Meet Our Poughkeepsie Teachers

Certifications - 

Barre | Zumba

Hello! My name is Alexis and I am incredibly thankful to be here at Rooted Yoga. I always aim to be a grounded welcoming presence, and I love to teach and connect with others. With a lengthy background in dance and barre instruction, my morning classes bring a calm energy with just the right amount of fire to wake up your body and mind. Start your mornings with me and set the tone for a great day!

Instagram:

@alexis.kreuscher

Certifications -

200 hr Vinyasa | 200 hr Ashtanga & Black Lotus | 50 hr Yoga Anatomy

I found yoga in 2010 looking for a way to get better sleep and recover from a sports injury, and soon discovered it was healing much more than the injury. I stayed committed to practicing and in 2016 completed my 200 RYT with Yoga District in Washington, DC. I've studied Black Lotus and Ashtanga yoga with Ty Landrum, Wambui Njuguna, and Petri Raisanen. My academic work in conflict transformation, trauma-sensitivity, and religion and spirituality all inform the yoga I practice on and beyond the mat. I strive to bring a focus on sacred space creation and non-harming (ahimsa) into every class I teach. Classes with me generally start with steady heat-building, are playful and alignment-focused, and end with healing relaxation.

Instagram:

@ 

Certification - 

Amanda is a 200-hour Registered Yoga Teacher, certified in hatha, vinyasa, yin, and restorative styles with a 40-hour senior yoga specialist certification. Her approach is inclusive and adaptive, rooted in the understanding that every body is unique, and guided by a desire to help students connect more deeply with their own physical and energetic intelligence.

Yoga has long been a grounding thread in Amanda’s journey, supporting balance and clarity through seasons of change and challenge. Her teaching reflects an ongoing exploration of embodiment, resilience, and compassion, shaped by the experiences of the many places she has called home and the inspirations of the teachers who have guided her along the way.

Her classes offer both challenge and respite, integrating philosophy,  creative sequencing, breathwork, and sound elements to help students cultivate greater awareness, curiosity, and agency both on and off the mat. Outside of teaching yoga, Amanda is a designer, educator, artist, animal lover, and nature enthusiast.

Instagram:

@moving_beings

Certifications - 

Coming Soon!

Amy Frances (she/her) can’t call to memory her first yoga class, but she remembers what she’d been looking for when she found it . . . Church. As a child growing up in the Catholic Church, that became her first connection to collective consciousness (not that she was aware of it at the time). As a yoga student, Amy connected to that same feeling of being deeply grounded, weightless and liberated, all while being in community.  

“I want to bring people into the asana practice so they might be introduced to themselves, and an entirely new world around them. My inner landscape has changed dramatically, and therefore my relationship to the external, simply by showing up to breathe. It feels important to share that great shifts can occur by becoming aware of your breath and choosing ease, choosing grace.”

Amy has completed two 200hr teacher certifications at Vera Yoga in New York City, and the Newburgh Yoga Shala.

Instagram:

@crumbswithfranny 

Certifications -

200 hr | 50 hr Yin 

Arianna is a dance teacher, freelance dancer, singer, and a passionate creator born, raised and currently residing in Pleasant Valley, NY. Arianna teaches at the local dance studio. She loves working with children and is grateful for how much they have taught her about life and herself. In 2019, she received a BA in Dance from Hunter College and shortly after studied at a professional dance training program with the Limon Dance Company. Her love for yoga started while she was in college and grew through the pandemic years.

She has a passion for reading and learning about ancient scripture and yogic philosophy. In her free time, Arianna enjoys going on solo hikes as a way to connect deeper to nature. She finds profound meaning in putting oneself in unconventional situations, an example being spending time barefoot in the pouring rain. Arianna loves to connect with new humans through teaching and hopes to inspire others to connect with their bodies and their minds in a deeper way; “To stay connected to the present moment, and to lead with love.” Arianna believes that yoga is for everybody and everyBODY and aims to create a safe and inclusive space for all people to practice the art of yoga.   

She has completed both her 200 Hour and Yin & Restorative with Stone Wave Yoga’s Teacher Training Programs

Instagram:

@arnesandnoble

Certifications - 

500 hr RYT | 50 hr Yin | 50 hr Children's and Special Needs | 100 R-YFT

Bridget is a firm believer that yoga is for all bodies and everybody. She discovered yoga at first as part of a fitness routine, but quickly began to realize the great emotional, spiritual, and mental benefits of her yoga practice. Bridget completed her 200-hour and 300-hour teacher trainings as well as Yin/Restorative training through Stone Wave Yoga. In addition, she has completed a 100-hour training through YogaFaith. Bridget is an Occupational Therapist working with children. She specializes in working with children with different sensory processing needs and has training in teaching yoga to children with diverse needs through Asanas for Autism and Special Needs. Off the mat, Bridget spends much of her free time in nature, spending as much time outside hiking or kayaking as possible. She is also an animal lover and “dog mom” to her doxie mix Josie. 

“Yoga does not just change the way we see things, it transforms the person who sees.” ― B.K.S Iyengar

Instagram: 

@BridgetMarrineYoga

Certifications - 

200 hr | 100 hr Hot 26 | 40 hr Yin | 40 hr Restorative | 45 hr Trauma Informed 

Courtney is a certified 200 hour yoga teacher with a side certification in Hot 26. She has been an athlete all her life and has been practicing yoga for 10 years. She loves the peace of mind that yoga brings and also the physical challenge of pushing beyond limits. Yoga has brought a sense of self love and care, confidence, and strength to her- she hopes to bring that to you in class.

Off the mat, you can catch her as an account manager for a fashion software startup or browsing the newest reads at the local bookstore.

Instagram:

@loveyouwongtime

Certifications - 

AFAA Group Fitness Instructor | AFAA CPT | Power Pilates Mat | Balanced Body Pilates Reformer 1&2 | Zumba and Strong 

Heather brings over 15 years of experience in the health and fitness world, with a background that includes personal training, Pilates, group fitness, and coaching.

She started her career in South Florida as a certified trainer, Zumba instructor, and online fitness host, and has always loved connecting with people through movement. After moving back to New Jersey, she continued growing as a group fitness manager, Pilates reformer instructor, and coach, earning certifications in Power Pilates Mat and Balanced Body Reformer I & II.

Heather truly believes that fitness should be fun—because when you enjoy it, you stick with it. She has worked with many clients navigating injuries, surgeries, and other challenges, and brings compassion and understanding from her own experience recovering from spinal fusion.

Her goal is simple: help you feel stronger, more confident, and actually ENJOY the process💜😊

Certifications -

500 hr RYT | 100 hr Hot 26 | 20 hr Yin | Barre

Jen began practicing yoga in 2007 and immediately fell in love with the practice. It wasn’t until she found hot yoga in late 2012 that she began to realize the mind, body and breathe connection. After years of practice, Jen completed her 200 hour YTT in 2021 and her 100 hour hot YTT in 2022. She loves all forms of yoga, but hot yoga is her true passion.
 

Instagram:

@yoddhayoga

 Jessica Sarrantonio has practiced Yoga on and off for about 13 years. After returning to Yoga in 2020 to successfully manage her neck and back pain, Jessica decided to pursue her 200 YTT at Stone Wave Yoga to learn how to spread the wealth of Yoga. She completed her 200 hour certification and then her 100 hour Hot 26 certification. She is a Sensei ranking as a San Dan 3rd Degree Black Belt. Outside of the Yoga Studio she can be found lifting and running. Jessica is a Tourism Operations Manager at Dutchess Tourism and enjoys learning and sharing about the amazing attractions and sites in the Hudson Valley. She is passionate about sustainable living for self, earth, and others. As an India enthusiast who has lived, worked, and travelled extensively throughout India. In 2025 she led a 2-week immersive Yoga Yatra (Journey) to India. Jessica is pursuing her 100 hour Yoga Philosophy certification with the Yoga Philosophy Institute. 

Instagram:

@behumandoyoga

Certifications -

500 hr | 50 hr Yin | 100 hr Hot Bikram  

Hi! I’m Kara Prichard and I’m an RYT-500 and certified Yin and Restorative yoga teacher. I started practicing yoga during my senior year of college and I immediately fell in love with it. I took my first teacher training program soon after I started practicing and there is nothing I love more than sharing yoga with others. I hope to offer space for students to challenge themselves in their yoga practice, as well as offer space to slow down and embrace stillness. Off the mat, you can find me in the mountains hiking. 

Instagram:

@karaaadise