Tina Chappel

Tina Chappel has been studying yoga and meditation for more than 25 years. Her own practice incorporates several different styles, including Ashtanga, Iyengar, and flow. Certified as a yoga instructor by eminent yogi Ana Forrest of the Forrest Yoga Circle, she is Yoga Jones’s owner/director. Her classes emphasize realization of yoga’s potential for unlocking each student’s physical, mental, and spiritual capacities. [photo]

Chin

Daniel Yoshimi "Chin" is a capoeirista, capoeira instructor, musician and a co-founder of Ginga. A native of Brazil, he began his training there under the direction of Prof. Eros. He began teaching in 1995. After moving to the United States, Chin opened a Santa Barbara school and has continued teaching capoeira to children and adults for the last five years. In 2004, he started teaching in Ventura at Yoga Jones. He has dedicated part of his time to teaching low income children since 2002. In January 2005, in partnership with Vanessa Isaac and Jessica Elledge, he opened Ginga Multicultural Arts Center in Santa Barbara which now serves as the official Capoeira Sul da Bahia home. [photo]

Veronica De Soyza

Veronica has been practicing yoga for over 20 yrs. She is certified in both Vinyasa and Kundalini Yoga. She believes firmly in the healing and transformative powers of her practice. She absolutely loves sharing with and learning from all her students. Yoga provides an endless fountain of wisdom on and off the mat. It has helped her find joy and peace in all that she undertakes. Veronica spent the first part of her life as a Ballet and Modern dancer, aerial artist, and singer. She has performed on Broadway, off-B'way, and around the world. The only way she was able to withstand a grueling, demanding and highly competitive career was through her yoga practice. It has kept her centered, sane, happy and healthy. Veronica also has been a licensed and practicing massage therapist for 14 yrs. Thanks to Tina for providing such a lovely space to practice and teach in. "I believe we can make the world a better place with yoga." [photo}

Tricia Durni

Tricia Durni began working with children nearly 20 years ago. She is a Practitioner in Jikiden Reiki and Koryo Hand Therapy, has a Bachelor's in Health Science and has studied herbal medicine, homeopathy, chinese medicine and other natural healing alternatives. Tricia began practicing yoga in 2010 and immediately saw the benefits in her life ~ mind, body and spirit. It was then that Tricia decided to pursue teacher trainings in Kids Yoga. She has certification with Zenergy Yoga Therapy for Kids developed by Loraine Rushton and will complete certification with MiniYogis developed by Shana Meyerson in Jan 2012. Tricia is passionate about making a difference in the lives of the children she meets. [photo]

Katrina Durocher

Katrina Durocher is a 500 hour registered Yoga Therapist. She works with people of all ages. Her intention is to hold sacred space for each individual to experience the art of meditation in motion. Her group classes cultivate your inner resource, personal intention, body awareness, and connecting moments of mindfulness. www.katrinadurocher.com [photo]

Pixie Kastrup

During the last 11 years, Pixie has made studying yoga not only her profession, but her life. She was drawn to yoga due to the balance it provides of internal quiet and external strength. Just as practicing yoga is an important part of Pixie’s routine, teaching it to others comes naturally. Pixie previously lived and studied in India, where she received her yoga therapy certificate. She currently studies yoga with Shiva Rea and is working to achieve her 500 hour certificate. She holds a degree in Kinesiology with an emphasis in exercise science focusing on health and wellness. As a private wellness coach, she also tailors programs to meet clients’ nutritional and fitness goals. [photo]

Tori Lund

Tori was first introduced to yoga at the age of 12 after being diagnosed with scoliosis. After experiencing a dramatic improvement in her condition, she continued to practice for the health benefits as well as the sense of confidence and empowerment it instilled. Years later her passion for music led her to pursue a graduate degree in vocal performance at San Diego State University where she studied opera and classical voice. During this time her practice deepened and after graduation she traveled to India where she studied at the Himalaya Yoga Valley Center and received her teacher certification. Tori enjoys practicing different styles of yoga but she primarily teaches traditional Ashtanga and Vinyasa classes, integrating sound, music and the spiritual and philosophical teachings. She is committed to a safe, creative practice that illuminates our individual potential and beauty. Before moving to Ventura, Tori also taught workshops for performers at San Diego State University and the University of San Diego. She also teaches kids yoga as well as voice and piano. [photo]

Sopurkh Kaur

Sopurkh Kaur has been practicing and studying Kundalini Yoga and meditation since 1990 with beloved teachers, Guru Singh and Yogi Bhajan. She is certified by the International Kundalini Yoga Teachers Association (IKYTA) and the Kundalini Research Institute (KRI). She completed her teacher training at Yoga West in Los Angeles and has received intensive cross instruction from many of Yogi Bhagan’s senior instructors. In addition to teaching yoga, Sopurkh is a musician, artist and mother. [photo]

Anyez Klevecz

Anyez Klevecz is a certified yoga instructor through Yoga Alliance. She has also been trained by Robin Gruver, a renowned prenatal yoga teacher and childbirth educator in this area. Anyez has deepened her studies through her own practice and her two pregnancies. Yoga is a quiet place to connect with your baby and pregnant body. A yoga and meditation practice strengthens the physical, emotional and spiritual acceptance of pregnancy. Anyez's regular yoga practice has helped her experience the strength, flexibility, and focus of breath work, as well as the ability to flow with labor. [photo]

Tal Mesika

Tal Mesika is a certified Iyengar instructor who was born and raised in Israel. He began studying yoga as a young man after noticing that many people around him seemed unhealthy and sickly. He wanted a tool that would not only keep the body healthy, but offer the freedom to be responsible for one's own health. He discovered the Iyengar style of yoga and was fascinated by its depth and ability to teach individual students on many dimensions. When Tal received his Iyengar certification in Israel his teacher told him: "Now the true learning begins!" While in Israel Tal taught classes at the Iyengar Yoga Center of Tel Aviv, assisted in many yoga therapy classes, and took a 3-year course of Iyengar Yoga Therapy with Stephanie Quirk. He has been in the US since 2011. He comes to Yoga Jones from Bellingham, WA, where he was teaching at Yoga NorthWest with Ingela Abbott. He now lives in Ojai, CA. "For me Yoga is not a repetition of postures but a subject that unfolds itself with every practice and which opens new fields to explore, a journey for the rest of one's life..." [photo]

Maxwell Miller

Maxwell Miller did his yoga teacher training at Yogi Hari Ashram in Miramar Florida. He was initiated as Yogi Hari's disciple at the end of his stay at the ashram, and received the title Yoga Acharya (Professor of Yoga). His classes emphasize flowing with the breath from pose to pose. [photo]

Alison Perks

My vision of yoga in my life includes teaching my daughter, bringing yoga to kids, doing pre-natal instruction for ‘mammas’ to-be and helping people understand the benefits of Restorative Yoga. It is my passion to offer this nurturing to children, because I understand kids, having also done courses in Early Childhood education. I’ve worked with kids a lot in my past background of childcare and education, from teaching swim, surf, snowboarding; to being a camp counselor and preschool teacher. [photo]

Shanti Rae

Shanti is the student and protege of world renowned Grand Master Paulie Zink. Professionally trained as a contortionist and dancer, Shanti accepted Taoist Yoga as a holistic path to retain superior flexibility, strength and vitality. Having studied exclusivley with Master Paulie Zink, Shanti teaches the pure art of Taoist yoga. This unadulterated style is the "flow" yoga that was originally developed by Taoist priests in northern China and directly passed onto Master Paulie Zink. [photo]

Chris Roberts

Besides 20 years of yoga practice, Chris Roberts' background includes modern dance and competitive athletics. He is interested in maximizing the fitness of seniors & people with back or joint injuries. He has 8 years of teaching and coaching experience.

Anna Spanopoulos

Anna Spanopoulos began practicing yoga in the early '70s. She started teacher training in hatha and specifically Ashtanga yoga in 1994 and began teaching the following year. Anna continued her yoga studies with alignment-based Iyengar teacher training and yoga therapy trainings. She also holds certificates as a Yoga Tune Up and Yoga Tune Up Therapy Ball Massage teacher with the motto "Live Better in Your Body." Anna has a Bachelor's degree in biology with a focus on anatomy, biochemistry, and nutrition. [photo]

Sat Tara

Sat Tara has been a student of Kundalini Yoga for 5 years and a teacher for 3. From the moment she entered her first class, she realized how this intense practice has the power to transform, heal and ignite the flames of one’s own personal potential. Her boundless respect for this raj yoga along with her belief that through it anyone has the ability to live a happy, fulfilled life lay the foundation for powerful and invigorating classes. Sat Tara sees herself as a vessel for these teachings as taught by Yogi Bhajan and works toward helping every student that enters her class to embark and continue on the journey toward the infinite within. She completed her training at Golden Bridge in Hollywood, and is certified by IKYTA, KRI and Yoga Alliance. [photo]

Lynne Thurston

Lynne Thurston has practiced yoga and meditation for over 35 years. She has an extensive background in dance and theatre arts, as well as psychology and education, all of which she incorporates in her classes. She creates a compassionate and supportive teaching environment directed to both children and adults, including older adults. [photo]

Kellie Vallianos

Kellie embraces yoga as a gift, an opportunity to transform body, mind and spirit. She started her practice in 2001 and enjoys sharing yoga with others, watching them transform and thrive. Her lightheartedness keeps yoga fun and encourages an open heart, compassion and gratitude. Her classes can be energetic and, under the influence of Sadie Nardini, incorporate “creative core-centered flow.” Kellie has completed the 200 hour Teacher Training with YogaWorks. She believes everyone can benefit from yoga and improve their overall vitality through breath, movement and quieting a noisy mind, while revealing the beauty of their true selves.[photo]

Vishnuprem

Vishnuprem is a certified Sivananda yoga teacher who has practiced and taught for 20 years. Trained by Swami Vishnu-devananda, he was a staff member of the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers (ISYVC). He teaches authentic classical Hatha Yoga, including breathing, a balanced set of postures, and deep relaxation. [photo]