I’ve had an affinity for physical activity since a young age. I started doing gymnastics at age four and immediately fell in love. Twenty years later I had the exact same experience with my first yoga class.

My yoga journey began in 2004 when a colleague of mine suggested we take a class at Prana Power Yoga in Newton, MA. My first thought was, Yoga…boring! I quickly realized not only is yoga not boring but also an amazing physically challenging and mind opening experience. I instantly fell in love with the practice and my mindset quickly changed to, Yoga….where have you been all my life! I started practicing regularly at Prana Power Yoga and met my now business partner Heidi MacVane. In 2007 I completed my teacher training with Open Doors in Weymouth, MA and immediately began to teach. I juggled teaching yoga while managing a group home for developmentally disabled adults. Eventually I made the transition to becoming a full time yoga instructor and had the incredible experience of teaching for Prana Power Yoga fulltime at their three yoga studios in Massachusetts.

My parents moved to Falmouth, ME from Scituate, MA in 2007 and after visiting them over the past few years I grew to love the Portland area. In the fall of 2009 I decided to make the move to Maine to be closer to my family and to open Greener Postures Yoga with Heidi which would not be possible without the support of my family.

I've been lucky enough to have experienced different programs, workshops, instructors over the years that have been important stepping stones on my path. I graduated from James Madison University with a BS in Health Assessment and Promotion and I also completed a 10 month program to become a certified Holistic Health Counselor at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition in NYC. These programs have benefited my yoga instruction tremendously and taught me how to help others create a life of health and happiness. I'm forever grateful for my first yoga instructors, Taylor Wells, Philippe Wells, Jene Rossi, Jacqui Bonwell and Adena Muncey as well as the Prana Power Yoga community. This community allowed me to grow tremendously as a yoga student, instructor and person. The Prana instructors and students are some of the most wonderful people I have ever met and being part of that community was a gift! I've also learned so much from taking workshops and classes with Seane Corn, Claire Estes-MacDonald, Bo Forbes, David Vendetti, Natasha Rizopoulos, Bryan Kest, Rolf Gates, Mimi Loureiro, Ana Forrest, Johnny Gillespie, Heather Ruiz, Molly Powers, Roman Szpond and really all the instructors I've had over the years. Teaching yoga has been more fulfilling than I could ever imagine and I am I so excited to bring creative Vinyasa classes to South Portland and watch another wonderful and supportive community grow.

Visit GPY and if it's your first experience with yoga or if you have preconceived ideas of what yoga you may just leave with the thought, yoga….where have you been all my life?!

Growing up on a small island, Cliff Island, I was part of a unique hard working community. My passion to work in the healing profession began in childhood and I left Maine to pursue my Bachelors in Social Work at Syracuse University from 1994-1998. I then moved to the Boston area to work in the field and completed my Masters degree in Social Work from Boston University in 2001. I have since been working as a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker primarily with children and families. It was in 2001 that I discovered yoga, and can say that it transformed my life. I have always been an active person, whether it be a part of the island lobstering/construction community, or as a member and captain of the Syracuse Crew team. I started taking Yoga classes at the suggestion of a friend, and was immediately drawn to the physical “work out” of a heated vinyasa flow. I began to find myself at the Yoga studio more often than the gym as I quickly became aware of not only the physical benefits, but of the magical shifts that happen within. I found that not only had I increased in both strength and flexibility, but felt the calming effect Yoga had on me, particularly with an emotionally challenging profession. My practice has led me to have more acceptance and love for myself.

My path led me back to Maine in 2007, to be closer to both my family and to the island in which I grew up. While working full time as a Social Worker, I commuted to Cambridge, Massachusetts to complete my 200-hour Yoga Alliance Teacher Training Program through Prana Power Yoga. I was fortunate to learn from inspiring teachers such as Taylor Wells, Philippe Wells, Jene Rossi, Jacqui Bonwell, and Rolf Gates. I immediately began teaching and over the last few years I have taught at a variety of studios in the Greater Portland area, including The Yoga Exchange, Fiddleheads, and Yogave. In 2010 my love for both teaching and practicing led me to transition to part time social work as I expanded my teaching to become a part of the growing Yoga community in Maine. The very day I talked to the Director of the Collaborate School about cutting back my hours, Danielle Morin, my friend and now business partner sent me an email about opening Greener Postures Yoga studio together...the universe is amazing!

Over the last several years, I have continued to pursue a variety of workshops and trainings through Prana Power yoga, Frog Lotus Yoga, and Kripalu. In 2009 I became certified as a Trauma Sensitive Yoga Teacher through the Boston Trauma Center. This has enabled me to combine two of my passions, Social Work and Yoga, fostering growth and healing through the mind-body connection. I am grateful for all my teachers; yoga instructors, students, family, friends, and colleagues as my journey continues.

It is truly a dream come true to be opening Greener Postures Yoga Studio with Danielle. I feel honored to share Yoga with others as this healing practice is truly powerful beyond measure. I hope to share this beautiful space to help others find the light within themselves and feel the love Yoga brings to ones life.

I believe in the healing power of yoga.

My first experience with yoga was in college during the 80’s.  I had to take a few physical education credits so I chose the mellowest course, yoga.  My teacher was totally out there and bizarre (although I’d probably be friends with her today), there was something about the physical practice that took hold in me.

After college “life” pushed me into the fast lane and I forgot about my yoga practice. 

It was not until 2006 that I took my first heated Vinyasa class.  I immediately fell back into that rhythm in my body and was totally hooked.  I jumped right in!

In 2007 I completed my Level I teacher training with Baron Baptiste and then in 2010 I completed my Level II training.  I’ve also had the privilege of training with Seane Corn and Jacqui Bonwell.
I am passionate about transformation and self-study through physical asana.

My teaching, like my practice, continues to evolve with the realities of modern life.  I am honored to be a part of the incredible community at Greener Postures and am inspired by the connections I see occurring every day in the studio.

I have always been drawn to physical activity and love the feeling I get both physically and mentally after a hard workout, however, there was always an underlying layer of anxiety that I couldn't seem to shake.  This is where yoga has completely transformed my life and brought me the inner peace I had always been seeking.

I have been practicing yoga for the past sixteen years, and completed my first 200-hour teacher training course based on Ashtanga Yoga in 2003.   At that time, while living in Boston and working in the financial industry, I found yoga as a way to get my physical and spiritual "workout" into a hectic life.  I loved how it made me feel and realized I wanted it to become more than a supplement to my life; I wanted yoga to become my career and help other people feel its benefits.  Since completing my first training, I have studied with David Swenson and most recently completed my second 200-hour vinyasa training with Jacqui Bonwell, master teacher from Boston, MA.

Being a mom to three children, I brought my passion for yoga to young children and have been teaching yoga for kids since 2007.   I find such satisfaction in not only seeing young children's excitement for yoga, but in watching and hearing about them teaching their families and peers some of the yoga that they have learned. I have been living in the Portland area with my husband and children for the past five years and am grateful to live in such a majestic place.  As I continue to teach yoga, it is my goal to not only help my students become stronger and healthier physically, but help them achieve the inner peace, confidence and happiness that they deserve.

Danas practice of the art of awareness, alignment and intent began almost 30 years ago with Transcendental Meditation here in Portland. Zen Master Rama expanded his practice to include Zen Buddhism in 1985 which took Dana to Los Angeles to study. In 1994 an Ashtanga practice began in earnest with Maty Ezraty of Yoga Works in Santa Monica. A strong desire to expand the limits of consciousness, intent and the flow of energy serendipitously brought an introduction and a year of study with the world renowned author and shaman Carlos Castaneda. The documentary titled Carlos Casteneda; Enigma of a Sorcerer was executive produced by Dana, released in 2003. Link to website is www.castenedamovie.com.

Teacher training began in 2001 with Yin Yoga teacher Paul Grilley whose influences include Paulie Zink (Taoist Yoga) and Dr. Hiroshi Motoyamas (Modern Meridian Theory). Training continued with Erich Schiffmann at Sacred Movement Yoga who’s greatest lesson was to “pause” throughout ones practice to absorb and process the experience during practice. Over the years he has had the fortunate opportunity to study with many of LA’s most prominent instructors.

In Los Angeles Dana taught 15 classes per week at 4 locations, corporate clients, privates and a few celebrities such as Dave Navarro (Jane’s Addiction), Robin Williams and Clive Barker. Dana has been featured in the Los Angeles Times, Yogitimes magazine and NPR. His web site is www.yogidana.com.

Dana’s class will stir, warm, move, build, store, and strengthen ENERGY. His hatha flow class is spirited, musical, fun and personally infused with energetic theories of the meridians, charkras, shamanic energy work and Yogic alignment. Dana also teaches many workshops and looks forward to presenting fun and challenging workshops and classes for the Greener Postures students.

I began my yoga practice about ten years ago as a weekend warrior!
I explored Ashtanga, Bikram and Hatha styles and when I discovered heated Vinyasa Yoga in 2009 I was ready to commit to regular yoga practice. Initially drawn to the physical benefits and the cleansing heat I was soon grateful for how the Vinyasa flow helped calm my mind. My spirit yearned to learn more of the yoga teachings and with the support of masterful teachers like Richard Lanza, Stephanie Brown-Ford and Jacqui Bonwell, I came to appreciate the true healing powers of yoga. 

A 2010 graduate of the Open Doors Power Yoga Teaching Training (200 hours) and in the spring of 2011, a graduate of The Sacred Seed Yoga School (200 hours) both programs recognized by Yoga Alliance,  I’m now what Jacqui calls a “foot soldier” of yoga,  here to share what I’m learning as best I can. Appreciating that we are all just beginners of this magical practice, I teach an approachable class with a focus on fundamentals, light heartedness and  a spirited  playlist! I both practice and teach at Greener Postures, Danielle & Heidi’s beautiful studio in South Portland, Maine!

My mother nudged (ahem, forced!) me to my first yoga class in the winter of 2003. After playing competitive field hockey for 13 years I was looking for something to fill the post-organized sports void.  I was pretty convinced that yoga was not going to be that cure.  I couldn’t even touch my toes, how was yoga going to be anything but frustrating! As the saying goes, “Moms know best!”  Yoga has moved with me to three east coast cities, seen me through law school and the bar exam, and continues to help me face life’s everyday hiccups. And yes, I can touch my toes!

I am truly humbled by the opportunity to teach vinyasa yoga to the Portland community at Greener Postures Yoga.  I believe in the healing practice of breath and movement, and as a teacher, it is my intention to present this concept with some laughs, and in an accessible and light-hearted way.

In the spring of 2011, I completed 200 hours of yoga teacher training at the Sacred Seeds Yoga School under the direction of Jacqui Bonwell. I am eternally grateful for Jacqui’s leadership and wisdom, and for the teachings of my fellow Sacred Seeds graduates.   On a daily basis I continue to learn from my teachers, Danielle and Heidi to name a few, and their work inspires me.  Eight years later, my relationship with yoga continues to evolve, each day I learn something new about myself.  Yoga is one of my life’s greatest blessings. I hope to share that with my students.

I am proof that Yoga works.  I grew up in Falmouth, Maine, and a lifetime of events has brought me to my yoga mat.  At age 4, I began twirling batons.  I then arrived in the world of competitive gymnastics, for nearly a decade.  Following a (devastating at the time) injury, I took up springboard diving through my teenage years.  Eventually, I grew tired of the competition.  Clearly, I have always been a softy for adrenaline and altered states of consciousness.  Looking back, I was completely disconnected from myself, which manifested into disparaging behavior … even through some of the best journeys of my life… until I found yoga.

I attended the University of Maine, Orono, and the University of Southern Maine where I earned a degree in Communication.   What now!?

From 2007 to 2009, I was blessed to have studied, worked, and volunteered abroad.  Wow, something had opened the light in my heart.  I began feeling a new sense of connection to my mind, body, and soul.  From 2004 to 2008, I sporadically practiced yoga, occasionally dropping in to local studios and practicing alongside Yoga DVDs in friends’ basements.

In 2007, I learned and practiced Capoeira while volunteering in Brazil.  I suddenly remembered how much I LOVED acrobatically moving my body.   I think this was the last stepping stone leading to a regular practice upon my return home.   In 2009, I was hooked.  There was no turning back.  Since then, my life has been a miraculous transformation.   Yoga has been my rehabilitation, my best friend, my meditation practice, my adrenaline-rush workout, my physical therapy (from all those years of gymnastics), and …. my life savior!

I believe in yoga and its ability to create a connection, for anyone, as they so desire.   I chose Yoga because it soothes my soul.  It keeps me grounded, motivated, and truly conscious.  My teaching has been described as athletic, insightful, and grounded.   I seek to draw the powerful energy of core strength into students’ yoga practice and daily lives.  Accessing and expressing myself from that deep connection in my own practice has changed the way I carry myself, and I LOVE sharing what I find to feel so good in my own body.

Beyond the actual practice of yoga asana, I am most passionate about being of service to aid in the discovery of our creative and intuitive natures.  I am thankful for second chances, and I am most inspired by those who do what they love and love what they do.  3 things I just can’t live without are connection, understanding, and quiet time.

I began my 200 hours of Yoga Alliance certified training with the life-changing force of Jacqui Bonwell in January, 2011.    My svadhyaya (self-study) has guided me to learn from various Boston-area teachers including, Alex Amorosi, Sue Jones, Chanel Luck, Natasha Rizopoulos, Jene Rossi, David Vendetti,  Amanda Richter, and Ame Wren.   I am forever grateful for my first yoga teachers at Yogave studio, and ESPECIALLY Heidi MacVane, who continues to inspire me on SO MANY levels.  Also, I am continuously inspired by Danielle Morin for her intelligent teachings and powerful encouragement.   I am humbled by every student walking through the door, and feel honored to share the Joy that Yoga and Greener Postures cultivates!

I didn’t take long for me to realize that Yoga just feels right. I’ve always enjoyed seeing what my body can do and Yoga took that to a new level. I began practicing back in 2004 before football games to warm up my muscles and calm my mind and I am still discovering new benefits today. Whether I am hiking, climbing, snowboarding, working or just playing, I can feel how my yoga practice helps me perform and keeps me healthy.

After my initial introduction to yoga I began searching for new classes and studios anywhere I happened to be at the time. I probably would have taken a class in a cardboard box if “yoga” was written on the side. I even took my college credit yoga course twice because I loved it so much.

I couldn’t pin point what it was about the practice, but I was hooked and it felt good. After I received my B.S in Landscape Horticulture I decided I would rather teach yoga, so I did.

I completed my 200hr Yoga Alliance certification with Jacqui Bonwell and have proudly been teaching at Greener Postures since. I am a highly self motivated student and I continue to attend workshops, read, and practice so that I can grow as a teacher. I like to teach a fun, diverse and light hearted class that everybody can enjoy whether you are new to the practice or a veteran.

I tried different styles of yoga like tapas- never fully committing- for years.  This was prophetic, perhaps, since the literal translation of tapas in sanskrit is "heat".  My first heated vinyasa class hooked me, and I began a regular yoga practice 5 years ago.  I immediately began to notice the physical (look out toes, here I come!  So nice to see you again!) and stress-relieving benefits of a regular yoga practice.  More than anything, yoga provided balance in my life - mental, physical and spiritual.

On a professional level, practicing as a physical therapist, I began to realize patterns of disease and pain in many of the lives of clients who came to work with me.  It became readily apparent that are many in need of yoga -a union of the mind, body and spirit- to facilitate wellness, prevent pain and disease, and help empower them in their own lives.  Sometimes frustrated by perceived and real limitations in my role as a physical therapist operating under a western medical construct, I began the process of teacher training so that I could realize my intention to share yoga with others.  I attended the first level of Bapstiste Power Yoga training in the summer of 2010, and completed an additional 200-hour certification at Kripalu in the winter of 2011.

I continue to practice physical therapy and therapeutic yoga in an integrated health setting here in Portland, but am blessed to be part of the community of  Greener Postures.  My intention is to support each student-as we are all students and teachers- in his or her journey, so that we can cultivate consciousness and awareness.  I truly believe that we can make the world a better place through yoga. Namaste.

I was first introduced to yoga in the summer of 2009.  I was in the midst of treatment for breast cancer treatment and yoga was part of the rehabilitation plan.  In a time when so many things were uncertain yoga brought “santosha”(finding contentment even in the most challenging of times) to my life.  Yoga provided healing for my body and spirit and transformed my life in so many beautiful ways.  Into survivorship I practiced yoga on a daily basis on and off my mat.  My passion for yoga grew and I took the steps to become a Registered Yoga Teacher graduating from the Sacred Seeds Yoga School 200 hour teacher training program instructed and facilitated by Master Teacher Jacqui Bonwell of Canton, Massachusettes and Greener Postures Yoga.

I enjoy continuing my yoga education by taking workshops and traveling around to different studios and experiencing different styles of teaching.  I have taken a Hip Hop Yoga teacher training as well as multiple workshops.  I send many thanks and love to the teachers that have inspired and fostered me along the way: Master Teacher Jacqui Bonwell, Danielle Morin, Heidi MacVane, Lynne Beiger, Alex Amorosi, Sue Jones, Lorraine Shedoudi, Carissa Ciuca,  and Ame Wren.

I am so thankful to be teaching at Greener Postures.  It is where my yoga journey took root and feels like my yoga home <3.

I love sharing the practice of yoga with others and it is my hope that my knowledge of yoga, background as a registered nurse, and life experience will provide for a well-rounded physical and spiritual practice.  That students will leave my class with sweat on their brow and a smile in their heart ☺.

Gretchen Folk has cherished the practice of asana since just about the first time she was on her mat in a cramped bedroom, with a borrowed mat and VHS tape in January 2000.  Through the next decade, she was able to find consistency and stability in exploring yoga and developing a practice.

She thanks all the fellow students she has practiced amongst in all the corners of the country she has visited.  Some of the most influential of those have been the Haines Yoga Club in Haines AK, time with Mount Madonna Center in Watsonville CA, so many yogis  in the Boston area, most recently the Pioneer Valley yoga community in Western Massachusetts and now South Portland’s own Greener Postures.

She completed her 200-hour Yoga Alliance certified teacher training with Prana Power Yoga, in Cambridge, MA in 2007.  Leading classes since then, she constantly strives to provide a mindful and breath centered practice while sharing an attitude of ease and lightness  with her fellow practitioners.