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Erika Abrahamian
For Erika, finding yoga has provided a path that has led her to an immoveable ‘home’ within. Erika was born in Iran, where the Iran-Iraq war was the backdrop to her childhood; she moved to the United States when she was sixteen years old.
After receiving her B.S. in Biochemistry, she spent several years working as a scientist in a cancer research lab. She then left the biotech industry to pursue her love of writing. She is the recipient of a Hedgebrook Women Authoring Change Residency, and has an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Mills College. Her worked has appeared in many literary magazines, and she has completed her first novel.
Erika came to yoga due to a severe back injury and fell in love with the discipline inherent in the Ashtanga Vinyasa method. Since then, she has studied with her primary teachers, Richard Freeman, Mark Stephens, and most recently, Chuck Miller and Maty Ezraty. Drawn to teachers who blend the intelligent alignment principles of Iyengar Yoga with the postures and dynamism of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, she completed her 200-hour teacher certification with Mark Stephens in 2010.
Erika’s classes are intense and light-hearted. She asks her students to drop in, move into the body with compassion and a sense of humor, and witness their own internal process without judgment. At Santa Cruz Yoga, she teaches based on the principles of Ashtanga Vinyasa method in a therapeutic manner, and, devoid of dogma.
Learn more about Erika at erikaabrahamian.blogspot.com
Tom Abrehamson
Tom teaches an eclectic, but Iyengar-based, style of yoga.
Tom is a certified yoga teacher (E-RYT) who has taught over 5,000 classes since 2000. He has taught at Yoga of Los Altos since its inception, and has had 25,000+ students in his classes.
Tom’s mixed-level classes allow beginners and more advanced students to work at their own levels. He combines precise instruction with individualized attention and gentle humor. His students work hard, make progress…and have fun.
Tom includes Yogic Breathing (Pranayama) in his classes on a regular basis. His 220-page guidebook, Secrets of Successful Pranayama, is available at the front desk, our web Store, or at amazon.com.
Tom enjoys teaching beginners!
Cheryl Acheson
Yoga is Cheryl's passion, and she brings a wonderful energy to every class. Cheryl has formal training in both Iyengar Yoga and Anusara Yoga. Her teachers include Tom Abrehamson, Kenny Graham, Darren Rhodes, Kelly McGonigal and current mentor, Chrissy Graham. Cheryl has had over 150 hours of Anusara training, 200 hours of Yoga Alliance training and 120 hours of apprenticeship.
Cheryl teaches Yoga Basics which focuses on alignment and safely building an asana foundation.
Lauren Anas
Lauren was a previous classical ballet dancer with a love for dance, yoga, and anything that helps the body open up and release stress from our daily life. She graduated from teacher training in Palo Alto, CA in 2007 and recently returned from India, a month long trip to deepen her yoga practice. Lauren has studied with teachers from different traditions including Ben Thomas, Richard Freeman, and Max Strom.
Yoga has helped Lauren physically maintain a healthy body and the meditation of it has created a foundation for her to live a much happier and sustainable life.
Lauren teaches yoga in order to share with others the freedom that yoga offers, freedom in the body and mind. Her style is Vinyasa and her classes are challenging, with the intention of building strength, flexibility, awareness, and confidence, using the power of the breath and the movement of the body. Lauren wants her students to find their edge, to find a place where they physically are working hard and still very much enjoying all that yoga has to offer. Class is a place to practice, smile, explore, and enjoy!
Allison Birdsall
Among many of her passions, yoga is the most important on for Allison.
She believes whole heartedly that it has the power to transform anyone's life. After giving birth to daughter Akira, she began her teaching career focusing on Robin Sale's Whole Birth Prenatal Yoga approach to wellness for the expecting mother. Julianne Rice then became her mentor in teaching yoga with baby and caregiver. She came to Breathe with food and beverage experience and helped build the tea house menu. It was then she decided to pursue Jennifer Prugh's 200 hour Joy of Yoga TT in 2012. Most recently she has found that aerial yoga is something not to be missed! Now stepping up to teach flying lotus, Allison sees a bright future in teaching yoga to many different yogis from all different walks of life.
Andi Bruno
Andi thought it was high time for a yoga studio in Los Altos, so in August of 2003 she started Yoga of Los Altos. Andi feels extremely blessed that the studio is thriving and she is very grateful to all the wonderful students and superb instructors that are an integral part of the Yoga of Los Altos community.
Andi has been practicing yoga for more than 20 years, and started teaching yoga in 2000. She has also had a meditation practice for the last 25 years.
Andi's yoga practice has been influenced her many wonderful teachers including Laura Foley, Sarah Powers, Paul Grilley, Jim & Ruthie Bernaert, Noah Maze,Hareesh Wallis and her Yogaworks teachers Hillary Skibell & Nikki Estrada.
Andi obtained her first teaching certification in Yin Yoga from Sarah Powers and Paul Grilley in 2000. She also completed a 200-hour advanced teacher training course at the Yoga Kula in Berkeley in 2004. Andi competed another 200-hour teacher training in early 2009. Andi then completed Advanced Teacher Training with Noah Maze and Darren Rhodes in September 2009. In early 2011 Andi completed another 100 hour teacher training with Noah Maze. Andi just completed a 150 hour philosophy immersion with Chris (Hareesh) Wallis. Andi also completed a 200 hour Yogawork Training in November 2012.
Andi loves all forms of yoga - Vinyasa, Yin, Restorative, Therapeutic, Iyengar, Anusara, and Yoga Nidra. She also believes that it is extremly beneficial for serious yoga students to develop a regular pranayama and meditation practice to accompany their physical asana practices.
Other than teaching yoga, Andi's favorite thing is to take yoga teacher trainings and to ski or hike.
Andi brings clear and precise instruction to each yoga pose. She also brings a fun tone into each and every class. Andi truly believes that all of yoga is to be enjoyed !
Erin Cookston
On her mat, Erin has been transformed and cultivated in ways she could have never anticipated, and it is her profound reverence for, and belief in, the yoga practice that is the seed from which her dedication to teaching grows. With her background primarily in Vinyasa: Erin teaches a dynamic flow class, concentrating on physical and subtle alignment principles. Erin completed her 200hr Teacher Training with YogaWorks. She has also completed her 500hr Yoga Certification with YogaWorks, mentoring with Nikki Estrada.
We are thrilled that Erin will be teaching at Yoga of Los Altos. We are please to be brining the Yogaworks methodology and practice to the Peninsula.
Marti Foster
Marti Foster, a native Californian from our own community of Los Altos. She was raised with a strong respect for physical health, intellectua growth, and spiritual awareness. From a very young age, dance, movement and music were an integral part of her everyday life.
From very early on, she knew that her life's work would be dedicated to the healing sciences. Her intense curiosities about human physiology led her into professions including the fields of Neurological Health Care, Cardiovascular Medicine, and Sports Medicine Rehabilitation.
Marti teaches Vinyasa Yoga, a form of yoga in which a sequence of asanas are linked to complement one another. This style of yoga often resembles a choreographed dance. Each class is individually choreographed and set to music, making each class one of a kind experience.
Today, her teaching has expanded into a new maturity. At the beginning of her yoga journey, it was only a method of attaining physical well-being and increased athleticism. However, she has found that yoga is also a vehicle to heal the mind and spirit. This powerful aspect of yoga, blended with Marti's creativity now brings a true integration of body, mind and spirit into her unique interpretation of Hatha yoga.
Amy Fowlkes
Amy is an Anusara Inspired Instructor.
She is a licensed physical therapist with master’s degrees in physical therapy (MPT) and exercise physiology (MS). Her interests in alignment and muscle balance led to studying of Anusara Yoga. She has studied with Kenny Graham, Laura Christensen, and Stacey Rosenberg. As a physical therapist, this style of yoga aligns and resonates well with her knowledge of biomechanics and therapeutic exercise.
Amy enjoys integrating anatomy, physiology, and precise alignment to her classes and workshops. She has a great passion for helping people to heal themselves and is highly recommended by local physicians and patients for her skill at treating patients. She is currently the clinic director and works full-time with patients at Mountain View Physical Therapy. The Tantric philosophy of intrinsic goodness and the alignment principles of Anusara yoga are a perfect fit with her background.
With a sports background in collegiate running, triathlons, and competitive road cycling, Amy likes to invite students to work hard and safely push their limits!
Chrissy Graham
Chrissy teaches Anusara Yoga.
Chrissy is a Certified Yoga Instructor. She started to practice yoga to heal her body. Chrissy was first introduced toYoga through a chance encounter with Emily Dubin.
Chrissy has also studied with a number of other highly skilled Anusara teachers. She has studied with fabulously skilled teachers including Mitchell Bleier and Amy Ippoliti. She has also spent many hours studying in the Philosophical traditions of Rajanaka with Dr. Douglas Brooks.
Chrissy presently teaches all over the Bay Area. Chrissy brings a dynamic, and supportive energy to her classes that blends philosophy,yoga therapeutics, and insightful wisdom, from her own life experiences.
Osha Hanfling
Osha teaches Iyengar Yoga.
Osha has been teaching yoga in the Iyengar Tradition since 1984, having studied directly with the Iyengars in India. She is a very well known and respected Iyengar teacher. She currently teaches in San Francisco at the Abode of Iyengar Yoga and at Yoga of Los Altos on Thursdays at 11am.
Osha takes a personal approach with her students, meeting them at their level and inspiring them to deepen their practice. Osha sees yoga as a tool for transformation and inner freedom. She believes that through the process of the asana we harness the mind, wake the sleeping body, and begin to discover and generate awareness of our psycho-spiritual selves.
Doron Hanoch
Doron has superb training and transmits his vast knowledge of yoga and meditation to his students in a fun and enjoyable way. Doron recently returned from studying in India at the Mysore Mandala Ashram under the tutelage of MV Chidananda in the Krishnamacharya linage.
Doron is a certified 550 hour Yoga Teacher (RYI). He was introduced to yoga and meditation in 1992 while traveling and studying in the Far East. Doron has gone to India many times to deepen his spiritual and asana practices. He has studied under the guidance of Pattabhi Jois and his family including Sharath and Saraswati. He is fortunate to have studied with some other great Ashtanga teachers such as Richard Freeman (teacher training, Boulder, CO), Rolf and Marci, (Goa, India) Tim Miller (India), Adarsh and Heleen (Mountain View, CA), Amy Santos (New York), Gouda Hedwig (New York), and Shashadri (Mysore, India) and a Vinyasa teacher training with Mark Stephens (Santa Cruz).
Doron’s teachings are based on the foundation of tradition with a practical and non-dogmatic way. Movements flow from one to another in rhythm with the breath, emphasizing grace as the opening to a meditative practice. Doron is also a trained chef, a certified nutrition consultant (registered with the AADP) and an artist. He uses all his skills to create a holistic experience for his students.
Krassi Harwell
Krassi is a certified yoga instructor, a Thai massage therapist and a DONA certified doula. She has been teaching yoga full time in the Palo Alto / Bay Area since 2001 and has been supporting birthing women since 2005. Krassi holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Golden Gate University, San Francisco.
Krassi is a very popular teacher in the community. Please come and experience her wonderful teaching.
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John Nadler
John has made exercise and healthy living a part of his life since the mid 1970s. He understands you can only perform well in life when you take care of yourself.
John incorporated yoga into his life about 10 years ago when he realized how many benefits there were from the practice. John has completed the Yoga Works teacher training program as well as teacher training from Yoga Fit, Yoga Journal Conferences and various workshops in the Bay Area. He is always looking for new places to learn.
John's philosophy encompasses the entire you; body, mind, and spirit. John is an RYT registered instructor.
Moj Razmafsharii
Moj Razmi E-RYT500, loves yoga and yoga therapy. She believes yoga can be theraputic at all levels. She took up yoga after years of team sports & aerobic workouts. With Yoga she discovered a sense of peace, self-awareness and healing that she conveys to her students. She enjoys finding ways to suit yoga to individual's needs. She has been practicing & teaching various styles of yoga. Her classes include a balance of meditation, breathing, asana (yoga postures), chanting and relaxation.
Moj enjoys teaching people of different backgrounds and ages, encouraging an attitude of acceptance & fun while honoring individual needs. Through compassion, intuition and humor, Moj hopes to help each student unfold his/her own power and beauty from within.
Birgit Reimer
Birgit Reimer teaches the Iyengar Yoga style in the direct lineage of her deeply respected mentor Yogacharya Benjamin A. Thomas, a senior teacher in this tradition. Under her mentor's guidance she studied for 10 years and has completed more than 2000 hours of training. Birgit teaches level I-III asanas and pranayama. She continuously travels to India to study with the Iyengar family.
Birgit's classes are a fusion of asanas, pranayama, meditation, chants and the rare opportunity to learn the Yoga Sutras of Sri Patanjali. Birgit's deep roots in Soto Zen meditation, Shotokan karate and energy work - contribute to a well-balanced and harmonious atmosphere in her classes. She encourages the students to create balance and equalibrium through alignment and precision, to move with the rhythm of their breath and she encourages here students to keep both the heart and mind open, humble and free.
Rosie Richardson
Rosie teaches Iyengar Yoga.
Rosie Richardson began studying Iyengar yoga in 1995 with Dean and Rebecca Lerner, and currently studies with and assists Elise Miller and Osha Hanfling. She completed the 500- hour teacher training program at the Iyengar Yoga Institute of San Francisco.
Dina Prioste Robison
Dina has been teaching vinyasa yoga since 2004 and received her 500 hours of teaching certification from Atmananda Yoga and B Yoga, both in New York City. She’s also certified to teach Therapeutic, Prenatal and Kid’s Yoga. Dina’s classes incorporate mindful intention and flowing sequences to build strength, improve flexibility and increase confidence in her students.
Michelle Darby Ross
Michelle Darby Ross began practicing yoga in 1996 and became a certified teacher in 2002. Her goal in teaching pre-post-natal yoga is to provide a supportive environment where mothers can connect with their bodies and each other, and develop and nurture their physical and emotional strength using community, asanas and breath.
Michelle's initial interest in yoga was primarily for flexibility and rehabilitation after experiencing numerous sports injuries. However very shortly after beginning this journey she discovered the spiritual depth that appears with regular practice. She spent the first few years practicing with a beloved Iyengar instructor in San Francisco. In 1996 she started practicing Transcendental Meditation and studying Ayurveda. In 2002 she became certified to teach Bikram Yoga and soon afterward started offering Bikram Pregnancy Workshops. In 2006 Michelle was delighted to discover Anusara yoga and has taken workshops and intensives.
While pregnant with her twins in 2009 she became certified to teach Whole Birth Pre-Natal Yoga with Robin Sale. Michelle is the proud mother of twins Tate & Fiona born on April 27, 2009.
Bärbel Schuhmacher
Bärbel is a Certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher and has been teaching yoga since 1999. She has apprenticed and studied for several years with Elise Miller; where she was able to learn a lot about how to work with students with back problems and scoliosis. Elise showed her how to approach each student individually to work within his or her own ability, while maintaining priority on physical well-being and safety. At the same time students continue to be reminded about the spiritual aspects of yoga where body, mind and spirit are considered a unit to be addressed with equal attention. This is a difference between yoga and exercising; the effect of yoga goes beyond just the physical.
Yoga is also a lifestyle and involves life long practice. Bärbel has been studying with very experienced teachers such as Manouso Manos, Ramanand Patel, Aadil Palkhivala, Ben Thomas, Kathy Alef, Chris Saudek and Roger Cole to deepen her understanding and knowledge of Iyengar Yoga. Highlights of her studies where a few days in B.K.S. Iyengar's presence as well as studying with Geeta Iyengar on three different occasions.
Christina Sells
Christina Sell has been practicing asana since 1991 and teaching since 1998. Known for her passion, clarity and creativity, Christina's teaching style is a dynamic and challenging blend of inspiration, humor and hard work. Masterful at synthesis, Christina’s ability to harvest and transmit the unique contributions of various of yoga methods is unparalled. Christina believes that yoga practice can help anyone access their inner wisdom, authentic spirituality and clarify their highest personal expression.
Christina is the author of Yoga From the Inside Out: Making Peace with Your Body Through Yoga andMy Body is a Temple: Yoga as a Path to Wholeness. Christina was the 2012 Art of Asana columnist for Yoga International Magazine. She is a faculty member on Yogaglo, which provides online global access to yoga education. Christina has as BA in Counseling and Education and an MA in Integrative Education and Curriculum Design. Christina is the founder and director of Live the Light of Yoga Programs and The San Marcos School of Yoga. Christina draws inspiration from many master teachers in Iyengar Yoga, Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, Anusara Yoga and from the intelligent and sophisticated system of Bikram Yoga. Christina Sell maintains an active teaching schedule presenting seminars locally, nationally and internationally. She is a devoted student of Western Baul master, Lee Lozowick, and credits his Influence as the spiritual inspiration behind her life and work.
Christina resides in Austin, TX with her husband, a retired greyhound and two cats. She enjoys practicing yoga, writing, reading, cooking, hiking and whitewater kayaking.
Hillary Skibell
Hillary is a seasoned Yogaworks Teacher Trainer and Instructor. She lives in Marin and teaches at the Yogaworks Larkspur. We are fortunate to have her at Yoga of Los Altos. She is currently teaching the 200 hour Yogaworks Teacher Training for us.
Hillary offers students a physically challenging practice. She puts emphasis on breath, core, and subtle body awareness. Each of her classes draws on the student's inner experience to uncover what is possible on the mat and beyond the mat. Along with her studies in Vinyasa Flow, Iyengar, Yin Yoga and Meditation, Hillary draws fron her belief in an integrative approach to yoga.
Hillary teaches a fantastic class - come experience it for yourself.
Rebecca Snowball
Rebecca Snowball is an alignment based yoga teacher and certified Vinyasa teacher. She training initially with Ganga White and Tracy Rich of the White Lotus Foudation and is currently on the path to Yoga Certification. She has completed over 300 hours of yoga study, including an immersion with Kenny Graham, Teacher Training Level 1 with Stacey Rosenberg, Teacher Training Level II .
Rebecca is a magnificant yoga teacher having recently won high praise in the 2012 People's Choice Award for one of the best yoga instructors on the Peninsula - Palo Daily News.
Myra Sugiyama
Myra has been an advanced yoga practitioner for several yearsi.
Myra's classes are rooted in the teachings of Dynamic Hatha and Vinyasa yoga. Each of Myra’s classes may be different, but all are playful, vigorous, challenging and accessible to students of all levels.
Myra encourages her students to cultivate awareness of the breath, emphasis on proper alignment and discovering your inner self through the moving meditation of the asanas. Myra also encourages each student to discover their own interpretation of yoga with compassion, patience, tolerance, acceptance and an open mind, both on and off the mat.
Janya Wongsopa
Janya teaches Yin Yoga, Restorative Yoga and Vinyasa Yoga
She received her formal yoga training in a 200 hour program under the mentorship of John Berg. Janya also received the Clinical Ayurvedic Specialist degree from California College of Ayurveda and American Institute of Vedic Studies as the class valedictorian. She has completed 200 hours certification course in yogic meditation and vedanta philosophy at Sivananda Ashram, Grass Valley. She also completed a 50 hours certification course in Somatic Psychology from the Santa Barbara Graduate Institute.
She has studied yoga with Scott Blossom, Judith Lasater and Sarah Powers as well as several gifted teachers in the bay area.
Janya’s teaching emphasizes body and breath awareness. She weaves spiritual teaching of yoga in to her classes while keeping participants constantly tuned in to the body. This allows participants to connect with all aspect of themselves and gain physical, emotional and mental health. Her teaching is gentle yet challenging. With sincere guidance and support she urges her students to take an active role in creating optimum practice for themselves.
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