Our Yoga Teachers

Ashley Platz (she/her) has been teaching since 2010. She began her practice to heal her back pain from childhood scoliosis. She is certified in Hatha, Vinyasa, Kundalini, and Children’s Yoga. She taught at City Yoga and then YogaWorks before landing at The Center For Yoga. Ashley’s classes are challenging, fun, and she offers options to modify poses to your degree of comfort. As a member of the queer community, she hopes to offer a safe space for all bodies, and abilities to move, build, and grow strength and flexibility of the body and mind. Sometimes, in class, she curses. Always in class, she’s leading with love, years of experience, and a sense of humor about the journey and herself.

Ashley Rideaux is a Los Angeles–based, 500 E-RYT teacher trainer, mentor, lover of life, and professional giggler who rocks big hair, a big smile, and an even bigger heart. In addition to the strong following she has built in LA, she also leads trainings, workshops, and retreats all over the world. Ashley's classes are challenging and playful, ranging from therapeutic work to advanced vinyasa flow. Outside of traditional studio spaces, she teaches yoga to women and adolescents in eating disorder treatment facilities, has experience working with seniors with neurological disorders, and was the featured yoga instructor for NBA player, Jordan Farmar's, Hoop Farm basketball camp for 4 years, where she worked with kids from ages 7-16. Ashley is passionate about making the practice of yoga accessible to all, and all of her classes are a balance of the physical and the philosophical, inviting the body and mind to unfold through her detail to alignment, breath, and subtle body.

Becky is a certified Level 2 Iyengar Yoga Teacher and has been teaching since 2013. She has traveled to Pune, India twice to study with the Iyengar family and continues to study asana and philosophy with senior Iyengar teachers. She assisted the Iyengar Yoga Therapeutics classes at IYILA for three years and enjoys sharing the therapeutic benefits of Iyengar Yoga with her students. As a designer and small business owner, Becky spends much of her day in front of a computer when she is not teaching. Yoga has given her the tools to relieve physical and mental stress and fatigue, which she uses to inform her teaching. She has a relaxed, approachable teaching style and strives to challenge students while creating a safe and welcoming environment for learning.

Beth Prandini has found both youthful joy and radiant health through the practice of yoga. Diagnosed with Lupus and Rheumatoid Arthritis at the age of 19, She uses yoga to help regulate the effects of her diagnosis. She has studied Ashtanga, Iyengar, Yin, Vinyasa and Yoga Therapy from some of the best teachers in the world, and infuses these classic lineages into a modern physical practice.

The body as a landscape for self-discovery is the root of Bianca’s teaching. The seed of this philosophy was planted early, in her career as an Olympic athlete and five-time National Champion rhythmic gymnast. It blossomed with her artistic career as an aerial artist, dancer, and choreographer for Cirque du Soleil and many other performing arts companies and productions around the world. She branched out as a teacher in the early 2000’s, an organic development on her path of inquiry of the creative self. Bianca discovered yoga in the late 1990’s and in 2009, received her yoga teacher’s training certificate, led by mentor Annie Carpenter. She has lead classes and workshops at the Rock N’Roll Hall of Fame, USC, UCLA, Esalen, National Young Arts Foundation, Joffrey Ballet, PEN USA, Treefort festival at both Hackfort and Yogafort, and yoga, acting, dance, and circus schools across the country. Her classes draw upon intelligently aligned asana, acrobatic and dance techniques, pranayama, yogic philosophy, mythology, and deep, intuitive listening to one’s own body. Bianca devotes her experience to that of her student’s practice.

After studying with Bryan Kest and participating in his first teacher training, Caleb started teaching yoga in 1996. Deepening his studies, Caleb completed the Yoga Works teacher training with Maty Ezraty, Chuck Miller, and Lisa Walford in 1997. In addition, he studied with yoga luminaries Dona Holleman, Shandor Remete, Gabriella Giubilaro, and continued his studies in Ashtanga yoga with Ezraty and Miller and in Iyengar yoga with Walford. Caleb has a 25-year background in Martial Arts and has taught across the country and in Europe. Caleb’s classes are focused on accessibility, alignment, building strength and balance, and being present.

Since 2006, Camille McCarroll has been one of Baltimore's top yoga teachers. Camille is a senior yoga teacher and teacher trainer, yet she is an eternal student of yoga having taken 6 teacher trainings at both the 200 and 300 level herself. Camille is a certified YogaWorks teacher and trainer, OM Yoga teacher, meditation and restorative yoga teacher. Camille challenges her students to go beyond their comfort zones and to break habitual patterns on and off of the yoga mat. Having taught thousands of students all over the country, Camille conveys a powerfully energetic approach to the vinyasa side of yoga with a strong anatomical focus. She wants you to not only learn how to get on the mat and in the next pose, but how to do the pose with muscular strength, stability, and mental clarity.

Empowering each yogi’s authentic self is Carmen Guerrero Falcon’s ultimate mission as a yoga facilitator. She seeks to nurture an increased understanding of movement, a sparkle of awareness in each student’s eyes, and to awaken the potential for rejuvenation of both body and mind. “I started teaching because I wanted to practice all day long and feel that ease, softness, contentment, and release. Yoga is more than a break in your day, it’s a way to cultivate space between perception and thought, to bring precision to your life experience.” Carmen has studied with Jasmine Lieb and Jeanne Heileman, amongst others.

Carolina teaches classes to share the healing art of finding balance, health, vitality and spiritual awakening and deepening. She is a master teacher and senior yoga teacher and teacher trainer. Carolina is a level four Reiki master practitioner, certified mystical Shaman and master healer, soul coach and medicine woman. She is a certified hypnotherapist in QHHT, quantum hypnosis healing therapy. She offers private yoga classes as well as group classes at CFY, healing sessions, reiki sessions, house blessings, guided detoxes, soul journeys, and spiritual awakening workshops.

Chigusa began practicing yoga in 2000 and was drawn to the details and clarity of Iyengar Yoga after exploring other schools of yoga. She traveled to Pune in 2015 to study with Gita and Abhijata Iyengar. Chigusa spent three years apprenticing with Marla Apt and was certified in 2016. She has assisted the Iyengar Yoga Therapeutics program at IYILA for several years and is dedicated to helping students with their own practice and sharing the benefit of Iyengar yoga as she continues to learn as a student. She also teaches in Japanese, and her special interest is in applying yoga to underwater swimming.

Chrissy Gonzalez has been a devoted student of yoga for 25 years. Her formal training began in 2002 with Diane Beardsley at Center For Yoga, Los Angeles. She has since completed over 1000 hours of Yoga Alliance Certified training under the guidance of Joan Hyman, Jeanne Heileman and others. She teaches alignment based vinyasa flow classes that include harmonious movement, yoga philosophy and a positive outlook. She leads workshops and yoga retreats worldwide. Chrissy’s mission is to help her students discover a yoga practice that is consistent, inspiring and that moves beyond the margins of their yoga mat and into their daily life.

Clio Manuelian trained with master teachers and is influenced by a wide breadth of disciplines. Her classes are physically deep, mentally expansive and energetically up-lifting. Clio's style is both humorous and soulful. Her classes are clearly accessible for new students while challenging for advanced practitioners. An appreciation for classic alignment and a dedication to basic breathwork, contemporary and classic philosophy, inspires all her teachings. At USC Clio leads yoga and meditation courses and Teacher Trainings through NY and LA studios. She created a 300-hour Mentorship program for young teachers; and is a certified 500-hour E-RYT through YogaWorks, and a CMT-P Mindfulness Facilitator through InsightLA. Clio has taught for global leaders William Morris Endeavor, Capital Group and the Oprah Network; and served as an Ambassador for Lululemon. Clio is grateful for and inspired by the brilliance of her own teachers: Lisa Walford, Tias Little, Marla Apt, Schuyler Grant, Annie Carpenter, Joan Hyman and Ruth Lauer-Maneti along with heroic humans everywhere. A wild child of NYC and former fashion executive, Clio currently lives in LA with her husband and son. www.ClioYoga.com.

A native Angelino, Courtney began her career as an actress and dancer. She has acted with Theatricum Botanicum and Theater of N.O.T.E and was on a dance scholarship in New York. Upon her return to LA, Courtney graduated from UCLA, took her first yoga class, and fell in love with the combination of both movement and spirituality. Courtney completed her 200 Teacher Training with Jeanne Heileman and Hazel Patterson in 2011 and with Joan Hyman in India through the School of Yoga in 2023. She has studied with Annie Carpenter, Marla Apt, Lisa Walford, David Lynch and Whitney Allen. Courtney's goal is to help her students find the love and light within themselves through all limbs of yoga.

Danielle Robinson is a passionate Hatha, Vinyasa, Pre/Post-Natal, Yin and Restorative Yoga teacher who's found her unique voice in teaching through in depth studies in Psychology, and through teaching and studying in Italy, NYC, Chicago, Bali, Nashville and LA. She's been teaching for 18 years and after experiencing the beauty and challenges of motherhood, merged teaching with therapy and has been sharing tools like breathwork, meditation, sensation tracking, and somatic counseling in therapeutic environments. A traveling spirit mixed with a homebody, Danielle provides very grounding, calming and centering practices leaving students feeling renewed, hopeful, and connected to themselves and their lives. As an enthusiastic writer, food and comedy nerd, and momma, Danielle's practice is one of a kind. It's easy to see how she "eats life" and after experiencing Yoga with her, you'll feel that same hunger within yourself.

My amazing teachers have encouraged and trained me since 2004 to stay emotionally grounded, strong, balanced and positive; especially when life is more interestingly challenging. It is my intention to pass this on to my students through intelligent sequences and by respecting different body types. I practice Iyengar, Ashtanga, YIN, Hatha and dance between all of them in a Vinyasa environment; I feel one style supports the other. I graduated from YogaWorks 500 hour in 2013 and Yogawise YIN in 2016.

When David is not teaching his classes or cooking, he can be found in Berlin, Germany with his wonderful two urchins and his beloved partner. Life in Germany is idyllic: filled with horses, roller hockey, long hikes, museums galore, photography, weekend jaunts with the puppy, cycling, foodie explorations and roaming the world in search of art and nature in all their glorious forms. Los Angeles is David’s second home. He is a resident of the glorious Valley. David’s California passions include too many backyard succulents, bike rides through the mountains around LA, ice hockey, art in all its manifestations, Joshua Tree visits and weekly samplings of the metropolis’ bounteous food offerings.

Deborah Lee (E-RYT500) embraces the diversity of yoga, teaching heartfelt vinyasa that draws from study with master teachers in several traditions. Sharing the synergy of dynamic movement & breath, present moment awareness and metta (loving-kindness), she offers yoga as alchemy for positive change. Deborah creates individualized sequences, with carefully selected music, that are a thorough combination of nurturing spirit, core conditioning and mental de-stressing—flow for the soul! Her students say they look forward to class because they will be challenged, refreshed, and energized—both in body and mind, by an attention to the details of the poses and her gentle promptings of the spiritual side of yoga. Deborah has over twenty years of teaching experience in New York, Boston, San Francisco and Los Angeles. She has completed over 1,500 teacher training hours with Alan Finger, Barbara Benagh, Baron Baptiste, Elena Brower and the 500 hour Yogaworks Certification. She is grateful to have studied with other master teachers including Tias Little, Patricia Walden, Stephanie Snyder, and Sianna Sherman.

Eduardo began his career in New York City. He attained his 200 hour Yoga Teacher Certification at Sonic Yoga in 2010. Immediately after, he became a Certified Personal Trainer and started teaching under celebrity trainer Terri Walsh at the ART Method Studio. In 2013, Eduardo returned back to California and his career took off! Eduardo has worked for some of the leaders in the fitness and wellness industry like YogaWorks, Equinox, Flywheel and Hot 8 Yoga. His students are not just students, they are his biggest inspiration.

Ekaette is a writer, artist, yoga teacher and student. She has studied and is trained in Ayurveda, Tantra, pranayama, meditation and alignment. Ekaette has practiced yoga since 1999 and has taught classes, workshops, and yoga teacher training globally. Ekaette enjoys reading and collecting books, awful reality shows, playing guitar, a good coffee, and voraciously studies History and Pop Culture. Yoga is her compass back home to herself.

Elisa is originally from New Jersey and spent a wonderfully formative decade living in Rome, Italy, working as an apparel designer. Her 20 plus year yoga practice has helped her grow stronger, healthier, happier, more flexible and fearless, both on and off the mat. Elisa completed her 200 Hour Training through YogaWorks, with Hayleigh Zachary and her 300 Hour Training with Rina Jakubowicz. She is certified in The Yoga Remedy, and mentored with Dani Ibarra. She received her Yin Yoga certification from Bianca Fearon and Restorative Yoga with Jillian Pransky. She is an Urban Zen Integrative Therapist, and a Master Level Reiki Practitioner. She completed a Master in Subtle Body Training with Jeanne Heileman, and also studied and mentored with Danni Pomplun. Elisa aims to guide her students to their place of balance, pushing just enough, then knowing when to let go, in order to find that sweet spot between control and surrender, landing in their own place of peace, equilibrium, and joy.

Erika began studying yoga in 1988 with her first teacher who was a student of Sri Krishnamacharya. It is with that teacher that her love affair with yoga began. Erika is an E-RYT 500 Yoga Alliance certified yoga teacher and teacher trainer. Her classes are thoughtful and inspiring combinations of alignment, flow, breath, philosophy, and playfulness. She is strongly influenced by the Yoga Works method, where she taught for over 12 years. Deeply grateful to her main teachers Donna Farhi, Sarah Powers, Sianna Sherman, and Maty Ezraty all of who taught her that yoga is not just a practice but it is a life path.

Grace’s journey began with Power Yoga in 2007 and began teaching yoga in 2009. Grace is warm, funny and great at guiding students into more advanced asanas. She is a former sign language interpreter and provides yoga instruction in ASL. “My sequences are conscious, grounding and fun. The practice always has a huge emphasis on the breath. If we can control our breath, we can control our minds. My classes are physically and mentally challenging. My focus is on function and mobility, rather than the pose. We don’t move too fast. I pay a lot of attention to being in each asana in the safest most beneficial way for each student.” “Each time I step onto my mat, I connect to a piece of myself. I start to feel more grounded, more aware, more connected to my heart and I remember who I am. This is my hope for every student that practices with me. Beyond the physical - to leave feeling more whole than they arrived. Having children at 43 and experiencing the changes in my body has allowed me to be a more conscious teacher."

Heather Kampf’s warm and welcoming personality and compassionate teaching style inspires her students to believe in themselves. She loves the combination of vinyasa flow blended with focused alignment that creates a moving meditation honoring the lineages of the Iyengar and Ashtanga systems. A devoted mother of two, Heather understands deeply that a yoga practice, including meditation and pranayama, will offer a steady source of strength that is beneficial on and off the mat. She offers these tools to empower her students, as she provides the space for them to move deeper into their own inner wisdom. Heather’s vision of cultivating inner connection as well as community infuses her teaching with an optimism that uplifts her students. She encourages students to daringly dance between exploring boundaries and appreciating the joy of the present moment. While physical expression has been a lifelong interest, Heather ultimately found the most satisfying outlet to be her yoga practice -the practice that began as a creative and fun way to keep strong and healthy became a deep focus after Heather’s second child was born. Heather is a Yoga Alliance RYT-500 and, inspired to provide the opportunity for others to connect to inner strength and nurturing energy during pregnancy and motherhood, she became an R-PYT (Yoga Alliance certified Prenatal Yoga Teacher) and certified Ma Yoga® Instructor in 2021.

Heather Seiniger began practicing yoga as a teenager in Santa Monica in 1986. She completed YogaWorks Teacher Training in 1996 and in 2005 she began leading YogaWorks Teacher Training courses. Heather was fortunate to have studied with premier visiting instructors including Rodney Yee, Richard Freeman, Gabriella Giubilaro, Aadil Palkhivala, and many others. Her main teachers locally were Lisa Walford, Maty Ezraty, and Annie Carpenter. Heather’s style incorporates her in-depth knowledge of anatomy and alignment with her love of breath-based movement and strengthening vinyasa. Heather encourages her students to customize their practice to suit their unique needs and believes that the asana practice can be both challenging and calming, energizing and relaxing, focused and fun. She helps people find that delicate balance in their yoga practice as a step towards finding more balance in their lives.

With almost 10 years in the fitness world, I’ve had the privilege of working with incredible professionals and brands. I’m certified in Performance Enhancement, Stretch and Flexibility, and Women’s Fitness, and I’m passionate about creating spaces where clients feel empowered and see real results quickly. My focus is on improving power, mobility, and balance, no matter where people are starting from. Yoga has been a huge part of my journey, and I’ve loved my years of practice at the Center. I’m eager to blend that with my training approach to offer a well-rounded experience for everyone.

Jeanne Heileman – MA, 500-ERYT, YACEP, Founder of Tantra Flow Yoga™, Jeanne brings together more than 36 years of yoga study with over 25 years of teaching into a style of yoga inclusive of asana, Ayurveda, Pranayama, meditation, and the added focus of cultivating energy. She has studied extensively in ParaYoga, Ashtanga, Iyengar, Anusara, ParaYoga, Vini and Tantra Yoga with many masters in each tradition. Jeanne teaches with sensitivity, generosity of spirit and a lot of humor. She specializes in discovering the needs of an individual and gently guiding students to their own grace and balance. This is not always a “normal” flow class. We will break out of the box, wisely. Jeanne’s classes weave attention on alignment and play through the poses, usually following a specific theme. Borrowing from her rich history of study and practice, you will be guided through intelligent, creative sequencing. Each class often opens with a short Pranayama session that sets the tone for the rest of the class. Tantric elements will be woven in secretly as we work on a specific pose or set of actions throughout the class. Our main goal is to move, breathe, and explore space with our bodies. Jeanneheileman.com.

Jessica offers students guided instruction with the seamless blend of challenge and calm pairing the physical and spiritual aspects of yoga while merging the heat building and detoxifying teachings of vinyasa with lighthearted yet specific instruction in a well thought out sequence of asanas (postures) with a strong emphasis on alignment for a safe practice at any level. Jessica aims to leave students feeling uplifted, inspired, peaceful and strong.

Joan Hyman’s grounded teaching style seamlessly supports her students as they emerge from their practice with the rich and bright energy that yoga has to offer. Joan’s teachings come from an organic and intuitive place, as she draws upon the combined studies of Ashtanga and Iyengar yoga as well as Ayurveda and meditation. An authentic modern-day yogi, Joan's love and devotion show up in her practice and throughout her teaching. You will leave her class feeling transformed and deeply aligned. Joan spent fifteen years as a distinguished YogaWorks Senior Teacher before bringing her expertise to Wanderlust as the Director of Teacher Trainings in 2016. Now, with over twenty years experience leading retreats, trainings, and international workshops, Joan travels the globe and teaches online, leading her own signature trainings. She has created The School of Yoga, which is a professional education program, helping students and inspiring teachers to work towards their five hundred hours Yoga Alliance Certification. A leader in the yoga community, Joan’s open-hearted approach to teaching yoga keeps both her inner spirit and her students continuously evolving.

Teaching yoga and meditation since 2006, Joe Kara sees Yoga as a path to health, self-awareness, and life enrichment; and he has committed to sharing that path with others. Through a stimulating, breath-based physical practice integrated with thoughtful attention to alignment and informative adjustments, Joe views the yoga practice as a potent journey that helps practitioners uncover and expand into health, capacity, possibility, and vitality. His classes are infused with a calm and grounded presence, and clear communication of instruction designed to facilitate the student as they navigate their journey of exploration, be it body, mind, and/or spirit. Joe teaches multiple yoga classes weekly, trains and mentors new teachers, runs annual international yoga & culture retreats, and has been a contributor to LA Yoga Magazine. Joe holds a degree in music from Boston’s prestigious Berklee College of Music, and has also worked in the music business for over 25 years.

Keri Lee is a certified Iyengar yoga instructor who has taught for over 23 years. She has assisted in research studies through UCLA on yoga for: depression, anxiety, and IBS. In addition, she has worked with veterans who have chronic headaches and migraines. Her understanding of Iyengar yoga therapeutics comes from extensive training and experience over the last 20 years. She is intensively studying yoga philosophy with Gitte Bechsgaard. Her initial exposure to yoga began when she was performing in Broadway shows. Seven years later, in a yoga teacher training program, she taught her first pose. Keri’s professional dancer experience, spiritual pursuit, fascination with words, and 15 years of teaching dance and exercise classes melded together. It was crystal clear this was her new career and life pursuit. Hopefully, her precision, humor, compassion, and devotion will begin to help students reap the benefits and transformation of yoga.

Kim has been teaching yoga since 2001; with over 20 years experience teaching classes, workshops, retreats, celebrity clients and teacher training programs. She views the yoga practice as an embodied experience of centering and self care; a necessary elixir that fuels her creativity and supports conscious parenting. Her classes integrate breath centered movement with precise structural and energetic alignment. Without belonging to a single lineage, she welcomes all healing movement modalities. Her class playfully weaves guided imagery, experiential movement patterns, sensory awakening, self-massage and therapeutic practices. She empowers each student to listen for internal cues and trust in their own intuitive intelligence by skillfully providing options intended to create balanced effort and personalized intensity. Her most influential teachers are Donna Farhi, Erich Schiffmann, Max Strom, Annie Carpenter and Betsy Ceva. She delights in creating art, writing, laughing with her husband and daughter, and walking in nature with her dog Meatball.

Kimberlee Soo was 50 years old when she began again. After 30 years as a student of yoga, she chose to claim her full sense of self and reimagine her life entirely. She left the world of commercial casting to help open Urban 728 Yoga in 2017, where she completed her 200-Hour training and began teaching in 2021. Kimberlee had the privilege of guiding nearly 800 classes in her first two years as an instructor while supporting over 30 private clients, half of whom she continues to work with regularly. Her greatest joy is walking alongside fellow seekers, connecting breath to body with the power of pranayama, and delving into the details of asana in order to meet and understand oneself more completely.

My career as a professional dancer brought me to America from Hungary, which led to an audition as a magician’s assistant for an illusionist (who would later become my husband!). We performed together around the world for years, and it was fantastic - except for one thing: constant, sometimes debilitating lower back pain. Nothing helped until one day I stumbled into a Pilates class, which started me on my journey back to a life without pain. When I became certified, I knew I wanted to focus on a rehabilitative style, with emphasis on alignment. I love working with people who have a goal, from post back surgery patients to new moms to professional athletes, and enjoy watching their success - whether it’s being pain-free, regaining their strength or finding the perfect form.

Lila is a certified 500-hour E-RYT YogaWorks teacher and is thrilled to share her knowledge and love of yoga, pranayama, meditation, Ayurveda and sound healing, with students of all ages and experience levels. Insatiably curious, she enjoys being the forever student as well as the teacher, and continues to bring new ideas, philosophies and healing modalities into her classes with enthusiasm and playfulness. Lila loves creating classes that are intelligently sequenced and challenging, yet fun and accessible, leaning into her belief that yoga truly is for everyone. She is delighted to be returning to the Center for Yoga, and to have the opportunity to share her passion with all those who desire to tread the glorious path of yoga.

Lillian is an RYT 500hr Yoga Teacher and Ayurvedic Health Coach. Her yoga journey started early on. As a kid, she accompanied her mom to yoga ashrams, where she has fond memories of sticking her legs up the wall in yoga classes and chanting along with kirtans. It was no wonder that she signed up for her first yoga teacher training while in college and has never looked back. Lillian began teaching in 2012 after completing a 200hr Vinyasa Yoga teacher training with Lynne Beiger and Ame Wren in Boston, MA. In 2013 she became a certified AcroYoga teacher through AcroYoga International and in February 2017 she completed her 500hr teacher training with Mara Healy in Charlotte, NC. A firm believer that a teacher must always remain a student, she has continued to study many different modalities such as advanced sequencing, Ashtanga Yoga, Kundalini Yoga and Ayurveda. She blends bits of wisdom from all of her teachers into each of her yoga classes. In addition to teaching Yoga, Lillian is an Ayurvedic Health Coach and works with clients 1on1 as well as leads cleanses and workshops throughout the year.

Lisa is a senior Certified (Level Three) Iyengar Yoga instructor and has been teaching for over forty years. She co-developed the Teacher Training Program for YogaWorks, and is a founding member of Iyengar Yoga Therapeutics. She has co-authored two books: The Anti-Aging Plan and The Longevity Diet. She began her studies at The Center for Yoga, and in 2021, she returned to our community to teach and work with our instructors and staff to support our growth. She currently serves as CFY's Director of Curriculum.

Meet Liz, a vibrant Pilates instructor whose journey from New York to Los Angeles has been truly transformative. Passionate about movement and wellness, Liz fell in love with Pilates in LA, embracing its perfect balance of strength, flexibility, and mindfulness. She designs each class to not only build physical strength but also foster community. For Liz, Pilates is more than a workout—it’s about connection and empowerment. Expect an eclectic mix of music and her signature humor, making every class both challenging and fun.

Hi! I’m Maria Wada! A yoga and meditation teacher from Japan, movement lover, and former professional dancer based in Los Angeles. I spent over a decade performing with artists like Madonna, Britney Spears, and Taylor Swift, before yoga became my path back home to myself. Since completing my 200 hour yoga teacher training in 2018, I’ve continued to deepen my studies with a 300 hour advanced Vinyasa training in Goa, India, as well as additional training in Rocket and Yin yoga. I've studied with Punu Wasu for his 200 hour active consciousness meditation teacher training. Inclusivity is at the heart of everything I teach. In my classes, we move with intention, honor our own experience, and make space for everyone to feel welcome. I gently weave in yogic philosophy to offer simple tools for easing suffering and reconnecting with inner wisdom, both on and off the mat!

Olivia Barry is a licensed physical therapist, certified yoga therapist, and long-time yoga teacher. A former dancer, she found yoga a healing balm with its focus on wellness instead of performance. After becoming certified in the YogaWorks method as well as Iyengar yoga, she authored the YogaWorks Anatomy Manual and was a lead teacher trainer at YogaWorks for over ten years. In her classes, Olivia combines her studies of physical therapy and yoga to help restore the body and mind while warding off common injuries and ailments. Olivia has also completed meditation trainings including Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Spirit Rock’s Dharma Yoga Mindfulness Training and believes that befriending the body holds the keys to a heightened experience of body and mind. Olivia moved several years ago with her husband from Los Angeles to Sebastopol, CA, to raise their son amongst the redwoods.

Sara connected with yoga in 2008 at Sri Ved Niketan in Rishikesh. One of the Swamis taught her to chant the Asato Ma mantra and it was the first time she felt inner peace. After that she was in love with the practice in all it’s forms. In 2010 she completed her 200hr with Yoga to the People in San Francisco. In 2013 she completed her 500hrs with Sri Dharma Mittra in New York. She also studied 200hrs with Mia Togo at Yogaworks and 200hrs Yin with Jo Phee and Joe Barnett- students of Paul Grilley. Sara guides her students into the present moment through their bodies alignment, breath and pure awareness. Her classes can typically be advanced or modified depending on how one feels that day. She aims to create a space where students feel they can follow their inner guidance in the exploration of yoga. There’s usually a mini Sound Bath savasana at the end of class too!

Victoria Fouladi first discovered yoga over 30 years. Inspired by the beauty and benefits of the āsanas, she couldn't put down Mr. Iyengar's tome “Light on Yoga". While living in Hong Kong, she became certified and, at the Iyengar Yoga Centre of Hong Kong, taught children, teenagers, adults with various levels of experience, while regularly assisting in the medical classes. She has also traveled several times to Pune, India to study with the Iyengar family and other teachers at the Institute. Victoria speaks Farsi, Spanish, French, some Italian and an even smaller amount of Japanese, having also lived in Tokyo. The diversity of Iyengar yoga has shown her how this practice is for anyone, at any age, and any level of health. Yoga is one. Yoga is a way to connect us all.

Whitney began her teaching career in 2003 right here at Center for Yoga, and has taught classes here ever since. In 2016, Whitney became a founding teacher for Wanderlust Hollywood, taught festivals for the company, and served as the music supervisor for Wanderlust for the next 3 years. She also continued to teach for YogaWorks and Equinox. When the pandemic hit, Whitney and her partner moved part time to a small town in the state of Michigan, on the Lake Michigan coast, and now is based there for 6 months a year. When in LA, you can find her here at CFY with students she’s known for 20 years, plus new faces, sharing the tradition of this beautiful practice together. A recent battle with breast cancer has given her relationship to yoga a whole new perspective and depth. Her classes are challenging but inclusive, with a focus on agility and flow, keeping the body vibrant. Her dedicated practice has mostly been shaped by her devotion to Ashtanga Yoga, but she’s always been willing to try new things on the mat, and loves all forms of movement (lately it’s Tracy Anderson Method and lifting heavy weights!) Before becoming a yoga teacher, Whitney worked as a Broadway performer in New York. One longtime student described her class as “the perfect blend of the gym, therapy, and church."

Yael began her journey as a fitness instructor at just 16, with a passion for movement that started in childhood. She participated in nearly every sport you can imagine but found her passion in dance. After a debilitating back injury, Yael turned to yoga as part of her healing process. Now, her classes emphasize proper alignment and injury prevention. She understands the importance of balancing slow, mindful movement with a more active practice, ensuring that each class offers a rewarding challenge for both beginners and advanced practitioners alike. When she’s not teaching, Yael enjoys spending time outdoors, especially with her dog, Ziggy! In addition to being a fitness instructor, she’s also an herbalist and birth doula, creating nurturing and supportive environments. Yael believes movement is medicine—and that showing up just as you are is more than enough. She can’t wait to see you in class to move and groove!

Yvonne, E-RYT500, is deeply committed to living wholeheartedly and sharing the timeless teachings of yoga. She approaches the practice from a holistic perspective – weaving together mindful movement, breathwork, meditation and philosophy – and encourages each person to discover their own path to steadiness and ease. Known for her clear articulation and calming demeanor, Yvonne’s classes are built around intelligent sequencing that brings intimate attention to both physical alignment and subtle body awareness. With thoughtful instruction, she invites students to tune into their body and mind with curiosity and openness. For Yvonne, all of life is practice. What we learn on the mat informs how we live off the mat. How we relate to our inner world shapes the way we move through the outer world. Every moment is an opportunity to practice – to meet ourselves in the moment, to remember what matters, to breathe and begin again.

Zepure Kouyoumdjian Is a Yogaworks 500 Hour certified teacher, Urban Zen Integrative Therapist, Reiki Master practitioner & teacher. She’s been practicing yoga since 2005 and teaching yoga since 2014. She completed her Urban Zen Integrative Therapy, Restorative, Urban Zen Therapeutics, and Yin training through Yogaworks.