Ashland Yoga Center 

My journey began over 20 years ago when I worked in the Spanish radio industry. I suddenly found myself suffering from chronic lower back pain. In search of relief, I developed a dedicated yoga practice which helped to deeply heal my body. My restoration was life-changing and inspired me on my path to teaching yoga.  As a Yoga Therapist, the most important thing for me is to make yoga accessible to all. For over two decades, I’ve taught in various settings, from private and studio classes to shelters, schools, rehabilitation centers, hospitals, and churches. I love creating positive environments that are self-paced and inclusive. My approach to teaching stems from the unique needs of each individual.  Through my own healing journey and after helping hundreds of clients, I know what it is like to suffer or feel like the only option you have is a lifetime of painkillers. I want to show you how you can live pain-free, get better sleep, manage your stress, improve your strength, and create a brand new relationship with your body. I am a Yoga Therapist with a specialization in rehabilitative therapy, catering to a diverse range of clients, including first responders, veterans, and individuals who have experienced work-related injuries. These injuries can encompass conditions such as amputations, spinal surgeries, chronic pain, PTSD, and the complexities of brain injuries or opiate addiction. In private sessions, I collaborate with individuals who have a desire to reclaim or sustain their quality of life. Individuals who are injured or experience pain in activities they enjoy like pickleball, kayaking, rowing, or playing on the floor with their grandchildren, hiking with friends, traveling and maintaining balance in their daily movements. My primary expertise revolves around individuals aged 50 and above who actively seek ways to preserve their capacity to live life with vitality and fulfillment.

Carlos is a Certified Yoga Teacher, college-graduate Fitness Trainer, and Certified Advanced Qigong Instructor and Internal Martial Arts teacher. He began his formal Mind-Body instruction more than two decades ago in the martial arts field; he then trained in yoga, cardio kickboxing, HIIT, and other fitness modalities. Carlos teaches cardio kickboxing, tai chi, qigong and core & cardio individual and group classes, as well as yoga classes and qigong series at Ashland Yoga Center, Ashland Hot Yoga and Court House Family Fitness. In his yoga practice, he incorporates some aspects of fitness science and physiology, as well as internal energy circulation for building physical strength from the inside out, cleansing and invigorating internal organs for optimal bodily functions, and strengthening the immune system to prevent disease. His classes are based on mind-breath-body harmony & coordination, with emphasis on proper alignment, uninterrupted awareness, chi circulation & core strength

Vanessa, E-RYT500, is co-founder of the Ashland Yoga Center and teaches Hatha Flow classes, workshops, immersions and teacher trainings with foundations in both Classical 8 Limb yoga and Tantric yoga philosophy, and deep inspiration from the beauty and vulnerability of the natural world. Vanessa’s classes combine vinyasa flow and sustained poses with focus on core strength and integration of breath, alignment and presence to unfold the ultimately spiritual nature of Yoga. She is known for her depth of understanding of alignment and ability to communicate these principles for greater stability, freedom and delight in students of all levels. Vanessa’s earliest training was the the 500 hr. Advanced Studies program at the Iyengar Institute of San Francisco; in 2003 she was certified as an Anusara Yoga Instructor. She has studied with many wonderful teachers over the course of the last 25 years and integrates wisdom and inspiration from them all into her teaching.

After years of personal practice, Cat took the next step in her yoga journey with a 200 hour teacher training program through the Ashland Yoga Center in early 2021. She decided to pursue a 100 hour prenatal and postpartum yoga and movement training in Portland, Oregon through Next Wave Birth in the spring of 2023. Since then, she has focused on creating space for pregnant and postpartum people to care for their changing bodies at such an important time in their lives. Her prenatal classes focus on preparing the body for birth with gentle strength-building, breathing, and bringing movement to the pelvis, and her postpartum classes support birth recovery by reintegrating the core, reconnecting with strength in the body, and relieving tension from caring for baby.

Tabbitha Bruce was born and raised in beautiful Southern Oregon where she now raises her three children with a fourth on the way. She spends most her time outdoors as fly fishing guide, and adventuring with her kids. Her passion for teaching and nature inspired her to become a yoga teacher in 2016. While she has taught many styles of yoga, the miracle of the body during pregnancy has shifted her focus towards prenatal yoga.

Manpreet is a Kundalini Yoga Teacher, singer, and mantra recording artist. Her Kundalini Yoga and Meditation journey began in 2006, never having taken a yoga class of any kind, she stumbled into her first kundalini yoga class and knew she’d found her “answer”. As a teacher of Kundalini Yoga and Meditation she is devoted to sharing this user friendly yoga as a method for self healing and self empowerment. Manpreet believes in a modern approach to the practice and encourages practitioners with a “come as you are” attitude, to gently move out of their physical and meditative comfort zones and into the authentic Self. Manpreet embraces compassion and neutrality as the essential coping mechanisms for these highly pressurized times, and knows how the practicality of Kundalini Yoga and Meditation can elevate anyone who decides to participate. Join Manpreet for transformative and elevating classes, with an epic mantra music soundtrack, and may you be inspired towards your own magic, and magnetism.

Emmy Graham is a Harvard-trained epidemiologist who has found Kundalini Yoga to be a powerful technology for supporting our physical, mental and spiritual health and wellness. She has been teaching Kundalini Yoga for over 20 years.

Lisa designs and facilitates workshops for individuals navigating the many facets of loss and traumatic grief to attend to their body, mind and spirit with mindful awareness after trauma. She is a facilitator for Trauma Sensitive Yoga (TCTSY) from the Center for Trauma and Embodiment at the Justice Resource Institute. Lisa has a BA in Interpersonal Communications from the University of Southern California, is certified by New Ventures West as a Personal Coach and has taught yoga for the past 16 years in schools and studios, with at-risk teens and adults. Her offerings of yoga (movement and breath) provide a compassionate lens to inhabit, befriend and honor the body on a pathway toward healing. When facilitating Trauma Sensitive Yoga, Lisa meets people exactly where they are, providing evidence based somatic practice while inviting safety and symptom reduction for PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) and complex trauma. Lisa currently facilitates Winterspring's traumatic loss, suicide loss and general bereavement groups supporting grieving people reinhabit thier lives after loss at La Clinica. Lisa’s inspiration to inhabit our bodies with intention and kindness during Bereavement comes from deep personal loss and the realization that no one can take care of your body, mind and soul but you. It is our privilege and duty to align all aspects of ourselves into balanced wholeness given our unique gifts and challenges. Lisa has found Yoga and Mindfulness to be the portal to this process of inner peace and equanimity both at times of graceful passage and perhaps more importantly, at moments of fear and uncertainty after loss. It is her sinceres intention to offer a workshop that supports people in grief, normalizes and provides education on the complexity of loss and offers hope and healing on the path of heartbreak into a new way of being and seeing.

Briana is a creative and passionate health coach with twelve years experience guiding people toward a more integrated, and balanced life. Her lifetime of study in emotional, physical and spiritual wellness equips her to be an extraordinary resource, helping her clients achieve a life of balance, health and vitality. Briana's own journey of illness and healing led her to supplement her Sociology and Wilderness Studies degree from the University of Montana with training at the California College of Ayurveda where she became fully captivated by the philosophy and science of Ayurvedic medicine. Following her passion of building connections with people and cultural exploration, Briana spent several years working all over the world in youth development and adult wellness. She guided student trips, taught English and led health retreats in Thailand, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, Costa Rica, and India. In combination with her Mediation Certification and training in Nonviolent Communication, Briana worked as a residential counselor, case manager and program coordinator for Restorative Youth Justice. Briana’s education in holistic therapies, Ayurvedic herbalism and nutrition support her ability to provide a unique and specialized treatment plan for her clients. Briana is a graduate from the 2023 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training at Ashland Yoga Center. Briana is a wife and mother and has expanded her coaching practice to include Ayurvedic prenatal and postpartum support for women. Briana brings warmth and compassion to her practice with complete presence and focus on each person as a unique individual.

Wayne is a life-long musician who has studied the gong extensively under Gong Master Mehtab Benton. His authentic style of playing, infused with passion and intention, promotes deep relaxation and transformation. Wayne is the Founder-Director of Beneficial Sound, a 501(c)3 public charity committed to bringing wellness to the mind, body and soul through sound and vibration. He has a degree in Psychology, is a Certified Gong Practitioner and Yoga Instructor and is a member of the American Sound Healers Association.

Ginny Gillanders, an Occupational Therapist based at a local Medford hospital, specializes in working with individuals across different age groups, with a particular focus on older adults facing a range of physical challenges. With nearly half her life dedicated to practicing various forms of yoga, Ginny is a seasoned yogi. She identifies as an active mature adult and, in addition to her yoga practice, finds joy in activities such as weight training, cardiovascular exercises, camping, and boating. She's also passionate about gluten-free and Mediterranean cuisine, often whipping up delicious meals, and cherishes quality family time.

Mia has been a creator and devotee of movement all of her life. She found yoga at a young age and attributes this way of living to an ability to practice steadiness, love, and curiosity throughout life's hardships. Growing up as a dancer and majoring in Dance and Anthropology in college, she felt at home with the integral studies of yoga for its movement, history, and way of life. She studied traditional Iyengar yoga and started teaching in 2011 with the mission to weave ancient wisdom into the modern world. Each year she has dedicated herself to further deepening of study, bringing her all around the world to study restorative, yin, tantra, trauma informed yoga, and yoga for Women's Health. She is now a 500hr Registered Yoga Instructor, YACEP, Level 2 Relax and Renew Restorative Yoga Instructor, Certified Trauma Informed Yoga Teacher, and Certified Pregnancy and Postpartum Instructor, and Doula. She owns Move Create Ratiate, where she blends tools of women’s wisdom, breathwork, somatic movement, ceremonies, rituals, and yoga to nourish and balance women's health through all the rites of passage. Her work includes teaching classes, workshops, trainings, circles, and retreat experiences. Mia is dedicated to building community with each class and looks forward to the unique experiences and journeys that each person has that brings them to class. She has been grateful to teach in parks, studios, gyms, court houses, and homes. Mia is grateful to share her experience and reverence for this practice with the Ashland community.

Michelle Has been working with Tibetan sound bowls since 2017, training under her mentor Julie Garcia who has been in the energy medicine world for over 15 years and is a Certified Teacher through Atma Buti in Boulder Colorado. In 2021 Michelle began training under Suren Shrestha who is a world renowed teacher ,author and founder of Atmi Buti, where he trains students in traditional Tibetan methodologies. After completing her training Michelle established Vibrational Aesthetics where she offers a combination of self care and holistic modalities specializing in Sound Therapy and Aesthetic work, creating the ultimate relaxation experience for the mind, body and soul. With a beautiful collection of hand hammered singing bowls, giant tuning forks, and gongs, Michelles creates an immersive and breathtaking experience on the individual or group level. Her techniques combine the use of instruments directly on or around the body, to lower stress, anxiety, and promote healthier sleep patterns.

Nikki's adventuresome spirit has led her on a path with many twists and turns, including being a ski instructor, land surveyor, festival & conference event producer and an acupuncturist, highly trained in the energy systems of the body. In her practice of Chinese Medicine, she became acutely aware of how energy (aka qi, prana) blockages in the body are at the root cause of most pain and suffering people experience. She discovered that acupuncture was especially good for many types of physical pain or ‘dis-ease’, but was challenged when the pain and suffering had underlying mental and emotional issues. In Sanskrit, breath means 'spirit' or 'vital energies', so when Nikki was introduced to breathwork about 20 years ago, its power to heal mind and spirit along with the body immediately resonated with her. She discovered how using conscious connected breathing can quickly access the subconscious mind, allowing the body to somatically release trapped emotions, trauma and limiting beliefs, often creating powerful transformations in the body, mind and spirit in a short amount of time. After experiencing and witnessing the powerful effects of breathwork, which is recognized as being one of the safest and most effective catalysts for change, she was inspired to become a Transformational Breath Coach and 9D Facilitator in 2023. Nikki will gently lead you through her exclusive offering of the rEVOLutionary and EVOLutionary 9D Breath Experience, weaving in the wisdom learned from Dr. Joe Dispenza meditations and retreats, with light touch, tapping into her knowledge of acupuncture points and energy flow in the body, to enhance the session. Nikki is very grateful for the opportunity to help others with this powerful modality and is excited to help change the world, one breath at a time!

David Romero is a highly experienced yoga instructor and wellness practitioner with a diverse background in both eastern and western modalities of healing. With over 10 years of teaching experience, he has completed over 750 hours of Yoga Teacher Training, co-led three yoga teacher trainings and has specialized in helping individuals manage chronic pain through movement and mindfulness practices. For 5 1/2 years, David served as a Lecturer of Yoga Philosophy and Stress Management at the University of Southern California (USC), where he shared his expertise in holistic wellness with students. Additionally, he has worked for 4 years as a Mental Health and Detox advocate, supporting and leading thousands of individuals on their journey to recovery and mental well-being. David’s approach blends his extensive training in yoga, his deep understanding of chronic pain, and his commitment to mental health, offering a comprehensive path to healing for those he works with. Lastly, David is a Veteran (Capt U.S. Air Force) and works closely with Veterans struggling with chronic pain and mental health conditions. David believes that turning struggles into service is the hallmark to healing.