Meet our instructors

Rebecca WEISS

This charming ex-new yorker is a powerful burst of love, asana and laughter!

Born near Rochester, NY, I am the youngest of four children.  Both of my parents were educators, my dad a musician and music teacher, my mom a teaching assistant.  We had music lessons and summers on the lake.  Looking back, I was always introspective, starting journaling at 10 because my older sister did.

 During my early high school years my family relocated to Florida where I finished high school and later attended FSU where I earned a BS in Communications/Theater. Upon graduation  I moved to New York City to continue my studies and to pursue an acting career. After 14 years of giving it my all, I returned to Florida. Love and the desire for a family brought me to Clermont, Florida. 

Upon encouragement from my brother, I found my way to my first 200 hour yoga teacher training. I have pursued countless trainings since, realizing that every teacher and training offers unique perspectives and opportunities for growth personally and professionally. I’ve found that yoga and all great wisdom traditions say the same things in different ways, and are also in alignment with the 12 Steps which have been a part of my life since my struggles with depression, anxiety and alcohol during my time in New York.

Over the past few years Jenny Clarke introduced me to Kundalini Yoga, which is now my personal yoga practice of choice because it has had such a profound impact on my personal evolution. In 2023 I became certified through Jenny’s Kundalini Yoga teacher training and have been teaching in the tradition ever since.

 One of my greatest honors to date was the opportunity to assist Gina Keefe in her yoga teacher training at One Yoga. What a joy to teach alongside my friend and mentor and to experience this journey with kindred spirits!

 In 2023 I also became a Certified Somatic Coach through the Embody Lab studying with Dr Peter Levine, (the creator of Somatic Experiencing).

 Somatic Coaching was the missing link in my life and in my professional offerings. It offers fast and effective healing and creates/supports lasting change because it grounds new insights into our physical shape. It continues to surprise me how powerfully it shifts people out of unwanted and destructive patterns into awareness and life affirming choices.

My coaching work also integrates somatic experiencing, kundalini yoga and self-inquiry, also called “the work,” by Byron Katie.

Still, the most important job I have ever done is to raise my son, who is 19 now, and entering the Coast Guard. He has provided me the opportunity to practice real-life yoga, the most challenging vinyasa we will ever do.

Sarah Blake

From Student to Teacher

Both delightful and dynamic, this athlete will encourage you to stand strong!

I was born and raised in England and moved to Clermont in 1997 after completing my Sport science degree. As a competitive water skier, Central Florida was the perfect place to pursue my passion and later raise my 3 children. I was blessed to be able to be a stay-at-home Mom until my son started school. I was an avid runner while my kids were young and completed several half marathons. I started taking classes at One Yoga and Fitness a month after they opened and fell in love with yoga and found it was the perfect complement to my running. I took the first teacher training offered in 2013 at One yoga and havebeen teaching full time ever since. I have taught all over Clermont but now primarily teach at One yoga and Bella Collina. I am a Yoga Alliance certified EYT200 with thousands of hours experience with certifications in yin, aerial and chair yoga. I am a NASM certified personal trainer, NASM women’s and golf fitness specialist. I am TRX certified and have Pilates certifications from Fitour and SCW.

I teach TRX, warm power and yin yoga on schedule at the studio and also love to teach slow flow and Pilates. In my classes expect easy to follow sequencing, good music, fun and laughter. My goal is to share my love of yoga by creating classes that are safe and effective, leaving you feeling energized and rejuvenated.

I also teach private individual and small group sessions in yoga, strength training or Pilates depending on my clients or groups wants and needs. I look forward to seeing you on the mat.

Classes Offered:

Warm Power Yoga, TRX, Yin Yoga, Pilates, Private Yoga and Fitness Sessions

Qualifications:

• BSC Sports Science

• E-RYT 200 Hour Certification With Yoga Alliance

• 40 hour training with Joe Barnett

• TRX Certified

• Yin Yoga Certified

chad defriece

Chad was born and raised among the beautiful rolling hills of Cleveland, TN. His desire to seek a career in the medical field was fueled by the enjoyment of helping others. After completing high school with honors, he graduated magna cum laude with a degree in Respiratory Care and was inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa International Honors Society in 2001.

 He began working as a Respiratory Therapist in Tennessee and relocated to sunny Florida with his wife and son in 2009. Here his medical career led to supervisory leadership over the cardiopulmonary department at Winter Haven Hospital in Winter Haven, FL and during that time his private business with personal training and online fitness/nutrition coaching continued to grow.

 The passion in his fitness business was evident and it expanded to the point of the pivotal decision to retire from the medical profession in 2018 to pursue his fitness coaching and personal training full time!

Chad has been a fitness enthusiast nearly his whole life. He first started weight training at the very early age of 11 when his parents bought his first plastic covered concrete weight set. This was a beginning of an all-out passion into the fitness realm. He found out quickly that education was key for truly understanding how the body works, moves, and responds to exercises and nutrition. He made it a point to not leave any stone unturned when searching for answers of what works and why. During college he received extensive education in anatomy and physiology as well as other courses pertaining to health and nutrition.

He decided to test his limits and check off a bucket list item at the age of 36 and competed in a natural bodybuilding competition. His goal was just to step on stage and compete but came away with 1st place in the novice division and 2nd in the open division.

One year later his hard work, determination, and passion paid off when he competed in his second natural show at the OCB Southeast States Natural and won 1st in the open division, 1st in the overall, and was crowned with an IPE Natural Pro Physique Card. After this competition, he realized how many people, including competitors, were trying to get healthy and fit but doing so incorrectly.

That led him to obtain his NASM certification for personal training and begin offering his services and knowledge to other competitors as well as general (non-competitive) clientele. Since beginning to coach and personal train he has not only led and trained numerous physique athletes, Brazilian jiu-jitsu grapplers, professional and collegiate athletes but also has helped hundreds of personally trained people transform their body and mind to acquire their fitness goals.

He has been termed by many as the “fitness guru” and has a gift of connecting with people and helping them on their journey to their best self!

Currently, Chad is one of our very own Certified TRX Instructors. His TRX Fitness classes are always filled with high energy and lots of fun!

He is the owner of Next Phase Fitness which is a private personal training studio located here in Clermont. His main purpose is to motivate others and help inspire them to become the best version of themselves. He makes it a point to not only push his own physical limits but teaches others how to do the exact same thing safely and effectively.

 Classes Offered: TRX Fitness

LUCIANA ARAUJO

Luciana Araújo grew up in Brazil and has studied in Brazil, Japan, Indonesia, Switzerland and the United States over the past 20 years. Now a resident of Clermont, she believes in keeping fitness fun while working with clients to obtain results. Her goal is to help students improve their quality of life, physically, mentally and emotionally through a healthy lifestyle.

Luciana's many credentials include:
Licensed Massage Therapist 94014.
Integrative Fitness and nutrition coach
Luciana Fit-4 -Life Fitness and Bodywork
Integrative fitness
ISSA Elite Master Trainer , Certified Fitness Coach Online Fitness Coaching Nutrition Coach Specialist.
ISSA Personal Trainer Specialist in:
Exercise Therapy; Integrative Yoga (1000hours) training in Ayurveda and Yoga, Yengar, Hatha, Ashitanga. Pilates; Cardio Kickboxing; Bender Barre TRX; Piyo; Barre Above , Tabata, Samba dance Teacher, and Silver Sneakers (Yoga- Cardio).
Licensed Massage Therapy including these modalities :
Ayurvedic Massage and Therapies Swedish; Deep Tissue; Sports Massage; Thai yoga; Chakra healing Therapy, Hot Stones, Reiki Master and Medical Massage Therapy.

Classes Offered: Mat Pilates; Flow: Slow Flow; TRX; Yin

SAM GRIFFIN

"Life shimmers with beauty and magic, and with our practice helps us connect with this luminous mystery again and again." J. Goldman

Sam moved to Clermont from Washington, D.C. in 1997 and has watched what was once a sleepy little town grow into the busy place it is today. Over the years she has practiced yoga on her own and credits Rodney Yee and his DVD's as her inspiration. After retiring from Disney in 2022, she was ready for a new adventure and, through a series of connections, found One Yoga and instantly knew that she had come home. Feeling called to learn more about yoga and its philosophy she enrolled in the 2023-24 Teacher Training program at One Yoga and realized that she wanted to share what she had learned through teaching.

Sam's philosophy of the practice of yoga is to connect with oneself and the natural world around us through the combination of sound, music and nature using breath and gentle, relaxing yoga poses. It is the fabric that brings the body, mind and soul together.

Credentials:

Level 1 Certified Sound Healer
Sound Healing Academy, UK

200 Hr. RYT
One Integrative School of Yoga

Classes Offered: Restorative Yoga; Sound Healing Workshops

CHANTAE HENDRIX

Chantae Hendrix, discovered her passion for practicing yoga in 2013 at Body Fitness in Spring Hill, FL In 2018.

She earned her 100-hour yoga certification (Hot 26) through an intensive teacher training program with the former Hot on Yoga Studio located in Winter Garden FL. Prior to the studio closing (June 2020), she provided yoga instruction at that location for two years.

Chantae continues to expand her knowledge-base whereas she recently produced a capstone multi-media video on the benefits of practicing yoga, attended the annual Fort Lauderdale Yoga Expo and completed her 200 hours of Registered Yoga Teacher Training at One Integrative School of Yoga (May 2024.)

Hendrix reaps the many benefits of practicing yoga whereby it provides her with the perfect challenge that her mind and body needs. She is fascinated with the sense of calmness, mental clarity and physical strength that practicing yoga provides. Chantae is a firm believer that yoga holds the keys to longevity, we are all beginners and and yoga is always a practice and never a performance.

"A body in motion stays in motion." ~Sir Issac Newton Keep it moving!

Classes Offered: 26&2 Bikram Series

BRIAN FRIEDMAN

Brian is the founder of Redefined Yoga and the creator of Functional Yoga Instruction.

Nearly 20 years ago Brian had been suffering from back pain for decades. He heard that yoga was good for back pain, so he gave it a try.

Unfortunately, the yoga wasn't helping. In fact, it was making his symptoms worse, and other body parts were beginning to get achy and painful. He knew something had to change.

That's when Brian began self-study of strength training, anatomy, and foundational principles of movement. He stripped his yoga practice down to the bare bones and started building up again from scratch. This time it was different. The focus was on alignment and muscle activation instead of stretching and bending.

His back pain went away. So did the other bodily aches and pains. That's when he began teaching his students his method of yoga and the results were amazing. Students were feeling better, stronger, and more mobile.

When asked about his method, Brian will usually answer ...

"Imagine if physical therapy and yoga had a kid ... that's what Functional Yoga Instruction is all about. And you don't have to be flexible to benefit from it."

Classes Offered: Yoga Foundations; Safe Strength and Mobility

MIKE SALVI

Mike started his yoga practice at One Yoga in 2017. He has been a dedicated practitioner since. In 2019 he completed his 200-hour and 300 hour Yoga Alliance Registered Teacher Training here at the studio with Gina Keefe. Mike has been married to Debbie for over 37 years and is a proud dad of two daughters. He has been a long-time resident of Clermont and recently retired from his business ownership. Mike is ready to open a new chapter and is excited to begin teaching at his home studio. Mike enjoys all types of classes, finding yoga to be a great way to keep body mind and spirit healthy and vital. He looks forward to sharing his love of yoga with the One Yoga community.
"Over the course of my practice I have become keenly aware of some of the physical limitations we all possess. It is my goal to create a positive experience that everyone can enjoy by offering modifications that will either soften or deepen the pose. This physical awareness along with a focus of being present will deepen your experience that will benefit you both on and off your mat."

 Classes Offered: Candlelight Yin Yoga; Slow Flow and Yin

CHRISTIAN BONJORN

Christian, a native of Clermont, has been an exercise enthusiast at the age of 15 with step aerobics.  Her yoga journey started 11 years ago after suffering. a stroke due to a heart infection. With a need to rewire the brain for movement and speech, the many physical and mental benefits of yoga inspired her to enroll in both 200 and 300 hour yoga teacher trainings.  A dedicated practitioner with a desire to help those struggling with addiction,  Christian has completed the Advanced Kula for Karma Yoga for Trauma and Addiction  Training.  She now shares her passion with her classes inspiring others to discover the healing potential on their mats.  

Classes Offered: Warm Power Yoga; Flow Yoga

Lisa Golub

Originally from Southern Connecticut with a background in dance, Lisa is a high school English teacher going into her 25th year in Orange County Schools. She has taught every grade level, Pre-k through 12, and loves to introduce her students to guided meditation and other elements of yoga philosophy for a more balanced life. She has served as a mentor and supervising teacher for new and continuing teachers and a sponsor for the senior class.
Lisa is a multi-certified fitness instructor with twenty years’ experience teaching Pilates (on the mat and reformer), yoga, Zumba, spinning, strength training, and more. She is a firm believer in proper form, alignment, and injury prevention and loves to share tidbits of things she has learned over the years in her many trainings.
Lisa has also been a member at One Yoga for more than seven years and can often be seen giggling alongside her sister. She is excited to share Mat Pilates with the OY family and help members strengthen their core and bring variety and flexibility into their journey to a healthy lifestyle.

Classes Offered: Mat Pilates

EDYTHE BECKLES

A sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy diet led to weight issues for much of my life.  At 48 years old I decided to make a commitment to transform my lifestyle through the practice of yoga, TRX, and strength training and tailored a plan for my food that was intentional and healthy.  This was a pivotal step in my personal wellness journey. In 2023, I became a certified Life Coach guiding women my age towards their best selves.  That same year I became a TRX certified instructor. Still wanting to enhance my knowledge, I completed the Yoga Teacher Training with One Integrative School of Yoga at One Yoga and Fitness and became a RYT-200 through Yoga Alliance. I am currently studying for a Personal Training Certification with NASM to expand my knowledge in the field of health and wellness.     

This transformation has had a profound impact on all aspects of my life: personally, spiritually, emotionally and physically. I firmly believe that no trendy diet or workout fits all. Embarking on a wellness journey is deeply personal, and each individual walks a unique path. My objective is to guide each and every client in discovering their own wellness journey and to support them every step of the way as they strive towards their personal goals.

 Classes Offered: TRX & STRETCH Warm Power Yoga

Additional offerings:

• Private TRX and Yoga Classes

• Private Health and Wellness Coaching Sessions (focus on Perimenopause and beyond)

• Meal Planning and Prep Coaching

JONATHAN KEEFE

Hello world!

My name is Jon Keefe. My venture into yoga began about 4 years ago when I came to the practice hoping to add to my health and fitness routine, with the primary goal of gaining some flexibility after years of running and lifting weights.

What started as just another form of workout quickly developed into an essential daily ritual that has completely transformed my life and the way I move through and operate within the world. I soon discovered that, not only are we able to achieve incredible physical strength and mobility through yoga practices, but also a depth of presence, both physically and spiritually, that I felt had been lacking in my life for some time. The state of being cultivated in yoga practice is something we can carry with us off the mat and into the world as we face the increasingly complex and challenging times we live in.

I completed my 200 hour training at One Yoga Integrative School of Yoga in July of 2023 and am excited to share this practice with my community. The training prepared me to teach styles including Vinyasa, Hatha, Slow Flow, ‘Power Yoga’, Yin/Restorative, and much more. My commitment is to make yoga accessible to all and I have enjoyed teaching all levels, from beginner to advanced yogis. My classes typically offer a combination of different styles that compliment each other within the same session. In my own practice as well as in my teaching experience, I have found there is a time and place for strong, challenging movement practices and a time for gentle and restorative practices. It is my intention to hold the space within the time of a class for each student to have an experience of both movement and stillness in balance to create the conditions for transformation in body, mind and spirit.

I have a very deep love and respect for this practice and my hope is that I am able inspire others the way I have been inspired by the dedicated teachers I have encountered along my path.

Credentials:

• Yoga Alliance 200 Hour Register Yoga Teacher

• NASM Certified Personal Fitness Trainer

Classes Offered:

• Warm Power Yoga; Flow Yoga; TRX; Yin Yoga

• Private Personal Fitness Training in our Private Gym at the Studio

kaleigh Williams

Hi, I'm Kaleigh! Since 2015, yoga has profoundly supported my physical, emotional and spiritual health. Having experienced the many benefits of yoga firsthand, I've felt a calling to pass this gift on to others through the teaching seat. Together, we can discover how yoga helps us live more fully both on-and-off the mat.

It is my goal to create a safe, inclusive class environment that welcomes every person to show up as their authentic selves. I enjoy teaching a variety of styles including slow flow, vinyasa flow, yin yoga and meditation in traditional studio settings and/or out in nature.

My 200-hour RYT accreditation, earned from One Integrative School of Yoga, accompanies my Bachelor’s Degree in Public Relations from Florida State University. Having spent the past decade in communications roles, I’m passionate about relationship-building and connecting with people through creative storytelling. I’ve also incorporated my love of teaching and helping others throughout my career through a combination of leadership and mentorship opportunities.

On the daily, I enjoy spending time with close friends and family, my fur babies and a good book. I also love traveling and outdoor activities such as swimming, kayaking and cycling.