Arella’s Bio

I love to practice yoga and I love to dance.  Moving the body in a way where it feels free and liberated.  The art of yoga is like a dance.  The dance of life.  The practice of yoga is powerful and transformative.  The only way to know this, is to experience it for oneself.  Practicing yoga, getting into that zone and out of my head, connecting to my core and my heart with each breath I take, strengthens me, enlivens me, and lifts me higher.  What a blessing it is to be on this journey.

I have been practicing yoga for 15 years.  I was certified in the Kripalu yoga tradition in August of 2001 and have been teaching yoga for 10 years in the San Francisco Bay area and Manhattan.  I have studied many different styles of yoga including Kripalu, Jivamukti, Sivananda, Dharma Mittra, and Ashtanga.  I am grateful to the many teachers I have studied with and have learned from including Sharon Gannon, David Life, Dharma Mittra, and Rodney Yee.

I have been part of the freestyle dance community for 12 years letting my spirit soar through movement.  Ecstatic Dance, The Barefoot Boogie, and Gabrielle Roth’s Five Rhythms has given me a space to move my body freely, to connect with and express the energy within me, and to have a lot of fun dancing with other people who love to move.

Teaching yoga is one of my passions in life.  During my yoga classes, I inspire my students to reach their edge in their practice while moving their bodies with grace to an eclectic mix of world music.  My classes are designed so that students will gain strength and flexibility in the body, release physical tension, clear the mind, and feel an overall sense of peace and wholeness.