About Us
| Haute Yoga was founded by a small group of friends and all of us have discovered that yoga has made profound differences in our lives. We are also business people from a wide range of arenas, but we all agree that the stresses of life can be balanced by the benefits of yoga, giving us renewed energy and improving our general physical and mental well being. Our collective yoga practices span decades, come from numerous countries and incorporate teachings from many of the world’s great yogi masters. At Haute Yoga, we have created a studio which blends design and influences from around the world with state-of-the-art environmental controls. You’ll find a variety of yoga styles here with amenities to serve all the needs of the modern yogi. We are here to offer you an inviting community and comfortable spaces in which all can practice, relax, unwind, renew and leave our stresses far behind. |
All of our instructors are seasoned yogis who were invited to unite with us because of their deep and ever evolving practices, positive energies and competent abilities to teach and motivate others.
Photos and Bios
(In alphabetical order by last name)
|
Olivera Bogdanovich-Flacco
 Olivera has been athletic since starting gymnastics at four years of age in Serbia (formerly Yugoslavia). She started swimming at eleven and had developed her own work-out routine which she performed in her bedroom when the severe Serbian winters kept her indoors. Her other passion since childhood has been the piano. After receiving her Master’s degree in Belgrade in piano pedagogy (teaching) Olivera continued her studies in London and has been a full-time instructor since.
In January of 2000, Olivera relocated to the U.S. with her two small children shortly after the three of them had endured 77 days of American air raids and bombings. Not long after arriving in America, she found hot yoga and was hooked from the first class. She pursued teacher training and obtained her certification in Hatha. She has now taken her skills from years of teaching and explaining the intricacies of the piano and combined them with her knowledge of yoga and leads exhilarating and informative classes. If you’re American however, she will make you suffer for the bombings!
Olivera has also studied piano since childhood in Serbia and in London and has her degree in Piano Pedogogy (teaching). She teaches adults and children in her music studio when she is not at Haute Yoga teaching. Visit her website at www.pianoli.com
|
|
Katie Brauer
 Originally from Sydney Australia, Katie teaches Kripalu/Vinyasa Flow Yoga and is a practitioner of Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy.
Known for her inspirational teaching style and ability to create a safe and sacred space, her classes are blend of Kripalu/Vinyasa Flow Yoga infused with yoga philosophy, technical alignment and her heart felt humor she draws on her own life experiences, her many teachers and her numerous adventures around the globe to bring you a truly multi-dimensional practice and experience. Katie is a Certified Teacher of Kripalu Yoga, Shiva Rea Vinyasa/Prana Flow, Pre/Post Natal Yoga, Journey Dance and Yoga Trance Dance. A Certified Practitioner of Bio-Dynamic Craniosacral Therapy, Thai Yoga Bodywork and Massage Therapy. She has studied Reiki Level I & II, Reflexology, Chi Nei Tsang, Qi Gong, Tai Chi and Shaolin Long Fist Kung Fu in China. She is also Certified in Classical Pilates and studied Anatomy and Physiology at the University in Sydney, Katie teaches and leads worskshops Internationally and throughout th e USA. For more information on Katie visit www.opentosource.com
|
 Matt Caron
Matt has many passions; music, art, science, history, nature and holistic body awareness to name a few, but first and foremost is his love of yoga. At age 16 in his hometown of Dacula, GA, Matt discovered eastern philosophy. Meditating frequently since then, he strives to connect to his inward Self and gain more understanding of the true meaning of happiness. He firmly believes that there is nothing more important than finding your own true purpose in life. With that principle in mind, Matt has become a yoga teacher and a ISSA certified personal trainer. Although both hold different paths to health, by combining the two he has come up with a way of training that is versatile, effective and works with both the mind and body. Constantly striving to improve, create, discover and grow, Matt is always a work in progress!
Check out his personal training site at probodydynamics.com
|
|
Jenna Carpenter
 Jenna’s passion for yoga helped her to grow spiritually years ago and continues to transform her life. Yoga sculptedJenna’s humility, confidence, and independence. Growing up in The Woodlands, Texas, she played a variety of sports and pursued gymnastics for four years. Jenna has practiced yoga for the last seven years and lived in California since 2004. Several inspirational teachers gave her support and guidance in advancing her yoga practice. When she came back from solo traveling in southeast Asia, she knew teaching yoga was the next step in her life. Jenna’s dedicated practice as a student and teacher continues to uplift her and others daily. When she isn’t physically practicing yoga she enjoys traveling, surfing, creating art, appreciating nature, and going to school.
|
|
Kenna Crouch
 Kenna Crouch is a yogini and performing artist. She grew up dancing, primarily classical ballet, jazz and tap. In college, she expanded into contemporary dance and found yoga along the way. She now happily dedicates herself to the creative and complimentary practices of yoga and dance—teaching, performing, creating, learning, combining…. In addition to a Bachelor’s degree in Dance & Sociology from UC San Diego (‘08), Kenna has completed 200-hour teacher training with Sherry Schreck in the Anusara style. Kenna is also a professional modern dancer and teacher with the Patricia Rincon Dance Collective, with whom she performs through out San Diego. Nature, healing arts, music and meditation inspire Kenna as well as her yoga practice… she blends these elements into class to inspire students to connect mind-body-breath-soul during practice. om namah shivaya…
|
 Roxanne DePalmaHonored to have begun her yoga practice in 1993, at age 16, Roxanne continues to be in gratitude of her fellow yogis and teachers. She has been teaching in the NorthCounty yoga community since 2002. She is a dedicated, heartfelt instructor who brings a wealth of knowledge to her classes. Her background in functional body alignment and compassion to share with others brings a unique spirit to all of her classes. As an instructor for yoga-teacher certification Roxanne has been instrumental in the graduation of yoga teachers across the globe.
In addition to teaching yoga, Roxanne maintains a studio where she offers various types of bodywork, including massage (Pre-Natal, Thai, Myofascial release, Deep Tissue), Yoga Therapy, and Private Yoga instruction. roxydoesyoga@yahoo.com
- Certified Holistic Health Practitioner (HHP), Licensed Massage Technician (LMT) from Healing Hands School of Holistic Health, Escondido (1998)
- Vitality School of Massage, Jin Shin Jitsu I & II (2003) Solana Beach
- Body Mind College Training with Dr. Barry Green (2005), Sorrento Valley
- 3000 Hours Certified Advanced Yoga Teacher, (2007) Synergy Yoga, Encinitas
- Anusara Yoga Training with Sherry Schreck, (2009), Encinitas
- Studied various styles of yoga including: Ashtanga, Anusara, Kundalini, Vinyasa Flows, Hot Yoga, since 1993.
|
 Alexis Ferrier
Alexis knew yoga would be a great love of hers for many years before she built up enough courage to step onto a yoga mat. Her first class was a one on one session with a Baptiste Power Vinyasa instructor – who was a close friend, and wouldn’t take any excuse for either a shaky chatarunga or a weak ujjayi breath. Alexis is a certified Core Power Yoga instructor with a passion for meditation and Ayurveda. She is a firm believer in yoga facilitating deep connections to one’s soul, helping to unfold the process of self-discovering and transformation. Alexis chooses to inspire and teach others about yoga as it relates to being a science of balanced living, a path for realizing one’s full human potential. Outside of the studio, she enjoys reading, writing, cooking and is a connoisseur of fine cuisine.
|
 |
Michael Fukumura Michael’s yoga practice has been an evolving and dynamic path. He has been blessed with the opportunity to study with many gifted teachers. Since 2000, he has dedicated himself to Anusara Yoga and his most influential teacher, John Friend. Anusara yoga and Rajanka Tantra philosophy have allowed him to view the world and himself in a way that connects body, mind and heart. He is grateful to John for being so generous with his wisdom and being the inspiration for huge internal and external shifts in his life. Michael is known for his inspiring and supportive teaching style. His classes balance a sense of play and adventure with mindful awareness of precise alignment. Students learn how to practice their yoga from the inside out so that they are empowered from their deepest resources. He encourages students to discover their natural strengths, beauty and wisdom and to celebrate every moment from the heart.
Learn more about Michael at his website @ www.loliyoga.com
|
 Dino FlaccoAt 6’5”, 210 lbs, Dino is not your average yogi. As an omnivore, red wine lover and appreciator of single malt Scotch, his diet may not seem to lend itself to a yogic lifestyle but, as he firmly believes, there are many paths.
Dino found that for him, the best rehab for his knees, which have been plagued with injuries over the years and have undergone multiple surgeries, was hot yoga. He first tried hot yoga in 1999 and became hooked soon there after. His knees quickly felt the benefits that a steady routine of hot yoga provided. Since, he has been fortunate to have practiced various styles of yoga with many of the great yogis around the world having traveled extensively throughout Asia and Europe for years. To deepen his practice, he began his teacher training in 2007 and is still amazed at the continuing lessons a committed practice offers, physically, emotionally and spiritually.
|
 Caitlyn GrahamAfter five years of dedicated practice, Caitlyn completed the YogaWorks 200 Hour Teacher Training program. The combination of Iyengar, Ashtanga and Viniyoga creates a challenging (flowing) practice filled with intense internal heat, integrity of postures and the connection between breath and movement. Caitlyn believes Yoga is the opening of new possibilities; it is the opportunity to create a healthier body, clearer mind and sense of peace that translates to the outside world. Her goal is to continue the tradition of Yoga and pass on her knowledge, love, and joy to students, while continuing her own-self study and practice.
|
|
Jo was a competitive gymnast until the age of 12, and then began focusing on tennis when she moved overseas to Japan and Korea with her family. A back injury ended her collegiate tennis career at UC San Diego in 2001, and after traditional medicine and physical therapy failed, she turned to yoga. She started as a student of Svaroopa yoga, a style known for it’s compassionate approach to profoundly change the body, mind, and emotions. After practicing intensely for 6 months, she was once again able to start playing competitively and started coaching tennis at Mesa College. She continued with Svaroopa yoga, but broadened her practice by studying Bikram, Vinyasa, and Anusara. She eventually choose to become certified in Vinyasa; receiving her training at the Prana yoga studio in La Jolla under the guidance of Gerhard Gessner and Jeanie Carlstead. Currently, she is training in Anusara yoga with Michael Fukumura, working towards her 500 hr RYT. With a BA in Psychology from the University of California, San Diego, Jo has been able to apply her education by teaching yoga to people recovering from substance abuse at Active Recovery. She is grateful to her mentors for guiding her on this path and is blessed to be able to help others know themselves through yoga. She continues to play and teach tennis, has made a serious commitment to growing her personal yoga practice, and loves to tandem surf. Jo strives to find the joy in every experience, and encourages everyone around her to celebrate the joy in their lives too!
|
 Beth Kupanof
Beth brings great enthusiasm and joy to the art of teaching yoga. She completed her Teacher Training Certification at Sundara College through the Soul of Yoga in 2005 and has trained with Myriam Machado, Sherry Schreck, and John Friend, the founder of Anusara Yoga. Having more than 300 hours of teacher training, she continues in the Anusara tradition with strong alignments, energetic classes and unique and fresh perspectives. She loves teaching yoga and considers it an honor to introduce and guide other yogis in their practice. Beth combines her 15 years of massage therapy to offer a balanced sequence of flowing postures with an exploration of compassion, humor and letting go. |
|
Cindy Lee Cindy is foremost and always a student of yoga and secondly an instructor. Cindy received her 800-hour Hatha yoga teacher certification from Moksha Yoga Canada (member of the Yoga Alliance); pioneers of environmentally conscious hot yoga studios. Cindy is honoured to be one of the instructors in the Natural Healing Institute’s (Encinitas, California) Yoga Instructor Certification program as well as assistant instructor in their Massage Technician program. She continues her yoga education through studies in the ancient yoga texts, participating in trainings and workshops and a daily personal practice. Cindy combines her yoga instruction with other healing modalities including Reiki, aromatherapy, energy work, massage and Thai yoga therapy. Cindy believes that through the synergy of nutrition, movement and positive intention we all have the power to heal ourselves. Her approach in a yoga class is one of “ahimsa” or compassion, first for yourself and then for others. With a smile in her heart, she touches all that cross her path. |
|
Traci moved to San Diego, CA in 2004 to attend UCSD. While her normal exercise |
.JPG)
|
In 2006, Chris walked into Baron Baptiste’s Cambridge, MA studio and essentially never left. In a short time, Chris went from enjoying the physical benefits of occasional practice to developing a dedicated daily practice incorporating all eight limbs of yoga. For two years, he worked as an assistant in the Baptiste studios, providing hands-on adjustments to encourage students’ physical and mental exploration, while supporting safe alignment. He remains an active student of Baron Baptiste, and is honored to be an Associate Baptiste Power Vinyasa Teacher.
In addition to Baron Baptiste’s Level 1 and Level 2 Teacher Trainings, Chris has completed his 200-hour teacher training through YogaWorks with the incomparable Natasha Rizopoulos. With these dual influences, Chris creates a powerful experience for his students that is invigorating and opening, inviting students to drop perceived limitations and enjoy new possibilities in their practice and life off the mat.
|
|
Merrin Muxlow is a 500-hour Certified Yoga Instructor, and has trained in various yoga styles in Los Angeles, San Diego, Washington DC, Mexico, and Indonesia. Merrin attended Loyola Marymount University and Thomas Jefferson School of Law, and currently works as an instructor of Hatha, Vinyasa, and Power Vinyasa classes for private clients, company wellness programs, and several San Diego studios. She is the co-owner of Upbeat Retreat, a yoga travel company that leads international retreats for yogis and yoginis, and writes about her yoga adventures at www.practicedharma.com.
|
|
Jeanette Ninyo Jeanette began studying yoga at the age of seventeen. She has had the opportunity to study Hatha, Warrior, Ashtanga, Anusara, Synergy, and Bikram yoga in various settings including northern and southern California, Turkey, and Thailand. Jeanette became a dedicated practitioner of yoga in Santa Cruz, California where she underwent a teachers training process and received her yoga certification in Warrior Yoga studying under the instruction of the founder instructor, Sensei Jeremy Corbell and top student Sensei Kevin Snorf.
When not practicing yoga, Jeanette works as an environmental geologist in San Diego. Her interests include dancing, dinner parties, rock climbing, backpacking, hoop dance, and sharing boundless laughter with the world!
Jeanette’s classes offer a dynamic flow series that focuses on cultivating presence, consciousness of breath, and joy..
|
|
Stephanie Powell Stephanie discovered yoga a number of years ago, and has been practicing and teaching yoga for over 16 years. Through asana (posture), pranayama (breath control), ujjayi pranayama (breathing) and vinyasa (movement) she has found a rhythmic way to bring the art of yogic connections and breathing benefits into a vigorous, exhilarating all over workout. Her diverse fitness knowledge combined with extensive athletic teaching style offers a program to tone and stretch the whole body, to relieve stress and create a deep experience of physical and mental balance. Classes focus on breath work, creating heat from within, core strengthening, flexibility, balance and one’s ability to feel the poses with total grace and power. She encourages students to challenge themselves with enthusiasm while cultivating a self awareness of the proper alignment within each pose. Influenced by master teachers Baron Baptiste, Shiva Rhea and Rodney Yee, she will help you discover your strength and awaken your spirit! Specializing and certified in Ashtanga, Power Vinyasa and Yoga for Athletes, beginners will be encouraged and the advanced student will be challenged. In addition to her first love of yoga she is an experienced certified fitness instructor, personal trainer, BOSU, Cardio-Ballet, and, Gravity, Zumba and Bootcamp instructor. She creates a supportive, challenging, and light-hearted class environment, and focusing on the student is her deepest inspiration and mission. |
|
Shane Robson Shane moved to San Diego from Hawaii at the age of five. "After discovering yoga, as a teenager, everything shifted in my life" says Shane. He took his first yoga class at The Yoga Room in Encinitas, had a wonderful experience, and never looked back. Soon after, Shane began training and teaching at ‘Synergy’ (The Yoga Room). As his practice deepened Shane became interested in all eight limbs of Yoga, or Raja Yoga. With the help of the Self Realization Fellowship he has learned how to open his heart through daily meditation. It is important to Shane to share his experiences with others so that everyone may find strength and joy within themselves. "I am grateful to have the daily opportunity to share this path with other people, just as it was shared with me".
Shane is also a talented artist and has painted the wall designs in both our north and south studios. You can see more of his work at web.mac.com/ixland
|
|
Jennifer (Waters) Grendon Discovering a love for movemet at an early age Jennifer was immersed in the world of dance for over 18 years, leading her to being a performer and choreographer. The life of a dancer granted her with the opportunity to travel, perform and study internationally. During her last semester at college, her Mother suggested she attend a Vinyasa style yoga class, it was there that Jenn would discover the form of moving meditation that would change her life. She remembers back to those yoga classes as being "challenging yet liberating," quite literally "a breath of fresh air." Enchanted by the experience of moving into stillness, Jenn had found her home. This journey has now led her to her life’s work, to live and teach the yoga she so dearly loves. Yoga has taught her to enjoy the questions of her life as much as the answers. Jenn feels blessed to have found in her teacher John Friend and Anusara Yoga® an elegant set of Universal Principles of Alignment®, an uplifting heartfelt community and a Tantric philosophy which sees the intrinsic goodness in all things.You can read more about Jen via her Blog Site, Facebook Page. |
|
Ally Wheatley Ally Wheatley has been in the fitness industry for 22 years. She has a master’s degree in physical therapy from USC, is a registered yoga instructor with Yoga Alliance and is a personal trainer and wellness coach.
Her yoga teacher/training certifications include Ashtanga Yoga with Prem Carlisi (1998), Kriya Yoga with Govindan (1996) and Ananda Yoga with Gyandev McCord (1996) followed a 6 month residency where she taught the Anatomy/Physiology portion of the teacher training. She has also studied through numerous conference and workshops under many distinguished teachers. Ally has customized programs and classes for individuals, corporations and athletes of all ages and levels. In addition, Ally has presented at national conferences, held summer conditioning camps for youth and shown many how to pull yoga into their regular training for optimal performance. The insight gained from infusing a variety of yoga styles with her medical background results in an eye for detail, a heart for loving and an energy that inspires.
|
