Mission Statement

Inner Peace Yoga Center Inc. is a non-profit educational organization, a Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga School, dedicated to teaching you the keys to relaxation, stress reduction and self-unfoldment through the time tested practices of Hatha yoga and meditation which are integral parts of Yoga Science. Our directors have thousands of hours of teaching experience, and thousands of hours of training, study and practice since the 1970's in this vast science, and hold Master's degree's in Eastern Studies and Comparative Psychology.

It has now become common knowledge that the techniques of Yoga Science are an asset to health maintenance and illness prevention. We teach classical Hatha yoga; meditation, breathing and relaxation ; yoga philosophy and psychology; the basics of Ayurveda; and vegetarian cooking. We are also available during the day for private Hatha yoga classes or Yoga Therapy sessions.

Our inspiration: Sri Swami Rama

One of the great masters from the Himalayas, Swami Rama is the founder of the Himalayan Institute. Born in India, he studied in both India and Europe and received his spiritual training in the Himalayan cave monasteries and in Tibet. His best known work, Living With the Himalayan Masters, reveals the many facets of this accomplished adept and demonstrates his embodiment of a living tradition. Swami Rama directly trained our center directors.

“All of the body is in the mind, but not all of the mind is in the body.”

—Swami Rama

About the Directors

Carol Crenshaw

Carol is the co-founder and co-director of Inner Peace Yoga Center in Indianapolis and co-director Emeritus of the Himalayan Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy of New York City. She has been practicing yoga and meditation for over 30 years and holds a Master's degree in Eastern Studies/Comparative Psychology/Holistic Health from the University of Scranton. She is certified to teach Hatha Yoga and Meditation from the Himalayan Institute Teacher's Association and is an E-RYT Yoga Alliance instructor. She has taught yoga practices for twenty-five years in the U.S., India, and Italy. She served as a yoga therapist, biofeedback trainer, and wellness counselor both at the Center for Holistic Medicine in New York City and at the Himalayan Institute headquarters in Honesdale, PA, where she also served as a senior teacher. She is the author of several articles that have appeared in Yoga International magazine. Carol is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Phoenix, where she teaches courses in philosophy, psychology, sociology, and the humanities.

 

Charles Crenshaw

Charles is the co-founder and co-director of Inner Peace Yoga Center in Indianapolis and co-director Emeritus of the Himalayan Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy of New York City. He has been practicing meditation and yoga since 1974. He holds a Master's degree in Eastern Studies/Comparative Psychology/Holistic Health from the University of Scranton. During his tenure in New York, Charles worked on the staff of the Center for Holistic Medicine as a teacher, counselor, yoga therapist, and biofeedback trainer. He is also an ordained Interfaith Minister from the New Seminary, New York City, where he specialized in spiritual counseling, and served on the lecture faculty for two years. Charles holds a certificate of training for Alcohol & Substance Abuse counseling from the New School for Social Research in New York City, and is a Reiki master. He also served on the staff of the Himalayan Institute Charitable Hospital (Jolly Grant, Dehra Dun, India) as a yoga therapist and researcher investigating the benefits of yoga on health. Charles has served as a senior teacher and seminar coordinator at the Himalayan Institute's national headquarters in Honesdale, PA. He is certified to teach Hatha Yoga and Meditation through the Himalayan Institute Teacher's Association (HITA), is an E-RYT Yoga Alliance instructor, and has studied eclectically worldwide. Charles is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Phoenix, where he teaches courses in philosophy, psychology, religion, and sociology

 

Other Teachers

Melissa Barnes

Melissa was introduced to yoga while attending college at Indiana University, where she graduated with a B.A. in Psychology and English. She began practicing at Inner Peace Yoga Center in 2009. Melissa is a certified teacher and recently completed the Teacher’s Training Certification Program through IPYC. She is a new mother to 6-month-old son, Asher, and a new teacher at IPYC.

Allison Ford

Allison is married and has a young daughter. She keeps busy running her handmade jewelry business, AMF, teaching yoga at Inner Peace, and gardening. Allison was certified to teach in 2008 at Inner Peace and has been teaching ever since.

Susan Goodart

Susan brings her background in teaching aerobics/fitness to teaching yoga. She is a certified personal trainer/fitness counselor and became a certified yoga teacher through Inner Peace in 2008. Susan teaches all levels of class for adults, as well as children’s yoga. She teaches yoga to “…give back to others the chance to have a life with depth, understanding and purpose which yoga has give me.”

Bonnie Hand 

Bonnie has been a student of yoga in the Himalayan tradition for 25 years. After learning yoga in Indianapolis, she moved to Sarasota, Florida where she began teaching yoga at the local Humane Society and at the Women’s Resource Center. Upon moving back to Indianapolis mid 2006, Bonnie started teaching at Inner Peace, and became a certified teacher in our Teacher Training program in 2008.Bonnie is married and lives with a rescued four year old part Border Collie. She is also a Reiki master.

Denise Petolino

Denise is married to Joe and has three adult children.  She has degrees in Fine Art and Horticulture and became a certified yoga teacher through Inner Peace in 2008. She teaches at the center and an outreach class at the Cancer Support Community, Central IN.  In addition she is employed part time on the horticulture staff at the Indianapolis Museum of Art and teaches a yoga class to her horticulture colleagues.

David Studley

David has a degree in Fine Arts from Herron University and is the co-owner of Silver Crow Studio where he does faux/decorative painting. David became a certified yoga teacher at Inner Peace in 2008, and has been teaching our Pay-What-You-Can and other yoga classes.

Connie Tellman

Connie has been studying and practicing yoga with the Crenshaw's since 1999. Her favorite benefit of yoga is the relaxed state that it brings about. She was certified to teach in 2008 at Inner Peace and has been teaching ever since. Connie has 3 children and is married to Bill, her husband of 25 years.  She has an undergraduate science degree and an M.B.A.  Besides yoga, her favorite activities are walking, reading, and gardening. Her passion also includes volunteering at Global Gifts, a fair trade store.

Melissa Webb

Melissa Webb – Melissa’s first yoga class was with Carol at a local fitness center.   What started as the final piece of a fitness program became a passion.  Shortly after IPYC opened in 1999 she entered the teacher's training program at the Himalayan Institute in Pennsylvania, obtaining certification in 2003.  She followed that with an in-depth training course in therapeutic yoga.  She is E-RYT 500 certified.

Inner Peace Yoga Center Board Members

 

Carol Crenshaw

Carol is the Treasurer of the Board of Directors. Please see write-up under ‘Center Directors’.

 

Charles Crenshaw

Charles is the webmaster for Inner Peace. Please see write-up under ‘Center Directors’.

 

Andrew Alam

Andy is a young entrepeneur  co-owner of Puzzle Peace Entertainment.

 

David Studley

David is co-owner of Silver Crow.  Please see his bio under ‘Teachers’.

 

Connie Tellman

Connie is President of our board, and chairwoman of our community outreach program.  Please see her bio under ‘Teachers’.

 

Denise Petolino

Denise is Secretary of the Board of Directors. Please see her bio under ‘Teachers’.

  

Nicolette Wills

Nicolette is chairwoman of Marketing. She presently works at Emmis Communications as the general sales manager. Nicolette has a degree from Indiana University, Bloomington. When not working, she enjoys home life with husband and children.