Cat took her first yoga class in college in 1989 and felt like she had come home. A dancer and athlete, Cat had been looking for a way to integrate flexibility and strength training and yoga filled that need. She practiced asana for many years learning through books, videos, and teachers in New York, Hawaii, Florida, and North Carolina.

Jacci Lea began yoga in New Orleans as a way to help with some back pain. Nearly fifteen years later she still practices yoga. After many years of studying Iyengar yoga she now combines the techniques and alignment of that style with flow yoga.

Deirdre’s most important accomplishment to date is bringing her son, Kai, into the world on December 27, 2007. She is incredibly blessed with a healthy son, a loving husband, a supportive family, amazing friends, two wonderful dogs, and the best yoga community in the world!
Deirdre, a certified Anusara Yoga Instructor, moved to Asheville in 2006 from New York City. She danced professionally in NYC for 13 years, as well as, discovered her love for yoga and teaching.

Meghan Ganser has been studying yoga and martial arts (aikido) since 2001, and she percieves the physical body as a vehicle which we may work with to steady, luminate, and free ourselves and others.

Kristine Kaoverii Weber, MA, RYT500, took her first yoga course from her hippy social studies teacher when she was in sixth grade and has been hooked ever since. She began sharing yoga with others in 1995.

Upon completion of graduate studies in Counseling at Columbia University, Koriander studied yoga & lived at Kripalu Center.

“Living in our bodies for a lifetime every aspect of who we are connects to our physical form.”
Christie grew up dancing in New York City and went on to receive a BFA in dance education and choreography at Virginia Commonwealth University. Her discovery of yoga unfolded out of her experience as a dancer and her love of the body as a healing and creative force.

Joe Taft is a certified Anusara Yoga instructor who has cultivated a steadfast and non-wavering dedication to the practice and study of yoga since 1997.  In his classes, Joe weaves Anusara’s life-affirming and heart-felt approach through myth, story-telling, tantric philosophy and the wisdom gathered throughout his own life’s journey.

Ethan Burns discovered yoga in 2001 when a class he took with his Mom gave him a rude awakening to the limitations and potential of his body.  Slowly growing more interested in yoga over years, Ethan took his biggest step towards becoming a teacher in 2008 with a 9 month journey East, to India, where he spent 3 months practicing intensely with his teacher Bharath Shetty.  

Michael Johnson ERYT-500 is a certified Jivamukti instructor who has studied directly with Sharon Gannon and David Life in New York as well as with their Teacher Sri K. Pattabhi Jois in Mysore, India.  Michael has been a full-time yoga teacher in the Detroit area since 2001.  He continues to study Yoga and Buddhism with Geshe Michael Roach, Lama Christie McNally, Lama Sumati Marut, Kimberley Theresa and his Angelic wife, Stephanie Johnson.

Namadeva is NOT an instructor at the yoga studio but will be a special guest instructor in the Fall 2010 Bodhana Yoga School Teacher Training program.  You are welcome to to participate in the entire immersion/training or register only to study with Namadeva from October 8-10.

Thomas Ashley-Farrand (Namadeva Acharya) has practiced mantra-based spiritual disciplines since 1973 and is an acknowledged expert in Sanskrit Mantra spiritual disciplines and ceremonies.  He has written nine books and has numerous audio and video programs available through his website, www.sanskritmantra.com

Namadeva’s guru is Sadguru Sant Keshavadas (now deceased) from Bangalore, India, who gave him the title of Acharya in 1984.  Satguru Rama Mata, Sant Keshavadas’ widow and Lineage Holder, gave Namadeva Acharya formal Diksha (empowerment) to be a guru in two empowerments in December of 2008 and June 2009.  He received the Darshan of Panduranga of Pandurapur (India) while in the hospital in October of 2009. He has received empowerments and blessings from a number of prominent spiritual teachers, including Jagadgurus Shankaracharya Sri Jayendra Saraswati and Shankaracharya Sri Vijayendra Saraswati of Kanchi Math, the Madvacharya lineage Jagadguru of Pejowar Math, the Dalai Lama, the 16^thGyalwa Karmapa, Pir Vilayat Kahn, Kalu Rimpoche, Swami Kripalananda, Swami Satchidananda, Swami Vishnu Devananda,Yogi Amrit Desai, Yogi Bhajan, Sakya Jetsun Chiney Luding, Christian mystic Dr. Leon Wright, and others.

Vedic Priest, author, and international lecturer and storyteller, Namadeva gives workshops throughout the US and Canada, and London, England.  He was a priest for the Temple of Cosmic Religion in Washington, DC, and has taught at George Washington University and Chaffee College.

He is president of Sanatana Dharma Satsang, CEO of Saraswati Publications, LLC, a Kriya Yoga Initiate and a member of Astara. Thomas currently lives in Oregon, with his wife Margalo (Satyabhama), a priest who is administrator of both organizations and often performs the ancient Vedic ceremonies with him at the Gayatri Temple in Beaverton, Oregon, and at other national and international events.