Drum roll please..

This Flow master supreme started her practice with Bryan Kest on VHS, on a whim walked into a Soho studio and began teacher training. Vanessa has now been teaching in NYC and this county for 23 years. She specializes in creating practices that are fluid, functional and fun. She encourages humor&compassion, perseverance & perception , love &laughter. 

Her style has grown and developed over the years , but her undeviating standard has and will always be.. Challenge, Compassion , Community.

Vanessa is the founder of “Headstands for Hunger “a yoga-based non for profit whose mission is to unify local yoga teachers and their communities , to feed hungry people and homeless pets . 

Vanessa has truly found her purpose in the practice. 

Meet Serena! This beautiful whirling dervish has been leading yogis for over two decades with glitter on her fingertips and just enough magic running through her veins to be the human embodiment of a unicorn.

After the death of her mother in 1998, someone told Serena to "try yoga." Lost and looking, she stepped through the doors of Jivamukti NYC. Her first class was a transformational, love-at-first-flow moment. Serena spent an entire summer living at Ananda Ashram in upstate New York and soon after received her teaching  certification at Laughing Lotus in NYC, where she was a Senior Teacher for several years.

Her classes are a celebration of inspired movement, conscious breathing, and vibrant music to create an experience of transformation. 

Her greatest advice to her students is simple this: "Smile and LIVE YOUR LIFE”

Maria started her yoga journey in high school to VHS tapes with Rodney Yee. 20 yrs later she found a deeper connection to her yoga practice. On many different levels. Teaching nearly a decade, she skillfully guides and creates a “safe” space for her students.

From her knowledge of anatomy, her own experience with injuries, her classes are very alignment based. 

Maria’s classes are an expression of peaceful intensity she says “create your foundation, the strength and power will follow.” Maria's practice is deeply rooted in “Bhakt Yoga” the spiritual path. She expresses her loving devotion towards a personal god/self to see the divine in everything. 

Tim was dragged kicking and screaming by his wife Kristin to his first yoga class. Years of relentlessly touring with his (old band) Ensign, as well as working on the road with many high profile bands had taken its toll on his body.  He eventually found his yoga home at the Jivamukti Yoga School in downtown Manhattan.

Tim believes that yoga should be for everyone. And that regardless of socio-economic status, gender identity, race, age, body type, “skill” level, yoga should be safe and available to all. Tim is passionate about the current state of our world, and believes that all things happen one breath at a time, and through yoga we are given the tools to change things for the better.

Tim infuses his class with music, humor, and an accessible asana practice.

May we find strength through our compassion, and may our compassion give us strength, to take what we do, on these mats, out into the world and change it! Go Vegan!

Regina found yoga when she moved into her first apartment and a new studio opened the same year down the street. She has been teaching since 2010 and is passionate about the value a yoga practice can bring to one’s life. Regina’s time on the mat helps her to realize the importance of balance and presence. Her classes are strong and relaxing with emphasis on breath and alignment.

When an experience in a yoga class at her local gym in NYC left her feeling like she could finally take a deep breath, April decided she needed to know more.

Her initial desire was to be a student, not a teacher. However, the day after she finished her 500-hour program with Ishta Yoga, April lost her job at Random House. She took this as a sign and soon had a full schedule of classes, private and corporate clients in NYC. 

Her practice and teaching have significantly shifted over the years - due to injury, circumstances, and her love of being a student. The practice has supported her throughout, and April's classes leave space for each individual to explore and tap into their own potential. 
Meditation, pranayama, and kriya are key elements she infuses into all her classes.

April has been teaching for over two decades. She is also a proud vegan, a poet and also a local realtor.

Caught up in suburbia and expectations, daily tasks and kid activities, Denise became aware she was losing herself and her mind. On a quest of self exploration, she found yoga. She also found her purpose. Denise was certified in 2006 and has been teaching full time for 17 years. Her goal has always been to encourage people to keep learning, keep trying and to support each other. What is yoga? It has always been community for Denise. 

Her classes that she likes to call “open level flow” contain creative sequencing and are usually themed. She does not lose sight that yoga is also a spiritual practice. Sometimes vigorous, modifications and adjustments subtly offered. Lighthearted and fun, laughter permitted. Your mat is a metaphor for your life. 

Jesse is our youngest and newest instructor at purpose, being directly trained under studio head Vanessa VanNoy. Cusimano will be teaching out of Vanessa’s proven system and is excited to grow in his personal style along with his students. Jesse has been a life long athlete, surfer, and fitness enthusiast. Before ever unrolling a yoga mat, Jesse spent most of his life on a wrestling mat competing and coaching for over 15 years.

Yoga has helped him grow in strength and balance ,both on and off the mat, physically ,mentally, and emotionally. He believes in the principals of getting out of your head and into your body, welcoming challenges and discomfort through exercise, and striving to maintain center-based peace in all situations” 

Most importantly Jesse seeks to create a fun yet focused environment, filled with great music and dynamic movement that will deliver a challenge to his students of every level , all while not taking anything too seriously. It may not be easy, but we are going to have a good time. All levels welcome!