Since we opened our doors in 2002, we at Ashtanga Yoga Shala have been dedicated solely to teaching the Ashtanga Yoga system as it has been prescribed and taught by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois of Mysore, India.

It is with deepest respect for the lineage of Ashtanga Yoga, for Guru parampara, and our devotion to this practice, that we teach our students in the most undiluted manner that we know...that is, just as our teachers have taught us.

We have devoted ourselves to the study, diligent practice and faithful teaching of this system because we believe that it is a powerful tool for personal transformation and self-realization.

We teach traditional Mysore-style classes that seek to empower each student on his or her individual journey towards self-knowledge within an environment that is physically and emotionally safe, non-competitive & non-judgmental.

As yoga continues to become popularized, commercialized, and watered down here in the West, we are committed to upholding the integrity and traditions of the Ashtanga system.

I took my first yoga classes in 1995 and became a dedicated practitioner of Ashtanga Yoga after a short period of experimenting.

From 1998 to 2001, I studied with Noah Williams and Kimberly Flynn and taught at their yoga school in Los Angeles. I also want to thank Jorgen Christiansson, an early teacher and good friend, who first taught me to trust this practice.

In 2001, Rachelle and I made our first trip to Mysore, India. Since, we have returned annually to continue our studies with Guruji and Sharath.

I received authorization to teach the Ashtanga method in 2004 and was a member of the first group to receive Level 2 Authorization in July 2009. I have the blessing of KPJAYI to teach students the full Primary and Intermediate Series of Ashtanga Yoga.

Dedication to daily practice is the cornerstone of my teaching philosophy. I encourage my students to develop the virtues of patience, faith, diligence, compassion and non-attachment using the integrity and genius of the traditional Ashtanga system. As these virtues are cultivated over time, students are well on the way to living fuller, happier and more balanced lives.

My immersion into yoga began in 1996 with Bikram Yoga.  I traveled to Los Angeles six short months after my first class to train with Bikram Chowdury and taught Bikram Yoga for three years in Toronto and in LA (when Paul and I moved there in 1998).

Shortly after our arrival in LA, I took my first Mysore class with Noah Williams at the former Ahimsa Yoga studio and thus began my deep love for the Ashtanga yoga method.

I took daily practice under the guidance of Noah Williams and Kimberly Flynn for two and a half years. My studies with them led me to Mysore, India to deepen my studies with K. Pattabhi Jois and his grandson, R. Sharath Jois.

Since that first visit in 2001, Paul and I return to Mysore annually to practice at the feet of our teachers. I feel blessed to have learned from Guruji and am grateful to Sharath and Saraswati for their continued dedication to share this lineage.

I received authorization in 2004 to teach the Ashtanga method and was a member of the first group to receive Level 2 Authorization in July 2009. I have the blessing of KPJAYI to teach students the full Primary and Intermediate Series of Ashtanga Yoga.