Yoga feeds my hunger for a more intimate relationship with the universe and provides me with an immeasurable feeling of peace, joy, and gratitude. I am a native to the Central Coast, spending the majority of my childhood expressing my thoughts and emotions through dance. After graduating from Templeton High School, I decided to take my passion for dance to the Disneyland Resort. For about four years I performed in many parades and shows creating some very fond memories. After leaving Disney, I began to focus my energy on teaching and became a certified Barre Fitness instructor while finishing my prerequisites for nursing school. It was shortly after my barre certification that I was introduced to the wonderful world of yoga. This inspired me to leave the city and journey back home to the central coast where I could reconnect with nature and surround myself with positive energy. Since then, I have received my 200 hour Yoga Alliance certification and haven’t looked back! I look forward to continue learning and sharing the gift of yoga, both as a teacher and student, with others and dedicating this journey to growing stronger spiritually and physically through my practice.

I was first exposed to yoga at the age of six at the Montessori School where I grew up in Scottsdale AZ.  What fun I had! Throughout my young adult life, I continued to be exposed to yoga and it seemed that yoga was always manifesting stability and joy. After injuring my back on the Fire Department when I was 23, I found healing, grounding, and strength through my daily practice.  I found a teacher that inspired me to learn more and I focused my training on Kripalu and Iyengar yoga. Through this fullness and healing I continued my yogic journey seeking out workshops throughout Arizona and California where I was able to gain a depth of understanding and experience that I live for sharing now. I completed my 200 hour RYT with YogaWorks here at the Yoga Center in San Luis Obispo with Malachi Melville and Greville Henwood in 2010.  I completed my 300 hour training with James Bailey with Sevanti Institute and Peter Sterios at Levity Yoga in 2016.  I traveled to India and experienced the healing art of Ayurvedic Medicine along with a life changing trip on the sacred Ganges. 

I was naturally drawn to yoga for the sense of peace, calming, healing and belonging it brought to my spirit since childhood. I enjoy teaching and practicing strong, vinyasa flow style classes as well as blissful restorative ones.  I’m a passionate and loving person who believes in the healing benefits of a daily yoga practice and the nourishing benefits of Ayurveda and want to share these gifts with my students. Come play, fall, breathe, restore, and nourish yourself with me.

Robyn comes to us all the way from the East Coast! Right outside her hometown of Boston she managed a 2-studio yoga center while also getting her 200 hr RYT in Vinyasa. Her love for yoga started her freshman year of college when she luckily chose a school that still had a gym requirement. Being someone who continuously works to overcome anxieties has made yoga something not only she lives for but something she wants to bring to others who face similar hardships. Her goal is to make sure each student she encounters both gets what they need every day from their practice while also doing it with a smile.

Barre classes have become such an integral and important part of my life. Dance has always been a huge passion of mine, starting with ballet, gymnastics and tap at age 3 I studied all three seriously until the age of 14 when the competitive nature of my Ballet school and teachers began to deter me from pursuing them further. However, I loved dance so much that I decided to find alternative methods of continuing my practice. I continued dance classes recreationally and through my High School programs. After graduating High School and leaving the Bay Area to study at Cal Poly, without a regular exercise routine and practice I not only saw the effects physically ( Freshman 20 anyone?) but I also felt the effects mentally and emotionally. I slowly but surely began long distance running, and loved it, but unfortunately repeated injuries forced me to scale back. After graduating and working for a few years sitting stagnant at a desk full time I began to explore other avenues of exercise- spin, yoga, weight lifting and barre. From my first barre class I was completely hooked! I loved the marriage of ballet, yoga and pilates in each class and the change I saw in my body was fast and exactly what I was looking for! My overall strength, attitude and flexibility changed tremendously as I continued to make my practice a priority. After a few years of barre classes I thought it would be a great idea to try and share my passion for barre with people and decided to become a certified barre instructor. My goal as an instructor is to instill my passion and love for barre in every client, challenge what people perceive to be their physical and mental limitations in regards to exercise and leave people with an overall sense of well-being and accomplishment that makes them desire not only to come back for more classes but to LOVE doing so! I feel so grateful to have the opportunity to share my passion with as many people as possible in this beautiful place we all get to call SLO-me :)

Liz grew up on the central coast. Her first passion, surfing endowed her with centeredness and allowed her to cultivate a relationship with nature. Before yoga, she was enamored with meditation. The physical practice entered her sphere in high school as a way to gently thank her body for the hard work done in various sports; tennis, basketball, and lacrosse. At University of San Diego, she majored in philosophy, with minors in english and theology. Surfing daily took its toll and she'd drop into the yoga studios to recuperate. Knowing the warm surf would be too distracting, after graduating she moved back to SLO to journey inwards.

All the papers and exams on divine embodiment attracted to her the most expanded yoga teacher trainer. Devoted to the philosophical truths she had uncovered in college, Liz began to unearth more and more complex sacred geometric form in her own sphere of existence. By the end of her six month long teacher training, her kundalini began to fire and she had to integrate yoga into her livelihood. Teaching since 2012, her passion for yoga grows daily.

Her classes are a co-creative experience wherein she fuses modalities together to yield the most blissful heart consciousness expansion. She draws upon various styles of yoga; vinyasa, hatha, ashtanga, Iyengar, rocket, kundalini, yin, etc. Always a student of the Universe, she is constantly expanding her own awareness, so that she may offer more alchemical insights. Light and playful, she loves nothing more than holding space for growth. Humbly living in service, there is a so much ecstasy in deep inner space exploration. Grateful for every opportunity to share her integrative knowledge as it has provoked such a joyous shift in her own life. Truly this work emanates outwards benevolently effecting all beings.

I have an overwhelming sense of gratitude and passion for yoga. As a teenager it saved my life! Always an extremely active person, you name it…I played it. Life as I knew it was altered at the age of 16 by a severe back surgery. Seeking relief from the constant pain, dealing with the effects of a large disfiguring scar, mourning the loss of mobility and flexibility, and seeking a balm for a broken Spirit, I turned to yoga. Through my 10 years of yoga practice I discovered pain relief, self-acceptance, peace of mind, and the knowing I am not just my physical body but truly a spark of love. Perfect, whole and complete just as I am right now. My desire is to nurture that inner knowing with all whom I share the beautiful practice of yoga. I graduated from Cal Poly with a degree in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism and completed my 200-hour Teacher Training program through the San Luis Obispo Yoga Center in 2012. I currently work as an E-RYT,  Certified SUP Yoga Teacher, and Registered Massage Therapist on the Central Coast. I look forward to sharing this journey of self-discovery as we learn and grow together.

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Being born and raised in beautiful San Luis Obispo, Carly grew up embracing the outdoors and taking in all the Central Coast has to offer. She began competitive swimming at a young age and continued to branch out into anything and everything fitness from water polo to soccer to gymnastics, never staying stagnant in one realm to increasingly challenge her body and mind. After graduating from San Diego State University, Carly returned back to her native grounds and discovered a new avenue in yoga and pilates. Yoga found her when she needed something unfamiliar, challenging, and unbroken.  Her first Bikram class was the most challenging experience of her life, and it was exactly what she needed.  Yoga began to heal her tremendous back pain, where she tended to carry the weight of life.  Her spirit blossomed and she was buzzing from the inside-out.  She wanted to deepen her practice and share her dedication, which led her to teacher training. Immediately she felt an overwhelming passion and drive, not only in the practice, but in the community. 

Before teaching, her practice was one hundred percent hers.  As a teacher, she is now able to serve her students and give one hundred percent to them.  The two combined are pure bliss.  Yoga has taught her that she is powerful and able, something she had never felt before.  The strength, energy, stillness of the mind, and flexibility rediscovered in each class allows her to restore every ounce of her being. Yoga allowed her to connect with herself and others in a way she never thought possible. She motivates her students through encouragement, love, and having fun, with a constant reminder to honor their bodies. 

When flexibility became the forefront of her practice she knew she had to balance her body with high intensity interval training (HIIT) to balance her dominating flexibility with strength training to deminish the chance of injury and in return enhance her yoga practice. Her love for everything fitness continues to grow through her exploration of all types of fitness. Yoga and pilates has made her grateful for her body and what it is capable of doing.  With a calmer mind she is more present and consistently transfers what she learns from working hard in her practice to the outside world.  Every day is a new day, and she can't wait to share it and continuously embrace it.

Being raised in Santa Barbara by a family of fitness enthusiasts Brooke was destined to be active.  Exercise and sport was mandatory in her household. In high school and college she ran track and cross country.   After graduating from Cal Poly with a degree in business and pursuing a stressful job in mortgage banking.  She found her heart and focus were still in health and fitness. Besides spending countless hours at the gym, you could find her working out before, at lunch, and after work.

 Brooke become a champion of health and fitness at work, an ambassador of sweat.  She started a wellness group at Morgan Stanley and Santa Barbara Bank & Trust helping to start the fitness lifestyle with her coworkers.  From organizing group runs to train for events, to getting rid of the unhealthy vending machine food. There even became a saying at the bank, what would Brooke do, when an unhealthy food or fitness dilemma came up.  Brooke decided to pursue more knowledge in nutrition and complete precision nutritions program in 2014.

In 2008 Brooke became more active in competitive sport and started training for the LA Marathon.  Since then she has become known as that crazy running girl, having competed in over 30 races.  You can often find Brooke downtown running.   From half marathons to triathlons, to ultra trail races locally and abroad.  She has found that competitive sport and training gives her incredible satisfaction and purpose.

In 2007 Brooke started practicing Bikram yoga to try and prevent injuries from the long hours of running and lifting.  Although flexibility was never her strength she loved the feeling of opening up her body.  Earlier this year she starting teaching inferno hot pilates and found a new passion.  Inspiring others though fitness.  A spark had been lit when she started teaching the high intensity class combining pilates principles with tabata training in a heated room.  It gives her great satisfaction to share with others the deep love of health and fitness.

Seeking to nurture a wounded spirit and find mental clarity, Alan journeyed to his first yoga studio. Unknowingly walking into a traditional Mysore Ashtanga room, he immediately became immersed in a dynamic, vigorous, and demanding physical self-led style of yoga. Over time, with daily dedicated and consistent practice, Alan began to feel better in his body, gradually reconnecting to an inner passion for growth and self-discovery. With a quickly developing fire for everything Yoga, he received his certifications for Power Yoga and Yoga Sculpt from Brittni Soo.

Constantly seeking out new styles of practice, Alan stumbled upon Rocket Yoga. “The Rocket”, born in San Francisco in the 1980s by local badass Larry Schultz, is a modified Ashtanga based practice best explained by Schultz: “The Rocket is designed to wake up the nervous system…while promoting a spirit of change and freedom in the practice.” After completing the Rocket teacher training at Asta Yoga SF under Larry’s student, Steven Pyka, he became reconnected to the internal beauty of a consistent self-practice and the purity of Yoga Asana as simply Breath, Bandha, and Dhristi.

He is committed to supporting his students push past their comfort zones and develop their own self-practice that fits their own unique and special constitution. He believes Yoga is key to liberation from our everyday “monkey mind” so that we may confidently walk our own authentic path towards being our best Self. He would like pay homage to the teachers that have transmitted their beautiful teachings to him: Brittni Soo, Steven Pyka, and Khristine Jones.

I became deeply interested in yoga at the age of 13 when I started practicing Bikram with my father and Iyengar with my mom. As a senior in high school I received my 200 hr Certification through Essential Hot Yoga in Boise, Idaho, and since then haven’t spent more than a day away from my mat.  Yoga practice and teaching continue to give me changes of perspective in my activities, involvements and thoughts. I see Yoga as a deeper connection to the self and it has lead to my becoming much more aware of my feelings and those around me. My love for yoga has inspired my educational path directed towards health and wellness. I am currently studying for a B.S. in Psychology at Cal Poly and working towards a 500hr certification with Yoga Medicine. These fascinations appear through my teaching as I encourage my students and self to delve inwards and become aware of our feelings both physically and emotionally through the practice of yoga.

Marty has trained in Martial Arts for over 10 years and recently found his way to yoga. He initially saw yoga as a short-term strategy to increase his flexibility and further his martial arts training but quickly became hooked on the mental benefits as well as the physical. Marty's initial 200hr certification was Baptiste inspired and he is nearly finished with his 500hr certification in Universal Yoga. He teaches power vinyasa classes with an eye towards safe alignment and fun transitions. Marty has a passion for strong classes as well as arm balances and inversions. If you want to build strength, expand your abilities, and don't mind getting a little sweaty in the process, come take a class from Marty!

KJ (short for Kristen Joy) started her yoga practice while pregnant with her 1st daughter in 2002. She practiced a bit in her 3rd pregnancy in 2007, but it was not until she tore her ACL and meniscus twice on the same knee she knew yoga was needed to rehabilitate from 2 surgeries. As a mom to 3 daughters and owner of an organic aloe vera skin care franchise she is passionate about health and wellness in all aspects of her life. KJ completed her 200 hour YTT through Yoga Mazé at SLO Yoga Center under the instruction of Rocky Heron. She believes it does not matter how old you are, what body type you are, or how active you are; anyone can practice yoga. She believes yoga is truly a journey and a lifelong practice. KJ will always share the true yoga happens off the mat when you take your practice into everyday life situations. She can not wait to have you in one of your classes! 

Niccola is honored to be a student and teacher of the Ashtanga Yoga method as taught to her by the late Sri K. Pattabhi Jois in Mysore, India. She has been studying and practicing in this tradition since 2004 and is excited to bring her love of Ashtanga to the Central Coast of California! Niccola is a passionate teacher who approaches and introduces the series in a fun, unique and non-competitive way. She firmly believes in the benefits of a committed, daily yoga practice and hopes to inspire you to find your own path.

Not exactly from a young age, Michelle took up dancing at Santa Barbara City College. Quickly enticed by the ecstatic euphoria of modern dance, she began a path of exploration. Beginning in modern, ballet and ballroom, the drive to perform was a natural next step out of the classroom. From SBCC to San Diego Mesa College, she delved further into the complex inner workings of movement. Beyond the technical application of steps, she explored history, choreography, music in relation to dance and found this new world quite enrapturing. Following study at Cal Poly, she has had the pleasure of performing professionally with Variable Velocity, but focuses most importantly on just how elated dance makes her feel on the day to day.

Along with dance, practicing yoga from the age of 17 has been an integral part of her physical and mental wellness. Continuing to mix it up with fitness activities for the sake of variety and sanity, she trained in Muay Thai and Krav Maga at Budo Ryu Martial Arts Gym. There, she was introduced and began to study the functional fitness program developed by Jon Hinds - Monkey Bar Gym. After a year of training and testing, she began to instruct small classes and privates through functional training, restoration yoga, and high-energy nutrition plans. Taking some time away from the fitness world since, she has now happily begun to explore the world of Barre!

She continuously works to expand her education and looks forward to sharing that pleasure of practice through Spark.

In 2008, I moved to the Central Coast to attend school at Cal Poly, and was fortunate to stumble upon yoga just a few years after. It was then that yoga first became an integral part of my self-discovery process, and the awareness and understanding that develop through yoga continues to inspire and feed my devotion to my practice and to the practices of my students. I wholeheartedly believe that conscious breath and movement are indispensable tools on the journey towards self-awareness, understanding, and acceptance; thus, in my classes I hope to assist each student to cultivate and explore a deepening attention to one’s own inward experience. My teaching is infused with the playfulness and sense of curiosity essential for self-examination, but also emphasizes the importance of acceptance and surrender—in both yoga and in life!

I first moved to the Central Coast in 2012 from Ohio where I was born and raised. Growing up in an artistic family I found my passion in photography, film, and visual art. After graduating from Morro Bay High School in 2014, I began to pursue my photography on a larger scale and continue to do that today. When I found Spark just over two years ago I finally felt like I was able to channel my creative spirit into my fitness. I find so much beauty in the human body so yoga became just another art form for myself. Music is also a very big part of my life and I get so much inspiration and energy from different artists, so you can always expect to be bumping to a diverse playlist in my class. Sculpt has become so much more to me than just a workout, it's a place where I'm able to challenge my mind and body and create a space of love and acceptance. I strongly believe in the power of self love; we are here to find strength in ourselves and build each other up and I'm so grateful to Spark for helping me find that love in myself and hopefully I'm able to bring that love out of every one of my students.

I was born and raised on the central coast and grew up in a family with three brothers! My family has always been very adventurous and apt to trying new things. I remember when I was about 13 years old my mom would take me to the hot yoga studio down the street from us and she would be back 90 minutes later to pick me up. At a very young age I was already so health conscious and had a drive for pushing my self to my limits. One of my many goals in life is to become a Nurse Practitioner, so most of my time goes into my studies. However, when I get a free moment I enjoy mountain biking, fishing and doing most anything that involves being outdoors and having a good time. A little over a year ago I found my self in Stephanie's Barre class and absolutely fell in love with it. I felt my body changing and having more endurance for all the day to day things and activities I do. Not too long after that I saw that she was going to be doing a Barre Training. I got on board as quickly as I could and haven't turned back since! I feel so blessed to be able to instruct and help motivate people to find their limits and grow stronger.

I was originally introduced to yoga after sustaining an injury while running and it quickly become part of my weekly exercise routine. After practicing regularly for many years I felt compelled to take my practice even further, which led me to complete my 200-hour teacher training in 2015. Today, I am constantly seeking out new classes, workshops, and additional training opportunities as my hope is to always be deepening my practice and finding new things to share with my students. My classes are energetic and lighthearted and typically include strengthening poses, balance work, and creative transitions. I feel that being able to see and feel the shifts that takes place in my students from when they walk into the room to when they leave is the greatest gift. For my practice and my students, I am exceedingly grateful and humbled.

I was first introduced to yoga by my mother in the 1970s when I was a little girl (we wore leotards to class!), but I didn’t really begin my own yoga practice and exploration until I was 30 in 1995. I turned 51 this year and I have more vitality and happiness than I’ve ever had – and yoga is a big part of that! Yoga is a place I always go to – my home - in times of joy and high energy but also in times of struggle, stress and exhaustion.  Yoga has helped me get through difficult times – it’s my therapy and safe place. I’m just beginning my yoga teaching journey with Sculpt at Spark, and I’m so grateful for the opportunity. I have so much to learn – I always feel like a beginner when I step on my mat! I’m committed to teaching classes that are safe, sustainable and transformational. My purpose as a yoga teacher is this: to guide and inspire you in your personal practice so you can continue practicing throughout your life guided by the best teacher you will ever have – the one right inside you. Namaste!
 

Brooke embarked on her yoga journey in late 2015 with the intention of relieving back pain & an injured hamstring. The practice of yoga went beyond healing her physical ailments—and catalyzed an introduction to self-discovery, mindfulness, & full body awareness. She is trained under Noah Mazé & Rocky Heron of Yogamazé, & received her 200 Hour RYT certification in February of 2017. Brooke’s philosophy of yoga is seen as a Moving Meditation by sharing an equal exchange & reciprocity with Mother Earth. By practicing the sacred dance of yoga asana, it is inherently a wonderful way to give back and share gratitude for your temple.

What you can expect in her classes: An overall full body expansive experience, with guided transitions into structurally safe, integral postures paired with pranayama + breathwork exercises. Brooke encourages her yogis to treat their practice as a creative expression of their highest self & encourages you to breath your intuitive breath.

Trevor enjoys life in general on a daily basis.  Born in the rural farm town of Porterville, he came to San Luis Obispo in September '06 as a water polo player pursuing a degree in Aerospace Engineering at Cal Poly.  Yoga didn't come into his life until his yoga-teaching mother finally convinced him to try it in April '09, and after that first class, he was completely hooked.  His love of yoga soon developed into a desire to share it with others, and in May '10 he completed a 200-hour YogaWorks teacher training with Malachi Melville and Greville Henwood.  Since then, he has taught a variety of styles to practitioners of every experience level. 

Nan Cole

Nan Cole is a devoted teacher of the yoga of BEING. Her classes are a balance of stillness and slow-flowing movements with long-held postures. She combines silence and sound that will open your heart and leave you restored and ready to manifest more positive DOING. She is RYT-200-certified with Yoga Alliance and has studied under Kate Saal, Kelly Metcalf, Rod Stryker, Sarah Powers, Bernie Clark and Rocky Heron. She is interested in how to influence the subtle energetic body through postural yoga, breathwork and meditation. Nan holds advanced degrees in Renewable Energy and Urban Planning. She has studied, lived and worked in those fields all over the world: Germany, France, Denmark, and Brazil. When she is not practicing or teaching yoga, you can find her cooking vegan food, or out leading hikes for the local chapter of the Sierra Club.

Instagram @nanyogahikes

I first became acquainted with Barre in 2013 when I took my first Barre class at Spark Yoga. My dearest friend was trying for months to get me to try a class, but I was having a hard time with some body image problems. I was active, but could not shed the pounds. I felt very intimidated by the thought of a hot yoga studio and wasn’t comfortable with the idea. Needless to say, I eventually agreed to try a Barre class at Spark. I never looked back after my first class. I was hooked and I felt so good, light, limber and most importantly, relaxed. I believe that that’s what being active is all about. My family and friends noticed a difference and I started seeing and feeling changes mentally and physically. A year later I decided to become a certified instructor at the age of 47. What I want my students to get out of my classes are to have fun! It doesn’t matter your body size, shape, age or gender. I feel so blessed that I get to share what I love with everyone who attends my classes.

Leslie St. John, creator of Prose and Poses, is a self-expression muse, helping people get "unstuck." Using the modalities of yoga, Qoya, and writing, she helps people unshackle creativity, feel their bodies as allies, and cultivate more self-intimacy. Her graduate degree is from Purdue University, and she is a certified 500hr yoga teacher, studying with Tias Little and Noah Mazé. Her classes have been described as “Sweaty and Spiritual.” Be prepared to move and deepen your connection to your true self. When she's not teaching English at Cal Poly or one of her many yoga classes, workshops, and retreats, you'll find her writing at a café, hunting vintage shops, or hiking with her dog.

Barre is the foundation of my physical life; in it I find strength, stability, consistency and reward. This passion for barre started from my ballet training when I was 5 years old. I was enthralled by the hard work, beauty, dedication and elegance that ballerinas embody. From there it was dancing at the Academy of Dance in SLO all the way through high school. In college I was privileged to practice and dance alongside such wonderful companies as the San Francisco Ballet and the Washington Ballet in D.C. After a back injury in mid-twenties, I was on the hunt for an exercise that would give me the same discipline, challenge and results that dance had once provided me. I was introduced to barre and the rest is history; I completely fell in love with barre! It gave me an outlet that dance had once given me, while giving me the physical results and strength I was looking for. Because of barre my back has healed and I’m as strong as ever! This sparked me to become an instructor, which I absolutely love. As an instructor it is my goal to create an atmosphere where my students feel welcomed, supported, challenged and rewarded. No matter what work-out background my students come from, I feel that it is important to push their limits (mentally and physically), while also giving them the encouragement and a can-do attitude that will sustain them away from the barre. I consider myself lucky to be able to share my passion and enthusiasm for barre with the community that I grew up in and that I love so much! Come join me today at the barre today!