Kris has been teaching Vinyasa and Yin Yoga since 2009. She has certification from The White Lotus Foundation and The Yoga Space. Her classes focus on using the intelligence of the breath to guide movement. She teaches a strong class with both the beginner and advanced student in mind. She hopes to help students open to the limitless teachings of the practice.
Come practice with her to grow your sense of balance, sense of humor and maybe find a bit of grace along the way! krisolsonyoga.weebly.com

I feel fortunate to share this practice that has had such a large impact on my life. I have been studying and discovering the benefits of yoga since 2005. I received my 200 hour RYT certification through Tiffany Cruikshank, whom I have had the honor of studying with for many years, in addition to many other amazing and inspiring teachers. I am passionate about the many layers that yoga has to offer, including how linking breath with movement can create a quiet mind and new perspective, both on and off the mat. I strive to lead classes that are sincere, creative and accessible for students of all levels. A lifelong student, I am constantly inspired by the potency of the practice. Outside of my love for yoga, I am also passionate about Social Work and have worked in the field since 2006. I currently reside in Portland, OR with my husband, Colin, and our two adorable dogs, Penny and Sammy. www.angelaelliotyoga.com

Melina’s journey into yoga began in 1996, when she began to study deeply with the eclectic teachers at her local studio, and went on to complete her first 200 hour teacher training in 2004, with Diana Beardsley of the esteemed Center for Yoga in Los Angeles. Since then, Melina has trained with a variety of inspiring teachers over the years, including Deep Yoga founder’s Bhava Ram and Laura Plumb, and was part of their yoga therapy and vedic healer program in Southern California, where she also served as mentor to aspiring yoga teachers. Melina continues to teach an ever evolving, creative style of hatha and vinyasa flow, with a strong focus on self-healing and alignment. Her intention is to be a compassionate and intuitive teacher, and her classes are simply a humble offering, inspired by her deep of love of this ancient practice. She encourages all to smile, laugh, sweat, move and have fun, while exploring the internal realm of our consciousness and connectedness to all. To discover more about Melina’s experience, influences and practice, please visit her website. www.yogameli.com

I come from a long line of athletes and rugby coaches. During my teen years I began to move away from traditional sports and mystified my family by asking to take yoga classes. My mother purchased me a mat and an early copy of The Yoga Journal, which I studied and practiced with for months. When I finally took my first yoga class in 1998 at PCC, it was huge and intimidating, but I kept coming back.  In 2001 I landed in Susan Lily’s class at Lewis and Clark College, which was steeped in the ritual and mythology of asana, pranayama and meditation practice.  I knew then that I was going to carry this practice with me for a long, long time. As my yoga experience broadened and deepened, it began to fly off of my mat and into my life helping me make meaning from suffering and offering a path of relief when I most needed it.  Each time I step onto the mat, I learn something new about my mind, my emotional responses or my physical body. Inspired by these changes I enrolled in The Bhaktishop School of Yoga in 2011.  I am grateful to my teachers Lisa Mae Osborn, Uma Hulet, and Hari Bhakti  for their guidance and continued support. Although I wasn’t attached to the idea of teaching at first, I fell in love with the experience of sharing yoga.  Teaching has shown me that it is not only okay, but absolutely necessary to be a perpetual student. I have continued my studies at The Bhaktishop in their 500-hour teacher training and have studied with teachers such as Leslie Kaminoff, Doug Keller and Christina Sell.  As I continue to study and practice, the line between yoga and the rest of my life has softened and blurred, affording me the opportunity to share my love of yoga with others.

Maria Bacher is a certified Iyengar Instructor and has been a student of this method since the early 90′s. Her passion for the practice comes from the ability to use the body to explore and investigate movement and stillness, ultimately deepening an understanding of our true selves. She feels honored to have studied with the Iyengars in both India and the US over the years. Her love for the precision of the Iyengar method to deepen the body mind connection is apparent in her creative approach to share the intelligence of this sacred tradition. She is grateful for her teachers, Gabriella Guilbilaro, Manouso Manos, and Patricia Walden who continue to inspire and guide her.

Rocky first found his way to yoga as a teenager when he stumbled into Bryan Kest’s Power Yoga in Santa Monica, CA. Since then Rocky has dedicated himself to a passionate exploration of the body/mind’s wisdom and innate healing potential, both as a teacher and student. His teaching is informed by years of study in various yoga styles and philosophies, and a constantly unfolding discovery of leading edge anatomical awareness and body mechanics. He offers the gift of yoga through the grace and brilliance of his teachers: Dharma Mittra, Leslie Kaminoff, Noah Maze, Krista Cahill, and many others. Rocky teaches retreats, workshops, and trainings throughout the world, and is now thrilled to be offering his weekly classes here in Portland. Students journey to Rocky’s teaching for the intelligence, playfulness, and potent information contained in each of his classes, and Rocky journey’s each day to his mat for the ever expanding layers of bliss and insight that he continues to discover through this beautiful practice. www.yogawithrocky.com

I discovered Yoga 16 years ago, and little did I know what kind of journey I was going to embark on. It has taken me from the midwest to the west coast with many twists and turns along the way. I graduated from The University of Wisconsin -Whitewater with a Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology in 2004 and moved to California in 2009 to take my Yoga Teacher Training with Anne Marie Kramer and Bill Prysock at Zuda Yoga Center in Sacramento. I started teaching in 2010 at a local community center and a non-profit Yoga studio, bringing Yoga to people of all walks of life. My passion to teach and be a part of a community where you feel supported and encouraged to grow is what keep me coming back. I teach playful, powerful Vinyasa classes with a large emphasis on the breath and always a few laughs! My goal as a teacher is to provide a space for others to explore who they are; to find their creativeness, their stillness and their wisdom. I recently moved to Portland to find more training, more community and more rain!

Zeyah has been teaching yoga since 2008. She has studied dance, movement therapies, and bodywork modalities throughout her life. In more recent years she has deepened her studies in anatomy and kinesiology. Currently, She teaches anatomy and asana at The Movement Center’s Hatha Yoga Teacher Training in Northeast Portland. She also works as a massage therapist and private yoga instructor for folks who are recovering from trauma and injury.

When Zeyah teaches yoga her priority is to have students connect deeply with what truly matters to them in a fully embodied way. Students are guided to direct their attention inward with an attitude of attentive curiosity. From this place of awareness she encourages students to respond by moving dynamically in poses to unlock tensions and free the body. She emphasizes anatomical alignment principles and teaches students how to strengthen and stretch in order to achieve optimal health in the body.

Julie is a practitioner of Hatha yoga with an emphasis and passion for Kripalu yoga. She began studying yoga in 2006 when she found herself fully immersed in the Kripalu Seva program.  With her Kripalu Yoga Teacher Training completed in 2008, Julie took her fervor to the city of Portland where she has been teaching ever since. Julie believes that yoga can serve as a catalyst for a more balanced and fulfilled life. She encourages individuals to understand what is right for their own souls and bodies through exploration of breath, meditation, movement and mindfulness. She works towards breaking down the barrier between teacher and student, between body and mind and to bring laughter and joy back into yoga.Julie focuses on offering classes that bring people in connection with their inner-greatness and that infinite beauty that resides within all of us!

Currently, Julie is working towards her master’s degree in Counseling as well as her 500hr yoga teacher training at the Bhakitshop.  With her previous training in Yoga of Awareness and Kripalu yoga, Julie hopes to continue to work with populations with fibromyalgia, cancer and chronic pain. Yoga can heal anyone at any stage of their life. Every body is welcome to come and explore yoga with Julie.

juliewestlinnaigusyoga.tumblr.com

Shaina teaches Vinyasa yoga with a strong emphasis on alignment, breath, spirituality and self-awareness. She sets a classroom environment that is nurturing and challenging, leading her students to gain both inner and outer strength. It is due to her extensive training in yoga, bodywork and healing that she is able to safely and skillfully guide people through a process of self-discovery.

After graduating from Samadhi’s esteemed Yoga Teacher Training Program in 2003 Shaina served as a mentor for the program two years in a row. She has studied with countless inspirational teachers over the years in the U.S. and in India. In April of 2010, Shaina completed a 200 hour Ashtanga Yoga teacher training in Rishikesh, India with the famously loved and respected Kamal Singh.

Shaina has an eight-year history of experience and continuing education in the field of massage therapy. Her passion for bodywork highly informs her yoga teaching abilities. Shaina is not shy about her geeky love for Anatomy. With a deep understanding of the body, her classes are an education on human anatomy and how the body functions, as well as remaining rooted in yogic philosophy and spirituality.

Shaina is the founder of Yoga Behind Bars, a thriving non-profit organization that brings yoga and meditation classes to incarcerated youth and adults as well as those at risk of entering the criminal justice system. Shaina has been featured in Yoga Journal and Conscious Choice, on King 5 news, on NPR (National Public Radio) and in various local publications.

It has been through yoga that Shaina has experienced profound healing in her life. Her primary goal as a yoga teacher is to share with others the tools that have offered her immeasurable amounts of clarity, strength and peace of mind.

Rachel Stern (RYT*) began studying yoga at age 2, took a 20ish year break, and rediscovered the joys of a consistent yoga practice over the past 11 years.  She received her 200-hour teacher certification in Interdisciplinary Yoga from the Nosara Yoga Institute in Costa Rica, and completed a year long teaching apprenticeship yoga at Amrita, in Portland, Oregon.  Rachel believes that yoga is an inquiry into the body, encouraging students to experiment with movement and breath to unlock the inner wisdom of the body and spirit.  She continues to practice a variety of styles, but believes that the best yoga you can practice is the yoga that feels good in your body.  Rachelencourages students to challenge themselves while being mindful and respectful of their personal limitations.  Her classes blend clear alignment with joyous fun, and will invite you to take your yoga practice off of your mat and into your daily life.

*Registered Yoga Teacher, Yoga Alliance

Renee has always been an avid movement practitioner. Starting with classical dance and gymnastics at an early age, she began to study somatic therapies at age 13, apprenticing and working closely with dance and movement therapists. Alongside her studies of dance and yoga she continues to study Body Mind Centering and developmental movement.

It is through this lens that she has developed an understanding of the potential for catharsis, healing and transcendence through movement and breath and that she has come to be a student in the practice of yoga. She has studied various styles of yoga asana, pranayama and meditation. Her principle teachers are Richard Freeman, with whom she continues to study yoga asana and philosophy and Bonnie Bainbridge-Cohen who is the founder of Body Mind Centering.

Renee’s teaching is inspired by a deep awe and respect for the intricacies of the human body. Her classes are based in strong alignment and kinesthetic awareness while encouraging fluidity, organic movement, and good sense of humor.

As a young single mom, Michelle found it difficult to attend yoga classes until a small martial arts studio began offering $5 yoga classes. She was allowed to bring her daughter to class and knew instantly teaching yoga was her calling. As someone who had suffered from debilitating depression for many years, Michelle experienced first hand the amazing therapeutic benefits of yoga. It may sound trite, but a regular yoga practice really did change her life! She opened the Peoples Yoga to give back what has been given to her, affordable yoga classes so every member of our community can have access to this wonderful practice!
Michelle completed the Dharma Yoga Teacher Training at Yoga Pearl with Uma Kleppinger in 2006 and is currently attending Anusara training through Amrita: A Sanctuary for Yoga.
She plans to continue her training and specialize in Yoga Therapy, specifically so she can teach to those in recovery and those struggling with mental illness.

Kate Sanderson Holly, ERTY (Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher), has been teaching yoga since 2003, and practicing since 1999.  She completed her 13-month yoga teacher training program at the Movement Center/Nityananda Institute in Portland, OR.  She has an MFA in Theater:  Contemporary Performance from Naropa University, and has studied Tibetan Buddhism and Yoga philosophy extensively.  She is inspired and influenced by creative process and contemplative practice.  Her classes provide a sanctuary for people to know themselves without judgement and cultivate a loving relationship with their body.  She has taught at studios all over Portland, including Yoga Pearl, Yoga Bhoga, Root Whole Body, and the Multnomah Athletic Club.

A forever student, I am committed to the practice of yoga. I enjoy sharing my experiences and serving others. One of my best friends introduced me to the practice during my undergraduate work in Flagstaff, AZ. Here I completed my B.S. in Psychology/Sociology. I continued on to San Francisco, CA for my M.A. in Integral Psychology. California gave me easy access to a variety of yoga teachings. Until moving to Portland, teaching yoga had been a part time endeavor to my work in special education and adult learning. Now, to my amazement, it (and mothering) is a full time gig. I humbly thank my most influential teachers, Tias Little, Erich Schiffman, Baba Hari Dass, Julie Rader & Isaac MJ.

http://www.tinybench.com

Devon trained with and is certified through the Himalayan Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy, a traditional school and retreat center founded by Sri Swami Rama in rural Pennsylvania. Her teachers there remain her models in the practice, though she has since studied with and been influenced by great, inspired individuals like Amy Ippoliti, Tias Little and Laurie Blakeney. As a student, Devon relies strongly on the philosophical and meditative traditions in Eastern thought to help her navigate the world within and without. With the belief that yoga can change the way you move through your life – physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually – Devon teaches a hands-on, philosophically committed but light-hearted class. She loves to make the spiritual aspects of yoga accessible to beginners, to help people find that they can address their own physical challenges, one pose at a time, and especially, to laugh about what a crazy puzzle we humans have been given.

Alix began her study of yoga at age fifteen, as an alternative treatment for her scoliosis. Since then yoga has been a path of healing and discovery, playing an essential role in supporting her active lifestyle and creating balance in her body and mind. Alongside her yoga practice, Alix’s background and passion for movement includes the martial arts, rock climbing, bicycling, hiking, and mountaineering. Her classes present an encouraging environment for all levels to move, breath, and explore the possibilities of yoga and mindfulness meditation. Alix is registered with the Yoga Alliance at the 200 hour level and is currently studying toward her 500 hour certification with Tias and Surya Little of Prajna Yoga based in Sante Fe, New Mexico. She has studied yoga for back care and scoliosis with Iyengar based instructor Elise Miller. As a licensed massage therapist Alix brings to her teaching a deep understanding of anatomy and physiology. Having experienced the many benefits of yoga firsthand, Alix is compassionately drawn to assist others in their own unique practice.
http://www.alixnorthup.com

Yoga is waking up fresh, possibility, anatomy, laughing, crying, learning, thinking, feeling, giving, wisdom, trust, intent, love, long lines and slow curves, nourishment, transfiguration, connection and communication, patient, honest, boundless, all five senses raw and tingling, singing, dancing, dazzling, playing, pulsing, breathing, being…

I have been teaching and practicing yoga in Portland for the last decade. I hope to continue for decades to come.

Emily first came to yoga to work her body and calm her mind, but soon began to suspect that the yoga practice was intended to do much more.  She is eternally grateful to have found the teachers who have taught her the true aim of the practice—not to find a temporary refuge from our daily troubles, but to help us directly realize the true nature of ourselves and our world and thus permanently eradicate suffering in all its forms, for all beings.  With this intention in mind, Emily teaches a tough but joyful class, incorporating a strong vinyasa flow backed by an eclectic mix of music, powerful hands-on assists, bhakti, love, insight and fun to help bring her students to their ultimate goal.

Emily teaches Conquering Lion Yoga and Tibetan Heart Yoga, and is a member of the Yoga Studies Institute’s Essentials Staff.  She continues to study yoga, meditation and advanced Buddhism with Kimberley Theresa, Doug Veenhof, Winston McCullough, Kelly Morris, Mira Shani, Kristina Pao Cheng, Geshe Michael Roach and Lama Christie McNally, among others.  It is through their kindness that she is able to illuminate this path for her students.

For more information, please check out Emily’s website, http://www.emilyhicksyoga.com

The magic of Yoga started to unfold for Nancy when she moved to Portland, Oregon in 1998. Realizing the powerful effects it was starting to have on her, she has never looked back and has practiced continuously since then. She feels yoga is a blessing and a challenge for anyone who is willing to take it on. Since adding yoga into her daily life, she feels that it has helped keep her grounded in difficult moments and allowed some iron walls to crumble within the psyche. Nancy believes that yoga calls people into it’s circle and allows them to find who they really are. It’s gates are open to all that need it. Her classes are a sacred space, open to all people regardless of race, gender classification or body type. She encourages non-judgement, laughter, open minds, open hearts and most of all: Not to take ourselves too seriously! Along with yoga, her other obsessions include: Primate studies, multi-cultural music, biking and writing poetry.

Yoga has been a practice of coming home; home to my body, to my greatest potential, to my spirituality, and to my truest self.

I have been teaching since 2009 and am an E-RYT-200hr teacher and am currently working to complete my 500-hour training.  My deepest gratitude and reverence to my teachers who have guided me along this path, most notably, Sri Dharma Mittra, Swami BV Tripurari, Manorama, Dana Flynn & Jasmine Tarkeshi of The Laughing Lotus, Lisa Mae Osborne, Uma Hulet, Hari Bhakti, and others. I feel truly fortunate and am deeply grateful for all of the teachers that have given me insight along the way, including the ones that showed up as my practice in the open spaces of life.

My style of teaching is a fun and loving vinyasa flow that incorporates mantra, pranayama, and meditation.  I try to infuse my classes with a mix of humor, education, love, and lightheartedness.  I strive to continue to study, soften, love, and bow down to all that is divine around me, knowing that all I ever needed is already within me.

http://www.jessicagaray.com

Lauren has been a lifelong yoga practitioner and educator, and in 2007 decided to merge two of her greatest loves.  She initially became certified in Vinyasa in the Shiva Rea lineage. Since then she continues to study many forms of yoga and her classes uniquely reflect this blend of influences. Lauren believes that yoga is serious business that can’t be taken too seriously so laughter and a light-hearted approach to yoga is cultivated.  Her classes are challenging, and offer students alignment/pose knowledge, core-strengthening, philosophy and opportunities to cultivate an inner practice alongside their physical practice.

Suniti Dernovsek began studying yoga in 1999 with Iyengar teacher, Janet Lilly. She met her Buddhist teachers, Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche and Lama Padma Drimed Norbu around that same time. Since moving to Portland in 2004 she has studied a variety of yoga traditions. She completed the Dharma Yoga Teacher Training and a Yin Immersion with Uma Kleppinger in 2006 and a 500-hour teacher training with Tiffany Cruikshank in 2010.  Suniti is the co-artistic director of Bobbevy; a Portland based Dance Company. With over 10 years’ professional dance experience, Suniti’s brings her love of movement, fondness of detail and creativity into her yoga teaching.

Heather Craig has been living in Northeast Portland for almost three years, and is thrilled to be a part of such a vibrant community. She has been teaching yoga since 2005, and holds a 200 Hour certification with the Yoga Alliance. Her background is in Iyengar-based Hatha, Vinyasa, Power Yoga, and Yoga Sculpt. She is also a Spinning, Pilates Mat, Booty Luv instructor and a Personal Trainer. She is continuously attending yoga and fitness workshops to stay current, and her classes reflect her commitment to proper alignment, injury prevention, individual attention, and fun.

I practice yoga, because it feels natural, simple and true. I practice yoga because it grounds me while connecting me to the vastness of the universe. I teach yoga, because I simply must share these practices that I love so much with other students.

I began my study of yoga in 1997. Yoga has accompanied me through law school, life as a trial attorney, cross-country moves, pregnancy and motherhood. I earned my yoga teacher certification at Shambhava Whole Yoga School in 2006 as a way to be of service to my community. Becoming a yoga teacher inspired me to leave a job and devote three months to serving  my community. That spirit of service remains my greatest inspiration in sharing yoga with students.
I strive to share “whole yoga” with my students: a complete practice of asana (postures), pranayama (breathing exercises), study of the yoga sutras and other yogic texts, repetition of mantra, meditation, and bhakti (devotion). Yogis who attend my classes can expect alignment-attentive and joyful physical practice, incorporating yogic philosophy and principles throughout as concepts for exploration on and off the yoga mat. My classes are light-hearted and I base the intensity of the class on the energy of the students. In my classes, we chant om, practice postures and give ourselves a break from the thoughts associated with our day, our judgments and our fears. We return to ourselves.

Yoga endows us with the power of self-reflective awareness.  It is a practice that gives us insight into the nature of our own inner workings, including our bodies and health.  This enlivens everything we do, increasing our ability to recognize what is most meaningful to us and act in alignment with that.  In this way, yoga instills within us a greater sense of our purpose and potential.  This assertion is at the core of my teaching style.  I utilize clear, precise alignment instruction alongside rich insights from yoga philosophy and natured-based traditions to guide my students into a deeper and more uplifted relationship with themselves.

I stepped onto a yoga mat for the first time 14 years ago feeling lost, injured, and at odds with my body.  Through regular practice, first in the Kundalini yoga tradition, and later in Hatha-Based traditions, I discovered a wellspring of vitality, strength, and the potential for healing.  For the first time, I felt empowered.  Deeply inspired to share the benefits of the yoga practice with others, I began to teach in 2008.

As an outgrowth of my passion for yoga, I have studied a variety of holistic healing modalities, and am currently in my fourth and final year of graduate school at the National College of Natural Medicine where I study classical Chinese medicine.  In addition to weekly classes and workshops, I also offer private yoga instruction and sound healing treatments.  To learn more, please visit www.livingriverhealingarts.com.

Emily appreciates the full spectrum of yoga–from still meditation and mind-expanding philosophies to challenging, body-stretching asana. Yoga is her love, energy, therapy, release and guide for life. In her classes she is interested in exploring how each pose uniquely affects not only our structure but the way we think and feel as a result of challenging our self-prescribed limitations. She began teaching in 2004 and feels honored to share the blessings of yoga with those around her–be it in the mountains, in the city or on her mat. She has studied with Sarahjoy Marsh in Portland and with numerous teachers in Italy, India and the US. She is so grateful to be part of the wonderful yoga community in Portland.

Julie Baron has been practicing yoga for 12 years and qigong for 9 years.  She teaches many kinds of yoga, from quiet Yin Yoga classes to vigorous Vinyasa Flow.  She applies her understanding of chi flow in the body when teaching meditation and yin yoga practice.

Julie received her yoga teacher certification at Seven Centers in Sedona.  She is also a licensed massage therapist and shiatsu practitioner with her own private practice.  In addition, she works with traditional Chinese herbs and teaches Zen Health workshops, helping others to understand their bodies through the lens of the Five Element Theory and Traditional Chinese medicine.  She makes, uses and sells her own injury treatment salve utilizing Traditional Chinese Herbs.

The practice of Yoga can empower you. My commitment as a teacher is to guide you toward an ever deepening understanding of your capacity to thrive on every level, and to support you as you step fully into that capacity, one pose at a time.

I have taught hatha yoga for eight years, and practiced for twelve, but my journey began long before that. I was introduced to a non-dual philosophy by my family of origin, who, guided by my first meditation teacher, the remarkable Muriel Alstrom, endeavored to see divine intelligence radiating through every being and every thing on earth.

Please visit me at: http://the-secret-lives-of-yoga-poses.com/