INSTRUCTORS

For more than a decade, Susan has passionately taught yoga throughout the southeast and abroad, having completed course work and practicums in professional Yoga Therapy which includes Prenatal Yoga and Thai Yoga Therapy in South Carolina, Georgia and Kentucky.

A member of the Integral Yoga Teachers Association, Yoga Alliance and the International Association of Yoga Therapists, Susan is one of only a few experienced registered yoga teachers in the region with more than 2000 hours of teaching experience and more than 800 hours of training.

Susan received her 200 hour training from Holy Cow Yoga Center in Charleston, SC where she was trained in the Integral lineage of yoga. She then received her 500 hour and Yoga Therapy training from Etowah Valley Yoga north of Atlanta, GA which is heavily influenced by the Iyengar lineage of yoga. Among all of Susan’s great yoga mentors and teachers, Susan also trained with Marlysa Sullivan who has served on the board of The International Association of Yoga Therapy. Susan has also attended workshops and/or classes with Erich Schiffman, John Friend, Doug Keller, Paul Grilley and Matthew Sandford. She also earned the designation of RPYT during her yoga therapy training, becoming one of only two Registered Prenatal Yoga Teachers in the state of Kentucky.

While at EVY, Susan trained with Michael Sitzer in Thai Yoga Therapy. Michael served as the core faculty member at the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health for years and has studied in Thailand with Pichest Boonthume and also with Kam Thye Chow, Ken Nelson and Jonas Westring.

Shri Brahmananda said, “A miracle is a change in perspective”. Whether someone is just looking for the tools to live a healthier, more balanced life or is recovering from some form of trauma, the yogic path is transformational.

When I practice yoga it is a chance to get out of my head and the mundane of everyday life and connect breath, body and soul in the form of moving prayer to something transformative and divine. I discovered yoga in the early 1990’s and was immediately drawn to the timeless philosophy, while the asanas and pranayama helped my body recover from earlier childhood trauma. More than anything, I craved balance in a chaotic world and yoga was that for me. I began teaching in 2000, wanting to share with others the timeless tools of yoga. Whether practicing on the beach, in a studio, in church, a park, or alone, yoga connects us to something deeper, bigger, more meaningful, and to each other.

Over the years I have taught a wide variety of yoga students and have over 1,000 hours of study in pre-natal, kids, restorative, yin, chair, seniors, power, vinyasa, Ashtanga, Jivamukti, meditation, chakra yoga/meditation and recovery from trauma. I am 200 E-RYT in classic vinyasa and a Reiki practitioner. I live in Glasgow with my husband and two children where I love to cook delicious vegetarian meals, spend time with my four legged friends and teach and practice yoga and meditation in my home studio.

I have been practicing yoga since 1999. I started my practice with Heidi Crocker as a winter fitness activity during my lunch breaks when I was a counselor at SKY Community and Technical College then known as Bowling Green Technical School. I wasn’t sure how I felt about it, but after a few classes, I was hooked. I continued on with Beverly Veenker and Debbie Marquette as they expanded yoga opportunities in the Bowling Green area.

I started my teacher training in 2013 with Shanda Packard at Harmony Therapeutic Yoga and completed my 200-hour Yoga Alliance Training in 2014. I believed then and now that yoga is a perfect adjunct for counseling for those who can use yoga as a way to work through times of personal crisis and trauma, as well as a great way to become healthier in mind and body for anyone.

I am currently a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) and will complete my 500-hour yoga training in November 2016.

Chie Tanaka, from Yokohama, Japan, has faithfully practiced Hatha Yoga since 2004. In 2011, she completed 200 hours of yoga teacher training under the supervision of Debbie Marquette and Heidi Crocker. Since then, Chie has taught yoga as a service to many people in Bowling Green, Kentucky, with special classes designed for individuals in Bowling Green’s Japanese community. Aside from her commitment to practicing yoga, Chie is active in other recreational activities such as hiking, running, and rock-climbing. She loves hanging out with friends, cooking Japanese foods, and designing personal crafts.

“My love for Yoga began after attending my first class in 1998. As a fitness instructor, I was inspired with the realization that Yoga asanas incorporate all 4 elements of exercise wellness – strength, cardio, balance and range of motion. My passion is finding the right modification to make yoga work for everyone. I completed my 200 hr Yoga Teacher Training here at Be Happy Yoga. I have been a Barber for 32 yrs – married my client and best friend DeWayne in 1990. We have a daughter and 2 grandchildren. One of my favorite quotes is from Richard Faulds. True yoga starts with radical self acceptance. Observe the self without judgement. When the body knows that the mind is kind, it will open and release.”

In January 2004, I took my first yoga class taught by Beverly Veenker and she opened my eyes to the “Mind, Body and Breath” of yoga. She taught how the Breath is your focus and movement in Yoga; Breath is your life’s beginning and end. I continued practicing Hatha yoga and realized that yoga has brought calm, stability and strength to both my mind and body. After retiring a few years ago, I decided I wanted to teach yoga and completed my 200 hours in Integral Yoga under the supervision of Susan Polk in April 2019. Over the years I have practiced a wide variety of yoga: restorative, yin, power, vinyasa, chair, meditation, and Hatha and studied the Chakra. Through trauma Yoga has been my therapy. 

Shigeko is originally from Tokyo Japan and studied flower arrangement (Shihan), tea ceremony and Calligraphy as she grew up there. She also studied different disciplines of martial arts: Tae Kwon Do (3rd Black Belt), Kung Fu and Thai Chi.  They have helped her tremendously to study Yoga as the importance of breathing, controlling energy flow and mind are the pillars of those disciplines.

She completed RYT 200 training at Harmony Therapeutic Yoga in May 2015 and has been teaching at local studios since then. Her goal is to help the students to ease the tensions that they hold on their bodies and minds.

Amy Lindsey is a 2002 graduate of Western Kentucky University with a Bachelor Degree in Psychology and Recreation with an emphasis in Therapeutic Recreation.

In 2004, Amy received her Registered 200 hour Yoga Teacher Certification from TMAA inc. (Together, Mind, Anatomy, Air) at Ashby’s Yoga of Owensboro,KY. Amy has been registered as a certified yoga teacher through Yoga Alliance since September 2004. Her speciality in yoga is Hatha yoga, restorative/relaxation and kids yoga. 

In 2006 Amy received her physical therapy associate Degree in Physical Therapy in from Volunteer State Community College. Amy has been a practicing PTA for now over 10 years. This education and background has given Amy more understanding and background on movement and the human anatomy.  

In 2016, I started my journey in yoga and began my practice at Be Happy Yoga & Salt Cave. I tried several different classes: beginners, yin-yang, slow flow, vinyasa flow, gentle, and restorative. I fell in love with yoga and how it made me feel. I was more relaxed after a stressful day and found an exercise that made my body more flexible and
comfortable to be in. It’s hard to say which class is my favorite because I enjoy them all!

After four years of practice, I decided to deepen my practice and started another journey in becoming a Hatha yoga instructor. In Moy of 2020, I completed my 200 hours in yoga teacher training under Susan Polk at Be Happy Yoga & Salt Cave. After completing my training, I introduced yoga to my sister. She suffers rheumatoid arthritis. She fell in love
with yoga and is so excited to experience the benefits of yoga through the breath, mind, and body. The best part of my journey is the reward of knowing I am able to help others find an exercise that is less abrasive to their body, make them feel comfortable in their own body, and help them reach a state of relaxation.

I received a certification in Restorative Yoga. I have interest in continuing to study other styles of yoga and bring them to the studio. Outside of yoga, I enjoy knitting, camping, hiking, cooking, and being with family who includes my husband, Andy of 34 years, 2 sons: Kyle and Joseph, and our granddaughter Emilia. I am a graduate from Western Kentucky University where I studied Communications Disorders and Early Childhood Education.