MEET THE INSTRUCTORS

 
 

CHERYL MOSS

Cheryl Moss M.A. MFT, owner of Goda Yoga, is an eternal student of Life. Her fascination with how people heal and grow led her at an early age to the study of traditional psychology and later, to eastern therapeutic methods and indigenous curative approaches.

Cheryl brings depth and love to her yoga classes. She creates the space for her students to honestly meet all parts of their selves on the mat—to bravely shift from conditioned and self limiting patterns so that they may delightfully re-unite with their Spirit, Essence, and Creative Life Force. Cheryl understands hatha yoga practice will look and feel different for everyone. She invites her students to discover what the energy and sensation in their bodies is teaching them; and to pay attention to how their thoughts affect their moment to moment experience in order to establish an individual practice that works best for them. She hopes each of her students will cultivate unconditional acceptance of what arises at any given moment; whether it be challenging or pleasurable, and continue to develop this learned consciousness off the mat.

Cheryl is a licensed psychotherapist and has been practicing yoga for 15 years. Cheryl has been teaching hatha yoga for seven years having completed both the foundation and advanced level teacher trainings with Ana Forrest. She has also completed Erich Schiffman’s teacher training and other strong teaching influences are Catherine MacNamara, Heather Tiddens, and Shiva Rae.

 

 

 
 

ANGELICA SINGH

Originally trained by Ana Forrest, Angelica has studied with many different teachers over the past eleven years in yoga, as well as the healing arts. She holds a Masters Degree in Psychology, and is trained as a trauma resolution specialist in Pre and Perinatal Birth Therapy as well as Craniosacral Therapy.

Angelica teaches yoga as a practice of joyful embodiment. She is also deeply inspired by John Friend and Anusara yoga, as its roots are based in Tantric tradition. As an instructor, she works diligently with each person to get the felt-sense of each asana, building the poses from the foundation up. In this way, flexibility, balance, strength, and alignment develop naturally through awakening the innate wisdom and intelligence of the body.

Angelica’s classes are appropriate for beginners as well as more advanced students. Along with the wisdom from her own practice, she holds the perspective of beginner’s mind in her approach to teaching and practicing yoga and meditation, and in understanding a student’s way of learning as they develop their own practice.

Visit her website at theoceaninside.com

 

 
 

APRIL KIRKHART

April KirkHart, M.S.W., has been practicing yoga for over 12 years and became a certified yoga instructor in 2004.

April has studied and practiced many forms of yoga, and believes that each method has something to offer students. She teaches beginner-to-intermediate level classes that combine classical Hatha, Ashtanga and Vinyasa Flow elements, in addition to the playful heart of Anusara. Her classes focus on building student’s strength and flexibility of both body and mind, while learning to respect their boundaries. She incorporates some breathing practices (pranayama) as well as humor and compassion. Her students have ranged in age from 17 to 78 years old, and April is mindful of helping each student practice to the best of his or her ability taking into account injuries, limitations, ego, fears and misconceptions. In her classes, students will sweat some, breathe deeply, and find neat little spaces in the body and the mind to remind them they are alive. April was a community organizer, activist and social worker who was passionate about social justice. Her path towards combining these interests with yoga continues to evolve.

Visit her website/blog: workofheartyoga.com

 

 
 

DEARBHLA KELLY

Dearbhla Kelly, M.A., began her practice of yoga 14 years ago while studying in Amsterdam. She left her hometown, Dublin, Ireland, in 2001 to pursue a Ph.D in philosophy in Chicago. She relocated to Los Angeles in January 2006.

The yoga she loves cultivates compassion, radiates calm, and celebrates play, and her teaching hopes to inspire these qualities in others. Her studies of both Yoga and Western philosophy give balance and nuance to
her teaching style. Her life’s purpose is to use the tools of yoga and philosophy to help people connect to themselves more deeply and in so doing live a happier, more fulfilling life.

A long-time student of Ana Forrest, Dearbhla has completed both foundation and advanced level teacher trainings with Ana and assists her at yoga conferences and trainings around the country. She also studies with Anthony Benenati, Denise Kaufman and Saul David Raye. Dearbhla also gives significant time to service and reflection in the ashrams and centers of the Sivananda lineage, and finds great joy in the heart-opening chanting practice known as kirtan.

Visit her website at durgayoga.com
     
GILLIAN BRECKER

Gillian Brecker came to yoga by way of acting. While getting her Bachelor's degree at San Francisco State University, she pursued as many different movement classes as she could. Gillian fell in love with exploring the connection between emotion and the body. It was this interest that led her to Forrest Yoga where she completed her teacher’s training with Ana Forrest. Gillian’s own practice is a continual unfolding of her Self, and her classes are a safe place to explore mind, body, heart and soul.
 
     
JUDITH LUTZ

Judith Lutz is a Certified Iyengar Yoga teacher. She has been practicing Iyengar yoga since 1996 and is a graduate of the BKS Iyengar Yoga Institute of Los Angeles. Judith enjoys the improved clarity, focus and sense of well-being she learns through yoga. She loves to teach and constantly learns from her students. Known for her warmth, she aims for clarity and depth in her teaching and encourages students to seek the best in themselves.
 
     
JULES HOGAN

Jules Hogan has fused her love of teaching and her extensive experience working with children in her highly original kid's yoga classes, UPDOGS and DOWNDOGS. An actress, nanny and performing arts teacher, Jules teaches with a strong foundation in play and creativity. In addition to her many years of yoga study she has completed both The Radiant Child, and Mini Yogi's teachers trainings.
Visit her website at updogdowndogyoga.com
     
KAITLYN MCCONNELL

Kaitlyn McConnell has been studying yoga since 1997 and teaching since 2005. She completed her first teaching training through Yoga Works in Los Angeles under James Brown and Julie Kleinman. She enjoys teaching all levels of students, from brand new beginners to experienced practitioners. Her teaching is driven by the idea that yoga is a pathway to our true selves and her teaching style is influenced by her practice- the heat and flow of Vinyasa flow classes and the precision and alignment of Iyengar style classes. She is registered with Yoga Alliance and holds her BA in Acting and Women's Studies from Western Washington University.
Visit her website at yogakm.com
     
LESLIE PORTER

Leslie Porter is a certified Yoga and Pilates instructor. Her classes, workshops, and retreats are compassionate, supportive, healing, wise, deep, playful, relaxing, invigorating, sweaty, stress reducing, and community building with an emphasis on integrity and awareness in safe physical alignment. Her expertise with emotional trauma, spiritual/energy work, injuries, and stress reduction extends to the patients of physical therapy, psychology, and acupuncture professionals. Teaching is one of Leslie's favorite things to do and she would love to share it with you.
Visit her website at leslieporter.com
     
LISA ANN GOLD

Instructing yoga since 1995, Lisa Ann Gold is inspired by nature and people and brings patient humor to the art of introspection. Lisa Ann’s classes are a compassionate space allowing students to cultivate curiosity as they expand within life and learn to walk into each new experience of delight or conflict with grace, strength and marvel. Lisa Ann's strongest yoga influences range from Ana Forrest, Mark Witwell, Angela Farmer and Victor Van Kooten. As an ayurvedic practitioner and body worker she is influenced by the common sense system of Ayurveda as taught by John Holmstrom. Additionally, Movement educator Eric Franklin is bringing a new facet of ideas to her love of yoga and expression. Lisa Ann is so pleased to be part of Goda Yoga’s Teacher group.
 
     
NATALIE STAWSKY

Natalie Stawsky blends a variety of Yogic and spiritual traditions, incorporating elements of Iyengar, Anusara, Viniyoga, Vinyasa and White Lotus Flow. Her classes are centered on the breath, the search for fluid movements, the spirit generating internal peace and the finding of a unique and individual expression of each body and soul.

Natalie is currently pursuing her yoga therapist training at Loyola Marymount University. She has studied Pre-natal yoga at Golden Bridge, Yoga for Kids with Annie Buckley, Radiant Yoga with Shakta Kaur Khalsa and trained at the White Lotus Foundation.

Natalie created and produced three yoga videos in Spanish: Pre and Post Natal Yoga and Yoga for Beginners.
Find out more about Natalie’s extensive knowledge at natiyoga.com
     
NATHALIE CANESSA

Nathalie Canessa uses her knowledge in various forms of Hatha Yoga, (including Viniyoga, Iyengar and Ashtanga), dance, and Vedic Meditation to create a meditative, slower, vinyasa style class with emphasis on breath, alignment, and connecting to the spirit as a way of healing. She assists her students in finding their own Ritam, (rhythm or evolution), balancing strength and flexibility, to move with grace and to connect to the joy that resides within us. She has been a meditator for years and was taught in the Vedic traditions of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and Deepak Chopra. She is deeply grateful for the continued inspiration and connection to her teachers, including her late father who taught her to always notice the beauty in Nature.
 
     
ROBERT RIGAMONTI (RIG)

Employing a number of Hatha Yoga styles and his wide knowledge of Yoga Kinesiology, RIG has created his own uniquely personal style of yoga that is mindfully strengthening and challenging, as well as therapeutic and meditational — beneficial for beginners, and propitious for advanced practitioners.

He has had a yoga practice for 25 years, a teaching practice for 15 years, and a Soto Zen meditation practice for 10 years. He received his training at Integral Yoga Institute in New York, and with Erich Schiffman here in Los Angeles. In September of 2006, he was given the Bodhisatva Precepts in a Lay Initiation Ceremony at Green Gulch Farm Zen Center in Northern California, and hosts a weekly sitting group at his studio near Culver City, where he also sees private yoga clients.
For more information about sitting or appointments email Rig at robert@rig.cc

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