Yoga has been improving people’s mental and physical health for centuries. But it’s difficult finding the teachers who’ll have the biggest impact on your well-being.
Each of these 9 experts have the experience, philosophy, and resources to teach you how yoga will improve your life.
Jessamyn Stanley
North Carolina resident Jessamyn Stanley is a multi-skilled instructor. She’s an author, speaker, teacher, and body positive advocate. She’s a yoga authority with plenty to teach you.
She has an upbeat yoga philosophy, one that inspires her students to feel confident. She does this by inspiring them to ask “how do I feel?” when they are practicing yoga. This is in contrast to other instructors whose students are told to ask “how do I look?”
Jessamyn writes for some of the world’s biggest yoga resources, including:
- Elephant Journal
- Mind Body Green
- Wanderlust
Her work has been profiled in many global outlets, such as:
- Good Morning America
- New York Magazine
- The New York Times’ Women In The World
- People
- The Daily Mail
- The Sunday Times
Pick Jessamyn to guide your yoga program and you’ll learn you to get over your emotional and mental hurdles. Check out her YouTube channel below to find out more:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxJaVA4Tu6oQaHOppbt8qvA
Kathryn Bruni
Canadian guru, Kathryn Bruni has yoga in her blood. Her mother is Diane Bruni, the first instructor to practice Ashtanga (a style of yoga as exercise created by K. Pattabhi Jois) in Canada. Kathryn also spent her youth learning from the respected teacher Richard Freeman. She has a lifetime of experience to pass on to you.
She began teaching her first classes while still in her teens, focusing on Ashtanga. In her early twenties, Kathryn was forced to change her approach to instructing. This was because she experienced aches and pains that made practicing Ashtanga difficult.
Kathryn developed a mindful style of yoga after attending movement classes and weight training. This resulted in Kathryn founding Mindful Strength, an approach that helps students become stronger and more focused.
She also hosts the Mindful Strength Podcast, an international yoga resource and source of inspiration to students.
Yoga Journal named Kathryn one of Fifteen Millennial Teachers to Watch. By watching her YouTube channel and listening to her podcast, you’ll really learn how to strengthen your yoga skills:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmRIjZvuH_pSDTZsE6EgmHA
Meaghan O’Herron
Like Kathryn Bruni, Meaghan O’Herron has been inspired by weights and mindfulness. She’s gone on a journey from having obsessive eating behavior (from binging to fasting) to becoming a noted yoga instructor. Under her guidance, you can find balance in your yoga and life.
Learning from Meaghan is about understanding how to rewire your brain. You quieten the voice which brings harmful thoughts. In its place comes warm encouragement that guides and encourages you, moving you away from negative behavior.
Meaghan is qualified to help you find solace through yoga. Among her qualifications and completed training programs are:
- Master’s Degree in Integrative Health Studies: Studied at California Institute of International Studies – Completed (2017-2019)
- Tarot Mentorship Program: Taught by Anna Toonk – Completed (Fall 2018)
- Reiki Mentorship Program: Taught by Reiki Master Lisa Levine MS LAc – Completed (Fall 2018)
- Holy Fire Reiki I & II Certification: Taught by Rick Randig – Completed (Sept 2018)
- 200hr Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training: Taught by Stephanie Snyder – Completed (Jan 2018)
- 200hr Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training: Taught by Melissa Mae Smith – Completed (Feb 2017)
- 12hr Prison Yoga Project Training: Taught by James Fox – Completed (June 2017)
- 50hr Yoga Sculpt Teacher Training: Held at CorePower Yoga – Completed (Dec 2016)
Visit Meaghan’s Instagram page to find out more about the yoga she can teach you.
Adam Hocke
Teacher, mentor, writer, scholar. Adam Hocke is part of the new breed of yoga instructor. Not only does he teach his students, he inspires the wellness industry. Bringing healthy living further into the public domain.
A student of the internationally renowned Jason Crandell, Adam’s classes are designed to regenerate you. They open your mind and renew your body.
He teaches beginners classes in London, UK, helping thousands of people to learn yoga. He also works with some of the biggest law firms, banks, and creative brands. Whatever your level, Adam can teach you how to feel better about yourself.
If you can’t make it to one of Adam’s classes, you can read one of his articles. He’s been published on:
- Elephant Journal
- Jason Crandell Yoga
- Huffington Post
- Mind Body Green
- YogaDownload
Adam has a BFA and MA from New York University. In addition to that, while studying at NYU. he was awarded Newington Cropsey Fellowship, an honor given to emerging scholars and artists.
For even more on what you can learn from Adam Hocke, head over to his website.
Zoe Bray-Cotton
Ohio’s Zoe Bray-Cotton has taught people all over North America. She’s an instructor with a mission to help women of all ages feel better about themselves. Her mantra is that your life is one long-learning journey. She’s here to help find your feet as you travel.
Zoe’s physical philosophy is focused on yoga’s core ideas:
- Burning your fat
- Toning your muscles
Her mental goals for you are that you:
- Feel less stress
- Feel empowered
She’s designed a video training program, Yoga Burn, to pass on her knowledge. It’s a 12-week course split into three sections, each of which is four weeks. It’s perfect for students of all levels, and especially beneficial for beginners. This is because Zoe guides you towards physical and mental well-being in a way that’s easy to understand.
Watch the video below to get an idea of what you’ll learn from Zoe:
Gary Kraftsow
With more than 40 years spent practicing yoga, Gary Kraftsow is one of the most experienced teachers around. There’s plenty he can teach you and it comes from his time learning yoga in India.
Gary went to Madras when he was 19. There he learned from noted mystic and scholar V. A. Devasenapathi, along with T. K. V. Desikachar. He combined this learning with two significant studies from the National Institutes of Health:
- Evaluating Yoga for Chronic Low Back Pain
- Yoga Therapy for Generalized Anxiety
Using his schooling, Gary founded the American Viniyoga Institute. It’s an organization that uses ancient yoga teachings to make you feel better about yourself. Head over the website to find out more.
Steph Góngora
Want to learn more about yoga and do so in a tropical paradise? Then Steph Góngora is the instructor for you. She’s based in Costa Rica and has built a retreat that helps students really connect with her teachings.
Steph is an anatomy nerd who began as a gymnast and dancer. Unlike some instructors, her teaching style focuses on longer lessons. She takes this approach because it gives her the time to work with you as an individual.
She’s learned from some of the most noted programs and teachers around:
- Alanna Kaivalya
- Erinn Lewis
- Meghan Currie
- Yoga Medicine program
Have a look at Steph’s YouTube channel to learn even more from her:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC33l_uJJsOyxjhlPmN8poAw
Cole Chance
Cole Chance is a yoga guru who lives the wellness benefits of her teachings. She’s taken a journey from addiction to master. Her life demonstrates how learning yoga gives you a healthier life.
Her studies and instructing has taken her across the globe. This has given her a grounding in a range of approaches, with Buddhist theory helping inform her yoga philosophy.
Cole’s teaching style is guided learning. She opens the pathways for you to improve and then helps you to get to the program that’s best for you.
Watch the video below to see Cole’s teachings in practice:
Tim Sensei
Tim Sensei is another instructor whose life has been changed by yoga. While a student, he had an unhealthy self-image. He didn’t have the confidence to live the life he wanted to and used addiction as a crutch.
It was after attending a lecture by an 80-year-old instructor that yoga gave his life meaning. All the noise created by self-doubt was drowned out by positivity. Tim began to push himself and sought to become a yoga teacher.
Following his studies at San Diego State University, Tim focused on yoga. He learned from:
- Megan Bello
- Manouso Manos
- Vinnie Marino
Vinnie Marino showed Tim the Iyengar method. It’s a yoga practice that focuses on being precise in your breathing and posture. This is what you will learn from Tim. Head over to his website, Yoga With Tim, to find out more.
There are millions of yoga teachers with valuable lessons. These 9 instructors have philosophies that will really improve your physical and mental well-being. So head over to their websites and YouTube channels to start learning today.
