Front row: Linda Mills (owner, E500RYT, instructor, Yoga Therapist), GiGi (sub teacher), Laura Mallernee (mindfulness facilitator), Lori Miles, Patt Dillon (Holistic Nutrition); Back row: Brian Hallgren (200 RYT, instructor), Anna Winberg (200 RYT, instructor), Dawn Spiegl (special events). Not in picture: Lindy Murff (instructor, specializing in Hula Hooping-really!)
Studio Mills' Certified Instructors, Teachers and Staff:
Anna Winberg: I was born and raised in Sweden and moved to the US in 1999. That is where the accent is from☺️.
I’m a lover of nature and animals and live in a log cabin in Ashland City. Kerry, my husband and love of my life, enjoy our porch life with maybe a glass of red wine watching the sunset, cooking together and taking care of our animals. We are surrounded by trees and our furry and feathery friends, consisting of 3 dogs, 5 cats, 2 horses, a goat, 4 ducks and 32 chickens.
I have always been a lover of moving my body since childhood, dance and gymnastics. I found a new passion when yoga and Tai Chi entered my life almost 20 years ago. I’ve been sharing this since 2006 at many different locations in the Nashville area over the years. Currently I’m teaching at a senior living community, the Heritage of Brentwood, the Christ Church YMCA and Brentwood Family YMCA. I also teach at Villa Maria Manor another lovely senior chair yoga class!
My classes, both Tai Chi and yoga, are mindful and slow, gentle and calming, joyful and soothing. I’m looking forward to sharing yoga with the yogis and yoginis at the lovely Studio Mills while Linda is out of town. You can visit my class Saturday’s Jan. 20, Feb. 3, Feb. 17 and Maybe March 2.
Alicia Mayes, RYT200, ACE Group Fitness Instructor is a lifelong resident of Cheatham County. Shortly before her fortieth birthday, she attended a free yoga class in the park and immediately fell in love with the practice. An unexpected opportunity allowed her to leave her job at a local nonprofit to make yoga and fitness a career, not just a hobby. After completing an intensive seven-month Yoga Teacher Training she began teaching, and to date, has taught in five studios in the area and offers private one on one classes. She is trained in Hot Yoga, Vinyasa, and Restorative.
“For me, yoga is about the balance between strength and flexibility, exertion, and releasing. My classes combine both strength and mobility in a dynamic, Vinyasa Flow style. Expect to move, sweat, and breathe.
You will leave feeling as if you have had therapy, a workout, and massage all in one. Join me at Studio Mills beginning Wed. Jan. 10. I’ll be there each Monday and Wednesday in January and February.
Sonja Becknell is an animal lover & neighborhood pet sitter, a parent to two wonderfully unique young men, a contemporary artist & painter, & a seasoned yoga & Pilates instructor. Since she began teaching fitness in 2006, her students have ranged from young to old, from beginners to experienced, & from healthy to those seeking better health. This retired ballerina has a lifetime of experience studying movement & almost two decades teaching a variety of formats, including children’s dance classes, Silver Sneakers, Les Mills’ BodyFlow, mat Pilates, restorative yoga, vinyasa yoga, barre, & basic yoga. Sonja believes, “Our bodies are designed to move. When we move with care & intention, stress hormone levels drop & endorphins flow, making us feel better physically, mentally, & emotionally. Our body is the home in which the soul resides, so we should care for it with respect & gratitude.” When leading classes, Sonja is attentive, knowledgeable, & intuitive, providing multiple modifications for her students with different injuries & abilities. In her classes, you will be encouraged & empowered to balance effort with ease, strength with length, & mobility with stability. Take time out of your busy schedule to join her at Studio Mills from 10-11:15 a.m., Sat. January 13th & 27th, & Feb. 10th & 24th.
RYT 200, E-500 RYT, CYT and other yoga teacher certifications are explained here, at the YogaAlliance.org website.
Linda Mills, RYT200, E-500 RYT, CYT graduated from FSU in Elementary Education and Special Ed but never had more than a handful of interim positions and substitute teaching, so in the 1980’s Sculptursize was born. Linda took her first dance exercise business into Nashville businesses with 40 some classes per week. Through many twists and turns of lay-offs of other gigs but always passionate about fitness and wellness, Linda opened up Studio Mills in downtown Kingston Springs in 2007. The initial mission was to nurture the soul through yoga, fitness, music and art. Much of that intention continues to evolve and come true for those who enter the doors. Linda initially got certified in the Bikram flow of yoga in 1985, did her 200 hour training program through the Yoga School in 2007 and her 500 RYT and Yoga Therapy certification through The Yoga Teachers School of Excellence (Jackson, TN) in 2012. She incorporates her paths for transformation, her dance background, Laughing Yoga®, creative yoga therapy and life’s experiences intoher work with hospitals, working with the mentally ill and also the mentally well in classes at Studio Mills, Vanderbilt, and others locations. Linda enjoys kayaking, tennis, circle dancing, hiking and her family and friends. Linda says she plans to continue to teach yoga into her 90’s.
Anna Winberg, RYT200 was born and raised in Sweden and moved to The United States in 1999. She loves spending time with her family- children, dogs, cats and horses in their big yellow house. Anna’s passion for joyful movements of the body began in early years with gymnastics, dance and also working out at the gym and then one day Yoga crossed her path and captured her heart. "Yoga has become my breathing space". Anna was one of the first students to graduate from The Yoga School in 2006 and she is a 200 Hour Registered Yoga Teacher through Yoga Alliance. Anna offers slow flowing feel good yoga on Wednesday evenings at 6:30. "Yoga is not always comfortable, but it should never be painful. Keep the breath softly flowing and enjoy the joy and pleasure of moving to soft music. Feel the connection- body, mind and spirit." Anna's goal is for her students to feel calm, peaceful, energized and ready for the rest of the day or to culminate the evening. Anna is also certified in Tai Chi for Health and loves how Tai Chi and Shibashi is complementing her yoga teaching in many ways and how it is suitable for everyone regardless of age.
Brian Hallgren, was encouraged by Linda Mills to try yoga, and before he knew it, he was wanting more yoga, please. He was living in San Francisco at the time and spent numerous hours in the Iyengar Yoga Institute of SF, learning and practicing his yoga in 2009. Wanting to better his own practice, he started Teacher Training in 2012, becoming 200RYT certified in June 2013. He is currently teaching one class a week, Elements, at Studio Mills and shares as he studies the yoga philosophy.
Lindy Murff, Certified Group Exercise Instructor, was born and raised in Nashville, TN. In 1992, she moved to Cheatham County to raise her children “in the country.” She’s a certified group exercise instructor with a wide range of interest. From Zumba to Yoga, Tai Chi to Hoopnotica, Dancercize, S.A.I.L., Walk with Ease, Pound Fit...if it sounds fun, she’ll try it! Currently, Lindy is the Fitness Director at The Senior Center at Ashland City. When she’s not teaching exercise classes, she manages ticket sales for public events in the Southeast. She loves travel, camping, reading, gardening, beaches, people and YOGA, and looks forward to sharing a practice with you soon. Think Good Thoughts!
Sonia Becknell, Pilates, Yoga, Older Adult Fitness (various), looking to slow down & tune in, stepping out of the frazzle of the fast lane & into the blissful experience of gentle movement? Want to walk away feeling energized & calm all at the same time? Whatever your limitations or abilities might be, stop all the activities that keep you from coming to class & practice yoga with Sonja Becknell. This retired ballerina has a lifetime of experience studying movement & over a decade of experience teaching Pilates & Yoga, providing multiple modifications to hundreds of students with different injuries & abilities. “Our body is the home in which the soul resides during our lifetime, so we should care for it with respect & gratitude,” says Sonja. Her students range from young to old, beginners to seasoned teachers, & healthy to those seeking better health. Sonja, a resident of Kingston Springs since 2007, holds Pilates phase I & II certifications, as well as Yoga phase I & II, Older Adult Fitness, & Pre & Post Natal certifications through AAAI/ISMA. She is also certified in BodyFlow through Les Mills & has taken workshops with Shiva Rea, Annie Carpenter, Indu Arora, Faith Hunter, Kristi Taylor, & Cora Wen, to name a few. She is attentive, intuitive, & knowledgeable, but comes to class with a servant’s heart. “We will gently stretch, strengthen, balance, & breathe so that we all walk out feeling better than when we arrived.”
Rebecca Dandekar, RYT200, has firsthand experience with the transformative power of yoga physically, mentally, and spiritually. In 2007, Rebecca began practicing yoga following the birth of her daughter. Like most first-time, type A personality moms, after the infant and all-encompassing toddler years, her body, mind and spirit were all in need of TLC. With lower back pain and the inability to touch her toes, Rebecca admits her first yoga classes were challenging. With time, the practice healed her body, but more importantly, rebuilt her sense of self and nourished her spirit. Over the years, Rebecca’s practice has evolved from emphasizing strength to a gentler, deeply introspect practice with a healthy dose of self-humor.
In 2015, Rebecca completed a 200-hr RYT Yoga Alliance certification at Sanctuary for Yoga in Nashville, Tennessee studying under her long time teachers, Daphne and Tom Larkin. A continuous student, you may find her practicing at the Sanctuary, the Bellevue YMCA, or outdoors as the weather warms. Thrilled to share her passion with others, Rebecca can be found teaching at the Bellevue Nashville Public Library in support of the Be Well @ NPL initiative, at Brentwood United Methodist Church, and at Bowie Nature Park in Fairview, Tennessee.
Self-compassion, finding the ease, and maintain body-spirit connection are her goals, both on and off the mat.
Barbara Ross has practiced yoga for 17 years and has been teaching for 6. Barbara completed her 200 hour teacher training at Kali Yuga Yoga in Nashville and is currently pursuing her 300 hour teacher certification at Sanctuary for Yoga. Barbara teaches vinyasa, yin, and restorative yoga. She is also a holistic health coach and graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, a certified Reiki Master, a personal trainer, and a hula hoop dancer. She likes to weave yogic philosophy into her classes and highlight specific teachings that have been meaningful for her in her own yoga journey. Barbara teaches Yin with Gentle Flow. This class will begin with Yin postures which are each held for 3 minutes. Varying from other forms of asana, Yin yoga blends Hatha yoga with traditional Chinese medicine to activate meridian lines within the body and to move stagnant energy. This practice goes beyond muscular stretching; Yin yoga exercises our cartilage and connective tissues, strengthens our bones and ligaments, and passively lengthens our fascia while also increasing our flexibility and range of motion. After the yin postures, Barbara will guide students through a gentle flow where students will experience greater mobility as a result of the beginning yin practice.
Reiki with Dawn Song offers Reiki and Chakra Clearings. Reiki just feels good and can be a conduit for healing body, mind and spirit. Chakra Clearings help facilitate releasing of negative energy that has served its purpose and is ready to be let go. Sessions are generally 1 hour long by appointment only for $30-$50 sliding scale. Let Dawn know if you are interested by emailing her at dawnsong915@gmail.com.
Tanoa Witzgall is originally from western Kentucky and moved to Nashville in 2014 to attend Vanderbilt University. She holds a Doctorate of Education and is a National Board Certified Teacher specializing in Deaf Education. She received her RYT 200 certification in Raja Yoga in Costa Rica in 2016, and she taught yoga in East Nashville prior to moving closer to Studio Mills. She has taught restorative yoga, yoga nidra, and vinyasa yoga, and describes her style of teaching as intuitive and seeks to facilitate an environment congruent with personal growth. She feels that everyone needs something unique and doesn't believe in a one size-fits-all approach. Her unique interest in sound perception and the effects of sound on the body is infused in her classes. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her 2 year old daughter and her husband, painting, running, and meditating.