaching, Lara has grown immensely through the daily interactions with her students, family and continued training, specializing in therapeutics.

Melia Whitson is a certified Pilates Instructor and Yamuna Body Rolling Practitioner. She is also a member of The Pilates Method Alliance. Melia is proud to have trained with and earned certifications through: All Bodies Pilates of Cold Spring, New York, Half Moon Pilates of Brooklyn Heights, New York, Power Pilates of New York City, and Yamuna Body Rolling of New York City and Playa Negra, Costa Rica.

Melia’s Pilates Mat classes focus on strengthening and moving from the core and are appropriate for all levels of fitness. Her Pilates Mat classes offer a level of strengthening and lengthening for the entire body from deep within. In her Yamuna Body Rolling class or YBR, Melia offers a therapy practice that combines healing, wellness, toning, and injury prevention in a single workout. YBR consists of a series of routines that use a 6-10 inch reinflatable ball to stretch muscles, freeing restrictions in all parts of the body, increasing blood flow, and promoting healing.

Melia is grateful to work and live in such an amazing community, doing what she truly loves with wonderful clients, students, and fellow teachers, who inspire her to GROW everyday!

Kathy Toris Rowe, RYT and IYA member, is a certified Hatha yoga teacher who’s classes encompass the teachings and techniques of Hatha, Iyengar, Kripalu, Vinyasa and Yin. She currently teaches at Sportsplex, Esplanade Senior Home as well as various private classes and at her new studio in Cold Spring, Vikasa. Kathy challenges and encourages her students to integrate breath and movement, awareness and alignment, strength and fluidity. She guides you to experience the whole range of energy cultivated in yoga from the purification of flowing sequences to the stillness of inversions and meditations – yin and yang. She is wholeheartedly grateful to all her teachers who have guided her through the years and continues her studies with various teachers at Kripalu and Yoga Journal Conferences.

©2007 Vikasa Studio