“Call me Humpty Dumpty ! Yoga helped put me back together again.”

Marsha was damaged goods when she first landed on the yoga mat. Years of fitness classes, running, dance etc. had taken a toll on her body. Long hours as a personal trainer had her exhausted and with her type A+++++ personality the idea of slowing down to relax was painful. Her body was stiff and injured and her mind was wound tight and frazzled. She realized she needed to make some changes and so she gave yoga a try.

At first she was drawn to yoga for a new way to “workout” and she tolerated the relaxation and meditation portions. As the years passed she learned to value the “work in” component of the practice and soon found a deep sense of wellbeing and healing on many levels. During life’s challenges she has found yoga to be a life raft that has kept her afloat and at other times a rocket ship that has lifted her to new heights. Marsha is extremely knowledgable and passionate about sharing yoga’s powerful benefits and the ability to heal and transform with others.

Her mission is simple, to help others feel better about themselves and in doing so uplift the world one heart at a time. To be greeted by her warm smile, soothing voice and uplifting presence is a gift she extends to all. Marsha’s classes are like going to a temple, a gym and a university all at once. She blends asanas with themes that are applicable to daily life and leaves you feeling empowered , encouraged and inspired. She has the ability to connect with people and create a non-intimidating environment. She is attentive and intune with her students and has a way of making everyone feel comfortable and capable. Her light-hearted style of teaching is fun , refreshing and entertaining.

Over the past 15 years Marsha has had the great priviledge of studying with many inspirational teachers, like John Friend, Desiree Rumbaugh, & Moses Brown, to name a few. She is an certified Anusara® teacher and the owner of Fusion Studio in Cedar Rapids, Ia. Marsha offers destination yoga retreats, teacher trainings and workshops on a national and international level. Marsha’s mantra is ; Every challenge is a blessing in disguise , a gift that makes us stronger, more conscious and ultimately, more alive.

Bev is an Anusara-Inspired™ teacher who has studied yoga for 10 years and has been teaching for over 6 years. She has studied with John Friend, Desiree Rumbaugh, Moses Brown, Betsey Downing , Martin & Jordan Kirk and is in the process of becoming Anusara® certified.

Bev became a serious student when she realized the powerful effect that yoga had in her life on a physical, emotional, and spiritual level. Her style of teaching and dedication to Anusara® yoga creates a heart-oriented, light hearted yet challenging atmosphere with a strong emphasis on the principles of alignment. Bev's approach offers loving support, encouraging students to look within and discover their own unique gifts and abilities on and off the mat.

Brenda is an Anusara-Inspired™ yoga teacher who has been teaching for the past 4 years and has been a yoga student for 8. Brenda encourages a playful exploration of our bodies on this yoga journey, helping students expand their individual potential and finding freedom from personal limitations.

She has been blessed with the opportunity to study anatomy with Martin Kirk, therapeutics wtih Amy Ippoliti, as well as workshop classes with Desiree Raumbaugh, Betsey Downing, Moses Brown and the master himself, John Friend. Brenda is also certified in pre-natal yoga and has taught classes for teens and children in the community. Brenda continues her personal yoga adventure through physical, spiritual and mental practices and loves to share these learnings with her students.

"Rachel Klapper is a yoga teacher, eco-entrepreneur, and living food enthusiast with a commitment to teaching yoga and other lifestyle changes that impact both our own lives and those of our fellow beings on planet earth. An Anusara-Inspired™ teacher since March 2010, Rachel has taught yoga for over three years and has been a practitioner for over fourteen. Inspired by this life-changing practice and how it’s helped her to grow on so many levels, Rachel offers classes filled with humor, playfulness, and knowledge to help guide others on their own path. She has the honor and privilege of studying regularly with Marsha Nieland, Amy Ippoliti, Desiree Rumbaugh, and John Friend, her main teachers in the Anusara® method."

Andrea Franz Parks was first interested in yoga as a child. She would study and try to copy yoga poses she saw in one of her mother's books. She finally found her first formal yoga class in 2001. She tried several different styles of yoga before finding Marsha and Anusara® yoga in 2004. The universal principles of alignment of Anusara yoga gave Andrea the confidence to explore each pose like she hadn't before. She took every workshop that came to town and even traveled to Colorado for the first North American Anusara Grand Gathering.

She has participated in multiple workshops with John Friend, Moses Brown, Desiree Rumbaugh, Amy Ippoliti, Betsey Downing, and Martin Kirk. She knew she wanted to learn more so she signed up for Immersion I and Immersion II with Marsha Nieland. With Andrea's background in teaching and coaching she naturally gravitated toward teaching yoga and graduated from Marsha Nieland's Teacher Training Program in 2009. Andrea loves sharing her knowledge of yoga with her students while she continues her own study.

Lisa has been a lifelong advocate of "physical and mental fitness within reason". But it was the spiritual component that really drew her to yoga. Balance of life commitments are a given, the student will immediately feel comfortable with her attention to needs and level of experience. You should have no qualms attending a session, whether a seasoned veteran or beginning student, she will make you feel welcome. Yoga instructor, mother of four, engineer, wife, lend a strong background to assist you on your yoga journey.

Lisa has taken her training from world-class instructor Marsha Nieland. She has also attended workshops with John Friend, Betsey Downing, Amy Ippoliti, and Martin Kirk.