Instructor: Betsy Kase MA, RYT

Director/Owner has been practicing yoga since 1991. She began a consistent practice at Integral Yoga in New York City during a personally difficult time in her life. With encouragement from her teachers, she entered the yoga teacher training in 1995 with no real intention of teaching yoga! However, with her background in patient education in hemophilia, HIV/AIDS and reproductive technologies, teaching was second nature. Today, she is certified in Hatha Yoga and Prenatal Yoga. In 1995 Betsy moved to Westchester County where she began to teach full time in gyms and colleges, corporations and not-for profit organizations, as well as to private clients. While never intending to run her own business, Betsy always wanted to be involved with an organization that was based on holistic intentions and a sense of community.

In 1998, with the encouragement of her family and students she rented a small space in Tuckahoe, New York where she began holding yoga classes. Friends and family showed up to help renovate the space and over the opening weekend over 200 students attended; showing their support and encouragement for the first yoga center in their area. Over the last ten years, Yoga Haven has grown to double its size. Yoga Haven offers over 40 classes per week, including multiple levels, prenatal and postnatal and restorative yoga, along with monthly workshops. Serving over 1600 students per month, Yoga Haven has over 22 teachers on staff and provides massage and acupuncture.  Betsy is thrilled with the community Yoga Haven provides, not only for the students and staff but, for herself as well. She has expanded her understanding of Yoga by studying a range of styles including Anusara, Ashtanga, Iyengar, Kripalu and Jivamukti yoga leading to a teaching practice that combines flow, breath and alignment, with a sense of lightness and laughter. Her pleasure is directing and teaching Yoga Haven’s 200 hour teacher training yearly.

FAVORITES:

Books:
Health, Healing & Beyond: Yoga and the Living Tradition of Krishnamacharya, by T.K.V. Desikachar
Yogi Bare - Naked Truth from America's Leading Yoga Teachers, Philip Self
Yoga the Spirit and Practice of Moving into Stillness, Erich Schiffmann

CDs:
Om Santuary - Valley of the Sun
A Touch of Grace - Jonathan Foust
Wah! - Savasana
Drala - Thomas Otten

Videos:
Ali MacGraw - Yoga Mind & Body
Kripalu Gentle & Dynamic Videos

Prenatal Yoga - Shiva Rae