Clarisa
FOUNDER/TEACHER
Once upon a time, 20ish years ago, a woman by the name of Gloria befriended me. Gloria wears high heels and is a beautiful dresser. She stands like Wonder Woman, strong and ready…for anything. We traveled together. Her energy and stamina impressed me. One day I curiously said to her “Gloria, if I can look half as good as you when I’m half your age, I’ll be doing alright.” She looked me in the eye and responded with “Clarisa, it’s the Yoga.” She was 68 at the time. Being pregnant didn’t stop me, I soon began taking yoga classes. After gaining 55 pounds, I gave birth to my first girl and it seemed that there was no time for yoga. Then I discovered classes at 5:45 am. They appealed to me because I could practice before everyone was awake. The phone didn’t ring, there were no interruptions and I could watch the sun rise. It was MY time. This went on for over a decade, another wonderful child, and more and more family activities, social commitments and personal obligations. Yoga started to become something I really had to squeeze into my life and I didn’t like it. I came upon a dance class that really intrigued me but a choice was to be made. Yoga or dance? It couldn’t be both. I chose the dance class. After 3 months of that dance class, I came to the conclusion, I could do yoga and not do anything else but I couldn’t do anything else and not do yoga. So for my 40th birthday, I decided to see what would happen if I took yoga seriously. So seriously that I signed up for teacher training. Seriously, that’s what I did. The first two weeks were AWFUL. I kept thinking to myself, nobody in their right mind practices yoga 5 days a week. But I had paid all this $$$ and I couldn’t quit. After 10 practices in 14 days, there was a shift. Yoga became like food for me and more. It nourished my body, my mind, and my spirit. I taught my first class to dear friends and family on my 40th birthday. I found out what happens if one takes yoga seriously. Nearly nine years later I am honored to say, I am also certified in several methods of meditation, Therapeutic Yoga, Levels 1 & 2 from Cheri Clampett and Arturo Peal, and White Lotus Yoga Foundation’s Vinyasa Flow under the tutelage of Tracy Rich and Ganga White. One of the wonderful things about yoga is that it is universal. One can practice anywhere on this planet. My studies have included yoga in Bali, India, Singapore, the Aegean Sea and South America. I’ve taught in my living room and the living rooms of others, offices, hospitals, boats, parks, warehouses. Working one-on-one with someone thrills me to no end. Guiding people on retreat makes me high. Join me for a class and let’s explore “la vida yoga” together.
Anne
TEACHER
I have been teaching Yoga since 1999 when I completed my first teacher training (with Erich Schiffmann). Over the years, I have taken countless workshops and trainings focusing on various aspects of this ancient tradition, and have had the honor of studying with many fine teachers. From 2006 through 2012, I studied twice a week with Anna Delury (a Senior Level teacher in the Iyengar Yoga community) in order to refine my own practice, as well as to continue honing my teaching skills. During this time, I also attended training sessions where Ms. Delury was preparing teachers for their assessments. I currently study with Linda Nishio.
In my classes, I strive to make the subject of Yoga accessible, interesting, and fun for all my students, regardless of experience, age, or physical challenges. Emphasis is placed on proper alignment, “listening” to one’s body to prevent injury or straining, and natural breathing. Modification of poses is given where necessary. (ie. due to injury or medical conditions). I also teach private lessons, corporate classes, and have extensive experience working with seniors. I have been a resident of Altadena since 2002 and am very excited to have the opportunity to bring this wonderful practice to the San Marino community.
Darra
TEACHER
I have loved yoga since my first university class in 1984 and love sharing the immediate mood-boosting benefits and long-term strengthening & calming benefits of the practice with students of all ages and abilities. I teach with clarity, care & humor and like to create a relaxed, stress-free environment where everyone is free to laugh, explore and just be her- or himself. I feel lucky that my early training in classic Sivananda and Iyengar yoga built a strong foundation on which I have continued to explore most yoga lineages safely, methodically, and always with an emphasis on breath, for long-term growth and fun! I am 500-hour-trained & certified through YogaWorks Los Angeles, and, in addition to holding a BA in communications, hold certifications in Restorative Yoga with Jillian Pransky, and in Urban Zen, an integrative therapy program founded by Donna Karan, Colleen Saidman Yee & Rodney Yee that includes Reiki, essential oils, therapeutic movement, breath awareness and meditation.
“Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you ARE.” ~Chinese Proverb
Christina
TEACHER
I’ve been a Massage Therapist and Healer for 7 years in both NY and LA. I’ve used my training in Deep Tissue, Reflexology, Acupressure, Pregnancy Massage, Oncology Massage and CranioSacral on athletes, entertainers, mothers and many people struggling with physical illness or serious injuries. I discovered, early on, the power of healing work and the difference it can have on an individual, not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually as well. It was this exact concept that drew me to Kundalini 5 years ago and made me the teacher I am today. I hope to see you in class or in one of my workshops. Sat Nam!
Jan
TEACHER
My yoga journey truly began as a young child (growing up in the Chicago area) when I would watch Lilias Folan on Lilias, Yoga and You. Her 30-minute show aired on the local PBS station. Her quiet demeanor and the way she moved her body intrigued me; she was so peaceful and calm. The journey recommenced in 2009 when I decided to attend a yoga class because something in the back of my mind told me “yoga is good for you, it will help you.” I was searching for help during a challenging personal time. That instructor (my first yoga teacher) told me “yoga will transform you,” but I wasn’t open to or could fully hear her message at that time. Little did I know!
In August 2014 I decided to audit The History of Modern Yoga, a graduate level academic class at Loyola Marymount University. At the same time, on the urging of a dear friend, I jumped into a 200-hour RYT certification program and since, made a personal commitment to my yoga knowledge/continuing education/practice to attend a meaningful training every 6 months. My certifications include Prime of Life Yoga I & II, Pre-natal/Post natal Yoga, Prison Yoga Project, Trauma-informed Yoga, Yoga of 12-Step Recovery (Y12SR) and Veterans Yoga Project.
I am currently a volunteer instructor for Prison Yoga & Meditation – we teach in the LA County Jail system. Twice monthly, I lead a session for women enrolled in a parenting program at South Central Los Angeles Ministry Project (SC LAMP). On a weekly basis, I work with clients in a local residential mental health program. I recently traveled to India with the Loyola Marymount University Masters in Yoga Studies and Yoga Therapy Program where we studied at the Kaivalyadhama Yoga Institute and attended classes and symposiums presented by CYTER and ICYER in Pondicherry. I enjoy taking yoga classes from a variety of instructors and a mixture of levels especially when I travel. I am honored to be the organizer and place holder for a Yoga of 12 Step Recovery (Y12SR) group at Greenheart. This gathering is open to ANY and ALL.
Kalliope
TEACHER
Originally from New York, I moved to Los Angeles six years ago. I have been practicing yoga for fifteen years and it has remained a central thread on my path to self-realization.
I completed my 200 hour Teacher Training at Yoga Blend in Burbank in 2015. The training deepened my knowledge of Yoga philosophy and changed the course of my life. I love teaching a variety of studio classes including Vinyasa Flow, Yin, Restorative and Prenatal. Wedding Yoga has been a big passion of mine in recent years.
My goal is to help my students build strength, clarity and calm. In class, I like to create an environment of kindness and respect, both to each other and ourselves.
Discovering new music and screenwriting both nurture my creative energy. I also like the first amendment and Ulysses but the key to my heart is Vietnamese food. Drop into my class and say hello!
Maria
TEACHER
I am a health and wellness advocate passionate about offering natural solutions to support healthy living. In the late 90s, a near fatal reaction to medicine changed my life and the journey to a holistic approach of well-being began. Yoga was my anchor as I navigated my way around a new way of eating, thinking and living. In time, one-by-one my dis-eases disappeared and with it my passion for yoga and wellness grew deeper.
Over the decades, I studied nutrition, holistic living, more yoga and aromatherapy. In 2016, after a 20-year practice in Hatha yoga, I enrolled in a 200-hour Power Yoga teacher training. Knowing that my soul (and body) was longing for a softer practice, this training was life transforming for me. I immediately started teaching the only Restorative class at the studio and fell in love watching these active yogis soften and melt into their bodies. I realized that calming the nervous system was equally as important to our health as strengthening the muscular system and wanted more than ever to share this practice with others.
I hold certifications in Yin and Restorative yoga, and am an Aroma Yoga® certified teacher. I am also a board-certified health coach through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. My goal as a teacher is to provide students a space for self-care and to give them the skills to recognize and manage the stresses in their lives using the tools acquired in our classes. To be an ally, in any way I can, in their journey to better health and well-being.
Marcia (Nimrita Kaur)
TEACHER
I began my yoga practice in 1993 with Jivamukti Yoga in NYC. In 2004, I found Kundalini Yoga and fell in love with its high vibration and healing power. I am a KRI Certified Kundalini Yoga Teacher who has been teaching since 2006 and a Soul Guidance & Sacred Mentoring™ by Alana Fairchild licensed certified practitioner. I bring my psychic talents as an Akashic Record reader to add extra elevation, healing and divine guidance to my classes. My inspired intention as a teacher is to assist students to open up to their Truth allowing them to fulfill the highest potential of their divine destinies.
Sofia
TEACHER
New Zealand born and raised, I spent my childhood practicing classical ballet. Like so many dancers, I suffered from severe pain, and was diagnosed with scoliosis. I discovered yoga in my teens and from there, began to heal my body. A firm belief that experience is the best teacher, I spent over a decade traveling, with extended periods in India. I settled in Los Angeles in 2014.
A desire to live in accordance with my values informed my decision to teach yoga. I completed my foundational training at Namaste, Highland Park under the tutelage of Sondra Sun, Hannah Skye Wenzel, Nora Brank, and Vanda Ciceryova. I also studied trauma-informed body work with Hala Khouri. I am passionate about building resilience and self esteem in my students through Hatha Yoga.
I am a vegan, and love to live karma yoga, in the form of volunteer work in my community. I practice Transcendental Meditation. One day I hope to transcend completely, but in the interim, I identify as an animal lover and donut eater.
Teri
TEACHER
My yoga journey started in earnest with the birth of my first child. Yoga helped me find my center in the midst of this immense life shift and opened me to the incredible path of motherhood.
My newfound love for yoga and a background in education prompted me to earn a certification from YogaEd. I took this knowledge into the urban public school system and brought yoga to high school students who had never done it before. Along the way I earned a certification from YogaWorks, traveled to India, and continued to throw myself wholeheartedly into my practice.
My curiosity for all things yogic led me to investigate Ayurveda, the sister science of yoga. Ayurveda, Sanskrit for knowledge of life, is a systemic approach to wellness that incorporates herbs, whole foods and lifestyle accommodations. In 2014 I earned my certification as an Ayurvedic Health Practitioner from the California College of Ayurveda. I am in awe of this ancient practice that continues to inform our modern lives. Recently, I finished my YogaWorks professional certification and am humbled by how much I still don’t know.
An everyday yogi, I keep it real with two very hairy Bernese Mountain Dogs, a crazy family, coffee with lots of half and half, and a penchant for writing about life with humor and honesty. Come practice with me!
Amanda
TEACHER
Since 2011, my life revolved around all fitness centers within a 30 mile radius from my home and work. From cardio kick boxing, strength training, yoga, you name it, I was at the gym minimum 7 times a week. The feeling of overcoming all the physical challenges became an addiction and drowning in my own sweat became a daily routine.
In 2014 I become a group fitness instructor and was teaching multiple formats including a mind/body format very similar to yoga, and this is when my curiosity for yoga started to develop. I wanted to know why aside from the physical changes, my mental state started to shift as well. I was becoming more calm, centered and focused.
My curiosity eventually led me to complete my 200hr Yoga Teacher Training in 2019 with Thea Peuschel. Now with a deeper understanding of Yoga, I teach from an introspective and functional approach. I specialize in Vinyasa, Yin and Hatha Yoga and I am very honored share my passion here at Greenheart Yoga. Come practice with me, allow me to show you all the physical, mental and spiritual benefits Yoga has to offer.
Diana
TEACHER
Diana has been a seeker of knowledge her whole life. Introduced to yoga while in college, Diana never stopped practicing in one form or another. Meditation and yoga is what she credits for her healing after neck and spine surgery in 2013. She loves pushing and challenging herself. Self -discovery is her mission. Diana wants to share her practice with her students and help them on their own path of self-discovery.
Julie
TEACHER
Originally from Michigan, I started slowing moving West after I became a physician. I am a board-certified family doctor who believes that yoga is a practice from which everyone can benefit. Left with severe burnout after 20 years of medical practice and teaching, I took time off for exploration and self-care. It was during this sabbatical that I resumed a regular yoga practice, finding the healing power of yoga for herself. Wanting to spread this to more people, I completed teacher training with Dana Kraft and Jennifer Smith at Yoga108. I also pursued training in Trauma-Informed Yoga with Uprising Yoga and Yin Yoga with Addie deHilster.
My main goal as a yoga teacher is to empower each student to connect with the healthiest self through yoga. I hope to create an all-inclusive environment, regardless of ability, age, or gender. In time outside the studio, you will find me spending time with my spouse and our 3 pets, volunteering for a local animal rescue, and crafting.
Alex
TEACHER
I went to my first yoga class in high school after I got cut from my school soccer team. The moment I entered the studio I felt a sense of calm, ease and wonder. The teacher floated through the room and was a majestic goddess of a woman and I remember wondering to my high school self, “if I do yoga will I be like her?!” As I continued to practice, I slowly was able to become present with my body and befriend it as a third party observer. I didn’t realize how disconnected I was from my body until I found connection. As I went through college and beyond, yoga flowed in and out of my life; and reflecting, I noticed when life got difficult, I came back to my mat. It was the thread that brought me back to my body and my Self whenever I lost my way.
It wasn’t until I lost a dear friend of mine that I took the biggest leap with my mat, going across the globe to get my teacher training in Bali in 2014. While loss is never easy, it offered me perspective, and ultimately gave me the courage I needed to quit my unfulfilling corporate job and follow my heart in deepening my yoga practice. As I grew in my teaching career, I found myself gravitating towards the therapeutic aspects of yoga, and am now studying to be a Physical Therapist, with the hopes of one day blending eastern and western perspectives on movement.
My classes are inspired by what I’m learning in the moment, both in my doctorate program and just as importantly, in the school of life. My students can expect to learn, connect, laugh and be inspired in my classes.
Joey
TEACHER
My philosophy in teaching yoga focuses around joining the body and mind to root ourselves in the present. It is important for me to make yoga accessible to students of all levels and adapt to where the student is in that moment and in that practice. As someone who comes from a high-stress, demanding professional background, yoga found its place in my life by guiding me to balance and meditation. After experiencing significant physical and emotional burnout, I found my way to a yoga teacher training in Greece with senior teachers David Kim and Anna Zorzou. It was these mentors that taught me the foundations of teaching through the YogaWorks 200 hour program.
As I continued my practice and teaching, I found my way deeper and deeper into restorative yoga. After studying with Gigi Snyder in the Yogaworks 300 hour program, I studied with Judith Hanson Lasater to start my path teaching restorative yoga. In the journey to constantly find balance in my life and in my practice, I have a special place in my heart for all practices of yoga, but particularly restorative yoga. It is through this constant practice of growth, that I have specialized in teaching to the needs of chiropractic patients, survivors of violence, and athletes, including long-distance cyclists.