I teach because it feels natural.  Yoga is alive. Yoga changes and is the relationship that one creates with their self and the collective community that forms among the individuals. My teachings reveal a love of sequencing designed as a map to explore and inform each person's edge and potential. My classes are accessible and welcoming.  As a teacher I am committed to honoring  individual needs and intentions. 

Mandy is the founder of KinFolk Yoga Studio in Northern California. She has taught at yoga festivals such as Wanderlust, California Spirit Festival, and Honey Root. She facilitates teacher trainings, teaches workshops and retreats.

Devyn

power I vinyasa

I began my yogic journey in 2009 with the intention of healing physical injuries from Dance. The magic of a mind-body-spirit connection swept me into a world of micro movements, alignment, breath and flow. As each were integrated diligently into my life and my yoga practice. The opportunity to share this passion for self discovery, discipline, play and self love is what kicked me in the pants to acquire my certificate to teach and share my love for yoga with my community. 

Chrissy Mehnert

sunset flow

To me, yoga means coming home to breath. It is my favorite way to awaken my true self, the energy of life. I found yoga unexpectedly and without preconception, and it startled me so much that I immediately committed to it. The most startling thing, after having trained with a dance company from childhood through early adulthood, was realizing I had permission to be free inside my body, to move how it felt good to move, to create my own discipline, to meet my own challenges. In the summer of 2009, I completed my 200-hour training with Yoga To The People, a donation-based studio in the east village of New York City, the same studio I walked into for my first and most honest class. Some of my most profound teachers and influences - Sam Chase, Annemaria Rajala, Yancy Scot Schwartz, and Lindsey Dombrowski - taught me to be a guide, stable ground, and foundation for the awakening of beings in the room of yoga. I teach a class that is rooted in Vinyasa and explores the body from a seat in the throne of the heart. It's feel-good movement and sequencing with a warm undertone, like doing cartwheels barefooted in a meadow on a warm and shiny day. Students with a basic knowledge of and/or experience with yoga will have a chance to dive deeper into the layers of being. It's about finding powerful stuff in the ordinary. It's about being grounded in reality and making space for play. 

Kelly Golden

para yoga I vira bhava teacher trainings

Kelly has been a student and practitioner of yoga for over 18 years. Through the exploration of the physical, philosophical, and meditative practices, yoga has touched every aspect of her life in a positive way. She infuses her teaching with the passion that she has for the practice of yoga, both on and off the mat.

In asana practice, Kelly pays close attention to the work of the body (anatomy and physiology), as well as the more subtle work of energy embodied in the heart and mind of each individual student. For Kelly, Yoga class is a meaningful conversation between students and teacher that leads everyone closer to the remembrance of the real Self. 

Kelly is a Yoga Alliance Registered E-RYT 500 and a Level 1 Certified Para Yoga Teacher who studies and teaches in the lineage of Sri Vidya Tantra as taught by Para Yoga. 

Kelly has written for yogabasics.com and Yoga Journal, and is the co-facilitator of Neighborhood Yoga Teacher Training program in Boone NC and was the director of teacher trainings at The Glowing Body in Knoxville, TN from 2010-2012. She is currently the the director of Vira Bhava Yoga which leads teacher trainings and retreats in Northern California and the mountains of Western North Carolina. For more information about Kelly and the upcoming programs offered by Vira Bhava Yoga check out her website, www.virabhavayoga.com.

Julie Franklin

flow yoga

I discovered yoga when I was 18 and it was the beginning of a lifetime love affair. Growing, changing, learning and deepening; it is a friend I have relied on my whole adult life. Different times in my life have drawn me to different kinds yoga from a teacher training in anusara style, to exploring kundalini,  to a powerful vinyasa, to dabbling in bikram, and more. My most intensive study was my trip to India where I lived in an ashram and all I did was mediate and do yoga for a 5 month stay. Every different teacher and class has been a gift to me. Even classes I did not necessarily 'enjoy' offered me insight to myself and my yoga teaching. 

 I offer an energetic depth to my flow class. Classes are infused with knowledge from my private practice of the acupressure meredians and the Craniosacral system. I believe residing in our true heart is the key to a fulfilling life. My intention as a teacher is to help my students open the channels to discover and bring forth what deep treasures reside in their heart. Playfulness, balance and depth are important to me in my life and as a yoga teacher.

September 2001 brought Emily Burton to her first yoga class.   It was a cold day in Brooklyn, and for the first time, she discovered a true feeling of peace.  In 2008 she completed her first 200 hour hatha yoga teacher training in Los Angeles. Seeking more focus as a teacher, Emily went on to complete her Anusara Immersion and Teacher Training with Tara Judelle, Kenny Graham,  and Tony Guiliano. She quickly began teaching both privately and in public studios all over LA. In 2012, Emily became Anusara-Inspired and moved to Sacramento. Since that time Emily has taught at Wanderlust, California Spirit Festival, local studios, and had the honor of creating and teaching a 100 hour teacher training at the Yoga Shala. Her classes are heartfelt as well as playful. She hopes to help people trust themselves, on and off the mat, and more and more each day.

Allie Edison

gentle I easy like sunday mornings

"And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom" ~Anais Nin

My relationship with yoga began on a quest for self healing. The practice has given me the sacred tools to overcome several obstacles along my path which inspired me to find my authentic voice, trust my inner strength and become a teacher. 

I weave my vinyasa flow and restorative training together, promoting balance through movement and stillness. I received my certification under the love, light & wisdom of Jasmine Tarkeshi and Dana Flynn, cofounders of Laughing Lotus (San Francisco). I am forever grateful for the many teachers along my path who helped me discover my own inner teacher and who continue to inspire & motivate me. 

My classes create a safe space for playful exploration and inward reflection. My intention is to meet individuals at their comfort level, honoring where each of us are along our paths. 

Through the healing power of mindful breath, we can magically transform our way of being and our way of life! 

Carve out some time to dissolve stress, reduce tension, realign the body, increase clarity and enliven your spirit. You deserve it

Shari Williams

basics

We all have different reasons for what brings us to yoga. Some people come to practice because they’ve recently received a wake-up call, by a doctor’s diagnosis, back, neck &/or joint pain. Some of us appreciate the joy of children & grand-children, yet recognize we can’t keep up or lack the mobility to play while being safe.

Then some of us return to a yoga practice following major surgery or injuries requiring months or even years of rehabilitation. I myself can empathize with this experience. After having been a fairly accomplished yoga practitioner with a highly active lifestyle, I unexpectedly became aware of how physical limitations will impose upon an individual’s life.

One of my teachers once said to me, “Just because you can do a posture doesn’t mean that you should!” That is why I continually adapt & modify to fit your individual needs and goals. Amongst so many personal & bodily changes I have always been supported by yoga and community. It is my lifeline I invite you to make it yours.

Trudy Collings

rise n shine

As a yoga teacher, my intention is to create a space where students can return back to the physical body in order to cultivate peace and awareness in both their inner and outer worlds. In my life, yoga has been a positive driving force and I hope to share this energy with others.

My classes are uplifting, down to earth, gentle yet strong and creatively inspired by the seasonal rhythms of nature. I have been trained in: hatha & vinyasa flow, restorative yoga, Ayurveda and Sri Vidya Tantra. I am passionate about working with yogis in all levels of their practice but particularly enjoy working with beginners & seniors.

Yoga began to become an important aspect of my life five years ago while living in San Francisco. Since then, I have completed trainings at Yoga Tree of San Francisco, Sivananda Yoga Farm and I am currently completing my 500 hour advanced teacher training through Vira Bhava Yoga. 

I am forever grateful to my guides lighting the way: Swami Sivananda, Swami Vishnudevandna, Swami Sitaramananda, Kelly Golden, Mandy Lucchesse, Annie Hopper, Chrisandra Fox Walker, Pete Guinosso and Dina Amsterdam. 

www.paavaniayurveda.com