About Yogafit: The Team

Dr. Daniel Bressler is a Harvard-trained Board Certified Internal Medicine Specialist who has been practicing medicine in San Diego for 27 years. His private practice blends mainstream medicine with nutritional, alternative and complementary approaches. He teaches residents and medical students, lectures locally and nationally, and is an Associate Clinical Professor at UC San Diego School of Medicine. He is a practitioner of Yoga and an enthusiastic advocate of its broad therapeutic effects on body, mind and spirit.

Dr. Lone Thanning is a Board Certified Anatomic and Forensic Pathologist. She is also Board Certified in Forensic Examination and Forensic Medicine. She holds 3 Fellowships, College of American Pathologists, (CAP), Life Fellow of the American College of Forensic Examiners, (ACFE), and Life Fellow of the International Society of Police Surgeons, (ISPS). She has published and lectured both nationally and internationally; including for the Trial Lawyers' Association and as Distinguished Lecturer of Law at the Jacob D. Fuchsberg School of Law. As President and Founder of Forensic Medical Consulting of N.Y., P.C., established 1988; Dr. Thanning is a renowned Medico-Legal Litigation Consultant in numerous States and in the New York Metropolitan area, where she has participated in record setting verdicts as a preferred Expert Witness.

Lorene Hiris teaches courses in managerial finance, investments, and international financial markets. She teaches both on campus and at the corporate headquarters of university affiliated MBA programs. She is a recipient of the Newton Award for Teaching Excellence, the highest award LIU bestows for teaching. She has also served as Chair of the Department of Finance. Professor Hiris is regularly invited to offer seminars at the Vienna University of Business and Economics on business cycles and international finance. Her research affiliation as Senior Research Scholar is with the Economic Cycle Research Institute (ECRI) where she has often contributed to their publications, U.S. Cyclical Outlook and International Cyclical Outlook. Her articles have been published in the International Journal of Forecasting, International Review of Financial Analysis, and in Research Strategies and as book chapters and conference proceedings. She has co-authored papers analyzing how ethics-related issues are addressed in CEO letters to shareholders. Dr. Hiris is the author of Above the Board: How Ethical CEOs Create Honest Corporations, co-authored with Patrizia Porrini and Gina Poncini. Her areas of specialty include Business Cycles, Leading Indicators, International Financial Markets, and business ethics.

With more than 25 years of experience in extensive operations, sales and marketing for fitness- and consumer-based companies, Scott Goudeseune oversees all aspects of operations for the American Council on Exercise (ACE) and provides extensive leadership and direction for all of the organization's business activities. Goudeseune continuously updates methods and procedures developed specifically for ACE and its wide network of professionals in order to leverage the latest technologies, health and fitness training as well as educational offerings to promote positive organizational growth. In addition, he has spearheaded ACE's effort to firmly establish and enhance an influential, powerful and unified political voice for the fitness industry as a whole. Prior to joining ACE, Goudeseune was the vice president of U.S. sales for Reebok/CCS Fitness in Aurora, Colo., where he was responsible for commercial and specialty retail sales of Reebok's fitness equipment line totaling $18 million annually.

Heidi has been involved in the health and wellness industry for over 15 years. She has her BA in Kinesiology and Sports Medicine and Masters in Education from the University of Wisconsin EAU Claire. As a Licensed Athletic Trainer, Heidi currently serves as a lecturer at the University of Wisconsin Steven's Point. She is also a group exercise instructor with the American Council on Exercise and a Registered Yoga Therapist 200 with Yoga Alliance. Yoga has provided Heidi with a sense of peace and balance to her own life, and given her the opportunity to share yoga with others so that they too can experience personal transformation. She firmly believes that whether you are an elite athlete, senior or child - yoga empowers all people in all walks of life to optimize their own health and well-being.

Henry Petersen is an Associate Professor at Marshall Goldsmith School of Management, Alliant International University where he researches, teaches and consults in the areas of strategic management and sustainable development. His expertise stems from his scholastic record as well as having experience as a business owner/operator and consultant. His recent publication with H. Vredenburg in the Journal Corporate Governance, won the '2010 Highly Commended Award' from the Emerald Literati Network. Dr. Petersen has a Ph.D. in Strategy, and Sustainable Development, a Master of Science in Energy and Environmental Management and a Bachelor of Science in Cellular, Molecular, and Microbial Biology (CMMBI) and Zoology.

Shonna has a B.A. in Exercise Physiology, Sports Science and Nutrition, and a M.A. in Counseling Psychology. She is certified by the American Council on Exercise (ACE), the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), the Aquatics Exercise Association (AEA) and is a member of the American Counselors Association (AEA). She has been teaching group exercise and personal training for over 18 years, has been a YogaFit trained yoga instructor for ten years and has lectured extensively on wellness related topics all over the U.S. In addition, Shonna currently maintains a private counseling practice. Shonna's simple, focused and effective approach to incorporate wellbeing into everyday life, has helped hundreds of clients improve the quality of their life, break free from emotional disease and attain lifelong health and wellness goals.

As a distinguished astrologer with many accolades both from America and his native India, Chakrapani brings a depth of insights gained from 50 years of experiences working with thousands of clients. His intuitive grasp of the energies indicated by the planets in the horoscope have resulted in a reputation for profound and remarkable readings. His unique perception combined with his signature gentle humor and kind manners have earned him the trust and affection of a broad roster of high-profile clients.

Internationally experienced media professional, print and broadcast journalist. Articles for The Wall Street Journal Europe, The International Herald Tribune, The New York Post, The New York Observer, Cottage Living Magazine and many other publications. Her Broadcast experience includes segments for ABC-TV Prime Time Live, Washington Post/Newsweek syndicate, The Tribune Company. She is the author of a number of non-fiction books. Her Pro Bono work includes The Harlem After School Reading Project, Gala Committee for Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Founder of the Woman's Spirit of Adventure Awards, Big Brother Big Sister Volunteer events. Board member The Talleyrand in Paris France and Advisory Board of Forum-21 a global conference about Civil Society

Eric Durak is the President of Medical Health & Fitness in Santa Barbara, California. He is one of the nation's leading clinical Exercise Physiologists and Health Educators - logging thousands of hours in health and fitness training, body work, and rehabilitation. Eric has 25 years of educational instruction at the college level, and over 150 national /international conference presentations. Eric has served as a consultant to many top CEU agencies in the health and fitness profession. He is also the Director of the Cancer Wellness and Exercise Medicine CEU programs. Eric is the author of 24 books relating to health care, fitness and wellness. He has published scientific articles in medical journals such as - Diabetes Care, The International Journal of Sports Medicine, Journal of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and the Journal of Perinatology.

Brandy has been in the fitness industry for over 11 years. She has owned three exercise studios during that time focusing on yoga, pilates, gyrotonic, hoop dance and spinning. She began her training with Yogafit in 2006 while living in CO. She earned her BS in Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management from VA Tech in 1992 and sought a BS in Nursing from University of Hawaii. Brandy is currently working on her 500 RYT focusing on Therapeutic Yoga through YogaFit.

Joan VanderSchaaf is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor who maintains her psychotherapy private practice and yoga studio in the Orlando area. Joan works with individuals, couples and groups, specializing in chronic mental illness, mood and adjustment disorders, as well as career counseling. While continuing to teach diverse groups, her current focus is teaching yoga to the chronically mentally ill population. Her passion for empowering others is also evident as a second year doctoral student, pursuing Counselor Education and Supervision. As a Certified Myers-Briggs practitioner, Joan integrates personality-type theory in her counseling, training workshops and group work.

Stephanie Shorter, PhD, is passionate about promoting yoga as a foundation for wellness, personal transformation and profound social change. As the Program Director for YogaFit's Yoga Therapy Program, she is guiding the 500+ hour expansion of the therapeutic curriculum to meet and exceed the newly established educational and accreditation standards for Yoga Therapy. She is also the creator of YogaFit's Yoga for the Brain training. Originally trained in behavioral neuroscience and cortical electrophysiology, Stephanie was a research associate professor at Vanderbilt University and published studies about visual perception, attention and motor control before shifting her research focus to yoga research in 2007. She has worked with the Kripalu Center's Institute for Extraordinary Living yoga research group. Active with several yoga outreach organizations, including serving as the Board Vice President for Community Yoga Austin, Stephanie is also the Assistant Editor of Kosmos Journal, a UN-affiliated publication about social transformation.