BIOS

Ninka Giraudet

Ninka is the founder of the LOVEntus Center for Mindfulness and Rejuvenation Retreats, and is currently working on receiving a Certificate from the University of Massachusetts for completing its Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Course.

Born and raised in The Netherlands, Ninka moved to the USA in 1985 to earn her MBA degree from the Darden School of Business in Charlottesville, Virginia. She is married, and a mother of two daughters who are now in college pursuing their own dreams. Her professional background includes working on Wall Street as a researcher, and teaching Business English at several business schools in Paris. In 1997, after having lived there for 7 years, she moved to Stockholm with her family, where she was introduced to wellness retreats to help her recover from breast cancer treatment and mourn of the loss at birth of her twin boys. Attending these retreats in the Stockholm Archipelago, made her realize that true healing and recovery involves not only the physical aspect of a person, but also the mind and spirit. She has since become a passionate advocate of holistic health management and believes people can only truly heal from life's challenges when their health approach is all-encompassing. This means it has to address body, mind and spirit, a mind-set unfortunately too often absent in modern medical practices. She is currently successfully undergoing her third breast cancer treatment.

Cheryl Aiello

Cheryl is an Ordained Minister by the Order of Melchizedek and a Holistic Health and Wellness Specialist...an intuitive and passionate Natural Health Practitioner with training and experience in a myriad of natural healing modalities.

Born and raised in New York, Yoga and Meditation have been the foundation of Cheryl's life, she has been teaching Yoga for 20 years and has been practicing herself for over 45 years.

She earned her BA from Lehman College, Bronx, New York and then fueled by her interest in the preparation of fine cuisine attended the New York Restaurant School launching a long career in every aspect of the Food and Beverage Industry.  During that time she became fascinated by the power of food as medicine studying at the Integrative Institute of Nutrition and Teacher's College, Columbia University.

As her interest in natural methods of healing grew she gained more knowledge in the field and became certified in Yoga Therapy, Thai Yoga Bodywork, EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), TaiJiFit and Medical Qi-Gong. Cheryl also practices Kansa Vataki, an Ayurvedic technique for reducing pain and inflammation in the body as well as improving appearance.

Cheryl strongly believes in the body's natural ability to regain homeostasis and heal given the conditions of pure, wholesome nourishment, physical movement, breath work and meditation and sees these practices as a powerful healing adjunct to modern medicine.

Gloria Owens

Gloria Owens is a co-owner of YogaSpace, a thriving studio in Bethel, CT and a Certified Kripalu Yoga Instructor, Restorative Yoga, Meditation and Mindful Movement facilitator who has been leading transformational classes & workshops yoga since 1994.

Gloria’s inspirational yoga classes offer an eclectic mix of styles in a fun and non-judgmental atmosphere; appropriate for beginners and intermediate students alike. She weaves together traditional yoga poses, breathing techniques, expressive movement, conscious self-reflection and guided relaxation. Her compassionate and intuitive teaching style makes each class a unique experience. Music and breath are an integral part of a yoga experience with Gloria – creating rich and varied yogic experience – and awakening the body's innate inner wisdom. Students often find their stress and anxiety reduced, their physical bodies opened, their minds quieter and their spirits enlivened after classes with Gloria.

In addition to a lifelong exploration of wellness practices, Gloria has enjoyed a parallel career as a talented art director, graphic designer, photographer and visionary artist. She has spent decades exploring the realms of creativity, beauty, spirituality and practical approaches to health & wellness. She brings her playful and luminous spirit to each class, and invites students to do the same.