Our Staff

LANITA VARSHELL,  C.Y.T. 500
Studio Owner and Founder of A Gentle Way
Specialty: Meditation in Movement Style Yoga

Lanita is a GENTLE Hatha Yoga teacher, stress management expert, former missionary, and inspiring motivational speaker. She is known fondly as the "queen of relaxation" for her Yoga Therapy work with the very stressed and those in chronic pain, and for bringing students into yoga that never dreamed they could do yoga.

Traditional students of yoga will experience deep stretch with intimate body connection, and will learn how to experience traditional poses safely in her Meditation in Movement and Adaptive Yoga Classes. Don’t be deceived by the slowness of Lanita’s classes; this may be some of the deepest yoga work you have ever done!

Lanita began teaching yoga in 1995, after being diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia. She has evolved from a very sick "couch potato," who could not work, to a busy studio owner and teacher. Still challenged daily with body pain and limitations, Lanita is living proof that the many benefits of yoga can be experienced by anyone, any size, with almost any challenge.

Lanita has been interviewed by several yoga publications including L.A. Yoga and Yoga Journal, and has taught at the Yoga Journal International Health and Fitness Conference. She leads our Teacher Training and Yoga Therapy Workshops. Lanita has taught over 11,000 classes, and has trained many teachers.  Lanita served on the board of Y.E.S. (Yoga Teachers Education Society) for five years, and was the founder and director of the Yoga Hotline. She produces CDs and DVDs; trains teachers; teaches special workshops on Yoga for the plus sized and health challenged; and was a presenter at the International Yoga Conference 2002 in San Diego, hosted by IDEA and Yoga Journal. She has been featured in Yoga Journal (December 2000), The San Diego Union-Tribune, The Daily Californian, CBS News, KUSI Channel 51, and many other media outlets.

WEEKLY GROUP CLASSES:

Mondays: 1:30pm Gentle Yoga Mix for Larger Bodies and 3:45pm Restorative & Gentle Mix

Tuesdays: 9:30am Gentle-Hatha Mix and Meditation in Movement and 5:45pm Gentle-Hatha Mix

Wednesdays: 4:00pm Gentle-Hatha Mix

Sunday: 10:30am Gentle-Hatha Mix and Meditation in Movement

 

MARGUERITE TYRELL, C.Y.T. 500

Marguerite has been a dedicated student of yoga, fitness, and nutrition since the 70’s, teaching private and group sessions at exclusive health clubs in Boston, San Diego, and at the posh Golden Door in Escondido, CA. She teaches several different types of yoga, having studied with many respected teachers, including Donna Farhi, John Friend, and Judith Lasater. Marguerite teaches beginning to advanced asana, emphasizing conscious use of breath to facilitate the natural opening of the body, sometimes including Pilates into her classes to build inner core strength.

Marguerite is trained in Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy, which has given her an even deeper layer of teaching and understanding of the inner body. She is a registered dietitian, offering Private Nutritional Consultations, Private Hatha Yoga Sessions, and Private Yoga Therapy.

WEEKLY GROUP CLASSES:

Thursdays: 4:00pm Restorative & Hatha Mix

Saturdays: 7:45am Guided Meditation & Inspiration and 8:00am Active Hatha

BRI. DAMARA SHAMUGAN

American Hindu Nun, student of beloved Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, Damara is member of the Himalayan Academy, and has been a contributing writer for their magazine. Bri. Damara came into this world with many spiritual gifts that you will experience, feel or hear about when you have the privilege of studying with her. Her quest for truth, her travels and training in India make her a true light and joy to be around. Damara is a gifted teacher guiding our Teacher Training and special workshops in South-Indian Style Hatha Yoga, yoga anatomy, spiritual anatomy, yoga philosophy, and in-depth chakra studies. Damara co-leads our MIM Style Teacher Training with Lanita, and offers special workshops throughout the year.

WEEKLY GROUP CLASSES:

Saturdays: 6:30pm South Indian Style Hatha Yoga

 

SUNJE O'CLANCY, R.Y.T., M.A.

Sunje has been teaching yoga to students of all ages after being certified in the Indra Devi style of classical Hatha Yoga in 1998. Drawing from her experience with many different styles and teachers, she instructs her students to slowly flow through carefully selected asana sequences balancing strength and flexibility. Breathing, inner awareness, and a sense of peace and stillness play an important part in her challenging, yet non-demanding active classes. Her students describe Sünje as “enthusiastic, caring, and nurturing” and appreciate “the combination and variety of postures”, the “perfect blend of a good workout and relaxation”, as well as her “soothing manner”.

During her pregnancies, Sünje was fortunate to experience the benefits of prenatal yoga first hand, and therefore added it to her schedule in 2000, tailoring her classes to the specific needs of expectant moms. “My prenatal yoga classes are definitely a highlight in my week. It is a very special experience to practice yoga with a room full of pregnant ladies. I enjoy watching their bellies grow and it is an extraordinary joy to meet the babies after they have been born.”

Sünje holds a Masters of Arts degree in German Literature with a double minor in Dramatic Arts and Education from the Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, Germany. The happy mother of two boys, she is also the founder of Yoga Rascals, a popular yoga program for children. www.yogarascals.com

WEEKLY GROUP CLASSES:

Wednesdays: 7:30pm Prenatal Hatha Flow

Thursdays: 9:00am Active Hatha Mix

 

HELEN SCHURIG, R.Y.T. 200

Helen is an inspiration to all of us - teachers and students, alike. Challenged with metastatic breast cancer, she is living proof that there can be much joy in the journey. Busy mother of two amazing sons, Helen is a great mentor and teacher. She began her yoga journey in 1989 under the guidance of Katy and Yogiraj Behramji, authors of “Yogasanas for Health”. Helen received her yoga certification through Kathy Lee Kappmeier at YogaWell’s Institute of Progressive Therapies. Helen teaches “classical-eclectic” Hatha Yoga, often incorporating vinyasas, to both beginner and advanced students. She also trained as a Laughter Yoga leader and holds Laughter Yoga Workshops, a wonderful way to enjoy life and have fun with your fellow yoga students and teachers. Helen also received certification in AGW's Gentle Yoga training and offers students the opportunity to experience yoga from a less physical and more emotional and energetic viewpoint. Additionally, Helen offers Yoga for Cancer Survivors workshops. 

Helen offers private yoga sessions at the center and is available for nutritional counseling. She has studied with Ellen Tart-Jensen, Ph.D., D.Sc and continues her studies in nutrition at the School of Healing Arts.

WEEKLY GROUP CLASSES:
Tuesdays: 4:00pm Hatha Yoga

Thursdays: 4:00pm Hatha Mix

Fridays: 8:30am Hatha Mix and 10:00am Multi-level Hatha Mix

Anna Noah, Ph.D., RYT, Certified Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy Practitioner

Anna is a wonderful classical hatha yoga teacher and a Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapist, teaching vinyasa style group classes and providing deeply effective private sessions to our students of all levels. She offers one-on-one yoga therapy sessions and teaches restorative yoga workshops. Anna began a home yoga practice in the early 1980s using yoga instruction books. Over many years, she has practiced several styles of yoga and meditation, receiving certification in the Indra Devi classical yoga style. She is a certified Relax and Renew© trainer and has completed advanced training in therapeutic applications of restorative yoga. Crediting yoga for her recovery from several chronic health problems, Anna’s teaching emphasizes the health and emotional benefits of yoga.

Anna describes her classes as ideal for those whose vision is to age gracefully and healthfully in a manner that is gentle and respectful of the body. Her classes include a variety of seated, standing, and reclining poses that develop muscle flexibility and strength, bone density, balance, and flow and are accessible to most students of average health. Pose modifications are taught so that students with some physical constraints can receive full benefit. Prior to coming to a Gentle Way, Anna was a yoga and meditation instructor at UCLA. She is forever grateful for the inspiration, wisdom, and guidance of Paramahansa Yogananda, Charlotte Joko Beck, Ram Dass, and Max Strom.

Anna is available to teach weekday Private Sessions & Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy

 

Diane Ambrosini, MA, ERYT-500, Yoga Teacher, Personal Trainer, and Biomechanics Specialist.

Diane has always been interested in the movement of the human body and the possibilities of the human mind and spirit. Her university training is based in movement science, and throughout the years she has worked as a coach, personal fitness trainer, hospital laboratory kinesiologist and yoga instructor.

During her pregnancy, and following the birth of her son, she became increasingly drawn to the study and practice of hatha yoga. She was certified as a yoga instructor in 2001. Between 2004 and 2006, she co-owned Ranch San Diego Yoga Center. In 2005, she and her mentor/business partner, Kathy Lee Kappmeier wrote Instructing Hatha Yoga, a widely used yoga instruction text. Diane currrently is part of the Teacher Training Staff at A Gentle Way. She speaks and teaches internationally, and also writes yoga related articles for Examiner.com.

Since becoming certified to teach, Diane has generally taught the more rigorous and physically active styles of hatha yoga...until she started teaching at A Gentle Way! Here she has learned to meld a deeper focus on relaxation and peacefulness in every style of yoga she teaches. Her classes allow active students to slow down a bit and appreciate an inner and outer calm, while allowing less active students to lovingly explore how movement helps tap into inner and outer strength. She believes everyone can practice yoga, and that with practice, we can all rediscover our truest Self!

Diane is available for Private Sessions at your home, or In-studio.  

WEEKLY GROUP CLASSES:

Wednesdays: 10:30am Hatha Yoga Mix and 5:45pm Active Hatha Mix

Thursdays 7:30pm Active Hatha Mix

Carolyn Wheat

Carolyn was trained through A Gentle Way in Gentle Yoga, and the Deepak Chopra Center in Meditation. She has been a seeker of truth for many years, and credits yoga for opening her up to great awareness and balance.

In addition to being an inspiring and joyful Chair-Wall Yoga instructor, Carolyn is an award-winning mystery writer, author of 6 books, editor, and anthologist. Two of her 'Cass Jameson' legal mysteries were nominated for Edgar awards, and she's won the Agatha, the Anthony, the Macavity and the Shamus awards for her short stories. Carolyn is a former attorney, worked as a public defender in Brooklyn and taught mystery writing at the New School in New York City, and at the University of California, San Diego.

WEEKLY GROUP CLASSES:

Tuesdays: 1:30pm Chair-Wall Yoga

Thursdays 1:30pm Chair-Wall Yoga

Tammy Moretti, ERYT500,

Tammy loves teaching yoga and it shows in her classes, which are personal, fun, safe and instructional. While she teaches a wide range of classes, from very active flow to the gentler, more restorative styles, Tammy's deepest passion is yoga therapy. In 2009 she utilized yoga to help her recover from a life-changing car accident, where she lost two fingers on her right hand. Through this evolving experience, she has learned how to adapt physically, emotionally and socially in the world. From her own healing and her deep love for the practice of yoga, Tammy is motivated to help get people out of pain and help them rehabilitate after, or avoid traditional Western therapies altogether, through the natural means of yoga.

Tammy's gregarious personality is expressed in her teaching style, and illustrates how much she loves teaching yoga and offering yoga therapy practices to her students. She's adept at creating an environment where each student is able to practice in a personalized way, even in a group setting. In addition to her group classes, Tammy is available for private yoga and yoga therapy sessions. 

WEEKLY GROUP CLASSES:

Mondays: 8:15am Active Hatha Flow, 9:45am Hatha Yoga Mix and 11:30am Active Hatha Mix

Tuesdays: 6:15am Inner Core Strength

Wedensdays: 9:00am Gentle Mix and 12:00pm Hatha Mix - Hips & Shoulders

Thursdays: 4:00pm Active Hatha Mix and 5:45pm Gentle Mix

Fridays: 5:00pm Active Hatha Flow and 6:30pm Gentle Mix

Saturdays: 9:45am Hatha Mix - Hips & Shoulders 11:30am Gentle Mix

 

Hannah Lei Prunty

Hannah Lei first experienced yoga as a teenager, with Lilias Folan's PBS series. She began to practice consistently in 1998 in an effort to calm anxiety and lift depression, taking Svaroopa and Iyengar classes. In 2007 she found A Gentle Way Yoga for prenatal and restorative classes. She was immediately drawn to study Meditation in Motion Style Yoga (MIMSY) with Lanita.  

In 2011 she received her 200-hour adaptive and restorative certification through A Gentle Way, making the leap from elementary school teacher to yoga teacher.  She now teaches beginner "yoga basics" classes, gentle meditative classes and intuitively led private sessions.

Hannah Lei's educational background includes a B.A. in Visual Arts and K-8 multi-subject /art teaching credentials from UCSD.  She is also a graduate of, and instructor through, The Lightstone Academy of Psychic Arts. For more information visit: www.mayadragonfly.com

WEEKLY GROUP CLASSES:

Tuesdays: 4:00pm Hatha Yoga Mix

Thursdays: 10:30am Gentle Mix

Fridays: 8:30am Hatha Yoga Mix

 

Anne Joseph, CMT, E-RYT, Yoga Therapy Specialst

Anne is a Yoga and Massage Therapist and has practiced Hatha Yoga for over 15 years. She has studied under three different students of BKS Iyengar and taught private and group yoga classes throughout the county in a variety of settings, such as Sharp Hospital Health and Fitness Center, the County Library system, Athletic Clubs, women's shelters, and yoga studios.

WEEKLY GROUP CLASSES:

Mondays: 7:30pm Hatha Yoga Mix

Christopher Marciello

Bio pending. Please meditate while you wait!

WEEKLY GROUP CLASSES:

Tuesdays: 5:30 Active Hatha Mix and 7:00Pm Active Hatha Mix

Celeste Schwartz, RYT200

Celeste believes yoga is for everyone. It's about the journey and how it makes you feel. She has practiced a variety of yoga styles and combines alignment-based yoga and the energy of Vinyasa movement and flow. Her classes are infused with her love of exercise, health, and movement. Her energetic and nurturing style enables students at all levels to feel confident, comfortable, and challenged in her classes. 

"Be truthful with your body. Know its limitations, celebrate its abilities, and be kind to yourself. Be tolerant and open to change. Get to know yourself and get closer to your heart. That IS yoga."

WEEKLY GROUP CLASSES:

Mondays: 6:00pm Active Hatha Flow

Sundays: 8:30am Active Hatha

Laura McInerney

Laura discovered the healing power of yoga in 2007 at an Anusara studio in West Hollywood, CA. She was on her way to physical therapy for treatment of a work-related injury, when she noticed a flyer for a restorative yoga class with Anusara teacher and M.S. survivor, Hillary Rubin. After one class...she was hooked, and she knew right then and there that she was meant to teach!

Through yoga, Laura learned to heal her body, mind and spirit and is inspired to share the beautiful practice with as many people as she can. In 2009, Laura flew to a remote location in Baja California, Mexico to immerse herself in yoga teacher training. She received her 200-hour certification in Hatha Yoga from the Yandara Yoga Institute. Her passion is to help others learn to empower themselves and discover their true inner strengthes - regardless of physical, mental or emotional hurdles. Her classes are creative and challenging and emphasize building strength and moving safely through the asanas with proper alignment...and FUN!

WEEKLY GROUP CLASSES:

Mondays: 5:300pm Hatha Yoga Mix

Tuesdays: 12:00pm Active Hatha Flow

Wednesdays: 7:30am Active Hatha Flow
 

Maya Montoya, CMT, E-RYT

Maya’s journey into mind-body awareness began as a gymnast at the age of 10. When she discovered yoga, she was immediately inspired. Since then, yoga has become a constant in her life path. In 2007, she received her first yoga teaching certification studying Vinyasa Flow Yoga with Ganga White & Tracey Rich at the White Lotus Foundation. She has also studied with numerous renowned teachers including Shiva Rea, John Friend, Desiree Rumbaugh, Sianna Sherman, Ana Forrest, and has completed two years of Anusara Immersions and Teacher Training with Geri Portnoy and has received her Anusara-Inspired yoga teacher license. In 2012, she earned her certification in Therapeutic Yoga with Cheri Clampett and Arturo Peal at the White Lotus Foundation.

 

Maya believes yoga is the art of remembering our true nature. When we align with the flow of grace, we open our hearts with love to the present moment. Maya’s intention is to encourage a profound meditative experience inviting students to connect with their essence while coming into a state of optimum health and balance. Maya is also a massage therapist specializing in Thai massage and also teaches this elegant modality. Visit Maya’s website:  www.mayamontoya.com

 

WEEKLY GROUP CLASSES:

Fridays: 10:00am Active Hatha Mix

Patti Justo-Ober

Bio pending. Please meditate while you wait!

 

 

Sue Sutherland, RYT200

Sue received her 200-hour yoga certification at A Gentle Way. She is also certified to teach Prenatal Yoga, and earned her certificate from YogaWell.

A ‘giver’ by nature, Sue was drawn to helping those in need, and began volunteering in a women's detention center and a suicide crisis center over 18 years ago. Along the way she was introduced to yoga by a 70-year-old women who taught in East County. Over 6 years ago, Sue literally fell in love with her yoga, and has been hooked ever since!

After raising two sons as a single Mom, she married in 2000, which has allowed her to pursue her passion, "To give back to a life freely given to her." As a world traveler with a caring heart, Sue has had many opportunities to experience yoga. She now teaches yoga at Los Colinas Detention Center weekly and is a regular sub here at A Gentle Way.  With her deep passion of giving back, Sue looks forward to passing the gift of yoga to young, pregnant women and women in recovery.