OUR TEAM
NICOLA HOWELL
Nicci’s yoga journey started 20 yrs ago while traveling around Rishikesh in the foothills of the Himalayas, India. She completed several intense training courses in this area known as the world capital of yoga, she specialized in Hatha Ashtanga Tristana yoga, a deeply traditional form of yoga including Asana, Pranayama, Meditation and Yoga Nidra.
Finding internal and external healing, she continued a strong self practice, later adding Vinyasa style and Yin yoga teacher training to her repertoire.
Nicci believes that we all have the capacity to find ‘our own yoga’ and that it will mean something different for everyone. Her goal is to hold space for all students where they can feel safe to explore their yoga practice, challenge themselves and learn something new. Nicci’s classes focus on proper breathing, smooth asana transitions and a chance to go more inward and find your inner quiet.
When Nicci is not teaching or practicing she is enjoying spending time with her husband, young daughter, rescue dog and cat. She loves to be outside hiking and skiing, cooking new recipes and catching up with friends.
RICH MANCUSO
Rich Mancuso is the founder of BSR (Breath, Stretch, Release). BSR is built for those who are looking for more joy and happiness in their daily life. For over 25 years Rich as been studying and practicing yoga, energy healing, pranayama breathing techniques & meditation. He has studied several modalities that integrate healing of the heart, body, and mind. He is certified in Breathwork, Kundalini yoga, vinyasa flow, prana vidya, yoga nidra, Qigong and a Reiki Master.
BSR is his methodology for combing all his training into a practice that allows individuals to move through blockers in their mind, body and spirit with ease and feel energized in every step they take.
Learn more at bsrnow.com
SARAH ANJALI
Sarah Anne Cutler has been teaching yoga in and around the Hamptons since 2013. She has taught a variety of ages and abilities, including elderly clients, the special needs community and many people with addictions and substance abuse issues.
Sarah has her 200-hour Yoga Certification from The Kripalu Center in Lennox Mass. In addition to Yoga, Sarah was formally trained in ballet, and has instructed personal training and aerobics classes in Connecticut . She holds a masters degree in education and taught in the public school system for 13 years. Sarah also enjoys teaching beach yoga, boogie boarding and travel.
LARAINE D. GORDON
Laraine Gordon, LCSW-R is a licensed clinical social worker, Breathe Deep facilitator, and doTERRA Wellness Advocate with over 25 years of experience in psychotherapy, wellness education, and community outreach. Her work blends therapeutic insight with holistic tools—such as Aromatouch essential oil treatments and positivity-based workshops—to support healing for individuals, teens, and families.
Laraine is the founder of Love Your Life Coastal, a wellness and lifestyle company based in Southampton, and the nonprofit Time for Teens, which offers retreats and counseling for bereaved adolescents. Whether working one-on-one or leading a group, Laraine’s approach is solution-focused, engaging, and rooted in the belief that transformation begins with self-awareness and compassionate care.
MICHELE LIOT
Michele is a Certified Nurse Midwife, Certified Lactation Counselor, and Childbirth Educator with a lifelong passion for supporting birthing people. Born at home and shaped by a culture of low-intervention birth, Michele brings both deep trust in the body’s wisdom and the clinical expertise gained from her experience in high-acuity hospital settings.
She honors birth as a spectrum—knowing when to step in, and when to simply hold space. Michele is dedicated to providing respectful, evidence-based care that centers autonomy, connection, and joy. As founder of East End Midwifery Services, she supports clients from puberty through parenthood with compassion and skill, serving the East End of Long Island through homebirth care, education, and community advocacy.
MONICA VONKANEL
Monica – Yogini with an accent! Monica grew up in a small town in Switzerland, where she started practicing Yoga at the age of 14. Hatha yoga, along with meditation, and chanting have been the pillars of her life, allowing her to experience happiness from within. Monica has been a fulltime staff member at Gurumayi Chidvilasananda’s Ashram, and she has completed extensive studies of the Shakta Shaiva nondual tantric tradition with Professor Paul Muller-Ortega in more recent years. She is trained in Archetypal Psychology by Caroline Myss, and Ms Deborah Becker.
Monica has been a beloved teacher with the Ananda Yoga Studio since 2008, which makes her the most senior of the contracted teachers. She has completed her training in the Anusara style of yoga and holds a certificate at the 200-hour level. Monica is an inspirational teacher whose focus is alignment, breath and the language of the heart. While teaching a well-rounded class, she has the ability and gift to take her students to a sweet, authentic and deep space within, creating inner shifts and experiences of fullness and wholeness which last far longer than the class itself.
Monica is also a certified Birth and End-of-Life Doula, and an Archetypal and transpersonal Life Coach.
MARY A. BUFFO
Mary Angela Buffo is the director of Ananda Wellness & Yoga Center. She has been teaching yoga, meditation, energy healing, and counseling for the past 30 years, specializing in addiction counseling. Her mission is to bring people home to their bodies and heal emotional wounds allowing for a deep, transformational shift that will inspire a life beyond your wildest dreams. She both enjoys teaching classes and working privately with students.
Mary offers workshops and retreats based on the Law of Attraction, the art of unlearning, energy balancing, and Heart Bliss Yoga all over the world.
Mary has worn many different hats in this life from baker, soup maker, restaurant manager, model, teacher, addiction counselor, etc. Ananda Wellness & Yoga Center has been opened since May, 2001, both serving the East End community with many styles of yoga and integrative wellness. Mary’s ambition is helping you achieve your highest state of well-being. Our practitioners are here to guide you on your journey of wellness. Namaste.
P.S. The photo you see is Mary with her son, Kai—a reminder that the practice extends beyond the mat and into the heart of everyday life.
JUSTINE CHAROS
Justine is a certified RYT-200 yoga teacher offering both Slow Flow and Vinyasa Flow classes. With over a decade of personal practice and two years of teaching experience, she brings a grounded, thoughtful presence to each session. In May 2023, she completed her teacher training through Jala Yoga School in Hampton Bays, New York, where she deepened her connection to movement, breath, and mindful awareness.
Her classes are designed to be both accessible and enriching, supporting students at every stage of their practice. She encourages intentional movement, strength-building, and calm through breath and presence—offering a supportive space to explore and grow. Whether you’re new to yoga or returning to the mat, her classes welcome you just as you are.
Find her on Instagram: @ebbandfloga.
DR. ANDREW COHEN
For 33 years, Dr. Andrew Cohen, D.C. has helped both children and adults recover their health and live life to the fullest.
Having specialized training in pediatrics, pregnancy (Webster Method) and gentle chiropractic methods (Network Chiropractic), Dr. Andrew offers a safe, effective, and loving approach for everyone in his practice. He is 1993 graduate of Life Chiropractic College.
Dr. Cohen offers presentations on the importance of the nervous system and the unique role of chiropractic to improve health for the whole family. He is a member of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association. He practices in Southampton N.Y. (41 Windmill Lane).
MICHELLE KOZOFSKY
Michelle is a heart-centered yoga teacher who creates welcoming, inclusive spaces for all bodies and backgrounds. Her gentle, intuitive approach invites students to move with kindness, listen to their breath, and honor their own rhythm.
Michelle first discovered yoga as a child, but it was returning to the practice as an adult that truly transformed her life. In 2017, she completed her 200-hour certification and has since continued her training, including becoming a certified Y12SR (Yoga of 12-Step Recovery) peer support guide.
She teaches studio classes, private sessions, group events, and beach yoga—with the intention to share the healing, joy, and grounding that yoga has given her.