Lightrail Yoga Teachers
Our outstanding teachers are the core of our community. Certified teachers, each of our instructors is committed to deepening their studies, growing as teachers and guiding their students along the path of self-discovery. They are inspired by and instruct from their own practice — experimenting, innovating and sharing with you what they discover.
Benjamin Smielowitz
Benjamin Smielowitz’s upbringing in a tight-knit Jewish community in New York instilled him with a curiosity about spirituality which eventually led him to begin searching for more purpose and meaning early on in his life. In his 20s, he began studying meditational practices in Brooklyn, and it was through these experiences that he serendipitously found himself in the studio of Sri Dharma Mittra at The Dharma Yoga Center in NYC. There, he was an assistant and an apprentice of Sri Dharma Mittra and came to understand much about the scientific and spiritual resonance of yogic practices. He received his E-RYT 200 and 500 certification from The Dharma Yoga Center in NYC.
Radha-Krishna Lila
Radha-Krishna Lila (Cristiane Silva) is a native Brazilian who after receiving her law degree at UFRJ, decided to forego practicing law to pursue her passions through a career as a professional dancer and dance teacher. She first encountered yogic practices through the teachings of Bhakti Yoga where she fell in love with mantra and song. At the time, Radha was a professional dance teacher and dancer who toured internationally to Japan, Korea and the USA. It wasn’t until her career brought her to the US that Radha began to deepen her yogic practices by studying Hatha Yoga. In 2009, she encountered the renowned master yogi, Sri Dharma Mittra, whom she began to study closely with. Under his guidance, she received her E-RYT 500 certification from The Dharma Yoga Center in NYC.
Paula Moller
Paula, is a true believer to build movement into your life!
She has been in the fitness industry since 2008. As a certified personal trainer she has been training clients getting them not only fit ,but educated them to use their bodies mindfully. With an extensive knowledge of anatomy she started practicing yoga to connect more deeply and in different way with her body and mind. Her true love for yoga started to flourish, completing her RYT200 with Lightrailyoga becoming an avid student of Radha and Benjamin.
Her classes combined a creative sequences, a spirit of playfulness and a dose of inspirations to move freely. Either you are 20 years or 90 years old, she will awake your inner athlete finding your freedom on movement, nurturing your body and reclaiming your magic.
Alicia La Grave
Alicia's first encounter with yoga was 16 years ago and was a visual one. Looking through gym windows, she felt an immediate connection without knowing that it was yoga, her new passion to come. Since then, she has been practicing and exploring different yoga styles, such as Anusara, with the late Peter Barber and Luciana Feltrin, and Skanda Yoga with Ken “Anand” Von Roem lll and Lina “Sadhana “ Vallejos. In 2010, she completed her 200 -Hr certification at Yoga Mukta with Bonnie Guevara. In 2017, she completed her 300-Hr certification at Lightrail Yoga with Radha Krishna Lila and Benjamin Smielowitz. Her teachers have left a monumental mark on her lifestyle. This has grounded her physically, emotionally, and spiritually. As a wife, mother, and a grandmother of four, she has the heart and the undying willingness to give and to share her knowledge and experiences with yoga. Born and raised in Venezuela, from Chinese descend, Alicia feels genuine joy exploring all the aspects of yoga. She honors the unique characteristics and capacities of each individual and consequently demonstrating that yoga is, in fact, for everyone, and that its benefits should be experienced by all. For Alicia, all these years of yoga practice have brought amazing personal achievements. Now, her journey goes on with the intact enthusiasm of the first day.