Teachers

Sue Ann turned to yoga after many years long distance running.  In 2012 she moved to the Salt Spring Centre of Yoga to further her understanding of classical ashtanga yoga.  The Centre is deeply rooted in the practice of Karma Yoga which speaks to Sue Ann’s passion for helping others. Sue Ann’s classes are focused on alignment, postural benefits, and cultivating peace. Her passion is to help students feel stronger, flexible, and more in touch with their bodies. She loves how yoga asanas challenges her body and mind, and is constantly inspired and encourage by the journey yoga has taken her on. Sue Ann has a B.A. in Liberal Studies/Education and a Masters in Public Health which she organically calls upon while teaching.  With a love for learning, she is forever a student and... more

Cat Matlock, Founder of FreeBody Therapeutic Massage Clinic, Founder and former owner of West Asheville Yoga, is a chronic pain specialist known for her deep knowledge of anatomy.  She blends the use of therapeutic rolling (think foam rollers and balls) with strengthening and opening yoga, breathing practices to soften the nervous system, and guided meditations for restoring balance and harmony at all levels of being.  Cat is an Advanced Instructor of Therapeutic Yoga through Integrative Yoga Therapy, a graduate of Trauma Informed Yoga Therapy™ and a certified facilitator of Overcome Anxiety™, a therapeutic yoga series designed for people with high stress, anxiety, and panic disorder.   You can find her rolling videos on YouTube under her name, Cat Matlock.  She is a massage... more

My passion for yoga was born out of my love for movement and the expression of the human form. As a dancer of many years I found great satisfaction in the emotional depth and the transformational and healing capacity of working with the body. These stepping stones from my early foundation as a dancer lead me down many paths that I continue to integrate into my life work. My love and reverence for this beautiful planet and living with awareness of her rhythms and influences is central in my teaching. I am also a firm believer of weaving together strong and flexible networks of support in our local communities. Our inner work and our work in our communities and in caring for the earth are powerful reflections of each other. Our capacity to care comes from our direct connection to something;... more

Deirdre began to practice yoga in 1994 to acquiesce her pesky friends that insisted she would fall in love with it. Fortunately for her, they were right! From that moment began her almost 20 year love affair with the practice and teaching of yoga. Deirdre’s passion is to create a sense of belonging in her classes by coupling her serious dedication with a light-hearted approach. Her classes are alive with questions, philosophy, and humor based on connecting real life situations to the physical practice. Deirdre’s background as a professional modern dancer in NYC encourages her creative spirit to choreograph every “class as an intimate concoction of equal parts inquiry of the heart, humility of the mind, and precision in expression of the body” (student Kris H). She is... more

Ra Ma Kaur is a highly observant soul-soother, change-maker and alchemist.  Ra Ma calls on her passionate study of Kundalini Yoga, Astrology, Ancestral Healing, Elemental Medicine, Daoist Stone Medicine and Soundscapes to inspire and inform each offering she makes to her community. Ra Ma was introduced to the technology of Kundalini Yoga at the age of 15.  She has been teaching yoga since 2006 and is certified through Kundalini Research Institute and the Kripalu School of Yoga.  She has spent over 1000 hours in professional certification beyond her college degree.  At this time she is working towards a Master of Arts in Cultural Astronomy and Astrology. Her current offerings include weekly classes, workshops, private mentorship, women's lunar gatherings, and ceremonies in the... more

Jacci Lea began her yoga journey in New Orleans as a way to help with some back pain. More than 20 years later she still practices yoga. After several years of studying Iyengar yoga she now combines the techniques of alignment with movement in group classes and therapeutic yoga for individuals. She began teaching in 1998 and taught classes for several years at Wild Lotus Yoga in New Orleans before moving to Asheville in 2005 (just one week before Hurricane Katrina). Jacci feels that yoga is a practice that can benefit anyone no matter what age or level of physical ability. One does not need to have a flexible body to enjoy the calming benefits of yoga. Her Basic Yoga classes guide beginners and experienced students to learn safe postures as well as focus on breathing. Her Gentle... more

Joe Taft believes in the transformational power of yoga. Joe (E-RYT500) is a former Certified Anusara® Yoga instructor who has dedicated himself to the practice of yoga since 1997. He began teaching in 2002. Joe infuses his classes with a deep, life-affirming philosophy through myths, story-telling, Tantra, and his own experience with the trials and tribulations of life. Joe’s in-depth knowledge of body mechanics and his innate understanding of the complexities of movement, allow him to guide his students more fully into their own bodies and lives. Joe enjoys teaching workshops and trainings both in Asheville and out as a traveling instructor. Joe values humor in all aspects of teaching and life which makes his classes a fun experience for everyone. Joe’s warmth and sincere... more

When a friend casually showed me my first yoga asanas in 1998, it sparked a deep remembering, and sudden illumination of a path before me. Yoga would be a guiding force of my life, and in order to fully receive this gift, I had to share it. I completed my first teacher training with Diane Wilson of Portland, OR in 1999. Diane is a completely unique, authentic and indescribable adept yogini and teacher whose guidance provided an unshakeable foundation for my yogic life. In 2005, I completed a 200hr vinyasa training with Jhon Tamayo and Sabina Stahl at Atmananda Yoga in NYC. During this time I spread my vinyasa wings wide, teaching many classes a week in the busy city and taking classes from many renowned teachers. Also during this time I completed beginning and advanced Thai Yoga... more

It is with joy, wisdom, and pleasure that Raphaela Fritz brings 2 decades of practice, study, and teaching of yoga to West Asheville Yoga.  Formerly Certified Anusara teacher, Certified Bikram Instructor, E-RYT 500,Bikram Yoga Champion representative, Yoga Therapeutics Practitioner and Licenced Massage & Bodywork Therapist since 2004. She incorporates layers of life wisdom, tantric teachings, and the language of the heart with structural alignment and dynamic flow; interweaving ancient teachings and myth with the realities of modern day life.  Mother, Wife, Yogini, Artist, and current student in the aerial arts, she brings her whole being to each class. Raphaela’s classes are uplifting yet challenging, leaving your body, mind, and heart soaring in bliss. Each class... more

Roxy is an experienced Birth and Postpartum Doula, Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator, Certified Perinatal Yoga Instructor and Licensed Massage Therapist. She finds her greatest joy in guiding families through intentional yoga practices that combine functional movement, childbirth education, and body literacy. She’s honored to be apart of the West Asheville Yoga family where she teaches weekly classes and workshops that cultivate community, connection, and... more

Sarah’s definition and experience of yoga is evolving and changing, as she continues what she hopes will be a lifelong practice. Integrating and harmonizing her personal studies of various forms of yoga, Buddhism, and modern consciousness studies informs her teaching. Ridiculously neurotic, but increasingly self-aware; she enjoys dismantling her own assumptions and limiting thought patterns in favor of being fully present. Her intention in life and in class includes being open-hearted, compassionate, and of service. This generally makes for classes that are dynamic, meditative, and challenging as students are ultimately empowered to get to know themselves and Yoga beyond the conceptualized version of what either should be. She uses skillful verbal cues and hands-on assists to help... more

Sierra Hollister is a mother, runner, green yogini and a dirty, tree hugger. She was incredibly blessed to start her Kundalini journey at Ahimsa Ashram and to be able to study directly with Yogi Bhajan. She has had yoga angels sprinkling lucky yoga dust at her feet since 1990. In addition to Yogi Bhajan, Sierra has been inspired and shaped by the teachings of Patabhi Jois, David Swenson, Sarah Powers, Sean Corn, Snatam Kaur and Gurucharan Singh Khalsa.  As much as Sierra loves asana, pranayama, mantra, and meditation- she finds her daily yoga guidance in the words of Aadil Palkhivala- “True yoga is not about the shape of your body but the shape of your life. Yoga is not to be performed; yoga is to be lived. Yoga doesn’t care about what you have been; yoga cares about the person you... more