Tom Wilkens, RYI, RYT, is a 1998 graduate of the Level I Hatha Yoga Teacher Training and Certification Program at the Temple of Kriya Yoga in Chicago, one of the oldest and most well-respected yoga centers in the country. His primary teachers in the program were Kim Schwartz, Diane Dombeck and William Hunt.
In 2005 Tom completed the Temple's Advanced Yoga Teacher Training Program (Level II) to qualify for registration as a yoga teacher with 500 hours of training.
He has served as an apprentice instructor in the Temple's Teacher Training Program, developing and teaching a special 6-week "Anatomy for Yoga Teachers" curriculum. He has also served as an advisor to students in the Temple's home study Teacher Training Program.
His studies at the Temple have included the philosophy and methodology of Kriya yoga, with an emphasis on cultivating a personal meditation practice.
Tom has been a long-time student of Master Teacher Kim Schwartz and has studied Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga with Lino Miele. He has completed an Ashtanga Teacher Training and Certification Program with Manju Jois and a Purna Yoga Teacher Training with Aadil Palkhivala, with whom he continues to study.
He has completed the Yoga Research and Education Center's extensive distance learning course, "The Philosophy, History, and Literature of Yoga". He was advised throughout the program by Georg Feuerstein.
Tom is a member of the Yoga Alliance and of the International Association of Yoga Therapists.
Since 1998 he has taught a wide variety of classes in the Oak Park area. He has taught yoga to children, to teens, to college students, and to senior citizens. He has led lunch-hour classes in corporate settings in downtown Chicago, designed classes for dance students and tennis players, and taught small groups of friends and neighbors in the comfort of their own homes. He has taught yoga philosophy and asanas to freshman students at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He currently teaches at health clubs and for the Park District of Oak Park, and gives customized yoga instruction and therapeutic applications of asanas to individuals in his private practice space. His teaching style is direct, engaging, informative & seasoned with humor. He is known for teaching from a broad base of anatomical knowledge, for encouraging precision in alignment, for linking movement with breath, and for making the most challenging poses accessible.
Tom continues to expand and enhance his own yoga practice and teaching abilities by studying regularly with established teachers grounded in different yoga styles and traditions. He works consistently with the Ashtanga series in his own personal practice and extensively in private sessions with those seeking to master the postures of the series. He enjoys the blend of strength developed over decades of weightlifting and cardio training with the flexibility gained through regular asana practice.
Tom is featured in the "Teacher Profile" section, which includes photos of the guys in his Wednesday night Yoga for Men Class. Check it out online at http://www.yogachicago.com/mar07/teacher.shtm.l
Hatha Yoga -- Susan
“Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” ~John Wooden
Susan received her 200-hour hatha yoga teacher certification from the Living Yoga Teacher Training Program based in Austin TX.
“Honestly – I never thought I would be a hatha teacher. Even though my first experiences with yoga, beginning in 1995, were with hatha, and I thoroughly enjoyed taking classes and practicing on my own for almost seven years, somewhere along the way I concluded that teaching it was Tom’s domain. I was focused on teaching meditation and then Kundalini yoga.
“When fibromyalgia became an issue to be reckoned with for me, @ 2000/2001, I stopped doing hatha altogether, along with just about all other physical activity, because it was simply too painful. Because I practiced Kundalini yoga and meditation to facilitate my recovery, hatha yoga moved even further out of my personal orbit. When I began teaching Kundalini in conjunction with a strong private practice, I thought “This is it!”, and in my contentment didn’t even entertain the idea of doing or teaching anything else.
“However, as I have discovered over the course of the years, ‘Life is what happens while you’re making other plans.’ I found myself utilizing the clear, simple instructions I had received from my primary hatha teachers to make some Kundalini postures more accessible to some of my students. I discovered as I continued to teach that a succinct direction or explanation makes a world of difference in facilitating Kundalini practice in my classes. I felt that I needed more anatomy and physiology training to broaden my knowledge base and inform my instruction. I “hit the books”, and also took 20 hours of classes with the director of the Personal Training Dept. at the fitness center where I worked. Ellen Petrick has a Master’s degree in Exercise Physiology, has taught at U of I, has worked at the Chicago Rehab Center, and is a fantastic communicator of precise, practical knowledge pertaining to the human body. Taking her classes made me realize in a new way that I needed to learn more/more/more in order to be a better teacher.
“Just at that time the opportunity to teach a Beginning Hatha class fell into my lap. I tried valiantly to pass it off to someone “more qualified” (ie., someone with a hatha certification), but it became clear that I would be teaching this class. I consulted with my first hatha teachers, and with Tom, whom I can trust to be straight with me even if it means saying, ‘No, I don’t think you’re capable yet of doing justice to this.’ Each teacher assured me that with the hundreds of hours of beginning hatha classes I’ve taken, the yoga knowledge I’ve gained over the years, and my own penchant for clear, precise instructions, I would do an excellent job of teach Beginning Hatha.
“Once again I had to reorient my thinking about myself to include mastering a skill set I had on some level assumed was not to be my domain in this lifetime. I had to embrace the idea that not only was this possible, it was actually part of the plan for my life, and it was safe for me to get on board with it whole-heartedly.
“So – I became a hatha teacher and a hatha student (again) at the same time. I enrolled in a wonderful 200-hour certification program, began taking three or four classes weekly, and added hatha to my personal practice.
“I have discovered through teaching hatha that yes, I CAN teach hatha, and I can teach it very well. I know much more than I gave myself credit for. I remember again and again the words of my first teachers – complete phrases of their instruction come whole into my mind exactly when I need them, and I have the wonderful experience of knowing, of seeing, that the words which opened up yoga practice to me over a dozen years ago do the same for my students today. I am thankful for the caliber of instruction I received from them and grateful for the opportunity to continue teaching in their tradition of accurate, compassionate guidance.”
"The Hatha Teacher Training that I received through the Living Yoga Program is phenomenal. Several people have asked me – and I did occasionally ask myself – 'WHY are you going all the way to Texas for Teacher Training when there are so many programs right here in the Chicago area?' Because . . . something about the way this program is described online – something about the main instructors’ neutral approach and inclusive philosophy – the way they talk about yoga as a transformational practice and not a gymnastic performance – something about their own depth of experience and breadth of wisdom . . . resonated in me as I perused their website. I called them. I talked to them. I was upfront about what I was looking for and what I didn’t want to fritter away time and money on. They were honest and unpretentious in conversation. And I just knew . . .
“The two 9-day residential retreats which I attended more than lived up to my expectations. I have to say that it was very probably the most high-quality training I have ever received. Every aspect was top-notch. I can’t think of an item or an area I was disappointed in; on the contrary, I spent most of the time being AMAZED at what I was experiencing. From the instructors’ high level of proficiency in personal practice -- to their comprehensive presentation of well-chosen information in ways which appealed to every learning style (visual, auditory, kinesthetic) – to their non-stop encouragement, affirmation and validation in our student practice teaching – it was all excellent. I was in training from 7 am to 9 pm every day, and not once was I bored – sleepy – or wishing I could be somewhere else.
"Added bonuses: the grounds of the ashram where we all stayed (photo above) are beautiful (think lotus ponds, peacocks and peach trees) . . . we had our own lovely cook who made delicious healthy meals from scratch three times a day (and chai!) . . . and all of the other students in the program are so committed to living their yoga moment-by-moment, in a real, down-to-earth way, that I was inspired and uplifted every time I had a conversation with one of them. In addition, we attended the Texas Yoga Retreat for three days of our training and had the opportunity to study with stellar instructors like Suzy Shapiro (Iyengar), Juan Anguiano (Ashtanga), Fred Alsup (Swami Rama and the Himalayan tradition), Gina Caccavalla (Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy), and Robert Boustany (who is definitely in his own special category!)
“Who could ask for more??
“SO – if you’re thinking about taking a Yoga Teacher Training – y’all go down to Texas. You won’t be disappointed!”
Charles MacInerney, E-RYT-500 hr. Charles has been a fulltime teacher of yoga, meditation and mind/body skills since 1989. He also offers weekend workshops, workplace yoga, specialized classes (such as cardiac care, nursing homes, athletes, dancers). Charles travels extensively, leading Yoga & Meditation Retreats and Yoga & Writing retreats in the US, Mexico and Guatemala. Charles' teaching style is a blend of the precision and alignment in Iyengar yoga, the balanced routine of the Himalayan Yoga Institute, and input by his students from whom he continues to learn. Visit Charles' personal Yoga website at www.yogateacher.com. Charles is also a public speaker and trainer. For more information visit www.expandingparadigms.com.
Ellen B. Smith, M.A., CYT, E-RYT. Ellen is an Intuitive Mentor, Performance Coach, and Certified Hatha yoga instructor. She has a Masters Degree in Spiritual Psychology, and has worked for decades as a mentor to people of all walks of life. Ellen uses her own blend of deep listening, uncanny intuition, and genuine praise to helps others see, claim, and act on their innately fabulous qualities. Ellen has a passion for learning, and integrates information about yoga, qigong, health, disease intervention, nutrition, meditation, psychology, exercise physiology, and countless other topics into her sessions. She offers compassionate instruction with a touch of humor, honoring each student's path and abilities. She is co-founder of Sojourn Retreats, www.sojournretreats.com, offering transformational weekend workshops for women.
Donna Belk (original founder of the Living Yoga Program) left the program in Charles' and Ellen's capable hands at the beginning of 2009 and will be greatly missed. Donna can now be reached through her websites. www.restorativeflow.com explores a style of yoga which she developed called Restorative Flow Yoga; she offers a manual and training based on that style. She also offers consulting in the area of Conscious Death and Dying with a Yogic Perspective (www.consciouslivingdying.com). Donna has been studying hatha yoga and meditation for more than 25 years. She began teaching after becoming certified from Barbara Germenhausen of Yoga House in Austin, Texas, where she also assisted with yoga teacher training there. Barbara later moved away from Austin, but Donna was so impressed with the quality of the course that she created the Living Yoga Program based on her experience in the Yoga House program.
Susan is passionate about opening up the beauty of yoga practice to students of all ability and flexibility levels. Her teaching style is thorough, warm and affirming. Students can expect to leave her classes feeling centered, vibrant and good about themselves.
. . . don’t be satisfied with stories, how things have gone with others. unfold your own myth, without complicated explanation, so everyone will understand the passage, “we have opened you”.
start walking towards the Beloved. your legs will get heavy and tired.
then comes a moment of feeling the wings you’ve grown, lifting.
~rumi
i feel like the ground, astonished at what the atmosphere has brought to it.
Tom is featured in the "Teacher Profile" section, which includes photos of the guys in his Wednesday night Yoga for Men Class. Check it out online at 
More info here: 
Charles MacInerney, E-RYT-500 hr. Charles has been a fulltime teacher of yoga, meditation and mind/body skills since 1989. He also offers weekend workshops, workplace yoga, specialized classes (such as cardiac care, nursing homes, athletes, dancers). Charles travels extensively, leading Yoga & Meditation Retreats and Yoga & Writing retreats in the US, Mexico and Guatemala. Charles' teaching style is a blend of the precision and alignment in Iyengar yoga, the balanced routine of the Himalayan Yoga Institute, and input by his students from whom he continues to learn. Visit Charles' personal Yoga website at 
Ellen B. Smith, M.A., CYT, E-RYT. Ellen is an Intuitive Mentor, Performance Coach, and Certified Hatha yoga instructor. She has a Masters Degree in Spiritual Psychology, and has worked for decades as a mentor to people of all walks of life. Ellen uses her own blend of deep listening, uncanny intuition, and genuine praise to helps others see, claim, and act on their innately fabulous qualities. Ellen has a passion for learning, and integrates information about yoga, qigong, health, disease intervention, nutrition, meditation, psychology, exercise physiology, and countless other topics into her sessions. She offers compassionate instruction with a touch of humor, honoring each student's path and abilities. She is co-founder of Sojourn Retreats, 
Donna Belk
