sophie tashkovski
Sophie Tashkovski is a graduate of Jamesville DeWitt High School and William Smith College. She began a dedicated yoga practice as a repose from her stressful corporate lifestyle in Boston, MA. Practicing at studios throughout Boston, Sophie was exposed to several different yoga styles and many amazing teachers.
Yoga helped Sophie get better balance in her life, and when a downsizing occurred at work, she completed her 200 hour teacher training in Boston at Charlestown Yoga. The training was a conduit for change; after 13 years in Boston, Sophie returned to Central New York in 2011 and currently owns Syracuse Yoga, teaches Yoga full time, and completed her 500 hour Advanced Yoga Training with Tiffany Cruikshank's Yoga Medicine program. She is a Yoga Medicine® Registered Therapeutic Specialist.
Sophie teaches all styles of Yoga, focusing on Anatomical Vinyasa and Yin, all while ensuring students are practicing safely and learning proper alignment. Prepare to smile while you sweat, and laugh while you balance, all while listening to an eclectic mix of music. You will leave class relaxed and renewed.
Read more about Sophie HERE
Niccole Lorenzo
Niccole is a Syracuse native and completed both her Bachelor and Masters’ Degrees at Syracuse University. While yoga has been a continued foundation and personal refuge for Niccole; her education in mental health wellness has enhanced her understanding of the healing and therapeutic benefits that yoga can offer to everyone. Niccole’s passion and research has been highly focused toward integrating the Mind/Body connection, particularly with regard to mental health wellness, pregnancy, childbirth, parenting and caretaking roles. Through mind and body healing, we can stay grounded in a world where there is so much outside information and noise.
After finding permission to “just be” and inspired by the resilience that yoga brought to her life physically, emotionally and mentally; Niccole’s yoga journey began in 2009. Niccole’s teacher trainings include Vinyasa, Perinatal (Mama Birth YOGA), and, Kripalu based (200-hr Infinite Light Yoga) practices. Her classes are empowering and strong, while also nurturing an inward experience inviting self-exploration, growth and personal freedom to “be” on and off the mat.
Kelly Blake
Kelly Blake is born and raised in Syracuse, NY and graduated from Cicero-North Syracuse. Kelly got into yoga roughly 8 years ago when she needed to find a way to take a step aside from the fast pace of the world which contributed to anxiety and sometimes depression, to find a way to ground herself once again. Yoga became that outlet. It has since helped her to reconnect with all things she loved in life such as hiking, biking and kayaking, all things nature. She continues to use her practice to help her grow and stay grounded in the present moment each day.
Kelly is a 200-HR RYT, and she plans to continue on to her 500 hour, always staying a student of Yoga, a world that there is so much to continuously learn. Her yoga is for everyone and everyBODY. Creating a foundation, honoring and listening to your body to explore further until an edge is found to hold and breathe. Kelly uses compassion, self love and understanding of body alignment to create empowering vinyasa flow classes that hold no judgement and create a safe space to let go of daily obstacles. She loves to use music that helps you experience all you can throughout class, leaving feeling refreshed and revitalized to get back out into the world with clear mind, strong body and most importantly inner peace.
Jessica demperio
Jessica, a Syracuse native, graduated from Solvay High School in 2003. An athlete from a young age, she was actively involved in many sports throughout her adolescence and has maintained an active lifestyle into adulthood. At the age of 20 she traded in her winter boots for flip flops and moved to Los Angeles, CA where her interest in health and wellness began. She's practiced many forms of fitness to include running, spinning, hiking, pilates, kickboxing and ballet barre, none of which truly resonated with her-she didn't realize it then but now understands she was missing a key element to fitness, mental health! She first dabbled in Yoga in 2008, but it wasn't until 2015 when she moved back to Syracuse that she began practicing regularly and really appreciating the gift that is YOGA. With a stressful job in the medical field, Yoga became her place of solace. As her passion for Yoga grew she decided to leave the corporate world to pursue a lifelong dream of travel, which included a month long intensive Yoga teacher training in Koh Phangan, Thailand. She now holds a 200hr Yoga Alliance Certification in Tantra, Hatha and Vinyasa styles of Yoga.
Renee Berlucchi
Introduced to Yoga as a teen, Renee first discovered the physical benefits of yoga while seeking relief in her legs as an avid runner. After experiencing a traumatic event, she turned to Yoga again in search of clarity, healing and acceptance.
Already aware of the physical aspect, Renee began to dive inside of herself, truly understanding and observing how the mental and spiritual aspects of yoga positively affected her life. Her regular practice began in 2011 in Lancaster, PA, followed by completing her 200 RYT
training program in Camp Hill, PA at Just Plain Yoga Studio. In 2017, Renee moved to Syracuse, NY to be with her husband.
Renee teaches all styles of Yoga, focusing on Ashtanga Yoga as well as Yin. She acknowledges that everyone has a story and everyone comes to Yoga for a reason. Come prepared to laugh, breathe and move, no matter who you are, where you come from or your Yoga experience.
When not teaching Yoga, Renee divides her time between her own business, Wellness with Renee Berlucchi, providing Yoga offerings and Monat haircare, skincare, and wellness products, and taking care of her family, which includes her husband, daughter and dog (who frequents Zoom yoga classes).
cory miller
Cory Miller completed her Yoga teacher training at Syracuse Yoga. Cory’s experience at training was transformational and taught her how to value herself and her time more. Yoga has always helped her reconnect with her body and is a perfect balance to her love of the Peloton spin bike. Where there’s yang and intense cardio there must be yin and empowering Yoga!
When not on the mat, Cory works at Syracuse University as an Executive Director of Events. Always busy with deadlines, logistics and details, Yoga brings her back to her calm and peace. She went to College of Charleston for theater, arts management, and dance. After graduation she took a try at life on the stage even playing Patsy Cline in some killer sequin pants. She then received her Master of Science in Nonprofit Administration at Drexel University and dove into the world of events and fundraising. Her passions include her two handsome rescue dogs, delicious wine, anything chocolate, international travel and all the books. Expect upbeat music, fun physical challenges and confidence building mantras and meditations in Cory’s classes!
Whitney Valentine
Whitney Valentine first began practicing Yoga in 2010 in order to improve her mobility and flexibility for rock-climbing, and it wasn’t long before she fell in love with Yoga as an everyday part of her lifestyle. Born and raised in the beautiful Finger lakes of New York, in 2010, her love of adventure brought her to Colorado where she completed her 200RYT in Colorado Springs through CorePower yoga in 2013.
Whitney brings her free spirit into the classes she teaches with meticulously planned flows that encourage physical, mental, and spiritual growth. Enter her class to receive a warm welcome, and expect to leave feeling refreshed, empowered, and ready to relax.
In her free time, you will catch Whitney hiking with her dogs, or traveling to fulfill her wanderlust.
felicia case
Felicia’s Yoga journey began over 20 years ago when a friend let her borrow a Yoga DVD, but it wasn’t until she took a Yoga course in college that she truly fell in love and wanted to incorporate Yoga into her life.
When Felicia began to have persistent pain that interfered with her active lifestyle, doctors told her to stop doing all the activities she enjoyed including running, hiking, taekwondo, walking her dog, Yoga, and skiing. She couldn’t imagine a life without movement.
Felicia began to understand her pain was triggered by years of depression, anxiety, negative thoughts, and emotional trauma. Desperate for help, in 2017 she found a pain recovery coach and learned tools to understand the mind-body connection and nervous system. This allowed Felicia to manage her pain and thoughts, and she got her life back. Felicia knew she needed and wanted to deepen her mind-body connection and begin a regular Yoga practice again. The more she learned, the deeper her passion grew for physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellness. Felicia completed her RYT 200 with Syracuse Yoga in 2022.
Jennifer Savastino
Jennifer Savastino, a lifelong resident of Central New York, completed her Bachelor of Science and MBA at Le Moyne College. Being a business owner, a mom and involved in many local charities, her Yoga practice was best described as “sporadic” for many years. As years went by, she found herself on a health & wellness journey that included a more consistent Yoga practice focused on both physical and mindful practice.
The need to slow down and examine her priorities led her to the 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training at Syracuse Yoga. The journey to become a Yoga Teacher has taught her about giving herself the grace to be true to herself.
Jennifer has always committed her energy to improving her community and empowering those around her to do the same. Yoga has enhanced this commitment to herself and the health & wellness of those around her. She loves to work out, take long walks and is a huge supporter of the local farmers markets!
When not doing Yoga, Jennifer can be found running Gannon Pest Control, working to raise funds for local charities such as Syracuse Challenger Baseball and Hope for Heather or hosting dinners for her friends & family. She also enjoys time with her three sons; Colin, Daniel & Joshua and her longtime partner Greg.
stephanie Fiorito
Stephanie is a lifelong native of Central New York and holds a Masters’ degree in Speech Language Pathology from SUNY Cortland. She began regularly practicing Yoga ten years ago to help combat the stress of working full-time and pursuing a new career path. Steph began incorporating Yoga with her students early on in her speech pathology career. In 2021, she became certified to teach TalkYoga, a program that combines speech and language with yoga in a fun, interactive way. She regularly uses TalkYoga in the classroom to keep children engaged while simultaneously learning about mindfulness and movement. To deepen her understanding of teaching the practice of Yoga to both children and adults, Stephanie completed her 200-hour certification with Syracuse Yoga. She embraces the philosophy of Yoga for everybody and everyBODY, with a conscience focus of accessibility to all humans.
In her free time, Steph enjoys spending time with her family and rescue dog, Monty. She loves to travel, craft, and thrives doing outdoor activities such as biking, kayaking and paddle boarding.
Melissa asztalos
Melissa Asztalos is a graduate of Cicero-North Syracuse High School, Niagara University and SUNY Oswego. She is a middle school science teacher, incorporating many different mindfulness practices into her classroom.
Melissa came to Yoga later in life, as a way to combat the stress of teaching middle school during the pandemic. Quickly seeing the benefits for her own mental health and well being, she began attending classes regularly at local studios and loved the way Yoga made her more present and mindful.
Melissa went on to complete her 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training with Breathe for Change, a trauma-informed program for educators with a focus on making Yoga accessible for everybody. As a Yoga Teacher and Social Emotional Learning Facilitator, Melissa leads classes, workshops and professional development opportunities in her district to help members of her community to be more mindful and present in their everyday lives.
Melissa designs her classes with lots of different options and variations offered to make your practice work in a way that is best for you and your body. Melissa believes that Yoga is for everybody and EVERY BODY!