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Frank Apodaca, Jr.
With nearly 40 years (in 2025) of Aikido training and instruction, Frank Apodaca, Jr. has deeply engaged in the art’s physical, philosophical, and ethical teachings. His martial arts journey began with Judo in 1982, followed by Okinawan Karate under Nishiushi Mikio Saiko Shihan and Mary Bolz Shihan, and continued in Aikido with T.K. Chiba Shihan, a direct student of Aikido founder Morihei Ueshiba. Training and Apprenticeship In 1986, Apodaca was accepted into Chiba Shihan’s intensive apprenticeship program, training as an Uchi-Deshi (live-in apprentice) and later as a Soto-Deshi (commuting apprentice) until 1993. His rigorous training focused on Aikido Body Arts, traditional Japanese weapons, Iaido, and Rinzai Buddhist meditation. Rankings and Certifications
Leadership and Legacy Apodaca Sensei has held significant roles, including the BNA Senior Teachers Council Chairman and as part of the Examination Committee for rankings and certifications. In 2017, Hombu Dojo (Aikido World Headquarters) awarded him the title of Shihan. His leadership has shaped vibrant Aikido communities across the U.S., inspiring students to excel in Aikido and embrace its principles beyond the dojo. [email protected] 919.638.5117 |
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Lydia Aybar, MS, Ph.D
Lydia has been practicing Kundalini yoga and meditation for over 20 years and is also trained in Gong Nidra (soundbath + yoga nidra). She loves sharing yoga and the sound of the gong with everyone because these modalities have enhanced her life and helped her through many of life's challenges. One of her favorite aspects of Kundalini Yoga is that it addresses specific concerns and intentions. Many Kundalini Yoga sets specifically focus on topics like the immune system, which is particularly interesting to her as an immunologist — especially as there is accumulating scientific validation of Kundalini Yoga. Another beautiful aspect of Kundalini Yoga is that it brings out the kid in all of us. Lydia affectionately refers to Kundalini yoga as “adult romper room.” And anyone can do it – no experience necessary. instagram: @BigBeatYoga, email: [email protected] phone: 786-368-8589 |
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Ashlea Barnett
Ashlea grew up in a small town in Canada where she started dancing at the age of 4. She began teaching dance and movement at the age of 17. She attended Randolph College for the Performing Arts in Toronto, where she earned her degree in Musical Theatre. After college she continued to teach in Canada and eventually in NC. In 2018 she started working with Growga, a kids yoga program where she received her kids yoga training and became the company's operations manager. She currently teaches in several preschools and afterschool programs throughout Alamance County. She's loved bringing the joy of movement and yoga to the younger generation. She is excited to share her passion with The Bridge community. She currently lives near Saxapahaw with her wonderful husband and 3 amazing children who often join her in class. |
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Jake Blickenderfer
Jake comes to The Bridge with 14 years of Personal Training experience and a W.I.T.S (World Instructor Training Schools) Certification. With over 20 years combined experience in weight lifting, Freestyle/ Grecco wrestling, and Muay Thai Kickboxing, he brings a range of knowledge and a passion for movement that he is excited to share with the Saxapahaw community. Jake's training experience includes training three Body Building Competitors for the National Physique Committee (NPC) Body Building Shows which requires a level of dedication and self-discipline echoed in each training experience. Jake moved to Saxapahaw from Raleigh, originally hailing from New Jersey. He is thrilled to be part of the team at The Bridge Wellness Center to contribute, in his way, to our community's wellness. |
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Judith Brooks, LAc.
Judith Brooks graduated from the International Institute of Chinese Medicine in Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1998. She has studied in Belize with Dr. Rosita Arvigo since 2009 and is an educator with the Abdominal Therapy Collective. Trained in both TCM, (Traditional Chinese Medicine) and Western herbalism, Judith offers healing sessions using a variety of modalities including: acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping and auricular (ear) acupuncture, abdominal massage, and individual herbal consultations in person or over the phone. She is licensed in both massage therapy (#1313) and acupuncture (#133) in North Carolina and has been in practice since 1999. Please call or text Judith at 919-260-1430 for an appointment. For more information visit her website: judithbrooksacupuncture.com abdominaltberapycollective.com |
Leigh Ann Brown
LMBT NC#11705, CNRT-M
www.metaformmovement.com
Leigh Brown has been a licensed massage and bodywork therapist since 2011 and a certified Pilates instructor since 2000. Sessions with Leigh are done clothed and may include movement instruction, stretching and other self-care practices that can help improve outcomes concerning chronic pain. Hands-on techniques used in individual private sessions focus mainly on Neural Reset Therapy® with fascial conduction and neuro-strengthening modalities. Movement, strengthening techniques and self care strategies are mixed into a session to get the best results.
LMBT NC#11705, CNRT-M
www.metaformmovement.com
Leigh Brown has been a licensed massage and bodywork therapist since 2011 and a certified Pilates instructor since 2000. Sessions with Leigh are done clothed and may include movement instruction, stretching and other self-care practices that can help improve outcomes concerning chronic pain. Hands-on techniques used in individual private sessions focus mainly on Neural Reset Therapy® with fascial conduction and neuro-strengthening modalities. Movement, strengthening techniques and self care strategies are mixed into a session to get the best results.
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Joanna Burgess
Joanna became a health and wellness practitioner a little over a decade ago, seeking greater mind-body integration after a first career as an academic librarian. She is devoted to helping people reduce pain, develop greater embodiment, and restore balance to their lives. Joanna offers bodywork and fitness training with a functional and restorative focus–providing therapy for optimum healing and function, rather than just symptomatic relief. After graduating from a 500-hour massage program in Oakland in 2013, Joanna went on to complete a 300-hour advanced orthopedic specialization in the Hendrickson Method® in Berkeley. She is a NASM certified personal trainer, a Wellcoaches® health and wellness coach, and has worked as a mindfulness instructor. Joanna is committed to a vision of inclusivity in the wellness industry and warmly welcomes those of varying body type, ages, athletic abilities, and gender expression. To learn more and book a session with Joanna, visit: joannaburgesswellness.com |
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Kristen Butler
Fresh out of college, Kristen began a career in advertising, until she grew tired of selling things to people they didn't need or shouldn't have. To fulfill a deeper calling to service, Kristen became a yoga instructor, teaching in several states, and finally landing in North Carolina. Here, Kristen sought a new understanding of the body and felt that massage therapy would complement her yoga practice and her desire to help and heal. In 2016, Kristen graduated from Body Therapy Institute in Siler City. Since then, she's crafted a style of massage that combines Swedish, deep tissue and myoskeletal alignment techniques, as well as assisted stretching and occasionally, cupping. Her method is slow and progressive. |
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Ainslee Cunningham
Ainslee Cunningham is a lifelong student of yoga who is deeply inspired by nature and aspires to support people with the mind-body connection of yoga. In 2020, she completed her 200 hour YTT with MindBody Centering Yoga in Durham, and has since gratefully studied under the mentorship of Patty Townsend and Sam Sather. She integrates mindfulness and breathing practices into all of her classes, as well as embodied playfulness and exploration in a safe, supportive way. A pillar of her teaching is that every body is different and that we work with the yoga postures to get more deeply into our body (not the other way around). As an herbalist and avid plant enthusiast, she looks to the natural rhythms of the seasons and the wisdom of the plant world for inspiration for her classes. When she’s not teaching, Ainslee can be found hiking the Haw River, reading a book, or swimming. |
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Lauren Miller (Studio Manager)
Lauren began teaching yoga in 2011 after leaving cardio-based group fitness class instruction. She was initially drawn to the higher intensity Power Yoga and Baptiste style asana practices modeled after the Ashtanga Yoga sequence. Her practice has evolved over the years to include more intuitive movement, gentle sequences, and music driven movement. Lauren earned her 200hr YTT from Asheville Yoga Center in March of 2017. She moved to Philadelphia shortly following and began teaching and practicing yoga in a number of studios throughout the city. After diving more deeply into the eight limbs of yoga, Lauren now approaches Asana practice as a means to explore the body’s full range of movement and strength in order to find physical and mental peace in daily life. Lauren moved back to Saxapahaw, North Carolina in 2019 where she lives with her husband and three children. She is thrilled to be teaching Yoga in Saxapahaw again and sharing her love and light with her community! Contact: [email protected], 336.525.2800 |
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Mary Thompson Radulescu
Mary has over 30+ years’ experience as a Level II Reiki Practitioner. She has volunteered with Ronald McDonald House in their Healing Arts Program and offers prospective clients a free 20-minute session so they can experience this therapeutic healing. My Reiki practice is constantly deepening and opening to the new energies that are coming in for humanity. I have a deep connection with nature and intuitively select natural elements and stones to facilitate your own empowered healing. I welcome the journey, with you, as we walk our own unique path of unfoldment. [email protected] phone: 919-923-4605 |
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Maia Rhenish
Maia is a sound practitioner, musician and energy weaver. She guides her clients to their highest vibrational essence using voice, soundscapes, deep listening and her connection to the natural world. She has studied and created music for over 25 years and is a Shamanic Reiki Master. Maia offers sound healing & shamanic reiki sessions as well as sound baths and workshops out of her home in Pittsboro, NC and surrounding areas. She is honored to be sharing the healing power of sound with the Saxapahaw Community! |
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Anabelle Scarborough
Anabelle Scarborough is a movement artist, choreographer, yoga and dance instructor, arts producer, and visual artist based in Carrboro, North Carolina. She is the co-founder and curator of Conjure Arts Collective, a multidisciplinary artist collective spanning NYC and beyond. Through Conjure, Anabelle curates seasonal performances and workshops that emphasize collaboration, experimentation, and original live work. (@Conjure.arts) A graduate of UNC Chapel Hill, Anabelle has also studied at the Martha Graham School for Modern Dance and The Asheville Yoga Center. Her dance training spans modern, contemporary, ballet, and heels, with additional experience across both Durham, NC, and New York City. She is also a certified 200-hour yoga instructor. Anabelle is passionate about creating spaces where anyone can explore movement with freedom, safety, and creative expression—whether in traditional settings or unconventional environments. Her performance work bridges body, clothing, sound, and emotion, crafting visceral experiences that invite both personal and collective storytelling. At the heart of her practice is the belief that movement is a powerful vessel for emotional and physical expression as well as healing. Anabelle is inspired by the intersection of these elements, and her work strives to expand the boundaries of what movement can communicate, whether through performance or practice. |
Jill Taylor
Jill Taylor, founder of Sukha Equine is a 200+ Hour Certified Yoga Teacher with 6 years of experience teaching yoga and 30 years of working with horses and riders. Her work with humans and horses focuses on breath, alignment, and balance resulting in an enhanced level of connection and flow. She joyfully engages with clients in yoga, riding, and equine facilitated therapy as well as other equine assisted learning.
Jill Taylor, founder of Sukha Equine is a 200+ Hour Certified Yoga Teacher with 6 years of experience teaching yoga and 30 years of working with horses and riders. Her work with humans and horses focuses on breath, alignment, and balance resulting in an enhanced level of connection and flow. She joyfully engages with clients in yoga, riding, and equine facilitated therapy as well as other equine assisted learning.