Teachers
Angela Ross
Angie has been practicing yoga for over 20 years. She came to the practice for physical pain relief from sitting long hours and found it especially helpful for stress management. Since 2011 she’s been practicing yoga at Schoolhouse and has benefited from the diverse styles taught here. Her style is eclectic, pulling from many teachers over her years of practice. Angie encourages her students to explore their own journey and find their own practice.
Becky Lindsay
Becky completed her RYT200 training in 2015 at Yoga on the Square in Pittsburgh, and her Aerial Yoga teacher training in 2017 in Chicago. Her trainings were focused on powerful slow flow with attention to alignment, somatics and anatomy. She has moved and taught in multiple states while obtaining her master’s degree in occupational therapy. Becky loves exploring holistic health through these two fields, with all the variations and similarities (although with different language) on how we find holistic wellness through movement and the mind-body connection.
Jennifer Tober
Jennifer Tober received her training through Joanne Vandenhengel/3rd Street Yoga/Schoolhouse Yoga. Jennifer has practiced yoga since 1999, and teaches many forms including Vinyasa Flow, Hatha, Pre-Natal, Mommy and Me, and Meditation. She infuses her teaching with creativity, a quest for beautiful movement, and and inspiration for each student to explore and develop her/his own spiritual and physical practice. Off the mat, Jennifer is a professional actress and the artistic director of Pittsburgh Shakespeare in the Parks. She is a mom of two amazing children, with whom she enjoys many creative and academic endeavors.
Joni Sturgill
Joni Staaf Stamford is a passionate teacher and student of yoga and mindfulness. She earned the advanced yoga and meditation teaching designation of ERYT-500 from Kripalu, plus she is a licensed professional counselor and studied at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition as well. For 20 years, she has shared insights on mental, emotional and physical wellness to individuals, corporate populations, cancer patients, caregivers, therapists, educators, and students of her training programs. Joni’s Plugged into Mindfulness professional development program has been adapted for school districts, counselors, first responders, and medical professionals. She is a member of the Vistage Speaker’s Bureau, an Amazon best-selling-author of Heart of All Life, a book of poetry, as well as a proud mother of two sons. Joni can be reached via her website, www.insightwithjoni.com.
Kierstyn Ippolito
Kierstyn found yoga in 2016 and completed her 200-hour certification with Schoolhouse Yoga in 2025. Her classes are gentle, welcoming, and accessible — an invitation to slow down, reconnect with yourself, and leave feeling nourished. She believes yoga is a lifelong journey of self-discovery and is so grateful to walk this path alongside her students. Off the mat you can find her reading in the sunshine, going on adventures with her dogs, and traveling with her partner.
Laura Kustaborder
Laura Kustaborder (she/her) is a holistic wellness practitioner dedicated to empowering you to live joyfully and thrive. She offers a range of services including transformative health coaching, reiki, meditation, breathwork, and embodied movement practices. With over 20 years of experience in health care, Laura has developed a profound understanding of the body and its systems. Her holistic journey began as a path to heal her own physical and mental traumas while discovering her true self. Laura is here to support you in making impactful changes, building healthy habits, and fostering self-growth. She works with individuals, groups, and corporate clients, and is available for workshops, events, and speaking engagements. Let Laura guide you on your journey to transform, evolve, and thrive! In her free time, you will find Laura rock and ice climbing, cycling, or enjoying adventures with her dogs, Sydney and Franklin. Learn more on her website: www.eclosionwellness.com.
Laurie Held-Ireland
Laurie has a strong background in gymnastics and has competed in triathlons. In 2003, she discovered Schoolhouse Yoga and became inspired to study yoga. She has studied with Manju Jois, Angelique Sneeden, Tim Miller, and Doug Swenson. Laurie completed teacher trainings in Ashtanga yoga with both David Swenson and Tim Miller.
Leta Koontz
Leta Koontz, E-RYT and founder of Schoolhouse Yoga, has been studying yoga since 1998. Leta trained at the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute in Mysore, India, and has completed her 200 hour certification with the Himalayan Institute and her 500 hour training with Lori Brungard. www.schoolhouseyoga.com/leta
Louann Swogger
LouAnn, RYT, LMT, is a certified yoga and meditation teacher. She's been teaching classes and workshops in Pittsburgh, PA, and the surrounding area for over a decade. It is her intention to honor the many doorways into yoga/meditation. She believes that yoga can change your life and loves to share it with others. She is a founding member of The Radiance Sutras School of Meditation and continues to train under Dr. Lorin Roche and Camille Maurine. She is also an artist and creator of The Luminous Pause.
Natassia Dickey
Natassia is a wellness ambassador and holistic therapist (licensed professional counselor & RYT-500). Inspired by the healing benefits and transformative properties of her own practice, she sought out 200-hour teacher training through SchoolHouse Yoga. She went on to complete 300-hour training in Yoga Farm Ithaca’s Spiritual Warrior Yoga Teacher training. Certified in a breadth of mind-body-soul practices, Natassia creatively and conscientiously weaves Kundalini, Ayurveda, Laughter Yoga (LYI, Dr. Kataria), Moon Archetypes, Enneagram, Trauma-informed Yoga Nidra, and Somatic Mindfulness into her classes. She has over a decade of experience in helping people change their relationship with themselves and their life. As a yoga teacher, she aspires to hold sacred space for her students while they deepen their practice and expand their awakening.
Richard Gartner
Since 2005, Richard Gartner has been fostering a non-dogmatic and compassionate attitude about students’ abilities and circumstances in Pittsburgh and beyond. Richard’s style is paradoxically both unique and universal. His instructions allow for any student to approach the practice, embracing all levels of experience and ability. This allows for yogis to explore their own unique structure and make every practice their own. His teachings fuse traditional posture and breathwork with contemporary anatomy and bodywork. He draws from many forms of yoga, fascial release, mindfulness techniques, and common sense. Learn more about Richard at his website https://frameworksyoga.com/
Rose Silfani
After several years of practicing yoga, Rose decided to follow her passion and become a yoga instructor. She enjoys sharing the uplifting energy of yoga while leading classes and workshops. She holds a CPR certification and is a 200 hour RYT with Yoga Alliance. One of her favorite poses is balancing half-moon – Ardha Chandrasana. It feels open, expansive and truly uplifting. Her hope is that her classes promote the mantra, “Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu,” meaning “may all beings everywhere be happy and free.” When is she off the mat, she enjoys supporting local farmers markets, cooking, long walks in nature and traveling when the opportunity arises.
Shikha Pasrija
Shikha Pasrija, C-IAYT believes that Yoga is not just movement; It is svadhyaya, a sadhana, a journey of the self, to the self, and through the self. For Shikha, yoga is a path of freedom, awareness, and transformation that touches every layer of being: physical, mental, emotional, energetic, and ancestral. It is a practice of letting go, releasing what no longer serves, and reconnecting with our true nature. As a certified Yoga Therapist, Shikha specializes in supporting students through stress, chronic pain, anxiety, and emotional blocks. She weaves together tao-yin movements, hatha and kundalini yoga, pranayama, chanting, meditation, yoga nidra, and sukshma somatic practices. Each session becomes a personal practice, a sacred space to explore, heal, and grow. Shikha’s nurturing and inclusive teaching style creates a safe space for all levels, whether seeking stress relief, emotional balance, or holistic well-being. Her integrative approach combines therapeutic yoga, self-inquiry, and embodied awareness, offering practical tools to restore balance, clarity, and vitality. Beyond yoga therapy, Shikha is a Reiki Master, Qigong Instructor, Dharma Mentor, and a devoted student of Yoga, Ayurveda, and TCM. Her teaching honors ancient traditions while adapting to the needs of modern life, creating a practice that is both accessible and transformative. Shikha warmly invites you to step onto the mat and experience a practice that harmonizes body, mind, and soul.
Tara Irwin
Tara’s spiritual path began in the heart of India, where she embraced meditation through breath awareness. She naturally flowed into a love for vinyasa yoga with movements that challenge weakness and restore strength. In 2019, she deepened her practice by completing a 200-hour training with Unity Vinyasa. Inspired by teachers from around the world who have guided her healing journey. Join together in the studio, outdoors and online for mindful flows designed to rejuvenate the body and relax the mind. Classes are accessible for all levels with optional hands-on assists offered to release tension, enhance grounding and balance alignment. Outside of yoga, Tara loves exploring with her dog Pipsi, creating botanical wellness products and living her best life. Connect with her at http://www.ignitewellness.one.