Meet Our Teachers
NICOLE CHUMSKY (Owner)
Nicole is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Mindfulness Coach and Registered Trauma Informed Yoga Instructor. She specializes in helping people build self-awareness, learn how to be powerful in their lives, strengthen their ability to tolerate change and guide them in making choices that are meaningful. She is the owner and founder of Be Embodied, LLC and has been in private practice since 2013, teaching mindfulness since 2015 and teaching yoga since 2016.
With years of experience she realized how many people suffer from being out of touch with their bodies. She was able to draw upon her own experience and the experiences of her clients to clearly see the ways in which disembodiment increases stress levels, reactivity and discontent with life. Using her expertise she created Mindflow™ Yoga.
Mindflow™ teaches you how to keep your mind in flow with your body through mindfulness meditation based instruction. These classes teach you to train your brain to pay attention to everything happening inside the four corners of your mat. You are encouraged to let your body inform your pose rather than the pose inform your body. In this way, you embody self-compassion, focus your mind and master taking yoga off the mat and into your life! Nicole realized that everyone can greatly benefit from yoga practice and was eager to share her secret to living a more fulfilled life!
Rebekah O'Kelley (Studio Manager)
Rebekah O’Kelley is a yoga teacher, herbalist, and lifelong student of the body. With advanced training in Hatha, Vinyasa, and Yin yoga, she offers classes that are steady, spacious, and supportive. Her teaching blends mindful movement, breath, and practical anatomy to help students feel more at home in their bodies—without pressure to perform.
VANESSA REDWING
Vanessa is a neurocomplex Health & Wellness Coach and spiritual journeyer. Her recovery path has led her to a life of healing where she shares her experience, strength and hope with others. Vanessa has a daily mindfulness practice that is woven into her mental, physical & spiritual wellness routine. Yoga, qigong, kriya, meditation, breathwork, energy work and sound healings are her foundational modalities. Divine Love is the root of all Vanessa’s practices and the traditions she follows are gifts from the Gurus who paved the way before her. Vanessa humbly offers modalities that have worked for her in individual and group sessions.
Betsy Eberle
I Love Yoga!
My practice began 16 years ago as a way to prevent and ease running injuries. It was a beautiful surprise to find that not only my physical Body felt better, but that both my Mind and Spirit had also gone through Wonderful changes…on and off my mat. This inspired me to become a certified yoga teacher(CYT), with a strong desire to share some of the beautifully transformative aspects of Yoga with others.
I received my CYT-200 certification in 2017 at East Meets West Yoga in Buffalo, NY and was very fortunate to learn from and teach among many of the area’s best, until the studios closed in 2022.
I am ever grateful for all I’ve learned and continue to learn, as my Yoga practice has changed my life! I welcome you to practice with me as a seasoned Yogi or beginner 🙂
Namaste, Betsy
Lauren Etu
I am a 500 hour registered yoga teacher, a trauma – resiliency coach, and a 20-year veteran school psychologist. I reside in Williamsville, NY with my family.
My passion is to teach others about their nervous system and how yoga and mindfulness can be healing tools for such. I specialize in Yin, restorative, slow-flow, and children’s yoga. I believe yoga should be accessible to all and healing towards the mind and soul, in addition to the body.
Stephanie Hagan
Stephanie discovered her passion for teaching yoga through a lifelong love of dance and movement. While living in NYC, yoga became a powerful complement to her dance career, eventually leading her to become an RYT-500 certified teacher. With over seven years of experience, Stephanie has taught studio classes and led Yoga Teacher Trainings. A Buffalo native, she recently returned home after a decade spent living in NYC, Arizona, and traveling the world.
Stephanie is drawn to the quiet stillness of yoga and the way it invites people to turn inward, cultivating a sense of peace that carries both on and off the mat. Expect calming breathwork, intentional movement, and a gentle return to yourself in her classes.
Caroline Jo Firkins
Caroline’s journey with yoga began at a young age, practicing alongside her Mom as a way to start the day with positive energy and intention. Over the years, yoga became a grounding ritual in her life, offering a space to relax, reset, and reconnect with her highest self.
After earning her degree in Human Services and beginning her work in the helping profession, Caroline became aware of how often people are disconnected from their bodies and inner needs. This insight sparked her personal study into holistic health and healing. Through her journey, she discovered that integrating mindfulness practices into everyday life can serve as a powerful way to reconnect and align with our true selves.
In 2025, Caroline began her 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training as a step towards helping others in a holistic way. Caroline’s classes create a grounded, calming space where intention and presence come together to empower students to step into their highest, most authentic selves.
Rooted in both human services and holistic healing, Caroline’s work is guided by the belief that lasting peace begins when we heal the mind by reconnecting with the body.
Allyson Gracie
Lisa Winter
Lisa been practicing yoga for over 20 years. She teaches gentle yoga at various locations around Western New York and is thrilled to be part of the team at Be Embodied. Lisa loves introducing people to yoga-especially those who say, “I can’t do yoga!”
When not practicing yoga, she works in IT Communications for a (very) large pharmacy and health care provider. Lisa is married, and along with her child and seven cats, enjoys hockey and is a die-hard NY Rangers fan.
Nikki Finn
Nikki Finn is a passionate yoga teacher committed to making yoga accessible for everyone, meeting students exactly where they are in their practice. As an active individual, she has explored various movement practices over the years, seeking approaches that honor the body at every stage of life.
Through her teaching, Nikki fosters a space where students of all levels can connect with their bodies, release tension, and find joy in movement, encouraging a sustainable and nourishing yoga practice that meets them exactly where they are.
Jesi
Through my own healing journey, I discovered the profound impact that yoga can have on mental health and well-being. As I experienced the benefits of yoga in my own life, I developed a deep appreciation for its ability to support both physical and emotional wellness. This experience inspired me to pursue my 250-hour Yoga Alliance certification and begin sharing this practice with others.
I am especially passionate about trauma-informed yoga and the connection between yoga and mental health. I believe that creating a safe, supportive, and inclusive space is essential for meaningful practice. My goal is to help students cultivate a deeper sense of trust in themselves while exploring mindful movement and the breath in ways that feel accessible and empowering.
One of my core beliefs is that each of us knows our own body best. In my classes, I encourage students to listen to their bodies and make choices that support their individual needs. Rather than striving for a perfect pose, I invite students to approach their practice with curiosity and self-compassion.
Whether you are stepping onto the mat for the first time or continuing a long-standing practice, I am honored to support you on your journey. I look forward to creating a space where you can reconnect with yourself, find moments of peace, and experience the healing potential of yoga.
Kristin Martin
For Kristin, yoga is a homecoming. Her teaching is dedicated to creating a sanctuary where you can shed the outside world and reconnect with your most grounding and authentic self. Through mindful movement and breath, Kristin invites you to explore your practice with curiosity, releasing expectations, and discovering the strength that comes from simply being you.
Kristin is a mother of two, holds her 200hr certification, Yin, and prenatal and postpartum certification.
