Instructors
Elka Haeckel Hauck
Head Instructor and Owner of Namaste Yoga Center, Elka Haeckel Hauck, is a certified Hatha Yoga instructor with emphasis in Vinyasa Flow and Power Vinyasa. She melds her vision for a healing and athletic community with detailed yoga postures. Elka's enthusiastic and compassionate personality, combined with her extensive knowledge and understanding of yoga practice and health, challenges the most advanced students and encourages the beginner and intermediate.
Elka began practicing yoga in 2001, teaching in 2002, and got certified to teach by Kathy Lee with the Institute of Progressive Therapy in 2005. She is constantly participating in teacher training sessions and workshops to further her knowledge. She did a teacher training in Yoga Trance Dance with Shiva Rea in 2006; an Embody the Flow teacher training with Shiva Rea in 2007--focusing on how to teach students a deeper level of understanding of vineyasa flow; a Key Muscles of Hatha Yoga workshop with Dr. Ray Long in 2006; and is studying to be a Holistic Health Practitioner at the International Professional School of Bodywork--specializing in Thai Massage, Reiki, Deep Tissue and Therapeutic Massage. She is also certified to teach pre-natal yoga. Elka has led workshops and retreats in California, Mexico, Costa Rica and Brazil and is excited to continue training and teaching in other parts of the world.
Om Shanti
Namaste
Amy Freeman
Amy found her personal practice of yoga in 1995, and teaching has been her passion since 2001. She studied with Swami Satchidanada at Yogaville Ashram, VA. Amy's vinyasa classes blend physical alignment and core strength in a fluid rhythm utilizing breath and mindfulness (intention) to bring ease and stability in each pose. Her goal is to help students find and maintain an easeful body and peaceful mind.
Brent Skeen
Hello fellow seeker. I am not committed to any particular school of yoga, nor did I study under a famous instructor or guru. But I do have a strong desire to grow as an individual and instructor. I promise a class that offers strong asana, pranayama, a strong philosophical theme, meditative elements, and perhaps a little chanting/kirtan. As the Buddha himself said, “If you see a Buddha, kill him.” That is, don’t just accept what is offered to you as ‘truth.’ Try it on for a while, in earnest, see what works for you at this point on your path, and file the rest away for later. I thank all my teachers, particularly the ones I could not recognize as such in my moments of weakness. Namaste.
Janike Robinson
Janike teaches yoga with an uplifting, sincere and improvisational approach that reflects the way she approaches life. Janike has been studying ashtanga under Tim Miller since 2000, and was certified as a teacher in 2003. Janike remains a passionate student, and teaching yoga has opened her heart and mind to ways of helping others improve their practice and further harmony and balance in their lives. Forever optimistic, open-minded and enthusiastic, Janike's goal is to help her students embrace yoga as a celebration of our own "yet to be discovered" potential.
Karson St. John
Karson St. John is a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) with Yoga Alliance and has been sharing her love of yoga with students since 2002. Hailing from New York City, Karson has had the privilege of studying, practicing, and teaching across New England, Atlanta, California and Costa Rica. Karson is also a professional dancer and actress, and currently performs throughout San Diego. Please visit her website for more information: www.karsonstjohn.com
Kate Connors
Kate started her personal practice at the age of 17, and from the first moment she stepped on the mat she was drawn to guiding others on their own inward journeys. After traveling through Europe, Africa, India and Asia studying life and yoga, she received her first 200-hour YA certification. Kate's teaching style is simple: just because we take our practice seriously, doesn't mean we take ourselves seriously. She strives to create a fun, comfortable and challenging atmosphere for anyone looking to grow in their yoga journey. With emphasis on alignment and pranayama, Kate combines influences from many different schools of yoga to compose classes that hope to enhance everyone's ability to let loose and enjoy every breath in life...on and off the mat.
Laura Downing
Laura Downing began her yoga journey 10 years ago and has been teaching since 2003. She draws upon her experience as a professional ballet and modern dancer to bring a vast knowledge of movement, body mechanics and alignment to her teaching. Emphasizing the importance of the breath and listening to one's own inner guidance, Laura helps her students find freedom in their bodies, peace in their minds, and joy in their hearts. Her most influential teachers have been Shiva Rea and Michael Fukumura.
Mara Harris
Mara invites you discover how the unitive force in yoga is magnified three-fold in the AcroYoga practice, interweaving the spiritual wisdom of yoga + the dynamic power of acrobatics + the metta of Thai massage. In 2006 Mara was one of the first 25 teachers trained by Jason Nemer and Jenny Sauer-Klein. Since then, Mara has participated in a variety of AcroYoga teacher trainings, festivals and immersions--and completed a level-two AcroYoga teacher training. 13 years of exploration on the yoga mat, Mara’s AcroYoga practice is an eclectic blend of Ashtanga, Sivananda and Kundalini, together with Contact Improv Dance and gymnastics. She shares her practice along the U.S. West Coast and in Europe. Mara completed her two-year yoga teacher's certification program (1998-2000) through the Nataraja Yoga Ashram under Erhard Vogel, PhD. You can also find her teaching improvisational vinyasa flow and gentle Hatha flow in classes and workshops throughout San Diego.
Maral Hadidi
Teaching since 2000 and practicing since 1994, Maral has studied Iyengar, Vinyasa Flow, Ashtanga, Anusara, and AcroYoga. Maral is also a skilled Thai massage therapist, practicing for the last five years. She blends her deep understandings of Anusara, anatomy, and energetics to create for a therapeutic experience both physically and spiritually. The devotion to community and peace on both a local and universal level are Maral’s intentions for herself and for humanity.The path of yoga has given Maral tangible evidence and more importantly, the energetic evidence to see and be involved in manifesting community and peace-building through connection. Yoga is one of the paths to this peace.
Renee Gauthier
Intertwined with her personal search for health, happiness, and fulfillment, Renee has always had a strong desire to inspire those things in others. Her passion for movement and healing arts lead her to become a yoga instructor and massage therapist. She has studied Iyengar, Anusara, Vinyasa, and restorative yoga, and enjoys teaching a variety of yoga styles. To compliment her somatic arts modalities, she also has a master's degree in education with an emphasis in cross-cultural counseling. This combination of expressive movement, yogic mindfulness, and counseling represent her integrated approach towards health and wellness.
Robin Christ
Robin has been a dedicated practitioner of both Hatha Yoga and Surat Shabd Yoga for many years. She recently discovered the beauty of Anusara Yoga, which is reflected in its exquisite Universal Principles of Alignment™ and its uplifting, heart-opening, and joyful focus. In the spirit of service and with dedicated devotion and study, she has earned both her RYT and her Anusara Inspired™ Yoga Teacher status, and enthusiastically shares the boundless gifts she has received from the practice of yoga with her students. She brings to her classes her innate love of movement, grace and beauty that coincides with her steadfast devotion to her own Spiritual practice and to the Light within.
Teresa Austin
Teresa's classes allow her students to delve deeply into many aspects of the practice of yoga, including asana, pranayama, chanting, and meditation. A teacher of World Mythology for many years, Teresa regularly yokes Indian mythology into her classes. Teresa is thankful for all her teachers, especially those who have taught her the true nature of the ancient practice of Yoga: the spiritual journey back to the true Self. Teresa also volunteers at Shakti Rising and The Sean O'Shea Foundation.