Teachers

Who We Are

We love yoga! We live it, we practice regularly, and love to share it! We are all certified to help guide you through a safe and well-rounded practice. Our professional bios reflect a variety of influences, enriching the offerings we have at the Shala. In yoga, there is a beautiful balance between strength and surrender, between effort and letting go. As we encourage you to take your practice to new heights, we also honor your “inner teacher”, and encourage you to listen to your body at all times.

Amanda Amburgey

Amanda Amburgey is passionate about yoga, teaching, and witnessing people as they become more aware of and comfortable with their bodies and their minds. She believes very strongly in the limitless potential of the human spirit. Her teaching style is whimsical and fun. Her joyous warmth and boundless positive energy inspire everyone with enthusiasm. She believes empowerment is less about physicality, rather its about creating the space within ones self for creative energy to flow deeply and powerfully through ones life.  Amanda is forever grateful to her teachers, especially Shiva Rea, Amma, Mark Stephens and Saul David Raye for their creativity, wisdom, and ever-loving instruction. 

Lindsay Amrein

Lindsay Amrein has been a dedicated student of yoga since 2003 and graduated as a registered yoga teacher in 2008 from Avalon Art and Yoga Center, where she apprenticed with Anirudh Shastri and John Berg. Since then, she has studied yoga to understand the transcendental element which quietly accompanies her practice. Through a rigorous vinyasa-flow sequence and careful selection of music, she guides her classes towards a meditative state. She has completed some training at the Iyengar Institute in San Francisco to help her students achieve better alignment and form through the use of props. She also encourages physical, emotional, and spiritual transformation on the yoga mat by integrating her knowledge of transpersonal psychology to improve overall health and well-being.

Noell Clark

Noell took her first yoga class in 2002 and fell in love with the practice. She received her 200 hour Teacher Training Certification through the Yandara Institute in Baja, Mexico, and is a registered teacher with the Yoga Alliance. Since receiving her RYT certification she has continued to study Yoga in the Anusara tradition. She is currently pursuing Anusara certification. Noell encourages creative expression in her classes, with an emphasis on aligning with nature, and celebrating life from the heart. Her classes weave together playful sequencing and attention to alignment, offering students the opportunity to foster community amongst one another, and to connect to the divine in everyone and everything.

Kelly Haller

Kelly began practicing yoga nine years ago while in college at UCSB.  She completed her yoga teacher training at the White Lotus Foundation, where she studied with Ganga White.  Her classes are vinyasa- based, with a strong emphasis on breath and intention.  She challenges her students, while at the same time providing options to make her classes accessible to all levels.  Kelly takes inspiration from her daily life to create a unique focus for each class.  In turn, she encourages her students to take their practice off the mat and into their daily lives. 

Amy Impellizzeri

Amy Impellizzeri is versed in many disciplines with AcroYoga being her primary inspiration. After acquiring her BA in Dance from the University of Oregon, she taught contact improvisation, dance, and technical theatre skills in the department for seven years. Concurrently, Amy was performing and teaching in Oregon, Mexico, and Switzerland. During this time Amy began her Ashtanga yoga studies, receiving her training with ManjuJois and Sri K. PattabhiJois. After teaching in Santa Cruz, California for many years she attained her certification in AcroYoga and currently teaches on-going classes in Santa Cruz, San Jose, Pacific Grove as well as workshops nationally. Amy, an avid climber co-manages Pacific Edge Climbing Gym & Fitness Studio. As a NASM-Certified Personal Trainer, Amy combined her knowledge of yoga, nutrition and physical fitness to benefit her personal clients. Amy is honored to share AcroYoga with the Downtown Yoga Shala community.    www.elementalbalance.org

Nimmi Kovvali

A student of yoga since she was a child Nimmi completed a Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training program under the guidance of senior yoga instructor Mark Stephens in Santa Cruz, CA. Her love for the practice inspired her to share the benefits and joy of doing yoga with others. Nimmi’s personal practice is based on the principles of satya (truth), ahimsa (non-violence) and aparagraha (not hurting), which she strongly emphasizes in the classes that she guides. She offers a safe space for her students to explore their practice through the use of props and modifications to asanas. Nimmi’s classes are choreographed to music that allows her students to explore not only the physical practice but also the practice that develops deep within. Nimmi has studied under the guidance of several well known instructors including Marti Foster, Jill Glikberg, Mark Stephens, Ben Thomas, Kent Bond, Janya Wongsopa and Srivatsa Ramaswami.

Jeffrey Lang

Completing Jill Miller’s Yoga Tune Up® teacher training gave Jeff the necessary knowledge for transforming the body in a systematic, accessible, and safe way. Using modern understanding and ancient techniques, Jeff’s classes provide a physical practice to heal and support mental clarity, emotional capability, and spiritual growth.Having gone through the Avalon Yoga teacher-training program in 2006, Jeff has studied the roots of classical yoga and the philosophies of this rich lineage. Jeff had the opportunity to learn from some of the areas best teachers; John Berg, Ben Thomas, Sam Matthews, Kelly McGonigal, and Anirudh Shastri. “My focus is to bring health to the tissues of the body and ensure their efficient function; providing resiliency and support for our well-being. When the body is properly nourished and balanced, the mind and emotions become more at ease, and exhibit the same resiliency and support as the body. We are able to carry on our lives in a perpetual state of wonder, joy, and ease – even at the most difficult of times we gain the courage to reach into the wellspring of our inner-being and experience peace. Know thy Body; Know thy Self.”

Tamara Lopez

Tamara Lopez is passionate about healing the mind and body through the practice of yoga. She is a government lawyer who understands how the body is compromised by work related stress and prolonged periods of sitting at a desk. She came to yoga later in life and enjoys working with students who are new to yoga. The importance of alignment is emphasized in her teaching so that the benefit of each posture can be fully experienced. She teaches yoga fundamentals as well as deeply relaxing restorative yoga. She earned her RYT certification through Joy of Yoga and has studied under Kofi Busia, Ben Thomas, Judith Lasater, Gary Kraftsow, and Joyce Anue.

Emily Lounsbury

Emily Lounsbury discovered yoga in 2001 and has been practicing ever since. She completed her 200+ hr Yoga teacher training with Jennifer Prugh where she studied many different schools, techniques, and yogic philosophies. She currently maintains a regular Vinyasa practice as well as being influenced by Anusara, Iyengar, and Yin Yoga. She is currently teaching Yoga Foundations at Reformation Studios in San Jose. She also has taught Kids Yoga as well as doing one-on-one therapeutic yoga sessions with private students. Her passion for the study of anatomy as well as experience with physical therapy gives her keen insight to helping people with their physical complaints or conditions. Emily loves studying Yogic as well as other Eastern Philosophies as a part of her daily Raja Yoga practice. Her dream is to help as many people as possible experience the joy and serenity that yoga has to offer.

Elena Milyukova

Through offering to her students a challenging and playful practice Elena encourages them to find their own boundaries. She believes that yoga helps to discover hidden powers, brings more self-confidence, helps to find inner peace and love within. Elena teaches the whole spectrum of yoga: asanas, pranayama, chanting, philosophy and meditation. She gives her students solid foundation with emphasis on safety, alignment, symmetry, and space.

Elena finished Avalon Teacher Training Program and 100-hours Anusara Immersion. She started her path of yoga under the guidance of her Guru, Ben Thomas. Elena considers him her main influence and inspiration. Elena’s teaching style and practice was influenced by other great teachers such as Ken Graham, John Berg, and Kofi Busia to whom she feels much gratitude and appreciation for everything she knows about yoga.

Angeles Moreno

Grateful for the benefits of yoga and seeking a deeper understanding of the art, Angeles completed the Ashtanga Teacher Training at Mount Madonna, founded 35 years ago by the silent Guru, Baba Hari Dass. Angeles teaches Yoga en Espanol, a dynamic yoga flow focusing on the Triputi concept (concentration-breath-posture). Sessions include Pranayama (breathing practices), Sun Salutations, and meditation in action (asanas). Learn Spanish while you practice.Agradecida con los beneficios del yoga y en búsqueda de un entendimiento más profundo de la práctica, en 2008 Ángeles completó el Ashtanga Teacher Training en Mount Madonna, Centro fundado por el gurú Baba Hari Dass hace más de 35 años. Yoga en Espanol – secuencias de Yoga Dinámico enfocadas al concepto “Tríputi” (concentración – respiración – postura). Sesiones que incluyen ejercicios de Pranayama (respiración), Saludos al Sol y meditación en movimiento (asanas).

Sara Nepomuceno

While completing a degree in International Business at San Jose State University Sarah was introduced to Yoga by Lar Caughlan. She instantly fell in love with Yoga for it’s beauty and realized it is a practice for everyone. Sarah decided, as long as a person is breathing and conscious, the opportunity for self realization is there. With all of the other side benefits, such as weight loss, reduced stress, etc. she saw it as a benefit to everyone regardless of their aim.

Sarah has been teaching Yoga since 2006. Trained at The White Lotus Foundation in Santa Barbara, CA in Thai Massage with Phoebe Diftler in the spring of 2007. During the winter of 2009 she enrolled in a teacher certification program at Open Sky Yoga in Rochester, NY . Under the expert guidance of Open Sky’s founder, Francois Raoult, she completed her certification through Yoga Alliance.  She has been blessed with many wonderful teachers and draws from that fountain of knowledge to share with others. Sarah’s teaching style focuses on breathing awareness and control though pranayama (breathing exercises), proper alignment, which can be aided through the use of props, chanting, and meditation. She believes through breath we can learn to tame the fluctuations of the mind and heal the body.  When she is not teaching or practicing, she enjoys time with her husband, son and friends.

Lirio Ohlson

Lirio has studied Hatha Yoga for the last 20 years with Baba Hari Dass. She has been teaching various limbs of the Ashtanga Yoga system including meditation, pranayama (breathing practices), and yoga asana (postures) for more than a decade. Lirio’s focus is on making yoga accessible to people of different ages and abilities.

Jennifer Prugh

Jennifer Prugh R.Y.T. (500) is dedicated to guiding her students to a place just beyond where they thought they could go and discovering what is possible when we bring our whole selves to the moment, bringing meaning to the phrase, ‘with practice, the impossible becomes possible.’ Jennifer unites innovative asana sequencing with attention to alignment, breath work, chanting, partner work and meditation, whether it is a dynamic yoga practice or a practice devoted to stillness. A yoga practitioner for twenty years, she is the founder of the Yoga Alliance 200-hour ‘Joy of Yoga’ advanced studies and teacher training program. She works with people with cancer and their care givers and has a thriving client based practice in yoga therapeutics.

Bob Riccomini

Bob teaches a playful yet vigorous vinyasa flow based class accompanied by contemporary hip music. Bob completed his teacher training at the Bhakti Urban Flow Teacher Training Center in San Francisco with Rusty Wells. Other influential teachers include Dharma Mittra, David Swenson, Desiree Rumbaugh, Ana Forrest, Shiva Rea, Eric Shiffmann, and Jennifer Prugh. Bob’s driving force in teaching yoga is his desire to give back to the local community where he has been so fortunate to live and work for many years. All proceeds Bob receives for teaching are donated to “Art of Yoga,” a non-profit organization whose mission is to lead teen girls in the California juvenile justice system toward accountability by providing practical tools to effect behavior change.

Courtney Ronca

Courtney has experience in Hatha, Ashtanga and Vinyasa yoga. She received her official yoga teaching certification through the Avalon Teacher Training Program in Palo Alto. Courtney continues to study with and receive inspiration from her mentor, Anirudh Shastri. She also participated in teacher training with Sri Dharma Mittra and is currently completing her certification to teach Dharma Mittra Yoga. She teaches a strong and vigorous class that focuses on all areas of the body and prepares the student for meditation. Incorporating asana, pranayama and meditation, she encourages her students to work at their own level and to maintain the principle of ahimsa (non-violence) during their practice.

Matece Skow

Matece Skow, Yoga Instructor and Certified Massage Therapist, has spent much of the last 10 years exploring and teaching different forms of yoga, massage and movement. She has trained in various forms of Hatha yoga including Sivananda, Vinyasa, and Yin. Her background in bodywork and interest in holistic health and yoga philosophy led her to study Ayurveda, becoming an Ayurvedic Lifestyle Counselor through the American Institute of Vedic Studies. Her understanding of the human body informs her sessions and she is focused to help bring the benefits of yoga into daily life. Her natural warmth and playfulness allow for a fun, safe, and nurturing environment.

Prajna Brianna Vieira

Prajna Brianna Vieira has been practicing meditation and bhakti (devotional) yoga since childhood. Formerly a classical ballet dancer, she began her asana practice in 1998 with some of LA’s most beloved yoga teachers including Naader Shagagi, Shiva Rea and Gurmukh. Prajna (pronounced Pruhg-nya) has been teaching Vinyasa, Classical Hatha, and Kundalini Yogas since 2003. Her classes are a soulful, reverent blend of all three styles, and incorporate deeper dimensions of the practice such as mantras, pranayama and yogic philosophy. Prajna is lead singer of the kirtan band “Mukti,” and also sings regularly with Jai Uttal. She aspires to live a balanced and joyous life centered in the yogic principles.

Janya Wongsopa

Janya is a devoted yoga practitioner who has been, since 2003, deeply involved with yogic philosophy and psychology, health, and healing. She completed yoga training at Avalon Yoga Center in Palo Alto, a 200-hour certification course in yogic meditation and Vedanta philosophy at the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Farm, and a certification in Somatic Psychology at the Santa Barbara Graduate Institute, in 2006. Janya has been teaching yoga and meditation since 2006 and has worked as a pancha karma apprentice at Blue Sage Sanctuary. In her classes, Janya emphasizes body and breath awareness and weaves a spiritual teaching of yoga that connects with all aspects of body and mind and that allows students gain physical, emotional, and mental health. Her teaching is gentle yet challenging: with sincere guidance and support, she urges students to take an active role in creating optimum health and well-being.

Nikki Wong

For Nikki it began with a stroll down the aisle of Borders Bookstore in August 2007. The cover of Baron Baptiste’s book, Journey Into Power, got her attention. It’s Baron holding bakasana (crow pose). Since falling in love with yoga back in 2001, she had never been able to get into this pose because of carpel tunnel. “Call me crazy, but the look in his eyes told me that I COULD do crow pose if I bought the book. So being the sucker that I am, I did,” says Nikki who is now a Certified Baptiste Power Vinyasa teacher. Her classes follow the Baptiste style with a fun approach where sweat meets serenity. Nikki believes you are ultimately your own best teacher, and when you embrace yoga as a catalyst for change and growth, there’s a magic that sparks within your commitment to self. An inner revolution emerges that will change your life and eventually lead to change in your community and even the world. Her goal is to guide you to your own personal edge so that you can discover your hidden potential and authentic personal power.

Veronica Cruz

Founder of Downtown Yoga Shala, Veronica took a leap of faith when she left her successful high-tech career to pursue a dream. Living in Kathmandu, Nepal in her youth opened her mind and heart to yoga and eastern spirituality. Years later she pursued yoga again, as a complement to her marathon and triathlon training, which immediately rekindled her love for the practice. Veronica is a certified yoga instructor, having completed teacher training in Ashtanga from Larry Shultz, and Power Vinyasa with Baron Baptiste, as well as several workshops and seminars with respected yogis from whom she continually draws inspiration. A local San Jose resident for many years, Veronica aspires to create a welcoming environment that will bring the many benefits and joys of yoga to the Silicon Valley community. Veronica infuses her classes with warmth and sincerity, kindness and compassion. She gently encourages a mindful practice through deeper breath awareness and body alignment, while also honoring the inner teacher that resides in every student, allowing the freedom to express themselves more fully, joyfully, safely, in every pose.