The best yoga studios are created by the best teachers!

Birgitte Kristen

Birgitte is an E-RYT 500 hour YogaWorks certified Teacher Trainer

Birgitte Kristen took her Training at YogaWorks in 1992 and started teaching full time in 1993. Since 2004, she has been teaching 200 & 500 Hour Teacher Trainings and led retreats both nationally and internationally. Birgitte has studied with many great teachers including, Erich Schiffman, Lisa Walford, Maty Ezraty, Rod Stryker, Richard Miller, Rolf Sovik, and Gary kraftsow. Her on-demand classes can be found online at YogaAnytime. Her meditations and Yoga Nidra course are published on Insight Timer.

​

John Gaydos

John is an E-RYT 500 Hour YogaWorks Certified Teacher Trainer

John has been practicing yoga since 1972 and began teaching at YogaWorks in 1997 when he retired from being a professional dancer. Because of his dance background, one of his unique talents is teaching yoga to dancers. He taught yoga in the dance departments of California Institute of the Arts, California State University at Long Beach and Loyola Marymount University. John has also taught over 30 Teacher Trainings nationally and internationally and was the Director of Teacher Trainer Development in Los Angeles (mentoring other trainers).  

John likes teaching all levels but loves introducing yoga to people who have never experienced the practice before – everyone can enjoy and benefit greatly from the practice.

​

Heather Seiniger

Heather is an E-RYT 500 hour YogaWorks certified Teacher Trainer

Heather Seiniger began practicing yoga as a teenager in Santa Monica in 1986. She completed YogaWorks Teacher Training in 1996 and in 2005 she began leading YogaWorks Teacher Training courses.  Heather was fortunate to have studied with premier visiting instructors including Rodney Yee, Richard Freeman, Gabriella Giubilaro, Aadil Palkhivala, and many others. Her main teachers locally were Lisa Walford, Maty Ezraty, and Annie Carpenter.
Heather’s style incorporates her in-depth knowledge of anatomy and alignment with her love of breathwork and strong vinyasa-based yoga. Heather believes that the asana practice should be both challenging and calming, energizing and relaxing, focused and fun. She helps people find that delicate balance in their yoga practice as a step towards finding more balance in their lives.
 

Charlie Samos

Charlie is a E-RYT 500 hour YogaWorks Certified Teacher Trainer.

After years of competitive sports and physical training, Charlie took his first yoga class in 1995, hoping to increase his flexibility and balance. What he found was both a passion and a practice, where he could create strength and experience physical and psychospiritual openness in a serene, non-competitive environment. Charlie began teaching in 2005.  His teaching style focuses on mindfulness and presence, attention to breath, alignment, and movement/flow, all leading to stillness.

Charlie has a natural talent to create a peaceful environment where ego release, mental calmness and emotional openness naturally lead to self-acceptance and growth.

When Charlie is not in the yoga studio, you’ll find him rock climbing, hiking, and mountain unicycling.

​

Al Tavera

Al is a E-RYT 500 hour YogaWorks Certified Teacher Trainer. 

A student since 1995 & teacher since 2004. Al has had the privilege to study with some of the best teachers in the country. He did his teacher training with Chuck & Maty of YogaWorks. His primary teachers include Natasha Rizopoulos, Annie Carpenter, Chris Stein & Lisa Walford. Al also studied in Pune India with BKS Iyengar & his family. 

​

Al teaches a fun, upbeat class. Class moves at mid tempo using breath to move body and still the mind. Mindful to proper alignment & making sure students know their limits to avoid injury. 

​

Chiara Cola-McConville

Chiara is a YACEP, E-RYT 200 and LOAY 500 Yoga Teacher.​

​

Yoga deeply touched Chiara’s heart, leading her to become a Hatha Yoga RYT 200 with Yoga Alliance, studying with Stephanie Morrell and drawing inspiration from masters like Sri Dharma Mittra, Sharon Gannon, and others.

While primarily trained in Dharma Yoga, Chiara has explored many styles, including Vinyasa, Iyengar, Ashtanga, and Jivamukti, with a strong focus on Pranayama and Meditation.

Chiara’s practice is guided by Dharma Mittra’s teachings on Ahimsa (non-violence) and compassion, emphasizing unity and self-realization. She is also a Certified Sound Healer, offering transformative sound baths. Chiara feels honored to share the Universal Love of Yoga and the joy of this ancient art.

Amanda Meehan

Amanda is an RYT-500 Hour YogaWorks Certified Teacher

Amanda grew up as a competitive gymnast and has been interested in the human body and how it works since an early age.  After many injuries, she was unable to continue in the demanding, high impact world of gymnastics.  At age of 17, she found yoga as a new way to experience movement but also to heal and maintain health. 

Amanda's teaching style is breath centered, playful and compassionate, rigorous yet calming and blends the YogaWorks and SmartFLOW methods she has studied. Amanda hopes you find yoga to be a joyful experience and to leave each class empowered with heightened focus and most importantly, a greater connection to your wonderful self, to take with you into all aspects of your life. 

Papo Caballero

Papo Caballero RYT 500 Registered Yoga Alliance

​

Papo Caballero came to yoga after being a professional cyclist (Cal State Champion 2006, Subaru-Gary Fisher Factory Team XC/Endurance Team Rider). He suffered a catastrophic leg injury while cycling, and after numerous attempts to find relief from constant pain, he tried yoga. His physical pain subsided, but even more incredibly, his mind felt more at ease than it ever had. He was hooked. Papo teaches a creative, yet anatomically safe challenging asana class that promotes strengthening and healing in the body and the mind.

Xu DaRocha

Artist turned healer, Xu first started practicing Chi Gong when she was an early teenager. Over the past 15 years, she has dived even deeper into meditation and various healing modalities. Her deep understanding and intuition about body, mind, and spirit make chi Gong a living knowledge in her being.

As a certified Chi Nei Tsang practitioner, Xu teaches Qi Gong, Tai Chi, and meditation, as well as works as a somatic healer offering private healing sessions alongside her visual art practices. Her classes are fun, uplifting, and healing for everyone.

Noelle Maremont

Noelle is an E-RYT 500 Certified Yoga Teacher

​

Noelle embarked on her yogic journey by attending the inaugural Yogaworks teacher training in the early 90s, guided by luminaries Chuck Miller, Maty Ezraty, and Lisa Walford. Rooted in the classical Yogaworks style, blending elements of ashtanga and Iyengar, this training profoundly influenced her teaching approach.

Trish Deignan

Trish Deignan, Licensed Physical Therapist Asst., ProYogaTherapy Level 2 certified, Certified Yoga Teacher-Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram , India 500 hour training. 

Trish specializes in Yoga Therapeutics and the profound healing power of yoga, pranayama and sound therapy. 

For the past 25 years, Trish has taught yoga, yoga philosophy and Vedic chanting at Yogaworks.  She uses her 10 years as a professional physical therapist assistant to empower students to experience the power of balancing flexibility with stability and focuses on how to be proactive in their journey of optimal health, healing and happiness. 

Trish's playful personality mixed with her physical therapy knowledge brings clarity, depth and light heartedness to her classes. After 20 years of being an athlete and incurring injuries lead Trish began her journey and training in Yoga Cikitsa (therapy) and the teachings of T.Krishnamacharya.  

Trish's commitment to her own personal growth is reflected in her mindful teaching style.  She is able to teach alignment and poses with clarity, simplicity and connection to the students to help them enhance their practice.