Patrice Flesch, K.Y.T., owner, South End Yoga

Patrice began studying yoga in 1975 when she attended Integral yoga classes. Over the years she has studied many styles of yoga.

In 1998 Patrice received her certification to teach yoga through the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health. She chose this type of yoga because it is accessible to everyone.

Physical limitations are not a problem since poses may be modified to accommodate injuries or lack of flexibility.

Patrice’s goal is to have her students relax, feel good about themselves and improve their physical and mental health. Her students become stronger, more flexible and gain a greater awareness of their bodies and minds.

Since receiving her certification, Patrice has continued her education by studying almost every type of yoga. She attended Anusara classes for 2 years. Her teachings are heavily influenced by Gary Kraftsow and Viniyoga.

Patrice has been teaching yoga classes at the Boston Alzheimer’s center for eight years. She is a pioneer in this area. Patrice’s work with Alzheimer’s has been featured on Channel 5 in Boston, CNN and the Yoga Journal. Patrice was also recently featured in the Boston Globe.

Patrice also teaches in rehabilitation centers and nursing homes within the Partners Health Care system. In addition, Patrice teaches at Farnsworth House, an apartment building for the elderly and disabled.

Patrice is certified to work with both cardiac and cancer patients. She received her Yoga of the Heart certification from Nischala Devi, the yoga consultant for the famous Dean Ornish Program for Reversing Heart Disease. Nischala also co-founded the award-winning Commonwealth Cancer program.

Patrice has also received the Yoga for the Rest of Us certification through Peggy Cappy who is known for her public television series, books and cds.

Patrice is available for private lessons. southendyoga@gmail.com

I attend Patrice's Saturday AM class regularly and enjoy it very much.  I like the way she approaches each asana and preps our bodies for the poses.  It is a nice compliment to my other classes.  I also like how she welcomes newcomers to yoga.

                                 ------ Sheila A.

I am currently a student at Patrice’s Tuesday night class which I thoroughly enjoy. I have been a student of Patrice’s for many years and her style of teaching and Kripalu yoga in general suits me very well. I like the unpretentious nature of the studio and the people who attend it.

                               ------ Gillian L.

You're by far the best yoga teacher I've ever had! I have tried many classes since I moved here to California but none of them have been as good as you. My sister has remarked the very same comment!!!!

                               ------ Bonnie R.

Suzi Parks received her Hatha Yoga certification in 1997 at the Moving Center with Bob Cooley. The word “Hatha” is made up of the Sanskrit syllables “ha” (sun) and “tha” (moon). Hatha Yoga indicates the union of these two opposites. Bob utilized traditional Chinese medicine and developed a system of resistance stretching  focused on energy meridians within the body, which he called Janna Hatha Yoga. The focus of this path of Hatha Yoga is to use isometric or resistance movements within each asana (pose) to further the stretch of each muscle.  As Suzi and her students went through life changes, she has adjusted her classes: she has furthered her studies into Yoga for and with Babies and Children and has put a special focus into yoga for menopausal women. Suzi developed a yoga program at Northeastern University for faculty and staff, as well as an after school program for Cape Verdean and Portuguese speaking children. She has also taught at various studios throughout Boston, including Healthworks, City Lights and C2 Studios as well as working privately with a wide variety of students.

In 1985 Suzi studied with Margo Adair in the technique of Creative Visualization. She uses these applied meditation techniques to assist the yoga participant in creating visual images for deep relaxation and intuitive problem solving. 

Each yoga session begins with the traditional Sun Salutation  and ends with guided meditations. Together we will begin a journey of stretching, flexibility and physical and mental stress reduction. 

Suzi’s classes are amazing, afterwards my body feels so relaxed!
                           ----- Celia C.

The small class environment is perfect for me. I love the partner poses, as they help me go deeper into the poses.
                          ----- Holly R.

I love the class with Nancy - if she taught I would come five times a week for sure!

                           ----- Joan W.

Ken Hadden has been teaching yoga in the Boston area for over 12 years at various places including: Salem Hospital, the North Andover Senior Center, Yangs Martial Arts in Andover, the North Shore YMCA, the Woman's Health Center in Danvers and the Grosvenor Park Nursing Center in Salem. Ken is a Kripalu Yoga Instructor and a Lakshmi Voelker Chair Yoga Instructor, certified through the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in Lenox, MA. He has assisted several times with the Men's Yoga Quest at the Kripalu Center.  Ken also has graduated from the International Macrobiotic Institute in Switzerland and the Ann Wigmore Health Institute in Puerto Rico. Ken is a student of the Moreno Institute East and has completed over 100 hours of training in Evolutionary Social Science based upon forces of cohesion and creativity through the applied aspects of Psychodrama, Sociodrama,  Sociometry, and repair of the Social Atom.

He is also a certified Tong Ren Energy Therapist certified through the Oriental Culture Institute in Quincy, MA. Ken integrates his holistic background, intuition, and his gentle nature into all his classes allowing every student to feel accepted, relaxed, and eager to explore the body and learn how to calm the mind and emotions. Ken is also a professional disc jockey and resides in Boston, MA.

I like the Kripalu style and Ken's instruction, with the focus on the whole person, emphasizing the breath, noticing sensation in the body and opening to spiritual growth. I'm not interested in being pushed to the point of injury, and I value instructors who work with people where they are in a noncompetitive class that is open to newcomers and experienced yogis alike.                          ----- David B.

Karen Wenc has been a student of Iyengar yoga since 1981, and has been teaching for over 18 years. A former competitive runner, swimmer and cross-country skier, Karen's teaching style emphasizes developing strength and flexibility to prevent sports-related injuries. A Brookline resident, Karen teaches full-time throughout the greater Boston area, and has taught at the Yogashala in Santiago, Chile among other international venues. Karen is a longtime student of Patricia Walden, who Time Magazine called one of yoga's "leading luminaries."

Karen's illuminating classes provide you in-depth, technical cues on how to fully experience the asanas, while keeping your mind present as she describes the eight limbs of yoga and decodes obscure Sanskrit terminology. Towards the end you will be busy floating off to some other time and space, at which point she brings you back with her tiny bells to close out the class. Invigorating, mindful and relaxing.

Iyengar is a style of yoga which emphasizes anatomical precision and alignment to promote both strength and flexibility. Its use of props (such as blocks and straps) helps to enable students to more readily experience the essence of poses (asanas).

Current student! LOVE Karen's Thursday morningIyengar class!

                                    ----- Meredith F.

Mahendran Radhakrishnan, LCSW teaches Viniyoga influenced classes.
Mahendran started practicing yoga in 2001 at a gym in his hometown of
Leominster. Then in 2007, Mahendran decided to go on a search to find a form of yoga that he wanted to teach.  He stumbled upon Viniyoga after going to many different classes,  learning about many different styles of yoga and talking with many different Yogis. He feels blessed to have discovered a yoga that helps to ground himself. He is currently in the Viniyoga Teacher training and Therapy program learning from Gary Krafstow. Gary has been responsible for bringing
Viniyoga and translating to an American audience.

The core principles behind Viniyoga include repetition, stay and adaptation. Asana are not use as a goal to get, but as a mirror to help understand our body and ourselves better. Through the integrations of the these core principles in each class, Viniyoga helps students have a journey without leaving their mat.

Mahendran uses the core principles of Viniyoga along with his years of experience as a social worker to bring a mindful and restorative experience on the mat.

Sara Castaneda first came to yoga through a desire to connect with and strengthen her core physically, mentally, and spiritually. Originally from the Boston area, she began with the Hatha and Vinyasa styles and she quickly became a dedicated and enthusiastic student. Along her path of yoga, Sara has studied with senior teachers such as Scott Blossom and Nicole Clark, and has completed her teacher training with Daniel Orlansky, Liz Owen, and Josh Summers (Yin Yoga).

Sara has been a yoga practitioner for seven years and has over 500 hours of yoga teacher training, she is certified through Yoga Energy of Flow, and is registered nationally with Yoga Alliance. She is a Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner and graduated from the School of Ayurveda at the Kripalu Center for Yoga in Stockbridge, MA. Her passion for movement deepened her yoga practice and she is taking it further with Ayurveda. Sara views yoga as a playful journey, and a place for loving self-acceptance as well as a tremendous force of healing physical injuries and chronic pain.