Meet The Nirvana Yoga & Fitness Staff
Elissa Lappostato-CUELLAR
founder, teacher & WEllness CounseloR
Elissa Cuellar began her wellness journey in 2002 after a traumatic accident drastically changed her life. Elissa was a collegiate soccer player and graduated with a BS in Biology & Neuroscience from Rutgers University. She found yoga and nutrition at 18 in order to deal with her crippling anxiety from recurring head trauma and food allergies. She became 200 hour certified in yoga at the age of 20 through Yogafit and started teaching for Rutgers. She was planning on attending medical school but she decided to instead study Ayurveda, Thai bodywork, nutrition, and energy healing. She believes that the best teachers are students, so she is constantly taking classes and trainings. She is not only trained in ayurveda, thai bodywork, and energy healing but she is also certified in yoga for addiction through Y12SR. In 2012 she left her corporate job managing a restaurant and opened Nirvana Wellness Center. She truly believes if one aligns the body and gives it what it needs, it will heal itself. If we train not only our bodies but also our minds, we think clearer and react more mindfully. In 2019, Elissa partnered with two like-minded friends and launched Planted Eats, a health cafe. She works with executive chef Jeff Hoernlein to create healthy recipes and customize meal plans for those who want to shift to a plant based lifestyle and improve their health. She recently completed a counseling and plant based nutrition program at Cornell University. She offers plant based lifestyle counseling with a focus on Ayurveda through the cafe and Nirvana Wellness Center. She also teaches yoga & fitness classes for the center.
"By training the breath and disciplining the mind, we get stronger, calmer, and can overcome anything." -Elissa
nicole lardieri
Director of Nirvana's school of yoga
Nicole, E-RYT 200/YACEP, is the Director of Nirvana’s School of Yoga. She has been teaching hot yoga and leading 200-hour trainings since 2014. She is the founder of The SoulFire Method®, a 30-hour power yoga fusion teacher training now offered at Nirvana’s Montville and Wayne locations. Nicole’s teaching principles stem from her combined background in Biology as well as her deep study of Ashtanga and Vinyasa methods. Nicole specializes in the anatomy of the human body and the journey to bring the body into balance. She encourages trainees to explore, understand and master the art of alignment and Functional Range Conditioning (FRC®), which utilizes the latest advancements in scientific knowledge, combined with tried and tested training methods to increase ones active, usable ranges of motion by simultaneously improving articular mobility, strength/resilience, and neurological control. Nicole will help you discover the connection between the human body and our energetic system to create balance both physically and emotionally.
Sheryl Heller
Co-Owner, Teacher
Sheryl, E-RYT 200, has been practicing yoga since 2006. She feels yoga has transformed her life. Previously a gym rat, she feels yoga offers the same benefits of a gym, but also provides the benefits of the yogic breath. Through the breath she has discovered the mind body connection and what that truly means. This has allowed her to take yoga off the mat and into her everyday life. Her dream as a yoga teacher is to help people understand the amazing benefits which yoga provides. “When the mind connects to the breath the body has unlimited capabilities.”
Danielle Spinelli
Teacher
Danielle, E-RYT 200, had heard for many years that “she would really enjoy practicing yoga.” After many empty promises to try it, she finally gave in. With a little push from dear friend (and owner of Nirvana) Elissa had given her a yoga pass for her birthday, the two set off to a local hot yoga studio at 5:45 the next morning. Seventy-five minutes later, dripping with sweat, nearly forgetting to breathe, and face-planting out of bakasana (crow pose), Danielle’s addiction began. Using yoga as her safe haven from school and a stressful career in law enforcement. Danielle has learned to take lessons learned on the mat and live them in every aspect of her life. Her favorite mantra is “Inhale let, exhale go.”
Arnaldo Ortiz
Teacher
Arnaldo, E-RYT 200, is one of Nirvana's very own Yoga Alliance 200 RYT teacher training graduates. Arnaldo began his journey to yoga through a love of physical fitness. He’s spent the last 5 years exploring and developing his practice both on his mat and in his life, and continues to do so in hopes of sharing that practice with others. Arnaldo teaches an open-level, challenging, powerful practice with dynamic vinyasa flows, drawing awareness to the breath and focus to the mind. Arnaldo is certified in Vedic Thai bodywork.
CARRIE KILMER
teacher
Carrie, RYT 200, began her yoga journey in 2009; in 2017 she completed her 200-hour teacher training with Raji Thron at Yoga Synthesis in Ramsey, New Jersey. Carrie, is a mother of 3, and leads a busy life as a full-time corporate executive in Manhattan. She is a dedicated yoga practitioner and personally commits to practicing 6-7 days a week. She continues to attend workshops, and regularly studies with various teachers. Carrie’s dynamic teaching style incorporates different teaching methodologies from various yoga lineages. Her breath–focused, Vinyasa classes are thoughtfully prepared, using intelligent sequencing, and creative transitions. She places a strong emphasis on tuning into the healing and inspiring nature of practicing within a community setting. Carrie brings an authentic and passionate voice to each class as she guides her students through a journey of inward reflection & self-discovery.
Jeanine StacharczyK
teacher
Jeanine, RTY 200, has been practicing yoga for over 15 years. She first tried yoga as a way to get moving, shed some weight, and make her doctor happy. What she found was that it made her happy and that is what she truly needed. Yoga has helped her to be more mindful, grow stronger, more flexible, confident and peaceful. She completed her RYT 200 teacher training at The American Yoga Academy. She continues to pursue education and certifications in yoga, health, wellness and the healing arts. This provides her with fresh knowledge that inspires her teaching. Jeanine is a Ayruveda Specialist and does Vedic Thia Bodywork. She is forever grateful for the wisdom all of her teachers have shared with her. Her love of anatomy and physiology with breathing techniques, alignment, balanced energy and relaxation are what make up her classes. Jeanine wants everyone to know that yoga is for every body.
"I teach because it makes me a better student, I study because it makes me a better teacher. I hope to see you on the mat."
"I teach because it makes me a better student, I study because it makes me a better teacher. I hope to see you on the mat."
Courtney Kruse
teacher
Courtney, E-RYT 200, has always lead a very active lifestyle and is always on the go and being pulled in many directions. After practicing yoga for 5+ years as way to calm her mind and body, she decided to become a yoga instructor herself. Courtney teaches creative, strengthening, yet calming Vinyasa style. When not in the studio, you can find Courtney outside running, biking, swimming, kayaking, anything to enjoy the outdoors. She also participated in her first triathlon last year and will be adding to her list of accomplishments this year with half marathons and more triathlons.
Jackie RENTO
teacher
Jackie, RYT 200, is one of Nirvana’s very own Yoga Alliance 200 RYT teacher training graduates. Her yoga journey began in the Fall of 2012 at the same time she was enrolled through the Institute of Integrative, as she was training to become a certified health coach. While in school, she had included on her “bucket list” to give yoga a try. Jackie’s first yoga class was at Nirvana with Elissa, the owner of the studio. She was immediately hooked! She transitioned from most days working out at a gym to replacing her fitness workouts with her daily yoga practice. In time she grew to appreciate way more than the physical asanas and learned that yoga offered a mind body connection that she had never experienced before. Jackie teaches a challenging and creative vinyasa flow class. She believes in a holistic approach to life and feels that everyone can benefit by introducing yoga into theirs.
Nicole lupo
teacher
Nicole E-RYT200, is one of Nirvana's very own teacher training graduates from 2015. She studied communication disorders at Stockton University. She teaches a powerful vinyasa flow that focuses on breath and alignment.
matthew dwyer
teacher
Matthew, E-RYT 200, found himself in his first yoga class sometime in 2008, and didn’t take his second until years later. It was not love at first sight. It was not romantic. It was uncomfortable, hard, and confusing. And it wasn’t until Matthew was ready that he was able to dedicate himself to both the outer and inner yoga. Knowing this, he is super keen on meeting students where they are making his classes filled with humor while still blending in the deeper teachings of yoga. He teaches a strong alignment based vinyasa inspired by his teachers Amy Petty and Noah Maze which whom he completed his RYT 200 with. Matthew has done extensive inner yoga training with David Harshada Wagner, has completed thousands of hours of study, and leads trainings under Adriana Rizzolo’s school, Power of Love.
tiffany curren
reiki master
Tiffany Curren is a Certified Breathwork Facilitator, Advanced Reiki Practitioner and RYT 200, with an additional certification in Yoga Nidra. Her path began with an unlikely, divine moment at the young age of 5, at an ashram in Connecticut. She was quietly walking when she happened to be stopped by Swami Satchidananda, who lifted her up over his head, smiled, and gave her a new name, Shakti Prema. She holds safe space for people to dive deep and look within, heal core wounds, and live with purpose.