Instructors
Patti Beggs – Patti Beggs is a certified Tai Chi instructor and Licensed Massage and Bodywork Therapist. Patti’s experience spans over twenty years in the wellness industry. As the owner of Elements Spa, Patti has integrated health and wellness into all of her practices through education, therapy and instruction. Patti is committed to promoting Tai Chi for health and well being. She currently teaches Dr. Paul Lam’s integrated Sun style Tai Chi along with Qigong.
Lauren ‘Kamala’ Beissinger – Kamala is a 500-hr Certified Shambhava Yoga Teacher, a Certified Prenatal Yoga Instructor and a Licensed Massage and Bodywork Therapist (LMBT# 7344) at Elements Spa. She has practiced yoga since 1997 and has taught since 2003. At age 4, Kamala began her exploration of the mind-body connection with ballet and gymnastics until transitioning into yoga as a freshman in college. Her studies led her to the Himalayas of Nepal to study mountain ecology and sustainability and there she fell in love with the eastern spiritual traditions. After returning from Nepal, she studied with a siddha yogi near her hometown of Pensacola, FL. In the winter of 2003, Kamala received her Yoga Teacher Certification in the Shambhava School of Yoga from Shoshoni Yoga Retreat in CO. Kamala’s classes are an experience of classical Hatha, including postures, breathing techniques, concentration, sense withdrawal, meditation, chanting and are interwoven with the words of her teachers. When Kamala is not in the studio or the spa, you can find her hiking, running, or biking the trails of Pisgah National Forest.
Thalia Brennan – Thalia began her yoga practice in 1989 and became a certified yoga instructor in 1992. Thalia has studied yoga in the United States and India, and has taught all over the country and recently in Costa Rica where she, her husband and son lived for 6 months. Her focus as a teacher is in developing mindfulness, connecting deeply with the body, increasing awareness of the breath, and creating openness and mobility in the body. To do this Thalia combines her training as a yoga teacher, massage therapist, and licensed psychotherapist. Thalia’s teaching style makes yoga accessible to everyone. She considers her students’ abilities and goals and designs her classes so that every student can fully participate and benefit. She believes regular yoga practice cultivates a healthy and balanced life.
Micah Couttet – Micah’s love of yoga began with his first Ashtanga class in 2001. Immediately feeling both stimulated and at peace in his body, the magic of “making to the mat “each day became a loving discipline. Personal growth? You bet! Just watching the flood of preferences and attachments that began to reveal themselves added significant emphasis to an already engaging 14 year spiritual and meditative practice. Combining years of training as a gymnast, professional dancer, and dedicated massage therapist, the path was paved for a comprehensive approach to sharing yoga. Today, Micah’s personal yoga practice is informed by the wisdom of such teachers as Tim Miller, Ana Forrest, Sarah Powers, and Bikram Choudry – all of whose intensive trainings have added to an ongoing inquiry to the human body, evolving spirit, and healing of the heart and mind. Students of all levels and ages will be sure to enjoy the sweat, stamina and discipline involved in safely discovering their own potential.
Joan Furniss – Joan Furniss is a fitness instructor with 28 years of experience. She has taught a variety of classes throughout her career including floor aerobics, step aerobics, water aerobics, stretch and strength classes, Pilates, Nia, and her own creations of Body Works, Body Move and Pilates Mix. Her goal is to motivate participants to feel their best and be fit for life. Joan holds BS and MT degrees and AFAA, Fitour, Nia and Les Mills certifications. She lives in Brevard with her husband and two dogs. Joan has two beautiful grown daughters who also are fitness and outdoor oriented. When not teaching, Joan enjoys gardening, art, mountain biking and hiking.
Kathy Jones – Kathy Jones’ first yoga experience was – in one word – “transformative”. The class was in a noisy fitness center with TV’s blaring and weights clanging. Kathy says, “By the end of the class, I had completely tuned out the noise. I felt an amazing sense of peace and the rest is history!” Since this first class 10 years ago, yoga has been a way of life for her. “My perception of the world around me and my role in it has definitely shifted. Ahimsa, meaning ‘non-violence’, has become my life’s motto,” Kathy says. Since receiving her Yoga Teacher Certification in 2001, Kathy has taken countless workshops and teacher intensives throughout the US, including certification programs in Ashtanga Yoga and Yin Yoga at the Asheville Yoga Center. She recently returned from southern India, where she received her Intermediate Teacher Certification. During the summers, Kathy teaches yoga to high school students at the Brevard Music Center.
Angeluci “Angel” Jorgensen – I was born and raised in the South of Brazil in an Italian-German family where, since a very early age, I learned to respect the wisdom of the elderly through the close relationship I had with my grandparents. My parents strongly believe in a healthy diet rich in vegetables, salads and fruit, which we often harvested from our own beautiful garden in the back of our house. Their healthy way of eating is something I have carried through my whole life. I am extremely thankful for their guidance and inspiration. I began practicing yoga in 2006 when I moved to the United States and was living in Miami. Since the first class I felt an amazing connection with my innerself which made me go back for more and more classes. In 2009, I moved with my husband to North Carolina looking for a “healthier” lifestyle. In 2011, I became a certified yoga instructor through Stephanie Keach’s program at Asheville Yoga Center, and I am presently working on my RYT certificate from Yoga Alliance. I feel an immense gratitude and blessed to be able to teach yoga, as it is an amazing opportunity to develop a sacred space where students can share something that goes beyond the mat. To me, Yoga is an individual journey that will take you wherever you want to go. Each one of us has different backgrounds and perspectives so everyone achieves different results through the same class or teacher. There is no competition, there is no comparison and there is no ego. Mindfulness is something to be achieved through constant practice.
Hannah Levin – Yoga found its way into Hannah’s life gradually, starting when she was a teenager and has become more of a focus as she has embraced the physical and spiritual strength and abundance that it brings into her life. A twin, and the daughter of professional artists, she grew up in Burnsville, NC surrounded by creativity and connection to nature. Hannah is currently a high school art teacher, working at The Outdoor Academy and enjoys sharing yoga with people of all ages. She has been sharing yoga with others for several years, but graduated with her 230hr. teaching certification from Asheville Yoga Center in May of 2011. Hannah spent the month of June 2011 in the Living Yoga Training at Satchidananda Ashram in VA and in August, received her Kids Yoga Teacher training through Kidding Around Yoga. She is also certified through Yoga Alliance. Hannah enjoys embracing the practice of yoga as a creative process – an opportunity to learn, grow, laugh, and explore. In her free time, Hannah is a potter, performing singer/songwriter, baker, and lover of outdoor adventures.
Laura Nelson - Laura Nelson has been practicing Qigong, Taiji and meditation since 1992. She is retired and moved to NC from NJ in 2008. Her first experience with Qigong was life changing because she had been extremely sick with chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia and depression. The agony of just trying to get out of bed was incredible, no less trying to find energy to take care of her kids! The universe intervened and she received a flyer in the mail for Qigong and immediately started going to classes. By practicing WuMing Qigong daily she recovered her health and returned back to work and to her life. She learned Yang 24 style Taiji, Wu Ming Qigong and studied Taoism with a Qigong Master in NYC and she incorporates these into her classes. She has taken courses in Medical Qigong, studied with Taoist master Mei Jin Lu. She is a Certified Level I instructor for Spring Forest Qigong (SFQ) which was developed by Master Chunyi Lin. She loves to teach SFQ because it is simple, easy to learn and remember and is wonderful for healing yourself and others. In June 2011, she received her first Duan (certification) from the Chinese Health Qigong Association including some traditional Qigong forms including Eight Pieces of Brocade (Ba Duan Jin), Changing Body and Tendon (Yi Jin Jing) and Six Healing Sounds (Liu Zi Jue). She loves Qigong because it is a wonderful way to connect with your body, yourself and nature!
Suzanne Pittman – Suzanne “Suz” Pittman has been practicing yoga for ten years. She received her Yoga Teacher Certification in 2003 and is currently working on her 500 hour certification. She is passionate about the mind-body connection and alternative healing. Also trained as a massage therapist, Suz understands the impact a daily yoga practice has on the whole being. She believes that yoga helps to shed layers and stagnant patterns that manifest in our bodies as tight shoulders or hips, locked joints, etc. Suz likes to focus on linking movement with breath to aid in grounding into the moment. She is always encouraging one to allow how they feel in a shape be the focus rather than how they look, helping to drop competitiveness and welcome acceptance. It is always her intention to encourage everyone to look at the workings of their mind as they practice, turning class into a mind-body exploration. Dive deep. When she is not teaching, you can find Suz with her family…her biggest and best yoga practice.