About Us

Jen has been practicing yoga for 20 years, and she is sure that yoga has helped her balance her physical body, create a more resilient nervous system, and be more present for all the moments of life. With a background in biology research and teaching, Jen loves learning and teaching about bodies and movement. Jen’s first deeper dive into yoga came with immersion at Blue Banyan and was followed by a 200 hour teacher-training in Vinyasa yoga from Wake Up Yoga. More recently she completed a 300 hr. Yoga Wellness Educator Training from Yoga U. Online, which emphasized teaching beginners and older beginners how yoga can benefit body awareness, posture, and healthy aging.

Sarah Charlesworth (she/her), MPH, CYT. Sarah is a Philadelphia-based yoga teacher specializing in hatha/vinyasa, prenatal, postnatal & kids’ yoga. She has been practicing yoga for over 20 years and teaching for seven, holding certifications in several modalities. Sarah believes her yoga practice grounds yet invigorates her, and has deepened her self-knowledge. Sarah’s teaching is inspired by the natural world and its cycles.

Originally from the Bronx, NY, Veronica began her yoga journey during her undergraduate career as a way to supplement her exercise routine. She never expected it to turn into a lifelong union. After years of practice and self-study, she longed for the necessary guidance. And in 2022 she traveled to India where she completed her 300 hour teacher- training in Vinyasa and Ashtanga at the Vinyasa Yoga Ashram in Rishikesh. Having left India, full of knowledge yet yearning for more, she decided to continue her studies here in Philadelphia. Summer of 2022 she came across the Blue Banyan community. Eager to dive in, Veronica came on as an intern, and more recently this year completed her 200 hour teacher-training with Blue Banyan. Currently, our administrative support at Blue Banyan, Veronica also teaches at our partner location, Germantown Cricket Club. She enjoys the growth she experiences throughout her practice, and hopes to guide others through their own personal growth journey with the help of yoga.

Nicole Durant, RYT 500, E-RYT 200, started doing yoga with DVDs at home for years. She finally decided to take a class at a studio, and it changed her life! Because of the mind/body connection she received from practicing, yoga became a necessity. Nicole wanted to learn more about the practice. She soon enrolled and completed her 200 hour yoga teacher training in 2015. Nicole teaches several different styles of yoga, including Vinyasa, Gentle, Beginners, Power Flow, Yin, and Restorative. Nicole is always mindful of making her classes accessible to whoever is in the room, from the beginners to the most advanced yogis. Her classes are challenging yet have a fun flow and always have a positive focus.

Carly arrived ‘on the mat’ in February 2008. She first integrated yoga into her life when trying to access a means of exercise living in snowy Boston. It wasn’t long before she realized the profound energetic & philosophical benefits, well beyond asana. After practicing as a student for years, she grew a stronger desire to teach, and completed both 200 and 300 hour trainings in the Vinyasa lineage with Blue Banyan Yoga. As a therapist she incorporates lessons of yoga with clients, including breathwork and movement to support their emotional wellness. In 2021 Carly participated in a 300-hour program with the Center for Trauma & Embodiment, becoming a Trauma-Sensitive Yoga Facilitator. Carly remains a firm believer that ‘in order to teach, one must remain a student’ and continues to learn additional ways of welcoming yoga in her life through restorative work, meditation & mindfulness.

Anna embarked on her journey toward understanding the mind-body connection by studying Eurythmy (an art of movement) in Great Britain and dedicated over two decades to teaching movement to children of all ages. She has always valued a balanced lifestyle that listens to the body and prioritizes its needs. Her Eurythmy training instilled the practice of inward listening, which naturally led her to approach yoga with the same intention. A Blue Banyan practitioner for many years, Anna completed her Yoga Teacher Training in 2023. Her teaching philosophy is to make yoga approachable. In her classes, Anna emphasizes the importance of remaining attuned to the body and cultivating self-awareness. She encourages her students to savor each movement, taking it slow and allowing themselves to experience fully the benefits of asana and pranayama. Anna’s teaching style is characterized by a genuine love of helping others discover the transformative power of yoga. Her ability to blend metaphor with movement serves as a catalyst for personal growth and encourages her students to find balance, joy, and deeper connections within themselves.

Mira began her yoga practice in 2005 as a way of handling the stress of a busy nursing career. Over time she fell in love with yoga as a spiritual practice and allowed yoga to inform her work with patients. She is passionate about making yoga accessible to “every body” and enjoys working with practitioners of all levels and abilities. She believes, “if you can breathe, you can practice yoga.” Mira completed her 200-hour teacher training at Blue Banyan in 2023 and shortly thereafter traveled to India for several weeks to learn more. Her philosophy is, “we practice yoga on the mat so we can practice yoga off the mat.