About YP ~

Wendy Chanelis, the matriarch and maha yogini of the Yoga People clan, has been living Yoga since 1989. The nineteen eighties were all about fitness for Wendy; the endorphin rush of running, the low-impact allure of step aerobics, or whatever the workout program de jour was then, with a spirit for adventure she gave it a try. With her finger eternally on the pulse of what’s hot she very quickly found herself flowing through her first Sun Salutations. Names like sputa-baddha-konasana and shavasana soon flowed effortlessly from this Brooklyn native’s tongue and chanting OM like a seasoned kirtan singer was only a few lotus poses away… she was hooked. Fitness soon took a backseat to yoga practice and life for Wendy Chanelis was about to get very interesting.

For two years she explored the various yoga offerings in New York City: Dharma Mittra, Integral, Iyengar, and Sivananda. In 1991 she settled into studying with then new-kids-on-the-block, David Life and Sharon Gannon, of Jivamukti. There her practice deepened. She’s fond of mentioning how in 1994, David and Sharon, not so gently cajoled her into practicing with Ashtanga yoga guru, Pattabhi Jois, visiting from Mysore, India. Very soon thereafter she traveled to Encinitas, California for one month to intensify her Ashtanga studies, again with Pattabhi Jois. A solid foundation of Ashtanga and Vinyasa yoga has--even until today--paved the way of practice for Wendy. A great deal of sweat and some very sweet pain turned slowly into a labor of love. In 1998 she gave birth to her pride and joy… Yoga People.

Yoga People Brooklyn Heights reflects Wendy’s love of all things shree (that’s Sanskrit for profoundly beautiful and prosperous) from the beaming clientele gathering in the reception area awaiting class, to the radiantly smiling and highly skilled teachers, right on down to the beautifully designed practice studio at the new YP location at 160 Montague St.. Wendy embodies the name Yoga People with her effulgent character and her Cirque du Soleil worthy balancing act of juggling the roles of wife, mother and grandmother, businesswoman and yogini as well as being a devoted friend to many and a deeply solitary and inspired person. Each class taught at Yoga People has built in happy energy… and shining through every facet of this loving environment is Wendy’s heart and soul.