J N A N A    Y O G A
TEACHERS
FOUNDER / OWNER / TEACHER
NICOLE NELSON
Nicole Nelson comes to you with over 16 years of yoga teaching experience. Originally born and raised in Long Branch, NJ, she was inspired to travel and learn yoga and meditation directly from the source. Her yoga travels include two teacher trainings under Yogi Vishvketu in Rishikesh India centered on breathing techniques, kriyas, yoga nidra, yoga for back injury, children’s yoga, chair yoga and kundalini to name a few of the disciplines. During this time, she also studied and worked as a karma yogi (work-study) at Svaha studio in Amsterdam under her teachers Gosta and Patrick. This is where the real learning took place, as she devoured the yoga teachings, reading every history, philosophy and any other book on yoga while studying the practice full-time.  She also studied at the Iyengar Institute while living and teaching in Amsterdam.  Her meditation studies include a multitude of 10-day silent vipassana retreats and learning under different monks in both Thailand and Myanmar. Nicole’s classes are an amalgamation of her background and generally focus on breath and alignment.  Be ready to laugh, feel joy and let go!
YOGA INSTRUCTOR
DOROTHY KURZYDLOWSKI 
Dorothy stumbled upon her first yoga class many years ago and the first thing she noticed was that she had just spent an entire hour without anything heavy weighing on her mind. She knew immediately that she had found something special, something that would transform the way she lived. After completing her 200-hour certification, she wondered; what type of teacher do I want to be, how can I benefit my students in the best way possible? Dorothy loves teaching vinyasa flows that energize the body with music that moves the soul but more importantly, she loves to create a space for her students that is fun, authentic and keeps you coming back for more.
YOGA INSTRUCTOR
DREMA LINDIE 
Drema has  been teaching “yoga” since 1997. After two decades, she landed in what she calls the practice of Fascia yoga.  She continues to lead flow-style classes, but you will always find Fascia yoga as the foundational ground upon which we flow. Fascia yoga is a series of postures practiced with specific midline or core alignment and breath (Prana). It is a practice that can help you to locate balance within yourself and connect with your strength which inevitably helps the Body/Mind to realign with a natural sense of ease. Prana (life-force) in the form of breath is an indirect way to quiet the Mind. Learning how to breathe properly and establishing a breathing practice in your life is a direct route to open the Heart and aligning with Wellness.
QIGONG & TAI CHI INSTRUCTOR
MELINDA APPLEGATE 
Melinda Applegate is a certified teacher of Qigong & Tai Chi by The Chi Center in Santa Cruz, Ca. She has a IIQTC Qigong Community Leadership certification from Dr. Roger Jahnke. Overall she has studied with many other brilliant teachers accruing over 1500 hours of training thus far. She holds an honorary degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine from Heartwood Institute and is a member of the National Qigong Association. Melinda has been an Asian Healing Arts Practitioner since 2001. She began her journey with qigong and tai chi as a daily practice over 28+ years ago. On a healing path away from injuries and stress she was led to eventually become an accomplished bodyworker & certified teacher of Qigong. This life has brought her much joy and happiness, teaching all ages and abilities.
YOGA INSTRUCTOR
KEN FRANCO 
Ken's yoga journey started over ten years ago. He began exploring yoga for the physical benefits not realizing the spiritual and emotional aspects of a daily practice. Yoga has opened him up to have more balance, strength, flexibility and clarity each and every day.  After five years, he felt compelled to learn more and decided to embark upon a teacher training to further expand his knowledge. He studied with Rodney Yee and Colleen Saidman Yee at The Yoga Shanti in NYC and completed his 200 hours RYT Training with Evenflow Yoga in Red Bank. Ken has been teaching for over five years and loves to share his knowledge and wisdom of the practice to help others feel better about themselves.  He is experienced in multiple yoga styles and disciplines including Gentle, Yin, Vinyasa, Power, breath awareness, philosophy, anatomy and sequencing.  His dynamic teaching focuses on breath, while being in the present moment. Ken's classes intend to provide mindfulness, balance, flexibility, strength and stamina in order to  reduce stress and anxiety and find inner peace.
YOGA INSTRUCTOR
JACQUIE TAMMAM
Jacquie has been practicing yoga for over a decade, and knew the moment she finished her first practice that this was something that will always be in her life. She completed her 200 hour teacher training in 2014 to expand her knowledge of the practice a bit deeper. But having the passion and love of yoga took her to teach right away! Now she teaches many different styles of yoga , in Deal NJ and Brooklyn, NY, as well as creating a fun yoga flow by the wall called “Wall Works” that has become very popular. She is constantly growing in her learning of the practice and has completed her training in Yin yoga as well. She looks forward to every class she teaches and loves seeing the growth in her students, physically and emotionally. 
YOGA INSTRUCTOR
GEMMA SPINA
Gemma is a 200HR RYT trained in traditional Ashtanga (8 limbs) yoga which includes Hatha yoga and Vinyasa flow (combining breath with movement) and meditation. She loves to teach beginners to advanced students the joys of yoga which include the spiritual as well as physical aspects of yoga. Her priority is the comfort and safety of her students through proper alignment and gentle adjustments. She creates a comfortable, non-intimidating atmosphere through laughter, compassion and a sense of community of like minded souls. When not teaching she enjoys walking her two fur babies on the beach, going for hikes and exploring the town on her bike. ​ 
YOGA INSTRUCTOR
LAUREN CAP 
Lauren discovered yoga in college and immediately felt a connection to the practice. In 2010, she became a certified yoga instructor as a means to combat the stress of living in NYC. She found herself gravitating towards anatomy based instructors as their sequences felt right in her body. In hopes to offer the same to her students, she decided to enhance her knowledge with a certification as a Yoga Tune Up® Teacher and Therapy Ball Practitioner through The Roll Model Method. She has completed 2 Integrated Embodied Anatomy courses through YTU/RMM, 100hrs of Meta Anatomy with Kristin Leal and received a certification in Quantum Leap, a biomechanics and kinesiology training with Sarah Court, as well as several online courses with Jenni Rawlings. Lauren is always searching for ways to teach outside the box by studying and staying open minded to new information. Her teaching style is lighthearted and simple, so everyone feels comfortable in their skin and safe in their body. When she is not teaching yoga, Lauren writes for Yoga Love Magazine and works as an Operations Manager for a Global Concierge company.
YOGA INSTRUCTOR
KERRY E. ZUKOWSKI 
Kerry is originally from Old Bridge, NJ and moved to the Jersey Shore area in 2006 where she discovered Yoga.  After practicing for about 5 years, she finally felt she was ready to share her passion and knowledge of Yoga with others.  She received her 200-hour YTT from Barbara Paulsen of In Balance Yoga in 2011 (Red Bank, NJ).  She also has her BS in Psychology and Psychosocial Rehabilitation from Kean University and UMDNJ.  Other areas of training include Level 2 Reiki, Radiant Child Yoga, and Yin Yoga training.  Her interests in Eastern Methodologies began in her teenage years when she taught herself meditation, visualization, and intention setting at age 14.  Kerry has taught various styles of Yoga including Beginner/Level 1, Baptiste Inspired Power Vinyasa, Gentle Yoga, Restorative, and Yin.  Her classes all have the underlying tone of being meditative, soothing, and nurturing.  During her Vinyasa classes you will feel worked but will leave feeling grounded and calm.  Her Yin classes offer pose variations for all skill levels and individual structural body variations with the aim to find inner stillness.
YOGA INSTRUCTOR
ADAM SCHWARTZ 
Adam Schwartz has been teaching yoga since 2012 and has completed six different teacher trainings accumulating 1400 hours. Adam has also been involved in assisting teacher trainings and has taught more than 2,000 classes in styles including Vinyasa, Yin, Bikram and Dharma. Adam began his yoga journey in 2008 and still maintains a daily practice of asana(poses), pranayama (breathing exercises) and meditation.
LONG BRANCH, NEW JERSEY
JNANA YOGA
We warmly welcome you to our space for movement and stillness. In the ancient standard, yoga is the awareness of unity. Our studio is a place for encounters. It offers freedom to share common abilities and integral consciousness in the world. At Jnana Yoga, we enjoy the value of yoga which is married to a profound understanding of life and personal development through humility, experience, and personal development. Our unique approach offers a clear connection  to traditional teachings, independent study and, integrity in one's own practice.