Our Staff

ELISE BOYSON

Executive director

Elise is a longtime advocate for social justice and has been serving our communities in one way or another for most of her life. She credits yoga with allowing her to bring the same level of love and compassion she has for others to the relationship she has with herself. After completing her 200-hour yoga teacher training, Elise felt empowered and supported in a radical way, and immediately took action to spread this magical practice to others. She began teaching yoga to a group of people in recovery for substance use and witnessed firsthand how powerfully healing it was, many people finding their breath for the first time. Simultaneously, Elise was working in a shelter for people experiencing homlessness and saw how limiting and unjust it was to be stuck in the cycle of trauma. She is deeply committed and excited to spread yoga through her home state of Maine as a long-term solution to offer our most vulnerable neighbors.

SHEILA SULLIVAN

PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Sheila has had an inspiring career path, which includes work for local non-profits which focus on social justice, environmental education, and experiential education. Her yoga and meditation practice spans over 20 years, and has been a grounding force in navigating the joys and challenges of parenting and being human. In 2019, she completed her 200-hour yoga teacher training through Lila East End Yoga with Genell Huston and former SCY board member, Jen Queally. She believes that yoga and meditation provide us with the time and space to slow down; to listen closely to what our bodies are calling for; to nurture our spirits; to reconnect with our inner wisdom; and to emerge with a more grounded sense of self to bring into the world. Sheila firmly believes in the inherent worth and dignity of all people, and resonates with SCY’s goal to honor each person’s unique strengths and personal story. She is grateful to work for an organization that aims to bring the many benefits of yoga and meditation to underserved communities with disproportionately high rates of trauma.

Loida Otero

Programs & Operations Associate

Loida brings a wealth of experience in operations and marketing to SCY. She is an advocate of self-love and holistic wellness practices that nourish the soul and revitalize the mind and body. Her commitment lies in social justice and financial empowerment, demonstrating her deep understanding of the relationship between wellness and economic stability. She's excited to join an organization whose mission is to serve those that are overlooked in society. Dedicating her time and energy to those in need is what lights Loida's soul on fire and is one of the many reasons she found her place at SCY. She also serves as a board member for WJZP, a community radio station, which allows her to remain closely engaged with local communities and make waves when it comes to her mission of uplifting diverse voices. Loida graduated with a B.S. in Public Affairs and a minor in Psychology from Baruch College, in New York City.

Anne Esguerra

Anne (she / siya / niya) is the founder and owner of Integrative Life Therapy. She is a IAYT Certified Yoga Therapist, Group Facilitator, Life Mentor, and Consultant based out of Portland, Maine. Anne has been present throughout the evolution of Sea Change Yoga which began as part of the 2015 Yoga Behind Bars training where our co-founders and founding teachers met and began to dream about what would eventually become Sea Change Yoga. She was already mentoring and teaching yoga as a volunteer at Long Creek Youth Development Center (LCYDC) brought in by SCY’s former Board Vice President, Nicole Chaison which transitioned into building a collaborative relationship between SCY and LCYDC. 

Anne has long served as a member and teacher representative of the Program Committee, contributing to the development, implementation and evaluation of our programs and teacher development. In 2020, Anne became the Co-Chair of our new Beliefs and Values Committee, as well as our Lead Consultant on the Here to Be grant focusing on centering racial and social equity at Sea Change. At the heart of this choice in partnership, Anne has ensured that part of her work aims to repair harms that have occurred throughout the evolution of SCY & ensure the continued growth expands to incorporate community values, culture & history. Always moving toward knowing better in order to do better.

In 2021, Anne began to serve as a mentor for our Yoga Teacher Training Scholarship recipients. In this role, she has been a valuable resource for our scholars to integrate what they are learning, process what becomes present for them, and support the navigating of being a Person of Color within a dominant white culture.

We are always learning from Anne as an embodied advocate for the principles of yoga and trauma-informed care, and are deeply grateful for her patience, energy, and teachings along our messy path to our shared vision.