Instructors
THE YOGA TEAM
Ellie Bowman was brought to the mat in 2002 through dance and movement. She gained more than she anticipated though yoga’s special way of connecting one to their true nature, and that has kept her coming back and wanting to share it with everyone! Ellie’s classes are a combination of graceful flow and thoughtful sequencing focusing on moving stuck energy in the body, slowing down the wildness of the mind, and above all, shifting perspective. We are all on our own journey. Ellie aims to create an environment where students feel comfortable and supported in exploring their yoga, whatever that might be.
Allie Edison first discovered yoga in 2001, but it wasn’t until 2003 that the seed began to flourish and grow with a consistent practice. By continuously returning to her mat, her physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well-being became nourished and nurtured. She now begins each day with conscious breath and awareness to bring a sense of peace throughout her day. Her practice has created space for self healing and she believes that yoga can peel away the layers which no longer serve us, revealing our true selves. Her class is playful and rejuvenating and reminds us that where we are on our journey is exactly where we need to be. She received her vinyasa training and certification under the love, light and wisdom of Jasmine Tarkeshi and Dana Flynn, creators and founders of Laughing Lotus in San Francisco. Allie has also been a Registered Nurse for over a decade and is currently coordinating care for seniors at Sequoias San Francisco.
Tim Floreen Tim first came to yoga looking for just another form of exercise to incorporate into his gym routine, but he soon saw the practice transforming his life in ways he never expected: he felt healthier, more relaxed, and more in touch with himself than he ever had before. He began teaching yoga full-time in 2000 and has taken teacher training programs with Bikram Choudhury, Baron Baptiste, and Rusty Wells. He has been on the teaching staff at studios in Los Angeles, Dallas, Boston and San Francisco, and he’s also appeared as a yoga model in several publications, including Yoga Journal. Tim teaches a vigorous, lightly-heated flow class, but always with the understanding that students should modify and take breaks as needed. He also makes sure to incorporate plenty of fun, humor, and music.
Tina Foster Tina’s interest in restorative yoga comes out of an interest in the nervous system and the surprising intensity of healing activity that goes to work below-the-surface of a genuinely resting human body. Her teaching is drawn from her own experience of learning to rest, her meditation practice, studies with Judith Laster and neurologist Roger Cole as well as other contemplative asana styles such as yin yoga and the meditative movement of viniyoga. She began practicing yoga in 1986 and teaches more vigorous styles of asana as well. Her warm, mindful classes are always guided by the principles of simplicity, generosity, creativity and authenticity.
Rosemary Garrison began her practice in the traditional Astanga style with Tim Miller. Devoted to the intensity and purity of Mysore, she spent years with the 1st and 2nd series. Over time, life called her to explore Vinyasa. Now… the free form creativity and expressive nature of Flow are the foundation of both her practice and her teaching. Like so many of us, Rosemary was drawn to the mat for inexplicable reasons. She soon realized that while her body was happily opening and strengthening… her mind, heart and spirit were also undergoing a transformation. Slowly, she became ever more intimate with a power greater than self, an energy coursing thru the body~heart~mind, and has since been devoted to the cultivation of that energy. It is her hope that, by aligning with this innate inner force, each practitioner will have the experience of his or her own divine, radiant nature.
Rachel Gladman discovered yoga in the midst of her hectic pre-med studies and from the beginning it was love at first breath. She relishes in teaching classes that reinforce that balance of steadiness and ease that begins on the mat and ultimately can be carried beyond the yoga studio. Her classes emphasize breath, core strength, and the quest for “the edge” that ultimately serves the body and soul most appropriately. She is inspired by the work of numerous teachers ranging from Ana Forrest to Rusty Wells to Ramanand Patel, and is grateful for every single class that she is blessed to teach.
Andrea Graham guides students to steady the breath, still the mind, and build strength in their vinyasa practice. Her classes combine eclectic music with exciting sequences that balance and purify. An enthusiastic practitioner, Andrea feeds her love of yoga by exploring all of its forms, believing that every experience has something to offer. While living in Louisville, Kentucky, she was first introduced to Bikram yoga in 2001. The rigorous routine enticed Andrea’s athletic drive, and the cardiovascular benefits kept her physical body strong. Above all, Andrea was taken by this elegant form of movement, stretching and breathing. Completing a 200-hour teacher training in Bhakti yoga with Rusty Wells in 2009 transformed Andrea’s life and her understanding of yoga. Bhakti Flow tied in devotion and a sense of connectedness. She believes that cultivating self-awareness in all activities and efforts, even to the point of welcoming and accepting our limitations, teaches us to be less reactive.
Kevin Hibbitt teaches Hatha Flow classes that are a dynamic mixture of Ashtanga yoga, pranayama, deep restorative asana, and the wisdom of the Yoga Sutras. He encourages his students to continually deepen their practice and to discover the subtleties of pranayama, bandhas, concentration, and meditation. His classes move from fast paced vinyasa to long moments of stillness and tranquility. Students can expect to explore their own limits in a manner that is both rigorous and compassionate. Kevin also supports students to relax deeply and to forge an honest connection with themselves as complex beings. He holds yoga as a discipline that addresses the whole person and aims to integrate multiple layers of experience including body, mind and spirit. Kevin is a graduate of the Greenpath Yoga teacher training program and holds a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies.
Allison Hodge views yoga as a spiritual and mental journey that connects to the authentic self and as a means for attaining inner peace. Yoga therapeutics and yoga philosophy have led her to discover a keen sense of mind and body awareness. Her classes cultivate a sense of love and liberation to empower oneself by freeing the mind of all unnecessary thoughts. Inspired by her passion for yoga and music, Allison teaches a challenging yet playful flow class that encourages students to move through this sweet life with grace and compassion. She continues to explore and study the benefits of yoga and is forever grateful to her teachers, Rusty Wells, Andrea Maltzer, Amme Hill and Stephanie Snyder who continue to inspire her practice and teachings.
Erika Hollister has always been passionate and inspired by the union of body, mind and spirit. She grew up studying many forms of dance and believes the blend of movement and vibration in the body inspires health and balance, and prevents stagnation. Erika first turned to yoga seven years ago and found that it brought her towards a path of truth, balance, and empowerment. After several years of practice in New York City, Erika encountered Alan Finger’s BeYoga and became a certified ISHTA yoga teacher. Erika now resides in SF and recently completed a second teacher training with Ana Forrest. As a result of her diverse background and training, Erika integrates an honest light and joy to her classes alongside a strength, alignment and breath focus. Her approach influences students to brighten up and live in their own truth.
Caley Joyner brings passion her yoga classes. This passion grows from her desire to explore the balance between movement and stillness, strength and surrender, discipline and spontaneity and inner peace and outer brightness and to share this approach to life with others. Her holistic view to life is grounded in the beliefs of self empowerment and love. Focusing on the connection between the breath and movement, Caley crafts her free flowing classes to emphasize union between energetic exploration of alignment and the resulting psychological and spiritual elements that are revealed along the way. Her dynamic style creates a playful and thought provoking atmosphere allowing students to explore their Self both on and off the mat, cultivating a strong and flexible physical and mental foundation to allow one to be a witness to, and participate in all aspects of their life. Her personal yoga practice and philosophy have been influenced and inspired by instructors including Shiva Rea, Ana Forrest, Elise Lorimer, Pete Guinosso, Darren Main, Janet Stone, Deb Lee and so many others.
Jennifer Lewis draws from the Ashtanga yoga sequence developed by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois of Mysore, India. She considers Devorah Sacks to be her main teacher but remains in debt to all of the wonderful teachers in The Bay Area that continue to inspire her. Jennifer’s classes aim to be a moving meditation, placing importance on synchronizing breath and movement. Her teaching style is both challenging and nurturing. Jennifer was certified by It’s Yoga in January of 2002.
Andrea Maltzer believes that music, movement, and playfulness are essential. She brings over 15 years of instruction in movement, a passion for eclectic music, and a deep commitment to the transformative benefits of yoga to her classes. Andrea strives to combine these elements in a fun, physically challenging and spiritually uplifting practice. Andrea graduated from the It’s Yoga Teacher Training program in 2000 followed by 2 months in India studying Ashtanga Yoga with Pattabhi Jois. Other influential teachers have been Bryan Kest, Anna Forrest, John Friend, Shiva Rae, David Life, Sharon Gannon and her current teacher, Rusty Wells.
May Jean Martin first discovered yoga in 1998. While she originally sought out yoga as a way to stay in shape, it has proven to be one of the most beautiful and transformational discoveries of her life. The sense of connectedness, peacefulness, and love that has flourished along the way has been infused into her life and her other job as an elementary school teacher. May Jean brings this passion and understanding to each class. Her classes offer a challenging, fun, and nurturing experience infused with music, humor, and laughter. She feels extremely blessed and grateful to be under the tutelage of such amazing teachers and beings as Rusty Wells, Stephanie Snyder, and Janet Stone.
Chrissy Mehnert brings an open and inquisitive mind to every yoga class. The questions are endless and the yoga practice continues to bring about new answers. Chrissy began her life with a deep curiosity for the body and its movements. She danced competitively from her early childhood years through college, and discovered yoga in New York City towards the end of her college years. Yoga awakened her to the parts of her body she had previously ignored resentfully due to the challenges they presented for her dance practice. In doing this, yoga brought her to new heights as a dancer, teaching her to work with and not against all parts to her being. Yoga also opened her heart and mind, bringing her being to shine brighter. She trained at Yoga to the People, a donation based studio in the heart of New York City’s east village, and shortly after receiving her certification she moved to San Francisco to continue on her yoga journey. She is passionate about the gift that yoga has given her, and perhaps more passionate about sharing this gift with her students.
Chanda Mollers has been a student of yoga since 1996. Her study of hatha yoga, pranayama, yoga therapeutics, and yoga philosophy led her to become a certified Hatha Yoga teacher in 2005. With a background in mechanical engineering, Chanda brings a focus on alignment and the physiological aspects of the practice. She is currently completing a Master’s degree in Integrative Health Studies from CIIS, and infuses her classes with mindfulness, creativity, and love. She teaches classes, for children and adults, throughout the Bay area, including the San Francisco County jail through a program called the Resolve to Stop Violence Project. Chanda is full of gratitude for all her teachers, especially her students.
Whitney Reed has been teaching since 2001 and has formulated a Vinyasa class that inspires a deep awareness of breath and alignment consciousness. She strives to create a non-judgmental atmosphere for students to release and open. Whitney encourages students to embrace each moment with a beginners mind, and observe the body with kindness. Her trainings include work with Spirit Rock, Dana Babtiste, John Friend, Laughing Lotus, Iyengar training in India as well as a 20 day silent retreat with Joseph Goldstein at Insight Meditation Society. She is currently attending a PhD program at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology where she is integrating Yoga into the field of Psychology. Whitney is also a Certified Massage Therapist at IO.
Taniya Sen has been practicing yoga since 1999 and is so thrilled to be at International Orange. After receiving her BFA from NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Taniya worked as an actress in film, TV and theater in New York City. It was there that she discovered her yoga practice which became a great supplement to the active and sometimes stressful lifestyle of a working actor. Taniya moved to San Francisco last year and along with teaching yoga all over the city, also teaches English as a Second Language. She is constantly amazed at the healing and inspiring aspects of yoga that continue to allow her to express herself as truthfully as she can. She teaches a Vinyasa class that links movement with breath and encourages students to try new things, have fun and take care of themselves. Taniya has a 200 hour Certificate from Laughing Lotus Yoga Center NYC and continues to learn from her teachers, Dana Flynn and Jasmine Tarkeshi.
Allie Stark approaches both her practice and teachings as a tangible connection to the body, but a avenue for nurturing, transformation, and creativity. She began practicing at the age of 14, and became certified to teach as she graduated from High School. Over the past five years her teaching has evolved with a playful presence to acknowledge and respect ones own being. Her Anusara inspired Vinyasa classes combine not only breath and alignment, but the importance of laughter and community. When we learn to love from within, the true light of a yogi prevails, one that acknowledges empathy, unity, and peace. Allie has been registered to teach with Yoga Alliance since 2004. Her teaching style is continuously influenced by her mentors – Jordan and Martin Kirk of Scottsdale, Arizona. Her interest in different forms of yoga is as creative as her classes, ranging from AcroYoga to volunteer work with the Art of Yoga
Debbie Steingesser discovered her true sense of inner ritam (rhythm) and joy in her yoga practice. She danced her way through the Holistic Yoga Teacher Training program with Saul David Raye, James Bailey, and Dr. Jeremy Brook at Exhale Center for Sacred Movement in Venice, CA. In her flow yoga classes, Debbie encourages students to connect with the “Rasa” or juice, flavor, essence of their lives. She loves weaving together movement, chanting, breathing techniques, music, yoga philosophy, and meditation to help her students feel connected to their inner space. Debbie’s teaching draws on her passion for building community and bringing people together through movement and the arts. She assists her students in finding freedom in their minds and bodies by exploring their own personal expression of yoga. Debbie firmly believes yoga should be accessible to everyone as a medium for growth. Her classes are open to all experience levels.
Lindsay Thomson brings a warm playfulness to the dynamic practice of vinyasa yoga. Her classes emphasize the importance of moving with intention and the beauty of being in the moment. Lindsay was trained in vinyasa and prenatal yoga in Washington, DC and has also studied Thai Yoga Massage Therapy with Saul David Raye. Her teaching is guided by the joy she feels sharing yoga with her students and seeing the positive impact it has on their lives. She is honored to be on this path with you, with great thanks to her many teachers.
