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For Alison, Yoga is ancient wisdom for harmonious living in the modern world. It’s an opportunity to move your body, clear your mind, and connect as community.

Classes with Alison are infused with passion, play, and powerful technical knowledge. You’ll receive clear instruction with precise alignment principles. And you’ll develop a practice that is healing, strengthening, and intuitive.

Alison’s practice and perspective of Yoga is deeply rooted in the Anusara lineage. She has been blessed to study with Anusara Founder, John Friend and Sanskrit scholar Christopher “Hareesh” Wallis.

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When Anna Hughes-Nicoletto first started studying yoga, it seemed a natural progression from the dance she had studied and adored for the first eighteen years of her life. But yoga opened a window that allowed her to integrate the physical with the spiritual. Anna believes that the physical body is the temple and vehicle to experience ourselves as spiritual beings.

Anna completed her 500-hour Bikram teacher training in 2002, and began teaching full time immediately after. She began studying Bhakti Flow with Rusty Wells in 2003, and considers him her biggest yogic influence and inspiration.

In her own teaching, she emphasizes mindfulness, patience, compassion, and connection with the breath. Her experience with yoga has inspired her to infuse her teaching with the idea of finding joy in one’s practice while challenging the body, mind, and spirit. Her classes are vigorous yet playful, creatively sequenced, and always include a great soundtrack. For more info on Anna, visit annayogasf.com.

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Dana Damara has embraced yoga as a lifestyle both on and off the mat. Through her children, writing, yoga, and fulfilling relationships, Dana radiates that power of soulfulness and spiritual awakening through yoga, both for others and herself. She has studied with Seane Corn, Johhny Kest and Sienna Sherman, building on their philosophies, creating a flow that opens the heart, quiets the mind and exudes a balance of strength and grace.

Her passion is proper alignment with powerful breath and effortless flow. Her belief is that the mat is a sacred space that we arrive at to find more meaning, depth, authenticity and integrity in our lives off our mat. Her secret? EQUANIMITY, TRUST, INTUITION and UNCONDITIONAL LOVE. Come and play with this spiritual warrior…your life will shift immediately.

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Daria is certified in several yoga disciplines and dance.  Her yoga training includes ashtanga, kundalini and children’s yoga.  She is a local mother with two children in the Tiburon public school system.  She has taught kid’s yoga at the Belvedere Recreation Center, Ring Mountain Day School and various yoga studios.  She believes in nurturing kid’s bodies as well as their minds in yoga poses, breathing, child inspired meditation, music and movement.

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Dina Amsterdam began teaching yoga in 1994. She is certified by Kripalu (1994) where she gained her spiritual yogic roots and by Rodney Yee (1998) with whom she studied alignment oriented Iyengar yoga intensely for 3 years in his Advanced Teacher Training program. Since 1998 Dina has been practicing and studying Buddhist meditation and Yin yoga with Sarah and Ty Powers as well as other renowned teachers in the Buddhist lineage. Dina is a certified Yoga Therapist and works with individuals and groups on transforming psychological and physiological constrictions. Her approach with clients is guided by healing principles from the yogic and Buddhist therapeutic traditions. She did her graduate research in physiological psychology at the Stanford Center for Research in Disease Prevention and values an integrated approach of eastern and western modalities for optimal psycho-physiological and spiritual well-being. Dina leads yoga retreats (many of which are held in the Buddhist tradition of silence) in beautiful places in nature around the world.

Dina listens to her body more accurately and sensitively than almost anyone I know. This connection, combined with her great communication skills, makes her a phenomenal talent in the world of yoga. I give Dina my highest recommendation to anyone looking for a yoga teacher.”

—Rodney Yee

Dina skillfully guides people toward a richer inhabitation of the emotional life . . . while leading them toward the potent art of meditative awareness.”

—Sarah Powers

In her public yoga classes, Dina weaves together mindfulness, alignment, strength and softness in a slow paced flow practice. She guides students in a rhythm that allows them to move in harmony with their breath and to discover the obstacles / opportunities that are waiting to be met. Her teaching blends together the Hatha yoga traditions of yin, Iyengar, vinyasa, and restorative yoga with the wisdom of the Buddhist path and invites students to cultivate a courageous and kind presence of wakefulness within themselves on and off the mat.

Best Classic Yoga Teacher in San Francisco for 2007
—The San Francisco Magazine (p.138)

Featured Teacher Profile in Yogi Times 5 Year Anniversary Issue
- July 2007.

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A dedicated Yogi both on and off the mat, Evan Silberstein brings fifteen years of direct experiences in Yoga to Yoga Tree. His teaching style is informed from his advanced education and training as an Amrit Yoga Instructor and Yoga Nidra Facilitator, where he studied under the guidance of Kamini and “Gurudev” Amrit Desai.

He further integrates many years of personal practice and study across the yogic disciplines to his classes. He received the blessings of direct tutelage and intensive training from Ashtanga Yoga Guru Shri K. Pattabhi Jois during his September 2001 residence in New York City and practiced regularly for many years in Florida under former senior Bikram teacher Jimmy Barkan. Evan is also a great admirer of His High Holiness the Dalai Lama, whom he has been lucky enough to learn from in person on several occasions.

Off the mat, Evan is currently serving as Lead Development Specialist for Operation Bootstrap, an innovative home based stress management system delivered to troops and veterans at no cost. He is a dedicated environmental and indigenous rights activist who holds a J.D. and license to practice law in Hawai’i; the very special place in the Pacific he has pledged to defend and which forever holds the key to his heart center.

A thoughtful, compassionate and experienced teacher; Evan is adept at working with a wide range of people and brings a touch of Aloha to everyone he meets. He crafts real life lessons in a language that is easily understood, integrated and enjoyed by his students. He looks forward to guiding you effortlessly toward your highest potential in one of his custom designed Yoga Nidra sessions at Yoga Tree.

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Karyn Holland is well known for her enthusiastic and inspirational approach to teaching yoga, always emphasizing the positive. Her classes offer a “good vibe” Vinyasa Flow with precise attention to alignment and masterful sequencing in a light hearted and inviting way. Karen’s expertise grows out of her studies with many prominent Iyengar and Anusara teachers, who have influenced her greatly. Layered onto her strong foundation of yoga training is the passion for spiritual growth and personal transformation. It is this melding of the wisdom of the practice and its practical relevance in every day life that make her classes both uplifting and physically challenging. Come be inspired, nurtured and transformed through the power and movement of yoga.

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Laura’s creative and intelligently sequenced flow classes are known for being challenging, with a smooth and rhythmic flow. She incorporates strategically selected music organized to create a specific cadence and theme for each class. Laura is conscientious about catering to different levels and ability to ensure that all feel welcome and comfortable.

Laura’s extensive studies, primarily under Shiva Rea and primary mentor Jason Crandell, have helped forge an intuitive, spontaneous and eclectic instruction style.

Laura worked as the Yoga Director at the San Francisco Bay Club’s Mind/Body Center, has appeared in numerous online videos by Yoga Journal and Yogaglo, and was the June 2010 master class model for Yoga Journal Magazine. In addition to teaching yoga classes, Laura is the founder of Yoga Reach International, a company that specializes in yoga travel-adventures with a philanthropic intent: to help the communities that it touches through both hand-on projects or donations. Yoga Reach fosters a platform to bring well- being, adventure-travel and service together to benefit both communities in need and enrich the lives of those participating in the retreat.

www.LauraBurkhartYoga.com

www.YogaReachInternational.com

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Leigh’s yoga roots were found in the breath and movement of Ashtanga Yoga. While in India studying with Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, Leigh fell down a flight of marble stairs causing extensive back injuries. With time and a consistent therapeutic yoga practice, her back healed and her attention shifted towards a safer, yet challenging yoga practice. With extensive study of Iyengar Yoga, Leigh has woven the ideas of technical alignment with the beauty of breath and flowing movement. Leigh always holds a safe and friendly environment for students to explore their breath, deepen their yoga experience and be nourished while developing strength, flexibility and calmness of mind. The result is a moving meditation where one can be attentive to the body, the mind, the heart and the soul.

Monique has been practicing yoga for 11 years, and was inspired to teach as she discovered the inner peace that yoga can bring. She realizes the potent benefits of mind-body connection, and the possibility of finding harmony – physically, emotionally and mentally. Monique teaches Yin, Hatha flow and Restorative yoga. She encourages her students to find ease and compassion in their practice, focusing awareness on the breath. Monique completed her 500 hour certification at Yoga Tree in San Francisco, where she continues to draw inspiration from the InnerYoga teachings of her mentor, Dina Amsterdam. Monique is also pursuing a Master’s in Somatic Psychology at CIIS. She is an Ambassador for Africa Yoga Project and Lole.

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Rebecca’s classes are vigorous, yet nurturing, classes that will energize you with eclectic, fun tunes.  She creates an atmosphere where challenging movement, awareness and breath merge to create a beautiful harmony between surrender, energy and calm.

Unfulfilled with a corporate life, Rebecca searched for an outlet that could absorb and heal her mind, body and soul.  The focus and surrender she found through the discovery of yoga had a transformational impact on her life.  It fueled an internal fire that allowed her to quiet the mind in the throws of challenge and be open to possibility. She completed her teacher training with Rusty Wells in 2010, and continues a life long education with yoga.  She has a son named Jack, and lives in Marin with her husband Michael.

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Susan Hauser was recognized this year by Lululemon as a 2012 Ambassador. In addition she is an influencer for Athleta and a Zobha Circle of Grace member. Susan was recently voted “Best Yoga in Marin” by Marin Magazine.

She teaches a fast paced, dynamic flow, focusing on toning, strengthening and stretching, while bringing greater clarity, control and peace to one’s emotional state of mind. Susan swam for University of Miami on a full scholarship. Her class is all levels, but geared toward athletes. Susan’s class has the feel of an amazing workout of challenging yoga poses that are set to an incredible motivating music. She brings her love of yoga and of people to the studio with her everyday, and, as a result, has amassed a large and devoted following of students, Susan has become a strong presence in the Bay Area yoga community. If you haven’t had the pleasure of taking one of her classes, you should definitely do so — but be prepared to work and sweat.

She studied with Baron Baptise and completed her teacher training in Baptise power vinyasa. She furthered her education and studied anatomy, physiology, methodology, sequencing and ethics completing Yoga Tree’s yoga alliance training 2011. Her class consist of challenging vinyasa sequences following the Baron Baptise Vinyasa style.

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Tara, along with her partner Tim, is the founder of Yoga Tree San Francisco. She teaches a tantric based hatha class with emphasis on going at your own pace and being in the present moment. Students will be guided through sun salutations, standing, seated, and inverted asana sequencing. Tara encourages her students to focus on their breath and to nurture a centered and grounded practice. Throughout her class, Tara highlights alignment. Tara has been teaching hatha yoga since 1995 and has been studying Iyengar, Anusara and Tantra since 1995 and has been in the fitness and wellness industry since 1987. Her teachers are John Friend, Shiva Rea and Judith Lasater.