Meet the certified yoga instructors of Karma Yoga Center
(sorted alphabetically by last name)
Julia Alvarez  |
Julia was born in Boulder and raised nearby in the City of Longmont. Despite her Boulder birthing, her love for yoga was seeded by her Aunt Sis, who introduced her to the practice.It was love at first Om. Julia’s passion for yoga grew steadily over the years. She sought out a yoga teacher training program after college, which she completed during the spring of 2009. Immediately after her YTT graduation she fulfilled an apprenticeship to become a restorative yoga instructor under the guidance of Paul-Ryan Haffy. You can find her teaching restorative and peaceful yoga classes at Karma Yoga Center, as well as in other Denver studios. |
Caren Baginski |
Caren believes in the transformative power of yoga because it has so fully transformed her life. After struggling with depression since adolescence, she credits yoga as her ultimate healer and no longer identifies with the disease. She began her journey three years ago in an Iyengar studio in Knoxville, Tenn. Shortly after moving to Denver she completed the 200-hour teacher training program at Samadhi Center for Yoga followed by an apprenticeship with Karen Lerner. Caren teaches with mindfulness to alignment, and encourages expansion and peacefulness using the breath as a guide. As a writer who loves language, she’s passionate about weaving asana with new and ancient ideas and stories. She teaches Peaceful and Meditation Flow Yoga at Karma Yoga Center. |
Ann Bortz |
Ann teaches a lyrical, deeply mindful form of yoga. As both a clinical psychologist and as a yoga instructor, Ann is interested in the interplay of mind, body and breath and in yoga as a meditation in motion. In addition to teaching yoga to a mainstream population, Ann started a yoga therapy program for traumatized teens in residential care a number of years ago. Her ongoing work with these teens has been featured on 9News. Ann has also presented nationally on using yoga to address emotional reactivity and deficits in arousal modulation in a traumatized population. |
Maya Brown |
Maya is a 500-hour certified advanced yoga instructor. She did her training at the Nosara Yoga Institute in Nosara Costa Rica with Don and Amba Stapleton where they emphasize yoga for the multidimensional self. In her classes she focuses on yoga as an inquiry into the present moment and the self.Maya has also studied yoga with the yoga master Sri Dharma Mittra in New York City. Another of her passions is Vipassana meditation and she has practiced with several teachers in the Theravada Buddhist tradition at the Insight Meditation Society and the Forest Refuge, including the Ven. Pa Auk Sayadaw.Maya strongly believes that there is no such thing as good and bad yoga, there is only showing up and not showing up. That can be as simple as coming to class or as subtle as showing up for the moment. |
China Califf |
Serving as a true reflection of her personality, China’s Vinyasa Flow classes are lighthearted and fun. In 2005 she took her first yoga class at a gym in Denver with Angelique DeSilva, not realizing yoga would become such a spiritual journey. The years of struggle with her own personal faith were being lifted with every hour she spent on the mat. When the gym closed three years later for renovations, China stumbled into Blair Vaughn’s class for the first time and walked away knowing she wanted to teach.She completed her 200-hour teacher training at Samadhi Center for Yoga, drawing inspiration from her instructors Karen Lerner, Tina Porter and Lisa Schlelein. China wants her students to walk away from the mat feeling empowered with a sense of personal understanding, which can mean it’s OK to laugh and not be serious sometimes – even on your mat!Even though most people practice yoga in a room full of people, it’s a very private experience, and China wants people to have the space in her class to cultivate that experience in whatever form suits the student. Off the mat China cruises her cruiser, hikes, tends to her vegetable garden and snowboards. “I look at my life as a work in progress,” she says. “Yoga reminds me not to get too caught up in life and to find harmony and balance between what I perceive as my obligations and the things I love to do.” |
Julieta Claire |
Julieta is a Certified Anusara Yoga teacher in Denver, Colorado, and has been practicing and studying Anusara since 2000. Julieta teaches from her heart and leads playful and inspiring group classes and workshops around the country, that incorporate detailed alignment instructions into a fluid asana practice, balanced with meditation and relaxation. |
Alex Cordoba |
While living in San Jose, Costa Rica Alex discovered for the first time the potency and gift of Anusara Yoga under the guidance of Juan Pablo Barahona and Marianela Ortiz. Since returning to the United States Alex has studied with Jamie and Justin Allison, John Friend, Buffy Barfoot, Julieta Claire, Roger Martin-Pressman, Shannon Paige Schneider, again with Noah Maze, and Tantric scholar, Dr. Douglas Brooks.In Alex’s classes she weaves together yoga philosophy, asana, pranayama, laughter, messages to inspire and uplift so that she can offer a unique and creative journey to her students every time they come to the mat. She encourages her students to practice compassion and patience towards others and themselves, to invite breath in, to find laughter, humility, and grace on the mat, and to be open to the possibilities and the adventures that arise when one dances with uncertainty. |
Mary Ann Eagan |
Mary Ann has been teaching yoga since 2003. Her 200-hour certification was in classic hatha yoga and she has pursued continuing education with many wonderful teachers such as Baron Baptiste, Rodney Yee, John Friend, Ana Forrest, Amy Weintrub and locally with Madhuri Martin.
Being a student of yoga with teachers like Rebecah Gayatri Ziegler has helped her continue to develop her own personal practice. This personal practice is important to maintain as she shares knowledge with others. For Mary Ann, yoga is a spiritual experience and allows her to connect more deeply to her concept of God. She appreciates the breathwork, chanting and the asanas. Yoga is a never ending process of growing and learning from the inside out. She also enjoys spending quality time with her niece, Saige, and nephew, Aidan, and all her family which includes her biological and extended family of friends and relatives throughout the world. Being a clinical social worker is her avocation for being a channel of God’s love and peace for others. |
Andrew Fraser |
Andrew Fraser is a Colorado native and global wanderer who loves travel, adventure and adrenaline. In the midst of such vibrant activity yoga has helped Andrew to become grounded, balanced and further connected to the local community. He has been trained in anusara flow yoga through Karma Yoga Center and feels grateful to be serving other yogis in the neighborhood. In addition to guiding creative and challenging sequences in the studio, Andrew enjoys helping others to carry the practice off the mat and weave the wisdom and benefits of yoga into daily life. |
| Laura Granger | The practice of yoga has been a gift and a lifelong pursuit for Laura. A graduate of Axis Yoga Teacher Trainings, Laura specializes in a variety of yoga modalities including yoga for stress reduction, Hatha Yoga Fusion and Bhakti Yoga. She currently teaches all-levels mixed classes, beginning through intermediate levels and restorative yoga. “I tend to lead asana with a classical approach: long holds and a deep, internal awareness, but with room for creativity and dynamic movement as well,” she says. She believes strongly that this is a highly individual practice and strives to serve all who present before her to the best of her ability. /span> |
Alyssa Gunn |
Alyssa found yoga several years ago and instantly fell in love with the practice. She feels blessed to have learned from some of Denver’s finest teachers. Through yoga, Alyssa found herself, found her path and learned what devotion truly means. Alyssa is currently in school to become a social worker and is also on her way to becoming a certified Reiki Master. Alyssa completed her teacher training at Karma Yoga Center in the fall of 2010. The training was a life-changing experience that helped Alyssa discover how we all truly connect. She teaches a vinyasa style flow class combining the breath and postures. Alyssa was fortunate enough to discover her potential and true self on her mat and hopes that she can inspire others along their path. |
Katrina Gustafson |
When Katrina took her first yoga class 12 years ago she knew she had found her soul’s home. The practice of yoga has transformed her life so vastly that she left her 12 year career as a high school English teacher to pursue the practice whole-heartedly. She has taken two certified teacher trainings since then, numerous workshops with master teachers, opened Karma Yoga Center, and created a 200 hour Yoga Alliance Certified teacher training that she leads three times a year. Her teaching style is a heart-centered vinyasa (flow) with an emphasis on the spiritual aspects of the practice. She is a student and devotee of Saul David Raye, Dr. Katyayani Poole, and Dr.Pandit Rajmani Tigunait . Katrina subscribes deeply to the practice of bhakti (devotional) yoga, tantric philosophy, and Vedic astrology. She works hard on maintaining the integrity of this ancient practice while bringing it into the 21st century. Though yoga brings her deep joy, her greatest passion is loving on her two boys Maximus and Boden. |
Tanya Hanford |
Tanya was looking for some peace while working a very stressful job and found yoga in 2004. She has practiced continually since then and completed yoga teacher training in 2009. The yoga classes that she teaches are designed to bring awareness into the practitioner’s body, calm and focus their mind, and teach them some tools to find a little more peace in each day. Tanya works to make the classes an inviting and accessible yet challenging sequence of flowing asanas.Physical and verbal adjustments are a big part of her classes and she works hard to find effective adjustments for each student in order to encourage them to find their edge while remaining safe. She also attends additional yoga classes, workshops and conferences to continue the process of learning and evolving as both a student and teacher of yoga. Tanya feels it is a blessing to get to teach something that she believes so strongly in and is looking forward to sharing her teachers’ teachings. |
Elissa Hardy |
Elissa is blessed to have been taught by some of the best teachers. Her work as a social worker, primarily with the homeless population, has taught her the importance of being present, appreciation and patience. After practicing yoga for more than 10 years, she finally “got it.”In April of 2009, Elissa completed yoga teacher training and also is a Reiki Master Teacher and has a Masters in Social Work. She teaches energy healing classes and manages two programs for a non-profit agency in the Denver area. Combining energy, asana, breath and positive thinking, she is passionate about guiding others, vinyasa style, in finding their path and showing people that every person has the ability to achieve their goals as long as they believe in themselves. |
Ellen Kaye |
An actress and life long student of the performing arts, Ellen came to yoga to heal chronic injuries sustained on the stage. After her first experience on the yoga mat, Ellen discovered that performing and practicing were one and the same.Now she comes to the stage and to her mat with an unending commitment to grace, authenticity, and living in the present moment. Certified in Vinyasa Flow from the Yandara Yoga Institute, a teacher trainer at the Yandara Yoga Institute and a dedicated student of Anusara yoga, Ellen’s classes are packed with alignment, song, and the pursuit of sri (beauty) within each student. Blessed to be so firmly planted on the path of her true loves and passions, Ellen approaches yoga the same way she approaches theater: learn the form, create the space, and the heart will flourish from the inside out. |
John Madden |
A long time athlete, John agreed to try a yoga class for his wife’s birthday present a few years ago. He was immediately intrigued with the postural practice of yoga asana. As John began to discover the many layers of yoga and the dynamic play that occurs between posture and process, he decided to study with Axis Yoga Trainings for his certification. John’s energy and warm spirit inspire introspection and encourage individual process in his classes. He balances sensitivity and thoughtfulness while respecting all levels of yoga asana, with his two sons inspiring the playfulness, laughter, and intelligent strength of his practice. |
Julie Mintz |
Julie attended her first yoga class in 1994, while living in New York City. Originally from Los Angeles, she moved to San Francisco in 1999, where she began attending classes and private sessions on a more regular basis. Upon moving to Denver in 2005, Julie began to take a more serious yogic path. In 2009, she completed a 200-hour Vinyasa flow teacher training program at Samadhi Center for Yoga, and later supplemented her training at Om Time Yoga in 2010. Being a former jogger who struggled for years with degenerative-disc pain, Julie noticed major improvements in her back pain as her asana practice continued. After exploring several different styles of yoga, Julie eventually developed a particular appreciation for the healing and strengthening method of Ana Forrest, and completed her Forrest Yoga Foundations teacher training in 2011. Forrest Yoga has shown Julie the many gifts that come from allowing blocked emotions to move through the body during the practice. Her practice has given her the courage to live with more authenticity off the mat, and for that, Julie grows more grateful to her teachers every day. Julie is furthering her Forrest training this year via a Forrest mentorship program with Cheryl Deer, a major inspiration to Julie, here in Denver. |
Kristina Nasi |
I started practicing yoga 11 years ago at a small Bikram studio in southeast Denver.I have been studying yoga since then, gravitating toward flow classes that focus on alignment, intention and breath. An athlete all my life, I treated physical exercise as a way to train and compete. Yoga introduced me to a more spiritual,intuitive and reflective way to use my body. An avid and passionate dancer and music addict, I also found in Yoga a way to explore those interests. I received my teacher training at Samadhi Center for Yoga and was profoundly moved by that experience. In the classes I teach, my intention is to integrate breath, proper alignment and the meditative and healing properties of Yoga with a good dose of humor and fun!Please join me for Yog-A-Go-Go! An all-levels, Vinyasa class that combines my love of pop music, dance and Yoga! You just might find new awareness as you move into poses with the help of George Michael, Michael Jackson and Journey. |
Jordan New |
Yoga is more than just exercise; it is a way of Life! There are many paths to enlightenment. Yoga is one of the paths Jordan has chosen. Physically, yoga has improved his skills at snowboarding, break dancing and other physical activities, while preventing injury. Mentally, the art of yoga has introduced him to meditation, teaching centeredness, focus, and concentration of Mind. Spiritually, yoga has given Jordan a stronger connection to his authentic self, the Spirit of Life and Divinity. He is honored to share this knowledge with you.His mission is to empower and guide others to deeper body-awareness and understanding of their Temple (body). The human body has a beautiful and innate ability to heal itself. We can learn how to activate that healing process through yoga and taking responsibility for our health. Yoga means Union; One. There are many different sects and philosophies, but they are all still One yoga. Jordan utilizes tools from all variations, not solely a specific yoga type. All modalities of therapeutic healing movements are incorporated into his classes, giving you the greatest benefit to heal in whatever way is necessary for your body. In addition to yoga instruction, Jordan is also a personal fitness trainer and nutrition specialist. |
Kat Saks |
For decades, Kat thought she wasn’t good enough. Whether through drugs, a demanding job, or a negative body image, she found countless ways to mask her true self. When she unrolled her yoga mat, she finally took a step towards self-acceptance. Through yoga Kat discovered the beauty of authenticity and learned to live from a place of truth. She knew she had to share this experience with others.
Kat invites her students to uncover and express their most powerful and authentic self. In every class, Kat co-mingles a wild playlist with a creative Vinyasa flow to encourage an atmosphere of playful challenge and self-discovery. Whether you’re moving to the beat of Lady Gaga, or musing on the poetry of Rumi, you’ll never come to the same class twice. But, one thing is certain: Kat’s class is a celebration. You can always expect to leave the room uplifted by the reminder that you are awesome – exactly as you are. Kat graduated from Laughing Lotus’s College of Yoga in NYC and is also certified in prenatal yoga by the The Prenatal Yoga Center in NYC. She counts Dana Flynn and Amy Ippoliti as two of her most influential teachers. |
Ashley Sargent |
Seeking relief from chronic health struggles, Ashley first landed on her mat at the age of 18. Through her journey, Ashley has learned that there is beauty in every situation, and light hiding in all darkness. As she sinks deeper into her practice she has begun to understand the true meaning of strength, and that life is not something we need to take seriously but to celebrate and enjoy. Having journeyed through the darkness of illness, she has landed in the light of gratitude. Pulling influences from Iyengar, vinyasa flow, anusara and various meditation practices, Ashley’s intention as a teacher is to spread this gratitude. Paying it forward for all of the blessings she has received in this life, her hope is to help you fall in love with yourself. To share her journey with her students as we all settle into the knowing that wherever you are on the journey, you can always land in light. When you pause and see the abundance of blessings that surround you, and fill your body with love and gratitude you can heal yourself, and begin to heal the world. |
Lisa Schlelein |
Lisa’s classes focus on opening from the vast, peaceful place of the heart. When we are aligned with our higher purpose, endless opportunities arise for us to explore our potentials in our bodies as well as in our lives. Lisa’s all levels classes will provide space for those new to this practice to explore at their pace, while offering a challenge to those with more advanced practices. Her upper level classes will involve working toward and practice with arm balances and inversions. Come dance, play and fall in love with You! |
Antonia Totaro |
Antonia Totaro discovered Hatha yoga through a VHS tape at 17 in a small town in northeastern Pennsylvania. She practiced this tape until she moved to Colorado in 1997 where she began to practice many different styles of yoga including Ashtanga and Bikram. In 2008, she completed her first teacher training merely to deepen her practice and expand personal and spiritual boundaries – but soon found she was compelled to share her love for yoga. Her continuing education has focused on primarily on Anusara Yoga.Antonia is also certified to teach prenatal yoga with her most recent training in Anusara prenatal yoga led by Sue Elkind. Antonia believes that the earliest experiences in the womb profoundly shape our life experiences in the world. Prenatal yoga gives women a safe space to explore their bodies and hearts in community while building strength, trust and empowerment. She feels blessed to work with women during their journey into motherhood and support their innate wisdom during this auspicious time. She strives to blend the Universal principals of Alignment of Anusara yoga with the art of moving the body from the center of the heart to deeper awaken Spirit. |
| Trinidad Toribio-Heffron
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Trini began her yoga journey as a teenager and has practiced different styles of yoga ever since. She underwent her first yoga training at “La Casa Del Angel” with Swami Atma Prakashananda in her hometown of Montevideo, Uruguay. Guided by compassion, she aligned with healing techniques and became a Reiki Master in the Mikao Usui Tradition. Following her love for healing and yoga, she completed her 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training in Denver, CO during 2010. She feels thankful and blessed for all the great teachers and students she comes along in her path every day. Embracing the voice of her heart, Trini invites everyone to practice yoga and create space to quiet the mind and re-unite, remember and expand with light from each one’s Divine origin. “Let the intention of your heart grow,” “Deja crecer la intención de tu corazón.” |
| Carrie Varela
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Carrie has been a avid practitioner of yoga for over eight years. She began teaching yoga in 2007 after graduating from a 200 hour yoga teacher training in Parker, Colorado. She recently returned from India where she completed a course in yoga science for wellness and yoga therapy. This experience imbued her faith in the science of yoga for the treatment and prevention of disease and for integration of the individual toward life more abundant, peaceful, harmonious and free. Carrie is also a Reiki Master Teacher and practices under the direction of the guru Sri Aurobindo. She integrates her knowledge of our energetic subtle body systems, meditation and spiritual teachings in order to present a holistic approach to healing, health and happiness through yoga. “I have found yoga to be a powerful tool for personal transformation. It is my intention to guide my students through their practice so they too may discover all the joy and freedom which has flowed into my life as a result of yoga.” |
Una Viggiani |
I was born in Glenwood Springs, Colo., and reared in upstate New york to a large and loving Italian family. After moving back to Colorado at age 17, I knew I had found my roots and have lived in Colorado since. I earned a degree in Fine Art from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and a Masters degree in Education at Denver University. After teaching in elementary schools for six years, I changed directions and began to pursue my life purpose.Soon, Yoga became a way of life for me and making the shift from art teacher to yoga teacher came naturally. I discovered the Nosara Yoga Institute in Costa Rica, which allowed me to become certified with Yoga Alliance as well as find my new home in the jungle. In addition to practicing yoga everyday, I currently write, paint and dance my way through life. Naturally, I am combining my love of art and yoga, inspiring others to tap into their own creativity through movement, writing and visual art. www.unaparadox.com |
Brit Wangsness |
Brit Wangsness has been discovering yoga for the entirety of her 20s. Beginning in 2006 when she was 19 years old, she found her connection with it immediately. She has since realized how much it helps people with all of life’s challenges, everything from anxiety to flexibility, something she feels compelled to share with everyone around her. With her beautiful smile representing an untameable spirit, she’s excited to guide people in their discovery as her teachers have guided her.
She graduated with a 200 hour certification from Axis Yoga Teacher Trainings in January of 2010. She considers her training as the foundation for a box of tools that she’ll constantly be adding to as she discovers more about the art of teaching. Through yoga she has learned not to take herself so seriously, that perception drives everything, and that it is more important to find compassion and acceptance where you stand today rather than worry where you’ll be tomorrow. Brit knows that becoming a teacher is the commitment to remaining a student for a lifetime. She’s excited to learn as she teaches, while sharing the gift of yoga with all of her students. |
Jeremy Wolf |
Since childhood, Jeremy has pursued the growth and development of both mind and body in what started with a deep interest in the martial arts. After reaching a second degree black belt in Taekwondo, he went on to teach as an assistant and many years later found Capoeira where he trained and taught with the American Capoeira Association in Boulder and Denver, Colorado.His interest in the development of the self led him to meditation, further opening the doors to yoga and healing. He began his study of various forms of yoga in 1998, later receiving his teaching certification in Nasik, India in classical yoga (the original 8-limb Ashtanga practice as outlined by Patanjali). He is also a Reiki Master in the Mikao Usui tradition.His yoga and meditation classes seek to incorporate the holistic practice of yoga illuminating the transcendental element of yoga’s deeply spiritual origin. His time off the mat is usually spent immersed in the beauty of the Rocky Mountains or in his musical passions of DJing/producing ethnic-electronic music and the exploration of trance-dance as a method for healing, expression and self-realization. |
| Rebecah Ziegler
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Rebecah Ziegler is a Yoga Alliance 500+ RYT and a member of the International Association of Yoga Therapists. She has taught yoga since 1981 for high school students, dancers and pre-natal and post natal yoga as well as therapeutic yoga. Her therapy experience includes: Post birth trauma, ADD, TMJ, emotional unwinding vertigo, whiplash, MS, spinal cord injury, recovery from surgery trauma, accidents, injury, sleep disorder, Klippel Feilʼs syndrome, Sprengelʼs deformity, arthritis, chakra imbalance, spiritual counseling, pranic blocks and scoliosis. |
