Instructors

“I love teaching yoga because I love connecting with people. I love watching my students grow and get stronger with each class.”

Meet Ashley Balfour, a matcha enthusiast turned yogi from Springfield NJ, known for her good vibes, big smile, and killer playlists. Her love for yoga started with her own practice, and the adoption of a yogic and healthy lifestyle has given Ashley an inner sense of peace and self awareness that shaped her into the person she is today. Knowing the mental and physical benefits the practice offered her as a student, Ashley pursued teaching to share the same impact with others and recently completed a training in meditation. Ashley is a true natural at what she does!

“I love teaching hot sculpt for the mind/body connection and efficiency. 45 Minutes to move together to the beat of the music and sculpt the whole body. We always leave feeling stronger and lighter!”

Meet Chelsea, she always has a big smile on her face while teaching you a great class! Growing up with a love for dance, movement has always been a big part of Chelsea’s life. She has been teaching fitness since 2015 and later started her practice as a Health Coach to help others find wellness that is maintainable and realistic. As a former director of barre and sculpt training at a previous studio, Chelsea has so much knowledge and strives to provide a positive and empowering experience for her students. Chelsea is trained in pre/postnatal and recently completed a mat Pilates training. It is important to her to be a student first and continue to learn. Off the mat, she has 2 young kids and loves living nearby in Peapack. Chelsea’s classes are music driven with great beats!

“I love teaching yoga because I love supporting and helping people find their power and their own inner peace. It’s so cool to watch people shift in their movements and in their minds.”

Grace Jepsen is a former division 1 swimmer, a NASM certified personal trainer, is educated in both Exercise Science and Nutrition, and is a mother of 2 from Bernardsville NJ. Her extensive years running her own personal training business led her to yoga, where she learned the invaluable lesson of both/and… grit & grace, effort & ease. Grace recently completed her meridian yoga training and is always open to learning and growing. Grace brings her sense of humor, big heart and great music to every class!

“I love teaching and sharing fitness, which is the grounding, empowering and healthy part of myself that I feel incredibly passionate about.”

Meet Jen Beasley, our sculpt instructor who loves sharing her passion with our community. Jen has taught spin, sculpt, HITT and yoga over the last twenty years, and she is also a former fourth grade teacher in Boston Public Schools. Jen studied English and Political Science and has two Masters degrees. She is a mother of four children, has rescued three cats, and also loves reading and spending time outside with her family. Jen recently completed her mat pilates training and loves to spend time learning and growing. Jen teaches our hot sculpt classes and off the mat, she leads our community book club too. Jen’s classes are full of energy and great remixes!

“I teach yoga because I love people and I love to share the mental and physical benefits of yoga with a like minded community.”

Introducing Julia Cullinan, our Mount Olive NJ native who was born in England, and former pediatric nurse turned yogi! Julia has learned a lot about herself on her own mat, and continues her practice because yoga reminds her to be present and to experience happiness. Julia completed her teacher training with us at Far Hills Yoga & Sculpt. Her classes offer a sweaty, full body challenge with a strong focus on breathing because all the yoga magic happens when we breathe.

“I  love being a part of this wonderful community and helping others to take care of their mind, body and spirit.”

Meet Katrina! The creator of our special Yin and Pin class and also a substitute teacher at our studio!  Katrina is the owner and licensed acupuncturist of Holistic On Point, an Aesthetic Acupuncture and wellness studio in downtown Peapack-Gladstone. She is passionate about inspiring others to improve their overall wellness goals with a holistic mindset; believing that health is an everyday practice and that through the lens of Chinese medicine, achieving balance in all areas of life is how health can be achieved.

“I am so grateful to everyone that I have met while teaching yoga. It makes me really happy to share what I love with people who love it just as much.”

Meet Lindsay Pearce, our animal loving, power teacher from Bedminster NJ. Lindsay started teaching yoga during her final year as a Neurobiology student and swimmer at Drew University, and plans to teach forever! She loves a challenge and her classes reflect that, but Lindsay also believes that your time on your mat belongs to you entirely and encourages you to take anything you need- whether that’s extra push ups or a ten minute savasana. Her classes might seem like all power, but she’s all heart too.

“I love teaching yoga for connection and leadership! Every class is an opportunity to get out of my own way and have the most authentic connections with other humans.”

Meet Michelle Bass, our Midwest gal from Akron, Ohio with over 1,000 training hours that make her the teacher that she is today! Her classes offer a deeply physical and mental experience that help you feel what the human body and mind are truly capable of. Michelle’s goal is to bring you to an edge on your mat where you will grow and be inspired. On her own mat, this practice gives her freedom and vitality and gets her into her body like nothing else.
Yoga has extra special meaning to Michelle because she met her husband Andrew at a yoga studio in NYC! When she isn’t on her mat, she’s playing with her young daughters Phoebe and Josie, or her fur daughter Ruby.

“I love teaching yoga because I love being able to provide a safe space for students to come practice, ground, and release the daily stresses of life. It is also wonderful to be part of the process and see your students grow in their practice.”

Introducing Nancy Mackey, our travel lover from Branchburg NJ! Nancy found yoga back in 2012 as a Kinesiology/ Exercise Science student & track and field athlete at Rutgers to prevent injury and stay in shape during her off-season. She immediately fell in love with the practice and completed her first teacher training in 2015. She is a firm believer in always being a student and has furthered her yoga studies over the years allowing her to develop a signature teaching style of her own that seamlessly blends elements of Vinyasa, Yin, and Mobility training into each class.

“Teaching is a form of meditation for me. Class is where I can give a part of who I am, as I offer my students ways to be one, mind and body!”

Meet Naor, our vinyasa yoga and yin certified instructor from Highland Park NJ, who started doing yoga to connect with himself and his community. His classes focus on challenging our bodies, holding ourselves in power, and being in stillness to explore the deepest parts of ourselves. Off the mat, Naor is a partner in a restoration company specializing in property disaster recovery. He loves to help people during challenging times and that is reflected in the way he teaches with a comforting balance of strength and ease.

“I love to help people get stronger and feel more connected to themselves. A good sculpt class is my therapy in life, and I love to give people the same empowering and freeing feeling that it gives me!”

Meet Nikki Bubniak, our sculpt instructor that loves good alignment and a great burn! Nikki has been teaching dance cardio and sculpt classes for years, and she loves to coach correct form so that movements are safe and felt in the right places. Nikki teaches a high energy class with an upbeat playlist and if you’re lucky, you’ll get her clapping to the beat! During the day, Nikki is a full time nurse and has 2 children in college and an adorable french bulldog. You’ll love Nikki’s warm energy and incredible knowledge!

Alana Albanese began her yoga journey when she fell in love with the good sweat and rinsing out that came with the first hot yoga on the scene, Bikram yoga. After completing a Bikram training and teaching for 10 years alongside being a full time school teacher and mother, she sought out a less structured and more creative practice, and found this in a Vinyasa flow. She teaches a class that is challenging, yet respectful of the various needs and ‘edges’ that we all bring to our yoga mats by offering many modifications as well as variations to go deeper. Being a public school teacher in Summit, NJ for almost two decades, Alana connects well with kids of all ages and teaches preteens, teens, as well as young athlete classes that provides our young yogis the space to explore their body, their flexibility, and their attentional capabilities.

“I love teaching sculpt because it’s my chance to inspire strength, build confidence and connect people.”

Michele Fabbio is a certified Group Exercise Instructor with nearly 20 years of experience. She combines expert knowledge with contagious energy to inspire people to move, get strong, and feel their best. Michele is passionate about building a supportive community that makes every step toward fitness goals as fun as the results.

Outside of the world of fitness, Michele is a graduate of Fordham University and NYU’s Stern School of Business. Michele lives in Basking Ridge with her husband and four kids although summers usually find her on Long Beach Island, balancing between her paddle board and yoga mat.

“I love teaching hot sculpt because it’s not only fun—it’s empowering. It fuels your energy during class and long after. Movement is medicine, and it’s for life!”

Meet Lilly — a born-and-raised Jersey girl with rhythm in her bones and energy that lights up the room! She’s been dancing since the age of three, eventually becoming a Division I dancer before stepping into the fitness world. Over the past six years, she’s taught everything from spin and HIIT to dance cardio and hot sculpt, making every class challenging, uplifting, and fun. When she’s not in the studio, Lilly is a full-time Pre-K Special Education teacher, spreading the same joy and enthusiasm she brings to every workout.
Come ready to sweat, smile, and leave feeling stronger than ever!

“I love seeing the smiling faces of our very special community, it brings me such joy to greet everyone each morning. FHYS holds a special place in my heart, and it’s because of the wonderful people that I get to meet each and every day!”

Meet Debbie Coury, after working as a customer service & purchasing manager in both the chemical and retail industry for over 10 years, she became a stay at home mom after the birth of her first child. When her youngest of 3 children entered middle school she began her fitness journey and started taking Barre, Spin, Yoga and long walks everyday. Debbie is certified in Barre, Yin Yoga and completed her 200 hour yoga teaching training at FHYS. Although certified to teach yoga, Debbie’s true joy is customer service. She loves working at the front desk and talking with all the wonderful people that come into FHYS everyday!

“I love being at FHYS and meeting and greeting likeminded people who share the same love for health and wellness. When we create kindness and compassion for ourselves and each other, our community grows stronger together!”

Meet Anne Marie! Anne Marie has always been interested in staying active and fit, and her passion for yoga started when she was 10 years old. After years of being in the fashion and advertising industry, Anne Marie became a stay at home mom, raised 2 children in Longhill Township and has always tried to inspire her family with a healthy lifestyle. Anne Marie believes in connecting the mind, body and spirit to something bigger and loves to get to know everyone at the studio.

“Coming to FHYS every morning is the best part of my day! I love to get to know this community and their families, everyone’s journey is so special!”

Meet Alexis Jaffray! Alexis is originally from NYC where she worked as an elementary school teacher for over 10 years. Alexis holds a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and Political Science, as well as a master’s degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education. She has traveled extensively throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and the Caribbean and even lived in Greece! After moving to Tewksbury, Alexis became a stay-at-home mom and dedicated her life to raising her family, which included maintaining a healthy diet and exercise. She began her fitness journey with at home weight training, HIIT training, Pilates and then completed her 200 hour yoga teacher training at our studio. Alexis currently works as a business administrator in Bernardsville and loves to be behind the desk at FHYS!

“FHPY is truly a special place! I am so grateful to be a part of it whether practicing yoga, being challenged in sculpt class or greeting my fellow fitness friends at the front desk.”

Mary Ellen joins us after 35+ years in the restaurant business as the former owner of Wicker Basket Deli in Mendham  She is enjoying a new chapter in her life now and can be found at the front desk with us on Sunday mornings, as well  as working at a local Women’s clothing boutique, or volunteering at the VNA of Morristown. Mary Ellen loves to meet new clients and welcome them to our community!