About us
Mission
The Mission of YogaChelan is to promote the health benefits of yoga and to make yoga accessible to able bodies. YogaChelan encourages and shares the practice of yoga as a practice for daily life.
We are passionate about our mission. Sharing yoga in an inclusive fashion with encouragement, understanding, comfort and fun. Helping our students understand that we are all built differently, we see things differently, we feel things differently, and that is wonderful. Encouraging our students to be accepting and grateful for our bodies and how they move in this moment.
YogaChelan is more that just a yoga studio. From the beginning of our small business we have believed that it was important to be Involved, Support, and Give Back to the Community.
Angela Jacobs, RYT200
Know your teacher!
Angela’s credentials:
- Studio owner since 2021
- RYT200 (Registered Yoga Teacher 2019)
- Wellness Life Coach
- Masters Candidate for Mental Health Counseling
- Masters Business Administration
- Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry
- Bachelor of Science Cell and Molecular Biology
Angela began practicing yoga in 1998 with the 8 limbs Ashtanga Yoga style. In 2015, she completed 150hr Hatha Yoga training on Koh Phangan Island in Thailand and studied over 100hrs of Iyengar Yoga with Richard Schachtel at the Seattle Yoga Studio. In 2019, she completed the Yoga Alliance certification RYT200 with Lynda Kennedy at the Yogachelan Studio.
“I took on the YogaChelan Studio at the end of 2021 after the passing of the former owner Lynda Kennedy. I intend to carry on her legacy to the best of my abilities.” – Angela
In Angela’s free time, she is a dedicated mother who can be found rollerskating around the Riverwalk Park in the gorgeous Lake Chelan summers.
Alfred Toth, RYT200
Know your teacher!
Alfred’s story:
I am a yoga teacher with over 2600 hours of teaching experience. I began practicing yoga in 2000 and started teaching in 2003. I taught for 5 years in San Diego, CA at the Aztec Recreation Center, San Diego State University. Additionally, working as an Outdoor Wilderness Guide at SDSU, I led Yoga/Rock-climbing Retreats to Joshua Tree National Park for 4 years.
Then I moved to South America and for the next 5 years I taught at my own studio in Cusco, Peru. I then moved to Mexico where I lived for 7 years. In Mexico I taught Vinyasa yoga five days a week at Esencia Yoga Spa. In December 2020 I moved to Chelan WA. where I live today.I studied at the Iyengar Center of La Mesa, CA and received my 200 hour yoga teacher training from Kathy Lee Kappmeier, founder of YogaWell in San Diego, CA. I regularly attend yoga conferences in the USA, and have studied with both B.K.S. Iyengar and Sri. K. Pattabhi Jois. I teach more of a Vinyasa style, while integrating details from the Iyengar tradition, but really I teach to the students I have in the class at that moment.
I am a self described Renaissance Man. A Master Gardener, Yoga Teacher, and Vegetarian/Vegan Chef.
Former owner and legacy of Yogachelan:
Lynda Kennedy, E-RYT200, RYT500, YACEP, RYS
Lynda began Yogachelan in 2008 and taught thousands of students in her career. She taught her first class for a Parks and Recreation Department as part of a fitness program in 1974. Lynda worked in the corporate world for UPS as an Operations Manager and Human Resources Employment Manager where she was fortunate to gain experience in running a business. As she left the corporate world and moved to a smaller community, disseminating the teachings of yoga presented to her in full force. That small community was Lake Chelan, a population of 4000, home to about 40 wineries, a beautiful blue 50 mile long lake in north central Washington that is one of Washington’s amazing playgrounds.
Lynda was passionate about making yoga accessible to everyone, improving quality of life and sharing the health benefits of yoga. She was an alignment and functional movement geek with a BS in Kinesiology. Many students came to her for pre and post operative yoga for their preparation or recovery from surgery on knees, hips, shoulders, etc.
Her primary focus was the aging population, specializing on the movements that improve quality of life as we age. Giving back to her community was important, volunteering with the Wellness Place, Assisted Living, and other seva projects that had need. Though Yogachelan, she donated to local projects like the Food Bank, Fire Recovery, local schools, and community. Yogachelan was selected as Best New Business for 2008 by the Chamber of Commerce and Best Business 2010-11 by the International Soroptimists of Chelan.
Loving the outdoors, Lynda was always ready for a yoga pose with nature or meditation in a beautiful natural setting. She hiked, snowshoed, played golf, gardened, and enjoyed paddle board yoga as well as taking long solitary walks in nature. Lynda was given the spiritual name, Sat Dharam Kaur, which means the Princess/Lioness of God who fearlessly treads the path of truth and righteousness. She is survived by the thousands of students whom she taught, the teachers she guided, the spiritual group of yogis with whom she worked, and her dedicated husband, Chris Kennedy.
These were a few of her accomplishments:
- Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology (science of human movement)
- Bachelor of Science Clinical Psychology
- 2 yrs Nursing
- 500RYT (Registered Yoga Teacher)
- 200E-RYT (Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher Yoga Alliance)
- RYS – Registered Yoga School
- Yogachelan Yoga Teacher Training School Director RYS
- YACEP (Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider)
- YogaFit Yoga Anatomy certification
- YogaFit Plus certification
- Specializes in Functional Movement and Alignment
- 1000’s of hours of teaching
Rest In Peace Lynda, Namaste and have a rock on day.
Sue Pettit, RN, BSN, RYT500
“The natural healing force within each one of us is the greatest force in getting well” – Hippocrates.
Credentials:
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing
- RYT 200
- RYT 500
- Assistant Director Yogachelans RYS
- FMS certified Trainer
- ISSA personal Trainer (previous)
- Restorative Yoga Teacher 25 hour RYT
- Whole Plant-Based nutrition certification
Sue is a registered nurse who has been practicing for 23 years. She is amazed and humbled by how the human body can heal itself.
After 18 years of nursing, Sue took a break for 14 months to be home with her teenage children and become an exercise trainer. At the time, Sue was involved in Masters Synchronized and Speed swimming. She and her Synchro duet partner won 3rd place at the FINA World Masters event in Montreal in 2014.
During the intense training for the FINA World Masters, and while being a personal trainer, she came to realize helping people help themselves is what truly gives her joy.
Sue is certified as a TRX trainer, Functional Movement Systems (FMS) trainer and recently was certified by the T.Collin Campbell E-Cornell University in Whole Plant-Based nutrition.
Sue is currently working toward her RYT 500.
Sue is currently working as an RN and works at a local health clinic.
She looks forward to the joy that training others gives her, and she is eager to step back into the role of trainer to help be the catalyst to others on their journey.
