Find your Bliss Within...
Our Teachers
The instructors at Willow Tree Yoga are highly trained and certified yoga teachers, registered with National Yoga Alliance. All of our teachers are able to teach to all levels of students, including children, seniors and women who are in any stage of pregnancy. They are all skilled at making adjustments and modifications as needed, in order to ensure the utmost safety of everyone in their class.
Beatrice B. Mattaway
Beatrice, E-RYT 500, YACEP, is the founder and owner of Willow Tree Yoga. She received her 200 and 500 hour Yoga Alliance certification through Yoga Mountain in New City and is a certified Breast Cancer Recovery & Beyond yoga teacher. Beatrice took her first yoga class and began meditating when she was 6 years old, living in Japan.
She spent two years living in an ashram in India, where she practiced yoga, meditation and chanting daily. Beatrice encourages her students to deeply experience the poses by taking time to see how the mind and the body responds to the work done in class.
Her classes are always fun and relaxed, allowing her students, from advanced to absolute beginners, to feel totally welcomed and safe to explore yoga in a very personal way. Class intensity varies depending on the experience & ability level of students in any given class.
Emma O'Connell
RYT-200, Emma has been practicing yoga for over 20 years and most recently decided to fulfill her passion and become a certified Yoga teacher.
​
When she began her journey with yoga teacher training, Emma's mindset was to strengthen her body and learn to teach yoga. She quickly realized it was that, and so much more. It taught her how to reach deep and learn about herself starting from the inside. She discovered that strengthening her soul and her inner self is more important than anything else and it helped her in every area of her life. This vital discovery helps Emma inspire others to do the same
​
Her approach to yoga remains focused on the balance between strength and flexibility. Her classes are Hatha Inspired Vinyasa Flow. You can expect modifications throughout as she is trained to teach all levels. Be ready to move with your breath and experience a full body release.
James Sklar
James, E-RYT 200, YACEP, received his yoga teacher training from YogaWorks, NYC, in 2008. James has a unique method of teaching, having an extensive athletic background. Bringing a mindful approach, his style is built on form and foundation, helping students understand proper alignment in poses, with assists during practice. James has taught people of all levels and enjoys discovering where attention is needed, be it building balance, strength, or a sense of calm.
Jenny Papo
Jenny, RYT 200, began practicing Yoga in 2018, after completing a Beginners Yoga course at the Sivananda Vedanta Center in NYC. She has since completed her first 200-Hr Certification with Lila Flow in 2020 and a 25-Hr Yoga and Social Justice Training with Shanna Small in 2021. Driven by her passion for anatomy and functional movement, Jenny also completed her first Pilates Mat certification in 2021.
​
Jenny has found joy and peace through her yoga practice, and she wants to provide that experience for her students. Jenny's classes are creative and lighthearted, with the mission of creating a safe space for her students to find comfort within their own bodies and minds.
Meredith LeJeune
RYT-200, Meredith says: "Yoga was my last resort. Anxiety and stress was eating away at me. When I was practicing yoga, I was able to connect with God and reconnect with myself. I wanted to share that feeling with the world, so I became a certified yoga instructor.
I enjoy teaching a free-loving vinyasa flow. I received my 200 hour YA certification from the Jamie Surya Yoga Studio in Sparkill, NY. I am inspired by my teacher, Jamie Surya, as well as other rock stars in the industry, including Faith Hunter and Jessamyn Stanley."