Staff 

Staff

Learn More About Our Experienced Instructors

Dedicated to helping our clients find both peace of mind and improve their overall health and wellness, Satya Yoga & Pilates is proud to offer a variety of yoga classes, Pilates classes, as well as private one-on-one yoga and Pilates instruction. Each class is conducted with the assistance of our experienced and skilled instructors. If you are interested in exploring the benefits of yoga or any of our other classes, and live in the Long Island, NY area including Miller Place, Port Jefferson, or Setauket, NY, the team at Satya Yoga & Pilates is here for you. 
 
In addition to visiting our studio located in Port Jefferson, NY, we also offer convenient virtual class options so you can experience one of our classes from the comfort of your own home. Call today for more information on how to enroll!
 
Offering extensive experience in a variety of practices including Pilates mat classes, Pilates reformer classes, fertility yoga, prenatal yoga, vinyasa yoga, restorative yoga classes, and more, we invite you to continue reading to learn more about our friendly and knowledgeable team.

MELISSA BOYD

Melissa Boyd is the owner of Satya Yoga & Pilates studio in Port Jefferson Station, New York and has been a yoga teacher for the last 21 years, a dance teacher for the last 24 years, and a Pilates instructor for the last 17 years. She is a 500 hour E-RYT and specializes in pre-natal yoga, fertility yoga, and chair yoga.

Melissa has a rich history of studying and working with masters including Judith Lasater, Shifu Shi Yan Ming, Beth Lepkowski Maloney, PT, DPT, Nelly Lugo, PT, BS, OCS. CHFS, CPT Polestar Pilates Ed, and many others. She was formerly the Director of The Yoga Institute East Coast with Lex Gillan, and recently has started her own 200 hour yoga teacher training and certification program.

It is Melissa’s path in life to facilitate health and healing, which led her to devote so many years to becoming the amazing resource she is today. It is now her goal to share her learning with as many people as possible in order to help the world.

 

Melissa practiced the principles and postures of yoga at a very young age, but received her first certification from The Yoga Institute 20 years ago. She was given the opportunity to train with Judith Lasater Ph.D. and Dr. Roger Cole 16 years ago, and became a Relax and Renew trainer (Restorative Yoga) under their tutelage. She believed so strongly in the Yoga Institute and she has completed her 500 E-RYT in order to become a branch of the Yoga Institute called The Yoga Institute – East Coast. I served as the Director of that training for five years. I started my own teacher training in school over ten years ago and it call Yoga University-East Coast. We have certifications for the 200 hour, 300 hour, and 500 hour course.

Being certified in restorative yoga gives Melissa a unique opportunity to help people recover from injuries as well as work with people from all fitness levels. Teaching restorative yoga has also enabled her to work with pre-natal and post-pregnancy students. In addition to Vinyasa and restorative yoga, Melissa also teaches fertility yoga, kids’ yoga, gentle yoga, chair yoga, and stroga (partner-based yoga incorporating strength training and yoga).

In Yoga for Fertility, Melissa has found great success working with women who are combating infertility by combining Yoga philosophy to combat stress and incorporating poses that balance female hormones. She has used her expertise at East Coast Body and Mind, which is located at East Coast Fertility. Currently, she gives private lessons and is the referring Yoga Instructor for Long Island IVF.

 

To enhance her ability to help people with their injuries as well as their fitness goals, Melissa became certified in Polestar Pilates Allegro PF- A4, 6 years ago. The principles of Pilates and core stability add to her knowledge of rehabilitation of the body. She has also completed the Polestar Studio certification in all of the equipment.

Melissa has been a student of dance for 26 years and a teacher of dance for 13 years. During this time, she has studied many different types of dance including ballet, jazz, lyrical, ballroom, and belly dancing. She has offered classes and workshops at many different establishments throughout the course of her teaching career. Currently Melissa has weekly classes in belly dancing and workshops in all dance, as well as private lessons

 

Currently, Melissa is enjoying every moment of being the director and owner of Satya Yoga & Pilates studio. The studio also includes nutrition seminars, massage therapy on-site, and various other workshops.

MARILYN ANN GUSMANO

Marilyn Ann Gusmano has a 30-year background in dance, gymnastics and fitness. Her passion in dance led her to attend O.D.U. of Virginia and C.S.L.B. of California while she pursued a career in teaching. After she earned her degree in elementary education in 1996, it afforded her the opportunity to substitute in both New York and Florida school districts. During this time, she also coached three kickline/dance teams. Her teaching and choreography skills had enabled the Wellington High School Dance Team to achieve the second place award at the National Dance Association competition.

 
In addition, Marilyn holds several certifications: A.F.A.A. Group Fitness Instructor, A.F.A.A. Advanced Personal Trainer, Aquatics and Ballecore. In 2000, after her unfortunate neck and back injury from a car accident, she became a strong advocate of the Joseph H. Pilates “contrology” system. Because of her own rehabilitative challenges and belief in the Pilates discipline, it motivated her to receive 3 national/international Pilates certifications: Physical Mind Institute (mat); IM=X (mat and reformer); and Polestar Allegro.
 
Her fascination in the origins of the Pilates repertoire, along with her desire to help others, has allowed Marilyn to further advance herself by most recently achieving POLESTAR’S Studio/Rehab Certifications. She is currently a principal teacher of the Pilates method at the Satya studio.