Meet Our Instructors

Yoga

  • My yoga journey began many years ago and has propelled me towards the life I want. I completed my 200 hour teacher certification under the guidance of world renowned teacher and author, Rolf Gates. I teach a vinyasa flow style class focusing on the relationship between body and breath, establishing the ability to listen to our own bodies with clarity and compassion. My intention is to bring yoga into the lives of as many people as possible, sharing the strength, beauty and peace that this practice brings us. I grew up here in the Santa Cruz area and I am honored to serve my community in this way. With yoga we begin to align our values and our actions. It is a practice where we link the mind, body and soul. Through skillful movements we break though blockages allowing for a clear passage of energy. With the cultivation of a yoga practice we strengthen our physical body and increase muscular and joint flexibility, while building mental fortitude. We learn to calm the movement of our busy minds as we bring awareness into every aspect of our physicality.

    Yoga is a compliment to any lifestyle. With a regular practice we become more dynamic and powerful beings by encouraging the increase of blood flow, deepening the ability to use the breath as a tool and learning to overcome the patterns of our consciousness that may cause internal suffering. Begin living your life with vibrancy and confidence. I am looking forward to seeing you on the mat. Namaste.

  • Alisha Slaughter is a mom, wife and full time marketing professional with a passion for yoga, health and balance. She approaches each class first with the focus on breath, then on connecting to the needs of the body, and finally ties it all together through an asana flow that helps you connect more fully to both. Her teaching style is strong, yet offers flexibility, freedom and encouragement for each student to tune into the unique needs of their body in that class. Alisha was originally drawn to yoga over 10 years ago as a way to connect with friends, gain some flexibility and counteract some of the stress that a long history of being a runner was putting on her body. As her practice became more consistent, she began to notice that yoga is much more then just stretching. She realized that yoga not only had the power to transform her body in ways no other movement had, but also to provide support in other areas of her life both on and off the mat. As her body changed, so did her powers to connect more wholly to her breath and its ability to calm and clear her mind.

    Through life’s ups and downs, yoga was a constant support in many ways. She knew that everyone needed yoga – especially people who think they don’t have time or are not flexible. Yoga is for everyone! She is a supporter of laughing, lightening up and having fun. Her style is playful and encouraging. Alisha loves teaching because it helps to balance out her life, share her love of yoga and connect with people in her community. She is thrilled to be part of the Pleasure Point family and is looking forward to helping people connect with their breath and bodies in unique ways through focus on breath and purposeful movement.

  • Caren has been teaching at Pleasure Point since 2014. She completed multiple yoga teacher trainings with Rolf Gates, Aimee Joy Nitzberg Scherbak, and Sean Guinan. Caren seeds her classes with meditation themes woven from primarily the philosophical teachings of The Yoga Sutra, The Bhagavad Gita, and The Tao Te Ching. 

    She holds a master's degree in philosophy from Stanford University and has been a lecturer at UCSC since 2005. She is also a Core Trainer with NVC (Nonviolent Communication) Santa Cruz and serves on their board of directors.

    Caren was the first woman in Santa Cruz to earn a Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. In 2021 she founded a body positive, LGBTQIA+ inclusive martial arts school called NIJI DOJO on Pleasure Point. NIJI serves adults, teens, and kids with a warm, inviting, fun and supportive space for challenge and growth.

    She brings clear communication, deep compassion, and play to her teaching. Caren continues her education by training with her mentors and studying trauma-informed care and nonviolence through a social justice lens.

    Caren’s schedule at Pleasure Point Sanctuary:

    Yin Yoga, Sundays 8-9:30 am

    Read more about Caren:

    Niji Dojo

    Website: www.nijidojo.com

    Instagram: @niji_dojo

    Email: caren,email@gmail.com


    NVC Santa Cruz

    Website: www.nvcsantacruz.com

  • “No mud, no lotus”

    Similar to the lotus flower, which blooms in muck, Hailey’s (she/her) yoga journey began with tragedy. At 13 years old, her health rapidly deteriorated due to a rare disease, and Hailey has been fighting for her life ever since.

    Hailey credits her yoga practice for thriving with advanced illness & disability.

    From all the mud, a beautiful lotus arose. As getting sick, injured, and aging is a natural part of life, Hailey strives to bring yoga representation and cOMmUNITY for all bodies. As Krishnamacharya said, “If you can breathe, you can do yoga.”

    Hailey is a Santa Cruz native who loves spending time with family and friends, soaking up nature and going on adventures.

    Hailey has earned the following credentials:

    200-hour and 300-hour Teacher Trainings (from Emily Perry & Kenny Graham at Pleasure Point Yoga);

    Accessible Yoga Teacher Training (Jivana Heyman);

    Accessible Yoga Ambassador & Yoga for Bendy People / Hypermobility Certification (from Libby Hinsley)

  • Hannah teaches creative Vinyasa flow yoga classes, with a focus on bhakti, breath, and alignment. Her classes provide a place for students of all levels to explore strength, flexibility, and discernment. Part of yoga is the physical aspect – but yoga is also about coming onto your mat, stepping away from the rest of your day, breathing in and out, and being present. Yoga gives us an opportunity to observe, to inquire within, and to learn to show up more fully.

    Hannah is a yoga instructor in Santa Cruz, CA. She first started practicing yoga for the physical benefits in 2011, but found that what kept her coming back was the connection to mind, body, breath, and spirit. She completed her first 200-HR Yoga Teacher Training in July 2016. For more information, please visit www.hannahlerch.com – thank you!

  • One of Hannah’s greatest joys in life is welcoming folks of all backgrounds into kind, curious, brave, compassionate spaces that restore, heal, and bring us truly alive. Deemed the “midwife of possibility,” Hannah Muse is an award-winning, internationally-recognized teacher of mindfulness, mysticism, and yoga. As a mother and devoted student of Buddhism, neuropsychology, and mythology, Hannah is known for weaving complex teachings into accessible, heart-opening, world-shifting experiences. And for being just as silly as she is deep.

    With a background in social and environmental advocacy, Hannah’s flavor of spirituality is inspired by our shared humanity and nourished by her deep love for the world. Hannah serves as President for the Yoga for All Movement, an organization that makes yoga and mindfulness accessible to individuals experiencing incarceration, people in recovery from substance abuse, survivors of domestic violence, and other underserved communities.

    Over the past ten years, Hannah has trained hundreds of yoga and mindfulness teachers who bring these beneficial practices to various populations and communities throughout the world. She facilitates transformational retreats at the Esalen Institute, service retreats in Guatemala, spiritual pilgrimage in India, mythopoetic journeys in Greece and other yoga retreats in Mexico and Bali. She has been a featured presenter at dozens of conferences and festivals including Electric Forest, Bhakti Fest and Wanderlust.

    When she’s not facilitating Awake Heart yoga teacher trainings, in practice with her beloved online meditation sangha Shelter in the Heart, or making healing accessible for underserved communities, you can find her in the ocean with her daughter, Ruby, and dancing wildly with her beloved, Brian. Find out more about her work/play at www.hannahmuse.com and follow Hannah’s adventures/musings at www.instagram.com/Hannah.J.Muse.

    P.S. If you’re reading this, Hannah bows to you for finding your way here – through all the staggeringly beautiful and terrifying twists and turns of life – to this path of practice, where possibility awaits us. Welcome. May our practice be for the benefit of all beings!

  • Jessica is a yoga teacher, soon to be psychotherapist, and forever student living in Santa Cruz, CA – her home of 14 years. Jessica first discovered yoga in her hometown Santa Monica when she was 12. In High School she attended Bryan Kest’s Power Yoga studio weekly after school. In 2014 she completed her 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training with Joan Hyman of YogaWorks Los Angeles, where her love affair with yoga and the calling to share it with others deepened. Over the years she’s studied with Maty Ezraty, Annie Carpenter, Janet Stone, Shiva Rae, Tias Little, Jason Crandell, and Patrick Beach, and traveled to the motherland India to dig her feet into yoga’s geographical source. Jessica completed her 300-hour & Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training with Mount Madonna Center, where she lived and volunteered in the Ayurveda and Yoga Teacher Training departments for 3 years, immersing herself in the teachings of Baba Hari Dass and Classical Aṣhțāṅga Yoga. Jessica is also a trained and certified Animal Flow teacher.

    Jessica, RYT 500, brings her embodied wisdom and somatic precision into each of her classes, weaving down-to-Earth insights and breath into a purposeful and powerful vinyasa flow grounded in ritual, self-inquiry, functional movement, and individualized alignment. Her classes are intentional and fun, intelligent and creative, challenging and accessible, sweaty and heartfelt, paying homage to traditional hatha vinyasa with a practical and functional approach to asana built for today’s bodies and minds. With a whole-hearted commitment to honoring the teachings of yoga, Jessica’s classes are enriched by yoga philosophy, yoga mythology, Ayurveda, psychology, and the wisdom of daily life. Because we are designed to move, Jessica encourages personal exploration and freedom of movement, embracing methods that stoke the fire that burns deep within us to stand with power, clarity, and courage in an ever-changing world.

    In Jessica’s free time, she loves to take her kitty on walks through the redwood forest, go on adventures with her beloved, gather in community, immerse herself in live music, and dance all night under the stars.

  • Katie is a yoga teacher, Ayurvedic health counselor, associate marriage and family therapist, and forever student based in her hometown, Santa Cruz, CA. Katie’s yoga journey started twenty years ago when she was a competitive athlete in high school. It was her love for movement that initially sparked her interest in the practice. During challenging college years, the mat became a place of refuge and Katie experienced deeper transformative and healing benefits on and off the mat.

    In 2013, Katie completed her first yoga teacher training with Yogi Vishvketu in Rishikesh, India. She continues to study with and assist San Francisco based teacher, Janet Stone, and draws inspiration from yin yoga teachers Sarah Powers and Paul Grilley.

    Katie’s classes are deeply nourishing, as she offers students a compassionate space to look inward, cultivate steadiness and ease, and strengthen and stretch both body and mind. With an Ayurvedic lens, classes are typically seasonally inspired to support alignment and well-being. Katie invites students to reconnect with their inner wisdom and remember their innate wholeness.

    Nature is Katie’s greatest teacher — she enjoys hiking and exploring new trails, swimming in the sea, wandering through farmers markets, cooking and sharing meals, and gathering with community.

  • Kayla Copeland has been a student of yoga since the early 2000s and has incorporated yoga into her daily life ever since. She has trained extensively with Aimee Nitzberg in Santa Cruz, California and Sri Dharma Mittra in New York City. She is also greatly inspired by Eoin Finn, Richard Freeman, Meghan Currie, David Swenson, and many more. Kayla is certified ERYT-500 and has received over 500 hours of yoga training.

    Fast-forward nearly 20 years, Kayla’s classes focus on well-being, self-love, and mindfulness. Alongside fluid movement and breath awareness, she believes yoga to be a holistic tool and a transformational method from the inside out.

    Amidst teaching for public and private clients and hosting local and international retreats, Kayla is an artist and a master’s student of Mindfulness-based Counseling Psychology. She delicately weaves an essence of creativity, self-awareness, embodiment, and inspiration into every one of her sessions.

    You can find out more about Kayla’s offerings, background and art at https://www.kaylatahani.com/

  • Kelsey’s goal is to be a one stop shop for all things whole, fulfilled, and joyful living.

    She’s a yoga teacher, certified life coach, dancer, Reiki practitioner, and soon to be hypnotherapist who is deeply passionate about guiding others back home to their own strength, power, and truth. Kelsey facilitates transformational group programs for her global community of clients, leads yoga and coaching retreats, works with clients 1:1 to break free from learned ways of living small, and of course, teaches yoga!

    After her yoga teacher training at Yandara Yoga Institute in 2016, Kelsey promptly left her career in tech and began teaching yoga as the first puzzle piece in her new life designed around fulfillment. Since then, she’s taught at studios across the Bay Area, on retreats, and inside of lots of companies.

    Kelsey’s classes meet people wherever they’re at in their practice (RYT-300). Her goal is to make every student feel welcome when they walk in, and more deeply connected to themselves by the time they walk out. They encourage playfulness, curiosity, and self-love.

    You can learn more about her at kelseylettko.com, and say hello on IG @kmlettko.

  • Kenneth (Kenny) Graham is former lead teacher at Pleasure Point Yoga and honorable guest teacher of our 200hr Yoga Teacher Training (visiting from Costa Rica).

    Kenneth is registered at the highest level ERYT 500 with Yoga Alliance and has taught over 20 Teacher Trainings around the world and studied for over 20 years with numerous influential teachers, across diverse and intriguing philosophies.

    He has drawn on Darren Rhodes and Paul and Suzee Grilley for some of his deepest inspiration on how he currently teaches asana.  Students love his eclectic nature. He has a unique ability as a teacher to make material accessible to students and is able to unite diverse teachings from asana to meditation to philosophy in a fresh and lively way. His mission is to bring together a community of teachers who are confident and well rounded in their knowledge and wisdom.

    Kenny teaches functional yoga honoring each body as unique. Practice is key!

    IG: @kennygrahamyoga

  • Integrity, growth, strength, trust, faith and surrender~ were just a few of the many concepts that instantly drew Marissa into her first yoga class over a decade ago; and where her life was forever changed.

    Personal and spiritual growth kept Marissa practicing yoga and meditation daily while increased physical health, strength, and a deeper relationship to life became the outcome. Marissa chose to step onto her mat dedicated to her purpose to teach, with a passion to share and spread such a potent and powerful way of life. She weaves yogic philosophy, pranayama, meditation, biomechanics and alignment into her classes. Her classes are dynamic and fun, challenging yet accessible, invigorating and transformational. Whether you come for a restorative Yin class or an energizing Vinyasa class you can expect to enrich your mind, nourish your body, ease your nerves and drop into the heart. Classes are often curated with sound, aromatherapy and an occasional live musical offering from one of the several instruments Marissa plays. She has led international and local yoga retreats, teaches at yoga & art festivals and hosts an expansive variety of workshops in the Bay Area and Santa Cruz, CA.

    Marissa holds her 200 & 300hr(IP) certifications in yoga alongside of her current completion of the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) personal training certification and completion of her B.S. in Kinesiology. Just some of the many teachers that have inspired her include: Ana Forrest, Shiva Rae, Giselle Mari, David Swenson, Kino MacGregor, Tias Little and Katie Silcox.

  • Emily Perry, E-RYT500, MTOM
    Guest Teacher & Developer, The Embodied Breath: 200hr Yoga & Breathwork Teacher Training

    Emily Perry holds a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Hamilton College and a Master of Traditional Oriental Medicine from Emperor’s College. With over thirty years of experience in yoga, mindfulness, and energetic healing systems, Emily has become a Master Teacher and teacher of teachers.

    Trained as an Acupuncturist and Herbalist in California, Emily’s deep immersion in Breathwork, Ayurveda, Buddhist meditation, and yogic science naturally led her to guide yoga teacher trainings. She is recognized for her expertise in blending energetic alignment, Bhakti (devotion), and soulful vinyasa flow practices.

    Her meditation journey began as a teenager in Los Angeles, exploring Zen and Tibetan traditions before discovering yoga through the transformative book Light on Yoga. Emily’s continued practice draws from non-dual spiritual and devotional lineages, and her work is deeply informed by teachers Janet Stone, Chandra Easton, and Scott Blossom.

    Emily has trained teachers worldwide, integrating energetic systems into her yoga teachings. As a sought-after speaker and retreat leader, she has shared her teachings at festivals, retreats, and trainings globally, as well as on platforms like YogaAnytime and Insight Timer.

    In recent years, Emily has expanded her reach through her podcast, Rock Your Purpose, offering tools for living in alignment with purpose and personal growth. She also contributes as a content writer and marketing copywriter for Tony Robbins, helping others lead more purpose-driven lives.

    Emily’s dedication to yoga as a path of awakening is reflected in her dynamic, devotional teaching style, deeply rooted in the sacred. Through her Purpose Habit™ framework, she continues to empower students to live with intention, clarity, and joy.

    Connect with her here: purposehabit.com

  • Neal is a yoga teacher, writer, caregiver, and former competitive surfer from Santa Cruz. Growing up a block away from the bluffs at Pleasure Point, the ocean became his second home, and he spent countless hours honing his skills in the cold, powerful surf of the Pacific Ocean. Before long he was a successful competitive surfer with a deep interest and respect for big wave surfing, under the watchful eye of local legends such as Jay Moriarity and Peter Mel.

    Yoga entered his life after a series of injuries and some unfortunate congenital musculoskeletal complications sidelined him from his pursuit of professional surfing. Around 2008, he went from traveling the world with photographers and competing against the best surfers in world to taking pain medication and sleeping the days away.

    Luckily, yoga was one of the many blessings that salvaged his life, and, after practicing for nine years, he completed his teacher training with Dawn Hayes. His favorite styles of yoga to teach are Yin, Slow Flow, and Gentle Yoga. He considers himself lucky to teach chair yoga to the assisted living population at Dominican Oaks, a local retirement home.

    Neal’s classes draw upon his experience living with limitations, focusing on embodying mindfulness and the breath to take his students deep into their bodies, leaving their perceived shortcomings at the door.

  • Niki is the Founder of the Rising Wolf Collective — a collective of services dedicated to empowerment alchemy.

    As a professionally certified Dream Therapist / Sueñadora, RYT 200 Yoga Instructor, MAP 100 Meditation Instructor as well as a Somatic Awareness Practitioner, Personal Spiritual Empowerment Coach and Mindful Business and Marketing Consultant –  Niki seeks to merge the deeply mystical inner world of the soul with that of the outer world.

    Niki is passionate about empowering her students and clients to slow down and find a home within themselves by reconnecting to their bodies and reclaiming their soul. Because she herself finds her power through the wisdom of her body and dreams – she brings meditation, somatics, tarot and ritual into all aspects of her classes. Niki has had the honor and privilege of training with some incredible guides over the years including: Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, Mark Tanaka, Jennifer Prugh, Tias Little, Grandmother Flordemayo, Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Carolyn Myss, the Jung Platform and more. 

    Niki has been a branding and marketing executive in Silicon Valley for over 20 years, which has lended itself to becoming an soul-based Business and Marketing Consultant, and Leadership Coach. She works with all kinds of humans, from large-scale corporations to individuals who are seeking a deeper connection to how they choose to build their expression in this world and lead from the heart. She is also Pleasure Point Yoga’s Marketing and Operations Director! 

    Niki’s mission will always be to continue to help herself and others become empowered, sovereign and loving human beings that embody and express their experience on this Earth with joy and authenticity. To see the magic this amazing life has to offer, and to help us all befriend the dark so we can step fully into our light. 

    Read more about Niki:
    Rising Wolf Collective

    Website: www.risingwolfcollective.com

    Instagram: @risingwolfcollective

    Email: niki@risingwolfcollective.com


    You can find Niki’s teaching experiences below:

  • Believing that anyone can begin their own yoga journey at any time, I try to teach each class to the level of the students that are present. I am forever growing in my own practice as a student and a teacher. I approach each class as an opportunity to slow down, to notice our breath and bodies, and to soften our stories. A practice is a moment to become curious of our experience in our breath, body and inner workings. The movement that we find on the mat is an opportunity for play and discovery. And the foundation of a practice, where we begin and where we end, is the breath. That is all that is needed. In each class offered, my hope is to create opportunities for all levels of experience to explore.

    I have had the honor of guiding individuals through a yoga practice since 2007 and more specifically vinyasa yoga flow since 2011. My aim is to meet students where they are in their journey and guide them on their path to inquiry of their breath and body and all the spaces in between. I bring a focus of alignment with a touch of playfulness to my classes. Expect to sweat, laugh, and hear your breath, and you may even soften your mind. My background in dance infuses my class with my deep love of music. As a massage therapist I bring my knowledge of anatomy and the human body into our practice on the mat. The path of being a student and teacher of this thing we call yoga has brought me joy and connection not only with myself but with a greater community focused on self-awareness, compassion and kindness for ourselves, for those we hold close and this planet as whole.

    I have studied extensively with Janet Stone and Erika Abrahamian, and have spent several years studying the Mysore Ashtanga Yoga practice. I have also had the honor of studying with Kino MacGregor and Lino Miele. These days as a mother my newest and most profound teacher is my two year old daughter.

    I have had the honor of leading yoga retreats since 2018. You can learn more about me at pujachanceyoga.com

    Facebook: pujachanceyoga

    Instagram: @pujachanceyoga

  • Shawna Rodgers has practiced yoga since 2008 and completed her 200+ hour certification in 2017. She completed her 300+ hour training in 2019 after traveling to India to learn more about the origins of the practice with her teacher, Jennifer Prugh. She is certified through Yoga Alliance as a Registered Yoga Teacher.

    Shawna leads a mindful flow, incorporating elements of Ayurveda and trauma-informed language into each of her classes. Whether it’s power yoga or slow-flow, Shawna seeks to bring balance to each student that comes to class. Her number one goal is for students to connect deeply to themselves throughout their yoga practice and learn to listen to their inner knowing.

    Born and raised in Los Gatos, California, Shawna moved to Santa Cruz after completing her degree in English Literature at San Diego State University, where she also studied Anatomy and Neuroscience as a Division 1 Athlete. Follow Shawna Instagram: @shawnamarieyoga

  • Yoga is a process of constant unfolding. My classes explore integration of body and breath, mind and heart, weaving the poses with the Yoga Sutra and other wisdom teachings to reveal and connect with our true inner light. Coming to yoga later in life, I find the benefits of practice only increase as we grow older and go deeper through Yin, Restorative and meditative practices. I am honored to share my passion for the Yoga Sutra in the creative and supportive space of PPY as we share this path of yoga.

    “Unfold your own myth” Rumi.

    Off the mat: My husband and I share a magical spot on Lake Moran, and have made Pleasure Point our home since 2012. I enjoy family time, reading voraciously, walking the bluffs, and ongoing spiritual exploration (thresholdguidance.com).

  • I have been practicing yoga since the age of 19. My foundational experience with yoga was with senior Iyenger teacher, Ben Thomas. A few years later Mount Madonna Center was where I received my Ashtanga (eight limb) Yoga Teacher Certification under the philosophy and teachings of Baba Hari Das. I was blessed to have Babji’s direct instruction throughout my month of Yoga Teacher Training. This was an intensive 12 hours per day retreat in the Santa Cruz mountains while living in a tent overlooking the Monterey Bay – absolutely life changing! I went back two more years to assist the following YTT programs.

    As a teacher I enjoy diverse environments and students… Yoga studios, private in home sessions; fitness gyms, retreats and movement camps, specialty teaching for drug rehab centers, after school programs, corporate offices throughout California as well as New Zealand and Australia. Styles include Hatha, Vinyasa, Pre & Post Natal, Mama & Baby and Children’s Yoga.

    With an extensive 20+ years background each in massage, dance and yoga I bring a developed and intuitive awareness of body alignment along with a natural passion to work with clients and students in gaining optimum strength, agility and ease in their bodies. I work as a teacher, hands on practitioner, guide and constantly curious student of the endless possibilities!

  • Talya Lutzker is a certified yoga teacher, Ayurvedic practitioner, massage therapist, cookbook author, and the founder of Ayurveda Every Day with Talya – an Ayurvedic lifestyle and nourishment hub in Santa Cruz.

    She helps students improve their health and put self-care at the center of their lives through yoga and Ayurveda – India’s time-tested systems of holistic health and nourishment.

    Talya discovered yoga – her first love – in 1993 while backpacking Alaska’s wilderness. Inspired by her immersion in movement, breath, and nature, Talya dedicated herself to yoga and became certified to teach in 2001.

    Her extensive study of Iyengar yoga plus her devotion to her personal practice shines through in her engaging, clear and enthusiastic teaching style. Talya’s classes increase body wisdom, instill deeper self-awareness, and offer precise and detailed instruction that inspires.

    She studies regularly with Kofi Busia and Maya Lev and has traveled extensively to learn and teach yoga in places like India, Australia, Italy, and Mexico. When she isn’t practicing yoga and Ayurveda, you’ll find Talya cooking, camping, and walking on the beach with her dog, ZuZu.

    Talya’s Website: https://ayurvedaed.com/

    Instagram: @ayurvedawithtayla

  • Gwen is a yogini, activist, and writer who has been teaching at Pleasure Point Yoga since 2018. Prior to moving to Santa Cruz in 2011, Gwen lived in New York City where she worked in the high fashion and entertainment industries for over ten years. Gwen graduated magna cum laude from New York University in 2005 with a concentration in feminist studies. She completed her first teacher training with Tara Stiles of Strala Yoga in 2010 and later completed an additional 200 hour teacher training with Kenny Graham in 2018. She counts Dawn Hayes among her most influential teachers.

    In addition to yoga, Gwen is deeply involved in the movement for cannabis equity and is also a champion of reproductive and LGBTQ+ rights. Gwen is an internationally published novelist and infuses her love of language into her classes through poetry, literature, and feminist theory.

    With her soothing, lighthearted presence and use of trauma-sensitive pedagogies, Gwen strives to provide a safe and welcoming environment for all bodies, regardless of background age or ability.

    Gwen’s schedule at Pleasure Point Sanctuary

    RESTORATIVE YOGA
    Tuesdays 4 – 5:15

  • I fell in love with yoga in my teens. I stumbled upon some classes at a local community center and I was welcomed to join by my very senior class mates! It was during these classes that I realized that yoga not only challenged my body but calmed my mind. Over the next 30 years my relationship with yoga was on and off. It was then in my forties that my practice became deeper and more interconnected with the elements of mind, body and soul.

    I was inspired by my teacher Laura Albrecht, who encouraged each student to move authentically, to come from within, and make accommodations to the poses
    to help enhance their practice. It was then that my desire to teach others was born.

    I studied locally in Santa Cruz to get my professional yoga credentials, and I began teaching in 2014. My background of aquatic therapy and massage therapy blended perfectly with my teaching to create classes where my students were encouraged to move safely, use their intuition, and enjoythe challenge and joy of movement. I have worked with many students one on one after surgery, illness and recovery. I opened a small studio specifically to work with small groups and for people wanting to try yoga for the first time. My philosophy is very simple: ‘to thine own self be true’.


    I’ve called Santa Cruz home for the past 23 years and I love to be outdoors practicing yoga, swimming and biking. I have two children in their twenties and enjoy spending time with my family and friends.

    • My qualifications are:
      200 Hour E-RYT (currently studying for 300 hour E-RYT) Certified Thai Massage
      Certified Massage Therapist 500 hour CMT
      Certified Cranial Sacral Therapy
      Certified Aquatic Instructor Watsu Instructor

  • Magnolia discovered yoga at the age of 16, and it was love at first class, and she began teaching in 2002. Magnolia has traveled the world studying various styles of yoga including Hatha, Vinyasa, Kundalini, Tantra, and Prenatal. Her studies have guided her throughout India, Thailand, Mexico, Bali, and the U.S. She is drawn to the practice yoga not only for the asana (physical) benefits, but for the greater way of life that yoga encompasses. Non-violence, compassion, awareness, mindfulness, acceptance, and connection to all Beings.

    As a yoga instructor, Magnolia utilizes the physical as a means for deeper exploration into the subtle energies at play in our lives. She aims to guide her students towards a state of physical strength, inner harmony, and self transformation through the practice of yoga. She encourages her students to cultivate a deeper awareness of their physical body, while simultaneously expanding the awareness between mind, body and spirit.

    For more information about Magnolia and her classes, workshops, and retreats please visit: www.magnoliarasak.com

  • Treva Rayne is a woman driven by growth and expansion. She strives to live a life that’s foundation is built in compassion, truth, and authenticity

    Treva Rayne has her own business that helps women find a peace in their life by aligning themselves to what they desire on a physical, mental emotional, and spiritual level to improve their overall wellbeing.

    Treva Rayne comes from a lengthy background in the fitness industry. From personal training, to coaching, group fitness, and being a long time athlete herself she is grateful to land softly in the practice of yoga. After years of vigorous and demanding physical, mental and emotional exertion she has found a deep spiritual practice. She feels a fiery passion and an incredible refuge and respite in being a practicing yogi. She values the introspection that the practice of yoga has to offer.

    Treva Rayne is a certified breath work and meditation. She also works closely with sound. She completed her yoga teacher training through pleasure point yoga. While teaching, she brings a balance of a challenging, yet reflective practice. Being a dynamic person she offers a deeply soft yet steady meditative state to the slower her classes.

    In her free time she enjoys being out and exploring in nature, writing, reading, working out, art, dancing, wandering in new or familiar places, cooking, and of course yoga.

  • Vaza Racinet is a certified yoga instructor, occupational therapist, Reiki practitioner, and Medium of the New Earth, as well as a dedicated Women’s Empowerment and Transformation Coach. Combining her expertise in holistic healing and intuitive guidance, Vaza crafts each class based on the unique energy and needs of the room, ensuring every session is channeled and uniquely transformative. Her classes offer a powerful blend of movement, energy work, and spiritual coaching, designed to support you on your journey to empowerment, self-discovery, and deep transformation.

  • With over 30 years of study and practice within the various forms of Yoga, I completed a 200hr Vinyasa teacher training in 2014 with Rolf Gates.

    The intention was to simply dive deeper into my personal practice, however soon discovered my passion for sharing the benefits of Yoga both on and off the mat.

    Incorporating an extensive background within the medical field as an intensive care nurse and certified hospice/palliative care consultant provided tools for not only understanding the physical body, but the wisdom of the heart.

    Most recently I’ve been teaching mindfulness practices in a clinical capacity working with individuals suffering from chronic pain and trauma related disorders.

    Following the path of Bhakti Yoga my practice and classes focus on the more meditative aspects of Yoga including Yin and Restorative style.

    Along this path I’ve been introduced to a variety of styles, students, and teachers who have impacted not only my teaching but my life.

    I continue to mature and grow and be in awe of this practice~

    In addition to E-RYT 200, R-YT 500, and YACEP certifications, I’ve completed a Yin Yoga Teacher Training and Trauma Informed Teacher Training.

Dance & Movement

  • Alison is a veteran of the Santa Cruz dance scene having taught classes for all ages at Motion Pacific while running and performing with her teen performance troupe Scene 13 for almost a decade. She has also performed and taught her own fiery style of Cardio Funk/Hip Hop/Street Jazz for three years in LA, stints in Paris and Japan, and recently in WA state where she again ran a kids Hip-Hop group and also started her unique class for adults, Energizing Flow. Alison is now a licensed Physical Therapist Asst. and works with the rehab department at Pacific Coast Manor where she incorporates her Energizing Flow with both rehab patients and in classes for residents using elements of dance, Tai Chi and Pilates with music to spice up their recovery and daily lives.

  • Allison Haley shares her love for dance through an approachable teaching style that combines infectious music, fun choreography, and lots of juicy movement! She feels passionate about sharing the empowerment, expression, community, and mind-body connection that dance provides.

    Allison is a lifelong student of dance with an endless curiosity for cultural dance forms. For over 15 years she has studied African Diasporic dance with teachers from Brazil, Cuba, the Caribbean, and Latin America—learning Samba, Afro-Brazilian, Dancehall, Soca, Afrobeats, Salsa, Rhumba, Bomba, Calypso, and more. Her first exposure to these dance styles was as a teenager when she would travel to the Caribbean to visit her father, who lived there part of the year. As an adult, she is grateful to have learned from master teachers such as Marsea Marquis, Dhanda DaHora, Rosangela Silvestre, Vera Passos, Alvaro Reys, Marcelo Chocolate, Libby Miga, Latoya Bufford, Betty Rox, Erica Dixon, and many more. Allison has a long performance history in both dance and musical theater, both as a performer and event producer. She is also a certified Zumba instructor, bringing that knowledge to her classes to create an inviting, inclusive environment for self expression! Learn more about Allison at allisonhaley.com/dance

  • Deborah Yates, dancer and Veteran Fitness Pro/National Aerobic Champion, has traveled the world sharing her love for dance based fitness classes and today continues with her “Inspire Dance” class at Pleasure Point Sanctuary/Dance. Many years ago, embarking on the adventure of combining her love of Ballet and Fitness, discovered the genre, “Barre” and has been in love ever since. 

    “This full body class strengthens arms, legs and core, improves balance and posture, challenges your cardiovascular system and your brain cells all in the BEST way”!

    Having spent the last 30 + years managing Group Exercise programs for Silicon Valley Sport Resort Clubs, Deb has returned joyfully to the life of a full time instructor. Certified in several formats spanning the field from Strength to Barre, Deborah finds her true heart while dancing and sharing her love of movement and fitness with like minded humans.

    Deborah’s Schedule:

    • Inspire Dance – Sunday 10:00 – 11:00 am

    • Barre Fusion – Tuesday 10:15 – 11:15 am

    • Barre Fusion – Thursday 10:15 – 11:15 am

    Email – dydance59@gmail.com

    Instagram – @dancinglydeb

  • Elizabeth has loved dance her whole life. When she was five, she began ballet, jazz, tap and gymnastics classes and was a member of her dance and gymnastics clubs in high school. She continued with ballet throughout college and after. Elizabeth has spent 33 years as a public school educator in Santa Cruz County. She always incorporated movement and dance into her classroom instruction whether teaching spelling, math or Zumba for kids.

    She discovered the joys of dance fitness with Zumba and has been a Zumba instructor in town since 2009. Elizabeth took Pilates Mat 1 training six years ago and later became a certified POP Pilates instructor.

    Elizabeth’s Pilates Flow class is a synthesis of classic Pilates Mat and POP Pilates. She is looking

    forward to sharing her love of Pilates with Pleasure Point Yoga.

  • Gisella Ferreira, a Brazilian-American performance artist and instructor specializes in: Samba, Afro-Brazilian, Capoeira, Hip- Hop, Burlesque and Brazilian Baile Funk. Her titles include: The first Samba Queen USA/ Rainha do Samba, Musa do Brazilian Day , Hollywood Carnival Queen, and currently a passista do Salgueiro (one of the most prestigious dance positions and Samba Schools in Rio).

    Gisella studied at UCLA’s Dept. of World Arts and Cultures, focusing on dance choreography and performance, as well as on art activism. She began teaching dance at age twelve in Santa Cruz CA and has taught in Rio de Janeiro (Brasil), Salvador (Brasil) and started her own dance company and studio in Los Angeles CA.

    She tours and performs worldwide and trains extensively in the U.S. as well as Brasil in many dance forms including Capoeira, Samba and Hip-Hop. She was named one of “LA’s Hottest Trainers” and has been active in Health day LA as well as Let’s Move LA for many years, dedicating time to help the LA community become more active and inspired through dance.She can also be found performing at The Floor Show and improv nights around LA. Gisella now lives in Santa Cruz, where she performs and teaches Samba.

    Gisella Ferreira loves sharing her passion for life through artistic movement expression, and dances as a form of energy work & healing for herself and others. She is inspired to live each day in joy and gratitude and help to give back to the world through dance.

  • Lisa Barretta, former professional dancer and instructor, found her way into leading Barre Fitness classes when she discovered a genre of exercise that beautifully combines her loves: Yoga, Pilates, Conditioning, and of course Ballet.

    While teaching both dance and fitness for many years in Silicon Valley, Lisa and her husband recently relocated to Santa Cruz and is thrilled to have found a home in Pleasure Point Sanctuary. She is excited to continue to share her style of Barre with her new community.

    Lisa’s Barre schedule at Pleasure Point Sanctuary:

    Monday 9:00-10:00 am
    Wednesday 8:15-9:00 am
    Thursday 4:00-5:00 pm

  • Renée is a life long mover, dancer and performer. Her love of dance and performing was started at an early age through children’s theatre. Her passion for dance and fitness continued to flourish in college at both Cabrillo College and UCSC in Santa Cruz where she studied Modern dance, Ballet and Jazz.

    In 1997 Renée discovered Samba as well as many cultural dance styles of the African Diaspora such as; Afro Brazilian, Latin Salsa, Afro Cuban, Dancehall, Soca and more. For nearly a decade Renée had the pleasure of dancing and performing in several dance companies as well as performing on stages across the country with the Brazilian band SambaDa. She has been teaching fitness and dance classes in Santa Cruz to both adults and children for over 20 years.

    Renée has been a certified Zumba instructor since 2007. Her love and passion for dance shines through each class with her dynamic, high energy, original choreography. Renee is also a Certified Pilates instructor as well as a Certified Xtend Barre instructor. She loves to use these principals in all of her classes and believes that core strength is the foundation that allows us to move freely and joyfully in our bodies. Renée is a forever student of dance and can be found dancing in classes all over town!

  • Owner and director of Santa Cruz Dance Company and Growing Wild (online nutrition courses and retreats). Internationally awarded instructor and choreographer for music videos, film, television and musical artists in France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Brazil, Japan and the US.

    International dance and fitness presenter, master trainer and Zumba Education Specialist (ZES) for Zumba Fitness LLC–for France, Belgium, California, Washington and Minnesota. Previously awarded ”Best of Santa Cruz Aerobic Instructor of the year” for Zumba instruction. ACE and AFAA faculty and CEC provider.

    Joy is widely known for her heart pounding, soul awakening, & sensational dance choreography to infectious music that is uplifting and fun for everyone! Joy covers vastly diverse styles with authenticity and freshness, which is part of her creative genius! 

    Yoga 200hr RYT: Graduated from Pleasure Point Yoga’s The Embodied Breath: 200hr Yoga & Breathwork Teacher Training

    Joy’s Weekly Teaching Schedule:
    Mondays 10:15am: BASICS Hip Hop & Zumba (Beginner Level)

    Wednesdays 10:30am: Cardio Hip Hop & Zumba (All Levels)

    Thursdays 9am: Cardio Hip Hop & Zumba (All Levels)

    Wednesdays: 11:45am: Restorative Stretch + Myofascial Release (60 mins)

    Fridays: 10:30am: Restorative Stretch + Myofascial Release (75 mins)

  • Niko Takaoka’s line dancing mission is to unite the community, young and old, through the joy and benefits of line dancing. Experience the fun, health benefits, and camaraderie that nurture your mind, body and soul in community.

Sound Healers

  • Aubrey, also known as Padma, brings a grounded, compassionate and loving energy, coupled with a trauma informed approach, to her yoga classes, sister circles, sound healing ceremonies and workshops. With a grateful heart she honours all beings who have blessed her path of learning through growing up in California, living in Australia to transformative spiritual pilgrimages throughout India receiving authentic holistic (Akhanda) yoga training from her root teacher Yogrishi Vishveketu, and experiencing expansive heart opening studying the sacred art of sound healing in Nepal with her beloved teacher Yug Ajay. In addition to being a student of yoga and life, Padma has served in public education and community programs as a School Psychologist and counselor for over fifteen years, while simultaneously studying and practicing Eastern spirituality, natural and energetic healing modalities.

    Padma is passionate about serving fellow humans from a heart centered place with deep presence, and as a certified Reiki master she is an open channel for healing life force energy which is infused into her practice. She holds a safe nurturing space meeting you as you are, all feelings and experiences welcome. Padma believes in our innate ability to heal and embraces an integrated holistic approach to the body, mind, soul, inviting you back home to your heart to remember the Divine essence of who you are. Utilizing breath, sound, movement, and connection to nature, she supports you in cultivating harmony within all layers of your being, regulating your nervous system, and befriending both the inner light and shadows with love.

    As a devoted student of yoga, Padma recently furthered her training in a 300 hr yoga and depth psychology teacher training with Ashely Turner, bridging science and spirituality in an accessible and trauma sensitive way. Padma loves to connect with our beautiful Santa Cruz community and is happy to answer any questions. She can be found on instagram @aubrey.padma.wellbeing or please visit www.aubreypadmawellbeing.com for upcoming offerings, services, or to book individual holistic healing sessions.

  • Blessing the world with the healing vibrations of music from a young age, he provides energetic performances with a plethora of instruments: Harp, Flutes, Bass, Piano, Percussion, and more. His life’s purpose is cultivating connection and healing for those suffering from trauma, addiction, and who are recovering from drug/alcohol abuse. He offers the healing power of breathwork, movement, and music as medicine, in the form of sound healing as well as soulful live shows with The Lovebyrds.

  • A lifelong singer and musician, she offers her presence, voice and instruments including ukulele, crystal harp, percussion, bass and crystal bowls for deep healing. Her life’s purpose is to share her gift of divinely channeled melodies and lyrics that originally served as her own modality for wellness, before she began offering her music with The Lovebyrds. From angelic soul-stirring lullabies, to healing mantra songs she guides the audience to sing together, to upbeat life-affirming anthems, her music can be found blessing yoga studios as well as live music events.

  • Kim Molloy is a Sound Alchemist divinely gifted with Sound and Energy Healing. She integrates Theta Healing, Reiki, and Angelic Healing energies. Kim channels energy and vibration from the higher dimensions into this earth plane. The Crystal bowls are the vehicle for transmitting these light codes, sounds, and energy vibrations. They are musically attuned to the chakras in the body infusing pure light vibration and harmonic sound waves that resonate into every cell.