At Harmony Yoga and Wellness, we believe that yoga should be a positive experience for both body and mind, right from the start.  That's why all of our teachers are experienced and certified, with a deep understanding of our philosophy.  No matter what your age or ability level is, you can rest assured that our teachers have the appropriate experience along with an attitude of patience and giving.  All of our teachers take each student's abilities into account and offer modifications, so no one is ever pushed in a way that could cause injury.

Experienced, Certified Yoga Teachers

Mariko Fusillo - Founder and Owner of Harmony Yoga and Wellness, Certified E-RYT 500- by Yoga Alliance, Certified Yoga Therapist

Mariko received her certification from the prestigious Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in western Massachusetts where she continues to take classes and workshops. Recognized by the Yoga Alliance as an E-RYT 500 (an Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher, Advanced Professional level, she has over 7,000 hours of significant teaching experience) and by International Association of Yoga Therapists.  You can read more about Mariko and her vision on our About Us page.

Susan Brotter - RYT200 - Susan has been practicing yoga for over 10 years. She was drawn to yoga after taking her first yoga class while on a mother’s retreat weekend. Never having been involved in athletics before, she was amazed by what her body could do, and even more surprised by how it calmed her mind. At the urging of her teachers and friends, and her desire to learn more, she began her journey to becoming a yoga instructor. Susan completed the 200-hour teacher training program at the Yoga and Polarity Center in Malverne in 2015. Her desire is to share her love of yoga and its transformative nature with her students.

Styles: Gentle , Alignment Based Hatha, and Restorative

Melissa Filiano - Melissa's journey with yoga began during a very difficult time in her life; a time that was filled with great pain and hopelessness.  In search of change, she tried a yoga class.  Her yoga teacher inspired and touched her deeply.  It felt so natural and for the first time in her life, she felt a connection to her internal being.  This was the beginning of a positive and healing life change.  After years of yoga and meditation, she knew this is what she was meant to do; to help others find the peace and harmony within themselves. The healing gift of yoga, Reiki and meditation brought the healing light of life.  Melissa's students inspire her to continue to find the balance within and to be able to share this gift with one another; to continue to heal, grow and practice this special connection and to find the peace and strength that shines so deeply within all of us.

 “Once you give somebody an experience of the spirit and the soul, that person will always remember you with reverence and grace”   - Yogi Bhajan

Beth Fuchs -  Beth has been a personal trainer and teaching Pilates since 2004. Pilates intrigued her because of her many years of dance.  It seems ballet dancers are attracted to it because of how it keeps the muscle long and lean., how it connects the mind and body with flow, precision, concentration, centering, fluidity of movement and breath.  The body uses its own weight as resistance, but Beth likes to incorporate bands and rings for extra resistance as well. Practicing regularly can make one feel better with improved posture, better alignment, more energy and stamina.  The quality of movement is by far more important than the number of times you can do a particular movement.

Sophia Koukoulis -  Sophia came to yoga almost 4 years ago as a way to find peace and calm in her life. She needed some sort of outlet from the stress of college. She taught herself yoga one summer through YouTube videos and was immediately hooked. From her first moments practicing, she realized she needed to tell everyone she could about this beautiful practice and that she wanted to teach; the only question was when. She received her 200 hour training certification and became a certified yoga instructor in January of 2017 and started teaching almost immediately at Harmony Yoga and Wellness. Her goal as a teacher has always been to show people that yoga is for everyone and anyone can do it. She also wanted to heavily incorporate the breath into her practice since meditation has helped her in so many ways. The mind-body connection within yoga has also been an important teaching for her, as well as incorporating yoga philosophy into her practice. She teaches a vinyasa flow class focusing on the breath and movement of our bodies, as well as a teen yoga class which has been a great growing experience for her. Along with teaching yoga, I attend Adelphi University and am in their graduate program for Mental Health Counseling. I also work at the disability office at Adelphi and provide accommodations for students with disabilities. A huge part of wanting to become a therapist for me has been to learn and teach about mindfulness. I think living in the present moment can be a great key to happiness and blissfulness. For the future I hope to continue learning about yoga and continue teaching and growing with my journey and my students. 

Tina Levine – Certified E-RYT 500- by Yoga Alliance, YogaFIt Teacher Training Program- 200 Hour, Student of Iyengar Yoga Since 1990

Tina retired from full-time teaching after eighteen years.  She has been a yoga instructor for over thirty years, and brings to her classes dedication, passion, and a love for creating a body that will sustain the beautiful soul of each student and herself.  Compassionate, well-planned, creative, and informative lessons are the core components of her classes. Having students connect with their breath while moving is another essential part of her lessons. In all of her classes, she tries to include an understanding of safe body alignment, while respecting the different level of abilities within the class.  The ultimate goal in all her classes is for students to walk out having enjoyed themselves, while learning and exploring all the wonderful aspects of an exciting yoga practice.

Hollie Palumbo - Certified E-RYT 200- by Yoga Alliance

Hollie is a retired High School Special Education Teacher. In that capacity she taught for 36 years. As she was nearing the end of her teaching career she decided to continue to deepen her practice and entered a Yoga Teacher Training Program. Once involved in the program she made the decision to use this training as her guide to her new path once retired. As she studied and began to evolve and change herself she felt a strong desire to be able to share her knowledge and experiences of yoga and the multitude of benefits it has on one’s body, mind and spirit. A new world opened to her as a teacher of yoga.  Hollie has been practicing yoga for over 15 years and teaching for over 6.
Through out her years of practicing and teaching yoga Hollie continues to deepen her practice, to study and to teach yoga. She currently teaches classes in: Hatha, Anusara, Ashtanga, Iyengar Style, Prana and Vinyasa Flow, Restorative and Chair yoga. She wrote and received 2 yoga grants while employed in her profession as a Special Ed. teacher. Since then she continues to teach group yoga classes as well as private and semi-private lessons. Hollie also gives workshops with her life partner in Restorative Yoga and Sound Healing.  Hollie continues to study and take training classes and workshops. Since her initial teacher training she has received certifications in both Chair and Restorative Yoga. She also holds certifications in Reiki Level 1 and Armit Meditation. She has taken classes with: Sean Corn, John Friend, David Swenson, Bo Forbes, TaoPorChun Lynch, Dharma Mitra, Sri Arun and many others.. Her belief is that the more one learns the more open they become and the better they become at their craft! She loves learning and tries to share all of her experiences and knowledge in all of her practices and teachings. Her teaching style is eclectic. Each class is different depending on the students present at the time.

She credits her partner, her son and her yoga instructors for helping to support and encourage her to follow her yogic path during a very difficult period of time in her personal life! 
Hollie believes that yoga is accessible to all! She just asks that you come to her class with an open mind and an open heart so that you can embark upon your own personal journey of self-discovery!

Jennifer Walsh - Certified E-RYT 200 - by Yoga Alliance

Jennifer began practicing yoga over 20 years ago with the goal of increasing strength and flexibility.  Even through a practice of only once a week, she noticed a difference in how she felt.  There was something transformational at each yoga class--how you feel when you enter is never the same as when you leave.  Something ignited inside, and with it, a growing desire to learn about and incorporate all aspects of yoga as a greater part of her life.

She followed her passion by becoming a yoga instructor to share the transforming benefits that yoga can bring with others.  Her goal is to ignite the light inside that already exists within each one of us.  

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