Our Teachers
Silvana Zangone Stein
Silvana has been practicing Iyengar Yoga since 1987 and teaching since 1993. She is certified at the Introductory Level since 2003. She began her training with Mary Dunn in New York and studies regularly with Patricia Walden in Cambridge MA, Gabriella Giubilaro in Italy and at the Iyengar Yoga Institute of New York. In 2000 she went to Pune, India and studied directly with the Iyengar Family.
Silvana was born and raised in Italy and holds a BA from La Sapienza University in Rome. Her American education is from Empire State College where she earned an Associates Degree in Languages.
Silvana had the first of her 2 sons in 1980 and continued to work in the corporate world until 2003. She has been a resident of Stamford CT since 1988. Silvana came to yoga as an alternative to back surgery and soon learned to manage back pain with skills applied from yoga. Her passion is to share her knowledge of yoga to help those suffering from a variety of physical and psychological conditions. She received Mind/Body training from both Herbert Benson of Harvard Medical School and The Connecticut Mind/Body Institute. She volunteers at the local Multiple Sclerosis Society and The Attention Deficit Disorder Association. She also teaches classes for the general public.
Yoga has become a part of her everyday life and offers ways to cope with stress, child rearing and health concerns as well as maintain a general sense of well being.
Her advice to new students is “Come with an open mind and heart and the rest will follow.”
Iyengar Certified: Introductory
Email: ygaspce@aol.com; Phone: 203-253-3261
Cathy Eising
Cathy has practiced yoga since 1980 and taught since 1995. Her primary influence has been Mary Dunn and she studies regularly with Joan White, Patricia Walden and Carrie Owerko.
After earning a Masters degree in Social Work, Cathy practiced psychotherapy before shifting to yoga. This transition was an organic response to a longing for the physical dimension to be in her work. Because the practice and discipline of yoga sharpen one's awareness, it helps to place attention on what matters most in life. The practice evolves with the student and provides a template to explore inner states that allow both a greater connection to being and freedom to experience life.
Cathy's advice to new students: "Show up, pay attention and be truthful with yourself and with your teacher. Yoga is a great equalizer and each of us confronts challenges and finds places of ease. The joy is in learning together and from each other."
Iyengar Certified: Jr. Intermediate Level 1
Email: bigwings@optonline.net; Phone: 914-763-0183
Leslie Dillingham Freyberg
Leslie began studying Yoga in the Iyengar tradition in 1990. She received her certification as an Iyengar Yoga Instructor in 1998. In October 2000 Leslie traveled to India to study with the Iyengar family in Pune. Her primary teacher was Mary Dunn and she continues regular studies with Patricia Walden in Cambridge and at the Iyengar Yoga Institute of New York.
Previous to her discovery of Yoga, Leslie was a professional modern dancer and choreographer for twenty years. She then completed an intensive course of study with the Laban Institute of Movement Studies, earning her the title of Certified Movement Analyst, which she applied to her teaching of movement in the field of dance therapy. Her professional liaisons with choreographer Jean Erdman and Joseph Campbell, the renowned mythologist, sparked her interest in the sacred arts of India.
As her study of Yoga progressed, Leslie went on to incorporate the study of Sanskrit into her Yoga practice. She began her studies with Vyaas Houston, the director of the American Sanskrit Institute where Leslie is now a Certified Sanskrit Teacher. Leslie has also studied with John Campbell, Manorama, Dr. Edwin Bryant, and most recently with Dr. Ram Sharma. In addition to teaching at Yoga Space, Leslie serves on the faculties of the Iyengar Yoga Institute in NYC and Patricia Walden's Teacher Training Program in Cambridge, MA. She teaches ongoing classes in Redding, where she lives with her husband, Tony and Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Charlotte.
What Leslie enjoys most about teaching Yoga and Sanskrit is the continuous discovery of the richness of both, and how the process of study provides an opportunity for people to find true joy in nurturing the body, mind and spirit.
Iyengar Certified: Jr. Intermediate Level 1
Email: lesliefrey@aol.com; Phone: 203-938-9445