Our Team

Trace sahaja Bonner

Trace Sahaja Bonner, E-RYT 500, is the Founder and Director of Holy Cow Yoga Center. She began her practice over 30 years ago, and is a certified Advanced Integral Yoga teacher (influenced by Sri Swami Satchidananda). Having studied in India and the US, Trace Sahaja continues to draw from a variety of great teachers in the west. She takes workshops with a host of contemporary Yoga teachers to deepen her personal understanding of Yoga. Yoga is about having fun with the journey, so she enjoys bringing her lighthearted teaching style to all levels of Yoga classes, Teacher Trainings, Meditation Workshops and Yoga Sutra Study (Raja Yoga).

She teaches: Sundays, Mondays, & Wednesdays at 4:00pm, Tuesdays 6:00pm, Saturdays at 9:30am, as well as 20-minute virtual meditations on Wednesdays & Saturdays at 8:00am; also serves on our Teacher Training Staff.

Steven Willard (he/him)

Steven Willard began practicing Yoga in order to heal injuries and handle stress, then got hooked on feeling better. After a few years of practicing at Holy Cow Yoga Center, he completed his 200 hour certification in 2007. He is currently pursuing his 500 hour studying with many outstanding teachers and continues to grow his practice through hands on experience.  A nurturer and a charmer, Steven is stiff-human friendly, friendly to people with sore backs, friendly to people with body image issues, friendly to people who are self-conscious or anxious and friendly to people who are yoga-phobic. Steven believes in and embodies the maxim that yoga is for everyone. He sees yoga as the union of body, breath, and spirit with an all-important added dash of humor, and always open to grace. His classes are rooted in the concept of doing less harm - ahimsa. Every class is different, but all are intense, playful, sometimes funny, sometimes loud and challenging. His aim is to provide a supportive, energetic and challenging environment which enables students to discover the life-changing power of the practice for themselves.

He teaches: Tuesdays & Thursdays at 7:00pm, Wednesdays & Thursdays at 12:00pm, Wednesdays at 5:45pm, Fridays at 9:30am, and Sundays at 5:00pm & 6:30pm

Michele Wilson (She/Her)

Michele Aramati Wilson originally came to Yoga class for stress relief, and she quickly fell in love with all aspects of the practice. She finds that Yoga connects body, breath, mind & spirit for a deep experience of well-being and peace. Having discovered her practice later in life, she has deep compassion for those just beginning their Yoga journey and those with physical limitations. Michele's teaching is inspired by the Yin practice, and she hopes to bring a sense of gentle calmness (and a light sense of humor!) to her classes. Michele completed her 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training here at Holy Cow Yoga Center, and is grateful to be a part of the Holy Cow community.

She teaches: Wednesdays at 9:30am and Fridays at 10:45am

Kate Hudson(She/Her)

Kate Hudson, E-RYT 200/RYT 500, discovered the grace of a devoted yoga practice over 20 years ago. She completed her teacher training with Holy Cow Yoga Center and Asheville Yoga Center and has been teaching since 2004. She is a registered yoga teacher through Yoga Alliance. Yoga has helped her cultivate self-awareness and self-confidence, and her greatest joy in teaching yoga is watching these qualities grow in her students. Kate's classes incorporate functional movement with traditional asana, pranayama, and meditation, and her intention is to help her students develop stability, mobility, and curiosity through a slow, mindful flow.  She is grateful to her teachers, and she hopes to share their energy, wisdom, and compassion through her classes. She is honored to be a member of the Holy Cow community.

She teaches: Tuesdays & Thursdays at 4:00pm and Sundays at 10:30am

Deborah Kaufman Watt

Deborah Kaufman begins her day with a personal mantra as a 'go-to' for the mind and an overall reminding message to trust in the movement of life. Her yoga practice began more than 30 years ago during her time as a professional ballet dancer, and she studied at several different yoga schools while in NYC. In 2009, she completed the breathing course, the Art of Living’s Sudarshan Kriya, traveled to India, and completed Holy Cow Yoga Center's Teacher Training program. Deborah has been teaching ever since and is also certified in Prenatal Yoga and Yin Yoga. She is the founder of Pretty Bride Yoga, a service for all things yoga for weddings. Deborah has worked on Wall Street and as a consultant in diverse industries, which inspired her to create Be Mindful Yoga, a Wellness and Yoga approach for private individual and group sessions, and workshops for outside of a traditional yoga studio. Her classes at Holy Cow focus on a combination of balance and strength, Pranayama techniques, and inspirational readings and teachings. Deborah is grateful to Holy Cow, as an integral and beneficial part of her path for friendship and learning.

She teaches: Tuesday at 5:30pm (prenatal), Thursday at 10:45am and Fridays at 8:30am

Ursel Harmon (She/Her)

Ursel Sarala Harmon, 500 E-RYT, YACEP came to yoga  in search of relief from the stresses of daily life. She went to her first yoga class many moons ago and decided she'd found her peace. Passionate about the yoga practice she began teaching in 2004, earning certifications in Gentle/Chair Yoga from Satchidananda Ashram, VA, and PreNatal Yoga from Holy Cow Yoga Center, among numerous certifications. Ursel Sarala especially enjoys working with yogis with limitations and physical challenges, as well as providing assistance and support. Her teaching style is accessible to all and embodies the calmer aspects of the asana practice.

She teaches: Saturday & Sunday at 2:00pm; also leads our Restorative, Gentle, and Prenatal Teacher Trainings

Heidi Crotts (She/Her)

Heidi Crotts (500-Hour Certified) lives the practice of yoga on and off the mat. Whether exploring the skyscraper canyons of New York City, or chasing her son Everette (her daily teacher, guru, and little love munchkin) on the beach of a South Carolina summer, she is never without a sense of gratitude for the transformation – in mind, body and spirit – that the study yoga has given her. Injured from youthful pursuits as a gymnast and diver, she once assumed balance and body confidence were lost to her forever. But, her first yoga class in Chicago in 2005 allayed her fears, and a resurgence of strength and vitality began. Influenced heavily by Ashtanga Yoga and David Swenson, she continues to absorb lessons of Leslie Howard, David Garrigues and other illuminating souls into her personal practice and classes. “Pure joy” is how Heidi describes teaching at Holy Cow, where she completed her 200-hour TT in 2010.

She teaches: Monday & Wednesday 7:00am, Tuesday & Thursday 8:30am, Tuesday 6:30am and Saturday at 8:00am; also serves on our Teacher Training Staff

Tony Beard (He/Him)

Tony Beard came to yoga around 2005 as an escape from the fast paced city/nightlife of Chicago, IL.  He found some thick layers being quickly shed through a very intense Bikram practice early this year and came to the realization that teaching yoga was what he was supposed to do. So he jumped into it as soon as he could.  He received certification through Corepower Yoga in Chicago along with an intense course in guided meditation through Invision just before he moved to Charleston.  He currently specializes in making people sweat through the stylings of Baron Baptiste but just hopes to continue on in helping others to find the spiritual/mystical connection that yoga can help bring into their lives and is grateful to be doing it all at Holy Cow!

He teaches: Monday at 6:00pm, Tuesday & Friday at 12:00pm and Saturday 4:00pm

Sonia Lennartz

Sonia Lennartz (500-Hour Certified) began her yoga journey in Italy in the year 2000. Through Yoga, Sonia has discovered a well balanced mixture of relaxation, inspiration and physical challenge that has accompanied her through the years. She achieved her 200 and 500 hour certifications through the Holy Cow Yoga Center in Charleston, SC and has been teaching since 2012. She is fascinated by the human body/persona and how yoga can help heal physical, emotional and mental imbalances. It is her sincere belief that Yoga is for every one and that EVERY body can practice some form of Yoga. Through her light-hearted approach to teaching, she likes to remind students that life is serious but Yoga doesn’t have to be. Her favorite quote is from the Dalai Lama. “Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can’t help them, at least don’t hurt them.”

She teaches: Monday at 9:30am & 12:00pm, Wednesday at 8:30am and Friday at 5:30pm; also serves on our Teacher Training Staff and leads our Yin Teacher Training workshops

Barbara Halpern (She/Her)

Barbara Halpern, E-RYT 500, is a registered yoga teacher with The Yoga Alliance. Barbara completed her 200-hour teacher training from Holy Cow in 2009 and attained the 500-hour Advanced Studies certification in 2014. In 2010 she completed the 80-hour Therapeutic Yoga for Seniors program at Duke Integrative Medicine. In 2021 she completed another 300-hour certification in Sustainable OM Yoga with her long-time teacher, Cyndi Lee. Her teaching reflects the gifts she receives from her own practice; an awareness of strength, self-healing, balance and contentment. She encourages her students to come to yoga just as they are, and to explore how the experience on the mat will unfold into enriched and awake living off the mat. Barbara loves being part of the Holy Cow community.

She teaches: Monday & Tuesday at 10:45am

Dr. Sundar Balasubramanian

Dr. Sundar Balasubramanian, (200-Hour Certified), is a Cell Biology researcher currently studying mechanisms involved in resistance to cancer therapy at the Medical University of South Carolina. He is also a Yoga Biology researcher. Two of his recent research papers have provided scientific evidence on how Yoga practices promote well being. Sundar grew up in Tamilnadu, India in a traditional Yoga and Siddha medicine practicing family background. He attended Swami Chitbhavananda's Vivekananda College in India where he further learned Yoga, Meditation, and Kirtan practices. Sundar has been continuously learning from various Yoga Masters from the East and West. He is a member of International Association of Yoga Therapists and the Integral Yoga Teachers Association.

He teaches: Tuesdays at 5:30pm

Devon Gage

Devon Gage was born and raised in Lexington, KY. where her practice began as a dancer for 8 years. As she moved to Charleston, she embarked on a Hatha journey through the yoga teacher training program at Holy Cow. She received her 200 RYT certification in April 2016, and is pursuing the 500 RYT certification. She teaches with an easeful, down to earth style while offering a meditative quality. Come join her class as she offers guidance on finding patience, mindfulness and love for the yoga practice. "Where there is love, there is light." -Gandhi

She teaches: Wednesdays at 6:00pm

Martha Criscuolo (She/Her)

After discovering yoga in the 90s, it took years for Martha to lie still in Savasana. Gradually, the magic of a regular yoga practice manifested as she learned to juggle work, motherhood and sport: Finding some space to breathe, awareness of thought, or in those incredible moments when her shell would crack open just enough to flood her with long-forgotten inner light. When not in the yoga studio, Martha can be found teaching Art at the museum, leading tours in the creeks, or gracefully demonstrating how to fall out of headstand on a paddleboard. Since completing her 200hr teacher training in 2016, she has been honored to be part of the Holy Cow staff, gratefully holding her teachers here in highest esteem for their depth of skill, knowledge and spirit. Martha celebrates the sacred, the self, and the wellbeing that yoga rekindles in all of us: from every walk, in every body, at every stage of our yoga journey.  

She teaches: Mondays & Thursdays at 8:30am, Thursdays 6:00pm, Fridays at 4:00pm, and Saturdays at 11:00am

Shoba Kousik

As a child in India, Shoba Kousik practiced yoga, but never called it by that name. It was a way of life. Marriage brought her to the United States in 1989. In 2012 she began attending yoga classes regularly after giving up on swimming and marathon running and as forms of exercise. This was the beginning of her formal relationship with yoga. She completed her 200-hour teacher training in 2017 at Holy Cow Yoga Center. Practicing and teaching yoga gives her immense satisfaction. Besides yoga, She dabbles in education for a living, law for society, and cooking for pure happiness.

She teaches: Mondays at 5:30pm

Tashi Marshall (She/Her)

A Massachusetts native, Tashi moved to Charleston in 2017 after graduating with a bachelor’s in Sociology from UMass Amherst. Less than a week into her relocation, she started her Yoga Teacher Training at Holy Cow, and absolutely adores the sense of community the studio has cultivated in her life over the years. Tashi’s teaching style and personal practice are deeply rooted in the importance of authenticity and honoring your body where it’s at, in each and every moment. When she’s off the mat, Tashi trains on aerial silks, enjoys seeing live music with her friends, and loves to travel. 

She teaches: Thursdays at 6:30am and Fridays at 7:00am

Silke Sida

Silke Mati Sida considers yoga, running, & meditation to be the most life-changing skills. They were introduced to her by a playgroup friend (who suggested them & refused to take no for an answer). Her 200-hour certification took her practice to another level & showed her that your body will love you back hundredfold if you make room for daily practice. She hopes to share with many others what has helped her keep her mental sanity throughout raising four kids (now adults) & many relocations around the world. She enjoys practicing to be rooted & grounded while reaching for the stars (ideally with an engaged belly), loves being in the great outdoors in upside down positions, or better yet fully submerged in the waves of the ocean. When not moving international logistics (with intention :) ), her favorite breath work is to sing her little heart out with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra & Chamber Music choirs.

She teaches: Thursdays at 5:30pm

James Burns

James Burns completed his 200-hour teacher training at Holy Cow Yoga Center in 2020. He spent 2016 backpacking around the globe, living with various families, volunteering and working odd jobs in exchange for food and a bed. During his travels, he created a blog, Jimbo Weekend, highlighting the fact that in a world of differences, we all have one key similarity: we’re human! James is an alumni of Milwaukee School of Engineering, where he studied Mechanical Engineering and was selected as the captain of the Varsity Mens Soccer team. In addition to yoga, James is a meditation enthusiast. He enjoys writing, surfing, reflecting, and spending time with his two cats.

He teaches: Tuesday 6:30am

Mary Riddle

Mary Riddle was first exposed to yoga as a child watching her mother bend and stretch on the living room floor.  Her pursuit of yoga and meditation deepened over the decades from a from of exercise into way of life and conduit for the journey within. She became a RYT-200 in 2019 and is currently pursuing 500-hr certification. 

She completed Mindful Grieving 200-hr Yoga Therapy Teacher training with the Center for Somatic Grieving in 2023.  She is certified to facilitate Community Circles as well as 6-week, 6- and 9-month Mindful Grieving programs.  After surviving her own devastating loss, Mary wants to share the power of witnessing and normalizing grief in our culture as a way to connect us more authentically and to encourage the idea of potentially tremendous growth through our most challenging life events.

The practice of yoga is incredibly powerful. One is never to old or young to benefit from it.  Connecting to the youngest yogis is a highlight of her week.  Mary is honored to be able to guide others, of all ages, through movement and breath into stillness. 

She teaches: Kids Classes Saturdays at 9:30am

Jill Keefer

Jill has been teaching yoga in the Charleston area for over 10 years. She received her Yoga Alliance Certification from Holy Cow Yoga Center in 2011. She has taught both adult and kids yoga classes throughout her career, but the kids have always had a special place in her heart.  She loves introducing kids to movement, mindfulness and awareness of breath and hopes they remember to use these skills when they encounter difficult situations.Jill is passionate about learning and sharing her experiences and created a kids teacher training certification course and led a yoga camp for kids each summer for 8 years. She also serviced the community through the Charleston Public School system for four years with Empowered Minds, a non-profit dedicated to teaching yoga and mindfulness to students.  Jill has taken many yoga workshops and trainings to enhance her teaching skills, including prenatal and yin.   

Off the mat, Jill has 3 kids and enjoys working in the fashion industry.

She teaches: Kids Classes Saturdays at 9:30am

Alex Rogers (She/Her)

Alex Rogers is 500-hour certified and grateful to be the daughter of a Yogi. The Charleston, SC native grew up watching her mom practice sun salutations (Surya Namaskaaram) every morning and legs-up-the-wall (Vipareeta Karani) at the end of each day. By 2003, Alex was undoubtedly a Yogi too. She began teaching in 2006 and completed both her 200-hour training and advanced 300-hour certification through Holy Cow Yoga Center, Charleston's longest-running yoga studio and school. Alex has practiced at studios across the country and studied with numerous international teachers including Erich Schiffmann, Seane Corn, Kathryn Budig, Faith Hunter, Jason Crandell, Doug Keller, and Gabriel Halpern. She teaches a mindful flow and sees Yoga and Meditation as powerful tools to connect to our truest selves.

Kelly Bailey

Kelly Bailey completed her 200-hour teacher training here at Holy Cow Yoga Center in 2016. She later completed the Kids Yoga teacher training with Jill Keefer and soon after began assisting Jill with the Kids Yoga class every Saturday. In addition to serving as an assistant teacher in the kids class for several years, Kelly has also assisted Sonia Lennartz. She is the mother of two fabulous girls, and enjoys introducing yoga to young yogis to inspire a lifetime of practice.

Jenny Goshorn (She/Her)

Jenny Goshorn completed her 200-hr training at Holy Cow in 2017 and is working toward her 500-hr certification. Additionally she is certified in Yin, Gentle, and Kid’s Yoga. She began practicing yoga after years of competitive gymnastics and dance. She suffered from lower back pain and found healing through mindful movement. With a Master’s degree in Communication, Jenny teaches college courses in Interpersonal Communication and Public Speaking. Her decision to pursue yoga teacher training was driven by her desire to further her own practice and by her fascination with the connections she found between communication theory and yogic philosophy. As an assistant to Trace Sahaja Bonner, and a sub, she is joyful to be part of the amazing Holy Cow yoga community. Jenny loves Sanskrit and mudras and truly believes that “The success of Yoga does not lie in the ability to perform postures but in how it positively changes the way we live our life and our relationships.” ― T.K.V. Desikachar

Amy Gaffney

Amy Gaffney joined the team as an Assistant/Substitute Teacher after completing the 200-hour teacher training program at Holy Cow Yoga Center in 2017. Since that time she has served as the assistant to Ursel Harmon, assisting with her Restorative classes and trainings, as well as Gentle Yoga Teacher Training weekends. In addition to practice yoga, as an attorney, Amy also practices law.

Bev Cosslett

Bev Cosslett dabbled with yoga for years before finding Holy Cow Yoga Center. She began her consistent practice in late 2016 through an early morning Ashtanga yoga practice and attending as many workshops as she could fit into her schedule. In 2022, she completed her 200-hour yoga teacher certification at Holy Cow Yoga Center, which was a deeply enriching experience. Her yoga journey has led to a deeper spiritual and mindful practice. When not on the mat Bev loves the outdoors and especially the water. She teaches kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding on Charleston waterways and ocean and loves leading multi-day expedition trips on the water.

Sam Giacopelli

Sam's love for creative movement stems from a foundation in aerial circus arts: silks, lyra, corde lisse, and trapeze. She completed her aerial teacher training certification in San Diego, CA in 2022 and her teacher training through Holy Cow Yoga Center in Charleston, SC in 2023. Her focus in teaching is to make movement accessible for all bodies, guiding students safely into postures with creative sequencing, movement analysis, and breath awareness. On the ground and in the air, she emphasizes expansive, intuitive movement. She uses yoga not only to heal and condition the body, but to revitalize the mind and spirit

Teresa Dufine

Teresa’s early yoga experience involved a monkey mind, twitchy body, and sneaky looks to the clock to see how soon she could get out of there! Years later and several bumps in life’s road. Teresa returned to the mat and it was amazing. She completed 200 hour certification Holy Cow Yoga center. Today, her classes show that yoga is for everyone although our practices like our bodies may look different, that’s okay. 

Teresa completed the 500 hour advanced studies program at HCY. Continuing to learn and spend time on the mat with students and friends is an important part of her life and she loves  to share that with you. Out of the studio you will find Teresa enjoying family, at the Bridge or Mah Jongg table, or with her nose in a book. Peace, love, and joy to all. 

Katherine Bartter

Katherine is a 200-hour certified jack-of-all-yogis. She is voracious in her learning, and she delights in every yoga philosophy and style. While she seeks a particular depth with the ashtanga style, she attempts to incorporate pieces of all pathways into her personal practice and into her teaching to find a hybridized and balanced approach. More than anything, she loves exploring all the ways a body can move and loves encouraging others to experiment and play within their body and breath. For her, yoga is an engagement with delight. Yoga not only informs our Virabhadrasana but carries over to how we pick up our children, how we discover a coin on the ground, or how we greet each other at the beginning of each day. Off the mat, you can find her supporting a team of scientists, engineers, and landscape architects, as the People & Culture Leader of Biohabitats, Inc, an ecological restoration firm.

Christian Bueno

Christian is a 200 hour certified yoga instructor who whose yoga interests include Ashtanga, Yin, and Tai Chi. He encourages his students to explore yoga philosophy through mindful exploration, alignment of breath and movement, and deep relaxation. Outside the studio, he uses yoga to bring work life balance to his career in corporate finance and diversity, and emphasizes the importance of continuous practice and education, sharing knowledge on and off the mat, and supporting the local yoga community by attending workshops and special events.

Brittany Brandt (she/her)

Brittany began her yoga practice in 2010 to balance out training for cycling and triathlons. Over time, she fell in love with the healing and meditative aspects of yoga and it became a part of daily practice.  She loves the connection between mind, body, and spirit which inspired her to complete her 200 hour training in April 2023, and is currently working on her 500 hour certification, focusing on trauma informed yoga.  In the meantime, her classes are all about flow, yin, and having fun in the journey. After all… it’s yoga practice… not perfect! 

Jeremy Braziller

Jeremy started practicing yoga in Montreal, Canada in 2015. He completed his training in Hatha (200-hr YTT) & Advanced Yin in 2017. Yoga has helped him in his journey to overcome Crohn's disease, to keep it in remission, and aid him in recovering his mind and body. He dedicates his time to creating a comfortable and safe place in his classes for everyone, those who suffer with digestion issues, and other invisible illnesses, while bringing some humour into his classes. Jeremy started practicing at Holy Cow after moving to Charleston several years ago, and found the open and welcoming vibe was exactly where he wanted to plant roots and start teaching in the US.

Angela Rauscher, E-RYT 500 / YACEP

Angela recently moved to Charleston from New York City and has been practicing yoga since 1998 and teaching since 2013.  She received a 200-hour yoga teacher certification and a Let Your Yoga Dance® certification from the Kripalu School of Yoga, and an advanced level 500-hour yoga leadership certification from Shakti Initiation in Bali, Indonesia. She continues her study of Chakra Therapy and Psychology of the Chakras with Anodea Judith.  Although Angela initially started practicing yoga to heal physical injuries, she soon discovered the healing power of yoga extended beyond her physical body.  Yoga is more than asana practice (the postures); it is a life changing journey and commitment to her true self.   She is committed to helping people live life to their highest potential and feels blessed to be able to support others on their yoga journey.  When she’s not teaching in the studio, she’s often traveling the world, leading yoga retreats, and spending time with her baby girl and husband.