RYT®500 E-RYT®200
Ilyce began her yoga journey as a student about 20 years ago and fell in love with the practice. As a teacher she serves her students by holding space for them to explore breath, movement and their own bodies in a safe environment. She believes in giving students the time and tools to discover how their breath and movement in yoga can lead to improved functional movement patterns off their mats in everyday life. And equip them with the knowledge to embody whatever growth they desire. A deemphasis on “one size fits all” postures, or working to achieve a very specific shape helps students instead to find their own alignment and variation of postures. Her passion to help empower her students comes from a background working in patient advocacy and lobbying for underserved communities in the rare disease space and working closely with people who live with multiple and profound physical disabilities. Her perspective on life has been affected by her work and experiences. Having intimate knowledge of how short life can be has affected all aspects of her own life, including her teaching style. Ilyce offers challenging but accessible and inclusive offerings and leads with compassion. Ilyce loves to share her passion for yoga with others by meeting them wherever they are on their journey.
Nanci Dobkin has been doing yoga for over 20 years. She holds a valid teaching certificate in the Teaching of Science and taught for over 10 years at area schools. She began teaching kids yoga in 2002 and since then has taught at after school programs, health clubs, day care centers and dance studios. She received her certification from YogaWerks in Barrington and has participated in workshops at Yogakids under the instruction of Marsha Wenig. Most recently she received a kids yoga certification from Rainbow kids yoga. Nanci’s goal is to make Yoga fun. She loves how doing Yoga makes kids feel better about themselves and at the same time, releases stress. When she is not teaching or practicing Yoga, Nanci is baking cupcakes as part of her home baking business, taking long walks and playing fetch with her Chocolate Lab Sadie.
Tasha Polster, RPh, R.Y.T, has spent her entire professional life focused on helping others improve their health so they can live more fully. It began as a pharmacist behind the counter, then to a pharmacy executive involved in launching life-saving programs, and now to a yoga instructor. She knows first hand the benefits yoga offers, as her study of yoga began in 2002 while she was undergoing cancer treatment. Yoga quickly became an important part of her healing journey, making her feel so much better that she would not have believed it had she not experienced it herself. It is for that reason, that after retiring from her corporate role, she pursued her yoga credentials so she could bring that same benefit to others. Tasha teaches therapeutic yoga, vinyasa, hatha, slow flow, hot yoga, chair yoga and meditation.
Adventure-loving Tabatha Whitney, owner of CraVe Yoga, LLC & CraVe Yoga Mobile, hails from a little bit of everywhere. She was a professional modern dancer on the east coast, but found yoga after moving to the west coast at a turning point in her life when she lost 55 pounds by eating clean and practicing daily. Tabatha’s transformation sparked her passion for arm balances & inversions, and she offers her students the inspiration to make changes in their own lives. Her classes are imaginative, challenging & intensely fun!
Outside of yoga, Tabatha is a mother, artist, photographer, & avid snowboarder.
Tabatha offers “Feel The Burn” which is fun loving, challenging & uplifting. You will be encouraged and guided to take your practice on its own exciting journey and feel “Oh So Good” as you slip back into your busy day.
Werner has been practicing yoga for over 20 years and been teaching for 10 years. He is influenced by many wonderful teachers such as Andrey Lappa, John Friend, Tias Little, and Rusty Wells. Werner also holds a certification as a yoga tuneup instructor and is conducting a Pure Yoga Teacher Trainings in the Chicagoland area.
Emily discovered yoga when she had just graduated high school in 2008. Having not grown up athletic, she was wonderfully surprised by how cultivating a yoga practice has transformed her livelihood – she found strength and confidence as well as flexibility and patience. She received her 200-RYT in Maui, Hawaii in 2016. She received her Aerial Yoga certification in 2017, Yin Yoga training in 2018. Her greatest achievement is becoming a mom to her daughter, Nelly in 2022. Her yoga practice was monumental to her postpartum recovery and growth as a mother. Off the mat, Emily enjoys discovering new restaurants and traveling with her family. She looks forward to connecting with you all at Sky!
Natasha has been a student of yoga since 1996 and a teacher since 2003. She is certified yoga teacher through The Temple of Kriya Yoga. Natasha has been attending workshops of different yoga styles. For two years she assisted Gabriel Halpern of Yoga Circle in his therapeutic classes. She teaches a blend of Hatha Yoga and Vinyasa flow while focusing on correct alignment.
Natasha keeps her classes safe, challenging and accessible for students of wide range of age, skill and flexibility. She feels blessed to have learned from many gifted and inspired teachers and her students. Natasha teaches group and private classes in the Northwest suburbs. She loves reading, outdoor activities and whole foods cooking.
Mary Aulbach came to yoga to regain the flexibility she knew as a dancer in high school. She continued to practice until being sidelined by a skiing accident and subsequent surgery. She regained her practice with the help of many wonderful teachers and eventually decided to become a teacher herself to share her belief in yoga and all its benefits.
Mary received her teacher training from YogaFit, focusing on safety and alignment, and YogaKids for children. She continues to attend workshops and conferences regularly. She teaches in a variety of settings, from schools to corporate fitness centers. Mary’s practice helps students connect to their inner wisdom, with body, mind and breath working in sync.
Rachel’s first experiences with yoga were in high school. Her mother bought both pilates and yoga video tapes that she practiced with regularly, after which she discovered classes at the local gym. She found a deep connection with mindful movement from the beginning.
Rachel received her 500 hour yoga teaching certification from the Chicago Yoga Center under the guidance of Suddha Weixler. She has attended various trainings and workshops in different yoga styles, including Ashtanga, Hatha, Yin yoga, and yoga sculpt.
From a young age, Rachel was a competitive Irish Dancer and explored other styles of dance and dance fitness. Rachel holds degrees in trombone music performance from Oberlin Conservatory and the Depaul School of music.
Brenda Shinn has been a member of the Sky Fitness family for seven years. Her personal passion for exercise and nutrition led her to embark on a 15 year career in health and wellness. She is a certified group fitness instructor and a food coach for the weight loss program, FoodFuels. On her journey to explore moving the body in functional ways, she has continued her education by completing a comprehensive training of Pilates through JoAnn Graser, NCPT
Brenda is always excited to share her passion for living a healthy lifestyle!
As a former dancer I’ve always been paying attention to body awareness and movements. But I’ve always wanted to avoid injuries and stay healthy trough exercising – that’s how my Journey as a Pilates instructor had began… In 2003, I became a Certified Pilates Instructor through PhysicalMind Institute and Essential Movements Education. In 2010 I completed my certification to become a Certified Instructor through Merrithew™, specializing in STOTT PILATES (Matwork, Reformer, Cadillac, Chair, Barrels) and Total Barre™.
The emphasis on maintaining a healthy back and injury prevention is a core of my teaching philosophy that helps my clients achieve strength and flexibility in enjoyable and safe fashion.
I am classically trained and certified by Power Pilates. I bring 13 years of teaching experience to Sky. I am able to address my clients needs and goals with compassion and understanding. I am training clients at all levels of fitness and some who have physical limitations. I love teaching Pilates and look forward to meeting new clients in our beautiful studio.
I have been practicing Pilates for 15 years, and became certified by Power Pilates in the classical comprehensive program 12 years ago. Aside from a series of 8 written, and practical tests, at the time I logged over 700 hours of apprentice hours that included observation, and practice. Since then I have completed over 75 hours of continuing ed. to enhance and supplement my training. I love Pilates because of the high level of detail, focus, and technique development that is necessary to maximize the benefits of Joseph Pilates work. It keeps me interested in my own work, and dedicated to finding the best from my clients! I have worked at several Pilates studio’s in the Chicago area, and have had the opportunity to work with a wide range of students. From 10 years old, to 90 years old, to inured, to high level athletes, from pregnant to post-pregnancy, and including those suffering from conditions such as arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and MS, Pilates can be done by anyone! I am truly inspired and dedicated to my clients as they find themselves becoming stronger, more flexible, and body-aware! I absolutely love teaching Pilates, every single one of my students, and am thankful that I am able to bring my passion of Pilates and fitness to Sky Fitness.
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