With over 9 years of yoga and healing arts experience, Christine (she/her) is passionate about sharing the gifts of mindfulness and holistic wellness. Her ample teaching experiences include her years in yoga studio management, teaching abroad in Costa Rica, yoga for schools, prison yoga Santa Barbara, company yoga, and much more. She is a certified Usui Reiki Healer III, sound healer, and energy healing intuitive. She enjoys continuing her education in the areas of trauma awareness, somatic experiencing, and the decolonization of her personal and teaching practice. She is passionate about sharing healing modalities and techniques with others that they can practice in all the moments of life. She aims to remind others of their own healing, connection, awareness, and transformational abilities, as she continuously practices this remembrance herself.

Reiki Energy Healing Session Bio :

Christine (she/her) is a healing guide, energy intuitive, and certified Reiki III practitioner. She enjoys following her life path of offering energetic support for your healing, inner awakening, and blossoming of your true nature. She does this with individual and collective awareness, to help you embody your personal truth in your life walk. Christine alchemizes her years of training in healing modalities, and her innate gifts, to offer impactful sessions for you. Whether you are looking for relaxation and stress reduction, or to begin to energetically work through some challenges and blocks, Christine's healing sessions can help you move forward with more calm, clarity, and connection.

Dora is a former Medical Researcher turned Holistic Stress & Resilience Coach, trained in Holistic Nutrition, Yoga, Integrative Restoration Meditation and Reiki. Having experienced tremendous stress, anxiety and stress-related health conditions most of her life, she found healing through good nutrition and holistic stress management. Realizing that many share the same struggles, Dora is passionate about empowering men and women to move beyond daily stress & anxiety; restore health & energy; and live with purpose, peace and resiliency.

Dora teaches various styles of Yoga including, Vinyasa, Power, Restorative, Chair and Foundational Yoga and has a strong focus on providing a trauma-informed and accessible Yoga practice for everyone, no matter their physical level or Yoga experience. Dora is also trained in iRest® Yoga Nidra Meditation, which is an effective and evidence-based practice to decrease stress, anxiety, insomnia, post traumatic stress and chronic pain, while supporting deep relaxation, increased resiliency, inner peace and well-being. She offers both group classes and private one-on-one sessions for Yoga, Meditation, Reiki, and Spiritual & Life Coaching.

With a multidisciplinary background, Dora has a unique perspective in recognizing and finding solutions to obvious and hidden sources of stress that show up in our lives both physically and psychologically. Dora’s approach is accessible, realistic and nurturing. She tailors to each individual’s unique journey to health and well-being and is dedicated to serving and supporting those in her community with trauma-informed practices of Yoga and Meditation.

Dion began her healing arts journey after taking her first yoga class in college in 1996. She found an immediate love and affinity for the practice and began her teacher training in 2004, studying at the White Lotus Foundation under Ganga White and Tracey Rich and with notable Ashtanga teachers Tim Miller and Dena Kingsberg. She remains a dedicated student of Ashtanga and meditation.

Dion's teaching draws from a depth of experience in Ashtanga, Hatha, and Vinyasa to create balanced classes of all levels focused on breath, bandhas, alignment, strength, and quieting the mind. Her goal as an instructor is always to cultivate a safe space for students to explore their connection to their sacred bodies while igniting curiosity and confidence in their inner wisdom and truth. She also received her Prenatal Training through Santa Barbara Yoga Center and loves to help mamas navigate the physical and emotional challenges of pregnancy. She is also an experienced Thai Massage and Prenatal Thai Massage Therapist and values the complementary nature of yoga and Thai massage disciplines.

Off the mat, Dion and her husband Eric love listening to music, going to festivals, playing with their dog and chickens, and cheering for their children on the sports sidelines. She also creates healing herbal elixirs for her budding business, Magic Moon Apothecary, and looks forward to expanding her offering of remedies.

As a Goleta native, Jacqueline grew up playing outside on the family farm. She first started taking yoga classes 15 years ago to supplement her marathon training. Eventually yoga became her daily and she traveled to India in 2019 for a 200 YTT to study Ashtanga and Yin yoga at Kranti in Goa. Another program presented itself in Rishikesh this time focusing on Meditation and a 200 YTT at Yoga Essence with Anand Bodhisattva. She is currently thinking about raising two Pygmy goats.

Jamie Davin began teaching prenatal yoga after the birth of her first child. During pregnancy Prenatal yoga served as a wonderful respite from busy daily life and gave her the opportunity to connect to other mothers-to-be, breathe deeply, move and align body & soul & baby. Jamie loves being able to offer the same space for breath, movement and connection for other local mothers.

Jamie is native to Santa Barbara and mother of two. She has experience with both in-hospital and out-of hospital birth as well as birth via cesarean and vaginal. Jamie honors the energy and sacredness of each unique pregnancy journey. She is a Certified Sattva Prenatal Yoga Teacher.

Jeremy’s style is informed by a synergy of his experience with numerous styles of yoga and somatic practices along with my professional practice of psychotherapy.

“I try to strike a balance between enough direction & holding to cultivate a group rhythm and collective letting go while allowing ample space & silence for each individual’s personal experience of subtle life energy to be felt. Ideally, both physical and emotional tensions are released. My classes always contain familiar postures; sometimes with the addition of breath work and less common exercises.”

Ali Johnson has over 15 years of hands-on experience diving into various meditative modalities and spiritual paths. 

She has studied under the lineage of Tibetan Buddhist masters, The Kelee Meditation tradition, Masters of the Void teachers and has received a certificate of successful completion from The Institute of Metaphysical Sciences in Meditation for Adults and Children.

Ali is a heart-centered and down to earth practitioner that believes in authenticity at all costs and that that which we seek is found within. 

Ali invites you to co-create sacred space in her classes and to infuse the day to day with sacred movement of mind, body and soul.

Rob is a movement specialist, a structural integrator, and an enthusiast of the body, mind, and nature interplay. His background is in physical training and he has spent the last 15 years refining his understanding of how the body moves in patterns according to anatomy, physics, evolution, culture, and lifestyle adaptation. He helps people of all ages and abilities achieve the most from their bodies by recognizing these patterns, focusing on joints and connective tissue, and addressing the nervous system; all to find new and useful sensations that are supportive, integrated, and in favor of sustained and lasting health.

His classes are engaging, educational, and intentional, as he helps move you through different postures, using alignment and breath to source strength, power, and vitality. Rob thinks that everyone can be an expert in their own body and he finds a unique way to deliver expertise through play, imagination, and flow.

Rob is a Dad to a wonderful kid named Milo, he’s an adoring husband to his wife, Jess, and a loyalist to the gospel of nature, self-discovery, and morning sun.

Jane Downs has been teaching yoga and Pilates since 1999. Her certifications include YogaFit, PhysicalMind mat Pilates, Body Arts & Science Comprehensive Pilates, and TRX. She continuously studies other methods and includes them in her classes. Jane previously owned Camarillo Pilates and has worked at several studios in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.

Jane has a deep understanding of clients learning styles and has worked with all ages, from beginning fitness levels to professional athletes.She is passionate about the wellness of her clients.

She lives in Santa Barbara with her husband, son, and many pets.

Kara Goldstein was born and raised in Santa Monica, CA where she was fortunate at a young age to experience many yoga classes taught by some of the world’s most renowned teachers. Her appreciation for yoga grew during her time at University of Miami, FL where her over-exercising led to a need for a lovely Sunday afternoon yoga ritual. After college, she moved to New York City where she was gifted with anxiety and back pain. She started a daily home practice that became her life raft. In 2006, she moved back to Santa Monica and immersed herself into all things healing. She became certified in Vinyasa Flow by Stephanie Keach and Holistic Yoga by Saul David Raye. Her passion led her to become certified in both Thai Massage and Prenatal Yoga. To her, yoga is the journey back to one’s own soul. It’s a hard, beautiful and personal process that unites us all. Using pranayama, meditation, asana, and some mellow music, Kara gently guides her students to align and heal.

Greta Krieger is dedicated to inspiring a new generation of yogis. She is a graduate of the Loyola Marymount University Healing Science and Yoga Teaching Program. She is the founder of Golden Mind Yoga and currently teaches in the Santa Barbara and Goleta Unified School Districts.

Greta's motivation to open GoldenMind Yoga Studio was to promote healthy habits of Self Love in youth. Her mission is to teach in a playful environment where kids can feel safe to be themselves. She helps children hear a beautiful soundtrack of their inner voices to encourage self love, self worth, and self respect.

In her 25 year career as a Film Makeup artist, Greta realized that even the world's most so-called beautiful movie stars dealt with crippling self doubt and unacceptance of themselves. She saw that no amount of makeup could make them feel beautiful. She realized that our inner landscape shapes our outer appearance, and discovered the secret to true beauty and self love. Committed to a new daily practice Greta changed the record that played in her own head and, as a yoga instructor, teaches kids to do the same.

You can find out more about Greta Here:

www.GoldenMindyoga.com

From Lily:

Here is a little bit about the profound effects of Yoga on me. I am a Heart of Yoga student-teacher and yogini of 15 years. I offer an unique style of practicing yoga which leaves myself and the participants feeling uplifted, centered and transformed.

Heart of Yoga is a guided profound yet simple practice of allowing breath to lead the body and being supported by inhaling or applying purest grade essential oils to the pulse points. Each movement begins and ends with breath, while these therapeutic compounds provide an excellent assistance on a cellular level.  Students of all levels and all ages are invited to experience the multiple benefits of conscious breathing of the aroma while directly participating in the body movement.

Nalini Kokatay, CMT, CPT, PCES, has nearly two decades of experience working with individuals and groups to uplevel their wellness through movement and mindfulness practices. Her lifelong passion for learning about the human body in its suffering and its bliss, and for deepening her understanding of the mind-body connection has led her down some beautiful paths of study along which she has mined many gems. A massage therapist, pregnancy and postpartum corrective exercise specialist, and yoga teacher, she is also a student of chi gong and polyvagal theory. She is the creator of the Integralign Method, which blends bodywork, yoga, mindfulness and breathwork with corrective exercises to transform physical symptoms and existential suffering into thriving wellbeing. She is a lover of music and of quiet places in nature, believes wholeheartedly in the healing power of love, and has a rather childish sense of humor. A singer, aspiring bi-linguist and ukelele player, and Greg Brown fan, she lives in Santa Barbara with her two home-birthed children, her partner, two cats and eighteen chickens.

Sean started practicing yoga at Cal Poly SLO nearly 20 years ago and was mystified by its therapeutic benefits. He volunteered as a Shine Ambassador at Yoga Soup in Santa Barbara before completing a 200 hour training there in 2023. Sean understands being the only tall guy in a yoga class, encouraging students of all shapes and sizes to feel at home in their body. He offers inclusive alternative postures, celebrates modifications, and guides practical sequences instead of classical asanas. Sean is particularly interested in helping students explore alignment and posture, noticing emotions underlying physical pain. His heartfelt teaching incorporates mindfulness, breathwork, and ecstatic dance.

Mitsuko Conner Newlan is a highly experienced yoga teacher in Santa Barbara who has been teaching Kundalini Yoga since graduating from KRI (Kundalini Research Institute) in 2011 with Siddhi Ellinghoven and Guru Meher Khalsa. She has since acquired certifications in various other yogic and self-explorative modalities such as Intuitive Vinyasa Flow, Prenatal Yoga, Gong Yoga Nidra, Reiki Level 1, and all 5 Kundalini Level 2 modules.

Mitsuko's passion for teaching yoga stems from her own journey of self-discovery, and she loves holding space for others to explore and discover themselves through their own practice. She will be leading a monthly Kundalini Yoga event at Flow Yoga and Wellness, which will be a 90-minute class focused on energetic self-discovery.

The class will begin with an awareness centering breathing exercise, followed by repetitive physical movements to warm up the body and spine. The class will then move into a series of specific breath lead exercises for set durations of time ranging anywhere from 1 to 11 minute intervals each, all geared to support the release of emotional, physical, and mental tensions in the body. This will be followed by a phase of integration, lying in stillness and basking in sound vibrations of the gong, which will push the mind and body into a theta state between wakefulness and dream.

Throughout the class, Mitsuko will utilize Kundalini Yoga techniques such as movement, breathing, and synchronization of thought patterns, visual eye focus points, hand positions, and mental and verbal recitations to support cognitive qualities and enhance decision-making capabilities. The class will support the regulation and stabilization of the nervous system, increase stamina, and help participants feel both relaxed and energized.

Shannon’s relationship with yoga began over 20 years ago, and has evolved slowly & intuitively over time.

Her classes are accessible to anyone interested in practicing yoga. Centered around traditional alignment archetypes and Patanjali’s 8 Limbs of Yoga, students can expect creative, playful, & soulful offerings, honoring the roots & history of yoga. With an emphasis on Pranayama (breath control practice) and Meditation, you're invited to let go of distractions, relax, & “Be Here Now”.

Meeting every student where they are, Shannon encourages intuitive movement, inviting curiosity to guide you. Her intention is to provide: accessible, inclusive, socially just, & diverse practice spaces, incorporating the use of Asana variations & props. Her passion lies in guiding folks through: Yin, Restorative, & Meditation practices.

Shannon earned her 200 hr YTT here in Santa Barbara, and her 300 hr YTT with Ignite Yoga & Wellness Institute under the mentorship of Susanna Barkataki, to further deepen her understanding of yogic philosophy, Sanskrit, etc.

The unceded Chumash land, known today as Santa Barbara, has been her home for over 24 years. She shares space with her partner Ryan and daughter Avery, and their 2 cats "Apollo"& "Athena". You can learn more about Shannon and her offerings around Santa Barbara by visiting her website HERE.

Will (RYT 500hr) has been in the yoga community for almost 10 years now and has found the practice transformational on many levels; physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Not only has it given him the space to explore and listen to what his body needs in any given moment and overcome major body traumas, it has given him deeper insights into working with others on their path of inner healing.

Will received his 200hr here in Santa Barbara and 300 hour certification in Lake Atitlan, Guatemala in 2022 with Kula Collective which focussed on holding Ceremony, Earth Medicine, and Plant Allies which is where he really fell in love with using plants as medicine. The healing properties of Sound are a passion of Will’s and took him to study sound with a Gong Master in Switzerland in late 2022 to learn the art of playing and offering gong baths.

Whether working through the portal of Movement, Sound, or Plant Medicine, Will holds sacred space for students in which to play, observe and encounter the Mind-Body-Oneness in a direct, felt sense. In class you can expect tools and techniques that facilitate body awareness and skillful movement which will ultimately allow for greater ease, strength, and balance in the body. In addition to a mindful Vinyasa based flow, tools like shaking/somatic release, vocal toning, and a number of Qi Gong techniques are often incorporated.

Will is grateful to have trained under a number of beautiful teachers in places like Switzerland, India, Guatemala, the Pacific Northwest and now back home in sunny Santa Barbara. When he isn’t teaching, Will can be found producing music, studying massage, playing with his Mini Aussie Iris, eating a mango, or climbing in the SB hills.

Michael was introduced to yoga by a friend in 2004 in Doylestown, PA where he was raising his 2 sons as a single Father.  Like many mere mortals, he had a natural curiosity to explore and shortly began a vigorous asana practice.  Wanting to dig deeper still, he completed a Yoga Immersion with Los Angeles yogis Sue Elkind and her husband Naime Jezzeny whom he was practicing with weekly.  Yoga translated as "yoking" or "union" strives to engage our mental, physical and spiritual being to still the mind.  He fell in love with Anusara Yoga early on and has been inspired by many former Anusara and Hatha teachers since moving to California in 2014.  He completed a 200 hour teacher training with Noah Maze in Los Angeles and is currently enrolled in Noah's 300 hour training.   As a surgeon he has a passion for anatomy and alignment based yoga yet hopes to teach from the heart. He is enrolled at 5 Branches U in Santa Cruz beginning his TCM journey and continue his lifelong yoga journey with Janet Stone’s 1008.  His practice today is an alignment-inspried, hatha form/flow that gravitates  towards more breath, stillness, and meditation.  When not on the yoga mat, he still loves the one on one patient doctor-patient relationship,  surfing, paddling, his garden of Eden, his frenchie Graf and being home in Santa Barbara when not traveling