TEACHER TRIBE
JILL ABELSON
Teaching for almost 2 decades, Jill Abelson AKA Janaki (500E-RYT) found yoga through her lifelong interest in all things spiritual and many years studying classical dance. Moving to the Bay area in 2009 from Washington DC, she joined the senior training and teaching faculty at Yoga Tree. In DC, SF, Marin, Napa and the Peninsula, she teaches at and maintains strong ties with a number of studios and venues including Flow Yoga Center, Yoga Tree, Flow Yoga SF, Avalon Yoga, Ekam Yoga and Wellness, Yoga Works and Grace Cathedral. Her classes offer a challenging flow (you will sweat!), matched with artful sequencing and spiritual commentary that students often say make these otherwise physically demanding classes feel uplifting and utterly devotional. An Advanced Certified Jivamukti teacher and international TT Mentor, she travels and teaches throughout the US and abroad. Her writing, teaching and environmental work have been featured by Yoga Journal, Common Ground, Yoganonymous, the International Association of Yoga Teachers, Women’s Movement, YogaCity NYC and the Washington Post. She lives Marin with her husband Jeff and 2 siamese rescue cats, Panda and Mookie.
www.yogaofliberation.com
JACQUELINE BESSE
Jacqueline’s yoga journey took roots in 2006 in Boulder, Colorado. Since stepping into her first class, she has been fiercely committed to the practice as a way to stay grounded. In class, she encourages her students to work at their own pace while focusing on breath and alignment. Harnessing the relationship between mind, body, and spirit allows space for authenticity. Jacqueline is thankful to her teachers Stephanie Snyder and Anna Hughes who continue to be agents of grace in her yoga journey.
ROBYN COHEN
Robyn is a long time fitness expert and teacher since 1986 in San Diego, Central Coast and San Francisco. Robyn teaches a musically-charged and nurturing flow with a strong emphasis on strength,alignment and breath. Teaching and practicing on the Mat is her safe haven for a peaceful, spiritual, and ritualistic lifestyle where she shares her true self with her students.
Robyn earned her B.S. degree in Kinesiology and minor in Psychology in 1993 and holds certifications combined with 500 hours in American Council of Exercise and American College of Sports Medicine, Keiser Cycle and CPR Certified. Robyn is grateful for her advanced teacher trainings and apprenticeshipwith mentor and teacher Lesley DeSaulniers.
When Robyn is not teaching/practicing Yoga-Cardio/Strength-Cycle classes, she is volunteering at schools and spending time with her Friends, Husband and three Teenage boys!
GILLIAN CONFAIR
Gillian first found yoga after years of competitive sports and dance left her with knee injuries. The resulting change of pace provided much-needed clarity, allowing her to look within for contentment instead of without for validation. This path of presence and self-love led her to pursue her passion - creating a space welcoming all yogis to the practice, regardless of age, shape, or size. Through a combination of challenging and unique flows, her classes get you out of your head and into your body. The goal is to leave worries at the door and plant seeds of positive thought to carry throughout the day.
You can find her online at https://theaverageyogi.com/, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/theaverageyogi, and sharing photos of her life, passions, and her friend’s corgi, Edward, on Instagram @gconfair
JESSICA COX
After years of intense athletic training, Jessica Cox was seeking to increase her flexibility and range of motion and regain a sense of freedom within her physical body. She developed a profound interest in body alignment and the energetic effects of yoga on the mind/body relationship. Her inspiration came from her amazing teacher, friend and mentor Lisa “Asha” Rapp. Lisa introduced Jessica to Jivamukti yoga.
KATY DAGLE
Pulling from many styles of yoga, Katy infuses her classes with a fun, challenging flow to strengthen muscles as well as deeply restore, allowing time to truly connect with the breath and open the body and mind. Katy is aware that every body is different and does not expect you to have the perfect pose (there is no such thing in her book!) Expect to be challenged physically, mentally and even spiritually.
Katy has been teaching yoga since 2009. She owned a yoga studio and teacher training program in Massachusetts for many years before moving to California. She is happy to have found her new yoga home at Metta. She has been blessed with many great teachers and studied many styles of yoga including Ashtanga, Iyengar, Restorative, Yin, Anusara, Pranavayu, post natal and children's yoga. Katy is also a certified Reiki Master Teacher.
BRITTANY LAMB
Expect to leave Brittany's class glowing (inner radiance shining mixed with sweat). Brittany loves to create a challenging but nurturing atmosphere, welcoming for all levels. Brittany grew up in Marin and is passionate about travel, creativity and "getting unstuck." She has been practicing since 2008 and has completed teacher trainings with the Baptiste Institute in 2013 and 2016. Brittany has helped to open various studios throughout California. She enjoys witnessing students transform and open their bodies and minds.
WENDY MEDEIROS
Wendy is a true multi-passionate creative with over 1000 hours and 15 years of industry certification and education. Wendy says: "the practices of yoga coupled with attention on intention brings forth truthful honest, or correct action, resulting in growth tailored just for you." Dharma in action.
Wendy shares insights from personal experience with a profoundly creative well of approaches to her public, and private classes, workshops, immersions retreats, and Teacher Trainings. She creates a place where you can come and be reminded of, and explore the potential of your creative energy.
wmyoga.com
SKY HEGEDUS
Sky was introduced to yoga when she moved to the Bay Area from Germany (where she was born and raised) in 1998. She has been on a healer’s path for over 15 years and her background includes Bodywork, Pilates, Nia, Mindfulness/Meditation, Life Coaching and Intuitive Energy Healing. In her classes she loves to bring all of herself into her teaching connecting with students on a deeper level. She is continually inspired by yoga’s transformative power—both internally and externally—finding it to be a source of love and strength. Sky believes the mind, body, soul connection is a sacred one, and one that should be nurtured. Her intention is to hold space for all students to experience whatever transformation their body, mind and entire being they are ready and open for. She strives to bring a sense of fun, freedom and compassion to her vinyasa-based classes and hopes to provide students with a space of comfort in which students feel safe to explore and expand within their own body and consciousness.
VICTORIA HERON
With over a dozen years of yoga practice, I have come to understand and appreciate how yoga promotes balance and healing in the body, clarity in the mind, and spiritual growth. I can’t help but want to share what I have learned, and continue to learn, about this incredible discipline with others! Through flowing intentionally with the body, mind and breath, I encourage students to experience peace, freedom and their innate wholeness, and bring those experiences out of the yoga studio and into the world. After living and studying yoga on both coasts, I currently reside back in my native Marin County with my wonderful husband, Jess. I am so grateful to him and all of my teachers for their love, support and inspiration
ANNA HUGHES
Anna has been teaching since 2002 and in all honesty, is simply in love with all things yoga. Influenced by various styles of yoga, she landed squarely in the vinyasa tradition thanks to its mash up approach and the space it allows for creativity and spirituality. Anna believes in the infinite possibilities of this practice and will always, always be a student first and foremost. She considers Rusty Wells her greatest yogic influence but truly feels she takes something from every teacher she has had the honor to practice with. Her intention is to keep her classes and her teaching as real and balanced as possible and she is a big proponent of a healthy sense of humor. In a nutshell, yoga helps Anna be her best, most authentic self and she is honored to share these tools to help others do the same.
JULY JOHNSON
Seeking out yoga as a graduate student, July found release, escape, joy and peace. She quickly became a devoted and humble student of yoga and has been practicing for over 16 years learning various techniques from world-renowned teachers. She completed her 200-hour Yoga Teacher certification at Yoga Tree Corte Madera in 2014.
DANIELLE SCHUBERT
Danielle Schubert (RYT-500) teaches thoughtfully sequenced + aligned classes, focusing on breath awareness and purposeful movement. Her grounding, authentic story-telling invokes honest self-reflection and body positivity.
With a well-rounded background in Ashtanga, Viniyoga, and Iyengar via the YogaWorks 500-HR Teacher Training, Danielle has a background in Injury Prevention, Therapeutics, Chakras and the 5 Elements, as well as being certified in Trauma Informed Yoga. Her take on ancient Yogic philosophy comes alive, so that it can be applied to daily, modern life.
KATE MONZO
Kate first began practicing at Urban Flow Yoga with Rusty Wells & Stephanie Snyder back in 2009. It was then she fell in love with yoga, learning that it has more benefits than just physical. From this discovery, a spark lit inside of her and she knew this would be a life long commitment to something so Divinely profound.
In 2011, Kate went to Phoenix on a spiritual journey to learn more about the ancient tradition of yoga at the Spirit of Yoga. She spent over a year studying yoga & nutrition and received a diploma in Yoga Therapy. Kate continues her spiritual quest to raise humanity's vibration, to heal people’s lives, and to share the sacred wisdom of the body with others through her teachings of yoga, nutrition, & wellness.
After moving back to San Francisco in 2013, Kate has continued her studies with Stephanie Snyder, Noah Maze, and Judith Lasater, while teaching all over the Bay area. Staying true to the tradition of yoga with philosophy & breath work, Kate teaches a vigorous Vinyasa flow class that focuses on the importance of flexibility, alignment, strength, and balance.
Kate has over a 1000 hrs in yoga teacher training and is a holistic nutrition coach.
AMBER SCRIVEN
Amber is an experienced yoga teacher and Acupuncturist. Her nature inspired Vinyasa style Power yoga classes are built for all levels, and will challenge your body, and your mind. She uses her vast knowledge of anatomy to accentuate particular fitness aspects, and pairs fast, strengthening Power yoga with slow, deep, mindful "Yin" yoga aspects. Each month she introduces a new intention based around traditional yoga philosophies, and each week the flow changes slightly to center around a related peak pose, or flow so you have time to really work on those specific areas internally and externally.
AMANDA SNOW
Amanda’s classes are a seamless blend of alignment based Flow Yoga, Breathwork, and Energy Medicine. These classes move through a warm up and Sun Salutations to prepare the body for a peak pose or targeted body part. Emphasis is on working the body skillfully and safely on the mat, developing one's Whole Body Intelligence (tm) and re-setting the nervous system to shift the mind into relaxation response.
Amanda completed her 200-hour yoga teacher training with Michele Klink. Learn more about Amanda at relaxandbefree.com
LEIGH STEWART
Drawn to yoga with a curiosity for creativity, Leigh imbues her classes with a flavor for seasonal balance and the fluidity of dance. Her background include Ayurvedic-inspired practices, yin yoga and herbalism. She is a certified E-RYT 500 teacher and draws from the lineages of Laughing Lotus, Vinyasa, Power Vinyasa and Yin Yoga. She holds and MA in education.
CHARLOTTE VETTER
Charlotte started practicing yoga in 2011 when she found herself at a low and in search for connection, healing, and a sense of something bigger than herself - wanting so badly to “save the world” she realized that first she needed to save herself. After years of study and practice, she feels deeply connected to these teachings as a way to navigate with love and compassion the “human condition,” which is certainly not easy. Again and again, she returns to this practice to meet herself, explore herself, and show up better for others. The last two years for Charlotte have been a spiritual journey, an amazing transformation and wake up to the preciousness of life, to the dissolution of separateness, and the power of the yogic path. Charlotte completed her 300 hour yoga teacher training with Janet Stone in 2018 and her 200 hour teacher training with Core Power Yoga in 2015. Her Bhakti-inspired Vinyasa classes will provide some configuration of asana, pranayama, meditation, mantra, and chanting, all to allow for feelings separateness to fade, and for unity and love to grow. Prepare to sweat and use your voices! Off the mat, you can find Charlotte exploring nature: rock climbing, surfing, backpacking with friends, letting it loose at ecstatic dance, or showing up as an activist for various injustices.
KRIS WARD
Kris grew up a dancer and choreographer, then began teaching group fitness and yoga in 1998. She has always been interested in the emotional and physical release/healing that can come through moving the body in order to move energy. She sees yoga as a practice for self-care and cultivating clarity and joy. On and off the mat, Kris aims to remind people of their beauty, power and worth. In her classes you can expect clear alignment cues, a fluid pace and an uplifting message. She invites you to come as you are –– and promises you’ll leave feeling a little less reactive, robotic or tense… and a little more open, hopeful and self-assured. Kris is an RYT500 with Yoga Alliance. She completed her teacher trainings in the styles of Hatha, Vinyasa and Anusara Yoga. She is also an Interior Designer, mom to 2 kiddos and 2 dogs, and part-time booty-droppin' hip hop dancer.
FounDER
AMY GREYWITT
With a legal career taking her from Chicago, to New York, to Washington D.C., to San Francisco, Amy's yoga mat was her constant; a sacred space to find peace and ease. Amy completed her first yoga teacher training with Les Levanthal at Yoga Tree San Francisco in 2012. She was hooked - her mind, body and soul were lit on fire. In 2016, Amy's second 200-hour teacher training with Dana Damara was joyfully interrupted by the early birth of boy / girl twins. In 2017, Amy took a leap of faith and opened Metta Yoga studio in Corte Madera, CA to bring the type of yoga to Marin County that she felt it was missing: a boutique and community-focused yoga studio offering both spiritually and physically invigorating classes. Amy firmly believes in the importance of yoga to balance our stressful lives. She teaches a dynamic and graceful, yet challenging flow inspired from her background as a dancer, athlete, professional, and now, mother.