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With over twenty teachers we are sure to have one you'll
like. If you don't find "your" teacher on your first visit...keep
coming. With the variety of talent and excellent quality at One Tree
Yoga, you'll find what you're looking for. We promise. |
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Tippi Denenberg is the founder and co-owner of One Tree Yoga (formerly Bikram Yoga Omaha). Her yoga background includes training in many practices of yoga: Iyengar, Anusara, Sivananda, White Lotus (Flow Yoga), Classical Hatha Yoga, and Himalayan Institute Yoga. Although she says she is "hot" about Bikram Yoga, she considers herself a yoga "omni". Her vision for the studio was a place (now places!) that lived up to the motto "Liberation in this Body, in this Lifetime." Her most recent passion is pre- and post-natal yoga, "Mother Yoga" as we call it here. She is certified by Kundalini expert and pre-natal yoga maven, Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa. Locally, she studied with Susan Gillespie and Margaret Hahn; she also learns from her fellow teachers at OTY.
With Theresa Murphy, Tippi developed a complete yoga training program recognized nationally and certified by the Yoga Alliance. All of our teachers have or will have completed this year-long program resulting in a 200-hour level certification. We are most proud to say that we consider yoga training a life-long occupation.
In addition to practicing down dog, cat, and cow, Tippi also practices on them. Dr. Denenberg is a veterinarian at Rockbrook Animal Clinic (402.397.2424) specializing in both medicine and surgery.
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Theresa Murphy, ERYT, is
Co-Owner and Director of One Tree Yoga and a registered teacher with
Yoga Alliance. Theresa had dabbled in yoga for several years before
committing to a consistent yoga practice early in her career as a social
worker. As her personal practice and dedication to yoga grew, her path
veered away from social work toward a life teaching yoga.
Now a 16 year student of yoga, her teaching style embodies the theory
and philosophy of the eight-limbed yoga path with strong emphasis on
proper alignment in asana.
Theresa believes in one path with many ways to walk it and has attended
countless workshops exploring the teachings of Shiva Rea, Bikram Choudry,
Rod Stryker, John Friend, Rodney Yee, Judith Lasater , Gurmukh Kaur
Khalsa and others. She has completed teacher trainings with Baron
Baptiste and Erich Shiffman. She is well versed in the practice of
Vinyasa yoga, Bikram yoga, Kundalini Yoga and restorative practices.
She completed her official 200 hour studies with internationally
renowned teacher Tias Little and is completing her 500 hour
certification with him in 2009. She also currently studies under Timo
Jiminez, Rolf Gates, and Ranjani Cobos, M.D.
Theresa also travels nationally and internationally assisting workshops
and teacher trainings with Tias Lilttle and Rolf Gates. Her classes are
fun, challenging and celebrate the individual differences of each
student while holding the sacred teachings of the practice as the
foundation for class, work and play.
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Bernie Bresnahan was a self-described aerobics queen. Always into physical fitness she was introduced to Bikram yoga over 3 years ago by a friend and was immediately hooked. She describes her first yoga class as an unleashing of bound up stress and tension. She enrolled in the teacher's training program in the Spring of 2003 and continues a steady practice, building on her knowledge of yoga. She has discovered that practicing yoga is an ongoing process and is always challenging; applying its principles both on and off the mat. Bernie is married and the mother of 3 boys as well as an elementary school teacher.
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Theresa Cassaday arrived in Omaha in 1986 and found her way to yoga when she began to practice with Judy Vann who studied her yoga with Lilias of PBS fame (Lilias! Yoga and You). It was through her connection to Judy that Theresa met Tippi Denenberg (BYO studio owner) and began practicing Bikram style yoga in early 2001.
Theresa not only enjoys bringing this gift of yoga into people's lives through teaching, you will often find her right along side you in class practicing her asana.
You may recognize Theresa from her more than 11 years as hostess of KPTM's Fox 42 Kids Club. She now serves as director of marketing for Uta Halee Girls Village and Cooper Village, residential treatment centers for adolescents at risk.
Theresa became a certified teacher at Bikram Yoga Omaha in May of '02 after an intensive training with Tippi and Theresa Murphy.
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Browyn Gaines’s yoga journey
began in the late 1990’s during a drop-in lunch time yoga class at a
local medical center gym. Positively relaxed after each class, she
wanted to explore more yoga. Five years ago, practicing hot yoga at One
Tree Yoga, she became instantly devoted, loving the heat, intensity and
the “massage on the inside feeling” after each class. Naturally, her
path unfolded to teaching. Browyn positively and enthusiastically
teaches class with inspiration, compassion and true love of yoga.
“Developing a good solid practice and study of yoga is my health
decision to age well”, she says. You may also see Browyn behind the
espresso machine at a local coffee shop where she is a certified
barista. Deep bow of love, thanks and gratitude for her many teachers,
especially Theresa Murphy, Amanda Pearson, Adena Cleary and Rolf Gates. |
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As Steve George relaxed back into Savasana he
realized his long search had ended with the discovery of Hot Yoga. The
5-6 thousand exhausting miles he drove each month helping families
overcome bedwetting had left his body twisted in pain and completely out
of balance. Living on the road attempting to balance lifestyle and diet
with a family history of heart disease, Steve was seeking a form of
exercise he could handle with flaring arthritis. That first class with
Tippi back in 2000 led to a dedicated practice - sweating out toxins and
burning fat. Loosing 50 pounds while reshaping his body and calming the
mind - Steve says he feels better now than when he wrestled for the U.
of Oregon back in the seventies. He now enjoys sharing this wonderful
practice with others. If you are encouraging your husband to do yoga,
introduce him to Steve. |
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Jill Hallgren (aka SuperJill) set foot on her path
in 2006. You may recognize her smiling face from behind the check-in
desk as one of our beloved Front Desk Yogis. Tired of treadmills and
stair steppers, Jill tried yoga and it was love at first sun salute, but
it wasn't until she felt the warmth of the Bikram room that she truly
felt what it meant to be in love.
Inspired by her own teachers, Jill embarked on the journey of becoming a
teacher herself. She is certified at the 200 hour level by the Yoga
Alliance. Her passion and inspiration draw not only from the gift of all
teachers before her, but the students who dedicate themselves to the
practice.
When not on the mat, Jill keeps busy with her job at UNMC, her 2
delightful English Bulldogs, Stella and Emma and creating art with her
boyfriend for their home. She offers deep gratitude to all teachers and
students including Theresa Murphy, Tias Little, Rolf Gates and Bikram
Choudhury. |
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Libba Harmon is a New York City trained Vinyasa
Yoga teacher. Her introduction to yoga began in the early days of
Jivamukti Yoga Center, sometime in the early ‘90’s in a small studio on
2nd Avenue in NYC. While her focus at the time was on Thai Boxing, Libba
would often sneak off to yoga classes while training for fights in order
to get a little centering. She studied there with David Life and Sharon
Gannon, and was sure to jump in on visits from Sri K. Patthabi Jois when
he graced New York with his presence.
As soon as Thai Boxing became a thing of the past, Libba took to Vinyasa
Yoga full time. She began studying at Bhava Yoga in NYC, and eventually
trained as a teacher there. Libba has taken full advantage New York yoga
scene by studying in many other styles, namely hatha, astanga, Iyengar,
all of which has contributed to her Vinyasa style.
Libba’s further training came from Schuyler Grant and Alison Novie of
Kula Yoga Project in New York. As a resident teacher and student, Kula
gave Libba the gift to unleash the great freedom and creativity that can
come from Vinyasa, or Flow Yoga. It was during the last few years in New
York that Libba learned how to squeeze it all in: breathwork, a little
meditation, and a vigorous uptempo, free-flowing style that is now her
signature. |
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Anne Hindery Camp came to Bikram Yoga Omaha seven years ago when her doctor recommended this 'new hot yoga.' After years as a gym rat, Anne thought that yoga would be too mellow, she quickly found that was not the case. She was hooked after her first fun and challenging class. "Yoga helps me deal with so many things that life throws your way, physically, spiritually and mentally." A cancer survivor, Anne credits her continued good health to a regular yoga practice. "Yoga helped my body heal, my mind focus and my spirit renew, it's truly been a life changing experience."
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Lisa Kanne found Bikram yoga as a gift from her sister in 2000. Immediately she was hooked enjoying the benefits of still of mind, new-found strength and a renewed flexibility she hadn't experienced since childhood. That was only the beginning. When people began to ask about the noticeable change in her, she told everyone she knew about yoga. Teacher training was the next logical step. She has been practicing and teaching ever since.
"I never tire of my moments on the mat. With four sons and my husband that levy a great deal of my attention, I value my yoga time along with my yoga friends. It is my hope that Yoga brings fullfillment to many new students."
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Victor Kelemen,
As refugees from Hungary, Victor's parents did not have any possessions, but their heritage imparted to him hard work (tapas) and honesty (satya); qualities that would serve him well as a yoga student. In 1994 he began practicing Ashtanga and learning more yogic techniques. Victor's teachers, Annie Grover Pace, Tim Miller, Richard Freeman and Pattabhi Jois all taught "the experience of breath as a vehicle of awareness". In 2000, he began teaching and this has become the cornerstone of his practice and teaching. In 2002, Victor moved to Omaha and married his wife, Shari, also a yoga teacher. Together with their new baby they are living and breathing the awareness of Yoga.
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Mary Talen Hawbaker first approached yoga as simply a new form of exercise, a workout more interesting than the treadmill. In her continuing practice, however, she discovered deepening physical and spiritual rewards of yoga, becoming motivated through her own experience on the mat to train as a teacher. The mother of two boys and a recovering volunteer, Mary welcomed teaching yoga at mid-life as both a gift to herself and a giving engagement with others. She credits her education and her travels for enhancing her understanding of and appreciation for yoga. Registered at the 200 Hour level with Yoga Alliance, Mary has studied with Theresa Murphy, Rolf Gates, Steve Pizzanello, and Marilyn Barnett. Mary thanks the wonderful family of teachers at BYO and her own family for supporting and continually inspiring her.
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Michelle Kohrs discovered Bikram yoga in 2003. Having had
minimal experience with yoga of any kind, she didn't know what to expect.
As she lay in savasana at the end of class, covered from head to toe in
sweat, and feeling more at peace in her own body than ever before, she knew
she was hooked. As with anything in life, her practice waxed and waned over
time, but the mind/body benefits of yoga always called her back to the mat.
As a freelance filmmaker and writer, Michelle considered adding the title of
"yoga teacher" to her bag of tricks. At the time, teaching seemed that it
could be a cool gig on the side. She started the One Tree Yoga teacher
training program in 2006. Amidst the many hours spent reading ancient texts,
going through intensive trainings, learning about anatomy and exploring the
other limbs of yoga, she has discovered a renewed passion in all that yoga
encompasses and is excited to share this with her students.
Michelle's other passions are filmmaking and traveling, particularly
combined together. She traveled to Tanzania in 2006 to shoot the documentary
The Face of Ukimwi. The film explores the changing face of the AIDS crisis
in Sub-Sahara Africa. |
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Danielle Martinic began her journey down the path of
yoga in 2003 at the urging of One Tree Yoga teacher, Paddy Tarlton. Like
many, upon first visit to a Bikram class she questioned the sanity but
ultimately knew she had found what she was looking for; a great body & mind
workout. A full time mother of two beautiful girls and wife to a gung-ho,
gotta-save-the-world cop Danielle appreciates the physical aspect as well as
the mental retreat yoga offers.
Yoga has had such a positive impact on Danielle’s life that she decided to
become a yoga instructor in order to share everything yoga has to offer with
others. When Danielle is not at One Tree Yoga or at home with her family she
is working at Bella Dea Day Spa as a licensed massage therapist. Danielle
recently became the first certified practitioner of the Arvigo Techniques of
Maya Abdominal Massage, focusing on female reproductive health, in Nebraska.
Danielle would like to thank Paddy for pointing her in the direction of yoga
and would like to give a special thank you to Theresa Murphy and Carol
Westerman for the opportunities and support to they have given her along her
way. |
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Keefer Peterson started on his yogic path early in life, but his first formal training wasn't until 1998 with Melanie Palm. From that day on, he knew that he had to do more and learn more about the ancient practice of yoga beyond the asanas! While doing a regular Hatha practice, he took his first Bikram class, and from there everything began to bloom. Keefer completed his teacher training in Omaha and has attended numerous workshops throughout the Midwest and the U.S., most notably with Mark Whitwell and Sarab Kaur.
Keefer teaches Bikram-style as well as vinyasa, kundalini, yin, partner, and youth yoga classes. He is a certified yoga instructor with over five years of teaching experience and is registered with the Yoga Alliance at the 200-hour level.
When Keefer is not on the mat, he has a successful career as a professional pianist and music director. He is currently employed at Creighton University as their accompanist in their choral and dance departments. He has performed internationally with the University of Nebraska Concert Choir and has toured extensively throughout the southeast with the Valdosta Players.
He salutes and thanks all of the gurus that have guided him and illuminated the path for his continuing journey!
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Karla Pirruccello began her path in yoga in 1995 and after studying actively for seven years she made the decision to teach. Under the guidance of Ganga White and Tracy Rich, Karla completed her teacher training in 2002 at the White Lotus Foundation in Santa Barbara California. Since that time she has found inspiration and direction from a number of distinguished teachers including Rodney Yee, Angela Farmer, Mary Paffard, Baxter Bell, and Christy Burnette. Karla's passion for yoga comes from her desire to develop a relaxed mind, a strong, open body and a more compassionate spirit. More importantly, she is dedicated to sharing this journey of personal discovery with others.
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Adrienne Posey began practicing yoga as a child with her father at age 7. She continued to explore movement as a rhythmic gymnast for 10 years and later with dance for 6 years. In 2002 Adrienne earned a degree in Exercise Science from Creighton University, during which she also received her yoga teacher certification at Kripalu in 2001. She trained at the Himalayan Institute Tradition in India in 2006. Adrienne's classes focus on self-awareness, community, and having fun. She is currently balancing a new nursing career in pediatrics with teaching yoga.
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Troy Rapp began practicing meditation in 1995, and
by 1996 was practicing intensively and attending weekend retreats
regularly at Nebraska Zen Center in Omaha. From 1997 to 2000 he resided
at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, a retreat center affiliated with the
San Francisco Zen Center, and at Sambosa, a Korean Zen temple in Carmel
Valley California. He returned to Omaha in the fall of 2000.
Up until this time, Troy's yoga practice was a hodgepodge of postures
learned primarily from fellow residents at the meditation centers he
lived at. He viewed asana primarily as a means of opening his hips and
back in preparation for sitting meditation. It wasn't until around the
time of his return to Omaha that he began to appreciate asana as a
practice in it's own right, recognizing that sitting meditation and the
practice of asana mutually enhance one another.
In 2001 he began to attend classes regularly at the Omaha Yoga and
Bodywork Center. Meanwhile, he continued to seek out opportunities to
deepen his meditation practice, attending 3 month retreats at the
Providence Zen Center in the winters of 2003 and 2004, and a 3 month
retreat at Musangsa/Kye Ryong Sahn International Zen Center in South
Korea in 2005. During the summer of 2007 he began attending vinyasa and
hatha yoga classes at One Tree Yoga regularly. He returned to
Providence in the winter of 2008 to attend the 3 month winter retreat.
Over the years he has attended numerous meditation retreats of shorter
duration ranging from 1 day to 3 weeks.
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Ron Samuelson attended his first Bikram Yoga class in 2001, and was hooked before Trikanasana! Years of searching for a way to relieve stress and maintain youthfulness was at an end. Then the spiritual quest dawned, and as his yoga practice began to build, so did his thirst for knowledge. When the opportunity arose to join the teacher training class of 2004, Ron took a leap of faith and has been active as a yoga teacher and practitioner ever since.
Life is busy for Ron ~ you may see him outside of the yoga studio at his restaurants, M's pub and Vivace, or traveling the world with his wife, Cathy. He would like to thank and acknowledge the following mentors to his practice on and off of the mat: Theresa Murphy, Rolf Gates, Marilyn Barnett, Margaret Hahn, and Bill Wilson.
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Lynn Sanchez Ballai was part of the initial teacher trainee
class at One Tree Yoga in 2002 and has over the past six years taught people
of all ages and abilities in recreation centers, yoga studios, and her mom's
basement! Now she has come full circle and returned to the hood and her
roots and is thrilled to be back.
"I like to combine all the energetic styles of yoga that I love -- ashtanga,
power, Bikram’s style -- in a way that is approachable, empowering, fun and
challenging. But the thing I hope students take away from classes with me is
that the practice of yoga is about celebrating the present moment exactly as
it is. Yoga is not about self-improvement -- it's about paying attention. In
its highest form, yoga alleviates suffering in the world." |
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Betty Smith enjoys life and brings
excitement and enthusiasm to her classes. She finds that teaching teaches
her, and that every class is agift. Through her own practice, she has found
that the structure of yoga has not only brought flexibility to her body, but
has also brought a beneficial balance of structure and flexibility to her
life. Attaining a safe and secure place within the postures allows her to
walk in a more safe and secure world and the deeper within that yoga takes
her, the more options without open to her. Betty is also a licensed massage
therapist with Crossroads Massage (402.709.3195). She has had international
training in various bodywork techniques, including deep tissue massage, Zero
Balancing, Cranial Sacral and Acupressure Processing. She believes that
watching the shifts and strengthening of the bodies of her yoga students has
also enhanced her bodywork skills. She is grateful for all of her teachers
on this life-long journey. |
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Robyn Tait took
her first yoga classes in 1975 as a way to escape the confines of
boarding school in Nelson, New Zealand. She incorporated bits of yoga
into her life for many years, but began her "real" practice after moving to
Washington D.C. in 1987. It has been a consistent part of her life ever
since, providing a link to herself and to the spirit of her homeland, all
land, where ever she is.
Robyn completed her teacher training with Susi Amendola in 1994, and has
taught at OYBC and in the Dr. Dean Ornish Program for Reversing Heart
Disease at Immanuel Hospital. In 2002 she spent a year in New Zealand where
she was privileged to study Iyengar yoga with Rosie Holland. She is Yoga
Alliance Certified at the 200-hour level.
Yoga has given her the freedom to hear the voice of the divine. She loves
to share this path with others, using asana, meditation, breath and
chanting.
She gives thanks to her teachers: Susi Amendola, Rosie Holland, Gurmukh
Kaur Khalsa, Theresa Murphy, Angela Farmer, her parents, her three teenage
children, and her husband, John. |
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Paddy Tarlton has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Modern Dance from the University of Oklahoma. She has performed in several semi-professional dance companies and has been a resident teacher/choreographer for Dance Artists of Tulsa and UNO's the Moving Company. After years of dancing and a debilitating fall, Paddy's back finally said "No way! Thanks for playing, now try again." Yoga was the natural path for an injured dancer and after experiencing her first Bikram class, she was hooked. Gone was the chiropractic therapy and the pain, a healthier body and a renewed sense of hope soon followed. Not long after, Tippi took Paddy under her wing and trained her patiently and lovingly on the Bikram method and the yogi path. On that path ever since, spreading the gospel of the yoga way with abiding thankfulness for the honor and privilege to be a Bikram Instructor. Paddy is a certified yoga instructor, registered with the Yoga Alliance at the 200-hour level. Paddy has also studied with Tony Sanchez, Rolf Gates and Susie Amendola. Thanks to Tippi and Steve Denenberg, Theresa Murphy and all the studio instructors past and present that have enriched my life beyond what I ever thought it could become. Do More Yoga! Namaste.
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Carole Westerman began her yoga journey in 1998 while living in
Northern California, exploring many styles of yoga including Iyengar,
Kundalini, Vinyasa, Bikram, Sivananda, and Viniyoga. She immediately fell in
love and practiced yoga through her pregnancies, helping her to bring 3
lovely daughters into the world. Carole introduced her children to yoga at
an early age, and her passion for the practice grew, as she explored yoga
for babies, toddlers, and kids. Balancing motherhood and the demands of life
is the ultimate yoga for her. Carole's strength is providing yoga to varying
populations in a fun, safe, accepting, and nurturing environment.
Carole has a Masters Degree in Psychology, and has combined this knowledge
with her yoga experience to create her eclectic style as a yoga instructor.
Carole has trained locally with Susi Amendola, and is registerd with Yoga
Alliance at the 200-hour level. Carole is a Childbirth Educator, and is
certified to teach prenatal yoga through Gurmukh's Khalsa Way training
program in Los Angeles. Carole is currently working on her 500-hour level
training with Shiva Rea.
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Jackson comes from a long line of yogis. His biggest
strengths as a teacher are his devotion and loyalty. When he's not hanging
out at One Tree Yoga you can find him curled up on his bed at home or
running through the park. Jackson gives a deep bow-bow to his most loyal
student, Theresa Murphy. |
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