Star Ryan began her yoga practice alongside gymnastics as a young girl and taught herself meditation at age 13. She was a meditation instructor for the acclaimed UC Berkeley course Meditation, Mysticism, and the Mind and completed her Yoga Teacher Certification under Shy Sayar, inspired by the Upeksha Yoga philosophy of experiencing life fully and honestly with equanimity. Her classes and retreats focus on what she feels is the fundamental principle behind yoga and meditation: Know Thyself. Star invites her students to expand self awareness by nurturing curiosity and discernment through mindful, alignment-focused Asana and Vinyasa. Her aim is to cultivate self Love and acceptance with Sincerity.

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Vlad Moskovski is founder of Meditation Secrets Revealed, a certified NLP practitioner, and yoga and meditation teacher. He has been a student of yoga for over 10 years and has recently begun to teach and lead workshops in the Bay Area. Vlad is passionate  about bringing yoga to all ages and demographics. He is heavily influenced by the ancient masters of Yoga and Taoism through his studies of Patanjali Yoga Sutras, Tao Te Ching, and the Bhagavad Gita. His teaching approach is founded on the philosophy that meditation and mindfulness should be integrated into people’s daily lives and the techniques be simple and accessible to all. To learn more about Vlad visit his website: Yoga Muse

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Teacher

Jana Kilgore began her journey in the healing arts as a young girl in Florida practicing the magical alchemy of cooking, plant medicine, singing & dancing with nature. She’s been Meditating, studying Eastern Philosophy, Medicine and Tantra since age 12.  As a young adult she traveled the US creating community and working with Women in Agriculture and Development in Nepal and the Midwest. In 2000 she turned to yoga for healing and within, found home. In the Anusara Yoga lineage she discovered the full expanse of practices and freedom to explore her true nature.  She has been with Anusara Yoga and Siddha Yoga studying with John Friend, Sianna Sherman, Behnje Masson, Noah Maze, Abby Tucker, in Ayurveda, and Shiva-Shakti Tantrik Philosophy. To Jana, Yoga is a dynamic matrix of practices that awaken every aspect of human potential and at the very least, make you feel pretty darn good. Whatever your learning style, approach to life, physical or mental ability when you are drawn to yoga, Jana believes it is the perfect time to begin!

Hilary Snider was introduced to yoga at age seven and was practicing everyday by sixteen because her chiropractor recommended yoga for scoliosis. Her practice became an integral role in her physical health and spiritual well being and was influenced by her dance background and deep love for nature. She studied modern dance in Portland and New York City before moving to the Bay Area, where she became certified to teach yoga. For the past two years she has taught yoga and dance in studios and k-12 schools, including in special education classrooms. Through her classes Hilary emphasizes mindfulness in movement, meeting challenges with equanimity, and bringing balance into life on and off the mat.

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Justin McCoy has been practicing yoga since childhood. He moved to the Bay Area and was ordained as a Zen Buddhist monk under Gengo Akiba in 2002. Justin’s Yoga teaching is rooted in his daily practice of meditation, invoking an understanding of the impermanent nature and dynamic interdependence of all life. In his teaching, Justin endeavors to combine mindful movement and active stillness, to balance strength and flexibility, ease and effort, gravity and levity. He uses yoga asanam as a means to develop wisdom, compassion, perseverance, and achieve a visceral understanding of reality. His yoga is not about relaxation or fitness (though these are some side effects), instead Justin advocates a “purposeless practice”– to practice wholeheartedly without thought of ‘goal’ or ‘attainment’ to cloud the immediacy of experience. He believes the practice is not about limitations or achievements,  or getting into fancy contortions, but about finding joy in the ongoing exploration of movement and awareness.

.Susan Shloss has been practicing yoga for over 30 years.  Her teaching is strongly influenced by the Iyengar and Upeksha principals of alignment and self-inquiry.  Her long-time study of healing and bodywork modalities brings an added attention to detail and an intuitive sense that directs the student to increased awareness and subtlety while moving into the asanas.  Her long-time daily meditation practice infuses her classes with a deep and powerful calmness, creating a balance of strong, challenging flow, and spacious silence.

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Alex Jacobs is a musician who brings sound to life. He has 20 years of performance experience and graduated from the 2008 Sound, Voice, Music Healing program at CIIS in San Francisco. His life has been enriched by practicing yoga and meditation since 2001, including 4 years of living at a zen Buddhist temple. Alex’s music is lyrical and spontaneous, responding to the energy of the moment, transforming and deepening the experience for others. He calls this Soundscaping. Currently, he shares his music at yoga classes, weddings, senior centers, community events, and other ceremonies. To learn more about Alex and his music, please visit www.LexJacobs.com.