Instructor Profile

Heather McDonnell

Heather is a certified Yoga (200-RYT) instructor who has been practicing since 2008. Within 6 months of her first yoga class, she was hooked on the amazing physical and mental benefits of a regular practice. As a recipient of great instruction, she finds joy in bringing the gift of yoga to all her students regardless of experience. Favorite yoga pose: ardha chandrasana (half moon) because it is so expansive!

Instructs: yoga,

Instructor Profile

Laurie Schoonmaker

Laurie Schoonmaker has been teaching group fitness classes since she was 16 years old (does anyone remember Elaine Powers?) She first stumbled into a yoga class back in 1997 just because it was made available at her gym. She was immediately hooked as it was the first time in a group class that she was not glancing at a clock to determine how much time was left. Her first yoga training was scheduled a week after her law school graduation with David Swenson in Ashtanga yoga.

In her classes, Laurie creates a space where students can come as they are and expect to be treated to a thoughtful experience that integrates body, mind, and spirit. Laurie enjoys teaching many modalities of yoga, including Yin Yoga, Yoga for Athletes, and Flow. Laurie enjoys sharing these yoga experiences with athletes at the University of Toledo (her alma matter).

Laurie completed 200 hour yoga trainings with Yoga Lab Naples (2016) and with YogaFit in 2008. She has also taken trainings in Yoga for Athletes, Yin Yoga with Danielle Mercer, Nancy Nelson, and Bernie Clark. In addition to her yoga training, Laurie is a certified CrossFit (Levels 1 & 2) coach and sports nutrition specialist through Eat to Perform and Precision Nutrition. Laurie most recently completed a Pilates Level 1 training with Cynthia Taylor and a Restorative Yoga Training with Bernard Wandel.

Instructs: yoga,

Instructor Profile

Cat Crites

Instructs: beyondbarre,

Instructor Profile

Liz Sloan

Instructs: beyondbarre,

Instructor Profile

Sue Lee

Sue started her yoga journey over 10 years ago while searching for more alternative health methods. Her personal yoga practice became her passion and in 2008 she became certified in Vinyasa Flow and Hatha Yoga through Yoga Fit. She continued her teachings with a certification to teach seniors in 2010 while simultaneously raising her young children. Her passion continues and in 2011 she graduated from Lourdes University with a Bachelors of Arts Degree in Allied Health. Sue plans to further her journey as an advocate in the wellness industry. When not teaching, you can find Sue enjoying life with her husband and three boys.

Instructs: yoga,

Instructor Profile

Lisa Blakely

Instructs: yoga,

Instructor Profile

Erin Betz

A native of Washington state, Erin has been an avid athlete, dancer and outdoor enthusiast and her entire life. Erin is certified in Yoga, Prenatal Yoga, Prenatal/Postpartum Fitness, BeyondBarre and is a NCPT Certified Pilates Teacher. Erin continues to deepen her practices through continued education and self study and weaves her experiences from across the globe and passion for movement into all of her teachings. Erin leads powerful and enthusiastic classes, workshops and retreats that leave you with a deeper sense of purpose, balance and community.

Erin graduated with a Bachelors degree in Accounting from the University of Colorado- Boulder and a Masters in Taxation from the University of Washington. When not teaching, you can find Erin traveling, skiing, golfing, kayaking or hiking outdoors with her husband, twin boys and dog Betzy.

Instructs: yoga, beyondbarre,

Instructor Profile

Cynthia Taylor

Cynthia has been teaching classical Pilates for 20 years and has studied with four of the six first generation teachers (Elders) of Pilates and holds certificates of her extensive studies with them. She has a BFA degree from Bowling Green State University and studied Exercise Science at the University of Toledo and continues to study with Master teachers Michele Larsson and Patricia Guyton.

Cynthia is certified through the National Pilates Certification Program, the only professional organization that upholds the integrity of the method as developed by its originator, Joseph Pilates. She has the only NCPT approved Pilates Teacher-Training Program in Toledo and she continues to instill her passion for the work by training others to teach “true” Pilates.

Because of her diverse background and training in Pilates methodology, she has been successful working with persons who need therapy and strength training following knee, hip and shoulder replacements as well as with post breast reconstruction patients. The results she has been able to attain for her clients have grown her passion for the method which she enjoys sharing with clients and students alike.

Instructs: pilates,

Instructor Profile

Phoebe Sloan

Phoebe has been a yoga practitioner for over twenty years. Beginning in Junior High School, she and her dad took classes in the Iyengar tradition at the 577 Foundation in Perrysburg. It was there that she began to realize the benefits of yoga, not only on herself but in the diversity of age groups in the class. In 2007 she was certified to teach at the 200 hundred level through Yoga Works in Seattle, WA, where she began teaching. She eventually moved back to Ohio to be closer to her family, where she found the beautiful Tonic studio. Since 2012 she has been the studio manager at Tonic and is teaching classes several times a week there. She has most recently become a certified Relax and Renew Restorative Yoga Teacher, studying under Judith Lasater in San Francisco. She has continued her restorative yoga training in assisting Judith in a Relax and Renew Teacher Training in Chicago, as well as attending her workshops in Yellow Springs and Austin.

In addition, Phoebe is a jewelry designer and artist. She sells her work at local galleries and art shows making new creations regularly out of her home studio. She is so grateful to be part of the creative community as well as the wonderful yoga and wellness community that Tonic has to offer.

Instructs: yoga,

Instructor Profile

Nancy Sloan

Nancy Angira Sloan RYT 500

A student of yoga since her twenties,Nancy began studying with Yogi Amrit Desai in 2007,one of the earliest pioneers of yoga in the west. She has Certification in the Amrit Method Yoga Instructor LevelI and II,Master Yoga Nidra Meditation Facilitator, and Amrit Method ReikiMaster (Usui Lineage). Nancy is a practicing Licensed Massage Therapist,Registered Nurse and TranspersonalEnergy Therapist having an extensive background in breath practices, andanatomy this amount both physically and energetically. She applies the seven integrative principals of Intention, Alignment, Breath, Inward Focus, Concentration, Meditative Awareness, and Integration in her teaching.

Instructs: yoga,

Instructor Profile

Emily Youssef

Emily graduated from the University of Toledo where she holds a Bachelors degree in marketing and business management. After several years in sales she decided to purse her passion for health and wellness. She is a certified Stott Pilates and Beyond Barre Instructor. She began studying Pilates to help lengthen and stretch her body and fell in love with the transformation process. Emily is a motivated instructor who loves providing clients of all backgrounds with challenging workouts to help them reach their full fitness potential. When she is not teaching you can find her enjoying time with her family and friends with a glass of wine.

Instructs: pilates, beyondbarre,

Instructor Profile

Eliana Schroder

Instructs: pilates,

Instructor Profile

Tracey Zimmers

In 2009 Tracey started her Pilates journey after being introduced to the method by a recommendation from a friend. Her love of Pilates was immediate! Diagnosed in her early teens with mild Scoliosis, Tracey suffered from back pain and poor posture for most of her life. She was amazed at how quickly her posture improved and her back pain subsided by strengthening her core and back muscles through her Pilates practice. Tracey loved the change in her body and the overall feeling of well-being she had after each Pilates session.

After 20+ years of working as an administrative assistant/office manager in the private country club business, in 2016 she decided to follow her passion for the method and pursue a certification to teach Pilates. Tracey received her all-level comprehensive Pilates certification under Krista Schollaert Garabedian at Lates Pilates in Pittsburgh, PA in the fall of 2016. She learned a great deal throughout her certification process, teaching all types of clients with various health issues. Tracey enjoys learning from her clients and helping them achieve their personal goals. She loves watching the transformation of her client’s body throughout their own Pilates journey. In her classes she likes to mix it up a bit, and keep it fun and energizing. Tracey believes that protecting the spine by building the core enables one to live a longer, healthier, and happier life!

She has attended continuing education workshops by the famed Courtney Miller, Blossom Leilani Crawford of Bridge Pilates in Brooklyn, NY, as well as Brett Miller. Tracey plans to attend a workshop by second-generation Master Pilates teacher, Jillian Hessel, in October 2020. She attends continuing education workshops to learn and remain current in the technique, enabling her to grow alongside her clients. In Toledo, Tracey continues to deepen her knowledge of Pilates under the thoughtful, expert guidance and instruction of Cynthia Taylor.

Tracey has been married to her husband, John, for 30 years. As well as her love of Pilates, she enjoys traveling with her husband and spending time on a beach or in the mountains!

Instructs: pilates,

Instructor Profile

Maribeth Phibbs

Mare is a yoga practitioner of over 13 years, receiving her first 200hr RYT in 2010, through one of the most respected Ashtanga training programs, It’s Yoga in Sonoma, California. In 2013, she completed her second 200hr RYT with Power Yoga Chicago. She is currently working on her master level certification and spends much of her time traveling and attending workshops to continuing her education to bring the best to TONIC. As an eternal student, her desire to explore all forms of yoga continues and her practice is constantly changing and evolving. Through her quest to deepen her personal practice, yoga became an essential part her everyday lifestyle and has inspired her to spread this love of yoga to other eager beings. Her practice is rooted in ancient instant one teachings built for the modern yogi. Her classes are a fusion of traditional Ashtanga blended with the powerful flow of Vinyasa and is designed to help connect your mind, body, and breath. Mare invites and encourages anyone and everyone to practice yoga.

Come awaken your internal fire with Mare!

Instructs: yoga,

Instructor Profile

Jenna Cron

Instructs: yoga,

Instructor Profile

Michelle Ostermyer

Michelle grew up a dancer and has been practicing yoga for more than a decade. She studied yoga in NYC with master teachers. She was amazed at how the practice of yoga alleviated the stresses of city living and helped bring a sense of balance to her life. In 2014, she moved back to Toledo and began to dig deeper into the practice. She earned her 200-hour teaching certification in early 2015 and most recently received her 500-hour training at the Himalayan Institute. Michelle offers weekly asana classes at Tonic and Yogaja Yoga. She hopes that you leave her classes feeling refreshed and nourished with a deeper connection to yourself. Check out her website at www.belleyogi.com

Instructs: yoga,

Instructor Profile

Jessica Kemp

Jessica is a PMA Certified Pilates Teacher. Jessica found Pilates in 2010 when rehabilitating from a knee injury and has been using Pilates to strengthen her body ever since. Jessica has a Bachelors Degree in Engineering with a minor in Modern Dance Technique, and has taught dance to kids and adults. She is currently enrolled in a Masters of Nutrition program with a Graduate Certificate in Biostatistics and Epidemiology. Jessica started teaching Pilates to help others achieve some of the same improvements in sports performance and injury recovery that she has seen in herself.When not teaching, you can find her at the pool, swimming with the BGSC Masters team, biking or out for a run!

Instructs: pilates,