anne gregory
A Newnan native, Anne Gregory recently moved back after living in Tennessee for eight years. She taught meditation at a yoga studio in Nashville, and upon moving back to Newnan, she wanted the yoga-studio atmosphere here as well. After graduating from Mercer University with a Religious Studies degree, she attended Vanderbilt Divinity School. Anne continues her passion for study of the world's religions and hopes this will bring an eclectic flavor to Lotus. She is honored to have Lotus in historic downtown Newnan.
Anne's Teaching: Anne was led to meditation by a friend who promised her that she would be able to heal her heart through silence. Never having been the type who could keep thoughts from running rapidly through her brain, Anne was full of doubt. Her first meditation experience was using Synchronicity Hi-Tech meditation, and three years later her heart is now healed. She went through Synchronicity Meditation Teacher Training in 2009. She has become a believer in the power of meditation and its necessity in our very busy world. Meditation is for the person who craves some time to recharge her batteries or to just stop and connect with the Divine. Anne discovered yoga through her meditation and loves experiencing yoga through constant focus on breath and meditation. She is grateful to her teachers Rudrani Devi and Molly Spessard, and her inspiration comes from Mahatma Gandhi, Thich Nhat Hanh, Albert Schweitzer and H.H. The Dalai Lama. Anne welcomes you to Lotus!
rawls whittlesey
Rawls has been practicing yoga for more than 15 years and is certified to teach by Integrative Yoga Therapy (IYT200) where she trained with Ellen Schaeffer and Karen Sandler in their Therapeutic Yoga Teacher program. Integrative Yoga Therapy brings the ancient insights of many different types of Yoga into mainstream wellness programs. Rawls' background in yoga practice includes workshops and training in Iyengar, Ashtanga, Yin Yoga, and Viniyoga, and she draws heavily on the teachings of the founders of Integrative Yoga Therapy, Joseph and Lillian LePage, as well as the teachings of Gary Kraftsow, Judith Lasater and others. In addition to traditional asana practice, Rawls incorporates body awareness, pranayama, guided imagery, meditation and relaxation to make for a rich yoga practice that helps relieve stress and keeps the body strong, flexible and mobile. Rawls teaches Beginning Vinyasa Yoga at lotus on Wednesdays at 6:30pm.
maureen 'mo' dwyer
Maureen 'Mo' Dwyer, M.Ed .; has been teaching Yoga for 10 years and Pilates for 7 years. She has experience teaching Yoga and Pilates with various certifications from NETA; YogaFit, GravityPilatesReformat; Body Training Systems and LesMills. In addition to her certifications, she has taken numerous continuing education classes and hosted several Yoga Workshops in the area. She is currently working on her Yoga Alliance 200 RYT hours. YogaFit training is an eclectic blend of traditional hatha yoga poses drawn from Iyengar, Ashtanga, Vinyasa, and Viniyoga practices. Mo enjoys seeing the end result when people look within themselves and truly enjoy/understand the meaning of mediation. Mo’s life is based on mind/body/spirit philosophy – listen to your inner voice! Mo teaches Vinyasa Flow Yoga at lotus on Mondays and Wednesdays from 11am-12pm.
Shelly has been practicing yoga for eight years. Initially drawn to yoga for stress relief, the additional benefits were what kept her coming back – building strength, stamina, focus, and clarity of mind. Her main focus is vinyasa flow, but has enjoyed practicing with teachers of anusara, forrest, ashtanga, and baptiste yoga as well. Incorporating elements of these styles in her classes, she builds heat in the body to burn off the day's tension, then winds down to deep stretching and relaxation. Mixed level classes integrate breath and movement, inner and outer alignment, strength, balance, and flexibility. She believes that yoga is the best gift you can ever give yourself!