Absolute Yoga - Hopkinton, Massachutes

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Meet the Absolute Yoga Staff 

Kristine Maselli, R.Y.T. is the founder and owner of Absolute Yoga. After years of teaching on a part-time basis, she took a leap of faith, resigned her position in corporate information technology, and pursued her passion in wellness and yoga by founding Absolute Yoga in 2001. Over the last ten years, Kristine has built and evolved the studio into an environment where students of all fitness and experience levels feel comfortable practicing.  Kristine enjoys introducing yoga to new students as well as assisting current students to deepen their practice and take it to the next level. Since 2001, Absolute Yoga has grown in leaps and bounds, with expansion in the number of students, instructors, modalities offered, and actual studio size. Currently, Kristine and a team of nine expert instructors offer a wide range of classes in yoga and pilates for both adults and children. While there have been many exciting changes at Absolute Yoga, it remains a place of community and a "home" for many to practice yoga. Watching her students, teachers, and studio grow has been a tremendous source of happiness for Kristine. Kristine is a Registered Yoga Teacher (R.Y.T.) through Yoga Alliance, is a member of Mass Yoga, holds the AFAA Group Fitness and Personal Trainer Certifications, and PhysicalMind's Pilates Mat and YogaFit Level One's designations. Kristine enjoys practicing Itsy Bitsy Yoga and Family Yoga with her 3 children.

Ellen Dougherty, R.Y.T. is a certified yoga instructor through FRA (Fitness Resource Associates, Inc.) where she studied under Judy Baker.  She is a Registered Yoga Teacher (R.Y.T.) through Yoga Alliance.  She has been practicing yoga for more than 15 years and instructing students at Absolute Yoga since 2003.  She incorporates her years of practice into a blend of teaching styles for her students.  Ellen teaches a vinyasa-flow yoga that incorporates Iyengar, Ashtanga, and Viniyoga.  Her goal is to teach students at all levels to reduce stress, while improving strength, flexibility and balance.  She has also volunteered as a yoga instructor at Hopkinton’s Serenity House.  Ellen is a mother of two and previously worked as a Systems Analyst.

Jaime Brault, R.Y.T. is a certified yoga instructor through the YogaFit teacher training program, has a BA in Psychology, an AA in Fashion Design. She was introduced to yoga over 10 years ago and has maintained a regular practice since 2003. It was Bikram Yoga and Ashtanga that sparked her love for yoga and helped to balance out her life as she studied fashion design at FIT in NYC. Attending a class given by Sri K Pattabhi Jois was a highlight during her time spent in NYC.  Since then it has been a treat for her to attend many classes given by master yoga teachers such as Shiva Rea, Rodney Yee, Natasha Rizopoulos, Desiree Rumbaugh, and Matthew Sanford. Believing she had something to share, in 2007 Jaime began her yoga teacher training and started teaching. Through her studies a greater interest in yogic philosophy developed, changing her personal practice and teaching style. A creative integration of a challenging asana practice and a way of life began to take shape. Jaime teaches a Vinyasa style yoga class deeply inspired by Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, Indian myths, and the power of the mind/body connection. It is her intention to guide her students toward a balanced yoga practice that is centered in truth, compassion, peace, and gratitude. As a wife and mother of two, much of Jaime’s yoga practice is done off the mat. She hopes that through her style of teaching people will be inspired to do the same.

Deb Newman has been practicing yoga for over a decade. She studied with Diane and John Featherstone of Frog Pond Yoga in Princeton, MA where she certified in hatha yoga in 2002. She spends much of her free time at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health Services where she re-energizes and continues to develop and add to her own practice and her teaching and takes classes with several master yoga teachers. She has studied with Natasha Rizopoulos, Ana Forrest, Rodney Yee, Baron Baptiste, Patricia Walden, Shiva Rea and countless others in continuing education opportunities  as well. Deb enjoys both domestic and international  travel and tries to squeeze in a yoga class here and there to counteract jet lag.  In addition to yoga, she studies Buddhism and other world religions and works to incorporate spirituality into daily life. Making at least one retreat a year at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, she continues to learn new techniques to support her own practice.  Deb brings an openhearted, playful style of yoga to her classes, always exploring new methods and the nuances of the experience. As a full-time high school English teacher, she finds the practice and sharing of yoga adds joy to her professional and personal life and says she can't imagine life without the gift of yoga.

Amy Harper is a certified yoga instructor through FRA (Fitness Resource Associates, Inc.) and certified children's yoga instructor through Garden of Healing under Maureen Spencer. She has practiced various styles of yoga for 10 years including Iyengar, Ashtanga, and Viniyoga. She currently teaches in Hopkinton, Brookline and Boston. She has 26 years of dance experience in Ballet and Jazz and has taught dance classes for children and adults.

Judy O'Leary Thapa holds certifications in Sivanada yoga, prenatal yoga and Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy (PRYT) and is also a Reiki master. Judy has been practicing yoga since 1995 and has enjoyed teaching yoga to both adults and children. She has a background in languages and working with children with special needs. As a mother of two boys, yoga has helped Judy during the life-changing experiences of pregnancy, labor and delivery, and motherhood. It has become Judy's passion to share the beneficial practices of yoga with other women.

Alycia Clutterbuck is a Certified Tykes Itsy Bitsy Yoga Facilitator and Radiant Children’s Yoga Teacher. She is working toward certification in Baby Itsy Bitsy Yoga after attending the training in October 2011 and enjoying classes with her 9-month-old daughter, Kendall.  Alycia received her training directly from the founder of Itsy Bitsy Yoga, Helen Garabedian, and Shakta Khalsa of Radiant Children’s Yoga.  Alycia has been teaching yoga to children for over 7 years.  She has been a Montessori Preschool teacher for 7 years and brought yoga to her school not only in the classroom, but also as an afterschool enrichment program. Alycia also teaches children’s yoga for birthday parties both in the studio and in private homes.  Recently, Alycia was invited by The Boston Red Sox to teach the players’ children while the game took place--what a fun experience. 

Annika Nilsson-Ripps is a certified yoga instructor through FRA (Fitness Resource Associates, Inc.), as well as a certified Personal Trainer through the American College of Sports Medicine. She uses Viniyoga and her background as a Bio-Mechanical Engineer to offer a spine-centered yoga practice. Annika has seen yoga offer a new dimension of peace, balance, and possibility to her life. She currently teaches in Hopkinton, Boylston, and Hopedale, where she lives with her husband and three children.

Nicole Tomasino is a certified yoga and Pilates instructor through AAAI/ISMA and was originally trained and certified in yoga through FRA.  She has been an ACE certified group fitness instructor and personal trainer for 17 years, and has taught yoga and pilates for 10 years.  She is also a Licensed Physical Therapist with a doctoral degree from the MGH Institute of Health Professions in Boston, and practices in an outpatient setting in Framingham.  Nicole enjoys teaching Yoga/Pilates classes from the point of view of a PT, focusing on improved biomechanics to avoid injury and increasing core stabilization for good spine health.  

Sarah Warren has had a lifelong interest in the human mind and body, beginning with ten years of intensive study of ballet and modern dance at Boston Ballet School and Boston Conservatory. After leaving dance, she began practicing yoga and along the way discovered the clinical Somatics technique. Her Somatics studies have truly changed the way she views physical and mental health and aging. She has learned that everyone's health is in their own hands, and by practicing Somatics we can prevent injury and avoid many of the common musculoskeletal conditions associated with aging. Sarah has experienced incredible changes in herself since beginning her Somatics practice, and loves helping others through their journey toward lasting health.

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