Christian Reitz

Owner / Teacher

Chris, a Hunterdon County native, has spent the past decade teaching Yoga in NYC and NJ. After owning Backbone Yoga in Clinton, NJ for six years, his challenging and balanced Vinyasa and Ashtanga Yoga classes have now come to High Bridge! Chris received his teaching certification (500 hrs) from Guta Hedewig of the Yoga School of New York in the Krishnamacharya Tradition. He holds black belts in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and TaeKwonDo, and teaches at Impact Martial Arts in Clinton.

“I enjoy drawing parallels between the physicality and philosophy of yoga and martial arts in order to give the student a perspective on ancient practices that are meant to make us sharp, sane, sturdy, and sympathetic for our entire life.”

Morgan Adams

Owner / Teacher / Maker

Morgan is excited to give back to her small town with everything that Haven Healing Collective has to offer. She has been practicing and teaching yoga full time for nearly a decade. Her practice is rooted in vinyasa and ashtanga, while she’s branched out to study anatomy and the inner workings of the human body. She believes that Myofascial Release is yoga’s best friend, and loves bringing this practice of ease and accessibility into peoples’ lives. Morgan is a 500hr Certified Therapeutic Specialist through Yoga Medicine. In addition to yoga, she created Solitude Sparrow as a creative outlet for making jewelry & macrame. 

“I believe in the body’s innate capacity for healing and it’s my hope that through individualized therapeutic modalities & exploration on the mat, that my students will too. When we build a relationship with our body, we begin to trust our own experience. From there, our thoughts & emotions will follow and we may view life through a new lens.”

Nicole Lukas

Teacher

Nicole is a graduate of Haven Healing Collective’s 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training and has a deep passion for teaching Yin, Slow-flow, Restorative, and Heated Vinyasa classes! With an additional 50 Hour certification in Creative Sequencing + Movement, she loves to help others drop into their practice to relax, soften, and tune into their mind, body, and spirit. Nicole is additionally certified in Reiki, a Japanese form of energy healing that promotes relaxation, reduces stress, and helps people become energetically balanced - physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. She is incredibly passionate about helping others and healing the planet. Her intention in every yoga practice and reiki session is to always create a safe, open, & peaceful space that will promote true healing and wellness for all.

“Yogas citta vrtti nirodhah.” “If you can control the rising of the mind into ripples, you will experience yoga.” - Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Sri Swami Satchidananda

Nancy Weidner

Teacher / Prenatal Teacher

Nancy is a graduate of Yoga & Barre Haven + Backbone Yoga’s 200hr Yoga Teacher Training Program. As a certified Birth Doula, Lamaze Childbirth Educator, and Lactation Consultant, she knew that yoga would compliment her birth work. Nancy is a Community Doula with the Maternity Care Coalition and Cradle of Hope, introducing yoga and other educational programs to help navigate the challenges of pregnancy and parenting. She has attained her prenatal & postnatal yoga certification and is continuously furthering her education through additional courses. She loves sharing her practice with the Haven Community!

“My husband, John and I share love for the outdoors, biking, and gardening. We are always excited to share our homegrown Hamden Pickles with the community! We enjoy the company of our 3 Labradors and our daughter Grace’s bulldog Rugby. I am forever grateful to Grace for sharing her love of yoga with me.”

Molly AP

Teacher / Kids Yoga  

Molly started practicing yoga in 2015 and grew a love not just for the practice itself, but also felt a deeper connection to her own mind and body. Yoga had made such an impact for her and she wanted to help others, young and old, find that discovery too. In 2019 she pursued her 200hr YTT and graduated from Yoga & Barre Haven + Backbone Yoga’s Teacher Training Program. Molly works at Hunterdon Preparatory School as a middle school science teacher and creates polymer clay earrings that you can find in the Haven boutique! In addition to teaching Vinyasa, Molly is also our Kids Yoga Teacher! She uses her imagination, creativity and love of nature to spark fun and playfulness into her yoga classes.

“I think the coolest thing about yoga is that it accepts all. Anyone can practice yoga and all you really need is your body and your breath. It is patient, it is inspiring, it is powerful and it does not judge. In many forms, yoga is always there when you need it. You just need to show up.”

Stephanie Maxwell

Teacher

Stephanie is one of Haven’s newly graduated YTs who is actively working on additional credentials in Ashtanga and Vinyasa yoga styles. She started practicing yoga 10 years ago in NYC, and has been practicing with the Haven community since it’s inception in High Bridge. Upon finding Ashtanga at Haven, Stephanie was completely hooked on the challenging athleticism and meditative rigor of the practice. She has participated in multiple workshops + retreats with authorized teachers, to deeper her understanding of the primary series, and influence her teaching style. While still very much a student herself (and one for life!), she hopes through the varied Ashtanga offerings at Haven to spread love and appreciation of this practice. Stephanie is a creative director by day, and High Bridge small business owner who contributes to the vibrancy of our town through community-based business exchange and volunteerism. She’s excited to be teaching right where she started and serving the community she cares so much about.

Patty Willsey

Teacher  

Patti’s continual quest for health and balance landed her on a yoga mat in 2018. She has a lifelong interest in fitness and spent many years primarily swimming, running, and participating in races like sprint triathlons. When the repetition of these activities began to feel less joyful, she found that the boundless practice of yoga always has more to offer. When Patti is not on her mat, she is teaching English literature to high school students, paddling a kayak or paddleboard, or hiking (preferably up a mountain). She holds a 200hr YTT training certificate earned from Haven Healing Collective. Patti hopes to provide her students with a challenging blend of strength, flexibility, balance and endurance. Her classes are crafted with a curiosity around the beautiful relationship between strength and surrender. Expect a Vinyasa Flow class that will make you breathe and sweat.

“It is my intention to bring the joy I have found in the practice of yoga, to others."

Danielle Gabriele

Teacher

Danielle has been practicing yoga for the past 6 years and recently graduated from Haven’s 200 hour YTT program in March. Her mother introduced her to yoga, and she has been in love with the practice and the feeling it brings both mentally and physically ever since. She is excited to share and continue to grow her practice and knowledge with the Haven community. By day, she is a Creative Project Manager in the marketing world and also a dog mom to her golden retriever, Sadie. She enjoys a good iced latte, reading, going for walks with her dog by the river and being in the sunshine. Danielle hopes to provide her students with a fun, but challenging class incorporating strength, flexibility, balance and breath. Namaste! 🌿

Justina Del Rio

Reiki Master / Teacher

Justina has always been driven to explore connections with her mind, body, and spirit. As a school counselor, she spends her days working to support her students on their individual journeys through school. After 3 years of consistent yoga practice, Justina’s journey led her to further spiritual exploration. In November of 2020, she booked her first Reiki session and completely fell in love! Since, Justina has received her level 1, 2, and Master Attunement. She is incredibly passionate about creating a space for clients to feel held and open to discover deeper connections to their emotional, physical, and spiritual bodies. Justina’s purpose and intention with each client is to invite them to recognize and harness their authentic power within.

“I’m humbled and incredibly grateful to share Reiki with all those who are open to receiving this beautiful loving energy.”

Lauryn Neary

Teacher / Teen Yoga

Lauryn is a local high school English teacher who loves to bring the joy and connection of yoga to everyone. She began her practice in 2017 and has since completed her 200hr YTT through Haven Healing Collective, allowing her to share her love for the practice with many others, including her students. She believes that yoga is a beautiful practice that anyone can do and wishes to make everyone feel comfortable and at home in their body. Lauryn is passionate and loves to teach; whether it's yoga or her English classes, she incorporates her enthusiasm and compassion for everyone in the room. At Haven, Lauryn teaches our Teen Yoga class to guide teenagers in expressing themselves and connecting to themselves through yoga. You may also catch her teaching an inviting vinyasa flow at our community classes. With a love for music, she REALLY loves to make a good yoga playlist!

“I am beyond honored and grateful to share my love of yoga with everyone of all ages and abilities. I love how yoga balances my mind and body, and I wish to share that feeling with this amazing community.”

Charley Lavigne

Teacher

Charley knew she loved yoga since she first stepped on her mat in 2018. Feeling a need to dive deeper into the connection between mind, body, and spirit, she found her calling through Reiki and Yoga.  She fell in love with the idea of using energy and yoga to help people heal, which led her to becoming a Reiki Master in 2021, and getting her 200Hr Yoga Certification through Haven Healing Collective in March 2023. She is eager to continue learning and growing as a yogi both on and off of her mat, and is currently working towards her 500Hr Yoga teacher certification!

“Giving people a safe space to be free, weird, and connect deeper with themselves is so much of why I am drawn to teaching. My goal is to help people connect and be vulnerable with themselves on their mat. Whether it be through a guided meditation or a reggae flow, I always try to create a safe space for you to be you! Life (and Yoga) is about spreading the love!”