About BLYSS
Blyss was originally an acronym — Blueberry Lake Yoga Studio and Sanctuary —- inspired by a beloved place in the Mad River Valley. A serene gem ringed by untouched forests and wild blueberry fields, Blueberry Lake was a labor of love — not a natural formation, but a man-made gift to the community from a cherished Valley resident. The lake seamlessly blends into the natural surroundings, a quiet testament to what’s possible when humans co-create with nature.
At Blyss, we embrace this spirit of care and intention. In the yogic tradition, our true nature can be called the sakshi — the witness. Through mindful movement and awareness, we begin to observe and access this deeper part of ourselves. We arrive on our mats with life’s rocky terrain in tow, and we learn to move and breathe with groundedness and clarity. Blyss Yoga invites you to honor whatever you meet on your mat while gently working toward who you are becoming, with wisdom and compassion. Find your Blyss.
Meet Our Dedicated Teachers
Our teachers are committed to supporting you on your yoga journey, providing guidance and expertise to help you achieve your wellness goals.
Eloise Zeeman
Studio Owner, Instructor, and Teacher Training Director
Eloise (Saraswati Karuna Om), Blyss studio director, started her yoga journey after spending time with “Swamiji”, Swami Satchidananda as a child. An abiding interest in both asana mastery and the true nature of life was awakened. Natural curiosity compelled her to study many aspects of health, exercise, nutrition, and esoteric yogic practices. In her 20s, Eloise discovered a passion for chanting and studied in depth with a Siddha Guru. She continued her path, earning five teacher training certifications, including Sivananda, Ashtanga Primary Series (David Swenson), and Gentle Restorative/Yoga Nidra (Prem Yoga). Since 2002, Eloise has studied with her guru and yoga master Sri Dharma Mittra. Her training encompasses in-depth study of classical yoga scriptures, including the Yoga Sutras, the Upanishads, and the Bhagavad Gita. Eloise continued studies in Thai yoga massage, Reiki, Qi Gong, and Holistic Nutrition and Supplements.
Eloise is also an avid endurance swimmer and created a Mermaid Yoga class, incorporating yoga movement in water. And her lifelong love of animals has inspired her to rescue many (mostly farm) animals, offering them a loving forever-home sanctuary.
April Smith
April whole-heartedly embraces yoga as a transformative path to awaken to our best selves and live fully with more ease, joy, and compassion amidst our ever-changing world. Her yoga journey began in 1992 as a student at YogaWorks in Santa Monica, CA, where she was inspired by the studio’s innovative and now celebrated teachers, including Shiva Rea, Erich Schiffmann, Rod Stryker, Bryan Kest, and Seane Corn. In 1997, yoga connected April with master teacher Sara Powers and the integration of Vinyasa flow with slower, deeper styles of yoga, Buddhist Dharma, and meditation. Braiding wisdom traditions together, April’s precise but playful teaching style blends slow flow Vinyasa sequences, long-held Yin postures, core strengthening, pranayama, and meditation to create a dynamic and balanced yoga practice. Mindfulness techniques weave through practice to deepen relaxation and spark self-inquiry and groundedness on and off the mat. April has taught yoga in New England since 1998 and is a beloved yoga teacher in the Mad River Valley. She completed her yoga teacher training with Sarah Powers (Insight Yoga) in 2012 and her 200 hour Vinyasa RYT certification with Tom Gillette at Eyes of the World Yoga in Providence, Rhode Island in 2015. April lives in Warren, Vermont.
Kevin Fury
Kevin moved from Colorado to Vermont in 2019 with his family and now calls the Mad River Valley home. You will often find him in his garden in the summer and on the slopes skiing in the winter. He loves to be outside in the trees no matter the season. As he has wandered along his path, through the forest of this world, he has discovered many things. Some beautiful, some dangerous and all valuable in their own way. Along his path he discovered Qigong. He loved its profound power to still the mind and harmonize the body. He felt a desire to share what he had learned with his local community, to help fill the need for a little bit of peace in the crazy world we live in now. He initially learned from Kenneth Cohen’s instruction and eventually discovered his current teacher, Kseny Gray. He joined her membership group and embraced her classes with enthusiasm and a daily practice. He will be the first to admit that he still has much to learn but he wants to share the healing benefits of Qigong while he continues to learn and grow.
Kevin’s Qigong classes are a series of meditative movements combined with gentle breath work that help restore the nervous system, rebalance the body’s natural systems and build a bridge between body and mind. His classes are gentle and open to all.
Hana Behn
Hana Behn is a newly certified yoga instructor, completing her 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training in 2025 at Blyss. Inspired by how empowering, healing, and joyful yoga has been in her own life, Hana is passionate about sharing yoga’s transformative benefits with others. A lover of nature, you’ll often find her outside or in the garden—reflecting her deep care for the Earth, herself, and those around her. Hana’s classes vary in style and intensity, from energizing Vinyasa flows to gentle, grounding Yin Yoga. Her intention in every class is to cultivate health, love, and insight in a way that feels authentic and accessible to each individual. Believing that yoga is truly for everyone, she welcomes all to her class.