Nancy Candea: Founder, Yoga Therapist

An activist in the global health revolution, Nancy is committed to practicing the best version of herself every day, and to using her talents to contribute to the upliftment of humankind. She is a C-IAYT, 500 E-RYT, and RCYT who teaches yoga classes, works with private clients, and conducts retreats, Yoga Teacher Trainings and Yoga Therapy Trainings in Greece, the Navaho Nation, the Dominican Republic, Detroit, New Jersey, Colorado, and Hawaii. More on Nancy

Dr. Michelle Barrett: Board Member, Research Director

Dr. Barrett is an Assistant Professor and Program Chair for Psychology at the College of Saint Elizabeth in Morristown, NJ.  She is also a licensed psychologist in NJ and CA. Her clinical interests are Health Psychology, Psychology of Women and Psychodynamic/Psychoanalytic Theory and Practice. She has worked with individuals experiencing a wide range of difficulties and served on crisis response teams in NJ. Dr. Barrett has given many presentations on Adolescence, Test Anxiety, Healthy Relationships and Trauma. She has co-led service learning trips to the Dominican Republic focusing on domestic violence education and prevention. She is a board member of Yoga Impact and a 200 hour certified yoga instructor. She is interested in how yoga and meditation can be beneficial for several mental health issues.

Nancy Merant: Board Member

Nancy Merant is the VP of Business Development for The Real Co. She is the co-founder and President of RISE (Ready to Inspire, Serve and Elevate), a non-profit dedicated to empowering women entrepreneurs in the wellness space. She is also a certified Bikram Yoga instructor. A former Investment Banker, she is a graduate of the University of Virginia.

Nadine Cualoping: Board Member

Nadine is a marketing executive and fitness enthusiast with a professional background in consumer and digital marketing at Fortune 500 companies including Health.com, AOL, Disney and The Coca-Cola Company.  She graduated with a BS from Loyola University of Chicago and an MBA from Penn State University and holds teacher training certifications in 200 hour RYS, Hot Power Yoga, Restorative Yoga, Skeletal Anatomy & Yoga Asana, Muscle Anatomy & Yoga Asana, Kinesiology of Yoga Asana, and a certification in Mental Health First Aid.  Nadine has been practicing yoga for over 16 years and joined the Yoga Impact Board in 2018.

Michelle Radley: Board Member and Training Mentor

Michelle is the owner of her own decorative concrete business has retained a passion for yoga since she was 16 years old. She took her 200 hour training at Yoga Impact with Nancy Candea and completed an advanced 313 hr training and enrolled in her 500hr RYT.  Yoga has been a practice and a discipline that facilitates strength and guidance in her work and personal life. She is known for her insight and candor, and by example she shares this with everyone she encounters. She intends to, with leadership and mentoring, offer a view of the world with yoga that will enrich the lives of persons around her. She has helped mentor both the Newark Yoga Teacher Training and the Navajo Nation Yoga Teacher Training.

Leslie Hernandez: Board Member

Leslie runs I'm So Yoga. She is the owner/operator her goal is to give the community a safe inclusive space to practice yoga regardless of weight, race, sex, gender, etc.  Leslie’s journey began in 2014, after taking yoga classes in Newark she fell in love with yoga. She knew yoga was something she had to pursue. Leslie began seeking information about the yoga industry and came across a yoga workshop at Earth Yoga NYC. She then learned she would need to expand her knowledge of yoga. Fortunately, Earth Yoga NYC Yoga Teacher Training was going to begin shortly after that workshop. Leslie then took the 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training course at Earth Yoga NYC. By taking part in the 2015 Yoga Teacher Training she learned there are various styles of yoga, multiple levels, and a diversity of perspectives to teach from. Leslie teaches a Vinyasa Flow mixed-level class and is eager to increase her knowledge of yoga.  It was always a plan in her mind to open a Yoga Studio and she did. She enjoys being of service to others, teaching yoga is a great way for her to do so.  Yoga has impacted Leslie in various ways, her memory has improved, she is more flexible, and is now stronger physically and mentally.

Chelsea Croy: President and Vesper/Mindfulness Trainer

Chelsea Morriss was born and raised in Waimea, Hawaii where her fascination with the human body began. She is a life-long learner and holds a B.S. in Human Physiology from the University of Oregon as well as M.A. in Elementary Education from University of New Mexico. Her curiosity lead her to her first 200 hour teacher training in 2013 and was the beginning of her yogic studies. She went on to became an Ayurvedic Specialist, health coach through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, and studied with Nancy Candea to receive 500 more hours of training focusing on the therapeutics of yoga. She also attained her K-12 YogaEd certification as well as level 2 iRest training (www.irest.us). Through this certification she has had the opportunity to work with veterans suffering from PTSD. She now also serves veterans through Yoga Impact donations to utilize Vasper (www.vasper.com) as a low-impact workout for rehab and recovery. 

Traci Lundstrom- E-RYT 500, YACEP, CPT

Owner of All Around Yoga, RYS 200 With a background in nursing and martial arts, Traci “found” yoga in 2009. In 2011, Traci created All Around Yoga as a hub for her “Transitional Yoga Program”, which brings yoga to inmates in county jails. The program also offered the continued path of yoga through community classes and scholarships to 200 hour certification! As a lead trainer for Yoga Impact RYS 200, Traci has run several 200 hour trainings in Colorado. As a Yoga Alliance CEC Provider, she has developed many specialized courses inyoga. Along with a 500 hour YTT, Traci has logged over 3,000 teaching hours. All Around Yoga is now its own Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga School for 200 hour certifications. Traci has written and published many self-interest articles on the benefits of yoga. She also designed & completed a research study that explored the benefits of yoga in incarcerated women. The research was recently published in the International Journal of Yoga Therapy (Jan. 2021) https://doi.org/10.17761/2021-D-19-00064 She later authored a meta-analysis looking at the benefits of yoga on depression in an article published in the International Journal of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (Jan 2023).

Tefany Santana: Assistant Trauma Trainer

Tefany was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY and currently resides in Newark, NJ.  She graduated summa cum laude from the City College of New York with a BA in Liberal Arts.  After dedicating 17 years of service with the United Nations, she decided to change careers and pursue her passion in Yoga & Mental Health Wellness. Tefany is passionate about women’s empowerment and raising awareness on the effects of complex trauma. Her own healing journey from childhood sexual abuse has led her to complete an 8 week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction course, a 200 hr Yoga Teacher Training, and 40 hours of training in Trauma Center Trauma-Sensitive Yoga at the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health.  She is furthering her training in yoga, and is in the process of completing her 500 hour certification. Tefany firmly believes in the healing power of yoga and that yoga should be accessible to under-served populations. She teaches trauma-informed yoga, and believes that by reminding students that they always have the choice over their bodies, they become empowered, and empowerment is at the heart of healing.  Tefany recently facilitated a chair yoga class in Spanish at Hostos Community College for people affected by Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, as well as a 2-hour workshop for women that focused on self-care and gentle yoga. She will be presenting on Understanding Complex Trauma and Teaching Trauma-Informed Yoga at the "Calm Steps to Vibrant Action" Yoga Summit in Houck, Arizona.

Fadja Robert: Pre/postnatal Program Director

Fadja is the CEO and founder of Ignite One, health and wellness company. She is an educator, holistic health coach and community health advocate. Fadja worked in the U.S., Africa, the Caribbean, and locally, sharing her knowledge of yoga, meditation and health awareness. She is committed to empowering others to achieve optimal health and well-being. Her practice engages people of all ages in various mind-body practices that are therapeutic and stress-reducing. These programs are designed to help people gain more energy, feel alive and increase their productivity and happiness. She headed an initiative on Young Women’s Empowerment at the Catholic Women’s Center in Malawi and in conjunction with the YMCA in Haiti. She currently creates programing for Newark Public Schools, recreation centers, and recreation therapy for various firms in New York and New Jersey. For more information please contact info@myigniteone.com| www.myignteone.com|

Krista Wood: Blogger and Mentor

First being introduced to yoga as a means to manage personal health issues, Krista has experienced firsthand the therapeutic benefits of a consistent yoga practice.In addition to her 200 hour and 500 hour yoga certification through Yoga Impact, she has earned an additional 200 hours in the therapeutic use of yoga for injury, illness and mental health issues. Through Yoga Impact Outreach Programs, Krista has volunteered her time working with vulnerable populations who deal with homelessness and mental health issues.

Kathy Hampton: Blogger

I am a lawyer, librarian, information professional, writer, massage therapist, Ashiatsu practitioner, budding yoga student, mother of two young adults, child of Faye and George and a sister to two sisters.  I’m grateful to have experienced some of what the world has to offer.  However, in this season, I am working toward realizing dreams deferred and speaking out about the things I’ve been silent about. The bucket list is full and there is so much to do despite roadblocks, distractions or nay sayers – travel, books to write, documentaries to produce, photographs to capture and a healthy body to claim!  My mantra is:  If I’m not having fun than I shouldn’t be doing it! More on Kathy and Wellside Retreats