Who are We?
Meet Our Vibrant Life Artists
Christopher Wilkes
It was 2006 and I had just broken up with my college sweetheart. As I delved deeper into my stage of reflection and introspection, it was during this time that I began to question my limiting beliefs. I began reading philosophical books on my quest for knowledge, wisdom, understanding, and self-refinement.
I came across a book by Russell Simmons called "Do You!: 12 Laws to Access the Power in You to Achieve Happiness and Success." The keen insights he offered in the book ignited my curiosity about yoga and meditation. Around the same time I also began feeling "old" at a very young age and was experiencing debilitating back pain! I took my first yoga "lesson" one morning by watching a tv show called "Namaste Yoga." It was only a 30 minute show, but I felt better than I had ever felt in a long time after I was finished, and I even noticed that my back pain had greatly diminished! I have been hooked ever since and have dived deeply down the rabbit hole of yogic philosophy and self actualization through the practice! I felt so great, that I wanted to share that feeling with the world around me! Fast-forward to the present day and I am currently a father of 3 beautiful little ladies, an avid gardener, holistic-health enthusiast, Yogi Tea drinker and smoothie connoisseur, and the passionately proud owner of Art of Yoga! It is my immense honor and pleasure to share my labor of love with you and I look forward to helping you create your MasterPeace Within! Namaste ---Christopher Chandler Collins
Chandler has been a Kundalini Yoga and Meditation teacher since 2009. After her first Kundalini class, Chandler experienced the healing potential of this yogic technology and decided to train in Rheshikesh India with master teachers Tej Kaur of Nine Treasure Yoga and Gurumuhk Kaur Khalsa of Golden Bridge. Since then, she has shared the teachings of Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan throughout the Eastern United States and Calgary, Canada. In her classes, you will experience the sensation of balancing the nervous system, the glandular system and circulatory systems to awaken a more balanced and empowered version of yourself.
Naomi Gogas
Yoga for me is about the journey, not an end goal. My journey has truly been life changing...hard to put into words honestly. Body awareness, mindfulness, peacefulness, clarity are a few things that stand out...seeing all of the little things blossom into this amazing experience for me, is simply put...AWESOME.
I completed my 200 Hour Registered Yoga Teacher Training with Art of Yoga and registered for my RYT 200 in June 2019. November 2019, I had my first ever MRI to hopefully discover what was causing a paralyzing sensation in my legs. In January 2020, I had spinal surgery to remove a large benign tumor from my L4 L5 vertebrae. The tumor had been with me for a while, and it changed the shape of my bone! I am so thankful to my yoga practice to help me understand something was not right with my body. Recovery was an experience all in itself as well, and thankfully, I’m back to normal movements and getting stronger everyday. I encourage use of props and modifications to help encourage proper alignment allowing your body to get the most benefit from your practice. I love yoga and you might too...Join me! I look forward to sharing my practice with you! |
Claudia Smith
Claudia Sotoj-Smith is native from Guatemala, Mayan Quiche, father heritage. She learned all the traditional Mayan rituals and culture from her grandmother; in addition she combines Energetics therapy on treatments with different ways in her clinical aesthetician private practice.
She earned her Masters in Art History from Universidad de San Carlos De Guatemala. This opened the doors to teach in the College in Guatemala and work with International organizations like Unesco and Plan International. She also Co- funded an art school of theatre, and the Center of Human development in Guatemala City. Additionally, she offers workshops in Guatemala for different organizations and teaches the Hatha Yoga discipline that she learned in the 90's with La Gran Fraternidad Universal Guatemala. She has lived and taught in Spain, Guatemala, and the US. Judy Barnett
Yoga has been part of Judy’s life for over 18 years. After spinal surgery in 2001, she started practicing at Art of Yoga to deal with continuing neck pain. When she retired from her job as a Nurse Anesthetist, she completed a 200 hour Registered Yoga Teacher training at Tallapoosa Center for Inner Arts in Carrollton, Ga.
In her gentle yoga classes, she combines breath work, meditation, and asanas (yoga poses) to help nurture body, mind and spirit. These classes are free to cancer survivors. Judy’s hope is that her students step off their mat feeling relaxed, nourished, and balanced. Marquitia Dudley
Marquitia is a U.S. Army Veteran who began practicing yoga as a way to strengthen her hips and help with her fibromyalgia pain after her hip surgery in 2017.
After experiencing positive changes and a deepening of the mind-body connection that comes with yoga, she was moved to share those experiences with other soldiers and offer insights about how yoga can help heal their bodies from the aches and pains that came with serving. After she left the US Army, her passion for yoga and its teachings grew stronger as well as her desire to bring healing to others. She enrolled for her yoga teacher training at Art of Yoga in Columbus, Ga., where she received her 200-hour RYT certification. She teaches gentle, restorative, all levels yoga infused with a hip hop, and a soulful feel to families and kids. She finds joy and satisfaction in nurturing students in their personal yoga journey, and her ecstatic enthusiasm for yoga is what they love about her. Marquitia is interested in bringing yoga to her community in a non-traditional, but fun-filled and spiritual way. |
Susan Tomkiewicz
Musician and professor by day, yoga teacher by night (or something along those lines), Sue (a.k.a. Dr. T) has been a music professor for over 15 years, the last 10 at the Schwob School of Music at Columbus State University.
Since teaching is part of what she lives and breathes on a daily basis, making the transition from yoga student to yoga teacher was a natural progression. She completed her 200 RYT training in August of 2018 at Yogafly in Auburn, Alabama with Nicole Agostino and teaches Yoga for Performers at Columbus State University. Sue also teaches at Art of Yoga where she has been a dedicated student for the last 9 years. Sue’s specific yoga interests are yoga for the health and well-being of musicians, alignment, connecting with breath and meditation. You can follow her journeys of music, yoga, chickens, bees and life on her facebook page and personal website: https://www.facebook.com/susan.tomkiewicz http://susantomkiewicz.wixsite.com/home Elise Feinberg
Elise has been practicing yoga for over 15 years, attending classes at several local studios. For three years she studied with Sarah Nordin, a certified Iyengar Yoga teacher. Elise has attended yoga workshops with Eddy Marks, Mary Obendorfer and Livia Shapiro-Cohen.
In February 2017 at the age of 70, Elise completed her 200-hour teacher certification at Yogafly in Auburn, Alabama. Practicing and teaching yoga is one of her life passions. Elise and Bob, her husband of 54 years, own Feinberg Center for Well-Being since 1982. Their passion is to teach people to live a balanced lifestyle and eat healthfully. They have two children and five grandchildren. Elise believes you can do yoga and benefit at any age. Yogi Aftab
Yogi Aftab is an eRYT-500 teacher specializing in Kundalini Yoga. His teaching career spans for more than 46 years of inspiring students to go pass their limitations in Europe, Australia, South America, the US and the Caribbean.
At eleven years old he discovered Yoga, and under the guidance of Yogi Bhajan, he completed his teacher training in 1972 at one of his Ashrams in Arizona. He is a strict vegetarian, likes to make herbal tinctures, does energetic healing, enjoys chanting, and loves cold showers. He is here now with us in Columbus, and is looking forward to meeting you! Versandra Kennebrew
Versandra Kennebrew, ICHC, discovered yoga twenty years ago during her massage therapy certification at Irene's Myomassology Institute in Detroit, Michigan.
After providing massages for more than 2000 clients and receiving her health coach certification from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, she returned to yoga in 2019 and studied at Kashi Atlanta Ashram for her 200-Hour CYTT. Versandra is committed to sharing the message of healing and transformation through living a holistic lifestyle on stages and in studios big and small. She is the president of Optimal Living Education & Retreats. |