Victoria Marchese
Co-founder, Operations Manager, Instructor
RYT, AFAA
Originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, Victoria moved to Portland in 1991. She actively takes full advantage of the year-round playground we live in! Victoria is also a Realtor for Meadows Group Realtors.
As a health and fitness advocate Victoria discovered Yoga at her gym. She immediately connected with the practice and years later began training to become a yoga instructor to share her passion with others. She completed the 200 hour Yoga Alliance approved teacher training program and continues to study the many different styles of yoga. Yoga keeps her mentally and physically balanced. With the combined practices of Yoga, Pilates, Belly Dance and Nia, she hopes Poise Studio LLC can enhance the lives of people in her community.
"Dance is the hidden language of the soul."
— Martha Graham
Sarah Haroldsen-Balmer
Co-founder, Marketing and PR Manager, Instructor
RYT , Stott Pilates and Pilates Reformer
Sarah began her Yoga Practice in 2000 and has been committed to the health benefits of the fitness industry ever since. This commitment has resulted in certifications to teach a wide variety of specialties in Yoga, Pilates, and strength training to students of all ages and experience, from early childhood to the golden years.
She takes great joy in helping others with their journeys toward wellness. She passionately seeks knowledge related to the human body and personally practices new and proven methods of Yoga and Pilates. She believes these disciplines, when properly practiced, create clarity, balance, and connection with the true self. Her commitment is to always provide training in proper techniques that will assure a deeper connection with the “true self.”
Sarah is a native Oregonian, and has learned by extensive travel that this is where she belongs. She and her family enjoy the benefits of this beautiful state year-around. They are snowboarders, campers, hikers, and true lovers of the outdoors and nature. Sarah's wonderful kids keep her on her toes, and she loves every minute of it. Life is great!
"Learn to relax. Your body is precious, as it houses your mind and spirit.
Inner peace begins with a relaxed body."
— Norman Vincent Peale
Lila Bergroth, Nia Instructor
Facilitating functional, playful movement experiences is Lila's talent and joy. Supporting her clients return to their natural state of Well Being is her passion. With 15 years experience facilitating movement experiences and playing in the field of mind body wellness, Lila has taught movement at universities, studios, health clubs, churches, corporations, retreats & conferences nationwide.
A certified Nia Brown Belt instructor, Lila has been practicing Nia since 1994, and teaching since 1997. Lila also facilitates Nia’s 5 Stages of Self-Healing, an exploratory class, which helps people, reclaim optimal alignment and functional movement.
Lila began teaching yoga in 1993, and holds teaching certificates from various internationally known yoga instructors including Swami Satchidananda, Rama Jyoti Vernon, and Rodney Yee. Integrating a sensation of somatic freedom and connection to breath as part of asana practice are two of Lila’s talents.
A certified massage therapist, Healing Touch and Reiki practitioner, Lila graduated from Western Michigan University with a BA in Communications and Environmental Studies. In addition to movement and dance, playing in nature is one of her favorite pastimes, as well as mothering two very active little boys.
Irene Bonn, Yoga Instructor
Over the past seven years Irene has studied many different forms of yoga including Vinyasa, Yin, Bikram, Iengar, Anusara, and Vini-yoga. In the Spring of 2005 it became clear to her that she wanted to share her love for yoga, and yoga’s healing powers, with as many people as possible. The best way to follow through on this realization would be to learn to teach. She received her teacher training certification from The Yoga Institute and Bookshop, under the instruction of Lex Gillian in October of 2005. She as been continuing to learn and teach ever since.
Julie Melfi, Yoga Instructor
Julie began practicing yoga in 1999 as a way to alleviate the tightness she felt in her body after years of running. In 2005 Julie completed her 200 hour teacher training at Seaside Yoga in Wilmington, NC.
Students say that Julie's explanations of postures and how to get in and out of them are especially good. "I think this is mostly because of my natural tendency to talk a lot." Her beginner students appreciate the assistance, and more experienced practitioners enjoy hearing a new take on a posture they may have done a thousand times. Julie loves teaching creative, fun classes with and enjoys helping people learn more about themselves through their practice.
She loves her yoga practice for the strength and flexibility that it has given her both mentally and physically and the connection that it has created between mind and body. Julie is grateful to all of the wonderful teachers that continue to help her along her path and is super happy to be teaching at the studio.
When she is not teaching, she spends her time walking dogs, cat sitting and doing pet photography! She shares her home with her wonderful husband Kevin and several fur kids!
Simon Menasche, Yoga Instructor
Simon Menasche has been practicing the healing arts in Portland, Oregon since 1970. He is a Yoga Alliance certified yoga teacher at the highest levels of E500 and T500. Simon is also a counselor, massage therapist, meditation teacher, workshop facilitator, and he serves on the faculty at Oregon School of Massage. Simon's yoga style is infused with influences as diverse as B.K.S. Iyengar, Moshe Feldenkrais, Angela Farmer, Emily Conrad and Gabrielle Roth. Simon lives in the Portland area, working with small groups and individuals.
Aerlyn Pfeil, Yoga Instructor
Aerlyn has been practicing Kundalini Yoga since 1993 and is a certified KRI Kundalini teacher. She was first entranced and inspired by Kundalini Yoga because of the breath-work and mantra. Since then, she has incorporated Yogi Bhajan's teaching and meditations into her daily life. Her personal teachers include Yogi Bhajan, Shamsher Kaur, and Holy Kaur and Hari Dass Khalsa. Additionally, she is a midwife, doula, and Maya Abdominal Massage Practitioner.
Amy Harris, Yoga Instructor
Amy is a certifies Yoga instructor with Yoga Alliance (RYT), Core Power Yoga, Yogafit, and AFFA. After studying with beth Shaw, founder of Yogafit. She began teaching yoga in 1999. Instruction came natural to Amy, who specialized in science as an elementary school teacher. Countless hours on the mat and in workshops continue to motivate Amy to share her love of Yoga and its therapeutic benefits with others. She especially enjoys for advanced studies in Prenatal/Postnatal Yoga, Restorative Yoga, and Power Yoga, and enjoys working one-on-one to help improve their form, health, comfort, and athletic ability.
"I wasn't sure how much stress and anxiety was lingering around in my muscles and joints until I participated in my first one-on-one yoga training session. A personal yoga trainer offered guidance and posture adjustments that maximized the benefits of each pose. I felt so much more comfortable and healthy, and had more confidence in my form and alignment."
Dr. Linda Rowe, DC, CCSP
Chiropractor, Yoga Instructor
Linda Rowe began her professional career in Wellness in 1994 as a Doctor of Chiropractic. She was introduced to Yoga in 1998 by Beth Shaw, the founder of YogaFit. Linda’s experience was so positive she immediately began to incorporate yoga classes into her weekly routine. In 2000, Linda received her specialization in Chiropractic Sports and Fitness (CCSP).
Through regular yoga practice, Linda witnessed the growing physical and mental benefits in herself. She also noticed these benefits in her patients that incorporated yoga into their wellness lifestyle. The positive effects of Yoga were significant. This discovery transitioned Linda from becoming a Yoga student to her studies of becoming a Yoga instructor. She completed a 200 hour training program (RYT) with YogaFit and is also in the process of becoming a YogaFit Teacher Trainer, with a focus on teaching Anatomy & Alignment. Linda teaches Yoga to all ages and fitness levels. She uses her in-depth knowledge of the human body to maximize safety and physical benefits in her classes. Linda has her www.ChiRoweYoga.com office inside Poise Studio, offering personal Chiropractic and Yoga services as well as group classes.
Sedona, Belly Dance Instructor
Sedona has been a natural performer all of her life. Her passion for performance has been supplemented by years of intensive dance and theatre training. Her monumental discovery of Middle Eastern dance has helped rejuvenate and inspire her dancing spirit. Her heart and soul feel deeply connected to this ancient and sacred art, it has given her the perfect outlet to express her innermost self and her creative vision.
Valerie Valenza "Molicka," Belly Dance Instructor
With a Slovakian heritage and a love for art, it only seems natural that Valerie belly dances. Some family members would claim it's the gypsy blood that lead her to it. At five foot tall she dances under the name "Molicka," meaning little one. But don't let that fool you – she has been taking formal belly dance training since 2001. Her very 1st Solo Dance, she dared to enter the Belly Dancer Miss USA competition in 2006 and took 2nd place in Alternative Music Category, and has entered and won other competitions thereafter.
Valerie has a great love for teaching and believes, "if you are not having fun, then I am not doing my job. You can exercise all you want, but until your able to enjoy it, it will always be a chore."
