Joann began her yoga journey when she was 19 years old, living in New York City while attending college at NYU. Stress from both college and city living led her to the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center, that was more than 30 years ago, and she has been practicing Yoga ever since.

Ted’s practice has been a long and winding road. It began with an Asana practice at age 19 and advanced meditation techniques years later. From his early teacher he studied the Vedas, including the Yoga Sutras, the Bhagavad-Gita, the Ramayana, the Rigveda and the Upanishads. Through study and practice he developed a greater understanding of creative consciousness and the field of all possibilities. In 1990 Ted completed the Maharishi Advanced TM Siddhi program in Washington DC.

Joann and Ted received their original 200+ hour teaching certification under the guidance of Dharma Mittra at the Dharma Yoga Center in New York City. They hold certificates in Integrative Yoga for Seniors from the Duke University School of Integrative Medicine. They are certified Relax and Renew® teachers and certified Integrated Yoga Tune Up® and Roll Model® Method instructors. Joann is also certified as a Raw Chef.

Joann and Ted have been a yoga, health, and wellness advocates on Nantucket since 2010. In 2010, they opened Dharma Yoga Nantucket offering yoga and healthy eating classes in the loft at Bartlett’s Farm. In 2012, they created The Nantucket Yoga Festival, bringing wellness experts and healthy living guides to the island for one inspiring weekend. When the Nantucket Yoga Festival launched in 2012, its greatest supporter was Holly Finigan and the Nantucket blACKbook. For the past three years, the three of them have been conceptualizing the evolution and next chapter of The Nantucket Yoga Festival, and in 2025, they combined their visions to create Happy Place: A Wellness Symposium and in 2026, they collaboratively launched the Nantucket Wellness Festival.