Teachers

Carl came to yoga after a long 20 year love affair with running, he raced competitively as an age group runner and ran the Boston Marathon 3 times over a 10 year period, through his years of running he has learned to deal with injuries and has a special sense as to the bodies requirements and how to work with limitations. His initial introduction to yoga has led him from the purely physical into a fully rounded practice that encompasses the whole body, mind and spirit, providing a path for his day to day life. Carl has a strong Vinyasa or flow style daily personal practice that he has developed over the last 5 years. Since his departure from the corporate world two years ago, he has dedicated himself to his yoga teaching. He completed the Yoga Studies program at the University of California, Irvine, as well as the comprehensive Teacher Training at Sacred Movement in Venice, CA, with Max Strom and Sherry Brourman. He has completed in excess of 388 hours of training under the guidelines for registration with Yoga Alliance. Carl teaches all levels and adepts his classes to fit the unique requirements of his students.

Travis' yoga journey began with the study of Aikido under Haruo Matsuoka Sensei of Ikazuchi Dojo in Irvine, CA. Practicing Aikido from the spring of 2004 onward, Travis has been introduced to the concepts of balance, breathing, and remaining centered in the face of opposition through a focused concentration on hara, the Japanese equivalent of bandhas. When Travis discovered Yoga Shakti in January of 2006, he was able to delve into the subtler aspects of moving with aiki, the breath equivalent of prana, in his daily life. Travis' yoga practice grew under the watchful tutelage of Yoga Shakti's Rodney Rodriquez, Sarah Woodin, Louise With-Seidelin, and Diana Pipaloff. Travis completed Yoga Shakti's RYT 200 teacher training program in the Spring of 2007, and continues his practice as a Yoga Shakti teacher, where it is his privilege to both learn and help others learn the ancient tradition of yoga. Travis' classes incorporate an awareness of balance and posture into classical asana and vinyasa flow, providing students with the opportunity to focus inward, seeking inner calmness and grace. It is Travis' goal that students will leave his class carrying a centered sense of self throughout the vicissitudes of each day.

Photo and bio coming soon

Bio coming soon

Ann Gray began practicing yoga with Judy Olsen Anderson, who led the way to yoga in 1970's Orange County. She studied with Erich Schiffmann whose teacher training program she completed in 1997. Today she practices and teaches in the tradition of T.K.V. Desikachar and continues to study with the estimable Deborah Kuryan. In Ann Gray's classes, breath and movement are linked together as a way to move the body and quiet the mind. Postures are modified to accommodate individual needs. She welcomes students of all ages in all stages of yoga.

Bio Coming Soon

Kelly began her study of ballet at the age of 4 yrs old & continued for 13 years. She started practicing yoga in 1998 and graduated from the Nosara Yoga Institute, Costa Rica in 2005. She continues to study with other instructors and deepen her personal yoga practice (on & off the mat). Her trance vinyasa flow style is fluid, flowing movements that links one yoga asana to another like a dance. The concept of "flow" also pertains to the breath, as the flow is guided by the rhythm of the inhalation & exhalation, coordinating each movement with each breath. In this way, the body/mind/spirit is blended in a dynamic interplay of breath and movement, stillness and motion. These classes will demonstrate spontaneous, evolving sequence of flowing, graceful asanas that differ each time. Join her and let the light within shine out.

Valerie started practicing yoga in 2002, and began teaching in 2005. Her training in yoga asana has been through Yoga Shakti; additionally, she is studying ancient yoga philosophy through the Shakti Yoga courses offered by the studio. These courses have largely influenced her teaching style, as she aspires to help students cultivate not just strong and flexible bodies, but also calm and centered minds. She teaches in a flow style, sometimes dedicating part of each class to poses that develop a particular muscle group. Valerie is inspired by the integrity of her students, and enjoys helping them discover the power and potential that is unique to their own bodies. Through her calm but focused style of teaching, she is motivated to help each student explore the same, limitless benefits that she enjoys through her own yoga practice.

Merrilee infuses calmness and an effortless flow into her classes. She has had a dedicated yoga practice since 1992. Her interest in the philosophy of yoga led her to Loyola Marymount University where she completed a 120 hour Yoga Philosophy certificate. While at Loyola Marymount she had the opportunity to study Vinyasa Krama (the science of sequencing) with Srivatsa Ramaswami, the longest standing student of Sri Krishnamacarya and Subtle Anatomy of Yoga with Kausthub Desikachar, the grandson of Krishnamacarya. She is presently deepening her yoga studies with Jnana Nanda Bharati and is a senior member of the Shakti Yoga training where she is learning the ancient teachings and practices of Raja Yoga and Vendanta Philosophy. She works with Memorial Healthcare IPA bringing yoga into disease management programs such as Yoga for Diabetes, Asthma, and Senior Well Being. Also, a life long singer/musician, Merrilee brings her ethereal voice and yogic flow into composing, recording and producing songs and albums in both Yogic Chanting and Electronic Dance genres. Her classes are a mixture of both Shakti Yoga and Vinyasa Krama. She pulls from both of these ancient styles because they have inspired her desire to teach and pass on to others what led her to being healthy, content and happy.

Haley started practicing yoga in January 2006 after wanting to try it for quite some time. Initially, she practiced in order to augment her dance background while a dance and English major at UC Irvine. In May 2006, Haley injured her hamstring while dancing and used yoga, after taking some time off, in order to regain her flexibility, which suffered due to the injury. After seeing the immense benefits of yoga, Haley decided to get her 200 hour teacher training certification from Yoga Shakti and completed it in 2007 under the direction of Diana Pipaloff, along with Jnana Nanda Bharati. Haley encourages her students to set an intention at the beginning of each class, so that they can see their own improvement, changes in their bodies, and how the practice of yoga enhances the way that they feel throughout the day. Haley uses her dance background and trained eye to offer her students personalized corrections and adjustments. Haley's intention at the beginning of each class is to encourage her students to move beyond their perception of themselves in order to discover the deeper sensations within each pose.

Auspicious beginning years ago at a local gym when I went with my sister to a yoga class, we had a wonderful teacher who made the experience so enjoyable that I signed up immediately. Searching to improve my yoga experience, I found the Bikram Yoga Studio where I spent many hours working very hard under teacher and friend Patrice Simon, learning the value of a disciplined practice along with patience and focus. A shoulder injury and a strong need to deepen the spiritual side of my yoga practice brought me to Yoga Shakti Studio. I found a home for my practice, taking the Teacher Training Program, Philosophy classes, and participating in the Teacher Mentor Program. I am grateful to my teachers Diana Pipaloff, Jnana Nanda Bharati, and to all the teachers at Yoga Shakti Studio who have been my mentors and inspiration. I am humbled to be in the company of such wonderful and dedicated yogis. I want to teach and continue to learn in the tradition I have been taught, keeping true to the style, grace and humility of it. The life changing aspects of this profound system of yoga is what motivates me to teach, and to share this with my students.

Holly began her asana practice in 1998. Naturally adept at yoga asana, she completed the 200-hour training standards and 500-hour advanced certification at a popular L.A. yoga school. Searching for a more authentic spiritual practice, Holly came under the tutelage of Jnana Nanda Bharati in 2004. As member of the inaugural class of Shakti Yoga, Holly is deeply invested in her personal practice of Kriya Yoga, seva (service), classical asana, and ongoing study. She is a recent graduate of the esteemed Yoga Shakti 200-Hour Teacher Training program. Holly's expertise in asana and sequencing, combined with intuitive body insight assure a refined yoga practice. Her style is graceful and skilled, emphasized in the practice of Surya Namaskara. In addition to teaching traditional asana classes, Holly is the new Prenatal Yoga Specialist at the Yoga Shakti Wellness Center. Throughout her second pregnancy in 2006 Holly underwent intense yogic training and maintained a deep asana practice. The strength derived from her practice enabled her to give birth at home, naturally and without medical support. Holly views pregnancy as a natural bodily state, and brings calm assurance to her pregnant students.

Photo and bio coming soon

Joy possesses a wonderful calm which permeates her classes. She began practicing yoga in 1999 during her first pregnancy. Through yoga she found rejuvenation and upliftment. A strong interest in the ancient science and culture of yoga, the Vedas and Ayurveda was sparked when she read the Bhagavad Gita. Joy deepened her yoga studies and practice when she discovered Yoga Shakti and the Shakti Yoga courses. Wanting to share her sense of inspiration, well being and belief that yoga can change our lives with others, Joy trained at Yoga Shakti and began teaching in 2004.

Tom became interested in yoga as a young boy when he read a book entitled "Beyond Biofeedback" in which the authors used biofeedback equipment to monitor the internal physiological states of meditating yogis. Shortly after reading this book he received transcendental meditation training (as taught by the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi) at a meditation center in Laguna Beach. He has been practicing asana and pranayama regularly since attending his first yoga class in 1991. Tom was certified as a flow yoga instructor after training with Ganga White and Tracey Rich at the White Lotus Foundation in 2002. He studied skeletal structure and comparative anatomy with Paul Grilley at the Santa Barbara Yoga Center in 2004 and studied Patanjalis yoga sutras, here at Yoga Shakti, with Jnana Nanda Bharati in 2006. His personal practice has been influenced by many instructors including; Sharon Gannon and David Life from the Jivamukti center in New York, Golden Bridge Yogas Gurmukh, and Brian Kest at Santa Monica Power Yoga.

Mary has been practicing yoga since 1993. She came to yoga in search of a better way to find true health, strengthen her body, gain flexibility, stamina and find peace of mind. She has practiced several different styles of yoga but once arriving at Yoga Shakti in 2002 found a home for her yoga practice. She has participated in Shakti Yoga since its inception at Yoga Shakti. She is part of the Yoga Shakti Family and received her training in the very first 200 Hr Teacher Training Program at Yoga Shakti. Mary feels truly blessed to be able to deepen her practice and continue with her spiritual studies with her esteemed Teacher, Jnana Nanda Bharati. She feels honored to be passing on the heritage of yoga to her students by gently helping them gain peace of mind and good health through a practice that comes from the heart. Mary believes yoga is a great gift that can be accessed by anyone despite their fitness level.

Diana's thirst for the spiritual runs in her veins as she comes from a family of yoga practitioners; in 1850 her great grandfather practiced yoga in Eastern Europe. Her father had a very disciplined practice at the age of 15. Her mother also practiced and introduced her to yoga while still in her teens. Prior to discovering yoga Diana was seeking to find a true spiritual path. At the age of 16 she began intense study and practice of martial arts, became vegetarian and searched for understanding in the field of psychology. Through her martial arts training she also began the study of Eastern philosophy. Diana had an intense desire to have a true teacher, an authentic spiritual practice and to experience the mystical truths of the Universe. Her search led her to the practice of yoga. She delved into yoga with passion and devotion, knowing that she had found her path. Her dedicated yoga practice helped her through her BA Degree in Health Psychology from UCI, which she graduated Cum Laude. At this point she followed her heart and made the difficult decision to study yoga and Ayurveda and not pursue a Ph.D. After three years of study and practice she received her Clinical Ayurvedic Specialist Certificate from the California College of Ayurveda. The deep thirst for spiritual growth was not yet satisfied until she met her Guru Jnana Nanda Bharati. From their first meeting Diana knew Jnana Nanda Bharati was a true Yogi, with many years of dedicated and disciplined study with his Guru and other masters from the Himalayas, and an incredible ability to live in and balance the spiritual realm and this world. She is extremely grateful and blessed to be his student. Under her teacher she was initiated into the ancient, most highly respected and deeply esoteric lineage of Shri Vidya and the ancient Bhramanical Tradition, and has been continuing her intense spiritual studies with her Guru since 1999. She has a dedicated daily practice and her path is to continue her studies, live in accordance to the ancient Vedic ways and put her spiritual lessons to practice in her life. She is studying various Vedic sciences such as Yoga, Pranayama, Mantra, Tantra, Jhyotish, Ayurveda, Yantra, Puja and Sanskrit. She can trace Her Guru's unbroken lineage (Parampara) for thousands of years into ancient India. She is fully dedicated to the life transforming work of Shakti Yoga, which she teaches with her Guru and continues to inspire her students to turn inward, grow and find their spiritual self. She is certified at the highest level as a E-RYT 500 with Yoga Alliance.

Rodney has been practicing yoga for six years and teaching for two. His main practice is Ashtanga; he has been studying Ashtanga for three years. He also practices Bikram Yoga. His first important teachers include Anastacia Hunter and Janet Schriever. His Ashtanga teachers include Suzy Gill, Diana Christinson, and Tim Miller. Rodneys flow classes are based on Ashtanga and Anusara. He plans his flow classes around a set of poses and themes that normally progress toward a deeper focus posture, but at the same time, he attempts to create a well-balanced flow. His Ashtanga classes are geared toward the style taught by his teachers who advocate Shri K. Pattabhi Jois classical Ashtanga method. A strong advocate of learning while doing, Rodney believes in guiding his students to look within and become their own best teachers. He wants students to develop gratitude for self and others, as well as strength and calmness and to take these with them into their daily affairs.

Laura has been a student of yoga for the past 8 years and acquired her teacher certification in March 2003 from Dianne Harman of Wellness Encounters. Laura completed a second certification in December 2003 with Erich Schiffman. Being that Laura comes from a very athletic background in kick-boxing, running and biking, she is passionate about offering a class where one can blend his/her athletic capabilities with the beauty and philosophy of yoga... "I enjoy offering a class that not only challenges one's endurance and strength, but their spirit and will as well." Laura's classes are powerful, creative and fun. Over the past three years, Laura has established herself as a respected member of the Orange County yoga community, and a much sought after teacher. She has proudly been chosen as one of Lululemon Athletica's ambassadors this year. Laura is continually expanding her yoga education by participating in ongoing classes, workshops and trainings by such renowned yogis as Max Strom, Erich Schiffman, and most recently Shiva Rea, Ana Forrest, and Paul Grilley. She is always eager to go to another level in her own practice and in turn offer something new to the dedicated students that come to her classes week after week!

Josh's introduction to yoga came in 2001 when he attended an Ashtanga class taught by Laura Camp at Monkey Yoga Shala in Piedmont, CA. Though he didn't continue his practice at that time, Josh's eyes were opened to a new way of moving, breathing and interacting with the world around him; an ember that he kept alive for years until discovering Yoga Shakti in 2006. At Yoga Shakti, Josh has found a community of yogis engaged in an authentic practice — a confluence of self-discovery, mental and physical balance, alignment, strength and flow that permeates all aspects of life. As a graduate of Yoga Shakti's 200-hour, Yoga Alliance-approved teacher training program, Josh links active, strength-building postures culled from classical and modern sequences that emphasize active body positions, clean lines and proper alignment. Students leave Josh's classes feeling accomplished, physically energized yet mentally calm, ready to engage modern life with confidence and a peaceful heart.

Paige began her yoga practice in 2001 at Neighborhood Yoga in Pasadena. She came to Yoga Shakti while earning her B.A. in Women's Studies at UCI, from which she graduated Summa Cum Laude. She pursued study of the yoga sutras with Jnana Nanda Bharati as well as advancing her hatha yoga practice with Diana Pipaloff. She received her 200-Hour Teacher Training certificate from Yoga Shakti 2007. Paige currently serves as the marketing coordinator at Yoga Shakti, and she is a familiar face around the studio! Her goal for every class is to create a space for each students practice — a dynamic environment where they can consciously steady their breath and calm their minds, even as they are challenging their bodies. Paige is dedicated to making all the benefits of yoga — mental and physical — accessible to students.

Born in Denmark, this naturally enthusiastic and inspiring blonde was a model prior to fully devoting her life to the study and practice of yoga. This dedicated yogi has practiced with her teacher Jnana Nanda Bharati since 2002. She is the epitome of discipline and focus, which shows in her highly advanced yoga asana practice, her Vedic practices and her raw food diet since 1999. She has been married to Scott for 4 years. Louise's vinyasa style classes are intense and highly creative. She is loved by her students and inspires them to go deeper, be dedicated to their yoga, eat well and enjoy life. She teaches the deeply transformational Shakti Yoga classes with her teacher and continues her studies of the philosophy and practice of yoga, Pranayama and Mantra.

Sarah is a former professional ballet dancer with training in alignment and pilates. She brings her dance experience and love of movement to her teaching. As a practitioner of Anusara and Ashtanga yoga, Sarah instills discipline, concentration, and confidence in her students as she encourages them to enjoy a yogic process of discovery in all endeavors. Her students develop inner awareness, lightness, and strength. She offers one-on-one corrections and a supportive community in her classes which fuse the strength of vinyasa flow with the healing alignment principles of Anusara. Appropriate modifications are offered for all students. Sarah is popular for workshopping challenging poses and sharing yogic philosophy and mantras with students. She has been practicing yoga since 2001. She completed teacher training with Ana Forrest teacher Deanna Ainesworth and Bikram instructor Eva Vidal. Her main inspirations come from Desikachar, the Yoga Sutras and workshops and classes with Diana Christinson, Suzy Gill, Tim Miller, George Sevillano, Lyndee Davis, and Vinnie Marino. Sarah also works as a physical therapy aide and is studying to become a licensed physical therapist.

Jnana Nanda Bharati has dedicated over twenty five years to intense study and training in the ancient texts of the Vedas and Tantras, under the guidance of his esteemed Teacher, as well as, other Himalayan Masters that his Teacher sent him to for specific training. His teaching expertise also includes texts such as the Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, Soundarya- Lahari, Vivekchuramani and the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali. He is proficient in the various sciences expounded in the Vedas such as Mantra, Yantra, Tantra, Yoga, Pranayama, Jyotish, Vastu Shastra and Puja. Jnana Nanda Bharati hails from the ancient, most highly respected Shri Vidya tradition. His unbroken spiritual lineage (Parampara) can be traced back in India for thousands of years. This esoteric tradition is highly regarded and considered by most spiritual masters as the highest path as it integrates the wisdom of Vedanta with the practice and strict mental discipline training of Tantra and Raja Yoga. There are only a handful of people in all of India who are initiated into this practice.