The Yoga Company

Audrey Allen - I began my practice of yoga in 1997 when I took my first class and was hooked for life. I was drawn to teach yoga through a deep desire to share the joy and many benefits of the practice with others. As co-owner of The Yoga Company, I see and hear amazing stories of transformation through yoga every day. My intention for my classes is that they be a safe place for students to come and discover their own inner strength and peace. I truly want people to understand that they are their own best teacher, and that you only need to quiet the mind, to reveal the answers within you. My classes focus on moving the breath consciously through the body, moving from and strengthening the core, a bit of sweat and some lighthearted fun.

Malia Hill

I went to my first yoga class in 1995. I felt so awkward and uncoordinated that I never went back. In 2004 I was dragged to a yoga class by a friend. The class was taught by an amazing teacher who changed my life forever. Through my teacher’s guidance I became more aware of and more inside of my body. As my yoga practice deepened, I started to become more honest with myself. I made changes in my life that I had always been afraid to make. I learned to deal with stress and challenge in healthier ways. My teacher passed away, but left a legacy of changing lives through teaching yoga. She has inspired me to want to do the same. I was lucky to have taken Teacher Training at The Yoga Company under Gloria Capron and Audrey Allen’s diverse instruction. Come to my flow class prepared to have fun, sweat, and listen to some great rock and roll and hip hop! My pre and post natal class for expecting and new mothers is gentle while still giving you a workout.

Jan Miller

I have a BFA in Ballet Pedagogy. After I finished dancing I got into the fitness industry. I taught group exercise (aerobics, toning, stretch classes) for 20 years. The last six years, of which, I added personal training. I am a licensed massage therapist. My massage training included the study of Tai Chi. Technique is an integral part of my teaching to assure longevity and safety of the practice. Dance was very inspiring to me, I missed that when teaching fitness, I have found that inspiration again in Yoga. I love teaching and I learn so much from my students. The music that I use ranges from opera, to classical, to new age, to classics. Yoga is about finding freedom, opening up, finding self. Bring an open mind, heart, and body to class and bring a towel.

Gloria Capron Our bodies are the vehicles we use to traverse these busy, sometimes hectic lives. Through the practice of yoga we revitalize our bodies and enhance every aspect of living. Yoga is not a religion but for some it provides an avenue for our spiritual exploration. I have been studying yoga since 1995 and teaching yoga since 2000. I graduated from the Iyengar Yoga Institute of San Fransicso at the 500 hour level. Some of my additional studies include Yoga Trance Dance Teacher training with Shiva Rae, studies at The Chopra Center, Prenatel Teacher Training Certification and Bio Energetic Synchronization Technique training.

Yoga has helped me transition through many changes in my life: mother, businesswoman, and now full time Yoga Instructor. Yoga is timeless and can be applied to any time or situation in life. I use music from many genres. The music I use in class is an eclectic blend of rock, jazz, and pop. The yoga poses we explore in class are explored with enough variations given that all levels of students will be accomodated and challenged. The class is taught in a vinyasa style with an Iyengar Yoga influence.

Audrey Allen and I share the ownership of The Yoga Company and I am greatful to say that I also have the privledge of being the Director of Teacher Training.

Alexandra Gouteron Le Ny

I have been practicing yoga for over 12 years. I accidentally met yoga when I moved to England from France. I had a gym membership but never enjoyed working out in a gym, finding all these machines complex and cumbersome. I gave yoga a try and was instantly hooked. Yoga is a complete practice: you stretch, tone and relax all at the same time. I had practiced ballet and jazz for years and to me, it was a perfect way of expressing my body and mind freely.

I have been studying yoga with Gloria Capron and Audrey Allen as part of their Teacher Training. I teach yoga on various styles of music (alternative, new age, classical, opera, rock, pop, etc.). I like my classes to be soothing and nurturing, yet challenging. I focus on proper alignment and flow. I have a holistic approach to life (healthy eating, natural healing, green living) and yoga is a necessary part of it: it nourishes my body, mind and soul.

Kimberly Thompson

I have an ever growing sense of curiosity about the human body and its ability to move through health and dis-ease that has guided my education as well as my professional life. Combining my traditional college education of Kinesiology and Human Movement, with my vocational training as a yoga instructor and acupressure practitioner, I have settled into a style of teaching that allows me to continually explore the capacity of the human body and spirit.

“Teach to learn” was the philosophy supported at my yoga teacher training and is now the philosophy I carry throughout all of my teaching roles. As a mother, yoga instructor, anatomy and physiology teacher, I am awed by how much I learn from my children, and students. I believe that I am definitely a work in progress and so the “practice” of yoga reminds me to find balance and flexibility in the body, mind and spirit.

I love an active flow yoga class which combines the rhythm of breath with the rhythm of music. My intent is to create an environment that offers the chance to let go and be moved by a melody, or deepened by a pose. Come and join me for a fun and energetic sequence that will build your strength, balance and flexibility. Let’s move and groove together

Katerina Polychroniou

Growing up in Greece I was always very interested in sports and I loved exploring gymnastics. The mindful concentration and discipline of gymnastics captured my interest in learning how to develop myself. It was a sport that calls upon me to be the best I can be independent of what those around me were doing.

I started practicing yoga in 2001. I still remember how drawn I was to yoga and its ability to have me feel both revitalized and strong while peaceful and serene in my mind. At the end of yoga class I was so calm and revitalized at the same time.

I am first and foremost a student and I recognize that a big part of teaching is constantly learning and evolving.

Teaching has been a passion for me. It is my way to inspire and help others find their inner strength.

As a yoga instructor I encourage students of yoga to be the best you can possibly be rather than being better than the person on the mat next to you. The motivation to go inside and find your own inner guidance and strength will help you attain what you want in life. My class is taught in a moderatley heated room and I encourage you to explore your strength while in this safe supportive environment. I offer many variations when we do some of the more challenging poses. My goal is to help you understand your body, mind and come closer to your own truth.

Mike Brabant

I began my spiritual path with an introduction to Reiki in 2007. That experience opened a profound spiritual curiosity that has only deepened over time. I was intuitively drawn to practice yoga and began teaching a year after I began to practice. I am currently finishing my doctoral studies in clinical psychology and am integrating the spiritual and physical aspects of yoga with the mental and emotional components of psychology to approach wellness in a multi-faceted manner. I also received my certification as a yoga therapist and bring aspects of mind, body, spirit, and emotions into my classes as a way to use yoga as a path of healing, wellness, and evolution. My classes weave spirituality, physical alignment, and playfulness into an all levels format with modifications for beginners and advanced yogis alike. Please visit my website (www.integralwellnessmb.com) for more information

Jennifer Keenan- Barre Fusion Teacher

I have been an athlete all of my life. I played competitive sports in school and earned my BS in physiology at UC Davis. It was only natural that I become a certified exercise instructor, and take my “love for working out” and share it with others. I love to sweat. I want to inspire and encourage others the same way. My goal is to unveil the strength that is inside all of us. I want everyone to be aware of all parts of their body, not just the ones we can see. We are only as strong as our weakest part. In barre fusion class, you will sweat! By combining, pilates, yoga, ballet, and athletic moves, you will get an all over body workout. Because there is deep, yoga stretching between moves, your muscles will not only get stronger, but longer as well.

BJ Jesse Wandering into a Yoga class at the gym several years ago, I was unaware how profound this "exercise" could Be. Emotional strength through the asana practice was nothing short of a miraculous reality. Yoga's deep healing on a physical and emotional level turned my "wandering" into intentional direction. Classes and workshops from a variety of teachers, studios and disciplines over several years and completing TYC's teacher training under Gloria Capron has given me jewels I wish to share and discover with fellow practitioners. Coming from over a dozen years of working with spiritual leaders and directing an educational program involving dance, art and music, the connection between body and spirit is central in my approach heavily influenced by the wisdom of Purna and the strength of Iyengar methods. My classes, like nature around us, can range physically from energetic grounding to calm centering. Musically classes range from pop to classical. Always, the direction of movement is towards and from the heart inviting you to discover who you are andwho you might become.

Danelle Lateur -I teach Yoga because I believe in the power of Yoga to promote profound healing of the mind and the body. I experienced
the power of Yoga within my own body while battling a debilitating depressive episode in 2002. I met Ana Forrest in 2003 and was immediately drawn to the intensity of Forrest Yoga and it's ability to help me work powerfully yet safely. I completed the month long 200 hour teacher training with Ana in 2006. I am committed to do my part in helping others work through thier physical and/or emotional pain so that we may walk a little lighter on the earth. My classes are challenging, sweaty, fun and freeing. You do not have to bring strength or flexibility to my class, only bring your willingness to learn, and work openly and honestly.

Mark Alexander

I love all aspects of yoga, the practice has transformed my life and being able to share that as a teacher is a true gift. I study and practice many different styles of yoga from energetic practices like Vinyasa Flow to the much slower practice of Yin. I try to bring all of these influences into my classes, blending vinyasa to build heat and work up a sweat with longer holds that allow more time to explore the poses. My classes are held in a moderately heated room and intended for all levels. My intention is to provide a safe environment where you can deepen your practice and get in touch with your body while building strength, balance and flexibility.

I completed my 200 hour certification at The Yoga Company and continue to study with great teachers like Mark Stephens and Paul Grilley at every opportunity. Meditation is also an important aspect of yoga for me and I have attended retreats with Pema Chodron, Sylvia Boorstein, Norman Fischer and others to deepen my personal practice, I look forward to sharing some of those experiences with you in class as well.

I'm also a musician and see many parallels between yoga and music. Both are lifelong practices filled with peaks, valleys and plateaus and in both practices anytime you begin to think you've mastered something a whole new world will usually reveal itself to you and you realize you've really just begun. I love all types of music and believe it can play a very important role in the overall experience of a yoga class. I draw from blues, rock, jazz and new age influences when building playlists to enhance the flow and mood of the class.

Penny Townsend

I entered the world of yoga about 10 years ago, looking for a way to recover from my first Multiple Sclerosis attack. At the time of diagnosis, I was literally numb from my chest down, and unable to easily move around or pick anything up. Having previously taught dance for 12 years with a professional qualification from the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance, I had competed, taught and choreographed dancers and shows. I was suddenly made a prisoner of my own body. Recovery was slow, but yoga transformed my view of myself, and also breathed freedom into my muscles and joints. Yoga is truly accessible by all and can help us feel healthy no matter what our age or situation. I recently started teaching yoga to share my experiences with others, having studied under Audrey Allen and Gloria Capron.

Roberta King

I’ve been practicing yoga since 2005 and after I took my first yoga
class I was inspired to learn more and I was inspired to become a Yoga
teacher. Shortly after I decided to travel to Colorado each year to
attend the Yoga Journal conferences. This is where I discovered and
started to practice Jivamukti yoga. Jivamukti Yoga is the practice of
internal revolution, of liberating the only prisoner you can really
free:your soul. This style of yoga became my primary yoga practice
because I was deeply interested in liberation on the soul and I loved
how Jivamukti yoga incorporated sacred chants and lively music with
the asana practice. I truly feel yoga has healed my body, mind and
spirit. Feeling inspired by my practice in 2009, I traveled to Bali,
Indonesia and attended an amazing Yoga retreat that changed my life!
As a result of that life changing experience, in 2010 I found myself
at the front door of The Yoga company where I enrolled and graduated
from the 200 hour YTT program. I incorporate the teaching style of The
Yoga Company and also draw from my Jivamukti roots. If you like to
laugh and do your asana practice to lively music, my style of teaching
is just right for you.

Strength, Flexibility, Freedom!
Roberta

Noel Sivazlian

My yogic path began about 11 years ago. I received a book on ayurveda and yoga as a gift and by the first chapter I knew that yoga would forever be a part of my life. In 2001, I attended the month long teacher training at Kripalu and have since studied in other tradtions, mainly Anusara, Sivananda and Ashtanga.I recently have enrolled in the American Institute of Ayurvedic Studies and eventually hope to become an ayurvedic therapist. I primarily like to teach a traditonal yoga class, that includes pranayama, attention to alignment, and holding poses while watching the breath. My intention as a teacher is to create an enviroment that is safe, fun and informative , leaving the student with a greater sense of self awareness.

Michaela Kissinger- My intention is that my classes be upbeat and inspiring at all levels: physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. My classes are challenging but accessible to all. I work to make each of my classes original and unique, I consider myself a life-long student of yoga, and look forward to meeting each student with a sense of curiosity as well as a heart of compassion for each individual's life path. I completed a comprehensive 200 hour training at The Yoga Company/Greenpath Yoga in San Ramon in 2006 and continue my on-going studies with Judith Lasater, Tias Little, Tim Thompson, Seane Corn, Ramanand Patel and Paul Grilley. Pleae visit my website at www.abundantzestforlife.com.

Sarah Stolar

For me, yoga is the foundation of everything. As I delve deeper into my yoga studies, I realize that all artistic and creative disciplines share the same desired outcome - a turning inward to discover and manifest our true, authentic self. It is through the study and discipline of yoga, I have been able to unlock flow in everything I do, conquer fears, suppress depression, discover strength (both physical and emotional), and find the path that leads me to inner peace. As a yoga teacher, I want to share this with you. My style of teaching has developed into an Ashtanga-based, experimental, rhythmic, power flow practice. With each class I slowly open up the body, preparing for deeper poses, connecting physical movement with subtle spiritual philosophy. I also love to sing and incorporate Sanskrit chanting into my classes. My divine calling is to teach. Other things about me... I am a painter, installation artist, and performer. I have a MFA and currently teach drawing and painting at the San Francisco Art Institute. I am a hoop dancer, fire dancer and aerialist. And I also love to sew.

Misty Haliewicz

Yoga came to me about 12 years ago in the form of a VHS tape of “Bryan Kest’s Power Yoga” that I got from a friend. The very first time I did the tape, I was hooked. There was something about it that wasn’t just physically challenging but spiritually – there was something amazing there. I did that tape every day after work determined to muscle my way through every pose without stopping. Eventually, the running and weight lifting that I did for years began to fade into the distance and I started looking for a place to do yoga and learn more. I found it at a little yoga studio in Mesa, Arizona. It was a small -and very hot- little room with nothin’ but a lamp, and a stand with a CD player on it. There, my yoga teacher taught me to approach my physical practice not with force using muscles, but with awareness. Eventually, this awareness led me to a profound spiritual peace that I had never felt before but had been searching for years. Today, Yoga is not just a physical form of exercise for me but a way of thinking which I truly believe teaches us how to be peaceful and compassionate toward ourselves and one another. Come to my class and let’s have fun laughing, learning some yoga, falling down, and trying again!

Teresa Novotny

I first practiced yoga in 1992 at a gym in San Francisco. I absolutely fell in love with the calm and peace yoga brought me and continues to bring into my life. Yoga is such a beautiful and satisfying practice. The breathing is just as important as the physical part of the practice and being a mom of a teenager and a toddler, sometimes my life can feel like I'm too busy to breath. Thank you, yoga. I got my teaching degree at The Yoga Company/Greenpath Yoga in 2004 and get a great deal of pleasure passing along the benefits of yoga to others. I like to teach a flow class using the different postures to restore and renew myself. So please come, let's explore and have fun!

Venieta Schult

My first experience with yoga was in the early 90’s while I trained in martial arts. Yoga proved to be a way to increase my flexibility, focus, and taught me to breathe and visualize. Several years later I steeped myself deeply into the practice, looking for answers; physical and emotional healing and as an avenue to de-stress after working in the corporate world way too long.

I have a 4^th degree black belt in Taekwondo, and I have competed and taught Taekwondo for several years for California State University East Bay (CSUEB) and internationally. Currently, I teach yoga, pilates and aerobic kickboxing through the PE department at CSUEB. I have been very fortunate to complete my 200 hour yoga certification through the Yoga Company under the instruction of Audrey Allen and Gloria Capron, who encouraged me to honor myself and to find my own path in yoga. I am at my best when I am teaching and giving back to others. My intention is to help others find the inner strength that I have found through a consistent and strong yoga practice. I would like to invite you to a moderately paced class where you will learn about body awareness and how to breathe. Come to my class prepared to work hard, sweat, and listen to some great music.

Krista Parker

I wish I had a life altering story to explain why I got into yoga, but I don't. I'm not sure I was looking for yoga, but it definitely found me. I was at a point where I needed a physical activity other than regular gymwork, and very unmotivated and unsure what to try. I had two babies at home, a job and was suffering from aches and pains that made me feel far older than my years. I took one class and knew I was onto a life changing course of healing and a new sense of calm. After 8 years, my passion naturally took me to the teacher training at the Yoga Company. I'm excited to share my passion with others.

Teresa Novotny

I first prcticed yoga at a gym in 1992 at a gym in San Francisco. I absolutely fell in love with the calm and peace yoga brought me and continues to bring into my life. Yoga is such a beautiful and satisfying practice. The breathing is just as important as the physical part of the practice and being a mom of a teenager and a toddler, sometimes my life can feel like i'm too busy toi breathe. Thank you, yoga. I received my teaching certificate through The Yoga Company/Greenpath program in 2004 and get a great deal of pleasure passing along the benefits of yoga to others. I like to teach a flow class using the different postures to restore and renew myself. So please come, let's explore and have fun!

Kelli Barnett~ I love yoga. I started doing yoga after 9/11, I felt sad and depleted. Within a week, I was at the ashram in Colorado, soaking up the sun and the sun salutaions. Since that time, I have felt how a consistent practice can renew our life force even during our most challenging times. I love the strength yoga gives me and I love sharing it with anyone and everyone. My classes come from my heart. I like to make my classes accessible to all levels of students. You can expect to sweat and cleanse as I teach in a heated room. Many variations are given so we can all explore the depths of our strength and the power of our breath.