beginner yoga Lockport

About Us

 

 

Alena

Alena lives in Lockport NY with her loving husband Jon. You will often see Jon and Alena together as they both share a love of yoga and wellness. This love has helped them launch their business, Living Wellness and Yoga LLC. Alena is an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach and a Registered Yoga Instructor (200 RYT). Alena also has a 100 hour certification in Trauma Sensitive Yoga. Alena grew up playing sports and being active. Both a high school and college athlete, Alena loved all things athletic. After college, running was her go to sport. During this time, Alena became interested in cooking and preparing healthy meals to compliment her active lifestyle. Alena’s interest in cooking inspired her to learn how food nourishes and heals the body.

As Alena got older, she still enjoyed movement, but was looking for more balance in her life. This is when yoga found her. The physical and mental work practiced in yoga allows Alena to see that health is more than physical exercise, but includes many other
aspects that make us whole.

Alena values the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual balance in her own life, and she guides and supports others in their journey to find the same.

Jon

Jon lives in Lockport with his amazing wife, Alena and their two “pet kids” Scout (dog) and Sweetie (cat). He is the Health & Safety Manager at Western New York Energy, a facility in Medina, NY. He is also a Yoga Instructor (including trauma-informed yoga), an Integrative Nutrition Health & Wellness Coach, a Mindfulness Meditation Instructor, and a Reiki II Practitioner. His passion and purpose is to guide and support people on their journey to health, happiness and wellness.

Jon’s journey to health, wellness and yoga started in 2003. After a back injury that he sustained at work, he followed the normal treatment protocol of our medical system (physical therapy, chiropractic care). Those things did help him to heal and get back to work, but unfortunately he re-aggravated the injury in 2004. After healing from the injury again, Jon decided to find something to help prevent the recurring injury and sustain the long term health of his body, instead of getting stuck in the injury/treatment loop. He found yoga. His yoga journey started with videos and short daily routines throughout the day, and they continued to heal and strengthen his body.

In 2009, Jon went to his first live yoga class and an inner fire was lit. Up to this point, yoga was just a physical practice for him. But through the live yoga classes and the wonderful mentorship of the instructor, his yoga practice came full circle – mind, body and spirit.

Yoga was changing Jon, and after 15 years of working in corporate America, he was tired of feeling stuck and unfulfilled. The stresses of his job and the negative work-life balance were causing his diet, exercise, and sleep to suffer, as well as his overall physical and emotional health and well-being. Believing and trusting that there was so much more for him in this life, he left that career to follow his heart and passion.

In 2016, Jon has received his 200-Hour Registered Yoga Teacher Certification. In 2017, he (along with Alena) graduated from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition as a Certified Health & Wellness Coach, furthering his passion to guide and support others. In 2018, he received his 100-Hour Trauma-Sensitive Yoga Certification.

Jon and Alena’s business is Living Wellness and Yoga LLC. They teach yoga at various WNY locations and at the Lockport Family YMCA. They work with clients, groups and businesses to promote health and wellness, as well as having monthly health/wellness/nutrition related workshops at various locations.

“Jon was recommended to me during a time when I was struggling with many aspects of my life. My overall health was in need of improvement, but more specifically, my anxiety was at an all time high. I was able to work with Jon as my health coach to customize my plan to what I truly needed. Jon was motivating without ever being pushy. He learned my strengths, sometimes pointing them out to me in the process, and helped me use them to improve my weaknesses. He recommended plenty of outside sources, such as books (my love of reading being one of my strengths), apps and documentaries, many of which I still use today. We did everything virtually, because I live in a different state and I never once felt as though I missed out on anything because it wasn’t “in person.” He was always quick to respond via text to any of my questions or comments. Now that our sessions are complete, we still keep in touch and he happily answers any questions I may have. I definitely feel as though I have a new friend, not just a coach.”