THE TRAVEL YOGI
Our Teachers
Alexa Silvaggio is a wellness entrepreneur based in New York City and Los Angeles. She is a yoga instructor, writer, speaker, podcast host, social media influencer, yoga retreat leader, moved and shaker.
She wants you to create a life you dig, a life that is in alignment with your highest good, your deepest desires, your absolute truth. She wants you to cultivate a more loving relationship to yourself and that body of yours. Creating a kind internal and external environment, so you can go out there and make that epic life happen.
Alexa has been practicing yoga since 2005, and is well versed in vinyasa, restorative, power, and slow flow yoga by Pure Yoga New York, and Kripalu Center for Health. She leads wellness retreats all over the world in places like Bhutan, France, Italy, Mexico, Iceland, and the Galapagos Islands, as well as workshops throughout the United States.
Alexa was recently selected to be the featured teacher at Yoga Day in Dodgers Stadium, teaching over 1,000 people to celebrate this ancient practice. Yes, she was on the jumbotron and it was rad. She also presented at Yoga Reaches Out, a fundraiser for the Lazarex Cancer Foundation which treats children with late stage, rare cancer, offering both alternative and Western care. She is also a proud ambassador of a multitude of yoga brands, Lululemon Athletica, The Travel Yogi, Tanya-B New York, Noli Yoga, Sweaty Betty, and Gaiam.
She has been published by the NY Post, gaiam.com, Mind Body Green, Class Pass, The Beauty Bean, fitnessgoals.com and many others. Alexa is a regular speaker on all things wellness at the Soho House in both New York City, and Los Angeles. Next year she will be privileged to speak at the illustrious Wanderlust Festival in Stratton Vermont and Squaw Valley California, speaking on body image, mindfulness, and yoga, as well as teaching yoga classes to hundreds of yogis at the festival. She is an inspiring member of the growing yoga community, empathic, passionate, driven, and goal oriented, Alexa helps assist others in producing lives they love.
Upcoming Retreats
OCTOBER 9-16, 2021
France - 8 Days/7 Nights
Starting at $2,995
Book Now
I have been deeply inspired by the teachings of yoga since 2000, drawn in by its holistic quality of unifying body, mind and heart. Since I was a young child, I would ask the timeless questions of, “Who am I? Why am I here?” Yoga offers me a platform to explore these questions that keeps me curious and engaged with the subtle nuances and profound layers of life.
For me, the beauty of the yoga practice lies in its capacity to reveal the intelligence of the body, the wisdom of the human heart and the indwelling nature of Spirit. I feel fortunate to have spent time with luminous teachers, near and far, who continue to light the path.
My practice, and thus the one I share, continually evolves from my studies in many traditions, with its primary roots in yogic lineages. Tantra has beeen the most influential, as it awoke my passion for philosophy, mythology, intelligent alignment and embodiment. I have also studied Anusara, Vinyasa, Flow, Yin, Restorative, Meditation, Mantra, Nidra and many other modalities. More than a particular style, I offer an integration of timeless wisdom and modern day practices in a manner that is meaningful and relevant. I hold space for others to listen deeply, love fully and live whole-heartedly.
Personal Development and immersive programs are my passion. I have the privilege of co-directing Inspired Yoga Institute in the 200HR, 300HR, and 500HR Yoga Teacher Trainings programs. I am the creatrix of a Yoga Teacher Mentorship program called On Purpose, contributor to Bodhi Tree Yoga Center’s Adjuster Program and guest faculty for other locations including Omega Institute in New York. Combining my love of travel and yoga, I lead retreats to an expanding repertoire of destinations in including Costa Rica, Thailand, Bali, Galapagos, Iceland and beyond. Community is integral to my work and I am proud be have been an ambassador for Lululemon and, currently, for B-Yoga and Lole.
Alison Buchanan’s motto has always been “lead from the heart.” Through authenticity, she believes we can all live a more joyful life.
Alison brings this philosophy to her teaching. She predominantly teaches Power Vinyasa Yoga, where she aims to create challenging, yet thoughtful and playful sequences. Her classes are holistic and mindful, and always tuned to what students need in the moment. Deep down, Alison is an alignment and anatomy nerd who loves to share her knowledge with the aim of helping people move better in their bodies. She is known to share massage therapy balls, which help with myofascial release, or to instruct strengthening exercises to target blind spots.
Before moving to Seattle, Alison was a longtime teacher in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is a certified Baptiste Yoga Teacher, a Yoga Tune Up Teacher, and a Hot Pilates instructor. She continues to advance her yogic studies with dynamic asana and mediation teachers nationwide. During yoga retreats with Alison, you can expect her to be an engaged leader who offers a strength-focused yoga class in the morning, and a restorative/meditation class in the evening. She’ll be a person with whom you can authentically connect with on-and-off the mat. She’ll also be an active participant, who’ll happily go snorkeling, hiking or wine-tasting with you, and then reminisce about all the adventures when the day is done.
Come experience adventure, excitement, restoration and all-around fun with Alison on a life-changing retreat.
Amanda Harding is the owner of Prema Yoga Brooklyn, where she teaches weekly Vinyasa flow classes as well as private/corporate clients across NYC & Los Angeles.
She is the creator of a program ‘Yoga on Set’ which provides weekly yoga/meditation sessions to the cast and crews of NY based film and television shoots. Currently one of Lululemon’s Brooklyn Ambassadors, she has been featured in Vogue, Origin & Mantra Magazine and holds yearly sold out retreats to such locales as the barn upstate (her own retreat center in Chatham, NY), Tulum, Costa Rica, Morocco, Peru, Australia and more. She leads 200 Hour Immersions into the depth of the yoga practice as well as Advanced Teacher Training modules designed to go deeper into the Art of Teaching.
Amanda teaches an Ashtanga-influenced vigorous yet mindful and creative class incorporating the fluidity of movement and music/chanting with heavy emphasis on alignment, breath, patience and fun. She has witnessed in her own life how creating spaciousness and stability in her body, mind and heart and truly ‘walking the walk’ with humility has immensely impacted her relationship with herself and others. Her wish is to impart to her students the many gifts she has received through her ongoing practice and studies – a greater sense of authenticity, inner peace, strength, compassion and, most of all, service to others. Her initiative, The Hummingbirds, is a group dedicated to serving vulnerable local populations in and around Brooklyn. She is also co-writing Recipes for a Divine Life – a heart book of yoga, food, prayers and photography. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband, two amazing daughters and a menagerie of rescue pets.
Angela Hales (RYT 500) is based in Atlanta, GA. On retreat with Angela, expect to receive individualized attention and the tools to tap into your inner strength, find healing, and advance your practice, for people of all abilities. Angela’s classes pay close attention not just to exploring asana safely, but to all eight limbs of classical yoga. A yoga practitioner since 2009, she has experienced positive transformation through a dedicated practice and the continuous study of yoga philosophy. Angela has studied with Becky Nickerson and Susan Hopkins, receiving her 200-hour and 300-hour yoga teaching certifications, respectively. She also credits her Virginia-based teacher, Thunder Lane, with introducing her to the ancient yogic texts.
Angela is an open and accessible teacher who loves learning from her students. She currently teaches weekly vinyasa, hatha basics, and yin yoga classes, along with regular workshops ranging from arm-balancing workshops to intention-setting workshops for the new year. She has traveled extensively and lived in rural eastern France. With a master’s degree in International Higher Education and as a French-speaker, she enjoys working with the international community in Atlanta when not teaching yoga.
Ashley Lorenzo (E-RYT 200) is an Atlanta-based yoga teacher. Her yoga classes combine both the physical and spiritual aspects of the yoga tradition. She employs a mix of alignment-based asana, meditation and breath work to cultivate greater awareness in the physical body and beyond. She believes in the transformative powers of yoga and has experienced firsthand its ability to help us slow down and truly see the beauty in each and every thing, and in every person and situation.
Ashley’s classes are warm and welcoming. She incorporates a true sense of play, light-heartedness and inquiry into every class. Her unyielding love of yoga is infectious and is supported by her passionate pursuit to understand and embody the practice both on and off of the mat. She is alive with inspiration and her authentic nature magnetizes people to her unique teaching style. Her personal practice and teaching continuously evolves as she draws inspiration from many different forms of yoga and teachers. She has studied with Kathryn Budig and Gina Caputo, earning a 200 hour Integrated-Vinyasa yoga certification in 2014. Besides this training, she has multiple retreats and trainings with top teachers like Seane Corn, Christina Sell , Maty Ezraty, Rolf Gates, Gary Kraftsow, Vinnie Marino and more. In addition, she will complete her 500 Hour SmartFlow Yoga Training with Annie Carpenter in 2018.
Teaching yoga is Ashley’s greatest joy. She is grateful for the community that yoga has created in her life and for the opportunity to share her love of this ancient practice in Georgia and all over the world.
For over a decade now, Ashley has been teaching the mysteries and joys of yoga. Her strong hatha based training, infused with detailed focus of anatomical alignment and dynamic prana-flow awareness make her vinyasa classes safe and accessible to all levels. You always walk away having learned something new and although her asana classes are throughly physically challenging, afterwards you feel lighter, recharged and more centered.
Having started down the holistic healer’s path early in life, she infuses the ancient knowledge of yoga with the modern day understanding of the human body. Having practiced as a massage therapist for over twelve years and growing up in a family of chiropractors, she chose yoga as her path to health, wealth and happiness. Ashley says, “When I teach yoga, I am able to positively affect more people at once, as many as the room can fill and as far as my voice will carry. Where as a massage therapist or chiropractor can only work on one person at a time, yoga allows me to teach everyone how to take better care of themselves without having to rely on the external. To learn how to heal thyself is extremely powerful and yoga teaches us this. I’m grateful for the opportunity to share this knowledge with everyone I meet.”
Along with hosting yoga workshops and international retreats, as an E-RYT500 with thousands of hours of teaching experience, Ashley trains aspiring yoga practitioners and teachers at her studio, Yoga Loft Tampa, located in the historic Ybor City. Having facilitated several Yoga Alliance Recognized yoga teacher training programs and personally certifying over 100 yoga teachers since opening the Yoga Loft in 2011, it is no wonder the Yoga Loft was chosen to receive the Best of Bay award in 2013 by Creative Loafing. “Its all happened so fast and it’s now time to move beyond the walls of the yoga studio and explore the great unknown with the travel yogi.”
Having always been a world traveler, Ashley has studied and taught yoga in China as well as the Middle East before settling down in Tampa. “After opening the yoga studio I grew roots, but now it is time to fly and I cannot wait to discover more of what yoga and this precious life has to offer us together.”
In her early years, Betsy was homeschooled. This unconventional upbringing laid the foundation for a lifetime of self-teaching and gave her the freedom to pursue her passions during most hours of most days. Growing up, she was either training at the dojo or dance studio, searching for animals to rescue, staring into the sky and pondering the supernatural, looking after her younger sister, or studying everyone and everything (especially herself). Some decades later, not much has changed, except that those passions are somehow now her profession.
Betsy identifies as a nerd-athlete-mystic hybrid and she is dedicated to supporting your growth and wellness in brain, body and being. Her knowledge and teachings of yoga are born from her insatiable curiosity, sound methodology, ongoing study, and daily embodiment. Her practice bridges Western and Eastern wisdom and integrates complimentary movement and therapeutic disciplines. Her lessons are inspired by and advocate for nature, equality, science and compassion. She strives to lead by example and encourages her students to study themselves and to lean into what challenges them most in order step-up and into their innate power, wholeness and joy. She hopes her classes and events provide the inspiration, guidance and laughter for them to do just that.
Betsy offers group classes and private sessions throughout the Seattle area as well as local and global teacher trainings and events. She specializes in fascial health and guides Myofascial Release, Yoga Tune Up® and Prana Flow inspired Vinyasa classes. She is also a budding NeuroKinetic Therapist and Thai Yoga Practitioner. In the years between her childhood and today, she taught martial arts, helped raised other people’s children, earned her BA in Psychology and researched, practiced and taught meditation, psychobiology, and women’s health. Betsy is very grateful for the privilege of studying under many incredible teachers, especially Jill Miller, Shiva Rea, Cosetta Romani and Master Yom.
E-RYT 500, Yoga Tune Up® Teacher Certified, NeuroKinetic Therapist, Lululemon Ambassador, BA Psychology, Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do.
Carly Stong is an experienced yoga instructor as well as the Owner of and Studio Director at Life Yoga in Kingston, Ontario. With traditional education in kinesiology and health studies as well as her Bachelor of Education, she is a specialist in mindful strength, functional movement, Restorative Yoga, as well as Pre- and Post-Natal Yoga.
She is a passionate advocate for body positivity, even sitting as a member of the Leadership Team with the Yoga and Body Image Coalition. She fosters community and connection while leading accessible movement classes, hosting yoga and meditation retreats, and leading yoga teacher trainings all over the world.
Caroline Graham-Wood’s teachings range from yoga on the open water to yoga nidra in the hills of Wales, restorative practice for prospective mums in the busy London metropolis and power yoga around the globe. In using the benefits that can come from yoga, she believes that one will find a balanced mind and centered spirit.
Caroline has travelled the world with a hula hoop, harp and a yoga mat and can either be found living in a tent on Tulum beach in Mexico, teaching in some of the best yoga studios in London or taking her practice to the water with SUP Yoga.
She is fascinated with anatomy and physiology which is one of the courses she leads on her teacher trainings as well as the science of Ayurveda, whilst touching on the more spiritual aspects of yoga, keeping in mind that yoga should be fun, should complement your life… and there is nothing wrong with a glass of wine a few indulgences along the way!
Caroline has been teaching yoga since 2011 and introduced SUP Yoga to her practice in 2014. She believes anyone and everyone can benefit from practising yoga and SUP Yoga. Caroline’s classes enable each student to challenge their own physical and mental limits, developing strength, flexibility, awareness and balance. “I love yoga because it gives me a sense of wellbeing and focus in my life and I want everyone to enjoy it too.”
Cortney Ostrosky is an international yoga teacher, Craft Your Path founder, and Lululemon Ambassador based in Charleston, SC. She leads yoga retreats across the globe, inspires over 20K people globally through her Instagram account, and has been featured on the cutting edge fitness platform Cody App.
Cortney has over 1000 hours of training in yoga and a background in the healing arts which provide her with inspiration and vast knowledge to create powerful classes and retreat experiences.
Dana is an experienced and joyful San Francisco Bay Area based yoga teacher whose teaching style is modern, uplifting and fun while rooted in yogic history. Her carefully crafted sequencing and musical playlists are both accessible and transformative.
As the founder of YOGAGOSF (yogagosf.com), a mobile yoga studio that delivers yoga classes to businesses and locations in San Francisco, her experience varies widely and has shaped her teaching to be highly adaptable. With a background in dance and massage therapy, classes are soundtracked to a wide variety of music, enhanced with hands-on assists and massage at the
end (with your consent, of course).
Dana Sweeney’s passion for teaching people, proper alignment, yogic philosophy with a dash of humor and a splash of relatability is infectious. She’d sincerely love to meet you one day – on the mat or off the mat.
Upcoming Retreats
JULY 16 - 23, 2022
Bali - 8 Days/7 Nights
Starting at $3,195
Book Now
Dana’s journey with yoga began as a suggestion from a physical therapist 20 years ago. As she began to feel the changes and healing yoga brought, her passion needed to be shared. After practicing yoga for 15 years, she finally took steps to becoming an instructor.
Dana is yogi through and through and she appreciates and accepts the importance of breath; connecting all aspects of life to our journeys. She has spent most of the past five years teaching internationally, weaving mindfulness and meditation, health and wellness into her classes and daily practice.
Dana’s mantra is that smiles are the universal language, and that everyone needs one. Dana and her husband raised their children overseas, living in many countries. Her passion for travel, especially embracing cultures and traditions, has taught her the importance of listening, opening, and loving. You will feel these connections in each conversation and embedded in her yoga classes.
Upcoming Retreats
JUNE 18-25, 2022
Galapagos - 8 Days/7 Nights
Starting at $4,595
Book Now
Daphne Larkin is an inspired vinyasa yoga teacher based in Nashville, Tennessee. She is known for the fluid grace of her practice and the balanced nature of her classes. Her classes are journeys in themselves infused with integrated alignment, intentional sequencing and perfectly balanced movement. Students are skillfully guided into the innate wisdom of the body in a practice that is deep, subtle and liberating.
Teaching yoga since 2001 and registered at the ERYT-500 level, Daphne’s inspiration has grown from her studies with many gifted teachers. Committed to fully immersing herself in her studies, Daphne devoted a decade-plus to traveling and studying yoga. Her most profound influence has been Prana Vinyasa founder Shiva Rea, with whom she spent more than 10 years studying and assisting around the world. From her roots in the Iyengar tradition through the many branches of vinyasa flow, Daphne’s teaching is honest, clear and subtly aware.
Through yoga, she found a path to freedom and learns to navigate change daily. From extensive work as a performing artist, a vibrant 12-year music industry career and her life’s work in yoga, she has gained invaluable knowledge about business, yoga, love, and a clear vision for the way she wants to live. Movement has always been the constant and a catalyst.
In 2004, she co-founded Sanctuary for Yoga, Body & Spirit and changed the landscape of Nashville yoga. She co-directs Sanctuary’s 200 and 300-hour teacher training programs, where she has shared her knowledge with more than 200 teachers. In 2013, she founded Girl Tribe Ventures – a forum for collaborations with inspiring women and creative works. She has created two yoga DVDs that are featured at Sanctuary and on Amazon. She leads retreats and trainings internationally and savors every moment of her home sanctuary with her wife Stephanie. You can read more about Daphne on her website here.
Exploring the mind-body connection is Debbi’s life work. After years in academia researching and teaching subjects that elevated one or the other half of that equation (doctorate in exercise science, master’s degree in counseling psychology), she turned her attention to the study of yoga – a perfect nexus of both.
Throughout her years in academia, Debbi studied with leading yoga masters to deepen her knowledge and hone her practice. Her alignment based, mindful flow style evolved from early work with Rodney Yee, Annie Carpenter and Shiva Rea. But the heart of her teaching comes from Erich Schiffmann, whose message of self-trust and the transformative power of yoga really resonated with her background.
Through more than 40 years of study and experience, including a dozen as creator and director of Shanti Yoga Teacher Training, Debbi found that the best approach to mind-body vitality is informed by both western science and the spirit of eastern yogic philosophy. Whether you’re attending her popular local classes (which won her the title of Boise’s Best), national conferences, or international retreats you can expect an artful blend of sound science, ancient wisdom, and mind-body-spirit integration woven together in the beautiful, juicy flow of the vinyasa tradition.
Debbi also shares her message online in various blogs and trainings. You’ll also find her informative and inspirational posts on her website, and her Facebook, Twitter and Instagram feeds.
Dianne Bondy is a celebrated yoga teacher, social justice activist and leading voice of the Yoga For All movement. Her inclusive view of yoga asana and philosophy inspires and empowers thousands of followers around the world – regardless of their shape, size, ethnicity, or level of ability.
She applies over 1000 hours of training to help her students find freedom, self-expression and radical self-love in their yoga practice. She shares her message and provides millions of followers with affordable access to online yoga classes, workshops and tutorials at her virtual studio: Yogasteya.com and her personal blog. Dianne contributes to Yoga International, Yoga Journal, Do You Yoga, and Elephant Journal. She is featured and profiled in International media outlets: The Guardian, Huffington Post, Cosmopolitan, and more. She is a spokesperson for diversity in yoga and yoga for larger bodies, as seen in her work with Pennington’s, Gaiam, and the Yoga & Body Image Coalition. Her work is published in the books: Yoga and Body Image, and Yes Yoga Has Curves.
Elise is an innovative and inspiring mind/body professional and the founder of EliseJoanFitness – a ground breaking new site that allows members to mix-and-match videos in yoga, fitness, and barre to create their own customized workouts and yoga flows (from 10min to 2 hours) and save their favorites as playlists. Elise’s rhythmic Yoga flows are dynamic and athletically challenging, while keeping a philosophical base that opens up the mind and expands the heart.
Elise infuses her joyful, alignment-based sequences, with her intuitive style of teaching that transcends the mat by bringing the wisdom of yoga into everyday life. She is a headliner for the Wanderlust Festivals and the creator of several best selling yoga, ballet and fitness dvds for SHAPE, Gaiam, element and Exercise TV among others and has a monthly column in LA Yoga. Elise has created cutting edge yoga programs for the prestigious Equinox fitness clubs and teaches elite athletes for Red Bull, ZICO as well as player development for the USC Football team.
Deeply passionate about coaching people to their “Best Life”, you can expect to leave Elise’s retreats motivated and transformed with a deeper perspective of joy and presence.
Wanderluster and native Southerner, Elizabeth has lived, studied and taught yoga around the world. MA, E-RYT200 and RYT500, Elizabeth teaches in The Kaivalya Yoga Method, a style in both the Ashtanga and Jivamukti lineages that emphasizes intelligent sequencing, precise hands-on adjustments, yoga philosophy, humor and heart. She is a certified prenatal yoga instructor and has contributed to and designed teacher training and immersions.
Elizabeth leads international yoga retreats for The Travel Yogi, and has been featured in Yahoo! Health, Allure, Happiness & Wellbeing, MindBodyGreen, Om Yoga & Lifestyle and more.
Elizabeth currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia – and continues to search for the Sanskrit equivalent of “y’all”.
Emily-Clare Hill is hugely passionate and ever excited about the practice of movement. As an experienced international yoga instructor based in London, Emily believes in all qualities and lessons of a yoga practice and tries to incorporate yoga into every aspect of her life.
Balance and Experience are two of Emily’s favorite words and terms she tries to live and teach by. She teaches a fun, dynamic stretchy practice with a fluid and mindful technique. Her knowledge of anatomy brings a greater technique to her sequencing leaving you connected, ready and content. Emily empowers her students to experience all aspects of the practice and open themselves to their inner, and outer, journey.
Emily is dedicated within the Yoga community and gives her time to support new yoga teachers and mentoring. She is the co-founder of Sunday School Yoga and Mudra Yoga London and lives by her mantra, “once we stop learning we stop living”.
Erica is a teacher all about connection. Having served in healthcare along side one of New Jersey’s top physician she wanted to bring more power and awareness back to her patients and found her true calling in yoga and holistic health.
Her unique practice and teachings stem from an eclectic background aimed at drawing students out of a place of fear and into a space of fun, freedom, and flight. Heavily influenced by Ashtanga’s traditional practice and her time studying in India, she accredits her diversity to studying regularly with her inspirations, Raghunath Cappo, Tiffany Cruikshank, and Rodney Yee and melding ancient philosophies and teachings with modern day realities.
Through her teachings she hopes to break down the walls of old beliefs and get students back in touch with self, bringing a deeper dimension to their practices. Expect to experience more than you thought possible in an alignment conscious creatively playful class, and renew your sense of confidence all while laughing and sweating.
Erica is honored to have been chosen again as a Lululemon Ambassador and can be regularly seen with Sadie Nardini on Rock Your Yoga as well as Jai Sugrim’s Yoga Sutra Now.
As an 500hr E-RYT she feels blessed to share her passions and serve community via her studio, Trepta Yoga as well as connecting with students worldwide via retreats, leading 300hr teacher trainings and workshops.
Growing up as an athlete, Erica always felt a strong connection to physical movement. It wasn’t until her mid-twenties that she desired a stronger connection to her emotional self and a deeper sense of fulfillment within that movement. The second she stepped onto a yoga mat, she knew that her gym memberships were a thing of the past; she had found that connection she had been yearning for. The sense of release and freedom that she felt after a class was something she knew that she had to share and continue to discover. Her hope is that her mistakes and life challenges inspire and awaken something within every student that she crosses paths with. Her passion to serve, love and heal is what feeds her emotionally and forces her to continuously grow as a teacher.
Erica teaches heated and non-heated vinyasa classes as well as privates/corporate clients in New York City and New Jersey. She also leads Heal Your Heart Yoga Retreats™ both locally and internationally and most recently launched her first 200-Hour RYS Yoga Teacher Training.
From an early age, I’ve been a seeker. Born in Seattle, I’ve lived in Boston, Los Angeles, New York, Tel Aviv, and Berlin. In each of these places I was searching for something. I think it was happiness, or freedom, or a ‘reason’ for life when my existential suitcase was feeling pretty heavy. It was on a cold, dark Berlin day that I stumbled into a yoga class, and for the first time in a long time, something clicked. I knew I was in the right place. In the warmth of the yoga studio, I found space to slow down, stop my running, and to learn to let be. After a long history of anxiety and eating disorder issues, yoga gave me the tools to understand that life is a gift, and it is our duty to live it to the fullest.
I am trained in Jivamukti and Ashtanga yoga. These methods are vigorous, spiritually uplifting and rooted in the principles of compassion for all beings. I’ve studied with Sharon Gannon and David Life, Richard Freeman and Maty Ezraty, and have a very keen eye for alignment and precision. The aim is not perfection, but training the body and mind to be attentive.
I believe wholeheartedly that our bodies are our laboratories in which we can learn to understand ourselves and our universe. As we heal through yoga, we begin to heal our relationships to others, and even our planet.
While this all might sound really serious, teaching and practicing with a sense of humor is key. An essential part of the yoga practice is remembering that it is fun! The joy this practice gives me is infections, and I can’t wait to share it with you.
After traveling the world and dancing professionally for five years, Frances has made a name as a sought-after yoga and fitness instructor in Los Angeles. Currently the Group Fitness Manager at Equinox in Beverly Hills, Frances combines her training in dance, yoga, fitness and nutrition, in a holistic approach to well-being.
Known for her positive energy, humor, creativity, and infectious personality, Frances felt inspired to create the Shaped By Frances movement after witnessing the transformative effect that her coaching and training has in many of her clients. Frances has a way to make others feel empowered, and strong, while reminding them to have fun along the way.
“If I can make someone laugh, feel good about themselves and their life, and help them believe they can overcome and achieve anything they set their heart and mind to, then I am living my purpose.”
Garth is a 500hr E-RYT, Teacher Trainer, Certified Yoga Therapist, Certified Yogaworks Teacher and a Certified DharmaYoga Teacher. He completed teacher training at Yogaworks in Santa Monica with Annie Carpenter & James Brown, mentoring with Annie Carpenter, advanced teacher training at the DharmaYoga Center in New York, with Sri Dharma Mittra and additional advanced teacher training at Loyola Marymount University, with Srivatsa Ramaswami. He has spent time in Mysore, India, studying Ashtanga Yoga, with the Sri K. Patthabi Jois family, practicing with Saraswati Jois. He also completed the Yoga Therapy Rx program, at Loyola Marymount University, with Dr. Larry Payne and completed Yoga Tune Up® teacher training, with Jill Miller.
Garth teaches an integrated vinyasa flow style of yoga with an emphasis on alignment, breath and concentration. Students are encouraged to think of the bigger picture and to use the asana as a tool to go deeper and to use the tools of the practice to: cultivate balance, process and release tension, increase awareness and ultimately to quiet the mind and go deeper inward to learn the true nature of themselves and realize their true purpose.
Garth teaches seated pranayama & meditation and guided yoga nidra meditation in addition to his integrated vinyasa flow classes and as a certified yoga therapist, works regularly with students who have an injury and/or are dealing with chronic pain.
Garth has led classes, workshops, retreats and teacher trainings in Los Angeles and around the world. He has been featured in and contributed to: Yoga Journal, Men’s Health Magazine, Mantra Magazine, Yoganonymous and LA Yoga.
Gillian is the owner and beloved leader of Steadfast & True Yoga. Nomadic from birth, Gillian was raised by traveling ministers with her older siblings, two cats, and a dove, who traveled all over Europe and the US listening to her mother teach (not preach, she taught). Traveling, sitting, and listening (those last two took time to appreciate) are still a huge part of her adult life.
“Contentment before bliss, peace is in the middle.”
— GILLIAN ST. CLAIR
She started her asana practice in 1999 after a life of dancing (ballet & contemporary). She didn’t know how much she relied on physical movement to take care of her emotional state until she quit dance. She had no idea where she was storing all of her feelings until that moment. When she took her first Ashtanga yoga class she felt completely clear and whole again, it was magic!
For a long time that is where she stayed, heavy in the physical form, convinced others would benefit in the same way. After studying in India she tried to teach what she had learned and was sorely mistaken on how yoga works for everybody. She quickly adapted her approach, learning, re-learning, and continuously refining how she can be of service to others, herself, and her family through the practice of yoga.
Gillian opened Steadfast and True Yoga in Nashville, TN in August 2010. She wanted to create a studio and space that holds tightly to values of right action, less distraction, to create healthy reactions. She wanted to create an extended family. She succeeded. Steadfast is constantly growing and evolving, but it has been, and will continue to be, an amazing journey for her and everyone involved.
She is passionate about truth and integrity and asks for that in her yoga classes. She asks the yogi to seek the knowledge of breath and asana before fluidity and vinyasa. She teaches strong alignment based Ashtanga, Vinyasa and Hatha classes. When you come to her class know that you are safe and supported in the journey we take together. It’s important to understand that everything in Yoga is attainable although it’s a process that needs to explored.
Gillian asks students to focus on what their true needs are and let go of wants. That way they (we) can stop being so needy and stop wanting what isn’t ours.
She uses humor throughout her classes, and life, and loves when people laugh at her jokes. Seriously, please laugh at her jokes. She adores and thanks the universe daily for her husband Jason and their daughter Sydelle.
Upcoming Retreats
OCTOBER 8-15, 2022
Bali - 8 Days/7 Nights
Starting at $3,195
Book Now
Gioconda has been practicing, teaching, and studying yoga for over 15 years. She is registered with Yoga Alliance and as an EYRT-500 and has led workshops, teacher trainings, and retreats, both nationally and internationally.
In 2008 she initiated and co-founded the Austin based community movement “Changing The World, One Om at a Time,” a seva project designed to unite yoga communities in practice and service. A continual student, Gioconda completed her Master’s Degree in Spiritual Psychology and is working at the advanced level training in Somatic Experiencing. The blending of these skills, along with her years of exploration in the philosophies of yoga and principles of Ayurveda, provide the foundation on which she founded her private practice, where she assists clients to heal, grow, and explore their full potential.
Gioconda combines alignment and flow to empower students to grow in their practice, inviting challenge in a nurturing environment. She encourages playfullness and enjoyment while exploring the science and art that is yoga. She believes passionately in yoga’s ability to bridge unity at an individual, community and global level.
Giselle Mari‘s introduction to yoga in the early 90’s was a natural progression from her gymnastics/dance background, her passion for music, and her childhood; she was raised by a bohemian flamenco dancer. Today all of these influence her style and approach to teaching and to life.
Giselle flavors her classes with spunk, grit, and spirit. Her light-hearted but comprehensive teaching style weaves yogic philosophy, Sanskrit, anatomy, skillful hands-on assists, funky eclectic music, and unabashed authenticity into her classes. Her offerings are not only designed to make you move, sweat, and reflect but to empower fearless curiosity about your spirit, increase self-acceptance, reconnect to our humanity and inspire spiritual activation; all while having a sense of humor.
Giselle had the honor to train under the direct tutelage of Sharon Gannon & David Life of the Jivamukti Yoga method for many years. As a senior teacher with advanced certification, she went on to serve as a faculty member for their esteemed teacher training, was a member on the advanced board exam panel. In addition, Giselle is grateful for the teachings of Sarah Powers, Paul Grilley, Jai Uttal, Jill Miller and to her Sanskrit/philosophy teacher Manorama who has illumined her path beyond words.
Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Giselle presents her teachings all over the world, is a trainer of teachers and offers a mentorship program for new teachers. She’s graced the covers of Yoga Journal (U.S and Japan) and Yoga International Magazine as well as appeared in many of their articles. She’s also featured in both Kathryn Budig’s book “Women’s Health: The Big Book of Yoga” and Linda Sparrowe’s “Yoga at Home”. She’s written for Origin and Mantra Magazine and Yoga Journal, and is a teacher on YogaGlo.
When not teaching, she loves being with her amazing husband, daughter, four dogs and two frogs, all of who inspire and support her every day.
Gustavo is Yoga teacher living in Austin, Texas with a desire to inspire and uplift people through high-spirited classes. He is an avid runner, a Crossfit and nutrition enthusiast, and a true anatomy junkie. His passion for wellness and fitness led him to the discovery of Yoga.
Gustavo incorporates the ancient teachings of Yoga and his own life experiences into vigorous and empowering flow classes. His classes are a fun mix between Power Yoga, Forrest Yoga, and Hatha Yoga with a philosophy which revolves around developing a strong core – “if you develop a strong core or center of being, there will be nothing that can bend/ break you out of shape.”
His classes are challenging yet accessible – they will leave you feeling accomplished, reenergized and a little sweaty! Catch him around Austin, online or on the road!
Heidi Kristoffer is: mom to three under 3 and CrossFlowX™, the creator and producer of Microsoft Bing Fitness Yoga & MSN Yoga, Athleta Ambassador, and wellness expert for and contributor to multiple online platforms and publications. Her goal is to make yoga, health, strength, and whole, happy living accessible to everyone. Rated one of the: Hottest Trainers in America by Shape Magazine, most inspiring yoga teachers in the world by DoYouYoga, and most popular instructors in NYC by RateYourBurn and ClassPass, Heidi can often be seen featured as an expert on television and in magazines world wide. A former award winning actress of stage, film and television, and graduate of Cornell University, Heidi makes it her mission to bring happiness to everyone through every medium.
Fun fact :: In all that she does, Heidi maintains an intense focus on core integration and alignment stemming from her desire to use yoga as a tool to heal and strengthen the body. An old car accident left her with 2 broken vertebrae, a straightened cervical spine, and multiple herniated discs. Years of yoga, and no surgeries later, her cervical spine has regained the curve and all herniations are gone. Heidi is a true believer in the powers of Yogic Healing, and wants to share that with the world.
A passionate traveler and yogini, Hillary Easom (E-RYT, R-PYT) has explored all seven continents and published many articles about her adventures. Since a rowing injury led her to yoga in the late 1990s, Hillary has studied various styles of yoga including Iyengar, vinyasa, yin and therapeutics. Her classes combine elements of all of these, with a strong focus on breath and mindful movement.
Her background in education (B.A. Boston College, M.Ed. University of Washington) strengthens Hillary’s ability to teach effectively in a nurturing manner. She strongly believes that yoga can benefit people of every background, age and level of fitness: Yoga for EveryBody. Based in the San Francisco Bay area for the past decade, she teaches slow flow, prenatal and mom & baby yoga classes locally and trains teachers to do the same. She co-founded and co-directs Lotus Blossom Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training and is on the teacher training faculty at Samyama Yoga Center in Palo Alto, CA.
Hillary shares a home with her husband, two children and a revolving mini zoo (currently a hamster, a fish and occasionally a neighborhood dog). Off the mat, she loves running, hiking, SCUBA and anything that involves being on or near the water.
Upcoming Retreats
NOVEMBER 14-20, 2021
Iceland - 7 Days/6 Nights
Starting at $3,895
Book Now
Janet is a yoga instructor, yoga teacher trainer and Life Alignment coach. Born and raised in NYC and now living in the mountains of Whistler, BC, Janet is part homebody and part gypsy. She loves her home in the mountains as well as exploring the world through travel. As a result, Janet has been travelling the world and teaching internationally.
Janet as a yoga instructor offers a playful, sweaty, deep practice with soul-searching teachings. Janet teaches “real life yoga for everyday living” by encouraging her students to explore yoga philosophy through themed classes and take their awareness into
their life. Janet as a Life Alignment Coach is soulful in her approach using yoga philosophy and Co-Active teachings to evoke deep insights. Janet’s candor, confidence and humour creates a playful, supportive environment to dive into action. You will be inspired to live deeply rich life filled with possibility.
She is generous with her support and deeply devoted to her students. Coaching and Yoga are pathways to living a life of harmony and fullness. Janet will journey with you there.
Upcoming Retreats
NOVEMBER 2-12, 2022
Vietnam & Cambodia - 11 Days/10 Nights
Starting at $4,695
Book Now
Jayne Robertson has been teaching the holistic value of movement in a safe, nurturing, and fun environment for 37 years.
Whether to gymnasts, physical education and recreation students, personal training clients, fitness enthusiasts or yoga students, she has been able to draw upon her vast knowledge of human anatomy, metaphysics, and healthy living. Her career began as a high-level gymnastics coach, evolved through personal training and further into yoga teaching and yoga therapy. What has contributed to Jayne’s unique teaching style is that she has had the opportunity of studying with both gymnastics and yoga masters. She was fortunate to study with Ju Ping Tian (Australian Women’s National Gymnastics Coach) and Bernard Petiot (Canadian Women’s National Coach) in her early years. This foundation of precision, in-depth biomechanics and functional anatomy has set the platform on which she built her yogic education.
She holds both undergraduate and post-graduate degrees in exercise and sports science and 750+ hours of formal yoga studies. She is a certified yoga therapist through the International Association of Yoga Therapy. Over the past 12 years, she has concentrated on yoga therapy and the philosophical practices of yoga. Jayne continues to study with her two most influential yoga teachers: Nischala Joy Devi and Judith Hanson Lasater. Having taught literally thousands of classes throughout her career, Jayne’s teachings have tremendous depth and breadth that allow her to support and connect with students on many levels.
In December 2016, the next chapter in Jayne’s career was opening her own studio, Desert Yoga Therapy, located in the heart of Rancho Mirage, CA. Along with fellow instructors, they offer a variety of yoga classes, one-on-one yoga therapy, a 200-HR Yoga Teacher Training, an Advanced Studies program, as well as a variety of workshops. Desert Yoga Therapy was recently voted “Best of the Valley-Yoga Studio” for 2019 in the Coachella Valley. Jayne has led many yoga retreats including Sanctuary Retreat in Queensland, Australia since 2009, a Women’s Winter Retreat in rural Victoria, Australia, as well as in the mountains of California.
With her strong commitment to her yogic path, at the beginning of 2012, Jayne began raising awareness and funds for the Global Seva Challenge-India. This was in collaboration with Off the Mat, Into the World, a non-profit yoga based organization. Her goal of $20,000 was directed toward addressing the issue of sex trafficking in India and supporting efforts to rescue and rehabilitate victims of the trade. She raised over $28,000 in 2012 and traveled to India in February 2013 to visit the programs and partners that are being supported by the Global Seva Challenge.
A truly international person, Jayne is a dual national (USA & Australia) and has traveled extensively around the world. Her travels include six months hitchhiking through Africa and roaming with a backpack around Europe, parts of Asia, and North America. She’s been scuba diving in Honduras, trekked the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, swam with marine iguanas in the Galapagos, explored the old Samurai and Geisha cities in Japan and snorkeled with pods of dolphins off the coast of New Zealand. Being an avid photographer, her time in Iceland searching for the Northern Lights and getting as remote as possible in Western Australia, has provided her with many opportunities to play with her camera and lighting. Partnering with The Travel Yogi seems like a perfect fit for her and she is excited to share her love of yoga and adventure travel.
Connect with Jayne on her blog, subscribe to her extensive library of teachings through the subscription service, or listen to her CD for Pre/Post Surgery Guided Imagery for Optimal Healing.
Jennifer Prugh is passionate about guiding students toward discovering what is possible in life when we bring our whole selves to each moment. She is the founder of Breath Together Yoga, a yoga studio, tea house and wellness center that offers over 100 classes a week for every level of practice, as well as the founder of the Joy of Yoga 200 and 300/500 hour teacher trainings.
Jennifer leads yoga adventures and retreats all over the world. A professional artist with a master’s degree in Art and Consciousness Studies, she was an associate professor for eight years at Cogswell College where she taught storytelling, mythology and creativity. She began practicing yoga in 1989, and teaching yoga after in 1999 following the death from cancer of her greatest mentor, her father. Jennifer left higher education to teach yoga exclusively, in the words of Joseph Campbell, “ to follow her bliss.”
Her online classes can be found on yogaanytime.com. Jennifer is a member of the board of the Tibetan Children’s Education Foundation, and because education changes the world, she enthusiastically encourages people to sponsor the education of Tibetan children and children of refugees from neighboring countries who live in India.
She lives with her husband Will, their son Liam, and their golden retriever, Hobbes.
Upcoming Retreats
OCTOBER 7-16, 2021
Kenya 10 Days / 9 Nights
Starting at $10,995
Book Now
OCTOBER 18-25, 2021
France - 8 Days/7 Nights
Starting at $2,995
Book Now
Jenniferlyn is known affectionately by her students and friends as JL… And the words ‘JOY, LOVE, YOGA’ describe her head to toe.
Through yoga on the mat and in travel – JL’s goal is to provide her students with the opportunity to experience genuine joy, love, and connection (a.k.a. yoga). JL’s unique yoga teaching style is a creation all her own and an experience that all will benefit from. She is both flowing and grounded. Her classes are joyful, loving, spiritual, and inspiring. When you step away from one of her Vinyasa classes, you will feel more connected to yourself and the world around you. She provides loving support to newbies while continually challenging her regular practitioners to find greater depths in their practice.
JL first experienced yoga in 2000 when she was looking for a way to escape the daily stress from her job as a TV news producer in northern California. That was when yoga started to change her life. Overcome by the power and benefits of yoga in her own life, JL decided to move her career from the newsroom to the yoga mat in 2002. With curiosity and ambition, she followed her dream and began her training at Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health with an emphasis in Integrative Yoga Therapy. JL continued her training with Shiva Rea, embracing Vinyasa yoga. Through Vinyasa, she learned the powerful energizing and cleansing benefits of linking breath with movement.
JL is listed E-RYT with Yoga Alliance and has taught for more than 16 years in Seattle and the Bay Area. After more than 9 years leading international yoga retreats, this year, in her partnership with The Travel Yogi she will bring adventurers to Vietnam & Cambodia and Iceland. Her intimate getaways will change your life.
Upcoming Retreats
OCTOBER 17-23, 2021
Mayan Riviera - 7 Days/6 Nights
Starting at $2,095 Per Person
Book Now
Johnathon Holmes took his first yoga class on a whim. He was new to Boston and noticed that many people seemed to have yoga mats surgically attached to their back when walking down the street—what was all this about? Not knowing what he was getting himself into, Johnathon signed up for a 2-hour Iyengar class at his gym; three blankets, two blocks, and one strap later, he was in love. He was asked to move in a way that was completely foreign and he walked out of class eager for more. The benefits of the yoga practice were immediate, and he sensed a profound shift had taken place. Little did he know that this was just the beginning.
Johnathon completed his 200-hour teacher training with the Boston Yoga School, directed by Ame Wren. Johnathon also studies with and is inspired by Tim Kelleher and Peter Crowley. Linking breath and movement seems so simple, yet has such a profound effect when practiced with purpose.
As a registered nurse, Johnathon is also interested in how the regular practice of yoga can help students cultivate physical, emotional, and spiritual health. His class is an expression of his love for playfulness and structure. He aims to provide a space where students of all skill levels and background can find stability, play with their edge, and create space to let a little more light in.
Julie’s classes combine the solid, alignment-based foundation of Mukti Yoga School with an intuitive teaching method that weaves the ancient wisdom of yoga into everyday life. Julie’s classes allow students to tap into their highest potential through breath, body movement and stillness. Creative and specific sequencing focuses on matching asana and intention with lunar cycles, seasons, and astrology. Her classes have been described as “sneaky” as students reach a deep meditative state in the flow yet wake up sore the next day.
With a background deeply rooted in exercise physiology, Julie helps students and teachers marry the spiritual aspects of the practice with solid anatomical principles. In addition to her public classes, she is also a passionate teacher for many elite athletes, including the US National teams for volleyball, soccer, and cycling.
Julie is committed to making Mukti yoga available to students throughout the world. She travels for workshops, retreats, and trainings internationally and in the United States.
Justine was brought into the world with intention.
Born in South Africa into a lineage of freedom fighters supportive of her spiritual path, she took her first trans-Atlantic flight at nine months old and has since been an avid global adventurer!
A teacher of yoga and mindfulness since 2004, certified by Forest Yoga and Robert Boustany’s Pralaya Yoga, and a practicing lawyer with a Masters in Public Health, Justine is a creative, thoughtful, and ethical teacher. Justine’s work as a yoga and mindfulness teacher is grounded in a lifetime of intellectual inquiry, social justice activism, and community service. Her spiritual practices have supported her through the arduous process of becoming and being an adult. The thread of her spiritual practice ran concurrent to her practice of higher education and her personal work has been to understand how the two practices coalesce. Justine’s range of life experiences, from being a lawyer, working with undocumented children, producing news, living abroad, speaking Spanish, and working on legislative issues, to studying, practicing and teaching embodied physical and spiritual practices yield her specific gifts as a teacher.
Justine is the Owner and Founder of Fanarof Law and Justine Yoga. She is the creator of Mindful Law Firm™ which brings mindfulness and yoga practices to high burnout professional spaces in the legal and medical fields. She is also the creator of Yogi Know Thyself™ a seasonal and ongoing exploration of svadyaya, or self-study, in a sourced and experiential space of personal practice, self-care, and inquiry. Yogi Know Thyself ™ is an alternative to rah-rah yoga teacher training programs. It offers substantive intellectual content and physical practice to the whole human being who wants to steep themselves in their own understanding of ancient and modern wisdom and compassion practices—without pushing become a yoga teacher dogma. If that ensues, wonderful,
but this work’s focus is on the personal practice journey.
With deep gratitude and joy she brings her range of practices and teachings to her community.
Katy Moeggenberg has a passion for being active. In addition to practicing yoga for over 17 years, she is an internationally published fitness author/model, kung fu black belt (5th degree), and professional dancer/choreographer. Her book “I Chin Ching: 49 Exercises to Build Strength, Increase Flexibility, and Improve Balance” teaches a Shaolin martial arts training series that contains many basic and advanced yoga postures.
Yoga keeps Katy strong, calm, and centered as she performs dance and Kung Fu over 50 times a year across venues and audiences. In addition, she uses yoga in her teaching which has been featured and sought after at national dance conventions, college universities, and NFL cheerleading training camps. Katy’s students range from professional athletes to grandparents and her unique teaching style allows every student to get benefit.
Katy owns/manages/instructs at a Cincinnati-based martial arts, dance, and yoga school, and has been doing so for more than 15 years. A Cincinnati native, she lives there today her husband, Kung Fu master Joe Harmon. Visit her website or find her book on Amazon/Barnes & Noble
My name is Kilty Kaimana Inafuku.
My belief is that what we do on the mat is simply practice for what we do off the mat. How you talk to yourself, how you approach a challenging situation, how you receive, and how you do you anything in your mat practice is usually a direct reflection of what’s happening in your everyday practice of life (the real yoga).
I also believe that what you put is what you get out. Put positive thoughts into your mind, and it will respond to see the positive in other people and situations. Put good food into your body, and it will respond to fuel you how you want; after all, the gut is the second brain, right?
I grew up in Kaneohe, Hawaii but didn’t find yoga until I moved to Los Angeles, California, where I was studying for my B.S. in Civil & Environmental Engineering at UCLA. I found that yoga was a great physical outlet and offered a mental release from the stress of school and the chaos of city life. Since then, I’ve kept it a staple in my daily routine and completed my Yoga Alliance compliant 200HR teacher training under Jay Co and am currently training with Jason Crandell for my 500HR. When I returned home to O’ahu after graduation in 2011, I took on a staff engineering position with a local geotechnical company. And after a year in that role, I had the BIG realization that my PASSION IS YOGA. So… I quit.
And, now, here I am as a yoga educator, sharing what I’ve learned from others and from myself along this journey called life. With a steady practice, I’ve learned that yoga has so much more to offer than just a workout and a study break. My goal as a yoga educator is to help others discover these different facets of yoga for themselves. In my classes, you can expect a physical challenge. Sometimes we’ll work through that challenge with a playful attitude and sometimes we’ll step into a more introspective and meditative space of observation. As a teacher, I encourage, and focus, on making mindful choices based on what you need that day. I look forward to seeing you on the mat. Aloha!
Hugs and high fives,
Kilty
Kristen Addicks has embodied movement her entire life. Exploring and training in many forms of dance and yoga has given her a special combination of skills. Her classes flow fluidly, focusing on alignment, working the body in a balanced way and linking poses gracefully and intelligently. She believes the ancient yoga texts teach important life skills that can benefit everyone and she shares these powerful teachings in her classes. Her classes are inspiring both physically and spiritually. They build strength, balance, and flexibility in the body, and a deeper sense of calm, peace, and stability in the mind.
Kristen is a yoga instructor in Marin County. She teaches Hatha Flow at Sukha Yoga and Metta Yoga, Vinyasa Flow at Some Like It Hot Yoga & Boutique (Best of Marin, 2017), and Power Yoga at Red Dragon (Best of Marin, 2020). She has trained teachers at Some Like It Hot Yoga & Boutique and has written a monthly yoga blog for Marin Magazine. Additionally, she leads a Yoga Sutra Study Group that studies the deeper meaning of yoga and has lead several international yoga and adventure retreats.
In 2019, Kristen was invited to teach yoga at a summer surf camp with professional surfer Coco Nogales. Other private clients have included Skywalker Ranch, Novato High School Girls Lacrosse Team (State Champions), Redwood High School Girls Basketball Team, Novato High School Boys Lacrosse Team, Redwood High School Boys Lacrosse Team, golfers and tennis players at Marin Country Club, and dancers at Marin School of the Arts.
Kristen received her 200-hour RYT from Yoga Works and her 500-hour from YogaTree.
Her other passions include being outside in nature, travel, meeting new people, playing music, water sports, wildlife, and caring for our environment.
When we meet you will find that my philosophies on the mat are mirrored in my approach to life. I’ve been teaching yoga and meditation for over 20 years and my takeaways from time on my mat is always changing… It’s the beauty of yoga – it meets you where you are in that moment and it never judges or criticizes or asks anything more from you then you have to offer. There’s no doubt our practices on the mat enhances our most important practice… living life live now. Each morning I pause before diving into the “business” of the day and ask myself “What would I love to feel more or less of that I can thread thru my experiences?” I flow a bit waking up on all levels and my morning teachings reflect a sense of awakening. As the day wanes, my teachings are soothing, relective and restorative. I believe there is so much that lies beneath the surface of our beings and that yoga and meditation helps us dive through the tip of the iceberg, clearing clutter, so that we are more fully awake and able to embrace life!
Erich Schiffmann has been monumental in my approach to life on and off the mat. His teachings of “being on line all the time” takes you out of habit-mind and into “life live now”. His Freedom Style approach to yoga and life empowers the inner teacher to be heard. Who doesn’t want to cultivate a more meaningful relationship with themselves and others? Yoga and meditation are vehicles that help us find more space between breaths and longer pauses between thoughts so that we are able to hear our inner voices speaking about what matters most to each of us! “Living life live” means living life alive and fully in the present. If not now, when??
My various vinyasa flow practices reflect a meditation of movement whether gentle or powerful. I absolutely love to sequence so the movements are a meditation in themself. Connected thru the breath, we stay present. Through this connection, we can explore the subtle micro adjustments to find the yin and yang in every pose. It is a goal to take this flow of breath from my practice off the mat and into my world… inhaling life’s inspiration, exhaling the debris. I believe where the breath is stuck, so is our prana.
Last but certainly not least, my subtle body and yin teachings. Yin found me while living in the high mountains of Colorado. I think it’s important to pause often and integrate physical stillness. Being in conversation with ourselves leads to profound intuitive inquisition.
As the owner of Be.Yoga in Avon CT, as a teacher and as a student, I love exploring and learning especially beneath the surface of things. I love to travel and simmer in other cultures and learn from their lifestyles. I started leading yoga retreats and adventures in 2008 as a way to bring like minded people together to pause and explore life both on and off the mat.
I hope to meet you in the flow! Feel free to email me at kristin@beyogainavon.com
Laura Vanderberg, Ph.D., ERYT500, C-IAYT is a huge fan of yoga as a system of health, and loves sharing with others! Her dharma is to empower others to grow so that they may live life more fully. Since her first yoga class over 15 years ago, when she left class and noticed the air was clearer and the night brighter, Laura has been an avid student of this ancient system of health. Through her teacher trainings, her yoga therapy training and her certification by the International Association of Yoga Therapists, Laura has been able to share yoga, its philosophy and benefits with others across the United States. She founded the first and only dedicated yoga studio in Cody, WY and is the Program Director of Heart Mountain Yoga School, a Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga School, Laura teaches group and private asana classes, works one on one with clients who have chronic health issues, and offers a variety of wellness classes and focused workshops to encourage people in pursuit of more vibrant life. Laura recently added training and certification as a professional life coach to her toolkit and enjoys bringing coaching into the mix. She aims to reach a broader audience, encouraging people to experience life more fully by offering weekly emails, posting Mindful Moment Facebook videos, and contributing monthly magazine articles to Cody Living Magazine.
Laura’s been leading retreats in the US and internationally for more than 10 years. Her “yoga vacations” span the world from South America to Europe, where culture, yoga, education and fun blend in amazing vacations. She is thrilled to be able to share yoga with everyone and firmly believes that yoga is for every body. She looks forward to sharing yoga with you!
Weaving together many strands of ancient and modern knowledge — yoga, meditation, Ayurveda, holistic nutrition, and neuroscience — into her practice, Leah Adams is a yoga teacher trainer, mindfulness facilitator, and ongoing student of some of the world’s most masterful carriers of wisdom. She is ever grateful to her Yin Yoga teachers Bernie Clark and Sarah Powers. Leah’s intention is to support others in discovering their own unique blend of effective, resonant modalities, as they walk the path toward sustainable nourishment, holistic vitality and balance. She offers workshops and training on Yin Yoga, functional breathwork, pranayama, meditation, and ayurveda.
As part of her dedication to supporting wellness in the healthcare environment, she has mentored nurse leadership to bring centering exercises to meetings – a practice that has not only been well-received but requested by the team. Leah also created the “60 Seconds to Center” guide for leaders which was featured by the Institute for Corporate Productivity’s 2020 report on Next Practices in Holistic Well-Being (I4PC). Leah is the co-founder of “Being-Well in Healthcare”.
Leah, is a cancer survivor with a former career in advertising and fashion, she believes wholeheartedly that opportunities to practice yoga are everywhere, not only on the yoga mat. She has been invited to teach in the workplace and is delighted to have worked with UW Mindfulness, Virginia Mason, Rosen Harbottle, Yoga Reset, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, and Northwest School of Massage.
Leah is a lifelong student who now lives and teaches in the Seattle area. Happiness for Leah is playing in warm ocean waves, sharing late nights and long talks, clumsily playing her guitar, and cooking for friends and family. When not on the cushion you might find Leah blending herbs, making decoctions, serving tea or cuddling her fur babes. She spends every moment she can surrounded by trees.
Welcome! I can’t wait to meet you on the mat out on an adventure! Before we meet there, here’s a little bit about me:
I’m a former D1 soccer player, an avid yogi, an explorer and surfer, a #TeamHuman lover and a #PlayWithPurpose Peak Flow founder.
As a young girl, my dream was to play D1 soccer and one day, to compete in the Olympics. Like many young athletes, I lived for competition and LOVED to win – who doesn’t? After my college sports career ended, I found myself lost in my early twenties. As a successful athlete entering adulthood, I wondered: Who am I, beyond soccer? What is my purpose? Like many twenty somethings, I defaulted to the fifty hour corporate work week to pay the bills but lacked a sense of self-fulfillment.
Following the “flow” of the corporate world, I relocated to the island of Oahu for nearly eight years. Hawaiian living proved the most transformational experience of my life. I fell in love with the Ocean, free-diving and surfing. They all provided me new opportunities for self-discovery and appreciation for the power of nature and the present moment.
And then, on February 11th, 2014, I had a “near death experience.”
Just what I thought was another “day in paradise”, literally almost took my breath away … for good. Around lunch time that day I paddled out on Oahu’s north shore break to surf some of the largest waves of my life. Sitting in the line-up, I could feel a beautiful mixture – fear, hesitation and excitement – travel throughout my mind and body. I spotted a Wave coming lining up perfectly in my direction, and in that present moment of flow settled my wandering Mind to stillness, my Body following as a paddled in the perfect pocket.
The Wave’s lifted me up as both feet landed perfectly on my board, ready to ride the Ocean’s energy. The drop loomed above me – suddenly too big and out of my comfort zone. As my face glossed the Wave, the peak curled over my head and the small tunnel – my way out – suddenly disappeared. The Wave’s powerful force trapped me, picking me up over the falls and tumbling me into the Wave’s crushing power. I opened my eyes underwater not knowing which direction lead to the surface, only to find darkness and no longer having the energy to fight the Ocean, I surrendered. In that moment, I thought of my mother, father and two brothers. I reminded myself: if I leave this world doing what I love – there’s beauty there. In that very moment of “letting go” the ocean brought me back to the surface and I gasped for air, my body shaking uncontrollably. Finding my senses, I quickly grabbed my leash and paddled back into shore and sat, staring at the ocean until the sun went down: confused, crying and terrified by my experience in a sport that allowed me to feel so ALIVE.
How could I continue surfing? I felt traumatized, but even more in awe of the Ocean’s power. Always curious about how free divers and big wave surfers could hold their breath for so long, I followed my post-trauma curiosity and signed up for courses. Becoming a breath coach and practitioner, I experienced major emotional releases I thought I had stuffed away. My soccer-injured hamstring and ACL began healing. I felt lighter, and the weird thing was, it wasn’t just me. Everyone in my breathing classes shared similar experiences. Breathwork for me soon became a new journey of discovery, ancient wisdom meeting renegade science as my quest deepened.
In 2018, my Yoga Teacher Training continually pointed me towards breath as a simple but powerful pathway connecting mind, body and spirit. Traveling to Bangalore, India in 2019 for The Art of Living, I learned that breathing was an ancient art, a vital component cultivated by human civilizations for millennia. During my training, I experienced profound mental and emotional shifts again I couldn’t ignore, as well as a deeper appreciation for the power of the breath, my relationships with family and friends, but most profoundly the relationship I had with myself.
Fast forward. Today, I am a Yoga Instructor, Wim Hof, Oxygen Advantage and Buteyko Method breath practitioner and avid international surfer. Little did I know that the Soccer’s Field and the Ocean’s Wave would lead me to my passion and purpose in creating Peak Flow and traveling around the world with our amazing The Travel Yogi community. I can’t wait to share my yoga and breathwork knowledge and passion with each of you as we explore, expand and immerse.
Upcoming Retreats
November 12-19, 2022
Nicaragua - 8 Days/7 Nights
Starting at $3,495
Book Now
Liz Arch is a yoga teacher, martial artist, speaker, certified life coach, Under Armour ambassador, and the creator of Primal Yoga®, a dynamic yoga and martial arts fusion class designed to create balance, strength and synergy in our physical and emotional bodies. She has over 10 years of experience in various yoga and martial arts styles including Vinyasa Yoga, Kung Fu, Tai-Chi, Self Healing Qi Gong and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. She holds multiple certifications in yoga and healing arts including a SmartFlow certification from Annie Carpenter, Yoga Tune Up® certification from Jill Miller, and a Trauma-informed Yoga certification from Hala Khouri and Kyra Haglund.
Liz has trained celebrities, musicians and Olympic athletes, and travels the world leading teacher training programs, workshops, and sold-out yoga retreats. She was named one of the “100 Women to Watch in Wellness” in 2015 by MindBodyGreen and is a health and wellness expert for Under Armour’s Connected Fitness Team, which reaches a worldwide audience of over 169 million people.
She has graced the covers of international yoga magazines including Om Yoga Magazine, Yoga Life Magazine, and Yoga & Wellness Magazine; has been featured in Well+Good, Elle A Table Magazine, and Yoga Journal Russia; and has contributed as an online health and wellness expert to Self Magazine, MindBodyGreen, Elephant Journal and more.
She believes in the capacity of yoga to heal on both a physical and emotional level and draws upon her personal experience overcoming trauma and intimate partner violence to help others find support, empowerment and healing. She currently serves as the West Coast Director for The Purple Dot Yoga Project, a non-profit organization that raises awareness for domestic violence by supporting and empowering individuals affected by trauma and abuse through one-on-one yoga as well as trauma-informed yoga workshops and programs.
Lori was born in Elko, Nevada, loving the western traditions and wide open space. Idaho has been home for many years, in fact she was Miss Idaho in 1979!!! Lori’s education began at Boise State, continuing on with Masters from Arizona State and a doctorate from the University of Idaho. Her entire education and research is centered around mind/body development through education, kinesiology, physical education, dance, and movement based techniques.
Lori is the northwest certifying teacher for floor, equipment, circular, and standing pilates. She is a Feldenkrais practitioner, gyrokinesis instructor, in addition to NETA yoga certification, restorative certification. She is the co-owner and director of Mind Your Body Health studio in Pocatello, Idaho, as well as completing 18 years of teaching at Idaho State University.
Dr. Head feels a comfort in the travel based industry working for Educational Foundation and GoAhead tours for the past 24 years, touring most of Europe, Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. A few side notes… she will feed all stray animals along the way…..
Upcoming Retreats
AUGUST 1-7, 2021
Iceland - 7 Days / 6 Nights
Starting at $3,895 Per Person
Book Now
Maile discovered yoga in 1996 and immediately she could feel there was something special, something indefinable to it. Richard Freeman, whom she met while living in Colorado in 1998, is her primary teacher. She continues to study with him annually, has completed four of his advanced trainings, and assists him at Yoga Journal Conferences.
Maile teaches moderate-paced, mindful vinyasa. She is inspired by the connection between breath and movement and teaches precision in alignment. Her classes are an active, yet nurturing synthesis of flowing postures, breath awareness and yogic philosophy.
In 2014, she proudly became the owner of The Mindful Body Yoga & Massage Studio in San Francisco.
In addition to practicing yoga, Maile loves adventure travel, hiking, dogs, surfing (warm water preferred!), eating vegetables from her garden, swimming and mangoes.
Maria is based in Nashville, TN and is a 300h E-RYT certified instructor, a certified Pranic Healer (a comprehensive system of energetic medicine) and an Ayurveda Wellness Counselor.
She has completed over 500 hours of additional training in hatha yoga, restorative yoga, Pranic healing, Ayurveda, meditation and anatomy. She has co-lead multiple 200-hr Yoga Alliance teacher training programs and offers a number of workshops on Yin Yoga, meditation, Pranayama breathing, Mudras and the Chakras. She has also led group retreats to Costa Rica and Guatemala. She was a featured instructor at the Dirty South Yoga Conference as well as the inaugural Wigwam Wellness Experience.
Stemming from the Hatha and Anusara schools, Maria offers alignment-based Vinyasa classes that build throughout each practice in a creative and mindful way.
Marina (E-RYT 500 and Continuing Education Provider) is an NCAA Champion Rowing Coach who found yoga on her own personal search for healing. She’s been bringing people more in tune with their bodies for 20 years and is known for accessible and informative cueing, a genuine love of the body’s capabilities and a compassionate and lighthearted approach to learning and personal growth.
She teaches vigorous vinyasa, intelligent alignment, and delicious yin. Marina gravitates toward the ocean and crosses the street to pet dogs. Forever a student, she has enjoyed studying under Seane Corn, Noah Maze, and Judith Lasater, and she is trained in Prison Yoga, Veterans Yoga, and Y12SR Yoga for 12 Step Recovery. She most enjoys helping others move into consciousness and
Upcoming Retreats
NOVEMBER 6-13, 2021
Galapagos - 8 Days/7 Nights
Starting at $4,595/Per Person
Book Now
MARCH 3-13, 2022
Patagonia - 8 Days / 7 Nights
Starting at $5,395/Per Person
Book Now
Melissa has a passion for offering sustainable Yoga that meets you where you are today, just as you are. Through the transformative power of Yoga and travel, she offers experiences that are accessible to every body by teaching to the unique needs of the students in front of her. Yoga retreats allow us to be immersed into other cultures, so that we begin to see clearly our uniqueness as well as our similarities. Through these fun and transformative adventures, Melissa draws out in a unique way, a sense of community, restoration and the ability to see and appreciate the beauty in each moment.
Having lived and traveled all over the US, in Asia (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), and most recently residing in Calgary, Alberta Canada. Yoga Alliance ERYT® 500, she currently travels between Texas, Calgary and Asia, leading retreats, teacher trainings and immersions, specializing in Restorative Yoga and Sustainable-Therapeutically based Yoga. Melissa’s slow-flow, therapeutic and restorative-based Yoga classes offer a uniquely nurturing perspective on life. Also a Thai Yoga Massage Practitioner and AcroYoga® Level 2 Certified Teacher, Melissa uses these community building tools to build trust, awareness and bring out a sense of playfulness in each of us.
Melissa is the author of Pregnancy Yoga, A Simple Illustrated Guide to Self Practice for Both Pre and Post Natal, Published 2008. She is an ambassador and contributor for Yoga + Mantra Magazine, writer for Elephant Journal and Rebelle Society. Passionate about building connections, community and giving back through Yoga, she’s the founding ambassador for Houston, Texas’ Breakfast Yoga Club, which builds friendship and cohesiveness within the Yoga communities while drawing awareness to various charities. Melissa is a speaker and advocate for research for a non-profit Alzheimer’s Group and holds an annual Caregiver’s of Alzheimer’s Retreat to offer respite and to raise awareness for Alzheimer’s near Houston. She was a part of a team who raised funds to build a school and a library for the Bali Children’s Project, a non-profit devoted to providing educational resources to rural Balinese children and leads an annual Yoga and service trip for High Schoolers who devote a week to working with children on literacy and raising awareness and appreciation for cultural diversity.
Mia Togo grew up as an avid equestrian and dancer in Murrieta, Ca. These pursuits dealt with energy, connection and expression of her spirit. Little did she know this would pave the way to her love and devotion of yoga.
At 18, she went on to dance professionally, working in film, TV, stage and music videos. While simultaneously earning her degree in Psychology from UCLA, the competitive world of dance revealed self-doubt and insecurities that needed attention and healing which led her to work with Mona Miller, her teacher and mentor. The process of self-inquiry and self-acceptance brought her to the practice of vinyasa flow yoga where she began to feel her body as a temple for healing. This work taught her to trust the intuitive nature of who we are, not who we think we should be.
Mia’s yoga practice began in 1996 with many teachers studying different styles and philosophies, ultimately finding her passion in vinyasa flow. The synchronicity of breath and movement creates an open space where the body is informed through alignment and breath, the mind is focused, the emotion flows freely, and there is connection to the authentic self. She teaches that yoga takes us toward the human side of life to explore the shadow without judgment. Through this process we understand our true nature, embrace our light, express our creative energy, and love from our truth.
Mia began teaching in 2004. She is a YogaWorks certified teacher and teacher trainer, as well as mentor for the YogaWorks 300-hour program. Mia teaches with an emphasis on detailed alignment geared towards an intelligence and purpose to her sequencing. Her purpose as a teacher is to allow the student to have an authentic experience that is sacred, healing, uplifting, and inspired by spirit.
Michelle first stumbled onto a yoga mat in 2003 at the Jivamukti Yoga School in NYC with a friend encouraging her to try yoga. She was profoundly changed by the experience. The philosophy, chanting, asanas, and meditation brought her closer to her ‘self’ than she’d ever experienced. Michelle’s yoga journey led to explorations of many styles: Ashtanga, Bikram, Jivamukti, Vinyasa, Hatha, Yin, Sattva, Budokan, Primal Yoga, and Shadow Yoga, in which she had the privilege of apprenticing under Matt Pesendian for 3 years.
Her trainings took her across the country and around the world to the ‘Yoga Capital’ of Rishikesh, India where she completed the first Warriors of Wisdom Training with the Sattva Yoga Family. After completing her RYT-200hr training with Joan Hyman at Yogaworks, Michelle went on to study and complete her Primal Flow Yoga training under the guidance of founder Liz Arch. In 2017 she had the pleasure of completing her Yoga for Trauma teacher training with Liz Arch & Kate Berlin (creator) of The Purple Dot Yoga Project, a non profit organization that raises awareness for domestic violence by supporting and empowering individuals affected by abuse and trauma.
Michelle draws upon her 14 years of education with incredible teachers as well as life experience to weave together dynamic classes that are playful, inspriring, and
“Yoga can lead to deep transformation. Every individual carries the light within and yoga is a means for uncovering that which blocks the light.”
Upcoming Retreats
OCTOBER 16-23, 2021
Bali - 8 Days/7 Nights
Starting at $3,195
OCTOBER 15-22, 2022
Galapagos - 8 Days/7 Nights
Starting at $4,595
Patti Quintero, M.A, E-RYT, has taught yoga since 1998. Her teaching style is born out of her training in Ashtanga and Iyengar Yoga, focusing on postural alignment and the fluidity between body and breath. Patti’s challenging yet compassionate approach, encourages students to move mindfully through the landscape of postures into a space of stillness and clarity.
Patti has been a valued teacher at YogaWorks since 2001, and is an integral part of their Teacher Training Faculty, leading 200-hour trainings, Prenatal Teacher Trainings and serving as a mentor for their 300-hour Professional program. She has taught at the Yoga Journal Conference, and has been featured on E! Entertainment Channel and several wellness publications including Yoga Journal, Cookie Magazine, Working Mother and Access Hollywood Online. Patti is the lead for the Yoga Works DVD Beginners AM/PM and has inspired many pregnant women with her DVD, Journey to Birth.
As a Doula and mother of two, Patti works to inspire and support mothers during and after their pregnancy. Her passion extends outside of the yoga studio and into her work with her non-profit project ‘SoulShine Colombia’, which is devoted to bringing Yoga and Meditation to impoverished and underprivileged women, mothers, and children around Colombia. The project specifically aims to empower individuals to tap into their inner strength, brilliance and joy through yoga, meditation and mindfulness, and assist in breaking the cycle of poverty amongst women. To learn more and donate click here.
Patti teaches Vinyasa Flow classes and Prenatal Flow at YogaWorks in Santa Monica, California and teaches online classes at MyYogaWorks. She works privately with clients, and travels periodically leading workshops, retreats, and teacher trainings in both English and Spanish. Patti holds a Masters Degree in Education from the University of Miami, and is a 500-hour Yoga Alliance certified yoga instructor.
Rachel’s greatest talent is her ability to offer ancient philosophies in a way that is approachable and applicable to our modern day trials. Whether it’s one-on-one or in a room with 1000 she can help you move into your true, powerful nature and to develop a supportive culture around you.
Rachel has been a featured presenter at conferences, festivals, and educational forums. She has served as a mentor and judge for various business and artistic incubator programs and as the Democratic State Senate candidate for Kentucky District 24. She is a successful business owner and job creator. She leads retreats around the globe, teaches weekly classes in her Cincinnati-based studios and is a sought-after public speaker.
Hello aspiring Travel Yogi! I can’t wait to meet you! I’m Ramone and I created Wild Sage Wellbeing to bring together my love of spending time in mother nature, my desire for learning – through travel and through delving deeper into my own internal world – and my desire to live a long, happy and healthy life!
The vehicle I’ve used to share these passions for the last five years has been yoga adventure retreats. I’ve been lucky enough to host them in amazing locations all around the world. I’m proud to say I’ve helped hundreds of people experience a deeper
connection with themselves through my passion project! I also have a passion for conservation and a deep belief that yoga’s true power lies in translating the personal learning we do on our mats into actions that make the world a better place. Whether it’s by donation of money or manpower, or simply awareness raising, there are so many ways we can be of service to those less fortunate or empowered than us.
With a yoga practice that’s been with me my entire adult life and helped me in so many ways, I now love helping people grow and deepen their own personal study of yoga. I have a passion for breaking down the stigma of yoga being just about flexibility. One of the most powerful tools I discovered through yoga was meditation. I want yoga in all its forms to be accessible to every body so they can enjoy it safely at any life stage to help them be a better person!
My motto and aspiration is to be wild, be wise and be well and my retreats are designed to help you feel this too! I can’t wait to meet you soon! Namaste!
Rebecca Butler, creator of The Sanctuary Yoga Room and DreamCatcher Training, is an E-RYT 500, certified Holistic Life Coach and published author.
To her extreme delight, she has completed multiple 200 hour trainings with Baron Baptiste to Ana Forrest, as well as advanced trainings with Rodney Yee and his wife, Colleen Saidman Yee. She hosts these teachers and more at her studio in Fort Worth, Texas.
Perhaps most important, she is a mom, wife and lover of dogs/life. Her motto is Choose Joy. She loves the truth of life, the grittiness of humanity and the lightness of Spirit. It is her intention to help any and everyone access this same level of exuberance with each delicious breath.
Rob started yoga when he could hardly walk due to injuries suffered playing rugby. Traditional medicine and therapy had little effect, but when Rob transitioned to a full-time yoga practice, he was functioning normally again within in a year. Today, he lives with very little discomfort.
As a yogi who has struggled with injuries, Rob designs his class to allow safety, comfort and challenge. His emphasis on safety creates a comfortable atmosphere, one where students grow their practice without fear of injury. Rob’s focus on breath and proper alignment helps students build strength and flexibility. His passion for yoga combined with his practice of helping his students chart their own course makes him popular with students of all levels.
Rob does not believe that yoga is just about looking beautiful in a pose; he believes that yoga is about embracing the feelings and sensations that accompany each pose, working through the challenges of the poses to find peace, in the poses, that can translate to peace in everyday life. His students leave class feeling empowered and inspired, knowing that they can always rely on him to create a challenging yet safe environment to grow in.
With his experience combined with his psychology background which includes a MA from The New School for Social Research, Rob is uniquely suited to help people integrate yoga into their lives. Rob is a graduate of Faith Hunter’s embrace your flow™ YTT.
Founder of Yoga with Rocky and YOGAMAZE Emissary, Rocky Heron is a world-traveling yoga teacher and avid yoga student. Known for uncanny wisdom and skillful instruction, Rocky’s teaching is informed by years of study in nearly every yoga style. When not on the road, Rocky resides in San Francisco, CA with his partner, Micah, where they offer potent classes, trainings, and mentoring to students and teachers of all levels.
Students steep themselves in Rocky’s teaching for his intelligence and playfulness, as well as the powerful growth opportunities he always brings to class. Rocky is also an established singer/songwriter and his classes often feature a live offering of acoustic music in shavasana. His debut sanskrit album “The Requeim EP” can be found online on his website along with other news and scheduling information.
Passionate and inspirational, Ryan Leier brings a creative energy to every class he teaches; whether in his own One Yoga studios or as an ambassador of yoga to communities around the world. With a distinct expression of ancient traditions that touches his students’ hearts, Ryan’s commitment to honouring his teachers leads him to be equally devoted to continuing his studies as to teaching.
Ryan is primarily a student of the Krishamacharya yoga lineage having received teachings directly from the Master, Sri BKS Iyengar and the Ashtanga Guru, Sri K. Pattabhi Jois. Registered as an E-RYT 500, RCYT, the highest designation with the Yoga Alliance, Ryan also trains with the extraordinary teachers Father Joe Pereira (Iyengar Yoga); Baron Baptiste; Dina T; Danny Paradise; Eddie Modestini and Nicki Doane (Maya Yoga); and Srivatsa Ramaswami (Vinyasa Krama). Ryan is rooted in local sacred teachings, and he regularly studies and serves the Elders in his home province of Saskatchewan (which comes from the Cree word kisiskaciwani-spiv meaning “swift flowing river”).
Drawing profound inspiration from his daughter, Kiyah, Ryan created Vinyasa Yoga for Youth, an innovative non-profit organisation designed to meet the physical, mental and spiritual needs of youth ages 5 – 22 through the empowering practice of yoga. Ryan’s dedication to connecting with his community has also led to his role as an ambassador for lululemon athletica.
Ryan is a firm believer that through steady practice and devotion, all people – regardless of age, gender, race or religion – can experience the Oneness of Yoga.
Sarah Beston is a yoga and meditation teacher, Inner Wellness Coach and writer based in Los Angeles. Through her teachings and guidance, Sarah hopes to inspire others to overcome self-imposed limitations, helping them to uncover their individual truths and (re)discover their most authentic selves.
Sarah’s Body Wisdom™ coaching programs and retreats blend ancient wisdom with modern science while pulling from the traditions of yoga, spiritual healing, positive psychology, somatics, and mindfulness.
In her classes, Sarah promotes a welcoming and safe environment that realigns her students with the natural gifts within—vitality, strength, joy and intuitive intelligence. She brings her love of dance and choreography to creative vinyasa flow sequences. Through refined attention to breath, physical strength and mindful movement, Sarah connects her students with the expansive freedom and potential of the body-mind-spirit connection. She believes a consistent practice offers the practitioner a pathway back to his or her own divine, radiant nature.
Sarah holds her Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology with a concentration in Spirituality and Mind Body Practice from Columbia University.
She received her yoga teacher training certifications through Yoga Mittra in Manhattan Beach and Laughing Lotus in New York City. She has completed multiple advanced trainings in trauma-informed yoga, yoga for post traumatic stress, Ayurveda, and Mindfulness Based Strengths-Practice (MBSP) through the VIA Institute on Character.
Sarah is an instructor at Columbia Business School’s Venture for All program, where she teaches courses on spiritual entrepreneurship and venture creation.
Upcoming Retreats
MAY 28 - JUNE 4th, 2022
Galapagos - 8 Days/7 Nights
Starting at $4,595
Book Now
Sarah Ezrin loves yoga and nothing is more apparent when she teaches. Sarah’s joie de vivre is infectious. Her popular classes are fun, but challenging, with an emphasis on intelligent sequencing and detailed alignment.
Based out of her hometown of Los Angeles, Sarah is an E-RYT-500. She is trained in Vinyasa Flow and the Ashtanga method, which is her daily practice. Internationally recognized, she teaches teacher trainings, workshops and retreats across the globe. Sarah is also a writer and certified mentor coach through the Coaching Training Alliance.
Sarah has been a brand ambassador for numerous mindful fitness companies such as Lululemon Athletica, Manduka, Sweaty Betty, Vita Coco, Yoga Earth, and Yoga Gives Back.
Sarah began doing yoga in college, however she did not get serious about her practice until working demanding hours in the film industry. It was also during this time that Sarah’s mother was diagnosed with lung cancer. The mat provided refuge and healing as her mother’s illness progressed. Sarah realized that time was too fleeting to not be spent doing what one loves. She quit the film business to pursue teaching yoga. Her mother was able to see her teach once before passing away.
For Sarah, yoga is not about the tricks or postures; it is about finding one’s center amidst the challenges and chaos of the world. She believes that life is short and that it should be spent laughing, with the people and animals we love, and doing the things we most enjoy, like yoga!
Sean Gray’s teaching is focused on the expansion of all aspects of the self. By allowing the breath to bring awareness into the body and into the practice, Sean intends to connect his students to a deeper intuition, where they are able to reflect on the personal challenges along the path of development and healing. Drawing from the study of various characteristics of yoga, he gracefully integrates multiple aspects such as the eight limbs, chakra awareness, and meditation, amongst many others.
Being from Santa Monica, a true Californian by birth and by nature, Sean grew up surfing, skateboarding, snowboarding, playing sports, and raising hell. He was reluctantly introduced to yoga in 2001, but after a humbling experience, was quickly hooked. Sean completed his first Vinyasa based training with Tamal Dodge, followed by 200 and 300 hour studies at Yogaworks with Jesse Schein, David Kim, and Joan Hyman, as well as developing a dedicated Ashtanga practice under the guidance of Sonya Cottle-Hanlon. Today Sean teaches Vinyasa Flow & Ashtanga for YogaWorks, as well as leading workshops and retreats worldwide.
Embodying his personal style with varied learnings, Sean also adds uniqueness to his practice every day from moments of real life.
Shannon Algeo is a life coach, yoga teacher, SoulFeed podcast host, and student of life. Born in Washington, DC, Shannon grew up in Maryland and went to Syracuse University where he studied dance and theater. He’s been a New Yorker for 10 years now, but he is a travel yogi at heart.
Shannon’s yoga practice is breath-focused, heat-generating, energy-balancing, prayerful, and fun. He helps hundreds hundreds of clients, ranging from ages 11-80, practice radical self-care so that they can be well, live balanced lives, and serve the world from a place of unconditional love. Named one of the “Nicest Instructors in New York City” by RateYourBurn, Shannon’s intuition has been called a “gift to the yoga and wellbeing community.”
Shannon is certified in Nalini Method (Pilates, barre, strength training), 200-hr RYT from Pure Yoga, Advanced Anusara Yoga Therapeutics, Forrest Yoga, Vinyasa with Seane Corn, and Yoga Tune Up® Embodied Integrated Anatomy. Shannon studied Yoga Leadership with the non-profit Off the Mat, Into the World at the Omega Institute.
Shannon’s iTunes ‘New & Noteworthy’ podcast SoulFeed offers free guided meditations and interviews with inspirational new thought leaders and has been downloaded in all 50 U.S. States and over 60 countries worldwide.
Shareia (pronounced “Sha-Ree-yah) Oliver is a wellness enthusiast and owner of Eleven16 Yoga Studio where she teaches weekly classes to a diverse audience of students. Her motto “Love God Love People” has always been how she lives her life. She believes love and kindness are never wasted but makes a difference in the life of both the giver and receiver.
Shareia is a Registered Vinyasa, Hatha, and Trauma-Informed yoga teacher based out of Northern Virginia. Since 2015, she’s tapped into the world of yoga, and found it to be one of the best self-care tools to help her move through past sexual and emotional trauma. Her teaching incorporates mindful and creative movements connected with breath to help
students explore their body while also having fun. She’s been blessed to learn from wise and inspiring individuals and being able to share those lessons and experiences with her students
fills her with joy.
When not teaching, Shareia spends her time with her husband and three daughters.
Sharon’s teaching springs from great gratitude and joy. She began studying yoga at age 14 and has continued to practice asana and pranayama throughout her life. Her primary yoga teacher is Ana Forrest, although she has studied with, and been influenced by, many other luminaries. A person who likes to laugh and have fun, but also enjoys serious conversation, Sharon wants to get to know you both on and off the mat. A good listener and fun seeker, she will join you for a bike ride, wine tasting, or an impromptu walk into town to try her rusty college French.
Her morning Vinyasa classes are a strong, modern, all-level, inclusive style that challenges students through attention to breath and posture while cultivating feeling and presence. Sharon offers clear and kind instruction, demonstrations and hands-on assists to help students progress safely. Evening Restorative and Yin classes, influenced by her studies with Judith Lasater, Rodney Yee, and Sarah Powers, are an opportunity to unwind and release muscles and experiences from the day.
Sharon began leading retreats in Mexico in 2006, and has since led many successful retreats in Mexico and Northern California. She loves to travel, and has journeyed throughout Europe and South America. As a college student, she lived, worked and studied in France for a six-month Foreign Study program, and has returned various times for work and vacation. She is comfortable with the culture and the language, and so can help guide you. When not teaching yoga, Sharon loves to cook, shop at Farmer’s Markets, and enjoy good wine.
Sharon has over 20 years of teaching experience. She is a Level 2 Certified Forrest Yoga Teacher who assists Ana Forrest with her trainings and workshops. She received her Pre/Post-Natal Yoga Certification from Jane Austin of Mama Tree Yoga in 2017. Today, Sharon teaches a full schedule of classes to include Forrest, Restorative, Prenatal, Corporate, Private, and working with marginalized teens through the Art of Yoga Project. She has led teacher trainings, workshops and retreats around the world. Yoga Alliance (E-RYT 300).
Stacey Rosenberg is passionate about educating people on how to be a student of their own bodies and applying the spirit of yoga to their everyday lives. She is a teacher of both the art and technique of yoga — weaving both wisdom and play into the practice.
Stacey offers a fresh perspective on each posture and gives alignment cues and pose modifications that will help you get stronger and move more freely. Her style of yoga blends practical knowledge honed over years of study and experience, a deep spiritual awareness rooted in the everyday sacred and a street-wise sense of humor. She has been teaching public and private classes, workshops and teacher trainings in San Francisco since 2000 as well as retreats and adventures all around the world.
Upcoming Retreats
SEPTEMBER 26 - OCTOBER 2, 2021
Iceland - 8 Days/7 Nights
Starting at $3,895/Per Person
Book Now
A mother, studio owner, life coach and student, Suzanne’s focus is personal growth and empowered, joyful living. She is committed to helping people develop the skills and self-awareness to be their own facilitator of change through a practice of Power Yoga, personal responsibility and energetic healing.
A consistent and solid yoga practice draws out your virtues and changes your presence. Its most potent effects come gradually over time. We are always practicing. We practice parenting, being a boss, a friend, a sibling. We practice being human. We can sure benefit from noticing how we’re practicing so we can shift as needed for maximum benefit. So, progress in your practice isn’t measured in handstands or bendi-ness, because strong muscles and supreme balance won’t improve your relationships! Progress is becoming empowered – it’s your willingness to take responsibility for your happiness and well-being. With an emphasis on self-awareness, breath, alignment and biomechanics, this is the basis of practice at Omaha Power Yoga in Omaha, Nebraska.
Suzanne’s practice and teaching have been influenced by Bryan Kest, Rudy Mettia, Jules Mitchell, Dan Nevins, Deborah Adele, David H Wagner, Nick Hansinger and Kisma Orbovich. A student for over 16 years, teacher and coach for nearly 11 years, Suzanne’s beautiful 9 year old daughter, Zoa, is her driving force for continued personal study and growth, because the ultimate method for teaching is how we live, not what we say.
“My most influential teachers all have something in common – they don’t answer my questions! They encourage me to question, to experiment and discover my own answers. I pass on what I learn in the same powerful method. I look forward to meeting you, learning your why, and serving you in any way I’m able!”
Born and raised in South of France, Téo has always been eager for adventure. At the age of 18, he left his country and traveled the world for 4 years, always looking for the next place to go. His path led him to Los Angeles, California where he discovered the art of yoga and finally found balance in his life. Since then, his passion keeps growing stronger with each passing day. Yoga allows him to align himself with his true Self. As a teacher and student, he is humbled every time he gets to share his practice and help others ensuing possibilities for growth and transformation. By committing to a daily practice he knows that we create new patterns of light and abundance in our lives, we learn to study our own mind and body in our quest for the true Self. Yoga brought out the best in him and he is excited to share it with you.onnect. We are all here to love and be loved. That is life’s greatest joy. Namaste and beyond.
Vinnie is a yoga teacher, group fitness instructor, and personal trainer based in Los Angeles, CA.
Vinnie loves nothing more than watching his students light up after a sweaty yoga practice. His athletic style, vivacious personality, and well rounded fitness regimen all come together as a dynamic yoga experience. Vinnie’s intuitive class formats allow students to gain a personal and relevant deeper experience on, and off the mat. Combining that with his passion for travel, Vinnie’s yoga retreats are an experience not to be missed. Vinnie is a strongly influential yoga instructor in the Equinox community, and teaches throughout the company all over LA.
Not only will you deepen your understanding and love for yoga, you will further your practice, and embark on a once in a lifetime adventure.
Ever since I can remember, I have been on the search for more, for something greater. Growing up in LA, I never truly felt comfortable in my own skin. Through many years of struggling with heroin addiction and living on the streets, I had finally landed myself in jail. After a year of serving time in one of LA’s finest institutions, I came out on the other side without a clue on how to live my life.
Luckily, a friend brought me to Bryan Kest’s class because I was complaining of back pain. At first, the practice just spoke to my physical nature; my back felt great, my body became strong and agile…. but after awhile, I found lessons that could permeate my entire life. I learned that I don’t have to beat the crap out of myself physically or mentally to do yoga properly. In fact, there is no one way to do yoga properly. I don’t have to compete, judge, react, or generate any sort of negativity. All that is required from me is that I breathe deep, remain calm and listen to the teacher within myself.
Yoga taught me simple yet utterly profound ways to lead my life on and, most importantly, off the mat. A little bit of self study and discipline with my yoga practice has catapulted me into a life that is beyond my wildest dreams.
After finding yoga in 1999, Whitney Korman knew she had found home and quickly realized that yoga was so much more than a physical practice, it became her therapy. Destined to be a healer, the road to yoga teacher training was paved shortly after. While she is well trained in teaching Vinyasa, Yin, Restorative, Ashtanga and Prenatal Yoga, her passion is to raise higher consciousness through teaching awareness of the true self. No matter what class she is leading, her inspiration comes from real life – epiphanies of both heart and mind, intertwined with yogic philosophy and a desire to inspire others to truly love who they are and then share that love with the world. Whitney is a Registered Yoga Teacher certified with the Yoga Alliance. She has earned her 500 hour certification through Franklin Yoga Center and Sanctuary for Yoga. She has trained with Kathi Perry, Daphne Larkin, Tom Larkin, Shannon Paige, Jessalynn Hakanson and Liz Stewart to name a few.
Whitney is so blessed to be married to her soul mate, Mother to a wild and mighty little boy, and 2 lively pets that run the household. We are all here to connect. We are all here to love and be loved. That is life’s greatest joy. Namaste and beyond.
Nancy is a McGill Law School graduate and an advocate for racial justice and mental health. She is a strong believer in the power of yoga and meditation to restore peace of mind. When she is not teaching yoga and meditation, Nancy is an inclusion consultant in the wellness industry and a proud member of the Conscious Counsel law firm. She is currently the assistant teacher trainer in Happy Tree Yoga’s Advanced Hatha 300hr Yoga Teacher Training. In her former life, Nancy worked as a financial analyst for an investment bank on Wall Street.
Her intention is to teach in a joyful way that nourishes the mind, body and soul. With her wealth of knowledge and experience, Nancy’s classes serve her students, whether their desire is to reduce stress, improve flexibility, accelerate the healing of an injury, or change their lifestyle.
Upcoming Retreats
AUGUST 20-27, 2022
Panama - 8 Days/7 Nights
Starting at $2,595
Book Now
Alexa Silvaggio is a wellness entrepreneur based in New York City and Los Angeles. She is a yoga instructor, writer, speaker, podcast host, social media influencer, yoga retreat leader, moved and shaker.
She wants you to create a life you dig, a life that is in alignment with your highest good, your deepest desires, your absolute truth. She wants you to cultivate a more loving relationship to yourself and that body of yours. Creating a kind internal and external environment, so you can go out there and make that epic life happen.
Alexa has been practicing yoga since 2005, and is well versed in vinyasa, restorative, power, and slow flow yoga by Pure Yoga New York, and Kripalu Center for Health. She leads wellness retreats all over the world in places like Bhutan, France, Italy, Mexico, Iceland, and the Galapagos Islands, as well as workshops throughout the United States.
Alexa was recently selected to be the featured teacher at Yoga Day in Dodgers Stadium, teaching over 1,000 people to celebrate this ancient practice. Yes, she was on the jumbotron and it was rad. She also presented at Yoga Reaches Out, a fundraiser for the Lazarex Cancer Foundation which treats children with late stage, rare cancer, offering both alternative and Western care. She is also a proud ambassador of a multitude of yoga brands, Lululemon Athletica, The Travel Yogi, Tanya-B New York, Noli Yoga, Sweaty Betty, and Gaiam.
She has been published by the NY Post, gaiam.com, Mind Body Green, Class Pass, The Beauty Bean, fitnessgoals.com and many others. Alexa is a regular speaker on all things wellness at the Soho House in both New York City, and Los Angeles. Next year she will be privileged to speak at the illustrious Wanderlust Festival in Stratton Vermont and Squaw Valley California, speaking on body image, mindfulness, and yoga, as well as teaching yoga classes to hundreds of yogis at the festival. She is an inspiring member of the growing yoga community, empathic, passionate, driven, and goal oriented, Alexa helps assist others in producing lives they love.
Upcoming Retreats
OCTOBER 9-16, 2021
France - 8 Days/7 Nights
Starting at $2,995
Book Now
I have been deeply inspired by the teachings of yoga since 2000, drawn in by its holistic quality of unifying body, mind and heart. Since I was a young child, I would ask the timeless questions of, “Who am I? Why am I here?” Yoga offers me a platform to explore these questions that keeps me curious and engaged with the subtle nuances and profound layers of life.
For me, the beauty of the yoga practice lies in its capacity to reveal the intelligence of the body, the wisdom of the human heart and the indwelling nature of Spirit. I feel fortunate to have spent time with luminous teachers, near and far, who continue to light the path.
My practice, and thus the one I share, continually evolves from my studies in many traditions, with its primary roots in yogic lineages. Tantra has beeen the most influential, as it awoke my passion for philosophy, mythology, intelligent alignment and embodiment. I have also studied Anusara, Vinyasa, Flow, Yin, Restorative, Meditation, Mantra, Nidra and many other modalities. More than a particular style, I offer an integration of timeless wisdom and modern day practices in a manner that is meaningful and relevant. I hold space for others to listen deeply, love fully and live whole-heartedly.
Personal Development and immersive programs are my passion. I have the privilege of co-directing Inspired Yoga Institute in the 200HR, 300HR, and 500HR Yoga Teacher Trainings programs. I am the creatrix of a Yoga Teacher Mentorship program called On Purpose, contributor to Bodhi Tree Yoga Center’s Adjuster Program and guest faculty for other locations including Omega Institute in New York. Combining my love of travel and yoga, I lead retreats to an expanding repertoire of destinations in including Costa Rica, Thailand, Bali, Galapagos, Iceland and beyond. Community is integral to my work and I am proud be have been an ambassador for Lululemon and, currently, for B-Yoga and Lole.
Alison Buchanan’s motto has always been “lead from the heart.” Through authenticity, she believes we can all live a more joyful life.
Alison brings this philosophy to her teaching. She predominantly teaches Power Vinyasa Yoga, where she aims to create challenging, yet thoughtful and playful sequences. Her classes are holistic and mindful, and always tuned to what students need in the moment. Deep down, Alison is an alignment and anatomy nerd who loves to share her knowledge with the aim of helping people move better in their bodies. She is known to share massage therapy balls, which help with myofascial release, or to instruct strengthening exercises to target blind spots.
Before moving to Seattle, Alison was a longtime teacher in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is a certified Baptiste Yoga Teacher, a Yoga Tune Up Teacher, and a Hot Pilates instructor. She continues to advance her yogic studies with dynamic asana and mediation teachers nationwide. During yoga retreats with Alison, you can expect her to be an engaged leader who offers a strength-focused yoga class in the morning, and a restorative/meditation class in the evening. She’ll be a person with whom you can authentically connect with on-and-off the mat. She’ll also be an active participant, who’ll happily go snorkeling, hiking or wine-tasting with you, and then reminisce about all the adventures when the day is done.
Come experience adventure, excitement, restoration and all-around fun with Alison on a life-changing retreat.
Amanda Harding is the owner of Prema Yoga Brooklyn, where she teaches weekly Vinyasa flow classes as well as private/corporate clients across NYC & Los Angeles.
She is the creator of a program ‘Yoga on Set’ which provides weekly yoga/meditation sessions to the cast and crews of NY based film and television shoots. Currently one of Lululemon’s Brooklyn Ambassadors, she has been featured in Vogue, Origin & Mantra Magazine and holds yearly sold out retreats to such locales as the barn upstate (her own retreat center in Chatham, NY), Tulum, Costa Rica, Morocco, Peru, Australia and more. She leads 200 Hour Immersions into the depth of the yoga practice as well as Advanced Teacher Training modules designed to go deeper into the Art of Teaching.
Amanda teaches an Ashtanga-influenced vigorous yet mindful and creative class incorporating the fluidity of movement and music/chanting with heavy emphasis on alignment, breath, patience and fun. She has witnessed in her own life how creating spaciousness and stability in her body, mind and heart and truly ‘walking the walk’ with humility has immensely impacted her relationship with herself and others. Her wish is to impart to her students the many gifts she has received through her ongoing practice and studies – a greater sense of authenticity, inner peace, strength, compassion and, most of all, service to others. Her initiative, The Hummingbirds, is a group dedicated to serving vulnerable local populations in and around Brooklyn. She is also co-writing Recipes for a Divine Life – a heart book of yoga, food, prayers and photography. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband, two amazing daughters and a menagerie of rescue pets.