Instructors Page
Arielle Olson
Arielle is excited about the opportunity to share her love of yoga with you! She is a firm believer that parallels between body, mind and spirit are constant and that the practice of Yoga is an astoundingly healthy way to explore all three. Having found yoga through her dance career, it is the connectivity of movement and breath that has drawn her specifically to teach Flow Yoga. Arielle also has a passion for anatomy and kinesiology, which she weaves into her classes. Her energetic and friendly manner offers space for her students to explore their practice in a supportive environment. In addition to Yoga and dance, Arielle is also a massage therapist with a growing private practice.www.bodyworkbyarielle.com
Bella LindellBella began practicing yoga in 1996 at a 24 Hour Nautilus gym for stress reduction and improved flexibility. She was blessed to have practiced with many strong Bay Area teachers in the styles of Ashtanga, Iyengar, Flow Yoga, Bikram and Restorative. Her personal practice is most recently inspired by Deborah Saliby who has informed and transformed Bella’s teaching and practice as has the pregnancy and birth of her daughter. Bella’s classes focus on flow, alignment and bringing yoga into everyday life. In her prenatal and postnatal classes, Bella shares the wisdom she has gained during her own pregnancy and her life with her child. She believes mothers have great inner strength, compassion and love that they bring to their practice. Bella received her teaching certification through Barefoot Movement’s Flow Yoga Teacher Training in 2010 and completed a Pre & Post Natal Yoga training with Cybele Tomlinson of Berkeley Yoga Center.
Emily Borthwick
Emily, a native of Scotland, received her teaching qualifications with Leah Gillman and is a certified teacher with Yoga Alliance. Her career as a dancer and teacher of classical ballet drew her to the disciplines of Yoga but in particular Vinyasa Flow Yoga where the synchronization of the breath and movement come together giving your practice strength and fluidity. This is a prominent feature of Emily’s class along with emphasis on alignment and posture. In addition to teaching Yoga at Barefoot Movement Emily is a member of the faculty at Contra Costa Ballet Centre.
Genevieve Griesau
Although it was years before I’d realize there was a name for it, I started practicing yoga around the age of 4. After observing and imitating my mother’s living room asana and seated meditation practice, I would sneak in little snippets of what I liked into my daily life: a plow pose here, a seated twist there; perhaps a little breath awareness to get through a difficult moment. When I was 15, a teacher came from the Kripalu Yoga Institute to my high school’s first ever Wellness Day and did an asanas and pranayama workshop with us. So… I began to discover that not only were other people doing this stuff too, but they had any number of approaches to offer.
With my interest in mind/body practices piqued, I continued to seek out teachers and experiences in various disciplines that would expose me to an array of possibilities. During a physical theatre skills retreat, I discovered qi gong. Drawn to the deliberate movements and focus on balance and flow of energy in the body, I began to explore different forms of qi gong and t’ai chi. I led a t’ai chi practice group at an eldercare facility in Seattle in the 90′s. After relocating to Oakland, I explored the realm a bit more and found Dayan (Wild Goose) qi gong, which I currently practice.
Other teachers and traditions came forth with their offerings, and elements of hatha, kundalini, and tantric yoga as well as self-acupressure techniques found their way into my eclectic practice. As I delved into more approaches to increased awareness and comfort in my own body, I got excited about wanting to share what I was learning. I began to facilitate intuitive self-care massage and movement sessions with my friends. Noticing how rewarding it was to transmit these teachings, I set my intention on a path to develop my own vocabulary for offering the practices I draw from. Impressed by the precision, simplicity, and approachability of Leah Gillman’s teaching style, I became a Certified Yoga Teacher through her program in 2009.
I invite you, my students, into an organic exploration of your own practice/s, bringing stillness and dynamism through an array of modes. Throughout class, I present modifications for students from beginner onward. The starting point is the union of breath and body: from there we may explore anything from a more vigorous ashtanga flow to qi gong influenced exercises to nurturing restorative poses or kundalini-infused breath work. Come to class with an open mind and heart and let’s see what’s possible!
Jackie Richards
Jackie opened to yoga in 2005, upon the encouragement of a dear friend. Little did she know the world she was about to discover. For Jackie, Yoga has been the entryway to the mystery of the present moment and to the dynamic body which holds strength, flexibility, emotion and wisdom. Jackie’s classes are grounding, inspiring and nurturing, with a focus on breath, listening internally and spontaneous movement. Currently, Jackie is a Masters in Somatic Psychotherapy at the California Institute of Integral Studies to become a body-oriented psychotherapist.
Jen Martin
Jennifer Martin has been practicing yoga for over twelve years, starting in her late teens. Yoga has been a touchstone and a balancing force for her ever since she was introduced to it. Foremost in her practice, yoga serves as a spiritual grounding force that always provides a new and fresh perspective, keeping her in line with the real truth of a changing life, body and world. It gives her great joy to share this practice with others.
Jennifer’s classes are meditative, creative, and her sequences build strength and stamina, while inspiring movements that give a sense of freedom and ease. Her classes are focused on linking breath with movement, while maintaining awareness of proper alignment and effort during a class. She encourages students to be their own teachers and find their edge; to celebrate their strengths and push gently against their limitations.
Hace más que doce años que practica yoga Jennifer Martin, empezando cuando tenía dieciocho años. La yoga ha sido una fuerza que la ayuda a balancear en cuerpo y en mente desde que la primera vez que la practicó. Yoga sirve como una fuerza espiritual también, que siempre provee una perspectiva nueva y abierta, ayudándola a ver la verdad de una vida, cuerpo y mundo que siempre cambian. Le da mucho felicidad compartir esta practica con otros.
Las clases de Jennifer son meditativos, originales, y las secuencias de los movimientos crecen la fuerza y stamina, mientras que inspiren movimientos que tienen una sentido de libertad y facilidad. Sus clases son enfocadas en la combinación de la respiración y los movimientos, mientras dan atención a la alineación correcta del cuerpo y el nivél de la esfuerza durante la clase. Jennifer anima a las estudiantes que sean maestras mismas y que les encuentren y celebren sus fuerzas y que les empujen con cuidado sus limitaciones.
Jen Strongin
Jen discovered yoga 3 years ago in an effort to become physically and mentally fit. 70 lbs overweight and suffering from depression and anxiety, Jen started practicing Hatha yoga at her local gym and began life changing journey that continues and evolves.
A native of Los Angeles, Jen has been a Bay Area resident for 20 years- earning her Bachelors Degree in Women Studies from San Francisco State University and has been working professionally in the commercial art field for nearly a decade. She trained to teach Vinyasa Flow Yoga with Leah Gillman at Barefoot Movement in Oakland in the Spring of 2011. Jen’s yoga philosophy is to lead mindful and gentle yoga with humor and an emphasis on balanced living through the inner strength of mind, body, and spirit achieved by practice and the guidelines of yamas and niyamas. She has a passion to share the tools of yoga to help lead the way to healthy weight and body confidence that have proven so beneficial in her own life.
When not practicing yoga Jen enjoys vintage shopping, live music, creative writing, getting pedicures, occasional tiki drinks and San Francisco Giants baseball.
Jessica Worchel
Jessica began her practice in 2001 after moving to Hawaii. She grew up very involved in sports, and was always seeking new ways to be active. After her first yoga class, she knew she was in love. She left feeling rejuvenated and high. Jessica was drawn to Vinyasa Flow, a style of yoga that focuses on connecting movement with breath and provides the practitioner with variety and challenge. In January 2010, she took the leap and went through the Flow Yoga Teacher Training program with Leah Gillman. As a life-long educator, it only made sense to begin teaching something she was so personally passionate about.
Jessica has come to believe that yoga is not just poses, it’s a way of life. A yoga practitioner has decided that being in shape means taking care of the mind, body, and spirit. It’s about finding balance between strength and flexibility, being and doing. It’s a commitment to recognizing the interconnectedness of all things great and small, and finding compassion for oneself, which leads to finding compassion for all. Jessica’s current practice focuses on strength, flexibility and conditioning. She enjoys an active class that challenges the practitioner to find their center by concentrating on the breath and allowing the poses to open up as the mind stills. Her style gets the body warmed up, helping to push toxins out and relax the muscles for greater flexibility. She loves working the core.
Jessica has a huge appreciation for all the gifts that yoga has brought to her life. She is also very proud to live and work in Oakland, and is excited to continue to build the yoga community in Oakland so that she can give back to the people and place that have given so much to her.
Jorge Mendoza
Jorge Mendoza is originally from El Salvador, Central America. He’s been in the Bay Area since 1991 developing his career as a dancer, choreographer and yoga instructor. As a dance instructor for ballet, modern and jazz he has been teaching at both Laney College and Ballet Arts studio in Oakland, CA. Jorge has been practicing Bikram yoga for over 10 years and currently practices Flow Yoga at Barefoot Movement where he completed the Flow Yoga Teacher Training program in 2010. Jorge believes that yoga can be taught in any language to all communities.
Karen Pezzetti
Whether it’s giggling in animal poses with three-year olds, teaching inversions to her high school students in the hallways, or just taking a deep breath each time she steps out of the house, Karen is experimenting in life as a yogini. She’s also working on not being too hard on herself when she strays from a state of mindfulness. Karen’s classes offer an opportunity to take risks, to laugh, and to find a lightness and freedom in our movement and in our minds that we can take with us off our mats. Karen welcomes all levels of students and helps each person differentiate for his/her own practice. Besides teaching at Barefoot Movement, Karen also teaches yoga at a high school in Oakland, along with English and History. She spends her breaks backpacking and plotting more adventures in teaching and beyond.
Karen Johnson
In 1980 Karen used crutches to walk into to her first yoga class. It was a great type of physical therapy that led her to a career in barefoot movement and modern dance. She studied at Cal State University Long Beach, winning a Dance Magazine award and an A.D.F. national title. After leaving Los Angeles to live in the Bay Area, she received her degree in the LEAP program at St. Mary’s College then studied with Leah Gillman in her first flow yoga teacher training.
Karen loves the way yoga allows the mind to find itself inside the body, awakening the physical to allow the practice of mindfulness and the letting go of judgment. Her classes honor the moments between asanas as opportunities to deepen the breath and be fully in each moment. She connects the poses in a playful manner with the goal to
guide others through their journeys in a non-intimidating and fun environment. When Karen isn’t practicing inversions and half moons she is happy making messes as an art teacher at Lakeview Preschool and Redwood Day School.
KaRon Dishmon
KaRon moved to Oakland in 2006 after receiving her MBA in Marketing. Because of the state of the economy, her job hunt proved to be very stressful. She found herself needing to practice yoga more and more just to feel balanced. Her desire to lead a peaceful existence led her to get serious about yoga. She practiced on her own for a while, but decided to learn more about the discipline. KaRon began her journey to become an instructor. She completed her certification in yoga from the Barefoot Movement training program in Oakland and is registered with the Yoga Alliance. To KaRon, yoga is both a mental and physical practice. She believes yoga can help cleanse your body and your mind & with regular practice, your entire being can become lighter and leave you feeling energized. She is also a certified Life Coach and a Health/ Wellness Coach.
Katya Chizhayeva
Native Russian speaker, Katya came from the disbanded Soviet Union in 1995. After dropping out from art school and spending some time “discovering America”, she has sided with the hippies, punks, activists, and artists who inhibit this beautiful land. While investigating organic gardening and sustainable living systems she stumbled onto the footsteps of holistic medicine, and found her holy grail. After several years of apprenticeships in the field of western Herbal Medicine she moved to New Orleans. Influenced by social justice movement, Katya started working at a free neighborhood clinic that was set up by the grassroots activists as a response to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In three years, wishing New Orleans farewell, she had moved to her own recovery and to the Bay Area. For the past three years she has been studying Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine, and weaving herself into the tapestry of Oakland culture.
Katya is a recent graduate of Leah Gillman’s wonderful 200 hrs Teacher Training Program. Her interest in yoga came from seeing integrity and benefit in her own well being after being committed to consistent yoga practice. In her yoga classes she would like to highlight personal responsibility towards building a daily practice, staying present while moving, and the importance of doing yoga in a group setting to inspire and support each other as a community.
Катя эмигрировала из Киева в 1995 году. В 2011 г. успешно окончила 200 часовой преподавательский курс Плавного Стиля Йоги в Окландской школе Лии Гилман. Практикует йогу с 2006 года. Преподаёт с сентября 2011 года. Регулярно практикует аштанга-виньяса-йогу.На своих занятиях работает с людьми любого уровня подготовки, предлагая им плавное и постепенное вхождение в практику Аштанга йоги.
Йога – это мой образ жизни. Через Йогу я познаю себя и окружающий мир, что помогает мне жить в гармонии с природой.
Lady Idos
Born in Manila and raised in southern California, Lady approaches yoga as an exciting opportunity to cultivate insight and awareness in a supportive and joyful way! As an advocate of balance and well-being in our busy world, Lady shares her knowledge of yoga to increase strength, flexibility, and vitality within the body/ mind/ spirit. She completed 200 hours of study, along with a wonderful group of co-teachers, under the mentorship of Leah Gillman to become a certified instructor under Yoga Alliance. She continues her studies for an additional 300 hours to deepen her practice.
Lady participated in classes deriving from the rich traditions of Vinyasa, Ashtanga, Anusara, Kundalini, Shadow, Yin, and Raja, while honoring and paying tribute to their cultural and spiritual roots. She currently teaches at Barefoot Movement and for the Yoga Club at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. She hopes to make yoga accessible to all people of all backgrounds, including the underserved, in an effort to manifest wellness throughout our diverse communities. Lady invites you to practice with her on this lovely path of self-discovery!
Leah Gillman 
Leah Gillman is the founder and director of Barefoot Movement. She has led the Flow Yoga Teacher Training program (from which the HQ teachers are all graduates) since 2008. At the Barefoot Movement HQs, she teaches yoga classes, Barefoot Bodywork classes, where you can learn to massage using your feet, and a variety of workshops.
Leah has been teaching yoga classes since 1999. Her Flow Yoga classes have evolved to include both traditional yoga postures and transitions as well as elements from her martial arts and dance training. Incorporating a great deal of individual attention and hands-on adjustments, her classes maintain a focus on ‘coming to a better place’ in the body by increasing overall physical ability and awareness.
Leah began studying massage and, in particular, Ashiatsu, a.k.a. Barefoot Shiatsu, in 2000 with Edward Spencer. She began assisting Edward in 2003 and now teaches her own style, an off-shoot of her teacher’s, called Barefoot Bodywork. Read more about Barefoot Bodywork here.
Leonora Willis
Leonora Willis established her connection to Yoga during a major transition in her life. During this time, Yoga provided an anchor to secure her, as well as the sails to help her move through life with grace. This experience fueled her desire to become a Yoga instructor, not only to enhance her own continued Yoga practice, but also to help others move through the every day and unexpected transitions of life with awareness, strength and flexibility. Leonora recognizes individual students’ needs and knowledgeably meets those needs in a myriad of ways: with helpful guiding directions, hands-on adjustments, keen Vinyasa sequences. Leonora teaches Yoga classes in the Vinyasa Flow Style, which links the breath to the body’s movement, not only within a pose, but also in the transitions between poses, thus moving students through sequences that challenge the body, aiming to balance mind and spirit. In a Yoga class with Leonora, students are physically challenged while also feeling a sense of being nurtured, safe and supported, which encourages the connection between body and mind, self and universe. By incorporating pranayama, meditation and chanting, Leonora provides her yoga students with a balanced practice that fuels and reenergizes the mind, body and spirit. www.leonorawillis.com
Mary Beth Ray
Mary Beth (MB) has been exploring yoga as a philosophy and physical practice for many years. She has studied with wonderful teachers and participated in classes and workshops in various traditions including Iyengar, Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Yin, and Anusara. She is especially drawn toward the moving meditation of a vinyasa style of practice and since 2006 she has been a dedicated student of Ashtanga Vinyasa in the classical self-paced Mysore tradition of Sri. K. Pattabhi Jois.
As a teacher MB wishes to share yoga as a day-by-day, moment-by-moment practice of well-being. In her classes she guides you through dynamic sequences of movement while you play with the subtle alignment cues of the postures, and most importantly tune your awareness to the quality and presence of your breath during both exertion and stillness. Through the practice she encourages you to discover balance between effort and ease, to develop your own inner and outer strength and flexibility, and hone a more graceful engagement with your everyday life. In this way “yoga” can become a daily practice both on and off the mat. www.mbryoga.com
Michelle Gilmore RN, NP
Michelle has been studying yoga since 1994 and teaching since 2002. She began taking classes once per week with Rodney Yee, and after several months, began to realize the practice was bringing her an inner peace that helped her manage the stresses of working, raising children, and living in the hectic Bay Area. She found yoga to be mediation in motion, and believes the practice of yoga is essential to well being.
She has studied Iyengar, Ashtanga, Vinyasa Krama, and Restorative Yoga with many well know teachers in the Bay Area. She is a graduate of Niroga Teacher Training Program, Tim Miller’s Ashtanga Teacher Training, Leah Gillman’s Barefoot Movement Flow Yoga Training, Mark Horner’s Vinyasa Krama Teacher training, and Judith Lasater’s Restorative Teacher Training. She is a Yoga Alliance certified practitioner and a member of the International Association of Yoga Therapists.
Michelle’s background as a health practitioner gives her the ability to incorporate her knowledge anatomy and physiology into her practice. Her classes focus on body mechanics and alignment, emphasizing safety. She incorporates the depth and strength of longer held poses, using props and modifications for all body types. She has teaches in a variety of settings, including private classes and workshops for those suffering from chronic illness. Her goal is to bring yoga to those who believe “yoga they can’t do yoga”, but want to try. All classes include pranayama and meditation.
Sarah Brett
Sarah Brett dabbled in Yoga since high school and through college, but found a deeper connection to her practice when she returned to the Bay Area after her undergraduate degree. Since then she has practiced several styles of Yoga both here and abroad. She now teaches a Vinyasa Flow style, focusing on proper alignment and linking the poses through careful attention to breath and transitions to create a graceful, powerful flow.
For Sarah, Yoga has been a constant source of strength and peace in an ever-changing, turbulent world. It provides a space for moving meditation and serves as reminder and opportunity to be mindful and present. Sarah strives to share her love of Yoga as a tool for personal and social awareness, healthful living and longevity in a fun, supportive and inclusive atmosphere. She is especially interested in helping make Yoga more approachable and accessible to people who might not think that Yoga “is for them”’ since all people, no matter their skill-level or experience, can benefit from a regular Yoga practice. Her Flow Basics class therefore focuses on the fundamentals and building blocks of Yoga while challenging students physically in order to help them unlock their latent potential.
Sarita Govani
Sarita took her first breath when she was born, and first Chaturanga Dandasana at summer camp when she was about 12. While she didn’t put it all together until a couple decades later, she has been steeped in body movement of many kinds since childhood, and practicing yoga regularly for over 10 years. She is also trained in the field of landscape architecture as she is inspired by restful outdoor environments. Contrary to the end result, the practice of design often involves long hours indoors, behind a computer while in unfortunate body mis-alignment. Her philosophy: Move forward and put yourself back together. Yoga is a never-ending practice of full body maintenance, much like a garden itself.
Today, her practice has a focus on classical yoga with a straight forward approach, influenced by Hatha, Ashtanga and Iyengar styles. She has completed a Pre & Post-Natal Yoga training with Cybele Tomlinson of Berkeley Yoga Center. Class emphasis is on training the breath to work through body re-alignment resulting in graceful and thoughtful flow. Further, she would like to extend her intrinsic belief that yoga can sustain internal health, mental focus, and slowing-down in a fast urban environment.
Theresa Kelly
As a Montana native, singer/songwriter, thespian, and painter, Theresa has a deep love for nature, people and the arts. It was only natural for her to get involved in yoga. At first, it was a very “on and off” sort of practice, but after moving to the Bay Area 2 years ago from Washington, Theresa immersed herself in her practice. With her background in teaching theatre and music, and her love of natural healing, becoming certified as a yoga instructor was the obvious next step! Studying with Leah Gillman in the 200 hour Flow Yoga teacher Program at Barefoot Movement (Along with other marvelous!!! teachers) has opened her eyes, heart, and mind to all the opportunities this world has to offer. Hoping to incorporate all her passions into her instruction and one day start a retreat center in Montana or Northern California, Theresa will continue to teach and learn as much as she possibly can!
Tim Kelliher
Tim is a seasoned Silicon Valley entrepreneur, career engineer, father of three in addition to being a running and cycling enthusiast. Having a high stress career and physically demanding personal life, Tim came to yoga searching for a practice that would provide a balance of physical and mental fitness. Tim experimented with several forms of yoga, finding that Flow Yoga provided the mind / body balance that was missing in his daily life. Now that he has completed his teacher training at Barefoot Movement with Leah Gilman, Tim is excited to share his experience and practice, hoping to bring that same sense of balance and peace to others.
Yael Martinez
Yael’s yoga classes invite you to release, play, explore, heal and be inspired. Yael’s journey with yoga began 14 years ago in Santa Cruz where she took her first Hatha yoga class. Her curiosity and love for Yoga has led her through out the years to learn many styles including Vinyasa, Hatha, Anusara, and Ashtanga yoga. Yael received her 200hr and Pre-Natal Yoga Certification in 2010 from Barefoot Movement in Oakland, CA while she was expecting her first baby.
Las clases de Yael invitan a liberar, jugar, explorar, sanar y inspirar. El Viaje de Yael con el yoga empezó en Santa Cruz hace 14 años atras, donde tomó su primera clase de Hatha Yoga. Su curiosidad y amor por el yoga la ha llevado a aprender diversos estilos de yoga través de los años incluyendo Vinyasa, Hatha, Anusara y Ashtanga. Yael recibió su certificación de 200 horas y Yoga Pre-Natal en el año 2010 de Barefoot Movement en Oakland, CA, mientras que ella estaba esperando su primer bebé.
Yukari Abe
Yukari began her journey to Yoga in 2008 at a transitional period in her life and she instantly fell in love with the mind-body connection in Yoga. Since then her practice grew with increasing commitment through the workshop with Rolf Gates in Costa Rica, the one month Yoga Pilgrimage and practice in India, and various workshops with amazing teachers. After exploring different styles from Hatha to Ashtanga, Bikram, Iyengar, etc., she is especially drawn toward Vinyasa Flow, the marriage between breath and movement. Her passion and love for Yoga and desire to share her experiences led her to complete the 200 hour Teacher Training program with Barefoot Movement in Oakland in June, 2011.
She will be delighted if she can open the door to Yoga for the ones who may think Yoga is just a stretch or to “turn ourselves into pretzels” and share with them her wonderful experiences: Yoga has not only awakened her body but also provided a path to inner peace of mind.
Yukari will also offer yoga classes in Japanese.
2008 年人生の転機を迎えヨガと出会い、ヨガのからだだけでなくこころとの繋がりに深 く傾倒する。以降、アメリカ国内外の各種ワークショップに参加し、インドでの一ヶ月に わたるヨガ巡業を行う。ハタ、アシュタンガ、ビクラム、アイエンガーなど様々なスタ イルを経験後、呼吸、動作を同調させた流れを重視するヴィンヤサ ヨガを中心に実践。2011年6月、カリフォルニア州オークランド Barefoot Movement にて、全米ヨガ アライ アンス認定ヨガ インストラクター RYT 200 プログラムを終了。ヨガ初心者から経験者まで多くの人とともにヨガを実践し、こころとからだの変化を一緒 に経験できるクラスを目指す。日本語での指導も行う。