Meet our team of Yoga Instructors

Amy "Dechen" Zezulka
Senior Teacher, Studio Owner/Founder

Dechen is the founder and owner of the Mystic Yoga Shala and currently a grateful Baptiste Yoga Teacher and a Heartfulness Meditation Instructor who has been training and practicing since 1992 and teaching for over 22 years. She got into yoga for anger management after taking on the job harassment literally into her own hands by slugging a co-worker in the jaw getting her immediately fired. She is a student first and continues her studies with the Baptiste Institute and practices meditation under the guidance of Kamlesh D. Patel, affectionately known as "Daaji," the president of the Heartfulness Organization. Her first teacher training was completed in 1996 at a Sivananda Ashram after studying yoga previously for four years at Jivamukti Yoga under the guidance of Sharon Gannon and David Life in Manhattan. She started teaching in 1996 on the east end of Long Island while working on an organic farm. Soon after she opened up "The Studio" for the Arts and Education in Greenport, NY while also working for The Association for Resource Conservation-encouraging vineyards and farms to use organic methods of farming through on site composting. In 1997 she completed her first ten day silent Vipassana Meditation Retreat and in 1999 she lived, worked and studied at Pema Osel Ling in California, home of the Vajrayana Foundation and the late great Tibetan Rinpoche Lama Tharchin who gave her the name Dechen. She credits the success of her school to the support of her family, her teachers, the Baptiste Methodology and Institute, and all of the dedicated people who work at the shala. Dechen was also the official yoga teacher for the WNBA Connecticut Sun Womens Basketball Team from 2009-2011. Her current favorite quotes are "Freedom comes from discipline”, and "Love grows through service", by her late teacher Parthasarathi Rajagopalachari.

Emma Sutphen
Teacher

Emma took her first Baptiste Yoga class in 2010 at the Mystic Yoga Shala while she was in high school and got hooked on the practice in college. Since then, she has become a 200-hour RYT and taken Baptiste Level One and Two, as well as the Baptiste Art of Assisting and Instructor courses, to become a certified Baptiste Yoga Teacher. Emma believes “your life is your message,” and lives her yoga daily by fostering connections between humans and nature as a farmer, beekeeper, and outdoor educator. She has experienced the ability of yoga to calm the central nervous system and remedy anxiety and depression first hand, and seeks to share the healing qualities of yoga with her students and others. When she isn’t on her mat, she is outside building community in the Mystic area, where she has lived since she was born.

Gail Tittle
Teacher

Gail began her yoga journey here at Mystic Yoga Shala in 2017 after years of running into Dechen at various community events. She immediately fell in love with the Baptiste methodology along with the strength and rhythm of the Journey into Power sequence yet the grounding of the Ujayi(Victory)breath made the most profound impact on her. After her first class, she recalls thinking “ I feel like I have been holding my breath my entire life.”

Yogi Shanti Desai states the power of the breath brilliantly;

“Mastery of Pranayama removes the coverings which hide the light of the mind.”

Gail took the 40 Days of Personal Revolution in 2018 and again in 2023 at the Shala both times deepening her commitment to Yoga. She is a 2024 graduate of Sangha Yoga School 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training.

One of her favorite quotes taken from “ Yoga and Veganism” by Shannon Gannon reveals:

“The asana practice of yoga we do on and off the mat provides us with profound opportunities to heal the planet and evolve our human consciousness.”

This quote aligns perfectly with Gail’s lifelong passion to enliven and elevate the lives of the students she works with. She has had the pleasure of working with differing populations as a Behavior Technician, Autism Movement Therapist, and Dance/Creative Movement Instructor where she incorporated drama, art, and storytelling into her curriculum in public and private schools.

Gail reveals that the Yoga Teacher Training brings her full circle back to her innate natural self grounded now in the components of its discipline, self-study, and orientation towards the ideal of pure awareness.

Sue MacClain
Teacher

Sue believes that a good day is any day she gets to step onto her mat. In describing her connection to yoga, she says, “Yoga is my peace, my inspiration, and my refuge. It has become part of who I am. It is my connection to earth and my space to be. It is infinitely patient, elegantly simple, and immeasurably expansive. My relationship with it is much like any other. It has seen highs and lows, has taught me patience and compassion, and continues to evolve, showing me that the more I give, the more I receive.” In 2010, Sue received her 200-hour certification through the Mystic Yoga Shala & Lifeline Power Yoga, and is now a certified Baptiste Teacher. “I teach because it shows me who I really am. Much of what I am learning about myself and how I move through life, I am learning on my yoga mat. Teaching, learning, and conveying the experiences of my own living yoga practice inspires me to inspire others.” Sue’s teaching style follows the principles of Baptiste yoga, incorporating alignment, mindfulness, flow and breath.

Moira Hechenleitner
Teacher

Moira Hechenleitner is a 200-hr RYT through Sangha Yoga School, and a certified Face Yoga Instructor through the Face Yoga Method.

Moira discovered Power Yoga over 10 years ago and has been an avid student. She loves physical exercise and exploring what the body can do. Yoga has become her ultimate tool to stay grounded, to connect body and mind, to build emotional strength, and to find peace and stillness.

Mystic Yoga Shala became one of her favorite places when she found it over a year ago.

Moira was born and raised in Chile. She moved to Mystic in 2018, bringing her dog Castaña and cat Renardo, who enjoy watching her practice yoga at home and curling up by her side during Savasana.

She is also a veterinarian and a dog behavior consultant. She specializes in separation anxiety and helps dogs and families around the world overcome this disorder.

Jenny Plis
Teacher

Jenny’s mission on this earth is to inspire health and wellness in others. With over 20 years as a certied Health and Physical Education teacher, she brings a deep passion for yoga and mindfulness. Jenny is a 500hr certified Vinyasa Teacher and loves teaching the Baptiste Methodology.

She’s also known for teaching paddleboardyoga in the area and practicing yoga on her paddleboard. Jenny wholeheartedly believes in the transformative power of yoga, having personally experienced its mental, physical, and spiritual benets, and witnessing its positive impact on others. For her, yoga isn't just a concept—it's a way of life that has helped her navigate life’s challenges with greater ease, foster self-love, and embrace peace amidst chaos.

Join Jenny at the Shala, where she’s the newest instructor known for her joyful, knowledgeable, and inspiring presence. Expect her classes to be creative, strong, and full of surprises—come roll out your mat and get zenny with Jenny today.

Aaron Warren
Teacher

Aaron is a yogi who has followed the Baptiste yoga tradition as a dedicated student for over 15 years and started his teaching career at the Mystic Yoga Shala in 2010. Since then he founded Manipura Power Yoga and has traveled the world building power plants and being of service to others.