Alice Kennedy
Alice Kennedy is soon to be an Anusara-Inspired teacher. She encourages
students to find their spectacular qualities inside and out, creating a
community-filled, loving, and friendly environment. Grounded in a strong
heart-body foundation, her students are surprised at how they can begin
to do things they never thought possible, leading to more beauty and
confidence on and off their mats. She has studied and worked at several
yoga and buddhist centers internationally, and has been teaching 4
years. She has several teachers in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, as
well as Darren Rhodes, Christina Sell, Simmin Joy Holland, and Kenny
Graham in the Anusara tradition. When she isn't studying yoga, she is
often roaming the kitchen, cooking up vegan treats, telling goofy jokes,
and brewing watermelon kombucha-love!
kennedy.alice@gmail.com 
Annica Rose
E-RYT500, CHT, Ceritified Yoga Therapist
Annica Rose, Certified Yoga Therapist is a gifted healer with over
40-years of experience as a practitioner and instructor of Yoga.
Founding director of the Adaptive Yoga Project, Annica maintains a
successful private Yoga therapy practice in Santa Cruz County. She
teaches specialized Yoga classes and mentors Yoga instructors interested
in serving the special needs community. Annica’s spirited enthusiasm
for Yoga, her keen intuition and a natural gift for engaging students
are central to her work.
Her attentiveness to the unique needs of every student helps people of
varying abilities become aware of their breath, improve balance and
develop flexibility and function. This is accomplished with innovative
adaptations of traditional Yoga postures often using props, like chairs,
blocks and bolsters...
Annica’s training is based on classical Yoga principals, Buddhist
studies and a ten year western medical career. She is very grateful to
have studied with Allan Watts, Chogyam Trungpa Rimpoche, Indra Devi and
continues to study with Baba Hari Dass.
annica@adaptiveyogaproject.com
Aruna Peters
"The body is a boat which carries the soul in the ocean of the
world. If it is not strong, or it has a hole, then it cannot cross the
ocean. So the first duty is to fix the boat." - Baba Hari Das
Having immersed herself in the study of yoga, Aruna utilizes the
various limbs to navigate through life in a balanced manner. Aruna began
her training in the Ashtanga Vinyasa style of yoga with Bhavani Maki
who was her initial inspiration into the exploration of yoga philosophy
in addition to the asana practice. This inspired her to seek the
guidance of Baba Hari Dass and continue her training at the Mount
Madonna Center where she now teaches in their teacher training program.
Her practice and teaching style have been deeply influenced by her time
spent in India studying at the Tantra-based Bihar School of Yoga and by a
number of other master teachers from a wide variety of traditions from
all over the world. Aruna is currently teaching at PCC, Yoga Within and
Divinitree in the Santa Cruz area. She has completed her 500-hour YTT
and is currently working on completing a training in the Trauma Release
Process (TRE). As a student of Baba Hari Dass, she has been encouraged
to deepen her own yoga practice by living and sharing a holistic
approach to yoga. She is inspired by weaving yoga philosophy into
playful asana classes for all levels of practitioners.
Recently Aruna has been deepening and sharing her love for sacred sound,
especially in the form of Kirtan.
arunalove@gmail.com /
YogaAruna.com
Brian Alan Reed
Brian Reed has studied various methods of yoga for 20+ years related to
the
ancient science of Ashtanga yoga (8-fold system) including Hatha yoga,
Maha Kundalini yoga, Bikram yoga, Vinyasa yoga, Tantra and many other
methods.
He has over 1,000 hours of formal yoga teacher training certifications
(yoga alliance certified and otherwise) first and foremost with the most
amazing Mt. Madonna Center YTT program. HIs principle teachers are Sri
Anandi Ma
and Baba Hari Das although there are countless others who have had and
continue to have a profound influence. Brian's journey into the physical
practice began as an obese teenager suffering from chronic back pain,
severe clinical depression, lethargy, and acute insomnia
(he could not sleep for over six month). He was originally taught Hatha
and
Toaist Yoga as a teenager by a Toaist master and internationally
renowned
Personal Trainer, Matt Furey. Brian works deeply with the breath,
is a long term meditation practitioner and has the ability to guide
students
beyond the self-inhibiting limitation of the mind." He has also
developed a "healing touch"
(a unique method of myo-fascial release). Brian holds a B.A. in
Literature with
concentration in Native American Studies from U.C. Santa Cruz, is a
Licensed Massage Practitioner
(graduated from the Cypress Institute of Santa Cruz, is a Certified
Personal Trainer
and Nutrition Counselor (graduated from the National Personal Training
Institute in S.F.),
has volunteered much of his life to grass roots causes, is the founder
and original progenitor of Ayuh [Worlds] Yoga in Union City,
and most importantly a very happy Daddy of an amazing boy who is
inspires him to no end.
Bridget Puchalsky
Bridget’s mindful yoga teaching is rooted in the reintegration of body,
mind and breath to promote the health and happiness of her students. Her
classes are a creative and inspirational combination of physical
alignment, therapeutic principles and energetic balance. A practitioner
of movement sciences for thirty years, Bridget is certified in
Classical Ashtanga yoga through Axis Yoga Trainings in Colorado and
Mount Madonna Center’s Ayurvedic Institute. As a Certified Ayurvedic
Practitioner and Acupuncture student, Bridget’s yoga classes promote the
conscious flow of prana and qi while stabilizing the nervous system.
As her spiritual teacher Baba Hari Dass writes, “Yoga is not one
particular method. As soon as a person starts thinking ‘I want to be a
better person’ that is the start of yoga.” Bridget teaches and studies
to learn by way of trainings in the Hatha yoga traditions of Ashtanga,
Iyengar, Anusara, and Ashtanga Vinyasa systems.
LiveSimplyYoga.com
Dawn
Dawn is first and foremost a student of yoga, eager to learn and expand
her understanding of the many paths of yoga.
Her classes emphasize breathing, balance, and grounding as the
foundations of asana and a launching pad to introduce yoga
into daily life and the world. She enjoys weaving the flow of vinyasa
yoga with the alignment of Iyengar Yoga in her classes
and hopes that this leads students to find what her teacher calls "the
flow of presence." She believes this "flow of presence" or mindfulness
is the root of yoga (union),
whether that be on the yoga mat, in meditation, or in daily life. For
more information please visit:
www.pranichathayoga.com
Gabriel Benjamin
Gabriel Benjamin is the son of Tri Yoga® Instructor Martha Posey, who
quite wisely exposed him to the practice at the age of eleven. During
young adult hood, Gabriel experienced chronic hip and back injuries that
drew him deeper into the path of yoga and healing arts. Gabriel has
been teaching yoga since 2001 and holds four levels of certification in
Yoga and a certification as an Ayurvedic Consultant. As a former
competitive cyclist Gabriel understands the needs of athletes and or
students dealing with injuries in yoga practice. Gabriel assists teacher
trainings, teaches group and private classes, as well as workshops, in
Santa Cruz, The Bay area, and Southern California. Classes are designed
to have equal parts strength and flexibility with an unbroken stream of
breath awareness to create a challenging, healing, and meditative flow.
Greg Raudenbush
Greg Raudenbush has been a student of yoga since childhood. Now a 200hr RYT,
Greg offers an invigorating class that begins with high-energy asana and leads
to deeply groundings postures and meditation. Centered on heart and mind expansion,
Students will use basic alignment principals and pranayama to reach new heights with their practice.
Class is also guided by funky music and teachings derived from Anusara and Hatha yoga.
Greg owes his inspiration to his many teachers, community, and Guru Mata Amritanandamayi.
Hannah Muse
Ever since Yoga found her, Hannah’s heart has been softening open and
spilling over with love. Then she became a mama and her heart opened
even more! Hannah’s primary training is in classical Ashtanga Yoga and
she loves to combine therapeutic physical alignment and dynamic movement
with conscious awareness of the subtle body through asana, pranayama
and meditation. She is currently pursuing her Advanced 500 hour RYT
Training at Mt Madonna Center, where she completed her 200 hour RYT
Training. She has also completed Jane Austin’s Prenatal/Postpartum
training.
Hannah loves teaching yoga to all sentient beings, and feels especially
honored to teach to mamas and little ones. She is eternally grateful to
her teacher Baba Hari Dass, and all of the other truly inspiring
teachers on her yogic path in the Ashtanga, Hatha, Iyengar and Anusara
practices. Her greatest teacher of all is her daughter Ruby Bea, who
endlessly inspires her to consciously evolve, and often more
importantly, to laugh.
Jamie Ackley
Jamie is a certified massage practitioner and yoga instructor who
completed teacher training with Donna Farhi and through Integrative Yoga
therapy. Her classes create a supportive space for students to gently
challenge themselves and reconnect with their own internal wisdom
through body-mind centered movement.
Kara Braden
Kara’s formal training in the art and science of Yoga is from the Mount
Madonna Center (YTT 200 and 500)
under the tutelage of Baba Hari Dass, and Bihar Yoga Bharati (Bihar
School of Yoga) in India
under the tutelage of Swami Niranjananda, studying an integrated system
from both – classical Ashtanga, Karma, Bhakti, Jnana, Hatha, Raja Yogas.
She lived at the Mount Madonna Center, being immersed in the livelihood
of a yoga community
and learning about one’s self through constant and unique challenges
that naturally emerge in such environments, and currently lives as
resident staff at PCC.
She has taught at various studios and gyms in the LA area and at MMC, apprenticing and assisting with trainings there.
Kara’s asana practice and teaching is highly influenced by the school of
Shadow Yoga in the Hatha Yoga system,
particularly her studies with Mark Horner. She has a love of the
Sanskrit language; learning pronunciation,
reading and writing of Sanskrit from Bhavani Segal. Her classes tend to
be an exploration of movement and holds
with the emphasis on controlled, rhythmic breathing. But the real
practice of Yoga shines when she’s doing what she loves most – being
with animals!
Kathryn Keller
Practicing yoga since 1990 and teaching since 1993, Kathryn is a
registered yoga therapist. Her experiences with yoga, mediation,
Feldenkrais, and gerontology allow Kathryn to offer a diverse and
non-dogmatic approach. Kathryn has personally experienced yoga to be a
powerful way of learning, healing, and transformation and she encourages
a playful and noncompetitive attitude in all of her classes.
Her style is inspired by a blend of Anusara, Integrative Yoga Therapy,
and the Feldenkrais method. As an offering she states, “In gratitude to
all of my teachers, I bow to the power and beauty of the practice of
yoga.”
Kelly Blaser
Kelly's formal study of Yoga began in 1989, and she began studying with
Kofi Busia, Senior Iyengar instructor, in 1995. She has a background
in meditation, primarily guided by the Zen approach of Cheri Huber.
Kelly began teaching yoga after her first teacher training at Mount
Madonna Center in 1997. She has since continued her intensive training,
primarily with Kofi, Sianna Sherman and John Friend. Kelly has been
deeply influenced by the teachings of Anusara.
In addition to teaching throughout the Bay Area, Kelly has led
dozens of retreats, both locally and internationally. Kelly has also
taught yoga philosophy, advanced asana and yoga therapeutics modules,
for Anusara Trainings and for the Mount Madonna Teacher Training
Program.
Kelly is a Marriage Family Therapist Intern. The study of
Shaivism, Buddhism, and Classical Yoga Philosophy has shaped Kelly's
therapy practice. Despite all this rather intense study, Kelly remains
mostly amused by the life experience.
www.yogawithkelly.com
Mangala Norskog
RN, RYT 500, ALC, CMT
Mangala is a student of Baba Hari Dass, and continues to “Teach to
Learn” as one of the senior instructors at Mount Madonna Center since
1996. Her instruction integrates devotional intention, anatomical
reference, and subtle body physiology into the classical methods of
traditional pranayama, meditation, and asana practice. Mangala is
enthusiastic and dedicated to service as an articulate and compassionate
advocate for others’ health, safety, and well-being. Her practice
bridges classical training in Ayurveda & Yoga and experience as a
Registered Nurse. In addition to being a yoga teacher trainer at MMC,
she leads weekend workshops in “Asana & Sacred Sound” and serves on
the Yoga Administration of Pacific Cultural Center. She instructs
privately and in group settings to a variety of age groups.
Melanie Vizzusi
Interested in movement from an early age, Melanie studied dance,
gymnastics and even body building before yoga found a place in her life.
As a teen she began a self-study in Integral yoga. Years later when she
was an active cyclist putting in 2,500 to 3,000 miles a year, yoga
offered a balance to offset the tightening effects of cycling. She began
a serious Iyengar practice for several years. Along the way she also
studied Ashtanga, Hatha and Shadow yoga.
In 2001, after taking a four-part workshop from Ukrainian yogi Andrey
Lappa on his unique system Universal Freestyle yoga, she knew that she
wanted to pursue this and became a certified UFS teacher. Other teachers
who have influenced her along the way are Dharma Mittra, Edward Clark,
Emma Balvaves, Pandit Rajmani Tigunait and Tsultrim Allione. Melanie is
dedicated to sharing yoga with people of all levels. It is her intention
through yoga to guide students to find the vitality, joy and peace that
practice has brought her.
Phoenix Artemisia
Phoenix began practicing Yoga devotedly in 1994 under the instruction of
teachers from the Ashtanga tradition of Baba Hari Dass. Her personal
studies in Eastern philosophy, shamanism and sacred mythology buoyed her
through the completion of a BA degree in Psychology from UC Santa Cruz.
Phoenix received her first teaching certificate at the Kali Ray TriYoga
Academy in 1999, then completed a 200+ hour Ashtanga Yoga Teacher
Training at Mt. Madonna in 2003. She has also completed teacher training
modules with Senior Certified Iyengar Yoga teacher, Kofi Busia, who she
considers a beloved primary mentor.
In 2005, she earned a 200+ hour Certificate with honors from Parmarth
Niketan Ashram in Rishikesh, India. She has been studying Vedic chanting
and Indian philosophy intensively in India for the past three years and
leads Yoga trips and teacher trainings in northern India to bring
students to the source of Yoga by the sacred Ganga river.
She holds the Reiki Master level attunements and brings her passionate
interest in anatomy, subtle energy work, years of daily meditation
practice, and love to the adjustments given to each student. Her
intention is to honor the individual practitioner and to create a
traditional atmosphere in which one can experience the complete system
of classical Yoga and enjoy a sense of sacred community, or sangha, as a
support for a joyous, conscientious and wholistic life.
www.phoenixyoga.net
Rachael Shishido
Rachael’s class focuses on utilizing the breath with asanas to cultivate
a practice that serves in bringing greater vitality, peace, and
presence of mind. Her instruction offers options of therapeutic
variations to classical asanas so that the student may develop on their
path in a way that honors their individual body type. Variations are
also used to challenge particular muscle usage. Her instruction
encourages alignment and awareness. Yoga has personally been
instrumental in her healing and transformation and she is grateful to
share her love of the practice.
Rachael brings over 18 years of experience as a teacher. Her first
teacher training was in 1991 with Rod Styker and Erich Schiffman. From
1992-94 she completed her studies with Gary Kraftsow’s Viniyoga teacher
training. She was deeply moved by the vedic chanting taught in the
Krishmacharya lineage and continued chanting and text studies with Lisa
Goodwin from 1993-96.
Her passion for studying yoga continued over the years with senior
Iyengar teachers as well as teachers in Pattabi Jois tradition of
Astanga yoga (1st and 2nd series).
Influential meditation practices with teachers such as Mother Meera,
Prema Dasara (tibetan Tara and Vajrasattva practices), taoist Sifu S.K.
Lew and Sifu Jerry Alan Johnson provides stable ground for her
commitment to evolving with greater compassion and clarity.
rachael.shishido@gmail.com
Rachel Sonnenblick
Primarily trained in the Iyengar tradition, Rachel has studied with
teachers from a wide range of schools to deepen her understanding of the
practice of yoga. Rachel’s classes focus on body awareness and
alignment, and the integration of movement with breath. Her teaching
style encourages a fun, inclusive atmosphere in which students of all
levels and abilities feel supported in their practice.
Treea Clements
Treea utilizes yoga asana with breath awareness to help students find their
unique alignment with the practice and with themselves. Her style is a creative
blend, growing out of 18 years of practice. She has had many talented teachers
from the Iyengar, Ashtanga, Anusara, and Integrative Yoga Therapy styles. She
has completed teacher trainings with Mount Madonna Center, Integrative Yoga
Therapy, Erich Schiffman, and most recently Paul Grilley. Additionally, she has
completed an Anusara Immersion, and an Anusara prenatal teacher training.
Treea began teaching in 1998, then added specialty classes Prenatal and
Postnatal Yoga in 2005. Treea emphasizes healthy body alignment for each
individual, rather than having an ideal version of the pose that everyone strives
to achieve using the same alignment techniques. She also teaches breath
awareness as a way to align the mind with the physical body and its inner
presence of peace. In honor of some of her most inspirational yoga teachers,
Treea encourages a light, open-hearted, focused, and playful approach to the
practice, on and off the mat.
