Nicole Carter
Co-Owner | Studio Manager
E-RYT | CHWC
Nicole’s first step into a yoga practice began with healing her relationship with her body in her late 20’s The next step was supporting the loss of her mom. Yoga and it’s principles have helped Nicole navigate confidence, mindfulness, grief and many transformations of the mind & body. She started teaching because she believes that yoga transforms lives and supports mental health through breath work, mindful movement and community.
Nicole is on track for her E-RYT 500 and has over 20 years of teaching experience. She is a certified prenatal teacher, Barre Eclipse Instructor and Certified Health & Wellness Coach. She is also a certified Mental Health First Aid responder and trained in CPR. She holds trainings from MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction) and positive psychology.
Nicole is the artistic founder and producer of Gypsy Layne Cabaret & Co., a successful cabaret troupe in the Berkshires for over 10 years dedicated to self-empowerment, body-positivity and inclusivity.
“My heart, and my home, is in the Berkshires. I grew up in North County: raised in North Adams, and now live in Williamstown. Being a part of this community is vital to me—as a teacher, an artist, a businessperson, and a mother. I know firsthand the hardships this community has faced. I have also witnessed it flourish in beautiful new ways, thanks in large part to the contributions made by small town business owners, I am proud to be a part of that community.”
Amyleigh Foster
Co-Owner | Functional Health Coach
RYT | CHWC | FDN-P Trainee
Amyleigh had an on and off yoga practice for years. It wasn’t until she was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s + Thyroid Eye Disease that she started to deepen and become consistent with her practice. She knew that she needed to find new, healthy ways to combat stress and regain the confidence she once had before her autoimmune struggles. Amyleigh’s Yoga journey has helped her heal, physically and emotionally, while becoming more in tune with her body. Meditation, mindful movement, and therapeutic heat have become important parts of her healing protocol.
An RYT, Certified Health and Wellbeing Coach who’s also on track to become a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner, Amyleigh began teaching yoga and functional health coaching to help other people struggling with chronic illness, hormone imbalance and GI issues find the root cause of their symptoms and reclaim their health.
Angela Rocca
RYT
Angela is passionate about bringing her love and knowledge of yoga to everyone, at every level of experience. She first began practicing yoga while in high school. She strayed from her practice in her 20's but came back to it in her 30's to get some much-needed and deserved healing. Yoga provided her tools to help heal past trauma and the clarity to see that what she wanted was to be in a studio, teaching others yoga.
Angela is a certified Kripalu Yoga Teacher. She has learned that there is a yoga practice for every body, and everybody can benefit from a yoga practice. Angela’s classes invite students to focus on their breath while they safely find and explore the edges of their physical practice. She's continually amazed at what the seemingly simple act of breathing can do for the mind and body. When off the mat, Angela spends time canoeing and wading around rivers and lakes with her significant other while pretending she’s an angler.
Beth Piantoni
CPT, CHWC
Beth has over 10 years’ experience working in the health, fitness, and wellness industry. She has been a Certified Personal Trainer through American College of Sports Medicine since 2007. Beth’s specializations include strength training, core strengthening, kettlebells, and functional fitness.
After experiencing years of back pain, Beth developed a knowledge and passion for the relation between injuries and lack of muscle control, which she emphasizes in her teachings. She is now pain free and committed to helping her students feel the same.
Beth say’s “motivating people to be the best version of themselves is what I love waking up to everyday”.
Ashleigh Catsos
RYT | CPT
Ashleigh’s first experience with yoga was as a requirement in acting school at a time when she was finding it particularly challenging being present in her body. The more she practiced, the more she discovered about herself—from the correct setup for her body in half pigeon pose, to the ways in which she was hiding behind her anxiety and letting fear dominate her life. The more she practiced, the more she learned to take up space. The more she moved, the more she did so for herself, unapologetically. Now, nearly twenty years later, Ashleigh is helping others do the same. With a diverse background in Pilates, Vinyasa and Hatha yoga, CrossFit, and personal training,
Ashleigh encourages students to move on the mat in a way that supports daily life while also empowering them to adapt poses and exercises to work for them, not the other way around. Her classes guarantee fun and dynamic sequences, specificity in cuing, and compassionate guidance, all built on the belief that movement can be technically challenging rather than needlessly hard. It’s all about the process: messy, emotional, powerful. She’s not perfect, and she’s finally stopped striving to be
Ali
RYT
Write a bio for each team member. Make it short and informative to keep your visitors engaged.
Fiona Slattery
Dance Teacher
I took my very first belly dance class when I was fifteen. I was painfully shy, insecure, and had a terrible relationship with my body. Over the first few months, I wasn’t just learning movements, I was learning to connect with my body and actually appreciate it for allowing me to move and dance. Dance is my solace. I live in the moment through dance and I’m grateful for every opportunity it has afforded me.
I teach belly dance to share what dance gave to me; joy! I want to help my students to connect with their bodies without judgment, feel good about themselves, and to have fun through dance.
Ali Tatro
RYT
Before discovering yoga, life felt like a relentless rush. Embarking on my yoga journey has changed my way of thinking. It has helped to instill a sense of calmness, enhance my focus, and cultivate deeper self-awareness. As a school teacher, I knew there was no doubt that I wanted to share these positive changes with others. Which, ultimately, sparked my passion for teaching yoga.
I am driven to help students navigate their own journeys, using yoga as a tool to tackle life's complexities. My unique approach stem from my own transformation and my dedication to facilitating similar breakthroughs for my students. Personally, I've always been captivated by life's fast pace and yoga has helped bring me to a place of balance and clarity. My goal as a teacher is to assist students in finding their own ways that yoga can bring them these same feelings.
Lev Sukenik
RYT | Ayurvedic Health Practitioner
Lev first came to Yoga after needing to recover and heal injuries from years of powerlifting. He did not expect it to radically change his body, mind and life path. After three years of consistent practice, in 2015 he decided to pursue teacher training with Sri Dharma Mitra in New York City, in a traditional Hatha yoga lineage. This inspired him to dive deeper into breathwork, meditation and spirituality.
Lev began teaching where he lived in Saratoga Springs, NY with a focus on Hatha, Yin and Yoga Nidra. After developing a chronic case of Lyme’s disease, Lev’s search for wellness brought him to study Ayurveda, the sister science of yoga. Ayurveda is focused on holistic health in body, mind and spirit. He studied full time for 2 years at the California College of Ayurveda to become an Ayurvedic health practitioner. This gave Lev a new lens from which to view the world and the practice of yoga. Focusing more on acceptance, compassion, self care and slowing down.
In Lev’s class you can expect slower movement, postures held for a longer duration and sequencing catered to the natural rhythm and influence of the seasons and environment. Yoga is accessible to everybody. By focusing on the fundamentals with great intentionality, a strong base is created for people to explore more complex movement and postures, in a safe and confident way. Lev’s motivation for teaching is to be of service. It is an honor for him to share these teachings that have so graciously been shared with him. He currently lives on an off grid homestead in the Berkshires with his dog Chester.
Kayla Hollins
Dance Teacher
Kayla began dancing at the age of 4 in Queens, NY beginning with tap, jazz, modern, and lyrical. It wasn't until high school that she began to take hip-hop classes as well as choreograph for her high school theatre productions. During that time, there were many dance-related TV shows, which is when Kayla discovered her favorite dance style: lyrical hip hop. She decided this style best fits her love to choreograph pieces that take audiences through a story or theme. During college, Kayla was able to continue dancing. Dancing to her was an opportunity to find joy in moving her body. Kayla now teaches children's dance classes at Berkshire Dance Theatre and is a co-founder of a community dance crew called dysFUNKcrew which travels locally to perform at community events. dysFUNKcrew just celebrated its 10th anniversary at the Adams Theatre.
When teaching, Kayla encourages dancers, children and adults alike, to find joy in their movement. To know that what they are creating is beautiful and unique to them. To help folks find their rhythm on the dance floor and in life