Mike Zolfo
Owner/Director
NACYT-10,000+,E-YRT- 10,000+
Founder and originator of Samapatti Yoga, Mike includes teachings from all of the schools of hatha and raja yoga he has studied in over 34 years of practice: Bihar, Himalayan, Iyengar, Viniyoga, Ashtanga, Bikram and other Raja, Jnana and Bhakti schools. He has studied, practiced or taught these various forms of yoga since 1984. He began studying stress reduction, relaxation training, yoga and meditation in 1984 with Jagdish P Dave, PhD. Mike began practicing yoga in 1984 to get rid of chronic tension headaches and a digestive problem. He is a certified yoga instructor from the Yoga Institute in Houston. He is a member of The Yoga Research and Education Center, and the International Association of Yoga Therapists. He is the owner/director of The Yoga Room in Crown Point, Indiana. He lives with the love of his life, his wife, Mickey. They have three wonderful grown children, Breanne, Nick (and Emily, our daughter in law, AND Wylie Boone & Willow Jean, our grandbabies)and Blake. Samapatti Yoga is a form of yoga which emphasizes the transformational aspects of yoga.
Sandy Smith
Certified Samapatti Yoga Instructor
Sandy’s yoga styles include Ashtanga, Power and Vinyasa. She is a fitness fanatic and adept yogini whose love of hatha yoga shows in each of her classes.
Jenny Lewandowski
Certified Samapatti Yoga Instructor
Jenny completed her training at the Yoga Room and loves to teach and share her love of yoga. She is relentless in her desire have all students try her YIN YOGA class as this class balances all of our Yang energy.
Shannnon Swanson
Certified Samapatti Yoga Instructor
Shannon has been practicing yoga for several years. The physical benefits of yoga led her to the practice. Slowly she began to notice and appreciate the mental and emotional benefits as well. Her stress level was lower, she noticed a positive impact on her relationships, and an improvement in her mental health. She began to focus on breathwork and meditation, the areas she believed were the catalysts of those changes. She attributes yoga for making her a more patient parent, a more understanding wife, and a more compassionate human being. She loves sharing yoga with others and enjoys helping students experience all the benefits yoga has to offer.
Amanda Barnes
Certified Samapatti Yoga Instructor
Amanda Barnes is an Experienced Samapati Certified Yoga Professional practicing yoga instruction since 2011. Her studies reach from psychology, nutrition, communication, biomechanics, mental health, meditation, and various yoga approaches. With over 500+ hours of training and 7,000 hours of teaching experience, Amanda’s classes offer a strong anatomical focus while integrating conscious, loving awareness to your practice, your life, your highest self.
Amanda’s classes offer a strong anatomic focus intermingled with her characteristic playfulness using movement as medicine. ” I am excited for the opportunity to work with people of all stature and form. Each one of us is different, yet so very much the same. Each one of us has a unique body, beauty, story and perspective. I love what I do, I’m passionate and I hope that I convey that passion in every class I teach.”
Vanesa Pierce
Certified Samapatti Yoga Instructor
Vanesa has additional certification in teaching yoga to cancer patients and caregivers ( Yoga for cancer) Y4C and also has 13 years experience as an oncology nurse. It was during her journey with cancer in 2016 that she became aware of the holistic healing that her yoga practice offered. Vanesa’s intention was to share that wellness with fellow cancer survivors and their caregivers. She received her Y4C certification in Santa Cruz California in the spring of 2019.
Vanesa brings a calm presence with compassion to her practice. and is pleased to offer the benefits of which include maintaining a strong immune system, building muscle strength & bone density, managing side effects, reducing stress, improving sleep as well as providing a confidential supportive community.
Yoga is an integrative cancer therapy that has been endorsed & recognized by the American Society of Clinical oncologist (ASCO)
Jennifer Connelly
Certified Samapatti Yoga Instructor
Jennifer teaches beginners and intermediate yoga, Pilates, prenatal yoga, mommy and me yoga, kids yoga, women’s retreats, and other classes. Her love for life and love of yoga come across in each class she teaches. As an advocate for the integration of personal and professional wellness, Jennifer founded Triple W Forum, a Working Women’s Workshop, in 2009.
Erika Smith
Certified Samapatti Yoga Intructor
Erika currently teaches the Slow Flow yoga class but has taught other Flow classes and Yoga I classes!