Instructors
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Henry Abuda, Owner |
In 2004, a friend introduced me to a yoga practiced in a hot room. The intensity and discipline of this Bikram class blew me away and I was hooked. My dedication to the practice led me to complete my Bikram Teacher certification in 2008. As I continued my yoga journey in practice & teaching, I also explored other styles such as Ashtanga, Power, Vinyasa & Yin. And, after completing a Vinyasa Flow training with Frog Lotus Yoga in 2011, I decided to pursue the opening of my very own studio, Xplore Yoga. It is my hope that practitioners will benefit, both mentally & physically, from the yoga practice as I have. Expect my classes to be tough, challenging & sweaty. |
Andi Martin |
Andi Martin started practicing hot yoga after a kidney surgery in 2007 left her with debilitating chronic pain. Andi was put on opiate therapy, which made her feel terrible. Andi quit opiates using cannabis and prayer, and the next week, her neighbor introduced her to hot yoga! Andi found that the more hot yoga she practiced, the less cannabis she needed to control her pain, so Andi started practicing daily, sometimes twice a day or more. Four years after starting her hot yoga journey, Andi is completely pain free, needs no cannabis, and feels amazing every day! Andi considers hot yoga to be her own personal miracle, and is extremely happy to teach it. After 3 years of her hot practice, Andi took her first Yin yoga class. After the Yin, Andi's thighs felt like they'd been dipped in icy hot for several days, so she knew she had to teach it too! She completed Paul and Suzee Grilley's Yin teacher training in summer of 2011 and is excited to teach this new healing modality to her students. Andi welcomes beginners and looks forward to seeing all her students improve their health and happiness! |
Candace Harvey |
I started my journey into yoga about 6 years ago and right away began to notice the connection I felt to my true self. Always a more quiet and shy person, Yoga has taught me how to be comfortable and confident in my own skin. In my life I find great value in connecting with the present moment. In class I invite you to focus on your breath as we move through the postures; I find it’s the best way to stay present in the mind and body. We will create heat, we will challenge ourselves physically and mentally, and we will enjoy the healing benefits of our practice. Expect the room to be 85 to 90 degrees, filled with music and lots of heart. I welcome you to your mat; to yourself. |
Cindy Cheung |
Cindy began her yoga journey in 2006 on a recommendation from her doctor. She soon discovered that, if done properly and continually, how yoga can heal the body, mind and spirit. Cindy first explored Bikram, she enjoyed that even though the same postures were in each class, there is still always somewhere further to go. It took a while for her to venture into the unknown of vinyasa flow, mainly because she felt she lacked the strength to do all the chaturanga's! However, once she learned the modifications for different asanas, she never looked back! Cindy's first training was with Mark Stephens in Vinyasa. She was drawn to his focus on alignment and sequencing principles to prevent injuries in order to have a sustainable yoga practice for many life times. Next, was Rusty Wells in Bhakti flow; the love and happiness he exudes every time one walks into his studio is just awe inspiring. Cindy loved his intense, fun, playful sequences, his spiritual nature and his knowledge of yogic philosophy. Once completing these teacher trainings, her inspiration led her to take many different workshops from various teachers including Seane Corn, Max Strom and Shiva Rea. She is currently finishing her power teacher training with Linda McGrath. Cindy combines all that she has learned to create a fun and challenging class. It is important to her that students practice in a safe manner, but she also wants them to be curious about the unknown. One doesn't know if they can do something unless they try! She wants to create a safe environment where people can express themselves physically and emotionally. The greatest gift she has found from yoga, is the wonderful community of yogi(ni)s! |
Jenn Lagorio |
I attended my first yoga class when I was 18 at Las Positas College. Since then, I'd been dabbling with yoga off and on, until about 4 years ago. After the birth of my son I was consistently practicing yoga at home with DVD's. Not long after this time, amazingly, a yoga studio opened right where I lived, in Livermore. I soon attended my first class and will never forget the experience I encountered. The class was a Sunday morning flow class I felt so alive after that class! The next day I signed up for a monthly pass and have never turned back. Approximately a year and a half later I learned I was pregnant with my daughter. I continued to practice yoga everyday. The day before my daughter was born, while in a headstand, I knew I was on the right path. It became evident that it was my calling to further my yoga studies and attend the teacher training program. I wanted to help others get to know themselves by turning inward and experiencing the calm that I had found. My life changed from "existing in negative space" to "flourishing in a positive, compassionate, and loving place." Now, as a yoga teacher, one of my desires is for my students to experience the feeling of a positive, loving space created especially for them. Connect to your breath and focus on the present moment. Music will fill the room with anything from Reggae to Sanskrit chanting. Come with me on a journey of exploration in finding your positive, loving, inner self. |
Katherine Tulloss |
After practicing Bikram yoga for only a year, Katie realized that a life of yoga could be fulfilling and fun in a way that a 9 to 5 office job, for her, could not. She took the plunge and became part of the Spring 2007 teacher training class taking place in Honolulu. Her philosophy is that yoga should be fun, challenging, and dynamic--every class is different, even when the postures are the same! She loves introducing beginners to yoga, and she also loves seeing and encouraging growth in the practices of familiar students over time. |
Kiara McBain |
I was first introduced to yoga over 10 years ago. I could tell the story like a romance novel, but the truth is, I detested yoga when I began. When I arrived on my mat everyday I was forced to meet myself; and who I met was my impatience, my frustrations, my intolerances. Then, after a few months, one day I found myself in the most challenging pose I never thought I could ever get my body into, followed by a svasana where all the lights were out…pure silence. Needless to say, I fell in love with yoga that day. Since that time, I’ve been hooked. My mat is my place where I get to love myself. My mat is a refuge and a practice zone—for my body, my mind, my heart and my spirit. From my years of practice, I have created a style of asana that mirrors who I am and takes what I appreciate most from the styles I have been blessed to practice—we open our bodies gradually by beginning slowly with gentler poses, building to greater and greater intensity to eventually bring each of us to our edge and to play at that place together. |
Kristen Gage |
Kristen Gage has been practicing Yoga since 2004. She started her journey with Asthanga from a studio based out of San Francisco while going to college. Since then Kristen's practice has evolved, she now enjoys teaching and taking Power and Vinyasa classes along with many other styles. Kristen is 200 hour certified from YogaSource Los Gatos. She trained under Linda McGrath and Erin Matteucci owner and senior instructor at YogaSource Los Gatos. Besides practicing Yoga, Kristen enjoys Crossfit, running, cooking and being with friends. |
Kristin Bibat |
I’ve been in love with yoga since 2007 when I took my first Bikram class. After practicing Bikram for 3 years at Bikram studios in Pacifica & Palo Alto, I decided to venture outside the box and now also practice Power, Vinyasa, Yin & Restorative. I appreciate my practice and how dynamic and ever-changing it is. When my life gets crazy, I turn to my mat and my practice to re-center and ground myself. In 2009, I received my 200-hour certification under the guidance of Linda McGrath at Yoga Source, Los Gatos, and have also studied with Rebecca Bara. In my Power & Vinyasa classes I draw from what I learned as a dancer, focusing on the concept of effortless effort, balancing elegance, energy, flexibility and strength. My sequences are artistically dynamic, integrating the movement of the body and breath with grace. Outside the studio and off my mat, I love searching for new adventures, traveling, listening to music, and spending time with my family, especially my two younger sisters. |
Luba Gloukhov |
A lifelong passion for pretzeling fuels my daily yoga practice. I take pleasure in sharing yoga with an air of lighthearted discipline, playfulness and curiosity. Off the mat, I enjoy surfing, gastronomic adventures and risk quantification. Join me in discovering additional degrees of freedom in your body and your life! |
Mandy Ansari |
First introduced to yoga in 2003 as an alternative therapy for back pain, and noticed immediate improvement in her physical body. Mandy fell in love with the practice and has been practicing ever since. She recently finished her 200 hour certification under the guidance of Louis Jackson at Avalon Art & Yoga in Palo Alto. Off the mat she enjoys baking, painting, and spending time with her husband and two kids. She hopes that through yoga, her students will experience a sense of ease, not only on the mat but off the mat as well. Come and practice with her on building strength, balance, and breath awareness and discover freedom in your practice with an open and humble mind and heart. |
Shauna Harrison |
Shauna is a sweat junkie, a challenge seeker, and an endorphin addict who finds balance on her mat. After playing sports throughout her childhood, she segued into the fitness and yoga world at the age of 18 and hasn’t stopped since. Shauna has taught a wide range of classes including step, hi/lo aerobics, Pi/Yo, indoor and outdoor boot camps, mat Pilates, Hip Hop Cycle™ (which she owns), core, yoga and aerial yoga. She has also taught in a wide range of areas including the Bay Area, Los Angeles, Baltimore and even in Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic. Shauna was originally introduced to yoga as a way of combatting stress and anxiety as an undergraduate student and she continued to utilize her time on the mat as a way of keeping her sane throughout almost 8 years of graduate school. Two masters and a PhD later, yoga had secured a permanent place in her life right along with fitness and sports and Shauna finally had time to dedicate to a teacher-training program. In March 2011, Shauna completed her 200-hour training at the renowned White Lotus Foundation, studying under the amazing Ganga White and Tracey Rich. A few months later she also completed the Level 1 Unnata Aerial Yoga Training with Pik Chu Wong. As a perpetual student and teacher, Shauna is always looking for new things to try and new ways to challenge herself and others. She is a “practice what you preach” and “preach what you practice” type of person, so she can often be found taking classes in TRX, SPX, Pilates reformer, and Vinyasa, power and aerial yoga and doing a lot of athletic and interval-based training on her own. Shauna uses her varied background to fuse styles, philosophies and principles into strong, athletic, and fluid classes set to bold (usually hip hop and R&B) beats. |
