Our Teachers

Julie Brown

RYT500

Ruth Pipitone

RYT500

Tara Pagotto

Certified Barre Instructor

Rebecca Kameroski

RYT200

Laura Kanavy

RYT200

  • Laura Bevlock Kanavy, MSN, RN has a B.S. in Nursing from the University of

    Scranton and a M.S. in Nursing Education from Saint Joseph’s College of Maine.

    She has recently retired from many enjoyable years in nursing and nursing education. Her proudest acheivement (aside from her three children) is completion of 200hr RYTfrom the Academy at Yoga West.

    Laura was initially drawn to yoga for the health benefits but soon discovered the mind centering and stress reduction aspects of practicing are essential to a balanced life. She proudly shares these beliefs and techniques with family, friends and yoga students with intent to experience peace, joy and gratitude.

Kailey Mellen

Certified Yin Yoga Instructor

Kelly Evans

E-RYT500

  • Kailey was first introduced to yoga as teen over a decade ago. She stumbled upon a class in a local studio with her aunt and has been practicing ever since.. The physical asana practice drew her in but she soon discovered the many health benefits of the practice, including helping to focus and reducing anxiety.

    Kailey is a certified Yin Yoga Teacher, completing her training with author and YinYoga.com creator, Bernie Clark. She also recently began studying under the instruction of her aunt, Kelly Evans at Yoga West, where she is working towards her 200-hour yoga teacher certification.

    Kailey is a Licensed Esthetician and feels passionate about working with her clients to help them feel and look amazing. In her free time she loves to travel, read, and spend time with friends.

    Kailey strives to create a safe and comfortable environment in her classes. And although she feels she will aways be a student, she is excited to share her knowledge and guidance as a teacher at Yoga West studio and as part of the Yoga West "Yoga in School" team.

  • Kelly is the founder and director of Yoga West. As a teacher Kelly encourages self-acceptance while helping her students strive to reach their personal best. Her conviction that yoga can spark health and fulfillment is at the heart of her teaching.

    She started her teaching journey in a weekend Yoga Fit training and quickly moved on to a 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training receiving a certification from Always at Aum.

    Over the years Kelly completed the Alanna Kaivalya 500 Hour YTT in addition to the Himalyan Institute 300 Hour YTT.

    She eventually fell in love Yin Yoga and completed Bernie Clarks 50 Hour Yin YTT.

    Being pasionate about teaching children, Kelly became a RCYT (Registered Children Yoga Teacher) specializing in Trauma Informed Yoga for Children.

    She is also a certified Ayurvedic Yoga Specialist. Her AYS training was facilitated by Kathyrn Templeton through Yoga International.

    Kelly spent the summer of 2023 at Miami Life Center doing an Intensive 200 hour Immersion of Ashtanga Yoga with Kino MacGregor and Tim Feldmann.

    She is currently enrolled in a Yoga Therapy Program with the intention to become a Pediatric Yoga Therapist.

    Her classes can be physically challenging, but accessible. She is caring, insightful, and edgy as she leads each class with a sense of humility and playfulness.

  • Ruth has always done some form of exercise, aerobics, Zumba, cycling and whatever the phase was at any given time and began to feel the effects of the pressure on her body. After doing yoga on and off with DVD’s at home a friend took her to a real yoga class and there she found the beauty in yoga and how it made her feel. After receiving a Level One YogaFit certificate, it peaked her interest even more and she went on to complete her 500 yoga teacher training with Always-at-Aum Yoga School. She fell in love with restorative yoga and received her Relax and Renew Trainer Certification from Judith Hanson Lasater. Ruth has a passion to continue growing and developing herself

    in yoga education because it’s a “lifetime practice”.

    She enrolled in the Yoga Vista Academy based in Vista, CA, which specializes in teaching Gentle, Chair and Wheelchair yoga. She invested her time taking many online courses to enhance her knowledge of teaching to the aging population. Ruth feels that age doesn’t have to be a limitation. We all have limitations at any age. Our yoga practice changes with those phases of life. Ruth says “As my body has changed withage, I value the phrase, we teach what we need to learn.”

    Ruth Pipitone is deeply grateful for the teachers and students who have inspired her along the way. As she thrives to keep students safe, she teaches to who is in the room and encourages students to do only what they can do, not what they can’t do and not push beyond their limits.

    Ruth is now teaching chair yoga to enhance the lives of others. Since she and her husband are both retired they will be traveling more to Arizona and Virginia to spend time with their grandchildren. She enjoys reading and learning all she can about yoga for healthy aging. Spending time with her sisters is always on her list of fun things to do.

  • Julie Brown started her yoga journey after spending many years as a group fitness instructor. Realizing that her inner body needed strengthening too, she began focusing on her own personal practice and that’s when the magic happened. The spirituality, the connection of breath and the movement, came full circle and she was hooked. She received her 200 hour RYT certification, and today Julie is a 500 hour RYT with Yoga Alliance.

    Julie uses her knowledge of both fitness and yoga to create a class that can be challenging for the physical body, yet very thoughtful and balanced to help you connect your heart, your mind and soul. What we learn about ourselves and cultivate on the mat we carry out into the world.

    As part of the Yoga West family, she teaches children yoga at a local school and enjoys watching the kids learn and practice.

    Her free time is spent at home with her family, Tony and her dogs Tia and Grizz. She enjoys being outside in the sunshine, taking walks and gardening. She loves to cook and try new recipes, and volunteer at the local animal shelter.

  • Becky, a retired teacher and grandma who loves to hike with her Golden reiriever, Willie Brown, and make pottery, is proud to be part of the Yoga West family and is looking forward to continue to grow as a human being with such a powerful group of Yogis.

    Born and raised in Cincinnati, Becky studied music at the Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati as a clarinet major. While there, she also continued to study ballet in an apprenticeship program with the Cincinnati Ballet Company, met James Truitte from Alvin Ailey, and discovered the exciting and creative world of modern dance. After a few years, so enthralled with modern dance, she changed her major to dance and transferred to Ohio State University to study modern and creative movement.

  • Tara has been dancing since the age of 3 starting with Mr. Jimmy Sutton and Mr. Alexi Ramov. She continued dancing tap, jazz, and classical ballet with Miss Lisa Becker Padula at Northeast Theatre Dance Academy (NTDA) then teaching at NTDA for 4 years. Her strong dance foundation allowed her to dance as an adult in Philadelphia in several productions of The Nutcracker with Valley Forge Dance Theater and other holiday and spring performances in the Philadelphia area.

    Tara hung up her pointe shoes once she started her family of four kids; Nicholas, Alex, Natalie, and Aaron with her husband, John but always ALWAYS kept dancing alive in her heart.

    Tara’s love for swing dancing blossomed into her business, Swingin’ in NEPA bringing east coast swing and Lindy hop to northeast PA with live band events, workshops, and classes from 2017 to present.

    She’s certified in Zen Barre, teaching at Steamtown Hot Yoga and Barre (SHY) in Scranton and hosting other classes in the area. She is currently studying for her 200 hour yoga teacher certification through The Himilayan Institute. Tara also teaches school aged yoga and mindfulness through Yoga West’s school based yoga program.

    Tara’s other love is her 28 years as a clinical Audiologist. She has her doctorate in Audiology and is currently working at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Meg Duffy

Certified Restorative Instructor

  • Meg Duffy is a woman with a diverse and inspiring background. As an elementary school principal, she has dedicated her career to fostering a positive and nurturing learning environment for young minds. Beyond the educational realm, Meg is a talented artist, expressing creativity through various mediums. Her artistic pursuits serve as a personal outlet for self-expression and a means to inspire others to explore their own creative potential.

    Adding another dimension to her multi-faceted life, Meg is a certified restorative yoga teacher. Passionate about wellness, she incorporates restorative yoga principles into her own life and shares this practice with others. Through gentle and therapeutic yoga sessions, she will guide individuals in experiencing relaxation, stress relief, and a deeper connection to their bodies.

    Driven by a profound interest in the field, Meg is currently immersed in doctoral research focused on co-regulation. This academic pursuit reflects her dedication to understanding and implementing effective strategies for promoting emotional well-being.

    Meg seamlessly weaves her role as an elementary principal, artist, and restorative yoga teacher, embodying a holistic approach to life and learning.