Yoga Instructors

Karuna (Caroline Ashley)

Bio:

Joyfulness in all things is how Karuna experiences life. She enjoys sharing homemade meals and tea with friends and family, taking long hikes in the wooded foothills above her hometown of Boulder, Colorado, with her dog, Aquarius, or joining students after a yoga class for prasad, the sacred food shared in the spirit of gratitude.

Karuna, true to her name, which means compassion, likens herself to a coach helping her students push beyond self-imposed limits. To Karuna's students, she conveys a sense of well-being, devotion and a you-can-do-it attitude. Her classes are filled with humor, music and the spirit of transformation.

Yoga is about balance, and about exposing imbalance to find that balance, and it is inherently challenging. Karuna discovered as a young girl that sometimes the greatest opportunities for growth are in the challenges encountered. Fortunately, while overcoming the loss of her sister and developing a career as an international model, she recognized her spiritual self and discovered yoga.

While taking acting classes to help master her voice, expression, and delivery, Karuna found that it, too, offered the challenge of self-discovery. As the actor, Anthony Hopkins, once said to her, You have to find yourself to be yourself. While studying at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School in England, she began teaching yoga professionally to actors, classmates, and private referrals. She later helped develop The Life Centre's yoga program in London.

As Karuna's exploration of spiritual practices continued to deepen, she sought out teachers in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Lakota Sioux healing tradition. After attending a Kundalini yoga class in Los Angeles taught by Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa, she was captivated by this amazing technology, in which posture, breath, mantra and meditation are combined into a rich whole. It was unlike any other yoga she had experienced. Gurmukh invited Karuna to apprentice with her, a great honor because Yogi Bhajan-- whose teachings are the foundation of Kundalini Yoga in the western world--personally trained Gurmukh.

Today, Karuna leads classes that devotionally reflect the teachings of Yogi Bhajan. Her goal as a teacher is to nurture a sense of support through practice with others, to provide students with a Kundalini tool kit to awaken their inner awareness and that builds strength for spiritual practice and to find greater balance in life.

In Boulder where she lives with her two children, Karuna teaches daily yoga classes, as well as privates. She conducts weekend intensives on varying themes such as relationships, women, and mastering challenges. She facilitates advanced teacher trainings, health cleanses, retreats and special events featuring world-renowned Kundalini Yoga teachers, artists and musicians, including Gurmukh, Guru Shabd Singh Khalsa, Tej Kaur, Snatam Kaur, and many others.

With her insight and passion as an educator, Karuna is dedicated to finding and sharing wonderful teachers whose wisdom and knowledge shine light on the science of Kundalini and its spiritual tradition. It is a legacy that can continue to grow, through Light on Kundalini.

Gina Collins

Bio:

Since 1992, Gina has been actively involved in the Health and Fitness Industry. She has compiled countless hours of personal training and group fitness instruction over her 18 year history. Having learned long ago to embrace balanced growth as a professional, Gina employs an open heart and mind when connecting with her clients and students. Investing in years of these positive relationships has enabled Gina to construct calculated and successful programs tailored specifically for each personal training client. This cultured skill set is also evident in her approach to teaching Group Fitness and even more apparent on the happy faces walking out of each of her classes. She can always be heard firmly promoting a “listen to your body” philosophy while personally attending to the needs of each class.

Since 2008, Gina and her husband Tucker have been blessed to embrace another enormous challenge of balanced growth: the growth of family. As a wonderful Mom to Keller and Sylvie Joy, there has been a vigorous growth in her professional perspective that has truly benefitted from the demands of motherhood. Encouraging healthy lifestyle habits for the entire family while maintaining an educated approach to her career has given Gina an added set of experiences to draw from and share with her clients and classes. As parents that live and work in Boulder, Gina and Tucker enjoy the exhilarating community of healthy-minded people and always find time to benefit from available resources. Whether its 4 degrees and snowy or 80 and sunny, you can find the Collins Family having outdoor adventures and watching the kids grow up.

Gina’s qualified experiences as a Personal Trainer, Yoga Teacher, and Group Fitness Instructor have been bolstered through continuing education courses over the years, always keeping up with the latest in fitness knowledge. She brings a personal intensity and exciting smile to every member and client and an attitude that utilizes encouraging motivation methods to reach program goals. Gina incorporates yoga, Pilates, cardio, strength, and functional training in her programs and places special emphasis on posture, core strength, and flexibility

Outside of RallySport, Gina enjoys hiking, biking, snowboarding, backpacking, yoga, music, running the Bolder Boulder and the occasional half marathon.

Derise Diatta

Bio:

Originally from New York, Derise moved to Boulder in 2001. Prior to living in Colorado and embarking on motherhood, Derise traveled extensively in South East Asia. She studied Iyengar and Astanga yoga in Pune and Mysore , India. In 1997-98 she directed the yoga program at the Health Oasis Resort, a popular wellness center in Koh Samui, Thailand. Derise has taught yoga at some of the country's largest wellness centers including The Omega Institute, Kripalu Yoga Center and The Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center. She worked on staff as an assistant for the Kripalu 200 hour Bodywork Training in 1999 and 2000. In addition, she has worked closely with Don and Amba Stapleton, directors of Nosara Yoga Center in Costa Rica. She assisted their Interdisciplinary Teacher Training program in 2000 after taking the training the previous year. In addition to her teaching schedule, she is manager of the North Boulder CorePower yoga studio where she also leads their Power Yoga Teacher Training program.

Jaimie Epstein

Bio:

"Paths are many, truth is one" goes the saying - and those paths usually zig and zag, take all kinds of scenic detours and make unscheduled stops along the way. Jaimie's yoga journey began about 20 years ago, and definitely zigged and zagged with the demands of being an editor at The New York Times and being a competitive cyclist. But she eventually left those worlds behind to follow her heart's path, which is Yoga.

An 800-hour certified Jivamukti Yoga teacher, Jaimie taught at the Jivamukti center in New York before moving to Boulder last year. Jivamukti is a dynamic vinyasa-style practice underpinned by five tenets – ahimsa, bhakti, meditation, nada and scripture. Jaimie’s goal as a teacher is to create a multidimensional experience that expands consciousness, that allows her students to connect more deeply to everyone and everything around them, that, well, allows them to experience Yoga.

For Jaimie, one of the best parts of being a teacher is being a forever student. She hopes to come always as an empty cup before her courageous and innovative teachers Sharon Gannon and David Life and to do honor to their teachings.

Diane Friedman

Bio:

Before she can remember, Diane was nicknamed “prana” by her father, but she waited until 2002 to discover the path of yoga. Drawn to the challenge of the practice, in 2002 she found herself in a Bikram yoga class nearly every day. After two years of 26 postures, Diane started to ‘flow’ with the CorePower style of yoga that introduced breath, intuition, and levity into the practice. She also began to practice Iyengar Yoga, finding the attention to detail a beautiful compliment to the grace of the vinyasa flow.

In the spring of 2007, Diane completed the CorePower Yoga Teacher Training and began teaching soon after. Inspired by a desire to deepen her own practice and enrich her teaching, Diane has embarked on a 500-Hour Teacher Training Adventure with Tias and Surya Little (www.prajnayoga.net) and is a student at the Rolf Institute for Structural Integration in Boulder, CO (www.rolf.org). Diane teaches mindful vinyasa flow with an emphasis on anatomical detail and an ever-deepening connection between mind, body, and breath.
“My intention is to deepen students’ awareness of their physical and emotional bodies in an effort to widen their experience of the beautiful and awe-inspiring quality of this life. I hope students learn something new. I hope they are inspired and intrigued by the practice.

Deborah Fryer

Bio:

Deborah Fryer, PhD, began practicing yoga in 1994 and teaching in 2001. She has studied with Richard Freeman, John Friend, Barbara Benagh, David Swenson, Shiva Rea, Seane Corn, Tias Little, Baron Baptiste and Gurmukh. Students describe Deborah as a playful, strong, flexible and inspiring teacher. Off the mat, she is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and writer.

Jordan Gaffey

Bachelor's Degree - Exercise Science
Southwest Minnesota State University

Certifications:

NASM-CPT
STOTT Pilates Mat & Reformer

Member of the RallySport Family since 2006

Bio:

Originally from Pine River, Minnesota Jordan came to Boulder, Colorado to explore the mountain lifestyle, learn, teach and express himself. Through his work at RallySport Jordan is able to fulfill his passion to help others live life at the highest level possible.

To Jordan training is an experience in health and friendship. It is a welcoming experience built on trust, motivation, self-awareness and science. Choosing to train with Jordan is a total commitment to the idea of mind, body and fitness.

With regards to cardiovascular training Jordan will prepare a program based on an individual's desired outcomes with a personalized heart rate training platform. When it comes to strength training, a balanced program that directly addresses the needs of the individual is paramount. Jordan's strength training protocol emphasizes the need for everyone to have a heightened awareness of their core strength and movement patterns.

As an athlete himself Jordan's training includes running, ballet, yoga, pilates, strength training and the occasional triathlon. He lives here in Boulder with his fiance.

Quote:

"An open mind and balanced body is where we begin. With this in mind we continually strive for our very own human potential." -Jordan Gaffey

Martha Griffin

Bio:

Martha has been teaching yoga since 1994. She has studied with many yoga teachers over the years, but Richard Freeman and Ashtanga have been her primary influences. Recently, she has been inspired by Shiva Rea and the Prana Flow style of yoga. In Martha's classes, you can expect to warm up with variations of Sun Salutations and then move through a well balanced practice of standing poses, forward bends, twists, back bends and sometimes optional inversions. She feels that yoga is a great compliment to aerobic activities that we enjoy in our active Boulder lifestyles; yoga really helps with flexibility and core strength. Martha graduated from University of Colorado in 1980 and lives in Boulder with her husband and son.

 

Bill Goldman

Bio:

Coming soon...

 

Melissa Jones

Bio:

Coming soon...

Pamela Lippe

Bio:

Pamela holds certification in Integrative Yoga Therapy. For over 20 years, she has been a dedicated yoga practitioner and teaching for 15 years. Her training stems from Hatha and Kripalu traditions. Pamela has studied with Joseph LePage, Eric Schiffman, Angela Farmer, and Elysabeth Williamson. Her inspiration comes from observing life in all its forms and bringing play, self-discovery, curiosity and kind observation from our inner and outer world onto the mat. She integrates daily life and somatic imagery to connect each student uniquely to his/her own innate wisdom. Her teaching ranges from guided Vinyasa Flow and Partner Yoga to Restorative and Yin yoga. Her students include all levels of physical ability, especially those who are recovering from illness or injuries. Pamela encourages awareness and staying present to “what is” and letting go of habitual patterns of the body and mind. As both a dancer and Massage Therapist, Pamela brings nourishing embodiment to her teachings.

 

Julie Lockwood

Bio:

Originally from Ohio Julie migrated to Colorado to pursue skiing, sunshine and music. After years of running, triathlons and hiking she needed to create a practice of balance in her fitness life and therefore turned to yoga. Over the years she became addicted to the post yoga calm. While volunteering in Africa during 2008 she began sharing her yoga discipline and fell in love with teaching. Prior to teaching yoga Julie taught fitball, strength training and spin classes. She teaches a style that combines yoga with fitness training - it has an immediate effect on the body as well as the spirit by increasing core strength, relaxation and energizing your body. Julie enjoys bringing more to the students through adjustments and assists. As a yoga instructor at Rally, Julie wants to see that all students learn to appreciate the ability and strength of their body just the way it is. She has been a member of the Rally community since 2007. Outside of yoga Julie enjoys hiking, traveling and lots of family fun with her husband and 2 boys.

Cindy Lusk

Bio:

Cindy Lusk, Ph.D., has been a student of yoga for over 25 years. She studied Ashtanga yoga with Richard Freeman and Pattabhi Jois, and began her teaching career at the Yoga Workshop in 1994. There she met John Friend, became a certified Anusara teacher in 2002, and was a leader in that community for many years. Cindy is also an avid student, and teacher, of yoga philosophy. She has studied extensively with leading tantric scholars Douglas Brooks and Paul Muller-Ortega. With the latter she is currently immersed in advanced studies of philosophy and meditation.

Her teaching reflects her love of tantric yoga philosophy and meditation, grounded in her many years of practice and study, in addition to being precise and light-hearted.  Her students feel supported and report that her teaching has transformed their experience of yoga and of their lives. Cindy currently teaches in Boulder at Studio Be, RallySport, and her home studio.  You may find out more at her web site.

Jonathan Markowitz

Bio:

I have studied wisdom literature since adolescence, which led to my studies of philosophy and literature in college. The time I spent managing a metaphysical bookstore continued to expose me to the religious literature of the world. My practice of Aikido (a martial art based on reconciling violence with harmony) is just one facet of physical/spiritual work that led me to study various yogic traditions. In my studies I have found that each unique form of asana is complimentary, leading my teaching style to encompass the exploration of different modalities allowing the student to constantly observe and reflect upon the permanence of their own bodies, beliefs and practices.

Karen Nicholson-Cobble

Bio:

Karen has been practicing yoga for over twenty five years, and received her teacher training through Core Power Yoga in Boulder.
She moved here 10 years ago, trading the east coast ocean for the mountains. She has experienced many different styles of yoga including Hatha, Ashtanga, Iyengar Phoenix Rising and Anusara. “ Yoga has always been my mind, body, spirit connection. I am made whole through yoga. I love the challenge of taking yoga off the mat to my life outside of the studio. ”She is honored by every student who steps onto the mat in her classes, and hopes to work with them as they find acceptance of themselves and a connection to their spirit.

When not in the studio, Karen loves being with her family: husband Dane and boy/girl twins Forrest and Zoe, creative gourmet cooking with friends, hiking in the beautiful surroundings of Boulder, playing with her cat, and settling down with a good book.

 

Melissa Prentice

Bio:

Melissa Katherine Prentice grew up on the sandy, sunny beaches of Hollywood, Florida. At the age of 12 she discovered her love for healthy food and found a deep connection with nutrition. Melissa spent many years in the health food industry as both an enthusiast and as a raw foods chef. Love of nutrition helped to lead her on a path of whole-body healing.

In 2007 Melissa moved to Boulder, Colorado where her passion for health was fueled by the immense natural beauty and activity that surrounded her. Helping people become and stay healthy by the eating right is how Melissa can give back to the world which provides so much for her. In 2009 Melissa completed her Yoga teaching certifications, and in early 2011 she graduated from BCMT and became a licensed and registered massage therapist. With her love of healthy eating, massage therapy, and Yoga, Melissa is able to help those she touches establish vibrant health both from within and from without.

Melissa calls her style of bodywork Intuitive Deep Tissue Massage. In this work she combines Swedish massage, Trigger Point therapy, Pranayama, and Energy Work. Her depth of touch is informed and grounded by her foundation in Yoga practice. The yogic principle of Sava (Service) is where she derives the passion for her bodywork. Her sessions are fun, creative, therapeutic, and relaxing.

You will often see Melissa wearing glitter, and she wants to remind all of us that we sparkle. She has a dog, a cat, and a husband, and she loves them all so much. When she is not caring for clients or students, some call it working, you can find her playing, bicycling, shopping at the farmers’ market, hula hooping, glittering, and just generally having a good time on planet Earth.

Love and light to all!!!
"It is through your body that you realize you are a spark of divinity." - B.K.S. Iyengar

Shiela Rae

Bio:

Shiela started teaching yoga in 1997. Shiela's teaching style is a blend of several lineages she learned during three years cumulative residency in India and further studies with teachers in the United States such as Richard Freeman, John Friend and Nataraja Kallio. She teaches a vinyasa style incorporating pranayama and meditation into her class. When asked permission to lead Primary Series from the Ashtanga yoga lineage, her beloved guru, Sri. K. Pattabhi Jois gave her his blessings and this was her encouragement to teach and share her passion for yoga. Students will learn in her class techniques to enhance mental clarity, emotional balance, and physical health. Cultivating self-awareness, gentle strength and vitality is the focus during her class.

Yaga Richter

Bio:

Yaga Richter is a Certified Yoga teacher and a mom of two boys. She has completed her basic yoga teacher training with CorePower Yoga in Boulder, and her Prenatal and Mommy & Me yoga teacher training with Yo Mama in Boulder. Yaga has been practicing Yoga for over 10 years and has found Yoga to be a key to her physical and emotional well being during pregnancy and motherhood. Her classes focus on developing inner strength and focus, while being in touch with our softer side.

 

Mercury Roberts

Bio:

Coming soon...

Shane Scaglione

Bio:

Shane practiced yoga since 1998, maintaining a daily yoga practice since 2003. He studied the Ashtanga Vinyasa system with Pattabhi Jois in Mysore, India. He has lived 2 years in India over 6 winters doing intensive studies of Ashtanga yoga. He has studied extensively with Richard Freeman and Rolf Naujokat.

Courtney Tisch

Bio:

Courtney's yoga practice began in 2004 in San Francisco, when she was seeking strength and restoration within her active lifestyle; however, she quickly realized the power and grace of yoga and her practice evolved as a method for achieving balance, in her mind and body.
Courtney completed her yoga teacher training in November 2011 in beautiful and healing Costa Rica at the Nosara Yoga Institute, an inquiry-based discipline. She has also completed a 100 hour Experiential Yoga Anatomy for the Multi-dimensional Being at Nosara, and an 85 hour Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training at Yo Mama Yoga in Boulder, Colorado. Courtney's classes are known to be challenging but playful, as she strives to help her students develop a strong body, a content mind, and a healthy spirit. Though Courtney's smile and energy are contagious, she is compassionate and encourages students to find and dance their own yoga. She currently teaches in Boulder and surrounding areas, including Vinyasa, Core Fusion, Yoga Sculpt, Candlelight Flow, Intro Yoga, and Prenatal Yoga.

 

Martha Triantifilides

Bio:

Martha was drawn to yoga as a child but explored the more competitive ways of gymnastics and sports. She was re-introduced to yoga later and was immediately drawn to the practice for it's healing powers, and the potential of powerful transformation that inspired her to share the peace discovered through it.

Martha's basic teacher training was in the style of Hatha yoga but then continued through the years as she traveled through India,Thailand, Europe, Canada and the States and studied a variety of styles including Ashtanga, Iyengar, Bikram, Anusara and Yin Yoga along with bodywork and therapies.

In 1999, Martha became a Certified Yoga teacher (RYT500) and continued to explore, inspired by some great Yogis such as John Scott, Richard Freeman, Sarah Powers, Donna Farhi, Godfrey Devereux, Clive Sheridan and others.

Vince Turner

Bio:

After too many years of banking and mortgage banking Vince decided to make a 180 degree shift in careers and teach the joy of yoga.  “Teaching yoga has been such a rewarding change for me. I so enjoy sharing this amazing practice with folks and teaching them that their inner guide is truly the best instructor they will ever discover.”  Vince is the very proud Dad of an amazing 19 year old daughter, Claire.  Due in large part to yoga, he enjoys kite-boarding, scuba diving, paragliding, hiking, biking, slacklining, and much more.  “What an exciting journey this life is as we keep exploring, learning and growing".

Aislinn Walton

Bio:

Aislinn has been practicing yoga from the age of 7 when she was introduced to sun salutations at her Montessori school. Since then, her practice has evolved in ways she never could have expected. A regular and challenging vinyasa practice combined with the study of Buddhism lead to a manifestation of spirit that she recognized and further developed and is still cultivating each day through light, love and compassion of the self and others. Her practice does not end on the mat, but filters through every step she takes and every word she speaks and she hopes to instill the same philosophies of truth and balance in her students. She is fascinated by the ephemerality and nature of our bodies and believes we should treat the one we own with the utmost respect and care. In return, our bodies will give back the power of strength, balance and happiness. In her classes, she incorporates hands-on modifications to soothe and relax her students into a deeper surrender of their postures. Aislinn received her Teacher Training through CorePower Yoga and is continuously developing her practice as a teacher and student.