Vinyasa Flow - All levels

This class will incorporate some complex poses, sequences and transitions. Individual poses will be held longer, with transitional poses taught at the pace of one breath, one movement. Modifications will be offered so that each student can respect the needs of his or her individual body.

This class is taught by:

Winter Brown

Winter found yoga in 2002, and soon became addicted to the meditation of breath and movement. After a move to Durham, North Carolina for graduate school, her yoga practice flourished in its newfound home, Blue Point Yoga, and she became a certified yoga instructor. Winter has over 1,000 hours of teaching experience and is a certified in pelvic floor yoga therapy and prenatal yoga. Winter also holds a Ph.D. in political theory from Duke University. She also stays plenty busy amid the legs and limbs of rambunctious dogs, a curious and adorable preschooler, and a growing toddler.

Elisa Mott

Elisa discovered her passion for teaching and pedagogy as a dance minor at Appalachian State University in North Carolina. While integrating various styles of yoga into her practice, she stays true to her original training roots and fully embodies the Kripalu motto of “meditation in motion” in each of her classes. Elisa is an E-RYT 500 and most recently completed her 300 Hour training at Downtown Yoga with Kate Coughlin. She is a Master Reiki healer and has Masters and Specialist degrees in Mental Health Counseling, a certificate in Spirituality and Health and Arts in Medicine and is a published author and national speaker on yoga, body image and eating disorders. Her educational background, compassion and belief in the transformative power of yoga allow her to lead a healing yet challenging class for all levels. In her class, you will be inspired to slow down, deepen, breathe and truly be present.

Elisamott.com

Shawna Scizak

Early in life Shawna began exploring the benefits of exercise, particularly those associated with improved emotional and mental wellbeing. She worked in the fitness industry for seven years, taught exercise classes, and was certified by several nationally recognized exercise organizations. Although acquainted with the basics of yoga, it wasn’t until 2008 that she discovered a teacher who inspired her into a deeper appreciation of the practice and revealed that what she had always sought at the gym was actually waiting for her in the yoga studio. Yoga has turned out to be the mind, body, spirit connection that she’d been seeking and so, in 2010, she graduated from Brentwood Yoga Center's Advanced Yoga Studies Program and became certified with the Yoga Alliance. She also took her pursuit of yoga half way around the world when she accompanied Jim, Kate, and her teacher Sandy on their spectacular retreat to India. As a student first and a teacher second, she hopes to use her knowledge and enthusiasm to bring the life changing benefits of yoga to others. She currently lives in Discovery Bay with her husband, Mike, and two dogs, Jazmine and Bodhi.

Marilyn Steppe

I am a 2008 graduate of Downtown Yoga’s Advanced Studies/Teacher Training program and am finishing up the 500 hour program, also at Downtown Yoga. (2013). I been practicing Yoga since 2000 and teaching since 2008. In addition, I am a practicing Family Practice Physician but currently work part time in Occupational Medicine. I also hold a Masters degree in sports performance enhancement and sports injury prevention.

I am a martial artist and have earned a black belt in Shaolin Kenpo Karate and currently study the Japanese martial art, Aikido. I initially studied Yoga to improve my flexibility for Karate, but as we know, Yoga becomes a life of its own.

This varied background allows me to approach Yoga with a thorough understanding of anatomy and physiology (which I love and use in my teaching), as well as understanding the individuality of each body, the concept of centering, and the importance and use of energy and breath in our practice. To paraphrase New York Yoga teacher Cyndi Lee, “The body provides an obstacle for the curious mind to grow stronger and more stable. The pendulum swing of putting our body through various asana and the accompanying stabilization becomes smaller and smaller until finally the body, mind, and heart become integrated….and that’s Yoga. “

I continue to study with Kate Coughlin and frequently travel to attend retreats, conferences, and workshops to expand my own practice and incorporate new teaching methods.

I was born in North Carolina but grew up in Virginia on a farm with 2 brothers and 2 sisters-as the middle child! I was (and am) an avid horse lover. I married my husband half way through medical school in Virginia in 1977. We have 2 daughters, a son, 2 granddaughters, and my daughter’s brilliant service dog, Walter the Wonder Dog.

My husband and I love to sail, scuba dive, collect wine, explore other cultures, and of course study and practice Yoga. We bareboat charter a sailboat every year and have visited such places as Tahiti, Tonga, Greece, Belize, Italy and New Zealand among others.

In short, we love to live and experience life.