Yoga Instructors

Nirvana Yoga Instructors

Melissa Cugini
Owner of Nirvana Yoga, Melissa R. Cugini has been a student of yoga since 2004. She began her
practice when she and her husband relocated out of state. She found that yoga provided much needed
stress relief as she adjusted to living in a new city. Melissa has studied with various teachers in
Chicago, Cleveland & Akron communities and is a 200-hour Yoga Alliance Registered Instructor.

In addition to classes at Nirvana Yoga, Melissa teaches on-site corporate yoga and has served as the
assistant yoga instructor for the Cleveland Indians minor league players. Prior to becoming a yoga
instructor, Melissa worked as a Corporate Recruiting Consultant within the fields of banking,
manufacturing and media communications.

Melissa is grateful for the opportunity to connect with people through yoga, she strongly believes that
yoga has something to offer everyone, no matter what place they are in their lives and feels honored to
assist her students on that path of discovery. Her classes are designed to accommodate students of all
levels, encouraging them to expand their mind / body awareness and make the practice their own.

Deb Kistner
Deb Kistner has been practicing yoga for over 8 years with various teachers in the Cleveland area and
is a 200-hour Yoga Alliance Registered Instructor. Deb is also a Reiki practitioner. Prior to teaching
yoga, she spent many years in the corporate world as the firm administrator of a law firm as well as a
corporate accountant. These experiences allow her to bring knowledge and compassion to her classes.

Deb ties together music and movement for a fun class experience while also encouraging students to
remain grounded and open to all of life’s experiences. Deb acknowledges that change is constantly
occurring in her life and in the lives of her students and she hopes to promote yoga as a positive force
to deal with that change.

Brenda Saridakis
Brenda Saridakis started her yoga practice over five years ago. Physical exercise including jazz, ballet,
aerobics, kick-boxing and weightlifting have always played a role in her life. “Once I started practicing
yoga, I found that endeavor to include all that I sought from physical movement and more. Yoga provides
me with the muscular strength, flexibility and endurance needed for a healthy body as well as mental
growth for a healthy mind and spirit.”

Brenda’s focused study of Yoga came after she left the legal and non-profit world to raise a family.
Studying with various local and nationally renowned teachers, Brenda now observes the general
principals of opening to grace and letting go. Brenda is a 200-hour Yoga Alliance Registered Instructor.
In addition to teaching Yoga at Nirvana, Brenda provides balance to young athletes' minds & bodies at
Gymnastics World in Broadview Heights. Brenda's classes combine alignment and heart opening
principals, inviting all students to gain power and fluidity for their bodies as well as learn to focus and
calm their minds.

Kathy Orazio
Kathy Orazio has been practicing yoga for over 15 years with various local and national teachers. Kathy
is a 200-hour Yoga Alliance Registered instructor and is also a Reiki practitioner. Kathy has spent the
last 2 decades studying the benefits of the mind/body connection and has found yoga to be one of the
best ways to heal the body and calm the mind. She has studied extensive breath work and has seen
how countless people have been positively affected by simply slowing the breath and relaxing the mind.

Kathy's yoga teaching experience included teaching seniors and teenagers (mostly affected with ADD &
ADHD) and has seen that no matter what the activity level of an individual, yoga has something to offer
everyone. Kathy brings to her teaching a sense of us all being beginners and believes that when we
come to the mat, we begin anew, simply taking one breath at a time.

Rob Hiler
Robert Hiler, is a Tai-Chi instructor for All Star Martial Arts and Fitness in Bedford Ohio. Proficient in
Chang style long form, Yang short form, Beijing form, also Hung Gar, Tiger and White Crane Qi-qong.
Weapons training include straight sword, broadsword, and staff forms. Rob holds a Black Belt in
Northern Shaolin Kung –fu with training in various open hand forms.

Additional Nirvana Yoga Instructors

Darlene Kelbach
Darlene Kelbach has been practicing yoga for over 7 years and has studied at many of the local studios throughout the
Cleveland-Akron area. Darlene is a 200-hour certified yoga instructor and enjoys teaching both adult & children’s yoga
classes. Currently, she is focusing on teaching workshops and private lessons. Darlene is interested in conveying the
message of Self-love. She encourages her students to see yoga as a lifestyle and as a means of nourishing, restoring,
and honoring one’s Self. Darlene’s classes are usually a unique blend of asanas (postures), pranayama (breath work),
and meditation. Darlene is also a Reiki Practitioner & Historical Landscape Architect for the National Park Service.