Teacher profiles
Our Expert Guides
Adam Delia
Instructor
Adam Polhemus
Instructor
Anne Dorobis
Instructor
Charles Wharton
Instructor
Denise LaPointe
Instructor
Giva Wilkerson
Instructor
Jeana Barenboim
Instructor
Jennifer Pinna
Instructor
Joneil Adriano
Studio Owner
Marion DeLa Pena
Instructor
Melanie Scaccio
Instructor
Merlin Hann
Instructor
Mi Han Chiu
Instructor
Neelu Kaur
Instructor
Sabrina Lekaj
Instructor & Manager
Shirley Wu
Substitute
Susie Concelmo
Instructor
Yashmani Seepaul
Instructor
Adam Delia
INSTRUCTOR
As an athlete accustomed to traditional activities such as weightlifting and running, Adam Delia had the opportunity to experience the benefits of yoga after experiencing a personal tragedy.
After experiencing his first yoga class in 2018, Adam knew it was his calling. Adam made it his goal to obtain a yoga teacher training certificate, completing a 200 hour teacher training at bambooYOGA.
Yoga has contributed many positive changes to his wellbeing. The lifestyle change has made a positive impact in most areas of his life, including acting, playwriting and directing. Adam still maintains a traditional training program, but primarily to improve his asana practice.
Adam Polhemus
INSTRUCTOR
Adam Polhemus’ yoga journey began with the innocent joy of childhood play, evolving into a lifelong passion ignited by the profound depths of yoga’s teachings. Guided by revered mentors who shared his dedication to exploring yoga’s physical, mental, and subtle dimensions, he embarked on a transformative path of learning and growth.
Immersing himself in intensive teacher trainings across diverse disciplines, including Jivamukti, power yoga/vinyasa, and the sacred Ashtanga tradition, he had the honor of advancing through the Ashtanga series under the esteemed tutelage of Tim Miller at Ashtanga Yoga Center, Encinitas, California. As an advanced series Ashtanga practitioner and former professional athlete, he seamlessly integrate modern biomechanics into the traditional practice of asana, offering a dynamic and holistic approach to yoga.
From the vibrant energy of New York to the serene landscapes of California and beyond, he’s had the privilege of sharing his love for yoga with students from all walks of life. When he’s not guiding students on the mat, you’ll find him cherishing moments over a cup of coffee, exploring the great outdoors, and tending to his beloved collection of plants gathered from his travels.
In Adam’s yoga classes, traditional yoga asana is given a modern twist, creating a unique blend of structure and spontaneity. Participants flow through a sequence of poses with a focus on fluidity, allowing each practitioner to adapt and modify the postures to fit their individual needs and energy levels. With an experienced instructor to guide them, students explore the nuances of breath, rhythm, and intention, fostering mindfulness and tapping into their inner wisdom.
This approach invites practitioners to embrace their creativity while maintaining the discipline of traditional yoga. It encourages self-exploration, challenging participants to push their boundaries and discover new variations within well-known poses, thereby deepening their mind-body connection. In this dynamic class, students develop not only physical strength and flexibility but also a playful and imaginative spirit that they can carry with them beyond the yoga mat.
Anne Dorobis
INSTRUCTOR
Anne Dorobis began a regular yoga practice in 2007, after moving to Forest Hills. It helped her to grow much stronger and more flexible in her body, mind and spirit.
Her primary career is in corporate training and adult education, so when the opportunity came up to be trained to teach yoga, she jumped at it! Anne has benefitted so much from yoga, and she’s delighted to be able to share those benefits with others through teaching.
Some of her classes are quiet and meditative; others are fun and playful. She enjoys encouraging her students to grow in their own practice. Anne loves to travel, play music, draw, read and go for long walks around the New York City parks.
Charles Wharton
INSTRUCTOR
When Charles Wharton began practicing Yoga in 2005 he was unable to touch his hands to his toes. After many years of commitment to the practice he embraces Yoga as a lifestyle. He began teaching in 2009 and, in addition to being a RYT-200, has pursued certifications in Kids Yoga, Prenatal Yoga and Restorative Yoga.
Charles’ classes emphasize alignment while focusing the breath on strengthening, stretching and toning the muscles of the body. He looks forward to helping you reach your goals as you develop your own practice here at Living Yoga.
Denise LaPointe
INSTRUCTOR
Denise LaPointe is a dancer, yoga instructor and pilates practitioner and combines elements of dance, yoga and pilates into each class.
With her love of dance and passion for yoga, she creates fluid, alignment based sequences. You can expect to be both challenged and rejuvenated, walking away energized but calm.
Giva Wilkerson
INSTRUCTOR
Giva “G. Ann” Wilkerson is an educator, writer and yoga teacher from Philadelphia, PA. She has been teaching and writing on self-discovery and personal development for almost 10 years. In 2012, she founded The Learning Curve Woman, LLC a series of programs designed to educate and assist women and girls with their personal and professional development.
Giva’s relationship with yoga started out of sheer curiosity; but after her first class she was immediately drawn in by the calming, cleansing and rejuvenating effects of the practice, leading her in 2018 to became a certified yoga teacher. A proud and strong advocate for “empowerment” over “improvement”, she embraces yoga as a tool for personal growth, clarity and acceptance. Her teaching places great emphasis on body awareness and the connection between breath and movement. Her goal is for her students to leave class more empowered, relaxed, self-aware, and most importantly, happy.
Giva describes herself as a wanderer who leaves her expectations off the mat and embraces her practice as it is — a philosophy she encourages her students to take in and outside of class.
Jeana Barenboim
INSTRUCTOR
Jeana Barenboim’s outward venture into yoga started after taking up a suggestion from a friend, but really began as a small child when she would observe bodies in motion and be fascinated by the language they speak. When her own body began to change, she became excited. When her life started to change, she became devoted.
Her personal practice led to a profound shift in her understanding of both herself and the world; through self study one could come to a state of health and clarity, and that this experience could be had by anyone. Her desire to heal others led her to complete her teacher certification, and continues to keep her seeking. She is a Queens native and has a growing tower of books in her living room related to yoga, body work, kinesiology, spirituality and wellness. Her studies include putting those things into practice with the intelligence of the body through yoga asana.
She is a 500 hour Registered Yoga Teacher, completing her last 300 hours through the Science of Self training led by Rose Erin Vaughn and Yoshio Hama. She has explored and studied various methods of Yoga including lineages from Iyengar and Dharma Mittra, and has studied Tibetan practices, Yin yoga, Qi Gong, kickboxing, and the self cultivation practices of various martial arts.
She compliments her understanding of the body through other modalities such as weightlifting and conditioning. She conducts group classes and private sessions that incorporate yoga with body work techniques catered to individual needs. f how yoga can help alleviate some of the intense pressures of the corporate world.
Jennifer Pinna
INSTRUCTOR
Jennifer Pinna is a certified yoga instructor for prenatal, baby, kids, tween and adults. With over 9 years experience serving yogis in New York City, her goal is to empower inner peace with everyone who attends her classes. Jennifer’s philosophy is based on the belief that planting an interest in wellness at an early age can create a life-long love of self-care.
Joneil Adriano
studio owner
Joneil Adriano is a student of Sri Dharma Mittra and the owner of Living Yoga. He is also a lululemon Ambassador.
Joneil believes yoga offers a powerful set of tools for achieving physical health and wellness, emotional healing and mental clarity, and most importantly, Self-discovery.
He found yoga in 2011, when it helped him overcome the loss of a beloved pet. A Dharma Yoga Registered Teacher, Joneil’s classes can be challenging, but he always encourages students to explore their limits safely. It brings him tremendous joy to see them achieve poses they never thought possible.
In the style of his guru, his classes include a variety of backbends, hip openers, and at least one headstand. He also incorporates mantras, pranayama, and meditation for a complete practice.
Marion Dela Pena
INSTRUCTOR
In 2010, Marion Dela Pena was searching for an activity that would challenge her physically in the same fashion as sports had when she was growing up. This led her to a Bikram Yoga studio that changed her life, and she’s been happy and sweaty ever since.
For over a decade, Marion has been practicing yoga and meditation all over the world. She completed her 200hr Hot Yoga teacher training with Evolation Yoga in New York and 200hr Hatha Yoga teacher training at AyurYoga Eco-Ashram in India. Marion’s goal is to serve her students by sharing the benefits and love that yoga has brought to her life.
Off the mat, she’s a traveler, marketing nerd, and perpetual student. Marion is currently pursuing her second Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy and plans to incorporate evidence-based practices with integrative health to help individuals across the lifespan live their most fulfilling lives.
Melanie Scaccio
INSTRUCTOR
Merlin Hann
substitute
Merlin Hann is a yoga and meditation teacher with over 6 years of expertise. She draws inspiration from Swami Sivananda’s teachings and considers herself to be a karma yogi, dedicated to serving others and aiding in their healing. In 2019, she took the leap to become a yoga instructor under the guidance of Liz Dunne & Prem Sadasivananda at Love Integration, her spiritual home in Long Beach NY.
Merlin studied biology in college, and after working in hospitals in NYC, she discovered her true calling in mental health awareness. After experiencing life-changing events in her career and throughout her new journey in motherhood, she continues to find purpose in the act of devotion for healing from within. She is inspired every day by her daughter, husband, mentors, teachers, students, friends, and communities who have helped her ground in her devotion to being in service.
Merlin’s classes are accessible to all bodies and offer grounding sensations while practicing gentle movements that connect with your breath and heart. Her slower-paced classes allow the body to feel safe while developing strength, nurture, and balance, ultimately finding connection with the self and inner peace.
Mi Han Chiu
INSTRUCTOR
Mi Han Chiu’s teaching style benefits from her 35 years of practicing yoga.
She began her yoga journey in her 20s, while establishing herself as a hairstylist at well-known NYC salons. Her professional aptitude for connecting with clients, along with her enthusiasm in helping others realize their best selves, led to the eventual discovery of her own true calling — as a yoga teacher.
The opportunity to share her tools and assist students in their personal discoveries is something Mi Han finds deeply rewarding. Her classes are an expression of this gratitude — to her students, her teachers, the practice, and the power within.
In her free time, she creates artful meditation malas with unique semi-precious stones. You can find them on the Living Yoga website and in the studio.
Neelu Kaur
INSTRUCTOR
As an organizational psychologist and author, Neelu Kaur’s work is at the intersection of leadership development and wellness. Combining her background in organizational psychology, adult learning, yoga, mindfulness, and Ayurveda, she helps organizations, teams and individuals be more peaceful and purposeful.
Neelu is an Ayurvedic counselor and certified in hatha vinyasa, restorative yoga, yoga nidra, Ayurvedic yoga therapy, prenatal & post natal yoga, Ericksonian hypnotherapy, and rocket yoga.
Her spiritual studies began in 2004 with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and since then she has delved deep into the teachings of yoga, Ayurveda, meditation, and mindfulness. As she continues to study, she continues to teach across the world. Neelu is honored and blessed to be a part of the Living Yoga family.
Sabrina Lekaj
INSTRUCTOR & ASSISTANT MANAGER
Sabrina Lekaj is a former gymnast whose passion for body movement and its benefits started at a very young age. But it’s the study and practice of yoga which she ultimately credits with changing her life physically, mentally and spiritually.
An Albanian originally from Kosovo, she moved to the U.S about a decade ago. Leaving her homeland, as well as loosing her sister, threw Sabrina’s physical and mental state into turmoil. During that difficult time, yoga was her only comfort.
The practice not only allowed her to make sense of her new reality, it also lead her to find acceptance. Because of the enormous help yoga provided her personally, Sabrina decided to become a yoga teacher in order to help others.
She completed the 200 hour teacher training program at Integral Yoga Institute in 2019, and added the 300 hour Science of Self Advanced Teacher Training in 2021. With this strong foundation in yoga, Sabrina now looks forward to paying it forward. Today, she shares the practice with others in the hopes that they too will find balance in the lives, both on and off the mat.
Shirley Wu
substitute
For nearly 2 decades, yoga has been a part of Shirley Wu’s every day life. Whether it’s a practice at a studio, on her bedroom floor while her kids sleep, in her high school classroom, or during her commute — it is what grounds and centers her.
She completed her 200 hour yoga teacher training program with her very first yoga teacher. Shirley’s classes focus on breath work, alignment, individual creativity and movement. They are designed to provide a safe space for all levels, ages and abilities to explore and to enjoy the practice of yoga.
Susie Concelmo
INSTRUCTOR
What began as a means of maintaining balance in her life transformed into a passion as Susie Concelmo explored various styles and realized the many benefits of yoga and meditation.
After practicing yoga for over half of her life, she decided to further pursue her passion by completing the 200 Hour Vinyasa Teacher Training at The Yoga Room in January of 2012. In April of 2014, 2015, 2016, & 2018, Susie traveled to Costa Rica and became certified in The Barkan Method Level II/III Hot Vinyasa. She earned her 300 hour certification with Master Teacher, Jimmy Barkan, making her a RYT 500 hour/E-RYT, 200 hour in 2016.
Susie’s classes are sensitive to students’ specific needs. She challenges you to use the postures as tools to build awareness, while exploring your potential, embracing where you are, and welcoming what the practice brings to you.
Yashmani Seepaul
INSTRUCTOR
Yashmani Seepaul’s journey began with the study and practice of yoga and healing methods in 2006, when when she immersed herself in the world of Taoist Energy. After experiencing first-hand the physical, mental and emotional benefits of yoga, she was inspired and motivated to share it with others.
In 2010 Yashmani took her first Hatha-Raja yoga class and was immediately drawn to the practice, receiving her 200 hour certification from BambooMOVES in Queens, NY in 2011. She was very interested in delving deeper into the practice of yoga, not only the poses, but also the philosophy of yoga and self-knowledge. That in turn led her to the Dharma Yoga Center, where she received her 500-hour certification in 2017.
Yashmani’s teaching style and personal practice are strongly influenced by Sri Dharma Mittra. Dharma Yoga is a system of classical Hatha Raja Yoga. A devotional practice that emphasizes good health, a clear mind and a kind heart.