At the roots of Grace Tree lives a burning desire to understand what makes the human heart yearn to beat. This desire inspires an expedition to the depths of our most private, inner world, in the hopes of revealing our place in and connection to this enormous mystery we call life.


As we sojourn there, what we find is a feeling of “home” in a practice that brings intention and awareness into our every-day. We begin to experience a sense of balance, a lasting peaceful and joyful feeling, as we let go of the things that do not serve our well-being. We become humble as we begin to understand our connection to other beings and nature all around us. We are able to express gratitude and love without condition or reservation. We are able to see more clearly the light that burns brightly within us all, our true, authentic self.


We open our hearts to an abundant life as we begin to recognize the pure voice within, the sound of Grace, guiding us along our path. We finally understand that the answers we sought in earnest were always right there, written on our hearts, naturally beating in symbiotic time with this amazing universe all around us.


Blessings on your journey!

Pam Painter, Director of Yoga & Movement Offerings

Renee Groenemann, Director of Growth & Wellness Services


Pam Painter, Director of Yoga & Movement, 200-hour Registered Yoga Teacher, Reiki Practitioner


Pam attended her first yoga class at the advice of a co-worker who claimed it would help her de-stress. It did so much more. That nourishing experience planted the seed for what would become a life-long practice of living yoga.


Nine years after her introduction to yoga, the calling to teach came unexpectedly. Upon receiving news that a close loved-one had been diagnosed with a debilitating disease, she dove deeper into yogic methods to see if it could help. Much was learned about pranayama (breathing exercises) and asana (postures), and through these practices, a deep and cherished sense of connection was forged in time spent practicing together. She had experienced the true meaning and expansiveness of yoga; Union. A fire burned to share it with others.


Upon starting teacher training, the whole universe began to open before her and within her as a unified place of abundant spiritual wealth and profound peace and joy. She felt her heart breaking, flying wide open to the latent and infinite potential of Divinity within all beings. The natural world around her came alive with new meaning and a mission of personal stewardship of the earth and all living things was born.


On her journey, Pam has experienced the great honor of learning from many inspiring teachers, classmates and colleagues in classes and workshops on a variety of styles. She completed the World Peace Yoga 300-hour teacher training, is a 200-hour Registered Yoga Teacher and Reiki practitioner. She also studies ShantiMom pre- and postnatal yoga. Pam overflows with gratitude to her many teachers, for the opportunity to share yoga with others, and to her family for their bottomless well of love and support.


Always ready for a good belly laugh, Pam weaves the elements of joy, humor, connection and empowerment into the classes she teaches. Her favorite quote is “Ya know, ya never know,” overheard by a friend on a New York subway. So true. Shanti!




Courtney King, Yoga Teacher


Courtney had her first experience with yoga nine years ago when a friend gave her Brian Kest’s Power yoga video. Over the next three years, she practiced off and on until a yoga instructor came to the small northern Canadian community of Cold Lake where she was working as a reporter. This gave her the opportunity to see the advantages of working with a live teacher who could help to deepen her practice.


While working as a personal trainer in Ottawa, she noticed her aggressive weight lifting routine was having adverse affects on her body and decided to turn her focus back to yoga as a healing tool. To pay for classes at the Orleans Yoga Shala, Courtney worked the front desk and helped to organize yoga workshops and teacher trainings. Working at the shala gave Courtney the opportunity to learn more about the spiritual benefits of yoga and learned it helped more than just the physical body. This experience truly exited her and mobilized her to participate in David Swenson’s 40 hour Ashtanga teacher training so she could have the knowledge and confidence to spread the benefits of yoga to others.


Courtney has been teaching yoga to others for a year now and is currently earning her 200 hour yoga teacher training certification.  She feels there is no limit to what you can learn about yoga and that every day, the practice will reveal new things as long as you keep searching.





Stephanie Thiess, Professional Bellydancer


My first experience with Bellydancing happened when I was 17. I was walking along the boardwalk in Oceanside, California with a friend one night. There was a lovely little Greek restaurant with white stucco arches, the warm glow of soft candle-lit chandeliers, and all the windows and doors had been pushed open. The most hypnotic music was spilling out into the evening, and it reached out and hooked me, and pulled me in.


As I investigated this odd phenomenon further, I discovered a beautiful woman clothed in all purple, with long black hair, and she was undulating with the music, doing the most amazing things with her body, especially her belly and hips! I stopped in my steps right there with my mouth hanging open, literally. I could not move from that spot on the board walk. I watched mesmerized for a long time, wondering how she could do those things with her body?


Finally my impatient friend had to drag me away, or I would have stood there all night. From that moment on, I was hooked. Bellydance had spoken to me.

 

Six years later, I signed up for Bellydance in Miami, Florida, with Tamalyn Dallal, that was 1999. After moving to Cincinnati, Ohio in 2000, I began studying with master teacher, Conchi, of Alhambra Troupe. I joined Conchi's professional troupe in 2001, and have now danced through two pregnancies. I have danced with my son slung onto my back (at first as a way to practice my choreography's while keeping baby happy, and later as a performance while dancing with a basket on my head and baby on my back- a nod to indigenous women everywhere), he is now 8. Recently, I have been blessed to have another child, and I now dance with her as well, wrapped onto my back  like women for thousands of years have done with their children. With my OB’s permission, I taught my Bellydance classes right up until 4 days before I delivered my daughter. 

 

I think Bellydancing has been an amazing experience. I have discovered who I am through Bellydance. For eleven years, Bellydance has been a good friend to me. Sometimes it is soft, hypnotic and soothing, like a moving yoga. Sometimes it is fast and fierce, shimmying like a roller coaster. It is always what I need it to be, what I make it to be. I love the ancientness of the movements but I also love the modernness, and the evolution it has gone through in this century, I embrace both versions.

 

Bellydance has taken me on a lovely journey and it is an ongoing trip. I am honored to teach this ancient art to other women.





Zeynep Premdasi Yilmaz, 200-hour Registered Yoga Teacher


Zeynep’s classes are self-exploratory through a gentle yoga practice building the body-mind connection via conscious breathing. She likes to explore self-power, generate self-acceptance and self-compassion in her classes to transform the spirit.

 

Zeynep knew she finally found what she was looking for after her first Yoga class. She has tried different styles and practices in different countries including India and in 2006 she completed the 200 hr Kripalu yoga teacher training. 

 

Zeynep has been practicing, volunteering and teaching Reiki in the Cincinnati area with the goal of empowering individuals to tap into their highest healing potential. Zeynep is the founder of CincinnatiReiki.Ning, a social network that brings the Reiki community together.

 

Zeynep’s motto is love unconditionally, serve selflessly, transform to the highest potential.

 

A native of Istanbul, Turkey, and a long time resident of West Chester; Zeynep has been working for a multi-national consumer goods company for over 20 years.




Jen Schaefer, 200-hour Anusara-Inspired Registered Yoga Teacher


Jen Schaefer is a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT-200). She has practiced and studied Anusara yoga since 2002 and is working toward her Anusara-Inspired status.


Jen began teaching when yoga became such a pivotal part of her life, she couldn’t help but share its physical benefits and heart-opening qualities. She has over 500 hours of study with gifted Anusara teachers including John Friend, Mitchel Bleier, Kenny Graham, Naime Jezzeny, Darren Rhodes, Wendy Anderson and more than 200 hours of Immersion and Teacher Training hours with Sianna Sherman. Jen finds inspiration for her heart-centered teaching through the love of her family, friends and from simple, everyday happenings. 




Donna Lynne Strong Brott, L.Ac., Qi Gong Instructor, Acupuncturist


Donna draws inspiration from each unique individual she meets and takes joy in the diversity of cultures and personalities she encounters. Bubbling enthusiasm and a focus on her gratitude-filled heart, lead her connections with others, respectful of the treasures they bring to her life. Her relaxed, self-effacing style means Donna often hears she is easy to talk to and safe to share confidences with.


Donna first learned Qi Gong from a community volunteer who rode her bike to early dawn lessons around a campfire at the edge of a woods in Price Hill, so it is easy to see how she became enamored by this ancient healing art. She has since had the honor of studying in more conventional Tai Qi and Qi Gong classes with outstanding instructors. One a Kung Fu world champion, another the author of a historical novel about the renowned Qi Gong “Immortals”.


More recently, Donna studied Qi Gong in acquiring her Traditional Chinese Acupuncture degree. She can assist the body in correcting the improper flow of qi that leads to illness and pain with Qi Gong, acupuncture and other aspects of this ancient healing art. She provides therapeutic acupuncture treatments in the healing setting of Grace Tree.


Donna loves being aware of the Qi in her body and her surroundings and has discovered that the best thing about a regular Qi Gong practice is how it makes one feel: full of energy, bright and alert, ready to realize goals and accomplish daily tasks. While studying in Beijing she noticed the best acupuncturists in China conscientiously practice Qi Gong each morning and even found a group of women to practice with in a local Beijing park--a great thrill for her, as is having a group to share Qi Gong with at Grace Tree.




Chris Cox, Yoga Teacher


Chris was first introduced to yoga back in high school, which was merely portrayed as an alternate option for exercise. For a few years, a simple infrequent dabbling from the same workout DVD was the extent of his practice. However, upon moving into the city of Cincinnati, a new light on the practice was ignited. This was where Chris first took a class from a teacher actually in the same room. Not only was this invigorating, but a new curiosity was encouraged. The deeper meanings, and spiritual roots behind the asanas offered a new branch to explore. In 2009, Chris was approached by Anna Ferguson, co-founder of World Peace Yoga, and the conversation of a teacher training was now in motion. In 2010, Chris participated in the 300-hour program through World Peace Yoga. To say the least, an endless diversity of the realms of yoga were then introduced, and eagerly embraced. A new passion had been birthed.

 

For Chris, the idea of yoga has transcended beyond any preconceived notions that were once held. He now sees it permeating every aspect and practice of his life. Not only has yoga deepened his existing love for martial arts and movement art, yoga has simply transformed the way Chris experiences life itself. Every interaction is greeted with opportunity, making them all the more cherished. Even a challenging and seemingly unwelcome situation is now viewed as a potential for a great lesson to be learned. Even though, in such a short period of time, yoga has had such a profound impact on Chris, he is excited to see how it will affect the rest of his life, and would love nothing more than to share it with each person, plant, or animal he meets.

 

Renee A. Groenemann, MA, Director of Growth & Wellness, Licensed Professional Counselor, 500-hour Registered Yoga Teacher, 200-hour Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher, Certified Yoga Therapist, and Certified Hypnotherapist,


Renee’s zest for life, ready smile, and philosophical nature couples with her engineer’s practicality to make the depths of yoga accessible to students from a variety of backgrounds.  Her classes are a fun way to engage with the physical practice of yoga (let’s face it-it just feels good!) as well as making the yoga lifestyle practical in a cell-phone world.

 

Renee’s personal healing journey with yoga started with a basic desire for the stillness of meditation, but when the self-imposed stresses of life as an engineer in a Fortune 50 company started expressing themselves as debilitating physical symptoms, Renee found release through her yoga practice.  The mind/body/spirit connection is powerful when experienced in such a profound and intensely personal way!  Yoga quite simply helped her heal herself and her body.

 

Now a yoga teacher (RYT-500 and ERYT-200, Kripalu certified since 2000), counselor, yoga therapist, hypnotherapist, and lay-environmentalist, Renee’s special interest is helping people re-connect with nature and with their spiritual self to bring forth healing in the emotional and physical bodies.  She continuously finds herself awed by the propensity for wellness in all living things, and by the fact that the path to healing is as unique as each person on it.  Renee’s work is grounded in the idea that we are truly our own best healers, and that powerful tools like yoga and loving presence open us to our own inner wisdom.

 

And if we can smile and have fun on the way, all the better!

 

One of Renee’s current fascinations is with the many ways life imitates the breath—the cycles of meditatively drawing in, simplifying, focusing, and re-evaluating (the energizing inhale) in order to move outward a more centered, authentic and reflective expression of self (the calming exhale).  As she emerges (exhales) back into the workforce after staying at home with her wonderful children (the glorious inhale), she looks forward to sharing her inward journey and to walking alongside others on theirs!  Namaste!





Chara Caruthers, 500-hour Registered Yoga Teacher, Certified Yoga Therapist


Born and raised in Southern California, Chara’s yoga journey began in 1993 when she moved from Los Angeles  California to Melbourne Australia and was introduced to Hatha Yoga by her husband to be. Since then,  Chara has traveled, lived, and worked all over  the world building her experience of life and yoga and deepening her belief in the interconnectedness of all things. She began practicing Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga in 2005 while living in Buenos Aires, Argentina and discovered an immediate connection most notably to the movement and flow of the discipline. In November of 2007 Chara along with her husband and two children made yet another move landing this time in West Chester OH where she continued to explore the practice of yoga and made the decision to pursue a certification to teach. She is a 500 hour registered yoga teacher specializing in Ashtanga  Vinyasa Yoga, with training in pre-natal and children’s yoga and a Certified Yoga Therapist. I believe in yoga’s ability to heal body, mind and spirit, especially if it’s applied and modified properly for the needs of the individual.   In 2010 she launched WanderingLotus  mobile yoga to serve those individuals and communities who find getting to the  studio challenging.


I have seen yoga practiced in many different places and the way in which it transforms people and lives has touched me.   Living a somewhat nomadic lifestyle, I’ve found that structure and stability are often missing. Through the practice of yoga I have developed physical, mental, and spiritual strength and clarity which helps me to stay centered, giving me more to give back.  I am very excited to have the opportunity to share my love of life with others through yoga. I look forward to seeing you in class!





Doug Kreitzer, Certified Yoga Teacher


Doug Kreitzer is a yoga teacher who takes pride in being well rounded. While making time within a busy week for yoga practice and teaching, Doug also very much enjoys writing and recording music, reading, playing soccer, golf or tennis. He has practiced yoga for about four years and has completed the 200 hour teacher training program through World Peace Yoga studio with Anna Ferguson. Doug has a great passion for animals and vegan food preparation and spends a lot of time researching and learning about nutrition as a necessary component to the acceleration of progress along the path of Yoga. A lover of the fruits of meditation and pranayama (breath excercises), Doug has already witnessed yoga heal aches and pains of several students and has found great joy in spreading the knowledge of Yoga.




Katy Stahl, 500-hour registered yoga teacher,  creator of Shanti Mom Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training, Certified Reiki Master


Katy Stahl didn't know what she was signing up for when she registered for her first yoga training and in what a beautiful way her world would change. Her continued dedication is to the students to whom she feels blessed to interact with. Each class is spiritual journey with other spiritual beings each on their own path.

She completed the 300-hour & 500-hour teacher training courses through World Peace Yoga & Motion Studio and is certified with the Yoga Alliance. She has completed a couple of prenatal yoga trainings, most notably The Kalsa Way 60 hour Preganancy Teacher Training under the direction of Gurmukh Kalsa Kaur.  She is trained in Kids Yoga and she also completed a teacher training course with Doug Swenson.  She has had the honor to learn from many other wonderful yogis but her biggest influence has been Anna Ferguson, her teacher training instructor and her wonderful yogini classmates. She recently became a certified Laughter Yoga Leader under the direction of Patrick Murphy Welage. Katy is also a trained professional Doula through the toLabor program as well as a certified Reiki Master.

Her passion for prenatal motivated her to created the Shanti Mom Prenatal Teacher Training program which is a 40 hour certification for registered yoga teachers to specialize in prenatal yoga.  She teaches classes, conducts workshops and trainings in a variety of yoga styles including; prenatal, kids, vinyasa, yin and reiki, prenatal partner, partner, yoga as a business, subtle anatomy & chakras, gentle yoga, meditation and pranayama (breathing). She lives in Burlington, Kentucky with her husband and 3 children plus 2 dogs.



Heather Hewitt, Yoga Teacher


...coming soon...




Mandie Sands, BFA


Mandie Sands grew up on acres of vineyards, orchards, and vegetable gardens. While her siblings spent summer days playing tag, Mandie could usually be found in a violet patch, drawing or writing poetry. Since then, she's gone on to earn a BFA from Miami University, and has spent the last 15 years in advertising and consumer product design as an award-winning art director and copywriter. She has taught creative writing at the college level and has been published in Print, ID, and Real Simple magazines. Still—don't take her too seriously. She is a self-defined word nerd and goes to bookstores on Sundays just to flip the brand-new pages and sniff the print.


"The art of simply putting a pen to paper is therapeutic. Write a love letter to your children. Start a blog to help you remember your everyday joys. List the things you strive for...or better yet, the beloved things you have. Allow your racing mind to pour onto the page, and listen for the stillness that remains. Dig back into your past and tell a story that changed you forever. There are a million ways to look at the written word as a tool for healing, for loving, for exploring our joy."


Mandie lives in Miamisburg, Ohio with the blessings of a healthy family, a great job, and an abundance of laughter. Her favorite things are art, nature, jewelry, and dance parties with her toddler.





Jan Groenemann, MA, wears many hats: artist, author, workshop facilitator, art instructor, Professor of Humanities at Lindenwood University, and  Life Coach.   

 

As an artist she specializes in abstract expressionistic mixed media paintings that evolve from life impressions and experiences.  Groenemann’s work is at once powerful and spiritual and is in private and corporate collections in most of the 50 states as well as Japan, Belgium, and Germany. Jan facilitates workshops on mixed media painting, creativity and personal growth throughout the US. Her book, Through the Inner Eye:  Awakening to the Creative Spirit, was published in 1994 by Islewest Publishing, Dubuque, IA. In addition to numerous awards for her paintings she is also an award winning poet.

 

A Creativity Coach for more than 20 years, Groenemann became a Life Coach in 2008 through The Institute for Life Coach Training. Her coaching focus is in helping clients determine what is or is not working in their lives, designing the life they truly want to live, then guiding them as they make the steps to create the life they want.

 

Jan is listed in “Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers,” has received the Arty Award for individual accomplishments in the arts, The Grumbacher Medallion, and has been featured in numerous magazines: New Thought Journal, American Artist’s Sketchbook, Personal Excellence and Complete Woman.

 

Jan comes to Grace Tree Studios to share her excitement concerning the impact creativity has on personal growth through various workshops that guide participants in tapping into their own creative energies in order to expand, evolve and express themselves into their very best lives.

 

Grace Tree                      Teachers

Grace Tree Features

The Facility & Grounds

  1. Bullet Satsang Greeting Area & Retail

   (Spiritual Gathering of Like Minds)

  1. Bullet Shanti (Peace) Shala - East studio

  2. Bullet Surya (Sun) Shala - West Studio

  3. Bullet Satya (Truth) Shala - Private Studio

  4. Bullet Sadhana (Spiritual Practice) Labyrinth

  5. Bullet Suite available for Sub-lease


Grace Tree Yoga & Growth Studio is a ranch-style home built in 1968 and has been remodeled with eco-friendly materials featuring bamboo flooring throughout most of the facility. Our shala is equipped with entry ramps and restroom accessibility for students with mobility challenges.