Maria (Ah) van der Meij 

ERYT500 / Hatha Yoga, Yin Yoga, Qi Gong

My yoga and meditation practice began in 1976, when I first used yoga to alleviate the stiffness and back pain I experienced as a student in Temple University's dance program. I further discovered the therapeutic powers of yoga when I gave birth to my son while living in The Netherlands during the '80s. My daily yoga practice helped me in pregnancy and childbirth, as well as restoring my body.

After moving back to Pennsylvania in 1989, I enrolled in The Meridian Shiatsu Institute to become a certified practitioner. Three years later, I attended the teacher training in 1992 at The Himalayan Institute and began teaching yoga classes. Looking to provide a peaceful environment to share my knowledge with others, I opened Yoga Path, my first studio, in 1998. My yoga program expanded in 2007 when the studio was approved as a registered yoga school, certified by the National Yoga Alliance.

In March 2010, I moved the studio to East Orange Street and renamed it Yoga on Orange. I enjoy the central location of the studio, along with the warmth of the surrounding community, and look forward to playing a positive role in the new neighborhood. My studies continue in daily yoga and meditation classes at the Center of Self-Realization with Peter J. Pranckun, MD.
 

Amy Balestier

RYT200 / Hatha Yoga, Yoga for Runners, Kids Yoga

Amy first began her yoga practice in the mid-'90s, while living in New York City. Over the years, yoga has grown through various stages and challenges in her life, such as offering therapy following a marathon, peace of mind for work-related stress and, more recently, recovery after her pregnancies. It was through the birth of her first daughter that she witnessed how yoga can also benefit babies and young children in many wonderful ways, such as encouraging imagination, body awareness and coordination. Her appreciation for yoga lead her to seek the teaching certification program through Maria in 2008, shortly after her family moved to Lancaster. Although Amy enjoys sharing her knowledge with other adults in the practice of yoga, she finds much inspiration from the preschoolers she teaches in the Tot-Time class.
 

Christine (Chris) Skiles

RYT200 / Hatha Yoga

Prior to practicing yoga, Christine participated in sports that put considerable stress on her joints and muscles. It was during a 350 mile charity bicycle ride that Christine and her husband took their first yoga class. They fell in love with the restorative elements of hatha yoga and immediately went in search of a yoga school. After trying a few studios in Lancaster, they decided on Yoga on Orange. Before long, Christine noticed - and felt - the many benefits that this new practice had on her body. While her career as a hair stylist demands long hours on her feet in uncomfortable positions, yoga has helped to counteract this stress by keeping her body balanced and healthy. Christine decided to finish her yoga teaching training in 2011 and looks forward to sharing with students the physical and spiritual benefits that she has enjoyed.
 

Anastasia (Staci) Papadoplos

RYT200 / Hatha Yoga

Staci began taking yoga at Yoga on Orange (formerly Yoga Path) in 2002 and soon realized that yoga was much more than a physical exercise. The psychological and emotional benefits were immeasurable! In 2007, she immersed into a 200-hour yoga teacher training with Maria, where her yoga practice deepened. She completed the program to become a Registered Yoga Teacher with the National Yoga Alliance and has been teaching since 2007.