Our Teachers
Mary Angela Buffo is the owner/director of Ananda Yoga & Wellness Center in Southampton N.Y. She thoroughly enjoys both teaching classes to groups and working privately with individuals. She offers workshops based on the Law of Attraction, Chakra balancing and more, as well as and retreats around the world.
Mary has studied with many teachers (Angela Farmer, Todd Norian, John Friend, Eric Schiffman)and continues to learn every day. She is a Certified Hatha Yoga teacher through Todd Norian, Kripalu yoga teacher, Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapist and an ordained minister.
For 12 years Mary worked as a mental health counselor for those dealing with addiction issues. She currently offers Spiritual Counseling that incoorporates the principles of the Law of Attraction and the mind/body healing componenets of yoga.
Her classes are physical with a challenging vinyasa flow while staying conscious of the emotional and mental experiences. She has a loving approach to her teachings, creating a safe environment for all students. Her intention is to bring people back to their bodies so that they can empower their lives. Mary Angela has been studying and practicing yoga and meditation for over 15 years.
Contact Mary directly for private sessions in Yoga or Spiritual Counseling at (516) 702-2921.
Padma Patricia Borrego has been a yoga teacher and bodyworker for more than 15 yrs. Her interest is therapeutic yoga and massage and uses the elements of alignment as a way to find integration and healing.
Marcia Tumpowsky has been involved in the 'Healing Arts' for ever 30 years. She is a Certified (500 hour) Professional Kripalu Yoga Teacher. She is certified in Restorative Yoga and Pregnancy Yoga. She is a NYS Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Healing Touch Practitioner, a Polarity Practitioner and has recently been certified in Positional Release Therapy. YOGA ON THE BEACH in Sag Harbor N.Y. was started in the summer of 2000. She has been teaching meditation since 1988, privately and in group settings. She combines all of her teachings in her classes and her bodywork.
Leslie Pearlman’s relationship with yoga began over 25 years ago when she stumbled upon her mother doing yoga in her nightgown on her bedroom floor. Leslie was hooked immediately. She used to tag along with her mother to her weekly yoga class and experienced her first yoga retreat at age 12. Leslie continued to practice yoga and in February 2000 decided to teach and study yoga full-time. Leslie completed her first Teacher Training in 2000 (Sivananda). In 2002 Leslie had the great fortune of meeting Ana Forrest, who has become her most influential teacher. Leslie has completed both the Forrest Yoga Teacher Training and Advanced Forrest Yoga Training and is honored to be a Senior Assistant to Ana Forrest. Leslie also has over 15 years experience as a fitness and movement instructor.
Prior to teaching yoga full-time, Leslie was an attorney at Brooklyn Legal Services where she provided legal assistance to domestic violence survivors. It was through this work that Leslie saw first hand the power of healing the spirit. After studying Forrest Yoga Leslie was able to take the knowledge of her many worlds and to help people apply that to fulfilling their lives. Leslie encourages her students to go deeper and to go explore the myriad benefits of yoga.
Michele Sacconaghi
Michele’s yoga practice has spanned
nearly 25 years, carrying her through Peace Corps service, a corporate
career, and two pregnancies. She feels that her personal yoga practice
has given her perspective and balance that has helped her stay
physically and spiritually aware even through difficult times. Michele
initially decided to become a certified Vinyasa teacher to deepen her
own practice but left the training feeling compelled to share her
passion with others. Michele’s classes typically combine a challenging
sequence of flowing postures that emphasize breathing and mind/body
awareness. She is inspired by the many teachers who have helped to
strengthen her practice but even more from the students she feels
privileged to teach. Michele hopes that her students will awaken their
bodies, minds and spirits on the mat and be able to harness this
positive energy to find balance in their day-to-day lives.
Isabelle Cote-Cohen began practicing yoga as a way to divert the stress of operating her restaurant. Her love of yoga blossomed to a point where she decided to pursue certification so she could share the greatness that yoga brings to the body, mind and spirit.
Isabelle became a certified Kripalu teacher in 2001 and has since earned her 500-hour Professional Level certification. She also earned additional yoga teacher training certificates in Prenatal and Pregnancy, Children's Yoga as well as Thai Yoga Bodywork.
Isabelle’s classes integrate influences from many different yoga traditions. She especially takes great inspiration from her background as a dancer as well as her vinyasa studies with Shiva Rea. With all of her training Isabelle has captured the true essence of yoga and brings power, exuberance, caring and love to her classes.
Tracey Palmer
Tracey’s yoga teaching foundation is built on a 500-hour training in
the Kripalu tradition, which she received in 2007, and a 10 year yoga
practice, throughout which she has shared yoga with some of the most
well-known and respected teachers in the field, as well as the
little-known super warriors who are her true inspiration. She is also
a Nationally Certified Massage Therapist and about to get her NY State
License for Massage Therapy. Her classes reflect her belief that a
yoga practice is the cradle of the transformational journey, which is
Life, and is deeply personal and sacred. And also that yoga should
feel really good.
Becky Rosko
Becky made a connection to Yoga over 10 years ago. Finding a balance in her life through the journey, she recently decided to share that passion through teaching and received her 200 RYT training in Vinyasa Flow. Inspired by all of her teachers, she truly has an eclectic mix in her teaching style. Becky is a lifelong student, with an education in Photography and Interior Design; she brings a creative energy to her classes which are fun & relaxed as well as paced and challenging. She believes that the change in her life started from within and hopes to spread that through teaching.
Phone: 631-204-1219 Email: