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address : 3316 Atlantic Ave, Ste. 301 Virginia Beach, VA 23451
email : info@oceanfrontyoga.com
phone : (757)233-8000
| All of our instructors at Oceanftont Fitness & Yoga have had intensive Yoga training and are qualified to teach beginner to advanced classes. We honor the class and the students who are present. | |
| Owners & Instructors | |
| The Owners of Oceanfront Fitness & Yoga, Connie Weisberg and Melanie Mochel, met each other while taking Yoga in the min 90s. They both became yoga students together at the International Yoga Institute, where they developed a strong bond during their intensive training. Their friendship continued to develop as they worked together in the original Yoga program at Wareing's Gym. The vision and creation of Oceanfront Fitness & Yoga is the result of their passion for wellness and giving the community a place to practice and grow. | |
| Connie Weisberg started in the body/mind business during the 80's as an owner of the first successful fitness business at the oceanfront of Virginia Beach. She holds a BS in Education from East Carolina University and taught school for 12 years before giving up her teaching career in the school system to become a full time fitness teacher. Working as the Director of Fitness and Yoga at Wareing's Gym for 17 years, Connie not only built an extraordinary fitness program with over 50 classes weekly but also launched a successful yoga program called "The Yoga Room" still in existence today. Connie Weisberg’s true joy is teaching others and sharing her skills to make yoga a blissful experience for all she encounters. |
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| Connie earned her senior certification in Zen Raja yoga in 2001; however, she considers herself an a devoted student of Anusara. A devotee of Desiree Rumbaugh, a senior Anusara yoga teacher, Connie believes Anusara changed her life as well as her teaching style. Connie earned many continuing education hours in Anusara yoga and attended many International Conventions and weekend seminars with various masters of yoga including Rodney Yee, Christy Brock, Beryl Bender Birch, Adil Pakavala, Eric Shiffman, Patricia Walden, Mary Dunn, Richard Freeman, Shiva Rea, David Life, Kate Miller, Choudhury Bikram, Jimmy Barkin and others. In 2005, she had the ultimate experience of meeting a true lifetime Master of yoga, Tao Porchon Lynch, whose love and guidance further inspired her teaching style and development as a yogini. | |
| Connie also earned her Pre-Natal Yoga Certification in 2005 from Janice Clarfield, of Urban Yoga in Vancouver, Canada. She has successfully guided many women through the birthing process using the breath work of yoga.
Other certifications include: Bachelor of Science,Education, East Carolina University; Yoga Teacher, International Yoga Institute, Raja emphasis; Personal Trainer, American College of Sports Medicine; Health Fitness Instructor Certification, Old Dominion University; Fitness Instructor, AFFA; Pre-Natal Yoga Teacher Certification, Urban Yoga; Continuing Education Guidance-Desiree Rumbaugh & Tao Porchon Lynch; and Registered Yoga Teacher,Yoga Alliance. |
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| Melanie Mochel and her husband moved from northern Wisconsin in 1997. Preferring the warmer weather of the beach, they settled here to raise their two daughters. In 1998, Melanie began her yoga journey and quickly became a yoga aficionado. Encouraged by her teacher, Christy Brock, she began earning her certification in "Raja" (Zen) from The International Yoga Institute in 2001. As a senior instructor of Raja, she continues to learn other styles of yoga through workshops and self study. Although Melanie is a very accomplished teacher of all levels and many styles, she is most known for her gentle approach to yoga. Helping others discover their path in yoga is what gives her the greatest joy as a teacher. | |
| Yoga & Fitness Instructors | |
| Elizabeth Kocan earned her yoga teaching certification (200 level) from Oceanfront Fitness and Yoga in 2010. She is deeply grateful to her incredible teachers, Connie Weisberg and Melanie Mochel, for passing on their knowledge of yoga as well as for their guidance and support. Elizabeth is the owner of Sunny Skies Yoga, which offers programs to children ages 4-11 in a variety of settings. She holds a Master’s degree in counseling psychology, and worked as an elementary guidance counselor for four years in Chesapeake. After becoming a mother to two amazing children, Elizabeth was inspired by the remarkable impact that yoga had in the lives of children. Her goal became to create a yoga program for children that focused on the development of the whole child. During her classes, Elizabeth strives to increase her student’s self-awareness, build their self-confidence, enhance their mind/body connection as well as encourage them to find balance in their lives. |
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| Becky Winter began her path to yoga, inspired by her life long journey of exploring the abilities of her mind and body thru sports-some of them competitive. She has studied and taught yoga locally for over 10 years at Wareings Gym, local yoga studios, executive offices, and privately at her own yoga space. Inspired by many teachers along the way locally including Christy Brock and Angela Phillips. Some teachers were more traveled such as Rodney Yee, Erich Schiffman, Beryl Bender Birch, Desiree Rumbaugh. Her most present teachers, her own yoga practice, gardening, her devoted dog companions (Sandy & Lola), her parents (Terry & Dorothy), her husband (Jeff), her son (Wes), and her many life friends and all in her family and most notable her day to day experiences - these are her greatest teachers. The yoga wisdom she has been most connected to in her practice and her teaching is the basic - bare essence of each yoga pose, as reflected in the graceful architecture of yoga and it's unique expression thru each person. Teaching the building blocks of a basic yoga practice to create a strong and viable foundation enabling each person to learn to guide themselves thru life's challenges mentally and physically. |
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| Kristin Klein Yoga found Kristin Klein in a rainforest down in Costa Rica and she has been practicing ever since. With the encouragement of her teachers, Connie Weisberg and Melanie Mochel, she completed the 200 hour teacher training at Oceanfront Yoga and enjoys having the opportunity to teach in such a beautiful space. She brings compassion, enthusiasm, and a lighthearted nature to her teaching. Her wish is to help people find their ability to heal and empower themselves through yoga. Kristin is also a state and nationally certified massage therapist, haven taken her 600 hour training at Hawaii Healing Arts College in Kailua, Oahu. Her modalities include Swedish, Lomi-Lomi, prenatal, oncology, hot stone, deep tissue, and joint release techniques. Kristin is grateful to be able to help others heal and rejuvenate through yoga and massage therapy. |
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| Lenka Burge moved from the Czech Republic to the United States in November 1999. She got married, went to college and graduated with a BS in Math and Econ with honors. Then she found a great office job with good pay, health insurance and all kinds of benefits. She did her best to stay awake at the computer from 9 to 5, Monday thru Friday. However, something was missing... you may know the feeling... Lenka met Hot Yoga in March 2006. It was clear it would be a lasting union for life. Since then yoga makes her sweat every day! Yoga makes Lenka eat well, sleep well, calms her mind, and brings peace to her heart. Practicing Yoga led to a healthier, well balanced lifestyle with an overall sense of well being and inner peace. Naturally, Lenka became Certified Hot Yoga teacher in December 2008. While teaching, she is motivated from her own experience to guide others to all that yoga has to offer - happiness, health and inner peace. Yoga is a bold influence in Lenka's life and she wishes to share the positive energy yoga has brought into her life, with her heart extended to all! Lenka's advise for yoga practice: practice with compassion to yourself - listen to your body to learn where it hurts - and instead of forcing yourself deeper into it - take a slow breath in - slow breath out - relax and enjoy the moment exactly where you are - healing begins here - NAMASTE |
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| Chris Kemp started his teacher training in 1989 at Old Dominion University, and graduated in 1995 with a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts, Sculpture, English, and Education. He’s been self-employed teaching music full time since 1998. In 2004, one of his students, Ngoc Nguyen, opened a yoga studio and persuaded Chris to join. Since then he has logged 750 hours of intensive yoga teacher training, and has certificates for 200 and 500 hours from the International Yoga Institute in Raja (Zen) training. He has also attended trainings with Dharma Mittra, Doug Swenson, and Desiree Rumbaugh. |
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