I began practicing yoga during my second pregnancy in 1998. Now that I know the benefits that yoga has for my body, mind, and spirit, I only wish that I had started much sooner. As my yoga practice deepened, so did my desire to share yoga with others.
Surya Center for Yoga is a community of like-minded students. I am grateful for and find strength from my students - they make me a better teacher. I want to help my students to realign and reconnect with their true greatness.
My goal is to share with others what I have learned from my teachers: Desiree Rumbaugh, John Friend, Ross Rayburn, Becky Klett, and all the other Anusara teachers who have crossed my path. I am inspired by their wisdom.
I also owe gratitude to my husband and three boys for their support and encouragement. They teach me on a daily basis, and give me the space to grow and share with others..
Besides teaching classes at Surya, I enjoy teaching yoga in the corporate setting. I have taught over the past 6 years at fabulous companies, including: Haggar, Essilor, Rent-A-Center, Nissan, 1-2, MADD, The Container Store, Allstate Insurance, Seiplest, and Michaels.
Lisa is an RYT, E.RYT, with over 500 hours of training and the owner of Surya Center for Yoga. Lisa also teaches Advanced Studies Certification workshops.
Jackie Romero, E-RYT 200
Jackie began practicing yoga over 30 years ago as a teenager, and has been involved with yoga ever since. Jackie has spent the better part of her life in the practice and teaching of physical fitness and overall wellness. Initially, she taught fitness and aerobics, and later became a Registered Massage Therapist (RMT), and has worked in that area for over twenty years. She also earned her Master’s Degree in Marriage-Family Therapy (MFT) and has worked with several doctors in their professional practices.
The pursuit and attainment of her Registered Yoga Teacher Certification through Yoga Island and endorsed by Yoga Alliance, was both a logical progression and culmination of a lifelong interest that has blossomed into a passion for yoga. Jackie has studied with a variety of teachers, including Rod Stryker, Seanne Corn, Baron Baptiste, Ana Forest , Judith Lasater, Dharma Mittra, Desiree Rumbaugh and Suzie Aldous. She is also certified to teach Pre-Natal Yoga, Restorative Yoga and Yoga for MS.
Her passion is to help students realize increased self-awareness by letting go of negativity, becoming more balanced in their lives and enhancing the unity of mind, body and spirit through the experience of yoga.
Jackie lives in Coppell with her husband Jess, and their two children, Danielle and Gabe.
Jan Guinn, E-RYT 500
Jan has been a dedicated yoga practitioner for many years. Since her first yoga class, she knew that yoga would change her life....and so it has. In 2004, Jan left her career as a healthcare executive to become a yoga instructor. She began her training with YogaFit and has completed a 500 hour training program in the Scaravelli method of yoga. She is a Registered Yoga Instructor meeting the standards set forth by the Yoga Alliance and currently teaches yoga, Pilates, and Senior Fitness at several facilities in the area.
Ragini Bharadwaj, RYT
In 2005 Ragini bought a yoga DVD to see what the "yoga hype" was all about. After her first practice, she noticed a considerable difference in herself. Not only was her physical fatigue gone but so was her mental fatigue. After that, she did yoga for several years on her own. However, she wanted to delve deeper into her practice and learn from an instructor. That is when she found Surya - learning with a teacher gave her a new appreciation for the art of yoga.
Since then, Yoga has become a very important part in her life, especially since there are so many tools to help with physical and emotional ailments. As her body has continued to transform and become more flexible, so has her mind. She realized very soon that the practice broadened from the finite physical self to the infinite mind.
The possibilites that yoga can bring to a person are limitless. Her curiosity to learn new techniqes about poses, history, sutras and the energy system has kept her very interested in yoga. There is always a sense of happiness knowing that the teachings of yoga can enhance daily life.
She likes to teach yoga to others for the joy of sharing and the enlightenment it brings them. Her goal is to share yoga in its holistic form with all fellow yogis.
Gloria de la Garza Pemberton, RYT
Gloria has been in the fitness profession for over twenty years and was introduced to yoga as an alternate form of exercise while dealing with her Lupus.She quickly became hooked on not only the physical aspects but also the therapeutic benefits it has provided her.Gloria decided to completely immerse herself into yoga and has pursued this effort with her typical level of energy and enthusiasm.Practicing yoga and meditation has given her a spiritual well-being she hopes to share with others through teaching yoga.
Gloria’s training includes Yoga Fit certifications in Levels One, Two and Three, an intensive teacher training with Baron Baptiste in the CatskillsMountains, NY, and training and studying with Rod Stryker and Beryl Bender Birch.She currently has over 250 hours of training in Power Vinyasa, Hatha, Ashtanga and Raja yoga.She will complete her RYT designation in October of 2008.In addition, Gloria has been a certified fitness instructor through the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America since 1989, and is also a certified Reiki practitioner.
Gloria graduated form The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science in Education.She lives in Coppell with her two children and her best friend and husband of 20 years.
Lisa Merino, RYT
Lisa was first exposed to yoga in 2002 at her gym. Her third child was almost one, and she had quit working in the corporate world to stay home with her kids. She had been intrigued by yoga, and thought it would help her reduce stress and give her some “me” time (she had three kids under age three at the time). She loved the way yoga made her feel, and began attending class 2-3 times per week. After a few years, Lisa talked to her instructor about becoming a teacher. Her instructor led her to a yoga studio, where she completed her Yoga Alliance 200-hour Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) certification in 2007.
Lisa desired to become a yoga instructor to help expose as many people as possible to yoga, because it has helped her in many ways. It brings her great joy to see her students realize the physical, mental and spiritual benefits of yoga in their own lives. To achieve her dream of exposing many to yoga, in addition to the classes she teaches at Surya; Lisa has taught yoga to teachers at her kids' school, kid's yoga classes, and even brought her Girl Scout troop to Surya to practice yoga. Her own daughters love yoga; Lisa feels she is giving them a wonderful gift by exposing them to yoga at any early age.
Lisa lives in Carrollton with her husband and soul-mate Stephen. They have been married 11 years and have three precious girls: 9-year-old twins named Sarah & Rachel, and a 7-year-old named Beth.
Susan Huber, RYT
Susan got bit by the yoga bug after taking her first class10 years ago. Last year she leaped into her Yoga journey even deeper and started taking Anusara influenced Yoga classes at Surya and then completed a 200 RYT Certification. Susan is very passionate about her personal practice and is ready to share her knowledge and joy of Yoga with others.
You may recognize her voice from Radio Disney, where she spent the past decade as one of their national DJs. She brings that same enthusiasm to her yoga classes, full of heart and soul. In her spare time, Susan enjoys spending time with her husband and their dog, Rita, cooking and visiting the beautiful state of Maine.
Brooke Franklin, RYT
Brooke began studying yoga in 1999 and completed her 200 Hour Teacher Training in 2009. She has taken Becky Klett's 108-Hour Anusara Yoga Immersion and Ross Rayburn's 50-Hour Anusara Yoga Level 1 Teacher Training programs. Brooke plans on continuing her Anusara Yoga studies.
With her extensive teaching background in dance and martial arts, Brooke is a natural yogini. She shares her passion for yoga with her sister who owns a yoga studio and teaches yoga in Maui, Hawaii. When not teaching or practicing yoga, Brooke spends time reading, traveling, and working in the aviation industry.
Michelle Silva, RYT
Michelle Silva took her first yoga class in 2001 at Baylor University, and has been practicing ever since. Yoga has been both a compliment and a necessity to her other passion as an equestrian.
Finally at the age of 27 she was able to pursue her dream of becoming a 200 Registered Yoga Teacher with an emphasis on Anusara yoga. Her passion for yoga only grew as she began her teaching career, and is ever evolving. Now, Michelle is continuing working toward becoming a certified Anusara teacher.
Angie Kogutt, RYT
Angieʼs journey with yoga began unknowingly in 2000 when she started using meditation to relieve the stress of a chaotic life working for a technology firm in Austin. A demanding career requiring long hours, extensive travel and unpredictable job security led to various stress-induced symptoms including depression, anxiety and insomnia. Meditation provided immediate relief and eventually led her to move to Dallas for a less demanding career.
In 2005, Angie decided to try a yoga class at Surya. Her practice there soon led to an unexpected spiritual awakening that has since transformed all aspects of her life. She began to immerse herself in the study and practice of yoga and fate led her to John Friend, the founder of Anusara Yoga. After her introduction to Anusara, her practice deepened and she found herself guided to the path of becoming a yoga teacher.
Angie became a Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Teacher in 2007. Her teaching style is heavily influenced by the spiritual aspects of yoga and she incorporates many of the Anusara techniques in her classes. She is very interested in the energetic benefits of yoga and focuses her classes on performing poses that open and balance the chakra energy centers in the body.
Angie has a bachelorʼs and a masterʼs degree from Texas Christian University. She works part time doing corporate communications for the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas and is also a certified Reiki practitioner.
Jennifer Martin, RYT, PT
Jennifer’s yoga journey began when she started training for her first, and only, full marathon. Struggling with tightness and injuries in various muscles and joints led her to yoga for therapeutic relief. Slowly, but surely, she began to truly see the benefits of yoga and Pilates. She has since run several half marathons and continues to run today, but yoga and Pilates have become her passion. She strives personally to become stronger and more flexible, utilizing good technique, posture, and alignment, all through yoga and Pilates principles. She hopes to bring her passion for fitness to her students and help them see what their bodies can become, regardless of the package it comes in.
Jennifer received a degree in Physical Therapy from Louisiana State University Medical School and has been a Physical Therapist for 15 years. She currently works part time at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas. When she’s not working as a therapist or teaching classes, she is working as a stay at home mom. Jennifer, her husband of 15 years, and their three children live in Coppell.
