About The Staff
Yael Calhoun, M.A., M.S., Executive Director and Co-Founder
Yael is the co-author of Create a Yoga Practice for Kids: Fun, Flexibility and Focus by Yael Calhoun and Matthew R. Calhoun (Sunstone Press, 2006), a book Lilias Folan calls the “Best children’s yoga book on the market today. Excellent descriptions, delightful illustrations...” Judith Lasater says it is “an inspiring and upbeat book that will not only charm chidlren but also educate and support their teachers.” Currently she is writing Yoga for Kids to Teens: Theme Yoga, Yoga from Top to Bottom, and SOLA Stikk Yoga with Nicole Hamory and Matthew Calhoun (Sunstone Press, 2008).
Yael has studied and practiced yoga for 15 years. In addition to teaching adult yoga at Westminster College in Salt Lake City and the Treehouse Athletic Club in Draper, Utah, Yael has taught yoga at the Sandy, Utah Boys’ and Girls’ club, the Salt Lake City YWCA shelter camp, the WOW summer camp (Utah Federation of Youth Wonderful Outdoor World), Camp Kostopolous (camp for disabled), and at area elementary schools.
Yael’s education includes a B.A. from Brown University, as well as a Master’s Degree in Education from Southern Connecticut State University and a Master’s Degree in Natural Resource Science from University of Rhode Island. Her job experiences include teaching in the classroom, both at the college level and the primary school level, working as a municipal environmental planner, and teaching yoga. Yael is also the author of almost a dozen books.
Yael continually demonstrates her commitment to, and passion for, sharing the benefits of yoga to people of all ages in a variety of settings.
Nicole Hamory, Program Director and Co-Founder
Nicole is the creator of SOLA Stikk Yoga (patent pending), a style of yoga that incorporates a stick to enable a person to hold poses longer, balance and find proper alignment. The stick is also an artistic expression piece as people create their own “totems”. The SOLA Yoga Stikk invites people to find their creative expression, thereby wanting to continue bringing the benefits of yoga into their lives. This practice will supplement the GreenTREE Yoga as a way to reduce injuries, provide balance and create more length in the body. Currently she is writing Yoga for Kids to Teens: Theme Yoga, Yoga from Top to Bottom, and SOLA Stikk Yoga with Yael Calhoun and Matthew Calhoun (Sunstone Press, 2008).
Nicole has studied and practiced yoga since 1997. She is a certified D’ana Baptiste yoga instructor, with a strong influence and trainings from Baron Baptiste, Ana Forrest and Anusara Yoga (Adam Ballenger). Nicole currently teaches 6-7 classes per week at the following locations: Salt Lake Community College, Snowbird Resort, Timpanogos Correctional Facility (women inmates), Salt Lake County Jail (male inmates), Wasatch Juvenile Detention Center (teenage boys), Rose Park Elementary School (students and faculty), Huntsman Cancer Institute, and weekly with her high school rowing team as part of their cross training (Utah Junior Crew).
Nicole’s education includes a B.A. from Rutgers College in Elementary Education and American Studies, as well as coursework towards in M.Ed. in Marriage and Family Therapy from University of Massachusetts/Boston.
Nicole’s introduction to Yoga began after an intense relationship with her body as a Division I rower. Her body was riddled with pain, injury and misalignment. Yoga quickly became a physical healing tool as well as a mental necessity. Nicole began teaching yoga to Olympians (members of the National Rowing Team) and the Northeastern University Women’s Crew in Boston before moving to Utah.
Joanne Payne, L.M.T., Staff
Joanne Payne has a B.S. in Physical Education with a concentration in Adult Fitness. She has taught movement education for 25 years including teaching adaptive PE for a special needs school. She has taught yoga for 15 years to many groups including athletes, pre- and post-natal women and gentle yoga. She has studied adaptive yoga for MS, scoliosis, seniors and many other wellness approaches. Currently, she is studying Rehabilitative Pilates.
From her background as a licensed massage therapist, competitive sports and study of karate she brings a dynamic, anatomically-based approach to teaching yoga. Her goal is to make yoga effective and joyful for every student.
Tamara Rowe, Staff
Tamara J. Rowe started practicing yoga in college to supplement her running. Over the past few years, yoga has become an integral part of her world. It continues to help as a whole-body cross-training activity as well as clear her mind and reminds her to slow down and appreciate the world when things seem like they're speeding by too quickly. Tamara is currently in Dana Baptiste's teacher training course and teaches yoga to senior citizens and adolescent girls on a volunteer basis.
Karan Estes, Staff
A native of South Carolina, Karan has been teaching yoga for the last three years and developing her own practice for the last seven. She is also a certified personal trainer at the Jewish Community Center and owns her own business teaching whitewater kayaking. Karan feels that yoga has greatly enhanced her own life from building confidence and inner peace to building strength both mentally and physically to make her a better athlete. Karan loves to share yoga’s healing nature with anyone willing to receive it. When she’s not working, Karan can be found running rivers or riding her mountain bike.
Angela Sherer
Angela has spent over 15 years sharing her enthusiasm for fitness through teaching yoga, cycling, spin, and salsa. She has also worked as a personal trainer. While living in Las Vegas, Angela taught at Canyon Ranch. These days she can be found teaching fitness classes at the Treehouse Athletic Club in Draper, Utah. She also volunteers and teaches yoga to adolescents in a local highschool and at a group home. To recharge, Angela enjoys camping, backpacking, and spending time with her family.
Matthew R. Calhoun
Matthew R. Calhoun, C.E.Ht., is a certified childrens yoga teacher and holds three certifications in hypnotherapy. He created yoga programs for children at the Chicago Yoga Insitute, and at Onward Neighborhood House, a settlement house for inner city children and teenagers. He is a practicing Certified Ericksonian Hypnotherapist, working with clients individually and in groups. He uses yogic techniques such as breathing, body awareness, movement and meditation to facilitate relaxation and an openness to healing communication, combining these techniques with alternative healing modalities such as hypnotherapy and Therapeutic Touch. He has taught physicians at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University Therapeutic Touch and mind/body communication for use with their patients.
The many groups he has served include disabled people, low-income single mothers, stressed-out social workers, people with substance abuse histories, people with HIV, homeless people and elderly people dealing with anxiety and depression. In 2004, he started a Healing-Group at the One-Stop Wellness Center in New York. In 2001, he was honored as an outreach practitioner by Healing Works in Manhattan for generosity of spirit.
Matthew is the co-author of Create a Yoga Practice for Kids (Sunstone Press, 2006)
He currently is writing a book, Yoga for Kids to Teens: Theme Yoga; Yoga from Top to Bottom; and SOLA Stikk Yoga (Sunstone 2008) with Yael Calhoun and Nicole Hamory.
Cynthia Wand, Staff
For the past 12 years, Cynthia's work as a Master Facilitator for The Virtues Project™ a Global International organization, has taken her into a variety of diverse cultures, communities and individual and family coaching. Cynthia has developed “Yoga Beyond the Mat™”, yoga that inspires us to strengthen both our inner and outer qualities bringing the practice and essence of yoga off the mat and into our daily lives. Her yoga experience with adolescents and teens in addition to her retreats for women, give her a well-rounded , unique approach and experience with this ancient art and gift to the world.
She is releasing her first book co-authored with her husband, Steven, this Fall. The book, Living the Heartlife™, Letting Go of the Hard Life, is a model for personal and global transformation, inspiring us all to look within, open to new possibilities, and create the life we truly want to live.
To find out more of what Cynthia is up to, go to
