Meet the Teachers

Our instructors are the heart and soul of our studio, and we are excited to showcase their diverse backgrounds, training, and passion for yoga. Below, you will find a brief bio of each instructor, along with their teaching style, experience, and certifications. We believe that our instructors are the best in the business, and we want you to get to know them as individuals, so you feel comfortable and inspired when attending their classes. From beginners to advanced yogis, our instructors are here to guide and support you on your yoga journey, both on and off the mat. Come meet our team and experience the transformative power of yoga with us!

Hildegarde, CYT

Co-owner, Sundari Yoga Studio

Hildegarde has been a student of yoga since 1973, trained by Yogi Amrit Desai and the senior yoga teachers at the Amrit Yoga Institute. She has received her 200 hour yoga teacher certification. Hildegarde is certified as a Reiki II practitioner through her training at the International Center for Reiki Training with William Lee Rand and Patricia Williams. Hildegarde is also a Level II Soma Energetics practitioner, as trained by David E. Hulse D.D. In addition, Hildegarde holds a degree in Fashion Merchandising and is the owner of Simply Blinds by Hildegarde in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Hildegarde truly feels she is following her passion, by assisting students on their journey toward integration of body, mind, heart, and soul.

Classes:
• Guided Yoga Nidra
• Amrit Yoga

Jill Neilson (Madhuri) LMT, CYT

Co-owner, Sundari Yoga Studio

She is certified over 900 hours and has practiced various styles of yoga for over 30 yrs. and has been an instructor for over 20 yrs. Her classes offer a masterful blend of alignment for body, mind and heart. Owning and practicing massage therapy (MA4144) at the Therapeutic Health Center in Cocoa Beach has been a life long commitment in helping people feel better. She believes Yoga, Massage, and a Healthy Diet is a valuable asset for our health and wellbeing.

Jill's certified trainings include: Kripalu Yoga (1981), Amrit Yoga Level 1 (2001), Amrit Yoga Level 2 (2003), Amrit Yoga Therapy, I am Yoga Nidra and other certified trainings, Power Vinyasa with Fred Bush, QiGong Infused Yoga with Lynn Nicole, Yin Yoga with Yoga International, and currently learning Tabla with Sukhmani Rayta. Jill is also a graduate of Lynn Andrews 4 year Mystery School.

Classes:
• Amrit Vinyasa
• Chair Yoga
• Gentle Yoga with Legs up the Wall

Events:
• Gongs & Sound Healing
• Kirtan
• Guided Meditation and Crystal Bowls
• Alchemy Crystal Bowls Healing Session

Jeanne Chipman

Jeanne has been practicing and studying yoga for over 10 years. She is a 200-hr registered yoga teacher certified in the Integral Hatha Yoga style. Jeanne loves living life in Cocoa Beach and is thrilled to be a part of Sundari yoga studio. When she is not working or teaching, she can be found walking the beach, surfing the waves, or biking the streets of this small beach town. The peace and stillness brought by yoga is a gift Jeanne loves to share with all who attend her classes. She is delighted to share the practice in a way that encourages everyone to find the yogic union among body, breath, mind, and spirit.

Classes:
• Hatha Yoga

Events:
• Kirtan

Jimmy O'Connor

Jimmy O'Connor is a certified yoga teacher from the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center. His yoga teacher training and experience includes living in an Ashram in the Bahamas to study the Sivananda lineage. Jimmy has been teaching yoga at Sundari since 2018. His passion for yoga brings him to his mat for a consistent daily practice and he just completed a year long yoga anatomy course from Ann Swanson Wellness.

Classes:
• Sivananda Yoga

Events:
• Kirtan

Jessica

I am a certified Yoga Instructor and Personal Trainer. I have a passion for health and fitness. I feel so grateful that I was able to turn my passion into my career and that I am able to help others. I live here locally in Merritt Island with my husband, our two dogs, and our tortoise! My husband and I are both entrepreneurs, and are working on opening our home business location, which is a Wellness Center, including NeuroMuscular Massage Therapy and Personal Training. I love being outdoors in nature, whether it's by the river or in the mountains.

Classes:
• Stretch & Restore Yoga
• Yin Yoga

Pam

Pam arrived on Merritt Island from Golden, CO end of August 2022. In 1993, she began filing her toolbox from Hawaii's Honolulu School of Massage, Florida's Yoga and Inner Peace, Hippocrates Health Institute, Colorado's Blue Sky Yoga, Vital Yoga and trauma-informed courses sponsored by Comeback Yoga. She is grateful beyond words to contribute her experience of Yoga with this warm and welcoming community at Sundari. Pam is also a prideful mom of one artsy surfer girl and a handsome puggle. She loves family time, beaching, growing food and thrifting.

Classes:
• Beginner/Intermediate Yoga

Netta

Netta has been a dedicated disciple of Iyengar yoga since 2003. She holds an intermediate junior I level of certification (CIYT 3000) with the Iyengar Yoga National Association (IYNAUS). Her keen sense of observation and effective teaching techniques endow her with the skills and sensitivity to appropriately teach her students, whether they are younger or older, athletic or have physical limitations. Netta resides in Cocoa Beach with her two boys and loves the sea.

Classes:
• Iyengar Yoga

Dr. Somya

I'm a physician and Meditation teacher with a deep passion for bridging modern science and ancient wisdom. In my classes I weave together the scientific understanding of the mind and body with the time-honored practices of breathwork and meditation — creating experiences that nurture not just your body and mind, but your spirit, too.

Classes:
• Guided Meditation + Breathwork with Dr. Somya

Ariel Sofia Albani-Akileh

A Compassionate Guide to Healing and Wellness

Ariel has been sharing the gift of Yoga since 2000, creating safe and nurturing spaces for individuals to reconnect with their body, mind, and spirit. In addition to being a yoga teacher she is also a certified Reiki Master, Intuitive Angel Channel and a Master Spirit Guide.

Classes:
• Gentle Floor Yoga