Marie Buck

Marie was brought to yoga as a child, through her godparents teaching her various poses when she would visit their house. Without really realizing that it was yoga, she'd go into those poses because it felt so natural. It wasn't until she took her first elective yoga class in college that she put the pieces together. From there she started a more consistent practice, which helped her body fight off Fibromyalgia flare-ups and better handle the stresses of the outside world. She's has been practicing for over 7 years and has experience profound benefits both physically and mentally. After some serious life-changes, Marie committed to deepening her practice for herself and for the benefit of others. She completed her RYT 230 hour yoga studies training through Asheville Yoga Center under Stephanie Keach and considers it an honor to guide others in yoga. It's through Stephanie that Marie learned to bring a meditative approach to her teaching while remaining light-hearted and fun. She believes that yoga should be accessible to all levels and allow individuals to reach beyond their fear and find the inner and outer strength that is waiting to shine through.

Anything you need in your life can often be found on your mat.

Marie teaches Beginning classes.

Amy Friedman

Amy is a registered Yoga Therapist with the Yoga Alliance and received her formal training at Integrative Yoga Therapy. She practices Gentle Yoga, Thai Yoga healing, Reflexology, and Reiki healing. Amy is also a loving mother, and her son Q—short for Quinton—is her favorite student. Her classes are tailored to address the individual needs of her students. One student said that taking a class with Amy "feels like a dried plant being watered." Amy looks forward to sharing her practice with the members of Yoga Madre, and welcomes all types of yoga practitioners to participate with and enhance her spiritual community.

Amy teaches Yin Yoga and Restorative Classes.

Rose Ghavami

Rose was first introduced to yoga by way of her father who quite literally stumbled into his first class many moons ago. It was through the changes in her father that her interest grew. Under the guidance of a radiant yoga instructor in her local gym, her personal journey began. Having studied Performance Art at the University of California, Irvine, Rose has always held an appreciation for movement and the use of the body for expression. When she began practicing yoga, she found a medium that not only supported her means for expression but that also touched her soul in a way she had never experienced before. It was this same teacher who planted the seed for Rose to entertain the idea of becoming a teacher. Having always fancied the idea herself, she decided to plunge headfirst into the world of yoga. It was through Yoga Works that her dream came true and she became certified completing a 500 hour Professional Program where she trained under well renown yogis such as Jeanne Heileman, Annie Carpenter, Lisa Walford, Carmen Fitzgibbon, Malachai Melville, and Birgitte Kristen. Inspired by her brilliant mentor, Jeanne Heileman who comes from a Tantra Hatha Yoga perspective, Rose gained the knowledge and support she needed to begin teaching. She has taught in various studios and settings and privately since. In addition to being the newest member of the Yoga Madre family, she is currently teaching at Golden Bridge, Heal and Soul, In the Mudra, and Yoga Works. Her classes harness the fundamentals of yoga with a strong practice to support it. She likes to include several different elements into her classes to give her students a well rounded yogic experience. Some of these include but are not limited to, the expansive qualities of Pranayam, the quieting subtleties of Meditation, the emphasis of alignment a la Iyengar, the movement and momentum of Vinyasa Flow, a knowledge of Ayurveda, and the subtle body elements of Tantra. She hopes to provide the education and attention her students need in order to take their own personal journeys to the next level.

Rose teaches All Level classes.

Denise Leinen

Denise found yoga at the age of 16 and, after having her son, received her 200- and 300-hour certificates from YogaWorks in Los Angeles.  She is curently furthering her education at Loyola Marymount University to receive her certificate in Yoga Therapy, as well.  She continues to study with her mentor Carmen Fitzgibbon and has been able to study with senior teachers such as Lisa Walford and Annie Carpenter.  Denise's style of teaching focuses on alignment, breath, and encourages her students to listen to their body.  She integrates her knowledge of Yoga Therapy, as appropriate for her students, so everyone can feel welcome and confident while in class. 

Denise teaches Beginning Level and Prenatal Classes.

Mallory Leitner

Mallory Leitner has been studying and practicing yoga for 16 years, here in the US and in India. She holds many teaching certificates in Kundalini and Hatha Yoga (including yoga for pregnant women and children’s yoga). Her style of Hatha is Vinyasa with an Iyengar approach to alignment. A consistant practice of Yoga is responsible for changing Mallory’s life in a very positive way and she wishes to share this ancient tradition of self-realization with others. She is firm yet fun in her teaching style. Her greatest influences are B.K.S. Iyengar, T.K.V. Desikachar, Erich Schiffmann, Sunil Kumar, and Yogi Bhajan. Mallory is a nationally registered Yoga Alliance instructor.

Mallory teaches Beginning Level Classes.

Ellen Mathews

Ellen teaches a strong beginning class that emphasizes her love of alignment and precision and is a blend of Iyengar, Ashtanga and Anusara influences. She believes that through intention, focus, hard work and patience we can achieve anything we desire both on and off the mat. Her classes provide a non-competitive and nurturing atmosphere. She discovered yoga in 1996.  Since taking that first class, she knew yoga was for her.  She received her formal training at Yoga Works in Santa Monica under the direction of Maty Ezraty and Lisa Walford. She has also had the privilege to study with John Friend, Erich Schiffmann and David Swenson. Ellen continues to be a student of various styles of hatha yoga and study with other yoga luminaries in an effort to broaden her own classes and personal practice.  When not teaching yoga, Ellen is probably learning something new and profound from her greatest teacher of all, her daughter Sofia. She lives in Sierra Madre with her daughter, her loving husband Martin and their black cat.

Ellen teaches All Level and Beginning classes.

Rebecca Miller

Practicing yoga for many moons & teaching for over a decade, Rebecca Milleris a Certified Yoga Instructor (CYI), who received her teaching training through YogaWorks, Yogafit and Power Pilates. She participated in the Yoga works mentorship program for a year. She also assisted in the Yoga Works teacher-training program Spring 2006. Always a student first, Rebecca continues expanding her education. As a yogini and a teacher she pulls from multiple yogic disciplines, stepped in the Iyengar alignment she interweaves flow. She encourages students to witness the journey of self-discovery in yoga.

Rebecca teaches All Level and Beginning classes.

Mike Nalick

Like many others, Mike found yoga along the path of injury rehabilitation. He fortuitously discovered a fresh mindset  -  one that embraced a longer, broader view and that helped him realize the rewards of patience. Lessons of acceptance became a primary theme. Mike teaches classes informed by, and inextricably linked to, his personal yoga practice and his understanding of anatomy and movement gained through several years working as a board certified practitioner of Structural Integration. Mentors and teachers of great influence include Mary Bond, Tom Myers, Neal Powers, Erich Schiffmann, and Rod Stryker.

Mike teaches Gentle classes.

Vicky Partridge

Vicky is passionate to - and all about - the core. Her 45-minute Pilates class blends breath and movement in a specific way to strengthen and tone the entire body and to create all-important support for the low back. Vicky's bright demeanorand easy humor keep the atmosphere light while she keeps you focused during these shorter but intense, energizing workouts.

Vicky teaches Pilates Mat classes.

Sonya Perry

Sonya believes that everyone can experience the benefits of yoga, regardless of a person’s physical or emotional condition. She seeks to provide a safe place for introspection and expression and offers guidance working through the body to inspire determination. Sonya's mission is to help others rediscover the connection between the mind, body and spirit and experience the soul's inner peace, love, and innate creativity. "The aspiration of breath motivates, grounds, and calms the body, providing inner strength and determination that gets us through challenging situations. By stilling the mind and working through the body, we can surrender to the support of Earth, to trust and discover the creativity and ability of our soul nature, separate from whatever is going on in the world outside.” Sonya blends hatha yoga and vinyasa flow. Having completed Atma Yoga's 200-hour teacher's training, she is currently pursuing her 500-hour certificate.

Sonya teaches Beginning classes.

Rene Quenell
Owner and Founder of Yoga Madre

Rene Quenell is a certified Structural Yoga Therapist who began her yogic journey through an exploration of eastern philosophy, ayurveda, and the healing arts. Rene's classes are an inspired blend of vinyasa flow combined with the healing power of Structural Yoga Therapy.The result is a vibrant, fluid class infused with humor and everyday wisdom with special emphasis on the needs of the student as an individual, guiding them to develop a practice that they can tap into beyond the mat and into their everyday lives.

In addition to holding a Structural Yoga Therapy and Reiki Master certifications, Rene is certified through the White Lotus Foundation and continues to explore advanced trainings in yoga and ayurveda with her teachers Rod Stryker, Shiva Rea and Mukunda Stiles.

René teaches All Level and Beginning classes, private instruction and Structural Yoga Therapy. She leads retreats and seminars and gives private Reiki/Energy treatments.

Milena Ranalla

Milena is an experienced yoga instructor who has had opportunities in teaching various styles of yoga and fitness including, Power Sculpt, Power Yoga, Vinyasa Flow, Restorative Yoga, Therapeutic Yoga, and Ashtanga Yoga.

She teaches full-time in the Los Angeles area and has a wide range of students of all levels and backgrounds. Milena has made yoga her life and when she is not teaching or practicing, you can be certain she is studying yoga principles, yoga philosophy, and yoga scriptures.

"My goal as a teacher is to inspire my students to understand the mind-body-soul connection and to bring more joy into life." Milena brings a light-hearted and compassionate quality to her fun, yet intense classes.

Milena teaches All Level and Beginning classes.

Suzanna Storm

Since being certified, Suzanna Storm has been actively pursuing training in classical Yoga. She received her certification in 2005. Her first exposure to Yoga was with Elizabeth McMillan at Golden Bridge in Hollywood in 2001 and she continued informal explorations on her own and with various instructors, she has taught both nationally and internationally.

She has been influenced by her study of various techniques from Hatha traditions to Core Sequencing. She works extensively in the community, with organizations such as Peace Over Violence and East Side Café. She is incredibly passionate about making Yoga accessible to youth and children, and has been working to bring Yoga to the schools. Suzanna's goal is to make Yoga accessible to all.

Suzanna teaches Gentle and Beginning classes.

Lauren Wiskerson

Lauren discovered the practical strength and balance hatha yoga offers in 1999 and immediately fell in love with the gifts personal practice has to offer.  Since then, life's journey has highlighted the profound connection of mind, body and spirit that yoga and meditation brings.  Inspired by Paramahansa Yogananda's teachings and being passionate about the Ananda style of yoga, she studied to become a yoga teacher at the Expanding Light at Ananda Village in Northern California, one of the world's most successful spiritual communities. 

Raja Yoga Meditation focuses on subtle energy to raise the consciousness, giving direct, intuitive experience of higher realities in addition to expanding inner peace and spirituality.  Lauren enjoys swimming, bike rides in the sun and, as a certified Rescue Diver, is active in the scuba diving community, coordinating underwater and shoreline cleanups to remove marine debris and prevent harm to aquatic life.  Realizing that taking action against marine debris is part of her personal karma, spreading the conservation message to help preserve the environment is a very important way of giving back. 

Lauren teaches Meditation.