Our Story

We are a yoga community, on and off the mat, bringing body, mind, and heart into harmony!

Yoga From The Heart was created by the realization that yoga heals! Yoga builds strength and balance, reduces stress and cultivates mindfulness. Yoga creates community, friendships and opportunities for your health and wellness. YFTH believes everyone should experience these benefits.”

Experiencing first hand the life changing gifts of yoga, Diane Couture embarked on a journey to bring those gifts to others by opening Yoga From the Heart in 2018 in West Hartford Center.

A Studio flood in 2021 journeyed us “over the mountain” to our beautiful sunlit space in Avon Village! Owned and managed by Diane and filled with instructors who teach from their authentic journeys, YFTH is a community based studio for health and wellness, offering a range of classes designed for every BODY and every JOURNEY. If you like an athletic approach to yoga, try our heated power vinyasa classes.

Just beginning your yoga journey, our gentle and all levels flow classes will meet you where you are. And when you need a moment to restore, meditate and deeply stretch, our restorative and yin classes are awaiting you. Using a combination of asanas, heat, music, candlelight, and aromatherapy the “flow” of every class will allow you to explore your edge and get in touch with your heart and soul.

Our Teachers

We are YOGA for everyBODY

Diane Couture

Cara Files

Jessica Olewnik

Wendy Haller

Lisa Lazarus

Marni Schiffres

Dana Perlmutter

JoAnn M. Eicher

Jenna D’Onofrio

Brittany Gauthier

  • Yoga first touched the heart, mind and body of Diane in 2001. At this time she relocated from NYC to spend time with her niece battling a terminal illness. Searching for a way to bring peace into her life and those around her, she quickly discovered the healing benefits of yoga. Her personal well being was fueled by over 20 years practicing on her mat, but the realization that “yoga can heal” body, mind and spirit, emerged during her trainings, at the time of great loss in her life. She found her practice deepened her connection to compassion, allowing space to give more to family and others.

    Diane has been influenced by a wide range of yoga styles including Ashtanga, Forrest, Baptiste and Yin. She has studied with many national teachers including Seane Corn, Sarah Powers, Cyndi Lee, Kevin Courtney and Ana Forrest. She is a certified RYT 200 in WHY Power Yoga and Ana Forrest Advanced Teacher Training, as well as CPR certified.

    Diane’s classes focus on utilizing the breath, as a tool, to go deeper into the body and mind. She emphasizes safe alignment and accessibility to all from Gentle to vigorous Power. Diane’s hands-on approach utilizes both her intuition and her open heart.

    Diane’s other loves of life include her family and friends, her tiny Maltese, Layla, paddle boarding with her husband and spending as much time in nature as possible!

    “When I’m on my mat, there is a complete balance of mind, body and spirit, for which I would love to share with others.”

  • Brittany was first introduced to yoga in 2004, and after practicing for the next seventeen years, she felt inspired to take her practice to the next level by becoming an instructor. She is a recent 200 hour YTT graduate, and completed her training at Sanctuary Power Yoga in Canton/Torrington.

    Brittany is a graduate of Springfield College with a major in dance. She went on to teach modern dance courses for the young women of Ethel Walker School for the next decade. With a passion for movement and a strong, versatile background in dance; she creates classes designed to focus on alignment and strength building. Brittany brings her enthusiasm for yoga and her love for moving meditation awareness to her classes; particularly in vinyasa flows. Her hands-on assists and use of aromatherapy will heighten your experience.

  • photo by Phyllis Meredith Photography

    Cara is a Certified Yoga teacher under the tutelage of West Hartford Yoga’s Barbara Ruzansky and Nykki Poole. She graduated from WHY’s 200-hour Yoga Alliance teacher training in 2015 and has been teaching ever since. Her yoga journey began over 10 years ago… “I started yoga as another form of exercise after training in the martial arts for many years. I found it to be a good fit with my dance background and attention to proper form, but mostly, I found peace of mind on my mat, a sense of inner peace I haven’t found anywhere else.” Cara has used her yoga practice to heal injury, to strengthen and tone her body, and to develop a deeper sense of body awareness. As a teacher, she knows that bodies come in all different sizes, fitness levels, and degrees of flexibility. Her teaching style allows students to modify the poses based on their individual needs, always focusing on breath and self-awareness. In addition to the physical benefits of a regular practice, yoga has offered Cara a sense of community that she intends to share with her students. “Those who practice yoga regularly understand yoga, we are a tribe. It makes me so happy to see the same people coming back to my class so we can grow and learn together!” In her class you will experience a powerful Vinyasa flow. Warming up with slow mindful movements connected with breath, and flowing into powerful, strengthening standing asanas. The goal of Cara’s class if for her students to leave feeling strong, open hearted and clear-minded. When she’s not practicing or teaching yoga, Cara is raising her two active kids, working two part-time jobs, going to school to get certified as a medical assistant and generally trying to enjoy life. She’s a self-proclaimed “work-in-progress” who is always looking for new opportunities, ways to improve her life and develop her spirituality!

  • Initially Dana was drawn to yoga as a form of exercise. For many years her physical practice helped her stay in shape, including during and after her two pregnancies. Over time Dana has come to appreciate not only what breath and movement do for her body but more importantly what they do for the mind and spirit. Being on the mat allows her to be free from all the noise in her life. It helps her create space to better love herself and those around her.

    “Yoga has truly opened my heart and mind and I am excited to keep growing and learning on this amazing journey. My goal as a yoga teacher is to lead a strong yet accessible class while providing each student a safe space for self-exploration and growth.”

    200hr LivFree Power Yoga Certified, Chair Yoga Certified, and Warrior Kids Yoga Certified

  • Jenna kicked off her yoga journey over three years ago, after making a few major lifestyle changes. By developing a regular practice, yoga has offered her the space to connect internally, tap into her intuition and focus more on personal happiness. With this new perspective, Jenna aspires to share it with others. She completed her 200 hour WHY Teacher Training at West Hartford Yoga and her Yin Teacher Training with Liza Dousson.

    Jenna is always deepening her own practice by experiencing other yoga styles and techniques. Jenna’s classes focus on being mindful with every movement connected to the breath, as you flow through class at your own pace. She strives to provide yoga to students of all levels and encourages students to test their edges. Jenna is a new proud Mom of Nella and in her spare time, also enjoys painting, baking “healthy” treats and participating in as many outdoor events as possible!

  • Seeking calm in a season of life challenges, grief and burnout, Jessica stepped onto a yoga mat for the first time in 2008. The yoga practice became a safe nurturing space which helped quiet her mind, build self-compassion and tap into her strength both physically and mentally. A student at heart, she continues to learn and relies on yoga and mindfulness practices to stay centered through all the things this crazy beautiful life brings.

    With a calm presence and playful creative sequencing, she offers a class that is empowering and grounding. She guides students to experience the practice one pose, one breath at a time and provides modifications and adjustments to make the practice accessible for all students.

    Through movement, breathwork, and mindfulness, her hope for every student is to encourage peace in their thoughts, kindness in their words, and joy in their hearts. When not on her mat, Jessica enjoys spending time with her family, being outdoors, knitting and sewing.

    Trainings & Certifications

    300 hour Advanced Teacher Training, Jason Crandell Yoga Method 2021

    200 hour Yoga Teacher Training, West Hartford Yoga 2018

    Yoga & Mindfulness for Children, Advanced Concepts, Childlight Yoga 2019

    Yoga & Mindfulness for Tweens and Teens, Childlight Yoga 2019

    Yoga & Mindfulness for Children, Childlight Yoga 2018

  • JoAnn attended her first yoga class in 2002 and hasn’t looked back. As she began to feel and understand the benefits of a yoga practice she was curious to explore further. In 2015 JoAnn graduated from Journey of Yoga’s 200 Yoga Teacher Training under the guidance of Maggie Durbas. After teaching for 6 years JoAnn was eager to dive deeper into the practice. Having participated in several workshops with international teacher Amy Ippoliti, JoAnn studied and completed a 300 hour Yoga Teacher Training with Amy and the Vesselify School of Yoga to become a 500 RYT, registered with the Yoga Alliance.

    JoAnn brings to her classes a blend of yoga styles with a focus on alignment, movement with breath and mindfulness as a path to whole body health. She is eager to share her practice and share the lifelong benefits of yoga. See you on the mat!

  • Wendy has been teaching yoga for the past 5 years. She specializes in Restorative and Vinyasa styles. Her classes are known for their calming and supportive atmospheres. Wendy is a 500-hr. RYT, Reiki Master, Thai Yoga Massage Therapist, and an EFT/Tapping Practitioner. Her passion is to guide others, in their yogic journey, to better spiritual, physical, and mental health.

  • Lisa is a certified Yoga Alliance 200-HR Yoga Teacher. She was trained at The Yoga Shop in West Hartford, CT.

    Lisa believes that through meditation and mindful movement we learn to create space in our minds and in our bodies, thereby freeing ourselves of limiting mindsets and behaviors. As a yoga teacher, Lisa enjoys incorporating mobility drills and pilates in her class with a strong emphasis in alignment to ensure your safety and growth in your personal practice. Lisa is also a Transpersonal Coach, certified through The Naughty Shaman Dharma School in Glastonbury, CT.

  • Check your ego at the door. This is Marni’s mantra. Yoga isn’t about how fast, how strong, or how flexible you are. It’s about the practice. Your practice. Known for her kind and gentle demeanor, Marni strives to make her students, regardless of experience level, comfortable and confident on their mats.

    Marni found yoga when she was searching for a way to manage her own stress and anxiety. She was amazed by yoga’s ability to invoke transformation and balance to her life. Yoga’s effect on her life was so profound that she wanted to give others what she had received from her yoga experience – healing, peace of mind, and strength. This led her on the teacher’s path in 2011. She is a graduate of West Hartford Yoga’s 200 hour Power Yoga Teacher Training and completed her YinYoga teacher certification under Liza Dousson in 2020.

    Marni strives to lead a class that encourages students of all levels and yoga backgrounds to feel supported while developing their own personal practice. Her classes are designed to awaken the power of breath and the inner stillness that follows mind–body connection. Marni holds a special place for new students, older adults, and individuals living with injuries. Often, these individuals are discouraged by yoga and feel it’s not for them. Marni has a way of helping these individuals find the way with modified poses that work for their bodies and stages of life.

    Off the mat, Marni is a well-known jewelry designer in central Connecticut, enjoys music, hiking, beach days, and just about anything nature has to offer.

Our Community

YFTH was founded by one woman who came to her mat, in need of healing, and discovered the “gifts” of yoga. Our mission is to share those “gifts” with as many others as possible!

Like so many of you, when we care for & love ourselves, our hearts open wide to care for & love others.... our community!

We thank all of you for supporting our missions, in giving back to The Heartfelt Yoga Scholarship Fund, Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, Foodshare, My Sisters’ Place, House of Bread, Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, and Sub Edge Farm.

If you have a mission, that needs love, please forward info for our consideration

November’s Food Drive for FOODSHARE

Let’s stock the shelves for CT Foodshare all November, beginning Nov. 1 - 30. All non-perishables accepted! We thank you!

Connecticut Foodshare supports individuals and families in CT by addressing root causes, creating long-term solutions, and distributing nutritious food through local partner programs in an effort to alleviate hunger.

The Heartfelt Yoga Scholarship Fund

We believe everyone should experience the benefits of yoga!

Join us to help remove financial obstacles, making yoga accessible and equitable to our community. Thank you for making a donation or participating in one of our donation based classes! 100% of your donations will support sponsored Memberships and Workshops / Events.