Heather Hunt
Heather ha
s completed a 50 hour American Council on Exercise approved yoga teacher training, a 20 hour Prenatal Teacher Training Course, and a 200 hour Yoga Allianc
e Certified Teacher Training Course. She asks that all students come to yoga with an open heart and an open mind.
When did you first fall in LOVE with yoga?
Mom says I used to sleep in child’s pose as a baby, so I would have to say probably since I was born. Maybe even before. After that it would have to have been when I was on the central coast just starting to work as an attorney and yoga brought balance and peace to my otherwise busy lifestyle.
What can a student expect in one of your classes?
I try to bring a grounding, centered energy and pace to the class. I try to find that place where you’re not moving so fast that you can’t move with your breath but not so slow that your mind wanders drastically and you lose that mind-body connection. I also hope to bring compassion while asking you to move beyond what you only think you can do.
What is your favorite yoga pose?
Ustrasana (camel) pose. Because it opens the heart. And any pose that opens the chest to help expand the lungs and heart is beautiful to me. When I’m in ustrasana I canpicture that my true self is lifting right out of my heart center and being offered up to the world. It reminds me that there is more to me than my day-to-day routine, that I have something worth offering, and that I can direct that offering to anything to which I am devoted and see it prosper.
What is your least favorite?
This varies so much from practice to practice it’s hard to pick. Some days its standing balancing poses, other days its a simple pose lie prasarite padottanasana (wide-legged forward bend), because I feel that one so intensely in the outside of my calves. Basically I can tell when I have overindulged in anything, have been overtaxing my body, or have been avoiding emotional issuesby what poses I am reluctant to do in a practice. Being aware of the poses I want to avoid helps me work on areas that need the work.
What is your favorite thing to do off the mat?
Honestly – learning more about how to practice the yoga lifesyle off the mat. How to make my day-to-day life easier and more compatible with my true self. I also love eating good, wholesome food, and just being quiet, prefereably somewhere under a tree or by water.
Shannon Shellenberg
Shannon began her Yogic journey 11 years ago when, at her very first class, an amazing teacher looked into her soul and corrected her posture – - pushing her chin back and saying, You think too much, lead with your heart, not with your head. Since that first clas, Shannon has studied Iyengar and Bikram yoga in addition to Power Vinyasa. Shannon completed her 200 hour Yoga Alliance certified teacher training under her teachers Anne Marie Kramer and Bill Prysock.
When did you first fall in LOVE with yoga?
Well, it was LOVE at first sight, but then of course like any relationship, the love has waxed and waned over the years! 
I first knew though that this would be a life long relationship when I realized how much more yoga was than just a physical practice – - that was already years into my exploration of it. The love deepened and matured as I realized that the true gifts of yoga are the tools for happiness and peace of mind it can bring.
What can a student expect in one of your classes?
Unconditional love for whatever you bring to the mat that day! A solid and challenging physical practice delivered with compassion and a few giggles hopefully! No fun, no yoga.
What is your favorite yoga pose?
Trikonasana (triangle pose). I feel like it uses every muscle in my body and opens upmy heart at the same time – - I feel expansive in it.
What is your least favorite?
Hanumanasana (splits). It challenges my tight hamstrings (and my ego) to no end!! So I need to do it more often!!
What is your favorite thing to do off the mat?
SCUBA diving!! It’s like yoga underwater – - the breath, the focus on the present moment, the fluidity and beauty of it!
Bernadeen Zivkovic
Bernadeen began her journey with yoga in 2001 when she was going through a challenging time in her life. In 2010 she did her yoga teacher training through Asha Yoga in Sacramento, CA. Bernadeen believes that the benefits of yoga should be shared with everyone, especially those new to yoga. She thoroughly enjoys working with children–their free spirits, unlimited humor and their acceptance of life resonates with her clearly. She likes to create an environment where her students can explore their hearts and practice with openness and grace. Bernadeen also thoroughly enjoys teaching adults in Vinyasa flow and Yin/Yong classes as well, and brings a cheerful and calming energy to every practice.
When did you first fall in LOVE with yoga?
I think I first fell in love with yoga in 2001, when I was going through an emotional time and it became a time when I could take a break from my mind and the world I was living in. I fell deeper in love when I recognized that I could take the practice off of the mat and into my world–no matter where I was–and could apply it to my everyday existence.
What can a student expect in one of your classes?
A student in my classes can expect a calm and warm environment mixed with some humor and a chance to connect with themselves and the community. I like to break down postures, offer modifications and assist in changing barriers into acceptance of where we are right now.
What is your favorite yoga pose?
Oooohhh….there are so many poses that make me feel warm and fuzzy. I think I’ll go with trikonasana (triangle) pose. I love the twist of the spine, the heart-opening, the stretch of the hamstring and extension of my arms. It’s so delicious that I have to stop answering these questions and just go do it right now…
What is your least favorite?
Right now, hanumanasana (splits). But not for long!
What is your favorite thing to do off the mat?
Hanging out with my sons, Julian and Elliott and laughing. I also enjoy singing, reading, and time with friends and family.
Kate McKinney
Soon after taking her first traditional Hatha class, Kate discovered Vinyasa & Yin yoga. Kate felt a deep connection to these styles of yoga and has been a practitioner & student ever since. Kate did her 200 hour Yoga Alliance Approved Teacher Training Program with Cori Martinez, E-RYT and owner of Asha Yoga. Kate’s training with Cori included in depth training in Pranayama, Mediation, Vinyasa Krama, and Yin Yoga. Kate continues to take workshops in different styles of yoga and meditation. Kate comes to her own yoga practice with a kind heart for herself and teaches with a sense of compassion and wonder for others on their yoga journey.
When did you first fall in LOVE with yoga?
Oh, That’s easy! During my first Savasana. Lying there in Savasana I was mystified, ‘What is this feeling?!?! The feeling was a sense of liberation and surrender. I discovered an avenue that led me to a place where I had the opportunity to surrender my mind’s thoughts (even if it was just for a moment). Then & there I was yoked.
What can a student expect in one of your classes?
My goal as a teacher is to help my students discover the style of yoga that suits their mental & physical body. Both my Vinyasa and Yin & Flow classes begin with mindful attention to the students’ pranayama & mediation practices. Special notice is given to drawing the senses inward as the students begin to move through their asana practice. The physical body is taken through an intelligently designed sequence of poses cultivating presences by connecting breath with movement to prepare the physical & mental body for a peak pose(s). Of course in my classes, a little extra time is always dedicated to a nice & long releasing savasana.
What is your favorite yoga pose?
Just one…hmmm..well, of course Savasana. I also love Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (One-Legged King Pigeon Pose/Swan), and Svarga Dvidasana. (Bird of Paradise)
What is your least favorite?
Bakasana (Crow/Crane Pose)
What is your favorite thing to do off the mat?
Sitting on the porch or by the fireplace having a glass of wine with my husband in the evenings. Spending ‘quality time’ with my two cat-kids, Serynphina & Maple; I’m convinced they are yogis in feline form! Hunting for and finding just the ‘right thing’ to add to the decor of our new house.