Jim Cogan/Owner:
I’m a Chicago native. In a prior life, I was a recording engineer and faculty member at Columbia College Chicago. After moving to Lake Geneva in the early 2000s, I got involved with Yoga; first casually, then decided to go for my 200 hour teaching certificate with Lori Gaspar at Prairie Yoga in Lisle, Illinois. This led to an apprenticeship with the iconic Gabriel Halpern at the Yoga Circle in Chicago. With serendipity playing a huge role, I find myself back in my former neighborhood, Old Irving Park.
Personally, I’m excited to build a business with a sense of “place”. A place where we can meet, restore and rejuvenate in a really cool space.
I’m also a sailor, gardener and author, with wildly varying degrees of skill.
Jen Stevens
Jen comes from an athletic background formerly being a collegiate gymnast and has always had some sort of passion for physical fitness. It wasn’t until the last several years that yoga has come into her life and she quickly fell in love with all aspects of yoga. The mind body connection, the physical aspect, the challenges and just how good yoga makes Jen feel is so much of what she loves about it and why she wants to share it with others. Jen is currently working towards her 200 hour training and has various certifications including personal training, YogaSculpt, cycling, Pilates, PiYo and others. Jen looks forward to sharing her yoga journey with others and can’t wait for her students to walk away from class feeling strong, energized and refreshed.
Lisa Hazen
Lisa has been practicing yoga as a student for more than 15 years—last year, she decided to take the leap to start teaching and share the benefits with others. Wanting to balance good yoga practices with a challenging workout, Lisa has designed an integrated Piyo class, which combines the best parts of Pilates core work with Yoga’s strength and flexibility benefits. A mom to two young children, Lisa also teaches a weekend Kids’ Yoga class which introduces children to the practice in a fun, friendly atmosphere.
Sarah Landicho
Sarah sought out yoga to literally bring balance to her life after several bouts with severe vertigo. Bikram and power yoga brought that equillibrium, as well as a calmness and centeredness to her family life. This energy breathed new life into her running. It all led Sarah down the path to learn more and become a teacher. She now guides her students through fun, energizing classes where they can be serious about their yoga, but they don’t have to take themselves too seriously. Sarah enjoys watching her students change and challenge themselves from class to class, whether beginning or practiced yogis. She’s inspired by the many ways yoga seeps into each person’s life– first through the postures, and then off the mat.
Carol Swann
Carol Swann enjoys teaching adults and children the joy of yoga, music, and meditation. She has a playful and thoughtful way of weaving music, storytelling, and games through her children’s yoga classes and breath awareness and mindfulness in her adult Hatha classes. Carol received her Hatha training and 200 level Certification from the Temple of Kriya Yoga in Chicago in 2004 and has been teaching Restorative Yoga there since 2006. Carol is also a meditation teacher and student of local meditation teacher, Elesa Commerse. She has her earned her Master’s in Music from Northwestern University in Evanston and Certification in Music Education from Roosevelt University and teaches music and yoga in several Chicago private and public schools through her business Swann Yoga Music.
Silvita Diaz Brown
Silvita Diaz Brown is a certified Yoga instructor, movement teacher, choreographer and dancer. She holds a BFA in Dance from UDLAP (Puebla Mexico) and a MFA in Theatre with a Movement Teaching Diploma from York University in Toronto. Silvita obtained a 200 hour Yoga certification from Chicago Yoga Center in 2009. For Silvita, “Yoga has been the blessing of my life!”
Jennifer Diamond
A long time student of Eastern philosophy and religion, as well as psychology, Jennifer found yoga to be the missing piece tying together the physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual aspects of human experience that have always interested her. She says, “During 16 years of practice I have been fortunate to study with senior teachers trained in Ashtanga, Hatha, Vinyasa, and Anusara yoga. I completed my 200 hour RYT teacher training with Global Yoga and Wellness Center, under the guidance of Rhonda Kantor, hatha and prenatal yoga instructor and Rita Knorr, certified anusara instructor. I have also completed the Street Yoga teacher training, focused on teaching yoga to underserved populations. When not teaching yoga I am likely taking a yoga class, playing with my dog, hanging out with my 3 children, singing loudly or cooking”.
