our instructors
we only employee instructors who have your best interest in mind and are thoroughly qualified to safely and effectively guide you through your practices. we are not only teachers, we are forever students....learning and relearning and adapting our methods when new research shows the "way things used to be" might not be the best way anymore.
brandy kelley
founder, studio owner, yoga and pilates instructor
having had taught for several years at another studio nearby, only to find out that it'd be closing, brandy knew deep in her heart that she had an obligation to the students she worked with to find a way to keep them moving. without a question, shakti- our creative, intuitive, motivating force, our personal power, and our ability to move and change, sparked a fire in brandy which led her to establish her aptly named studio in early 2019. shakti is a place for you to explore ways of moving that are time tested, challenging, yet supportive and sustainable for life. brandy began practicing yoga around 2010 and was 200 hour certified in 2014 from sangha center for yoga and wellness. she has taught so many hours and continued her training that yoga alliance accredited her with the "expert" title. brandy also completed her 450+ hour comprehensive pilates training in 2019 from lates pilates in fox chapel. she uses not only her extensive training, but also her vast experience to offer you highly personalized, intentional, and quality instruction. she believes that the offerings and instructors here will definitely set a spark off within you too! come and be moved
raylene napora
pilates instructor
my professional debut happened by chance at the butler county family ymca. i was only taking aerobic classes for a short while before I was on the schedule and filling my own classes. one thing led to another and before long, i was an 18 year old entrepreneur and founder of “‘round the clock aerobics.” this evolved into a 40 year career and has expanded to include a wide spectrum of group class styles! post pandemic i took my practice to the next level.
with the help of some incredible instructors and mentors, i am now a 500 hour comprehensively and classically certified pilates instructor. helping to lift others on their personal journey only feeds my spirit and pushes me even farther. join me in your own private session or a group class and let’s see how’s far we can soar!
matthew duggan
yoga instructor
slow and steady. useful advice for races and your practice. although he received his 200 hr. training in a power yoga program, matthew takes a more deliberate approach to his practice. find the pose, settle in, hold it. nothing too flashy, just tried and tested asanas to help you discover a whole new level of your practice.
kathy gary
personal trainer
hi! my name is kathy gary and I'm excited to bring strength training to shakti. after recieving my personal training certification from american council of exercise in 2019, i began facilitating groups and working one on one with women to make strength trainging less intimidating and more fun. my goal is to make every workout something you look forward to and have you leave class feeling stronger and more confident!
kelsey clark
yoga instructor
kelsey began practicing yoga in 2010. yoga quickly evolved into her favorite part of everyday and that eventually led her to complete teacher trainings in 2012 (200-ryt) and 2022 (500-ryt) with a little over 1,000 hours of teaching during that decade. in the years between then and now, kelsey’s practice has evolved to mirror the pace of her life and has led to other movement and spiritual modalities including barre, reiki, crystal energy, past life hypnosis and spirit guide connection, oracle card readings, and most recently, eft tapping. these practices provide kelsey with the steadiness and grounded connection she savors as a taurus sun, virgo moon, and libra rising. students can expect a melange of modalities to be used when attending class with kelsey with the ultimate goal being that students leave their practice as “the greatest knower of themselves,”-lauren frontiera.
our substitute instructors
nicole skarbek
yoga instructor, personal trainer
nicole has a lot of titles under belt. she is a certified vinyasa yoga instructor as well as a working personal trainer for the past 20 years (certified through issa). she also teaches zumba/dance fitness. she loves bootcamp and cycling (both mountain biking and road riding) and anything having to do with the outdoors. yoga is her saving grace and she loves inversions and arm balances.
sherry marentay
yoga instructor
sherry marentay is a licensed clinical social worker. she has provided mental health counseling to individuals and couples for over 20 years. sherry found yoga for herself and has been practicing for over 10 years. it was through her own practice that she found the benefits of Yoga on a mental, physical and emotional level. she decided that this was something that she would like to offer the people that she works with in counseling as well and further her own practice. In 2021 she attended and completed her 200 hour certification training at one point one in pittsburgh. her classes involve mindful movement and breath work activating the effects of the practice on our emotional and mental well-being. she creates a safe space for individuals to find themselves and be present in the here and now.