our teachers

shannon

studio director

Shannon has been teaching yoga and meditation for 8 years and is known as a teacher's mentor. She is the owner and director of Sanga Yoga Studio in Vancouver and a faculty member for the Vancouver Yoga Conference. She has mentored over 40 teachers, most of whom have gone on to teach yoga as a career and continues to teach teachers and students in the art of practising yoga in a peaceful way.

jacqui

Jacqui has been practicing yoga for over ten years and she is a graduate of the 200hr Open Door Yoga teacher training. She found yoga through her path as a proffessional dancer. She is a mother of two small children, a reiki practitioner and a student of meditation at the Tilopa Buddist Center.

elizabeth

Elizabeth is a graduate of UBC's Human Kinetics program. She brings her technical knowledge of body mechanics, physiology, posture, and health to her classes in balance with the simple joy of the full yoga experience. She is a certified yoga teacher through Prana Yoga College and has completed her Yin and Vinyasa certificates through Semperviva Yoga. Elizabeth's teaching style is direct and honest, creative and energetic with a sincere love for helping others to feel good in their bodies and happy in their lives.

ale

Originally from Mexico, Alejandra (Ale) was introduced to yoga while studying dance in New York city. She has been certified through Open Door Yoga Studio and is also a graduate from the Teacher’s Integration Program at Sanga. Her teaching style is influenced by Ashtanga, Classical Hatha, Pilates as well as her love for the fluidity and movement of dance. As a dancer Ale has learned how to control the body’s movements and as a yogi she has spread that awareness to her mind and spirit. Her classes have a strong emphasis on alignment, body awareness and a celebration of life. She is presently studying Anusara Yoga. She is very grateful to find herself walking in this path and has all the gratitude and love for her teachers. Spanish speaking students welcome!

lisa

Lisa looks at yoga as a way to learn about life, ourselves, and our relationships to each other. She has a degree in Psychology from the University of Victoria and received her teacher's certification from Prana Yoga College and Shakt Mhi. She is also a graduate of The Teacher's Integration Program at Sanga Yoga. As a trained actor she uses yoga to break down her own personal boundaries so she can share her craft with others, on camera as well as with students. She teaches yoga as a way helping people to expose their true selves, the bright light and love that resides within all of us.

angie I.

A student of yoga for more than 13 years, Angie has studied Yoga and Ayurveda in both India and Vancouver. Angie took her first yoga class in 1995 to fulfill a need for self-nourishment; to deepen her understanding of herself in mind and body. In her yoga classes, she aims create an environment that fosters self-inquiry, generating that vitality and clarity which are born of moment-by-moment awareness. Angie currently teaches Hatha, Yin and Prenatal yoga at studios, community centres and other locations in Vancouver. Spanish speaking students welcome!

marla

Marla Waal has been teaching yoga for 11 years. Her first career as a professional dancer had her living in Montreal and later Chicago, performing on stages all over the world. Having grown up on the West Coast it felt right to return here with her husband in 1998, when she began to study, practice and teach yoga. Initially attracted to a very gentle and therapeutic style of hatha yoga, she later studied Ashtanga, restorative yoga, yin yoga and many styles of meditation. The journey of study, investigation and practice through yoga is a life long passion for Marla. Marla is grateful to many teachers, colleagues and students who have been a part of her yoga and her life. Marla is currently on mat leave with the birth of her daughter Maxine.

angie D.

Angie's began practising yoga at the age of sixteen using a Hatha yoga video. She has been an athlete throughout her life and always found herself returning to yoga for its unique body-mind-spirit approach to well being. Angie also holds of Bachelor of Commerce from UBC, and a Diploma of Human Kinetics through Langara College. She is a certified BCRPA Yoga Fit instructor and has also completed her 200 hour training through YYOGA Flow Wellness. Angie is grateful to the many amazing teachers she has studied with and she is excited to be part of the Sanga family!

thara

Thara has an eclectic style that has been influenced by many brilliant teachers over 10 years. Constantly learning from interactions with her students, her classes are creative, accommodating, challenging and playful. She has a strong background in anatomy & physiology, along with years of movement therapy and dance. Her mantra: The body-breath connection is powerful and sacred - the yoga practice is a reminder of this. In 2007, she completed a Master's thesis focusing on ecological awareness within the practice of yoga. She has learned that a deep body experience can allow you to fall in love with the earth. Thara offers her students the opportunity to create and maintain positive patterns in their minds, bodies and spirits. Guiding from the heart, the core and the ground, she aims to bring a smile to your face and more peace to the world. Come play in her class, with effort and ease, you will leave feeling strong, confident, relaxed and refreshed!

jodie

Jodie has been certified and trained in Canada and the United States in traditional hatha yoga, ashtanga vinyasa, power flow, rocket style, and hot yoga. She is also a graduate of Sanga's TIP program. You will experience strong foundation work in all of her classes. During the hatha classes there is time taken to breathe and study the self in the movement from pose to pose. And in the Core classes the movement is mindful taking the time to be fully present in the moment and learning how to effectively move from our centre. Jodie welcomes students to acknowledge areas in life and in practice where there is room for growth and love.

alexis

Alexis has been teaching yoga for over 3 years, and practicing for over a dozen. Because of her background in the performing arts as well as on-going yogini training, Alexis draws on a myriad of physical explorations and breathing techniques to softly open and enliven the body. Her classes offer a healthy combination of playfulness, verve and surrender. Conscious of the different moods and physical impasses students can bring to the mat, Alexis endeavours to teach changing sequences to suit each particular session. She grants graceful demonstrations of the asanas, eloquent guidance and gentle hands-on adjustments. Alexis a graduate of Prana Yoga College.