MEET YOUR FACILITATORS
Suzie Newcome
Suzie is a 500hr Sr. Experienced Yoga Teacher and the founder of Namaspa, an Affiliate Baptiste Power Yoga studio in Bend, Oregon. Suzie is a graduate of Harvard (’94), Harvard Business School (’99), and worked for more than 10 years in advertising, retail and strategy consulting before leaving the corporate world to help people live better lives. Suzie has been leading her own Yoga Alliance 200h Teacher Training since 2010 and loves helping new teachers find their voice.
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"I took my first teacher training after working for 10 years in Corporate America, and it opened my eyes to how much I had been hiding behind titles, masks and scripts. I had experience speaking in front of groups, but I had never actually been myself in front of people. This was terrifying at first, but then I realized levels of connection and power that were available from sharing and teaching authentically were so much greater than what I had experienced before. Today I have an amazing yoga community with my Namaspa studios in Central Oregon, a wonderful marriage and I feel younger, more energetic and happier than ever! My intention in training teachers is for them to graduate ready to teach and share authentically from their own experience, in a power yoga class or any other area in their relationships and professional lives, to achieve extraordinary results."
Petit Davina
Petit has been practicing yoga since 1999 after connecting with some yoga teachers in the wilderness of Yosemite. Yoga became a part of her daily life. In 2007 she spent a month living at Ananda in northern California where she completed a 200 hour yoga teacher training. She now combines that knowledge with the Baptiste flow to create a deep and inspiring practice for all. Petit finds beauty and peace amidst mountains, trees, rivers and oceans. Her wildest adventure was in 2004 as part of a reality TV show as she was chosen to test her mind, body and spirit in the extreme elements of S. Africa, Costa Rica, Iceland, and all the way to 28,000 feet above sea level on the north face of Mt. Everest in Tibet. She believes that each person has his/her own "Everest" and guides her yoga classes with an awareness of both the challenges and the beauty found in each step along the way. When she isn't practicing yoga, Petit enjoys sunrises, adventure, chai, sushi, music and soaking in the JOY and WONDER of her son, Talus.
Lesley Barr
Finding yoga in 2010 was life changing and I am forever grateful to be a student of this practice. Yoga has taught me to live and breathe in a way that is both spacious and grounded. To live in the moment and love with my whole heart. Teaching yoga has shown me what it is like to be of true service and how to hold space for other humans. My classes are inclusive and playful, rooted in breath and mindfulness. I would be honored to share my deep love of this practice with you.
My life is full of love and never ending fun with the most amazing partner, five incredible kids/bonus kids, and a pretty fantastic dog. I love living in this paradise called Bend and feel so lucky to have landed here. In my play time I love to adventure, camp deep in the forest, crochet, read, and play my healing instruments.
I hold a 200 hour certification from Namaspa Yoga, a 300 hour certification from Rolf Gates Yoga, and a 300 hour certification from Namaspa Yoga. I am grateful to be a forever student of yoga and life.
Loren Mahaffey
Loren Mahaffey B.SC, LMBT, E-RYT is passionate about learning and teaching. She has a deep understanding of the body from both an eastern and western perspective. Loren has 25 years of experience as a yoga instructor and yoga teacher trainer, licensed massage and bodywork therapist and continuing education provider. Within yoga, Loren specializes yoga anatomy, physiology, kinesiology and yogic philosophy. She teaches within both 200hr and 300hr yoga teacher certification programs.
As a licensed massage and bodywork therapist, Loren practices Zen Shiatsu Acupressure, CranioSacral Therapy, Brain Therapy, Visceral Manipulation and Lymphatic Drainage Therapy. She is certified in Aromatherapy and HeartMath. As a therapist, Loren has cultivated deep presence and advanced manual therapy skills having worked with thousands of clients over the years. As a teacher, Loren is articulate, dedicated and able to explain difficult concepts as well as subtleties of the body in a way that people can understand and relate to. She is able to transmit information within movement practices that allow intellectual learning to become a somatic felt experience.