A little about us:

Yoga Pilates Body Studio is the result of people whom love to practice and teach realizing that this area was lacking in the variety of classes and styles that are available in larger cities.  Eventually the thoughts and ideas manifested into action and results to fill this void.  We look forward to bringing a new energy into the area and into your practice.  We also welcome ideas and suggestions on how we can improve and expand in the future.  This is only the beginning.

We each bring our own background, personal yoga experience and perspectives to offer unique choices to those taking our classes.  At the same time our classes are also very complementary to one another, they balance each other quite well.  It is our goal to take you on journey of yourself and what your body is capable of.  We want to help you to find your physical and mental center and prepare you for returning to your daily life stronger and more at peace.

Linda Hlopko – Teacher/Studio Owner:

Linda is a certified Yoga Instructor and certified Pilates Instructor.  She has been teaching Yoga and for the last 8 years.  Linda brings over 15 years of experience as a certified fitness instructor.  By using her varied fitness and yoga experience, she is able to adapt, motivate and add variety to each and every class.   Her Yogalates class utilizes the benefits of Yoga with the core focus of Pilates for a unique class that centers you mentally and physically.  Linda's classes are popular because she has honed her skill over the years and created a challenging and strength building routine that keeps people coming back year after year.  She knows when you are ready to go further and encourages you to challenge yourself.  Just when you think you have her class mastered she surprises you with something fresh and new.  Be prepared to sweat with or without the heat.

Matthew LaBarre - Teacher/Studio Partner:

Matthew has been a student of yoga for 10 years and in that time has been blessed to learn under the under the tutelage of many great teachers and styles.  Matthew has been teaching since 2005.  His class is an eclectic blend taking parts from primarily Power, Ashtanga and Bikram yoga lineages for an extremely intense but very authentic yoga workout.  You will learn through Matt's detailed instruction and analysis how to go deeper into poses, the science of yoga and the breath and you will quickly learn to advance and get a great workout while doing it.  His classes focus on the proper breathing coupled with the fast paced flow to expand your lung capacity, release toxins, raise the metabolism and body temperature and tone the cardiovascular system in a completely different way from other types of exercise.  Matt says: "Without breathing yoga is at best stretching, without breathing combined with movement a power yoga class is at best aerobics."  You will sweat more than you thought possible and your heart rate will stay up for the duration of class, think of this as yoga cardio.  As a student and teacher Matt likes to constantly be challenged and learning more, as a result each class has something fresh and new to take your practice to another level.  You will experience a new sense of who you are and what your body is capable of.  You will find freedom and strength.

"When I first discovered the more aggressive styles of yoga I was shocked because I had come to believe that yoga was supposed to be slow and gentle; I never imagined that yoga could be this hard.  I quickly realized that the relaxed yoga styles and these extreme variations had the same goal in mind and ultimately you could reach that goal either way.  I have found that the intensity of proper vinyasa flow and the heat creates change in the body that could otherwise take years.  You can get there the other ways, this way is faster.  For me this was a perfect fit, it felt natural and enjoyable.  I am the strongest and the most flexible I have ever been in my life.  I am lucky to have found yoga and have had my life change because of it and that is why I share what I have learned." 

Listen to Matt and other local teachers Edmond Cotton and Kalyan Kaur along with Bill Huston on their weekly Philosophy of Yoga Radio Show heard on WHRW-FM 90.5 Binghamton NY also on Binghamton public access TV (Time Warner cable ch 4) Fridays @ 10pm, Saturdays at 6pm.

Lisa Cerutti - Teacher:

Lisa is a New York State Licensed Physical Therapist specializing in pediatrics, aqua and hippotherapy.  She is a certified Pilates Instructor and certified Fitness Instructor with over 20 years of teaching experience.  Come join her Pilates on the Ball Class!  Her class combines Pilates and Resista-Balls for a unique class.  She will take teach you how to use your core powerhouse to strengthen, stretch, and tone your whole body.  You will have fun using the fitness balls, light weights and extensive mat work for a complete body toning experience.  Lisa is enthusiastic and makes the class energizingly fun!

Ron Sambursky DMD– Teacher/Studio Owner:

Overall fitness has always been Ron's priority throughout life. Ron has experience in weight training and body conditioning.  His yoga journey began as a student in 2006 where his goal was to strengthen his back and improve flexibililty to enhance his golf game--which it has.  Yoga has helped him so much that he is now a welcomed addition to the teaching staff.  Working closely and trained extensively by Linda, Ron brings his knowledge about "back strengthening" to inspire and motivate his students to begin and continue their journey just like he did.  Ron's challenging class focuses on developing and improving strength while maintaining flexibility.  His class is forever changing to keep the class interesting and exciting.

All instructors are CPR and AED Certified.