Move Mindfully® Residency Instructors

Kathy Flaminio, MA, ERYT 200

Kathy has trained over 20,000 individuals on how to integrate yoga-based movement, breathing techniques, and social/emotional skills into classroom and therapeutic settings. She holds a master’s degree in social work with more than twenty years of experience in regular and special education settings. Kathy is adjunct faculty for St. Mary’s University and is ACE (American Council on Exercise), Yoga Alliance (E-RYT 200), and Yoga Calm certified.

Chrissy Mignogna, ERYT 200

Chrissy Mignogna, E-RYT (Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher), is a Certified Yoga Calm Trainer and Teacher. She has trained hundreds of staff, parents and counselors to use the Yoga Calm® and Move Mindfully® curriculums in daycares, schools, hospitals and therapeutic environments. Chrissy currently teaches in preschools/daycares, elementary schools, and middle schools. She also provides trauma responsive yoga for the child/adolescent mental health unit and dual diagnosis units at University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital and United Hospital.. In addition to teaching children and teens, Chrissy teaches community-based yoga classes to adults and seniors.  Chrissy is a frequent presenter locally including Minnesota Education Association,(MEA), Autism Minnesota, Minnesota Association of Community Mental Health Programs (MACMHP), Minnesota  Association for Family and Early Education (MNAFEE) Evangelical Lutheran Educational Association (ELEA)and was keynote for Division for Early Childhood (DECC).

Stephanie Kennelly, MA Ed.

Stephanie Kennelly comes to 1000 Petals after spending 10 years in the Elementary School classroom. After experiencing life changing results with Move Mindfully, she joined the team as  social media coordinator and membership facilitator. Her passion lies in providing this valuable information to educators and anyone else working with children. In her free time, Stephanie enjoys playing outside with her two young sons and husband.

Kaye Standke

Kaye Standke is forever grateful for the benefits yoga provides her with on a daily basis. Kaye is so happy to be a part of the Yoga Calm family. Kaye teaches yoga to a wide range of students from preschool age to adult and everyone in between. She is currently teaching Yoga Calm at a Children’s Hospital Mental Health Units, and doing short sessions at local schools within the classroom setting. Kaye is a 200 hour registered yoga instructor since 2006. In addition Kaye has been a special education teacher for the past 11 years, and has received her masters degree in School Counseling in 2013. She is currently working part time as a school counselor, and her new full time plus job of “mommy” keeps her busy and content. You can catch Kaye teaching yoga at preschools, schools, hospital, Corepower Yoga Edina, and Blooma Minneapolis on a regular basis.

Stephanie Esser, MA Elementary Ed, RYT 200

As a Moving and Learning Residency teacher, Stephanie finds the perfect intersection for her elementary teaching background and love of yoga.  When she is not teaching, she loves to spend time with her family, has a passion for cooking/entertaining, traveling, and enjoying the outdoors at her cabin in central Minnesota.  Stephanie also teaches Yoga Calm and mindfulness techniques to youth and teens through her company, Balancing Elephants LLC.  

Deb Motschenbacher: MA

This fall, Deb retired from Elementary Education after 27 years to join our Moving and Learning Residency team. She loves her continued interaction with the children and sharing Yoga Calm with other staff. When she isn’t in the classroom, you’ll find this grandmother of three on the move! From the ski hill to scuba diving nothing is off limits.

Amy Bieganek: RYT

Amy is an adult yoga teacher with 1000 Petals. She loves working with adults to incorporate Mindful Movement into schools and work environments. In her free time she loves yoga, travel and outdoor experiences.

Anna Hayek, ERYT 200

Anna is truly grateful to have the opportunity to hold space for people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities to connect to their breath, body and community. Anna has been practicing yoga since the early 2000s and teaching yoga to adults and children since 2013. After 7 years of teaching English Language Learners in schools in the Apple Valley/Eagan/Rosemount School District, she embarked on a new adventure by taking a leave from classroom teaching to focus her work on yoga and wellness. She is certified Yoga Teacher, as well as a Yoga Calm Youth Instructor. She is passionate about connection through modalities such as movement, breath, music, art, theater, poetry and conversation.

Pati Richards

Pati has worked in a Minnesota school district for over 15 years as a licensed Parent Educator and has been a Family Literacy Coordinator for over 10 years. She is a certified Yoga Calm Instructor, has studied yoga in both India and the US where she has completed her 235hr Yoga Teacher Training, 340 hour Yoga Teacher Training, and Yoga Therapy with Dr Indu Arora. She has also been trained in Pre-Natal Yoga, is a Reiki Master, Studied Thai Yoga Bodywork both in Minnesota and Thailand, has an Ayuvedic Certification, and studied Essential Oils through Normandale and C.A.R.E. Pati enjoys working with both children and adults in private and group settings, runs kid’s yoga camps, and continuing learning new ideas to strengthen her teaching.

Theresa Tuma: Yoga Calm Certified Instructor

Theresa teaches our Moving and Learning Residencies and our adolescents in the hospital setting. Theresa comes with a background in Elementary Education. After using Yoga Calm practices in classroom and seeing the benefits she joined the 1000 Petals team. She enjoys the connection wtih students, teachers and the school community. In her freetime Theresa empowers children with self-published book, Switch, runs on the great trails MN has to offer, and lives a balanced life with family and friends, treating all people with kindness.

Sarina Long

Sarina is a New England native who now calls Minnesota home. She was introduced to yoga in college and immediately fell in love with the mindfulness techniques that helped clear her mind before taking tough exams.

Sarina is certified in Yoga Calm and has been teaching at several Twin Cities schools, hospitals, adolescent and adults yoga at The Emily Program, and Family yoga through Community Ed.

Sarina loves working with children of all ages, especially teens. Her classes focus on strengthening the mind and body with yoga poses, fun games, and her favorite part — relaxation.

Sarina believes that sharing the practice of yoga with children and teens can give them a toolbox that will grow with them as they face some challenges that life brings.

Her passion for working with children is obvious in all that she does.

Sarina’s favorite pose is Tree Pose, because she loves how trees remind her of people. Like us, trees are strong, forever growing, and need to stay rooted in a healthy environment with plenty of love in order to survive.

Annelise Aaro

Annelise is a recently retired elementary teacher who discovered Yoga Calm during a residency with her first grade class.  She was so impressed with the positive impact it had on her students that she knew her life after retirement would be as a Move Mindfully instructor.  When she is not working with kids on regulating their emotions through yoga, she is taking walks with her dog Cooper, trying out new recipes for her husband to taste test, or playing her new favorite game Pickleball.  She is also blessed to have two adult children and three darling granddaughters that she loves to visit in Ohio.