Heartwood is the manifestation of a dream

Ginny East Shaddock is an ERYT-500 yoga teacher, RCYT (Registered Children's Yoga Teacher) a certified yoga therapist with IAYT (International Association of Yoga Therapists), a  Reiki Master, and a trained Ayurveda Counselor from the Kerala Institute, India. She has a BA in Business Management from Eckerd College and a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from Lesley University. 

Her extensive background in dance, yoga, and the healing arts has helped her create a multi-faceted school with an educational program that combines arts awareness, physical training, and mind-body awareness for ever-broadening learning experiences. She is the director Heartwood Yoga Institute, and the founder of the Florida Reiki Association, as well as Yoga for the Balanced Child, a YA certification program designed to qualify teachers to share yoga with children ages 3-teen. 

Ginny has long been an advocate of the mind-body connection. Formerly, Ginny had an extensive career in dance. After a few years performing and choreographing in NY, she taught at the Broadway Dance Center, Steps, Raoul Gelebert Studios , Steps, New York University, Vassar College and other facilities in New York City and was named one of the top ten teachers in NY in 1989 by Dance Pages Magazine. She traveled the country teaching for Dance Masters of America and other dance organizations, and created Kiddance, a newsletter and training program for youth dance education which was featured in Dance Magazine.  She was the director of FLEX Dance in Florida for 17 years until she felt it was time to retire from dance. Ginny transitioned to yoga and holistic practices in 2006, focusing her natural aptitude for teaching and program development to creating Heartwood Yoga Institute and associated programs.      

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David Shaddock is an ERYT-500 yoga teacher, C-IAYT Yoga Therapist, Licensed LMT and Cranio Sacral therapist, and Reiki Master, as well as a Thai Chi and shamanism enthusiast.  He is our "science guy" teaching anatomy, physiology, and the science of crystals, energy, and more. David is a licensed Professional Engineer in both mechanical and electrical fields, as well as having a bachelor's  degree in Information Technology. He is also an airplane, seaplane and hot air balloon pilot, a master gardener, a former paramedic, a musician  (guitar sitar, piano), wood crafter, champion canoe racer, writer, gourmet chef, and more - which defines his love of learning and passion for exploring life in all its diversity. 

 David's love of teaching shines as well, and he brings a great deal of that love and his omnipresent creativity to each of the classes he teaches. His medical background (he was one of the first five Certified Emergency Cardiac Technicians in Illinois, and one of the first privately registered paramedics there as well) allows him to lecture on anatomy and physiology, with special attention to inversions and prānāyāma. He has a particular affinity for Aerial Yoga and his anatomy of inversion course is insightful thanks to his experience in medicine, flying, and yoga. We thank David for his hard work and ingenuity, as his creative mind is the reason we have a medicine wheel, labyrinth, amazing meditation areas, koi ponds and so much more at Heartwood. 

 Chantal Dupuis is an E-RYT200, RYT500,  C-IAYT Yoga Therapist, and Reiki Master. She has taken her 200, 300 & 800-hour certifications at Heartwood. She is currently studying with Vedanta USA, attending weekly sessions on the Vedanta Treatise and Bhagavad Gita.

Chantal is the Office Manager, Student Liaison for YTT programs, and our Retreat Liaison. 

She is poised to revolutionize the integration of yoga therapy into holistic health practices. With a forward-looking approach, this professional is dedicated to pioneering innovative techniques that enhance well-being and resilience among diverse populations. Committed to lifelong learning and professional development in the field of yoga therapy she hopes to lead and inspire transformative health journeys. 

She also has a CMT (100-hour certification in Meditation) and a Trauma-Informed Certification for Coaches from the Centre for Healing. 

She is working towards a Trauma Sensitive Yoga Skills Certification, a 500-hour Kundalini teacher certification and working on a 1000-hour Ayurveda Practitioner certification.  

A lifelong learner, she recently attended the Neuroscience & Yoga educational conference, IAYT Global Yoga Therapy Day, and Chicago Holistic Health and Wellness

Forum for MS. 

 Bonnie is a RYT-500 Certified Yoga Instructor, focusing on the  integration of Yoga principles to support overall health and wellness with advanced certification in Chair Yoga, Restorative Yoga, Yoga for Seniors, and  Yin Yoga. She is currently working on certification in Yoga Therapy. Bonnie’s focus is on safe and effective yoga practices and principles and she is in charge of our free weekly Meditation practice to encourage and support our community to actively embrace meditation.  Bonnie is also our resident glass artist who created the chakra-stained glass windows that adorn the studio.   

 Andrew Santry is an RYT-500, currently in process to become a certified yoga therapist. He specializes in Trauma Informed Yoga and is certified in Yoga for 12 step recovery.  Andrew works with disadvantaged populations and focuses his work towards healing with yoga as the path to health and wellness.  He brings humor, insight and deep compassion to his classes that combine mindfulness, intention  and movement for a whole body experience.   

 As a recent graduate of Heartwood's 50+ 200-hour YTT Immersion program, as well as an always on-the-go manager in the IT world, Michelle enjoys sharing the happiness, calmness, and general sense of peace that she has found through yoga, meditation, and breathwork.