TEACHERS

All teachers are encouraged to bring their own unique style to each of their classes. No two teachers or classes are ever the same!

Crystal
Lola
Hillary
Megan
Denise
Nicole
Scarlet
Kaitlyn
Sandy
Jessica
Oona
Wolf
Laura

Crystal
Lola
Hillary
Megan
Denise
Nicole
Scarlet
Kaitlyn
Sandy
Jessica
Oona
Wolf
Laura

Crystal

Crystal is a warm and passionate instructor who knows first-hand the transformational power of yoga.

Her journey of healing and recovery paralleled her study of yoga – from the world of academia to the foothills of the Himalayas, Crystal’s blend of scientific knowledge, spirituality, and the depth of lived experience is foundational in how she teaches and encourages students with authenticity and compassion.

Crystal is currently a full-time faculty member in the Health and Exercise Science Department at Southern Oregon University. Her yoga teaching experience also includes yoga studios, K-12 schools, fitness centers, and festivals such as Wanderlust, Prana Fest, and the Oregon Country Fair.

Her educational background includes an MS in Kinesiology, BFA in Dance, Child Development Credential, and several certificates in a variety of yoga, breathwork, and musculoskeletal modalities.
Always a student, she is currently pursuing a Doctorate degree in Kinesiology, and her 500+ hour training with Janet Stone Yoga has allowed her to deepen her practice and continue refining her teaching since receiving her 200-hour certificate in a training that culminated with in-depth studies in India in 2012.

Outside of the classroom or studio, she finds joy digging in the garden, taking ice baths and saunas, traveling the world, and relishing in the ever-expansive wild journey of motherhood, which recently grew to include becoming a foster mom.

Lola

Lola found her love for yoga and meditation in New York City studios in 2003. She has taken classes and workshops around the world, bringing her practice to Ashland in 2013. She has a BFA in Illustration and a Masters in Early Childhood Education. Owning a local preschool (Pea Pod Village) for a decade, the primary focus was teaching children mindfulness, yoga, and art through emergent curriculum. She is a Registered Children’s Yoga Teacher (with a trauma-informed focus) and has also taught yoga and mindfulness to elementary school ages.

Lola completed her 200-hour YTT in Ashtanga and Vinyasa Yoga with Jonah Kest, adopting a unique style composed of dynamic flows that increase brain activity and proprioception. In addition to studio classes, she teaches yoga and art camps for kids, privates for adults, and group classes to first responders. (Primarily at Ashland Fire & Rescue and Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.) When Lola isn’t challenging her body and mind, she can be found traveling, cooking, eating, making art, and snuggling her two little girls.

Hillary

Hillary has been a traveling yoga teacher for 12 years.
She specializes in Hot Vinyasa, Power, Hatha, Restorative, Yin, and Water Yoga. She’s incredibly passionate about Partner and Acro Yoga.
She has also completed her Module Level Il training as a Yoga Therapist, where she meets privately and creates customized sequences.

Overall, yoga has become her purpose from an early age, and yoga has carried her through her own struggles with an autoimmune disease, an amputation, a tumor, multiple surgeries, anxiety, depression, migraines and more. She shares empathy and slivers of knowledge from her entire yogic journey when teaching. Whether it be shares from her personal introduction to yoga, as a 14 year old traveling the PCT, her beginning teachings in 2012 with disadvantaged youth in the Greater Boston area, creating yoga dance routines in S. American schools. Her multiple visits and trainings in India, living and teaching in S.E Asia, workshops stops in Europe, South Africa, Canada, Alaska, or reuniting with her roots on the West Coast.

She has now bought a home in Ashland, and is very excited to plant her practice here for now, to create new memories to share, as well as continue learning.

She believes everyone is a student, as well as a teacher, always. She loves to have you leave her class feeling rejuvenated, relaxed, and reunited with others. Truly giving and sharing the ultimate gift of yoga. The connection of the breath to the body. Don’t be surprised if you find Hillary on hikes within the hills with her dog, or on the dance floor.

Yoga creates a special energy, a way which we all cultivate together, simultaneously as a class and as a community. Yet then that energy powerfully transcends into our personal practices, and our life off the mat.” ~hillary

Megan

In her own words: “Yoga helps me get out of my head and back into my own body. I have a chronic illness (endometriosis) where it’s very easy to disconnect and try to avoid my pain and symptoms but getting on my mat regularly helps me reconnect and move my body in a nourishing & restorative way. Through teaching, I hope to help others reconnect with their bodies in a meaningful way, have at least a little fun and offer many options to meet yourself where you are in that moment.”

Megan hails from Wisconsin and moved to the Rogue Valley in June 2021. She started practicing hot yoga regularly in 2012 and completed her first teacher training in 2013. Since then, she has gone on to complete many more teacher trainings in hatha, vinyasa and yin styles of yoga.

Denise

I discovered my love and passion for yoga over 10 years ago, specifically in the 26 & 2 series. Ever since I took my first class it’s been a staple in my life that has helped ground me, bring healing, and mental clarity. I even practiced the 26&2 the entire pregnancy of both my kids. (My second kid I practiced yoga that morning and gave birth that evening). Being a Mom to two small boys means my yoga time is even more precious than ever before.

Yoga gives me the patience and strength to..

handle any situation life throws at me. Yoga always brings such peace to my entire life when I practice.

Since the first day I took the 26&2 class I knew one day I would become a teacher. When the opportunity arose for a teacher training at Agni Yoga in Portland, OR I jumped on it and dove right in, as this felt like second nature for me. I’ve been teaching ever since, and it feels so good to bring the knowledge that I learned and share it with the yoga community.

My family and I just moved to Southern Oregon in 2021 and I’m so excited to be apart of this amazing community here. When I’m not at yoga I’m chasing around two curious little boys. We love to be outside gardening, hiking, camping, and hanging out.

Nicole

She took her first 200-Hour yoga teacher training in 2008 in Ashtanga Yoga. Through her path of several additional 300 Hour Trainings, she got Certified as a Vinyasa Teacher Trainer with Yoga Alliance/YogaWorks in 2015. She offered several trainings per year in Los Angeles, as well as the Ashland Yoga Center in Oregon. Through her authentic vulnerability, powerful voice, strong intuition, and lightness of being, Nicole co-facilitates her clients through a deep alchemical process with Spirit and helps to empower them to activate their highest potential.

Nicole Doherty Ananda been serving the wellness industry for over a decade as a Certified Life Coach, Trauma Healer, Shamanic Reiki Master + Trainer, Transformational Breathwork Facilitator + Trainer, E-RYT 500 YogaWorks Teacher Trainer and Medicine Woman.

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For over a decade, she’s been mentoring, healing and teaching with highly respected coaches, yogis, shamans, and healers in the US and Peru. She’s worked with thousands of students and clients over this time in their healing process.

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She also offers her signature integrative healing and coaching program, “Unleash the Priestess Within + Thrive”, she runs a FB Community called The Priestess Within Sisterhood, offers in person and online Intuitive Healings, Goddess Full & New Moon Gatherings, Transformational Breathwork Healing Ceremonies and Trainings, Women’s Empowerment Retreats, and workshops at large festivals like Burning Man, Lightning in a Bottle, Symbiosis, and Oregon Eclipse Festivals.

Scarlet

A yoga enthusiast for over 20 years, Scarlet received her teaching credential in 2000 from Tai Sheridan, a renowned Buddhist teacher and yoga teacher in Sausalito California. Dia’s yoga started to light up in 2003 at Lynn Whitlow’s Funky Door Yoga in San Francisco, and she studied under many great teachers like Jim Kallett, Craig Villani, Emma Cleaves and Rajashree Choudhury. Scarlet received her second yoga certification with Bikram Choudhury in 2012 in Los Angeles. Scarlet is a free spirit who has toured the world and has led Goddess-centered yogic initiations and

retreats in Copenhagen, London, Bali, Maui, California, southern France, and Washington state and is pleased to consider Ashland and the surrounding area her new home!

Scarlet is so thrilled to be part of the awesome Ashland Yoga and Wellness community! She considers it such a pleasure and honor to bring students into a deeper understanding of their own power and grace.

Scarlet is originally from Texas and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and performance. After leaving Texas, she studied under some legendary comedians and she considers herself a proud graduate alumni from Second City improvisational Theatre in Chicago so you can expect to be entertained in any yoga class led by Scarlet.

Kaitlyn

While studying at Cal State Long Beach, she stumbled upon Yoga and fell in love! Kaitlyn has been practicing for over 10 years, with an Iyengar and Vinyasa background. After graduating with a BA in Kinesiology and teaching group fitness classes for 4 years, she felt her calling to begin Yoga Teacher Training with CorePower Yoga in 2016. By blending her knowledge and passion for physical and spiritual wellness, Kaitlyn’s intention behind her classes is to create a deep connection between Body, Breath, and Being.

“Movement is my Medicine”

Kaitlyn has embraced movement since her baby ballerina days. She began dancing at the age of 5, which then evolved into jazz, lyrical, and hip hop as she progressed. To this day she loves all expressions of dance!

Kaitlyn’s love for Yoga ties into her love for dance. “Yoga is just dancing on my mat!” When she’s not teaching, you can find Kaitlyn dancing around the house, eating yummy food, and exploring the world!

Sandy

Sandy began her yoga practice in 2012 by diving into a 30-day challenge at a local Bikram studio. She quickly experienced the abundance of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual benefits that came along with this sacred practice — especially in supporting her healing through on-going challenges from fibromyalgia, autoimmune disease, spinal injuries, depression & anxiety. Her 30-day commitment grew to 60 days before evolving into a lifelong dedication to the path of yoga, Soul-growth, and holistic healing.

Sandy completed her first teacher training in Santa Barbara, receiving her 500-Hour Certificate to teach the 26+2 from Evolation Yoga. During this life-changing experience, it was revealed to her just how expansive the study of yoga and the Self could be. She continued her yoga studies and completed a 250-Hour Certificate in Vinyasa Flow to expand her ability to serve outside of the 26+2 series, as well as 200 hours certification in Hatha Yoga.

Along with teaching yoga, Sandy is also a yoga teacher trainer, licensed bodyworker, and works as a professional astrologer & spiritual coach, offering her tools & gifts to empower trauma release and transformational Soul growth.

Sandy’s passion for helping people align with their highest vibrational Self comes through in her teaching. Her yoga classes artfully blend energetic & spiritual insight with functional movement & concise cueing to guide you with grace, ease, and a greater sense of connection to your body, mind, and Soul.

Sandy was born in Seoul, South Korea and recently relocated to Ashland, Oregon after 17 years in the Hawaiian Islands. You can connect with her online at www.sandybeachholistics.com and on Instagram @sandylikethe.beach

Jessica

Jessica has created her own path in human wellness for over 20 years. Through her practice of structural integration, she has the keen sense of alignment. She is also a nutritionist enjoying the combination of all her practices on the mat, with her students, her family and out in the world. Jessica brings a holistic approach to healing with an element of integrity and bliss to every ‘body’!

Mother, teacher, healer and lover of life, Jessica breathes a conscious vitality into every scope of her passions. Her original yoga training started with Bikram Choudhury in 2002, which was a springboard for a lifelong journey of yoga. Trained in many disciplines of yoga since that time.

Oona

Oona lives with the philosophy that, “Life is Yoga”, having been born into a NW community, on Vashon Island, WA, where, Health of Spirit, Mind & Body were the values of the community. Growing up, Oona’s parents each had their own Yogic Practices, from this inspiration, Oona practiced as a child. She then lost touch with her practice in her teen years. As College and Young Adult beingness came into her experience, she had the gift of reconnecting to a Yogic practice, again.

Oona found connection in her Seattle Yogic Community by having work/trade positions a 2 Yoga Centers. Through this she reconnected & maintained her practice. In 2004 Oona was moved to Ashland, OR, where she took a position @ OSF, in Ashland, OR.

Here she connected instantly with the Yogic Community, allowing her to take part in various projects, such as “The Art of Yoga” & I.willshinealight.org., following her desire to share her practice with others. In February of 2017, Oona committed to her Yogic path, by receiving her RYT(Registered Yoga Training), allowing her to become a guide for this practice that has given so much to Oona.

Wolf

Wolf’s enthusiasm for healing infuses his Yoga teachings. He teaches Hatha based classes focused on foundational alignment and connection within. His classes are designed to not only advance your practice physically, but to tap into the emotional, mental and energetic bodies. He completes his classes with sound healings and meditation techniques. Wolf’s classes have been described as, “Healings… sprinkled with yoga”.

After 14 years of practice in the field of Sports Medicine, Wolf felt the pull and answered ‘the call’ that magnetized him towards the art of Natural, Holistic Healing and Shamanic Practices. In heeding the call, a profound awakening began.

Wolf attended school for Naturopathic studies and during this time discovered he is a Light Healer. As such, he worked with a Medium and did energy healing work that assisted deceased spirits to cross over.

Wolf’s light work evolved while he was receiving a “Rising Star” healing at the Agape Spiritual Center. During this session, two of his Spirit Guides – Yeshua & Melchizedek – came forth and delivered a message, “You are to learn this healing modality and Yoga and share them with the world.” These powerful Spirits have guided Wolf and all his work over the past 7 years.

Along the journey, Wolf has been blessed with many teachers. In the first 3 years, he studied with an Abbot of the Renzaiji Buddhist Monastery located in Los Angeles where he advanced his Spiritual practice by taking residence there. During this time, Wolf began working with two unique Shamans that crossed his path in Divine order helping him to connect deeper to his native indigenous roots. In 2015, Lloyd ventured to the Satchidananda Ashram-Yogaville for their ‘Living Yoga’ Internship Program located Virginia. Through these experiences, Wolf discovered a deeper Understanding of the Light within, Truth and its origin.

Teaching the physical practice of Yoga (Asana) was a way to merge his background of Sports Medicine and Spiritual Healing into one. Wolf was guided to Loyola Marymount University and graduated their ‘Yoga and Healing Sciences’ accredited program in 2013, the same year he finished the Hatha program at Hot 8 Yoga.

Wolf’s certifications are: 200-RYT from Loyola Marymount University and 200-RYT Hatha Yoga through Hot 8 Yoga.

Laura

I have been practicing yoga for roughly 15 years and have been teaching for the past 7 years. The first class I ever walked into was was right here in Ashland at the Siskiyou studio so, it is so cool that life has brought me full circle to not only practice but to teach at this beautiful studio. My 200 hour training was in vinyasa, a dynamic breath and body connection. Shortly after, I decided to compliment that fiery practice

with 50 hours of training in Yin Yoga. I consider myself a student of yoga first and foremost and teaching is something that fulfills me so much with the connections that are made inside the studio. Yoga is a life long path and it is my privilege to be able to share in people’s practices.