Jeannette Candau, a life-long athlete and student, first experienced yoga as a group exercise class offered at a Gold’s Gym. She quickly realized the physical postures were only the beginning of what yoga could teach her. Initially studying with teachers Deb Dobin and David Miliotis, over time she developed a deep personal practice of yoga, both on and off the mat. Her study of yoga has spanned over two decades and is ongoing. Completing her first teacher training with Erich Schiffmann in 1993, most recently, in November 2011, Jeannette spent 5 weeks studying in residence with YogaWorks’ faculty teacher Alicia Chueng in Bali, Indonesia. A picture-in-the-yearbook Class Clown, she knows how to balance laughter and focus. She sees the yoga mat as sanctuary and science lab – a place find refuge, and a place to test edges and experiment with new ways of being. Mostly, she sees it as playground to discover, laugh, and feel small in the face of wonder. With a deep appreciation for the power of healing touch, she has also studied cranio-sacral therapy at Esalen Institute in Big Sur and is a licensed massage therapist. She has a private practice which offers a unique blending of cranio-sacral treatments with personalized yin yoga sessions. www.jeannettecandau.com
An avid student and dedicated teacher, Victoria De Maio began to take yoga classes on a regular basis in the late ‘90’s, well into “mid-life”. Never having been a dancer or particularly athletic, “I found a home for my body – and, as it turned out, for my mind and spirit as well. To say that yoga has changed my life is an understatement!” A newfound passion was ignited and her entire life took a new direction. Within two years she enrolled in Erich Schiffmann’s teacher training and left the corporate world behind. She started teaching immediately and hasn’t looked back since! Having the privilege and honor of studying with many excellent teachers, her teaching style has been most profoundly influenced by her advanced studies with highly respected yoga master Rama Jyoti Vernon and her initial teacher training with Erich Schiffmann. Victoria’s growth as a student and teacher has been an ongoing passion. In addition to completing her 200 hour level teacher certification in 2000 , in 2005, after two years of comprehensive study, she completed her 500 hour certification with Rama and guest faculty through the International Yoga College. Victoria’s love and enthusiasm for teaching yoga are apparent to all who enter her class. Her warmth and genuine caring quickly put even the most inexperienced novice at ease. Her maturity and life experience bring a unique wisdom, empathy, and compassion to her teaching. Particularly sensitive to the needs and issues of the baby boomer generation, she empathizes with those starting a yoga practice at mid life and beyond as well as those coming from the stress and pressure of a corporate environment. www.LifestyleYoga.com
Emily Kligerman brings almost two decades of experience and study in the field of mind-body wellness to her teaching. After completing a degree in Marriage and Family Therapy, she followed her love of yoga and completed a teacher training with Integrative Yoga Therapy and then traveled to India to study with master Yoga Therapists in the Krishnamacharya tradition at Yoga Raksanam. She has continued to deepen her understanding of the mind-body connection through working closely with sports medicine specialists, personal trainers, physical therapists, integrative movement practitioners, body workers, and senior Yoga teachers and therapists of the east and west. She is a Certified Yoga Teacher and Yoga Therapist, a Licensed Massage Therapist in both Swedish and Thai Massage, and a Certified Corrective Exercise Specialist. Emily leads the Yoga Program at United Cerebral Palsy/WORK Incorporated. She has a thriving private practice in Santa Barbara and is also featured in Real Bodywork’s DVD “Yoga Therapy for Back Pain.” It is Emily’s intention to help her students create an enriching Yoga practice both on and off the mat. www.emilykyoga.com
A 30-year veteran of the fitness industry, Mindy McDaniel has been teaching Pilates TM for over 20 years, and is known for her expert ability to help clients understand their own mind/body connection. Clients often have many ‘aha’ moments when discovering the ability to consciously chose the appropriate muscle for each specific movement. Mindy’s passion for this work is fueled by these moments. Her own practice of the alignment principles has allowed her to stay injury-free throughout her years of athletic exploration and commitment. She currently enjoys running, swimming and yoga. Mindy is also certified in Gyrotonic TM, Massage Therapy, Watsu, Water Dance, and has a degree in Physical Education from Cal State University Long Beach.
Chao Pang always had a natural affinity for the Eastern meditative practices, both due to his birth origin and love of martial arts. He has studied for over 30 years learning practices from oriental as well as western traditions. Asian practices have a close relationship with Taoism, Zen (Chan Buddhism in Chinese) and Confucian in its philosophical understanding and energetic practices. He is fluent in Chinese and has traveled extensively to learn directly from many of the masters and absorb transmissions from reading ancient texts. He enjoys sharing his understanding and knowledge through experiential teaching of Tai-Ji (Chi) and its philosophies with fellow practitioners.
An athlete and mover all of his life, Paul Wehrman was introduced to the physical practice of yoga while in college. After years of informal practice and attempts to translate Asana from books, his practice expanded and took root after moving in 2005 to live and study at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, Ca. Since then, he has had the privilege and honor of studying and practicing directly with many gifted teachers in the fields of massage and yoga. His passion for teaching yoga is inspired by the motivation to reconnect people with their innate capacity to self heal and find balance in themselves, and consequently their lives. His classes are infused with an in depth understanding of anatomy, inspired poetry here and there, and the occasional dash of divine humor and light heartedness. Along with teaching yoga, he also teaches classes and assists massage workshops at Esalen, and maintains a thriving private massage practice in town. www.MontecitoHealingArts.com
Denise Zaverdas, E-RYT 500 and founder of MoYo, enjoys the tenure of over 10,000 hours of teaching experience. With a B.S. degree in Kinesiology, an unending fascination with the human form, and the deep curiosity of a seeker, Denise studies many forms of Yoga with many master teachers, whom she honors by drawing from a unique blend of disciplines, while emphasizing spirit, breath, structure and strength. Her early roots were planted in Ashtanga with Chuck Miller, Forrest Yoga with Ana Forrest, Yin Yoga with Paul Grilley, and Freedom Yoga with Erich Schiffmann, completing teacher trainings in each style. She creates a liberating flow in her classes, where transitions between poses carry the same mindfulness thread throughout, guiding students to find the dynamic rhythm within. After 6 years of assistant directing the Santa Barbara Yoga Center, Denise birthed Montecito Yoga on 11.11.10.
