Team Bios

Maggie Downie is the founder of Personal Euphoria, a fitness and wellness company, where she has been helping clients reduce pain since 2005.

Maggie is certified through STOTT/Merrithew Pilates with specialization in injuries, injury prevention, and special populations. She has also trained under Pilates Elders Mary Bowen, Ron Fletcher, Jay Grimes, and Lolita San Miguel, providing a balance of modern and traditional Pilates.

Grab a copy of her book: Keep Moving: Take Steps to Relieve Pain & Improve Your Life or book her for your next event.  Maggie’s enthusiastic, upbeat personality and ability to make topics relatable have made her a sought-after speaker for universities, corporations, and conferences on health and wellness. She has been featured on NPR and NBC CT Live in her monthly wellness segment. Her viral videos have amassed over 51 million hits. Maggie lives in Connecticut and enjoys doing planks worldwide, climbing mountains, and eating chocolate.

She considers it a privilege to work with diverse bodies, from athletes to post-rehab clients, helping them become energized about health and wellness. Maggie’s approach goes beyond physical fitness to inspire a sense of well-being, making fitness fun and accessible for everyone. She aims to help people keep moving and find joy in movement.

Jeannine has been studying Pilates as an instructor since 2005 and longer than that as a dancer. She has a background in dance and studied under dance pioneer Truda Kaschmann, contemporary of Joseph Pilates. She is certified through the School of the Hartford Ballet and PEAK Pilates. Jeannine has taught in a variety of venues to a number of different age groups. She has the most traditional style of Pilates on the Personal Euphoria team. She is a proud mother of two with a huge smile and a great laugh. Her healthy choices concerning wellness are sure to rub off.

Rob is a Nationally Certified Pilates Teacher (NCPT) who completed 450 hours of teacher training for Polestar Pilates and has been teaching Pilates and strength classes for over 8 years in studios and online. He has a great deal of sporting and movement experience that includes golf, cycling, running, basketball, speed skating, hiking, kayaking, paddle boarding, and cross country and alpine skiing. Rob is a longtime alpine ski instructor and certified member of the Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA). In his classes Rob likes to emphasize breathing; core control; spine articulation; organization of the head, neck, & shoulders; proper alignment; and movement integration.

Sonia comes from a family of yoga instructors — her father and grandfather were both yoga instructors in India. She has been practicing yoga for twenty years and completed her 200 hour certification at Sacred Rivers Yoga in 2011. The ability of yoga to calm the body and mind is what initially attracted her to yoga, but through her studies she has learned so much more. Sonia is a research scientist by day and brings her inquisitive nature into her yoga practice. She hopes to share the wonder of self-discovery with her students.

Rachel is a Yoga Instructor, Vegetarian Chef, and Herbalist. She obtained her 200 HR yoga teaching certification from Sacred Rivers in Glastonbury, and is also certified in Energy Medicine Yoga and Yin Yoga. She was first inspired to help bodies move and be healthier by the example set by her grandmother, who was a well known instructor for senior fitness and taught around the country into her 80’s. Rachel loves working with beginners and seniors alike. She brings a wealth of experience, empathy, passion and positivity with her to each class that she teaches. Expect to breathe deeply, move with intention, laugh together and leave feeling relaxed and joyful.

Mary L. began her yoga journey in 2009 after completing a 200-hour, all styles YTT, at Ganesh College of Yoga. Shortly after, Mary studied at Newington Yoga Center, diving into Embodyoga and Mindful Yoga Therapy for Veterans. She went on to complete an additional 200-hour Yoga Alliance Certification at Be.Yoga, in 2022, as well as a certificate for Trauma Informed Yoga at WHY. Mary holds an AromaTouch Technique Certification with doTERRA and has recently been dabbling in Yogic Nutrition. Continuing education is a foundation of who Mary is. It is important to be open-minded and always learning. This allows her to be a valuable resource for her clients. 

Finding a passion for giving back, Mary teaches children’s programs at several schools throughout CT. She loves how all her students, of all ages and abilities, bring their own energies to the practice, creating a space of acceptance and good energy to the universe. “We should embrace our qualities and differences and share them with the world. Be kind to one another.”

In addition to yoga, Mary is a Wellness Advocate with doTERRA. She assists in educating her clients with healthy options and alternatives to pharmaceuticals. Giving them the freedom to make choices for themselves and their families. In her spare time, Mary enjoys spending time with family, especially her son Ryan. She loves traveling, being outdoors, reading a good book and writing. She has a love for trying new foods and cooking. Mary finds enjoyment in meeting new people and building community. She believes a smile can change everything. 

Kandi is a 200-hour registered Yoga teacher and a certified Mat Pilates Instructor in the Stotts method. She completed her first 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training in 2009 at Garden of the Heart Yoga Center in Sarasota, FL and her second Yoga Teacher Training in 2022 with Todd Norian of Lenox, MA in the Ashaya method. She received her Mat Pilates certification through Fuller Yoga and Pivot & Thrive in Glastonbury, CT. Kandi has a B.A. in English from Eastern Connecticut State University and immersed herself in philosophy and the theater arts in college. She later studied pre-medical sciences at Keene State University, in Keene, NH and anatomy and physiology at the University of Connecticut. She has a true love of learning and continues to study with many master teachers to grow her personal and teaching skills. Kandi believes that the practice of Yoga promotes making space for self-exploration for personal growth and overall wellness. Her love of learning and her fascination with anatomy and movement led her to Pilates, which she feels is a wonderful complement to her yoga practice. Her classes are creative, fun and interactive. Kandi is known for her kindness and ability to meet her students where they are. She brings heart and laughter to every class. In her free time, Kandi loves gardening and experimental healthy cooking. She writes poetry, is an avid reader, hiker and biker and loves to dance.

Karen Ciarcia has been a licensed Zumba instructor since January 2024, she brings a decade of passion and experience to her classes. She has enthusiasm for traditional Zumba and to have the class engaged in the energetic dance moves. In addition to Zumba, Karen’s fitness includes strength training, jogging, and HIIT classes.

Lynn has been in group fitness for 15+ years.  She enjoys teaching strength,  pilates, and gentle yoga.  She often blends gentle yoga with pilates, which provides a powerful combination of strength and stretching. Her other passion is helping people stop struggling with uncomfortable feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression that cause them to binge, crave, and overeat. Because stress eating has nothing to do with food, it only looks that way. Lynn helps her clients realize they already have inner peace and contentment, which is not contingent upon their past, situations, or circumstances.   Their inner peace is erroneously covered by paying too much attention to their stressful thinking. She helps them understand the nature of how Thought already works, which clears the path to inner peace. Lynn has two sons and two grandchildren, with two more on the way. 

Mary W. took her first Zumba class 15 years ago and has never looked back. She immediately became hooked on the music and dance moves that make working out a party in disguise!!! She became a certified instructor in 2010 and has taught 4 to 6 classes a week ever since. She is currently 62 years old and has never felt better!

Diane is a 500-Hour Kripalu Yoga Teacher, Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, Movement Mentor, 300-Hour Ayurvedic Advisor, Workshop Guide, Inspirational Speaker, and the founder of Evolve Wellness and Yoga. She’s also a founding member of The Yoga Thread Collective.

Diane is passionate about living your best one life; a life fully aligned and resonate with your heart and soul’s calling. Her soul mission is to inspire her students to tap into their inner truth and lead a heart-centered life, sooner rather than later. When she’s not inspiring women, she’s contemplating life on her yoga mat, walking in nature, hiking new terrain, seeking sunrises and sunsets, and advocating for the healing power of following an Ayurvedic lifestyle.

Catherine started practicing yoga in high school to improve her physical strength and flexibility. She fell in love with the practice because of the mental health benefits, especially during her time studying psychology at the University of Sussex in England. She completed her 200 hour teacher training in 2023 at Three Sisters Yoga in New York City. Since then, she has continued to learn about ways of making her teaching more accessible to people of all ages, backgrounds, and body types. She completed a kids yoga training and chair yoga training at Harlem Yoga Studio, and a trauma-informed yoga training at Exhale to Inhale. Her fascination with the philosophy and history of yoga compelled her to travel to Nepal and India to deepen her personal practice. She is passionate about sharing the practice in ways that are accessible, motivational and compassionate. She is currently pursuing her Master’s in Social Work at the University of Connecticut. Catherine also enjoys various other forms of movement like hiking, ballroom dancing, and rock climbing.

Trish started to practice yoga year’s ago, her deep connection and understanding began five years ago. She was at an intersection of her life when her girls left for college. She was able refocus on a new adventure. Her YTT journey began! The balance between movement, mental clarity, and energy centering is beneficial to everyone and she is excited to share her knowledge and help each person to reach their goals. Her teaching is a traditional Hatha Yoga with a blend of some breath work, meditation, and energy clearing. Trish looks forward to meeting you on the mat!

Maureen has more than 30 years of experience in finance and accounting. Her career began, by working at small private companies streamlining processes and procedures to ensure accuracy and accountability. Later, her career path took her to the field of Public Accounting. In that role, Maureen worked with numerous business entities providing instruction and advice on financial planning, record keeping, auditing and tax preparation.

After working Public Accounting Maureen settled back into the private sector. She met Maggie through her client, and it was decided that she could assist Maggie in her business. That was approximately wonderful 10 years ago. In her present role, a bookkeeper, Maureen is responsible for all financial activities accounts payable, accounts receivable, cash management, and financial reporting. You can find Maureen walking the beach when she’s not crunching numbers.

Isabelle has been working behind the scenes at Personal Euphoria for over 10 years, gathering data from clients, keeping track of contact information, and sending out postcards. She enjoys traveling back to her country of origin – France, hiking with her husband and 2 children, and taking as many PE classes as she can!

Helen has been working as the Administrative Manger at Personal Euphoria since 2017. She assists with scheduling, marketing, social media, and various other tasks. She enjoys spending time with her husband and four little boys, organizing, and all things Disney.

Yvette earned a BFA from Endicott College with a focus on graphic design. With over twenty years of experience in marketing & communication management, Yvette has worked in several industries including printing, financial, start-up tech, and most recently in association management. She brings her experience as a senior brand designer and her exceptional organizational skills to Personal Euphoria.