Meet Our Teachers
Alex Schatzberg
Born and raised in Marin County, California, an American hub for spiritual and natural living, Alex began practicing yoga and meditation when he was 18 years old. After moving east to attend NYU, he started teaching and practicing yoga in New York City, which he has continued to do daily since 2006. Dissatisfied with the ubiquitous and corporate yoga studio environments in New York, Alex opened New Vibe Yoga in the East Village in 2014, in a townhouse on East 2nd Street. In 2017, he relocated the studio to its current location at 9 Saint Marks Place, the same street his grandfather was born on almost 100 years prior. His intention is to provide the community with a home for an authentic and therapeutic approach to yoga. Alex has had the pleasure of studying closely and training with some of the West's early adopters of classical yoga, including Christine Hoar, David Williams, Guy Donahaye, Ruth Lauer-Manenti, and has attended special workshops and classes with countless others, including Nancey Gilgoff, Maty Ezraty, David Life, and Sharon Gannon. Alex is grateful to his Sanskrit teacher, Kiki Flynn, for imbuing him with the knowledge of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, and his Ashtanga teacher, Christine Hoar, for introducing him to the principles of Ayurveda. He is also inspired by the teachings of Baba Hari Das, Dr. Shankaranarayana Jois, Dr. M.A. Jayashree, and Dr. Vasant Lad. Alex practices the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd series of Ashtanga Yoga as taught by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois and maintains a daily kriya, meditation, and mantra practice. He has taught publicly at premier yoga centers as well as to private clients, corporate groups, and celebrities. Alex is also grateful to his art teacher, Eugene Gregan, and his wife, Beverly, for their teachings in elevating everyday life from mundane to magic! In 2018, Alex developed the New Vibe Yoga 200-Hour Training Program and wrote his first book “New Vibe Yoga – Training Manual.” In 2022, he developed and launched the New Vibe Yoga Clothing, Fragrance & Home Goods Collections. In 2023, he developed the New Vibe Yoga mentorship program to produce high-quality teachers through one-on-one apprenticeships. When he teaches, Alex hopes to help people discover yogic tools to reduce stress, create harmony in their lives, optimize their performance, & experience inner peace.
Angeliq Brock
Raised in the southern side of Georgia, Angeliq Aje is a multidisciplinary artist with expanded experience in all genres of movement. Angeliq studied commercial dance at Pace University and is a professional dancer with twenty years of training experience. In 2018, she began a career teaching dance in New York City to students, professionals, and celebrities. Her yoga journey began in 2017 with the study of kemetism and Kemetic Yoga. Angeliq began practicing at New Vibe Yoga in 2022 and in 2023 completed a 200-Hour training & teaching apprenticeship with founder Alex Schatzberg. Angeliq is excited to share the wisdom embedded within the principles of Ashtanga Yoga.
Dylan Evans
Born and raised in Chicago, Dylan began practicing yoga in high school to supplement his dance training. In 2018, after about 10 years of drifting through inconsistent vinyasa yoga practices, he discovered the Ashtanga system at New Vibe Yoga, and everything clicked. Since then, he has maintained a daily Ashtanga practice. In 2020, he completed the New Vibe Yoga 200-Hour Training under the guidance of Alex Schatzberg. His teaching style highlights the dynamism of the Ashtanga practice. If he's not at New Vibe, you'll find Dylan at the Met Opera, where he works as a Staff Stage Director.
Eden Amare
Born and raised in Ethiopia, Eden Amare has been practicing yoga for the last decade while living and working in New York City. In 2018, she discovered New Vibe Yoga and has been studying under the guidance of Alex Schatzberg ever since. Eden has completed the New Vibe Yoga 200-Hour Training, twice, and a 100-Hour New Vibe Yoga Online Course. She loves the physicality of the asana practice and the practicality of the Ashtanga Yoga philosophy. Ashtanga has been a beautiful grounding technique that has brought so much joy and tranquility into her life. Eden is happy to share the light of this yoga with others and looks forward to meeting you in class. Namaste.
Katya Guseva
Born on the Russian-Chinese border and raised in Siberia, Katya spent much of her life living in different places, including Southeast Asia, California, and New York. Continuously finding herself in a new place, yoga became the only constant in Katya's life. After 15+ years of various styles of yoga and a 200-Hour Hatha training in Thailand, Katya was led to her first Ashtanga teacher, Ade Adenate, in Bali, Indonesia, and instantly felt at home. Since then, she has endeavored in a 500-Hour training under Guru Dharma Mitra, & spent time studying Ashtanga Yoga with Kino McGregor and Tim Feldman. Katya has been practicing Ashtanga at New Vibe Yoga since 2019 and is currently completing her teaching apprenticeship with Founder Alex Schatzberg. She is excited for the opportunity to share the joys of Ashtanga with others!
Carmen Bedoya
Carmen Bedoya has over fifteen years of experience teaching and practicing Ashtanga and Iyengar Yoga in New York, Sedona, Lima, Paris, Sicily, and Austria. A native of Lima, Peru, Carmen splits her time between New York and South America. She is fluent in English, Spanish, and conversant in French. While balancing careers in finance and international consulting, Carmen found yoga as an outlet to reconnect with herself and slow down the pace of her life. She received her first yoga certification in Mysore, India, with Professor Barath Shetty and has been a student of Alex Schatzberg since 2011. Over the years, Carmen has traveled the world and practiced with many senior-level yoga masters in the Ashtanga, Iyengar, and Jivamukti traditions. When teaching, Carmen specializes in working with all body types and ages and tailors each class to meet her students' needs.
Kate Ransdell
Originally from Florida, Kate was first introduced to Ashtanga Yoga in 2010 while living in Miami Beach. After moving to New York to pursue a corporate career, she struggled with a back injury and pain from sitting at desks all day. She knew she wanted to return to yoga to heal herself and sought out a studio that offered Ashtanga Yoga. In 2017, she discovered New Vibe Yoga and began practicing with Alex Schatzberg. After returning to her practice, Kate realized the immense benefits yoga brought to her life and decided to partake in the New Vibe Yoga 200-Hour Training so she could learn more about yoga and how to share it with others. Kate has enjoyed teaching yoga at New Vibe since 2020 and looks forward to welcoming you to her class.
Jai Sugrim
Jai is a highly experienced yoga teacher, licensed massage therapist, and athletic trainer with 28 years of professional experience. He has worked with a diverse range of clients, including professional athletes. Jai has a deep understanding of how the body works and how to optimize its performance. As a dedicated Ashtanga Yogi, Jai is passionate about sharing the practice in its raw form, with a strong emphasis on the rhythm of the breath and bandha. He believes that yoga is a powerful tool for transformation and self-discovery and is committed to helping his students deepen their practice and unlock their full potential. Jai has been practicing Ashtanga Yoga with Alex Schatzberg since 2013 and has been teaching at New Vibe since 2017. Jai currently resides upstate in the Hudson Valley and makes New Vibe his home base when teaching in New York City.
Sarah Lowe
With fifteen years of practice, a decade of full-time teaching, and three years of studio ownership, Sarah brings lived-in experience and compassion to her classes. She emphasizes mobility, strength building, breathwork, and practical movement with structural integrity. Sarah has completed three teacher trainings, including Hatha-Vinyasa with Kira Ryder in 2007 and Ashtanga Yoga with David Swenson in 2013, as well as continuing education in trauma-informed teaching and teaching to vulnerable populations. Sarah has taught workshops, retreats, and classes both in-person and online, stateside and internationally. In 2017 Sarah found New Vibe Yoga and in 2018 she joined the teaching staff. Sarah finds yoga to be an excellent means of connection and loves helping people find ways to access and build a relationship with yoga on their own terms.
Hanne Sydanmaa
Hanne was first introduced to yoga while studying dance in New York in the late '90s. She then started to travel to India annually, continuing to deepen her yoga practice and to complete certifications in both Ashtanga Yoga and Sivananda Yoga. She has been teaching Ashtanga Yoga now for over 20 years to a wide range of students at various levels, including top athletes and seniors, both at the Ashtanga Yoga school in Helsinki, Finland, and internationally. When visiting NYC, Hanne makes New Vibe Yoga her home base for teaching. She has been teaching at New Vibe since its founding in 2014. Most recently, Hanne has been learning the art of handstands from professional circus performers and currently travels the world teaching handstand and core-strength workshops. She continues to study anatomy and dance/ballet in New York and Helsinki and is an avid biker and ocean swimmer year-round.
