Your Teachers

Carmen Champion, E-RYT 200 is the Owner and Director of Main Street Yoga.  She began taking yoga classes at MSY in 2004 while going to college. She found the practice to alleviate anxiety of mind and tension of the body.

If you take a class from Carmen, you will find that she tends to focus a lot of her language around the muscles of the body and how they affect your body and your movement.  You will learn each of the muscle’s role in a posture and how to strengthen and lengthen each one.  Carmen strives to educate and empower students by using each class as an opportunity to learn about themselves.

Carmen has her 200Hour Certification from the Pranakriya School, is an E-RYT 200 and a Prenatal Yoga Teacher.
She is currently working through her 300 hour certification and has taken the following training programs:
-Understanding the Hatha Yoga Pradipika w. Yoganand Michael Carroll
-Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training w. Jacci Gruniger
-Musculoskeletal Assessment Training w. Tra Kirkpatrick
-Holding Space: Developing Skills for Presence and Touch w. William Hufschmidt
-Deepening the Asana Experience: Meditative Postures 1 w. Yoganand Michael Carroll & Krissy Dopson
-Myofasciae, Prana & the Bandhas w. Jeff Shoaf
-The Universe Inside the Body of a Yogi: A Journey into the Chakras, Granthis and Nadis w. Yoganand Michael Carroll

 

Jenny Williams is certified in two 500 hour Advanced Teaching programs through the Pranakriya School of Healing Arts. After finishing the Basic 200 hour Teacher Training program she went on to earn an additional 300 hours in the Therapeutic Advanced Teacher Training program in 2013. She continued her yoga education and received certification in the Professional Development 300 hour program in 2016. She also is certified to teach Prenatal Yoga. She finds the philosophy and ancient practices of yoga to be fascinating and believes we can take what we need but as practitioners we also need to respect the ancient tradition. Through her own practice she has learned that yoga is dynamic and morphs and changes with the individual’s needs. One of her goals in class is to use the process of yoga to nourish the body and mind with breath, movement, meditation and relaxation. In her classes modifications are provided, props are always encouraged and honestly listening to your body is always admired!

Nell Wood started down her yoga path in 2001.  She came to yoga as just another way to exercise but it was quickly revealed to her how yoga is so much more than just a way to exercise your body.  With a dedicated practice she has found that yoga has not only strengthen her body but also her mind and soul.  Strengthen in ways that were never thought possible before she found yoga.Nell became a certified Pranakriya Yoga teacher in 2013 and hopes to share her passion and encourage students to explore the ways yoga can strengthen and open body, mind and soul.

Lisa Knuffman has been practicing yoga since 2001 and completed her 200 hour yoga teacher certification in Pranakriya Yoga in 2009. She is currently working toward her 500 hour certification. A mother of three young girls, Lisa is passionate about sharing yoga with children as well as adults. She believes that yoga can benefit anyone at any stage of life. Lisa encourages her students to truly honor their bodies as they practice and to listen to the innate wisdom they carry inside in order to nourish the soul, calm the mind, and bring joy into the heart.

Sonya Stremming has had a long time Pilates practice. She gained her certification to teach and has been running on-site Pilates for a number of years, in addition to her bi-monthly Sunday class at the studio. Sonya is an energetic teacher who will encourage you to explore your range and abilities. Sonya spends much time outside of class continuing her education to always provide her students with new information and support.

Hannah Liechty is a registered yoga teacher at the 200 hour level. She completed her training at Ahimsa Yoga studio in Ithaca NY. She began taking yoga at Main Street Yoga in 2014 in order to help with some anxiety and fell in love with the practice, she continues to enhance her love and understanding of yoga. Currently she is a first year student at Illinois State University. In her free time she enjoys doing yoga, being with friends and taking long walks outside.

Ian Jorgensen is a mental, emotional, spiritual, physical mover most often exploring the dynamics of the psychological/physical relationship. He works with fellow humans to help them develop joyful movement, body gratitude and to become more naturally and fully themselves through the lens of the Alexander Technique, Open Energy Pilates, yoga and Nonviolent Communication. Ian has completed two Pilates training programs in New York City, one in the classical method and another exploring contemporary approaches. His lessons emphasize body awareness, ease of movement, and intelligent control. While living in New York he also spent three years training to be a teacher of the Alexander Technique, of form a mind/body learning to undo harmful and unnecessary tension in one’s body to help regain natural and innate balance, ease and coordination.

Hannah Russell began practicing yoga in 2009 during college after hearing from her chiropractor that it may help with pain resulting from her scoliosis. It didn’t take long to develop a love for yoga and begin to experience not only the physical benefits from her practice, but also mental and spiritual benefits. After moving back to her hometown, Bloomington, Illinois, her personal practice grew with the help from the instructors here at Main Street Yoga. The Pranakriya tradition deeply resonated within her, which led to obtaining her 200-hour Pranakriya yoga teaching certification in 2017. Kerrigan’s personal yoga practice brings her tremendous joy and empowerment. She considers it an honor and privilege to be able to share this within and throughout her community.

Radiance Campbell received her 200hour yoga teacher certification at the Vinyasa Yoga School in Rishikesh, India. Above all she is passionate about natural and holistic health, and her love for yoga stems from her own healing experiences with her personal practice. Radiance’s classes prioritize an intimate connection to self as she hopes to help all students explore their body’s innate wisdom, unlock their ability to heal themselves, and discover their unique balance in this world. Her mission is to make wellness practices accessible to all people regardless of race, class, age, or perceived skill level. Outside of the studio Radiance is a second year student at Illinois State University and an aerialist in the Gamma Phi Circus!

Mark Scheafer fell into yoga eight years ago when he decided to try something new for his physical fitness. His love for yoga was fast and robust as he noticed the emotional, spiritual, and physical strength it provided…it nourished him in so many ways. Mark began taking yoga at Main Street Yoga when he moved to the area in 2015 to continue strengthening his practice. Last year, he experienced and witnessed the transforming power of yoga when he completed his 200-hour Pranakriya yoga teaching certification course and obtained his certificate. His curiosity and passion for learning will continue to propel him along his yoga journey and share his experiences with others.

Rachel Hockenberry  has been practicing yoga since 2011 and completed her 200-hour yoga teacher certification in June of 2018. Rachel believes in the power of a regular yoga practice to transform the body and the mind.  With the physical practice encompassing only a fraction of yoga, Rachel incorporates meditation and breathing techniques into her classes. She trusts in the ability of a well-rounded yoga practice to bring us closer to ahimsa, the practice of nonviolence toward all living beings.

A professional musician and music educator, Rachel received her doctorate in French horn performance from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and is currently the French horn professor at Illinois State University