Teacher Training Faculty Bios

Donna Rubin is a co-founder and instructor at Bode NYC.  She has been teaching the Bikram Method style of yoga for 25 years and is certified in Bikram Yoga,  Ishta Yoga , Barkan Yoga, Yin Yoga and Yoga Nidra. As a former professional dancer, Donna performed with the National Ballet of Canada, in the role of Meg Giry in the original Canadian company of Phantom of the Opera and later made her Broadway debut in Carousel at Lincoln Center.

After 17 years of business bringing the original "Hot Yoga" to New York, Donna was very excited to launch the new Brand " Bode NYC" which features the best of Bikram Yoga NYC as well as many new offerings which she believes will enhance the experience of the customers. 

Donna was integral in creating both the regional and national USA Yoga Asana Championship series and served as one of its first judges. Donna has also taught workshops in Costa Rica, led conferences in New York, and has headlined the Summer Solstice “Mind over Madness” in Times Square.  

Hobbies close to her heart include producing Cabaret Shows in New York featuring the talent of many customers and employees of Bode NYC. She also received several awards for the documentary she produced called " An Improbable Dream" that aired on CBC Canada featuring her and her classmates from Canada's National Ballet School in Toronto. 

Donna Created the first bode nyc Teacher Training in Spring 2019.

A native New Yorker, Jen Lobo Plamondon partnered up with Donna Rubin in 1999 to establish NYC's first Bikram Yoga studio. Now, 24 years and 3 locations later, Jen continues to practice and teach with the same love of yoga as she had in the studios' inception.  

Jen practices yoga to help maintain flexibility and stamina in her other passions.  Jen can be seen in many TV and News Publications over the years.

Jimmy Barkan is a Master Yoga Teacher certified by Ghosh’s College of India, Calcutta, India in 1981.   One of the pioneers of Hot Yoga in the United States, Jimmy practiced daily under the guidance of Bikram Choudhury as his most Senior Teacher, an accomplishment very few have since obtained.

Jimmy’s first yoga studio, Yoga College Of India, opened in Fort Lauderdale, Florida  January 20, 1983.  Jimmy has worked with of our country’s top professional athletes throughout the years including members of the NFL, NBA, NHL, The 1997 World Series Champions Florida Marlins and PGA Tour players.

Since 1986, Jimmy has certified over 1500 Bikram and Barkan Method Teachers.

Rebranded in 2002 as The Barkan Method of Hot Yoga, Jimmy’s Level I Barkan Method Teacher Training programs are based in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and held all over the world. Barkan also offers Level II, and III Teacher Training programs throughout the year in Fort Lauderdale and Costa Rica and Australia.

Jimmy’s experience in teaching for over 38 years, along with his experience as a performer on stage, helps him direct trainees to become better communicators and yoga teachers.

Teachers will have a sense of confidence and accomplishment upon completing his training and Jimmy’s unique background creates an experience you will not find elsewhere.

Scott Lamps and Ida Jo are yoga scholars and practitioners of asana/postures, pranayama/breath control, and meditation. They are the head teachers of Ghosh Yoga in the West.

They were awarded the title Yoga Acharya (Master of Yoga) by the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center, an ashram founded by Swami Vishnudevananda.

Their approach balances a deep knowledge of history and tradition; the most up-to-date scientific knowledge about the body and mind; and commitment to personal practice.

They treat every student they meet with individual care and attention, striving to bring health, perspective, information and peace.

They are the authors of 4 Ghosh Yoga Practice Manuals, which strive to clarify and simplify the purpose and practice of over 100 postures and therapeutic exercises. They also authored a book of modifications for the postures of Bikram Yoga, entitled 26+2 Modifications​.

They compiled, edited and published the lost manuscript of 84 Yoga Asanas by Buddha Bose, and edited the English translation of Gouri Shankar Mukerji's works from German and Bengali.

They often teach yoga philosophy and history at festivals, workshops and teacher training programs.

Ida works directly with Ghosh's Yoga College in Kolkata, India, facilitating their Therapeutic Yoga Teacher Training program.

Scott teaches Anatomy & Physiology as part of the faculty of Perennial Yoga's Teacher Training in Madison, WI.

• They earned Masters Degrees in 'Traditions of Yoga and Meditation' from SOAS University of London. Both were awarded their degrees with distinction.

• They were awarded the title "Yoga Acharya" (Master of Yoga) by the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center, an ashram founded by Swami Vishnudevananda.

• They studied therapeutic and prescriptive yoga at Ghosh's Yoga College in Kolkata, India. They studied under the guidance of Muktamala Mitra, the granddaughter of Bishnu Charan Ghosh who teaches yoga therapy in the direct lineage of her father and grandfather.

• They studied Advanced Forrest Yoga with Heidi Sormaz and Cat Allen.

• They are twice-certified by Tony Sanchez, having studied both his Intermediate and Advanced systems.

Recognition Award for International Achievements, Barb is delighted to be using her experience of over 30 years of performing and teaching dance and yoga to assist people in finding personal wellness and performance excellence.

On faculty at Sheridan College, Barb trains the future generation of Musical Theatre performers in dance and anatomy. Over the last 10 years,

Barb has trained numerous instructors through her 200hr Yoga Alliance registered Yoga Teacher Training program, just outside Toronto, Ontario Canada. Her guest lecturing and workshops on the effects of stress and the benefits of yoga have been enjoyed and appreciated by various groups looking to move towards greater wellness.

Barb holds a Masters degree from York University as well as certifications in various styles of Hatha yoga. In addition, her studies of personal training, mind/body techniques and MFR principles of John J.Barnes further enhance her knowledge and the experience that she brings to her teaching. Barb is delighted to be launching the initial 40hr Yin/Fascial Yoga Training at Bode NYC Fall 2019.

JENNIFER REIS – Divine Sleep® Yoga Nidra and Five Element Yoga®, E-RYT 500, YACEP, Certified Yoga Therapist C-IAYT, Kripalu Center Faculty, Kripalu Schools of Yoga and Integrative Yoga Therapy Faculty, LMT, Ayurveda and Shiatsu therapist, Bachelor of Fine Arts.

Creator of both Divine Sleep® Yoga Nidra and Five Element Yoga®, Jennifer is one of the foremost teachers of yoga nidra. Her yoga nidra recordings and downloads have been the best-selling of all times for 15 years at Kripalu Center. Jennifer’s popular educational Radiant Being Newsletter has over 15,000 subscribers worldwide.

Master yoga teacher Jennifer Reis is an authentic, spirited, and heart-centered leader who creates dynamic classes, workshops, and teacher trainings. A yoga educator since 1996, Jennifer has led the Kripalu School of Yoga 200-hr Yoga Teacher Trainings, is on faculty of Integrative Yoga Therapy, and Kripalu Faculty at Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, the largest yoga center in the US, where she has taught for 19 years.

Jennifer’s Divine Sleep® Yoga Nidra Teacher Training has received worldwide attention, with over 1800 graduates, having led this training online, in Toronto, Chicago, San Diego, Manhattan, Boston, Rekjavik Iceland, Melbourne Australia, and other locations.

John Salvatore started practicing Bikram Yoga here at BODĒ (formerly BYNYC) in the year 2000 and was certified at the Bikram Yoga College of India in the spring of 2001. Since then, he has assisted at many of the subsequent teacher trainings over the years, including the Raja Yoga Academy and the last BODĒ teacher training. He has nationally in many studios across the U.S. over the last 21 years.

As an actor and former dancer, he has recovered from many injuries and surgeries and can attest to the original 26 and 2 hot yoga series as his medicine, both physically and mentally.

As an instructor, he truly believes that all the personal adversities he has gone through over the years have made him an even stronger and more compassionate teacher. It is such a gift to be able to pass on this lineage of yoga and to help be a part of one’s healing process to better physical, mental and emotional health.

Eddie Marco, a native of Miami, FL, is an accomplished musical theatre performer who has performed all over the U.S. as well as abroad.

While on tour in Washington, D.C., Eddie was introduced to his first

Original Hot Yoga class and was instantly hooked to this amazing series. After a few months of steady practice, he decided to attend teacher training in Los Angeles, CA to become a certified yoga instructor.

Eddie has been teaching over 18 years now, and has taught all over the Tri-State area, as well as South Florida.

Patrick Lynch began practicing yoga at the West Side YMCA in 1992 where he took classes in hatha, kundalini and vinyasa. In 2003 he stumbled upon his first Bikram Yoga class and has been an advocate of this particular series ever since due to its therapeutic and healing benefits.

In 2005 he attended teacher training in Los Angeles and began working for Bikram Yoga NYC, now Bode NYC. In 2010 he completed his advanced training in Las Vegas.

As an opera and concert singer working in major cities across Europe, London, New York and throughout the Americas, Kathleen found herself in need of a way to deal with the pressures, physical and mental, of rehearsal, travel and performance. Yoga became a lifeline to draw the two together into the present.  Bikram Yoga and her passion for the transformative power of the practice became the drive to take Bikram’s teacher training in Hawaii in 2007.  Kathleen is a senior member of OHYA and in addition to OHYA 90, 75, and 60, she also teaches HIIT classes.  She continues to perform, leads a busy voice studio in NYC, and also teaches nationally and internationally.  She finds it a joy and a privilege to witness people discover the healing benefits of yoga, finding their own life-long practice, and lifeline!

Raffael Pacitti was Executive Director of Bodē (formerly Bikram Yoga NYC) from November 1997 to September 2004, prior to becoming owner of Bikram Yoga Manhattan, a chain of four studios in the city.

Raffael had been studying yoga and practicing in several yoga traditions for several years prior to completing the Bikram Training and Certification program with Bikram Choudhury, in June 2001.  He has taught the Bikram practice in New York for the last 21 years and has had the opportunity to teach in Canada and Europe as well.

As sole proprietor, with hands-on operations for four locations of Bikram Yoga Manhattan, Raffael was featured in articles about the Bikram practice in such media publications as the New York Times, Men’s Health, Associated Press, the New York Sun, Men’s Fitness, New York (Best of 2007) and others. 

When not practicing or teaching yoga, Raffael works as an Art Director in the advertising industry by day—and is a musician and writer in the evenings!

Maja Wampuszyc graduated from Bikram Yoga Teacher Training in spring 2008 (Acapulco). She has been teaching for Bodē NYC (formerly Bikram Yoga NYC) since 2009, leading the 26/2 OHY practice for up to 200 people a week. Every class has been different, every person and practice unique. As a theater artist with a background in classical ballet, Maja responds to the repetition, structure, and discipline of yoga, particularly of the 26/2 OHY practice. For her, the systematic approach to each asana addresses every part of the body—top to bottom, inside out—and at the same time serves as a tool of self-study. “We all have the power to heal and yoga is a tool, a system, that we can practically apply to help us do this healing work. All we have to do is show up for ourselves.” Maja is also certified in the Barkan Vinyasa Method and Yin Yoga with Barbara Leese. She continues to learn and expand her knowledge by taking classes in various styles of yoga and studying yoga anatomy. In 2019/20 she joined workshops with Esak Garcia & the Jedi Team. Her first teacher was Georgia Balligian from whom she continues to learn every day.

On stage and in film, Maja has worked on & off Broadway with Tony, Emmy & Oscar Award winners. Recent favorite roles include Anna Akhmatova, Clytemnestra, and Magda on Law & Order: SVU. Maja also holds a BA in English Literature (Summa Cum Laude); completed the Shakespeare intensive at BADA (Balliol College, Oxford); and studied acting with RXM at Carnegie Hall.

Nelson Mandela said: “I am not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying.” And that is what the practice of yoga ultimately means to Maja. “When we try, good things happen - on and off the mat!”