Our Teachers
Alex Wieliczko
Alex combines slow deep stretching poses with strong vinyasa flow, creating a moving meditation and allowing the asana (postures) to transition from one to another in a smooth manner. He believes that correct alignment is important and creates a safe and supportive environment for his students, yet he is careful not to disturb the intuitive process of the student by overloading him or her with direction. Alex's provides an environment that encourages progression while not foster competition. Philosophy iskept to a minimum, which enables students to remain focused. Alex cultivates both an understanding of and appreciation for the power of breath.
Catherine Moulding
For Catherine, pure joy in and dedication to the practice of yoga began in 1997. Under the tutelage of a diverse group of instructors, she has completed thousands of hours of studies and numerous teacher-training courses. Catherine has graduated from courses with Shiva Rea, Paul Grilley,David Swenson, Chappell Foote, and Cloud Nine yoga school. She has studied under many other luminaries in the field like Donna Farhi, John Friend, Richard Freeman, Patabhi Jois, Julie Kleinmann, Vinnie Marino, Laura Miles, Erich Schiffmann, and Rodney Yee. Catherine is certified as a multi-discipline instructor with Yoga Alliance at the 500-hour level and also holds a bachelor's degree from UCLA. Music, humor, spiritual and energetic work add to the atmosphere of Catherine's class. Each class is a unique journey where students find presence and discover connectedness to the universe. Catherine creates an environment where students feel at home to change, grow, and contribute their own signature to the world through self
Claudia Carnesella (Yogaworks)
Deborah Macauley (BMS)
Dorian Wright
From the age of 6, Dorian has been practicing the ancient art of yoga. He accepted the teachings of Paramahansa Yoganda and became a disciplined follower. Although the bulk of his practice was rooted in deep meditation and Kriya Yoga, he later discovered a more extensive Hatha practice and began to form a marriage between the two. "You must master the body first. The mind will come next." These are the words Dorian lives by in his practice. "When I was sixteen and visited India for a month, I fell in love with a culture that was so rich in wisdom and spirituality. Meeting holy men and great yogis inspired me to work on bringing this consciousness to the West." As part of his efforts, he began practicing Hatha yoga in Santa Monica, California, under the teachings of Brian Kest, where Dorian received his teaching certificate in Power Yoga. Brock has recently located to Maui, but we keep him here for the times he visits us in Old So Cal. We miss you, Doran & Lehua!
Ginger Lewis
Jacqueline Grubb
Jennifer Santana
Jennifer Santana’s journey began 18 years ago when she first discovered the path of yoga while attending San Diego State University. Several years later, as she began to see the importance of a path in the health and wellness field, she joined the fitness industry and began her career as a teacher in Pilates and Yoga. Jennifer teaches a strong vinyasa flow class with emphasis on breath, energy, balance, and alignment. She guides and encourages her students to expand awareness through all layers of self and practice according to their own energetic feedback systems. Jennifer’s certifications include The Physical Mind, Balanced Body, Peak, NASM, Yogafit and Sacred Movement. Jennifer enjoys traveling, snowboarding, hiking, and is an active participant in 10k races and Marathons. Jennifer hopes that through the practice of yoga, we can learn to align our body, mind and spirit, as we cultivate a healthy, relaxed and awakened self.
Jeri Reeder (BMS)
Jerry enjoys tennis, great music, and super wonderful friends. If Jeri had a horse, she would name it Jalundara. Mula Bandha would be the name of her new puppy, but she already has enough cats and fish and kids and a husband. Jeri really LOVES teaching yoga. She thinks it is a party and everyone's invited! Come to her class and you will leave happy. Thank you for taking yoga and making our planet supreme.
Jimmy Pardini
Jordan Ross (Tai Chi)
Kaitlyn McConnell
Kara Turner
Keith Levin
I have been practicing and studying Yoga for the past nine years. A Hermosa native, the outdoors and athletics have always been a big part of my life. I discovered Yoga to be the perfect compliment to the pounding, repetitive movements of volleyball, basketball, and hockey. Having practiced various styles over the years, from Hatha to Kundalini, I eventually found my calling in Vinyasa— a powerful integration of breath, body, and spirit in motion. In 2004, this energetic, yet calming, system inspired me to deepen my practice, training with and receiving my teaching certification from Chapell Foote and Harmony Yoga. I love the feeling Yoga instills in me, and my greatest satisfaction comes from seeing that same sense of calm, expansion and lightness in my students. To my mind, that is the ultimate testament to the benefits of Yoga.
Krista Foster
Mindy Morefield (BMS)
Mishalin Modena
Mishalin has been many things along her path to becoming a yoga teacher. Her in-depth studies with Saul David Raye and Scott Blossom have led her onto the path of teaching. She combines the power of breath with alignment to awaken and move energy towards inner peace and wholeness. Her focus on exploring the physical and energetic body help her students to build a practice of healing—emotionally, spiritually, and physically. She encourages her students to go inward to find the calming benefits of yoga.
Renee Love
Renee dedicated herself to yoga after discovering that practicing integrates the physical body with awareness. Starting seven years ago with a certification from Cloud Nine Yoga, Renee has practiced and instructed a hatha-based vinyasa style class. Through workshops from White Lotus in Santa Barbara, Renee has learned to focus her teaching on alignment, strength, balance and stress reduction movements that generate physical integrity. By adding breath awareness and facilitating a sense of centeredness, her instruction creates mental well-being. She is also passionate about sharing her knowledge of nutrition and is currently working on a Naturopathic Degree at Clayton College of Natural Health.
Sabrina Elizondo
An athlete at heart, Sabrina believes that practicing yoga offers an essential addition for athletes-in-training. After college, Sabrina sought a practice that would provide the same physical and mental challenges that team sports had growing up. Consequently, she earned her teacher certification through YogaWorks and began to really understand the benefits of unifying the breath with each movement and posture. Sabrina incorporates a balanced mix of Ashtanga, Inyengar, and Vinyasa for the quintessential yoga practice, ideal for athletes.
Sandra Liaw (BMS)
Sarra Morton
Sarra has been drawn to creative movement from the time she could stand on two feet. She studied dance and theatre for many years before discovering yoga. The more she practiced, the more she started to understand, and appreciate, the concept of conscious action. She draws from both the ashtanga and Iyengar methods as inspiration for her flow classes. While she strongly emphasizes proper physical alignment,Sarra encourages pushing past the fear that causes us to set limits. Her goal is to cultivate the essential relationship between mind, body and spirit in each of her students.
Sofia Meyen
Sofia's first love was classical pointe ballet, which eventually segued into teaching fitness. Certified in personal training, kickbox instruction, spin, step, muscle training, Resist-A-Ball, Pilates, and a host of other fitness modes, she eventually turned it all in for yoga after discovering what it did for her. Sofia found that nothing could heal injuries, promote exceptional health, and settle the mind like a strong, physical yoga practice. Sofia was first turned on to yoga by Beth Shaw's Yogafit certification programs, which inspired her to continue her studies. Sofia has been mentored by Annie Carpenter, Julie Kleinman, Maty Ezraty, Lisa Walford, and James Brown, all of Yogaworks in Santa Monica. Sofia's prior positions include Fitness Club Manager for Cunard Cruise Lines, Fitness Director for the Pentagon Officers' Athletic Club in Washington, DC, and personal trainer and nutritionist to Type II diabetic members of the Royal Saudi Family in Riyadh, KSA.
Terry Moseley
Tim McCall (BMS)
Timothy McCall is a native of New York where he grew up participating in endurance competitions such as triathlons and marathon road racing. After graduating from high school, he spent the next 7 years earning two bachelors and a masters from the University of Michigan in physical therapy. He has practiced physical therapy for 12 years and is currently working towards his Doctoral degree. He has also had the pleasure of working in various other professions in that time-- firefighting, teaching high school and bartending. He discovered yoga in 1999 and became enamored by the magical essence and healing nature that guided him through a transitional phase of life. After practicing yoga for 3 years, he began to utilize yoga regularly in his physical therapy practice, seeing dramatic improvements in his patients. Fusing the two practices has helped both he and his patients’ quality of life improve. Tim has been teaching yoga for 6 years and enjoys winters in Aspen, snowboarding, teaching yoga and rubbing elbows wi
Yelena Piety
Raised in Russia, Yelena was involved in athletics from an early age. As she gradually found the competitive aspect of these endeavors interfered with the peace of mind she sought, she was delighted to discover the practice of yoga, with its emphasis on body-mind-spirit harmony. Sharing the physical and psychological benefits of yoga is Elena’s passion and she is grateful to be living her dream of teaching yoga and creating a space where she and her students can grow together. Yelena first studied under Leann Carey, then under James Brown, Jeanne Heileman, Jasmine Lieb, Annie Carpenter, Heather Seineger, and her mentor, Lisa Walford, all at Yoga Works of Santa Monica. Yelena believes that the gift of light and connectedness her teachers have provided is the most vital aspect of her yoga journey. In her classes, Yelena encourages the potential for healing in all of us, as the practice of asanas supports the peace and centereness so necessary in our otherwise competitive culture. She is excited to be here in a