MEET OUR TEACHERS
Our Mission: Educate and Empower
YogaLife is a destination for all who desire to learn more about themselves through the ancient art and sciences of Yoga. We offer an adaptive and interactive approach to learning that is focused on the individual. Through practical yoga philosophy, body-mind education, personal inquiry, experiential learning, embodied practice and spiritual community, we offer a dynamic and transformational learning environment for people of all ages and backgrounds. YogaLife is home to highly qualified and experienced teachers who are dedicated to honing their craft. Every YogaLife teacher holds advanced certifications in Yoga and Yoga Therapy, and have created areas of specialization based on their professional backgrounds and individual interests!
PROGRAM DIRECTORS
Bob Butera, PhD
Founder and Programs Director
Bob is the founder of The YogaLife Institute. His Classical Yoga roots are from direct study at The Yoga Institute of Mumbai. He holds Masters in Divinity from the Earlham School of Religion and a Ph.D. in Yoga Philosophy & Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies.
With over 30 years of full time teaching experience, Bob is known for using the principles of Yoga Philosophy and Psychology to guide people to lead richer, fuller lives.
Bob is the author of 7 books, The Classical Yoga Study Guide, The Pure Heart of Yoga, Meditation for Your Life, Yoga Therapy for Stress and Anxiety, Body Mindful Yoga and The Yoga Life: Applying Comprehensive Yoga Therapy to All Areas of Your Life (Llewellyn Worldwide, 2021).
Kristen Butera, ERYT-500, C-IAYT, PGDip
Owner and Programs Director
Kristen has been studying and teaching yoga full time for fifteen years, accumulating more than 5000 hours of professional and academic training in a variety of yoga traditions and somatic methods, with special focus on Yin, Restorative, deep ecology and the therapeutic applications of Yoga. Her passion is for creating dynamic learning environments that create space for deep emotional connection, spiritual processing and restoration.
She is the author of Yoga Therapy: A Personalized Approach for Your Active Lifestyle, and as Program Director, she oversees all aspects of the YogaLife educational programs. An artist and a lifelong student of language, cosmology and consciousness, in 2021 she completed a post graduate diploma in Mythopoetics with Dartington Arts, and is currently pursuing a Master's Degree in Somatic Ecology with Schumacher College.
SENIOR TEACHERS
Yoga Teacher & Yoga Therapy Trainings
Erika Tenenbaum, ERYT500, CIAYT
Yoga Teacher Trainer, Yoga Therapy Trainer
Erika found her home at YogaLife and has been teaching here since 2004. She holds advanced certifications in Yoga & Yoga Therapy as a ERYT500 and C-IAYT. She is also a skin care specialist and manual lymphatic drainage massage practitioner. A gifted teacher of philosophy and asana, Erika is a firm believer in the tenets of yogic tradition, she relishes the opportunity to share her yoga vision and experience with students in the Yoga Teacher and Yoga Therapy trainings.
Jennifer Hilbert, MS, ERYT500, CIAYT
Yoga Teacher Trainer, Yoga Therapy Trainer, Neuroscientist Professional
Jen has been dedicated yoga practitioner of over 20 years. She discovered YogaLife in 2004 and has since completed specialized training in Yoga & Yoga Therapy. She has a Masters Degree in Neuroscience, and as a mother and athlete her passions include educating families about the benefits of healthy eating and breath awareness, along with playing tennis, biking, traveling and spending quality time with family and friends.
Erin Byron, MA, ERYT500, CIAYT
Yoga Teacher Trainer, Yoga Therapy Trainer, Specialist in Trauma Aware Yoga, Mental Health Professional
Erin Byron is the co-creator of the Comprehensive Yoga Therapy Training. She holds a Masters Degree in Psychology with a specialization in Yoga for Trauma. She is an educator of yoga and meditation teachers who brings more than 20 years of experience as a professional Yoga Therapist and practicing Psychotherapist to her teachings. She is the author of multiple books including Yoga Therapy for Stress & Anxiety, Yoga for the Creative Soul and Yoga Therapy for Arthritis.
Staffan Elgelid, PhD, RYT500, C-IAYT
Yoga Therapy Trainer, Physical Therapist,
Feldenkrais Practitioner
Dr. Elgelid is Associate Professor of Physical Therapy at Nazareth College where he teaches health and wellness and is the director of the college’s health and wellness programs. He has presented on a multitude of topics both nationally and internationally. He is also a Feldenkrais Practitioner and has been active in the Feldenkrais and Somatic Education community both at a national and international level. Staffan has sat on advisory boards for the International Association of Yoga Therapists and Yoga Alliance and holds a yoga therapy certification from YogaLife Institute. Staffan is the co-author of several books including Yoga Therapy in Practice, Yoga Therapy for Stress & Anxiety, Yoga Therapy: A Personalized Approach for Your Active Lifestyle and a new book on Feldenkrais scheduled for release in 2021.
Rebecca Cate, LPC, C-IAYT, E-RYT
Yoga Therapy Trainer, Licensed Professional Counselor
Rebecca is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), a certified yoga therapist (C-IAYT), and an experienced yoga teacher (E-RYT 200). She has masters degrees in Counseling Psychology and Public Health. Rebecca is also a Provisional Master in Traditional Wing Chun Kung Fu. Practicing yoga, living by its tenets, guides her in all her endeavors and day to day life. Rebecca enjoys sharing yoga philosophy with others and facilitating the process of learning, healing, and feeling more at ease in life.
Jennifer Kreatsoulas, PhD, ERYT500, CIAYT
Senior Teacher, Yoga Therapy Trainer
Jennifer is a dedicated Yoga practitioner of over 20 years. She is the founder of Yoga for Eating Disorders, mother of two girls, a Yoga teacher and Yoga Therapist, and a writer. She is author and contributor of several books, including Body Mindful Yoga and her writing has been features in national publications. She writes and speaks on the healing and empowering practices and philosophies of Yoga. Her Yoga Therapy specialties include eating disorder recovery and body image. Jennifer is passionate about studying Yoga philosophy and connecting and working with new yoga teachers and yoga therapists. Jennifer is deeply honored to be a member of the YogaLife community.
YOGA ALLIANCE REQUIRED DISCLAIMER
The Yoga Therapy components of our teachers credentials are based on their completion of the 800 Hour Comprehensive Yoga Therapy Program, and are not derived from their status as an Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT®) with the Yoga Alliance Registry.
