Our Team
Elena Karnegie
Elena started her journey in Sound healing in 2012 when she heard Master Suren Shrestha strike a Tibetan Singing bowl.
She was in Nursing School at the time getting her RN degree and completing her Karuna Reiki studies, but something about that Singing bowl had touched her heart irreversibly. Working as a Registered Nurse had gifted her ability to think and react in a critical setting as well as realization that out health system is missing a very important something. She had searched for that missing piece by becoming a Reiki Master with William Lee Rand, completing her studies in Sound Healing Vibrational Therapy at Atma Butti School with Suren Shrestha and Katherine Hammer. She had also taken studies with Viktor Oguy, a Russian Singing Bowl instructor and Guy Yair Beider, a Sound Meditation Facilitator.
Elena believes that preventative medicine is crucial to health and wellness. That is why opening the doors of Ocean Yoga has been a lifelong dream of hers. Yoga is medicine for the body, mind and soul. It can take many forms and names—from Ashtanga to Bikram, from Yin to Meditation—as long as you show up for your practice you will get all the health benefits you need. The hardest thing about yoga practice is putting your mat down, and once you do—you are half way there. It is our honor to hold the space for you to put your mat down and start your practice with us at Ocean Yoga, whatever form it takes.
Elena is a devoted Ashtangini, mom of two girls and is a forever student—always striving to learn more about Wellness, currently she is enrolled in Ayurvedic Wellness Coach Certification Training.
Adil Rida
Paris native with Moroccan roots Adil is a Yoga master practitioner and senior teacher of Traditional Ashtanga Vinyasa and Yin Yoga. An ex-martial arts competitor and former Circus aerialist performer he tought yoga classes and workshops in Sweden, Latvia, Morocco, Canada, Australia, Dubai, Mexico the East & West coast of the U.S
Adil’s practice began early in his late teens back in Europe , it is in the spring of 2005 in Los Angeles that he obtained his certification at the Bikram Yoga College of India in LA and began teaching Bikram’s popular hot yoga across the globe. His dynamic style is inspired by his multi-faceted athleticism and always draws a loyal following across the globe.
Inspired by great Ashtanga masters and luminaries such as Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, Petri Raisanen, Richard Freeman & many more, Adil frequently travels to south east Asia (Mysore India, the Himalayan mountains of Nepal & Thailand) to study & refine his art of teaching with great masters.
Adil’s philosophy is empowering people beyond their physical and mental limitations and showing them the true meaning of yoga: a path of self mastery over breath, body and mind.
Nikolay Ignatyev
In his life Niko have had the pleasure to learn from many great teachers. At Hunter College, he studied philosophy and religion and graduated with a double major. Both studies were philosophically and spiritually inclined and were taught in great depth by his professors and brought much clarity to his life.
In his studies of mystical traditions, Niko was deeply intrigued by the practice of meditation and internal exploration and understanding of one's being. His desire for experience led him to the practice of yoga.
Niko studied with Sri Dharma Mittra for his 200 hour certification and with Jhon Tamayo at Atmananda Yoga Sequence for his 500 hour. He started teaching in 2011 and his teaching journey continues to inspire him for more.
The state of yoga is a state of natural well-being. The focus of yoga, as he teaches it, is to reclaim this natural state of alignment of one’s being.
Di Salvador
Di is an experienced yoga practitioner with over 10+ years of personal practice, and four years of teaching. Born and raised in California, her interest in yoga began in Los Angeles where she became hooked on hot yoga and excelled from day one.
After moving to Rockaway beach, NY she decided to start teaching not only to deepen her own journey of practice and study, but to share her passions with others. Di completed her teacher training shortly after moving to New York, her specialty and focus lies in constant awareness of sequencing and cueing that allows for expanding your practice.
Di specializes in Vinyasa, what she refers to as “breath | body coherence”. She sees wellness as a long-term priority, and by connecting the movement, breath and the mind she syncs the whole body system back into alignment.
Flor Villazan
It is a great honor to share the teachings of the discipline of yoga.
Flor is a disciple of Sri Dharma Mittra for over a decade now; she embodies him physically, mentally and spiritually. Her experience through years of practice has made her a more compassionate and happier human being and this is key to making others happy.
Her classes are based on Hatha Raja Yoga and Dharma Yoga.
Love is the medicine~
Lindsay Pirozzi
Lindsay Pirozzi, MS, is a yoga teacher (RYT500), teacher trainer, and mentor on Long Island and NYC area.
As a practicing mental health counselor, Lindsay is passionate about yoga as a portal for healing. She is trauma informed and pre-natal yoga certified instructor.
Since 2008 she’s studied Bikram, Ashtanga Vinyasa and Yin yoga. Lindsay’s classes are safe, yet powerful and leave students feeling very optimistic and grounded.
Joanna Asher
A native of Long Beach, Joanna has been sharing the teachings of yoga since 2009. She has had the great pleasure of learning from some of the most compassionate, experienced, and skilled teachers in the Ashtanga Yoga lineage and beyond. Joanna believes everyone, without exception, can benefit from a consistent and dedicated yoga practice and that the consistency of your practice is far more impactful than the difficulty.
Her classes are infused with precise verbal cues and a strong emphasis on the breath in order to tap into the internal elements of the practice. She finds Ashtanga Yoga to be the perfect balance between the graceful freedom of modern-day vinyasa yoga and the anatomical insight of Iyengar yoga, which is more static and alignment-focused.
All of her classes are inspired by the Ashtanga Yoga tradition and she is passionate about making these classes accessible to everyone who walks in the door. Students can expect a consistent and grounded practice that doesn’t get too “fancy”. You will work hard, but also be supported, guided, and never feel lost.
Sasha Petukhova
Meet Sasha, a passionate and experienced yoga teacher with over 10 years of dedicated practice and teaching. Sasha's journey in yoga began over a decade ago when she discovered the transformative power of this ancient practice.
With certifications in both 200 and 300-hour training programs, Sasha has honed her expertise in various yoga traditions, allowing her to incorporate diverse techniques into her teaching. She possesses a deep understanding of Hatha and Vinyasa yoga, which form the foundation of her classes.
Sasha has had the privilege of working with students of all ages, from young children to seniors, and has developed a unique ability to connect with individuals on a personal level. Her compassionate and inclusive approach creates a safe space for everyone, ensuring that each student's needs are met.
Breathwork holds a special place in Sasha's teaching philosophy. She guides her students to breathe deeply, fostering mindfulness and inner calm. By focusing on the breath, Sasha helps her students improve their mental clarity, reduce stress, and enhance their overall well-being.
In Sasha's classes, a harmonious blend of Hatha and Vinyasa yoga creates a balanced experience. Hatha yoga provides a solid foundation of alignment, posture, and breath control, while Vinyasa yoga adds a dynamic and flowing element that encourages students to explore their range of movement.
Sasha's ultimate goal is to empower her students to find their inner balance and unlock their full potential. She creates an environment that encourages personal growth and self-discovery, urging her students to embrace challenges and step outside their comfort zones.
Whether you are a beginner or an experienced practitioner, Sasha's classes offer a nurturing and supportive space to deepen your practice. Her extensive experience and deep-rooted knowledge, coupled with her warm and empathetic nature, ensure that each student receives the guidance they need to progress on their yoga journey.
Join Sasha on the mat and embark on a transformative experience that will leave you feeling refreshed, rejuvenated, and inspired to lead a life of balance and well-being.
Lauren B
Lauren’s yoga journey began at the age of 6 she would attend gymnastic and dance and loved to stretch and flow she went on to attend classes with her mom and this simplicity and joy live on in her practice and teachings to this day. She shares from the depth of her own sadhana (sustained practice), her studentship in the eight-limbed path, her creative approach to asana, and her reverence for jivatmukti and forrest yoga teaching. With over fifteen years in studentship to the practice, Lauren offers classes that challenge students to utilize their own discernment, to discover within themselves that they are all that they seek, and to uncover the radical depth of our interconnectedness.
In March of 2020 she founded Lauren B Yoga.
Based in New York, NY she now shares the teachings through her classes in New York, retreats, workshops, sound healing facilitator training, an online platform, and recordings filled with heart-centered mantra. She is certified in Jivatmukti Yoga with sequence certification in Forrest Yoga, Yoga Nidra, and Sound Healing.
Humbled by the gifts and opportunities offered to her by her teachers and by this practice. It is her life’s work to honor what has come before and what will carry on, and to offer the teachings with all the integrity she has. To bring her students to their own self-realization of all that they are inside of them.