Amber has 15 years of experience and practice with yoga. The very first practice opened the door to many avenues of study of holistic healing practice and methodology. Her teaching style is intuitively inspired by students needs, ranging from a strong vinyasa flow to slow, therapeutic structural work. She teaches with a playful spirit encouraging students to find balance between challenge and a joyful exploration of practice. Her hope is to support students and teachers along this magical path of self-discovery, ecstatic awakening, and deep connection to sat guru, the true teacher within, through the beautiful teachings of yoga, with the hope of each student finding a more heightened awareness of their most true, divine nature.

She is honored to be a teaching in a time where students are so selflessly willing to challenge themselves in practice and is eternally grateful for the eclectic mix of teachers in her life and their infinite inspiration.

Her highest hope as a teacher and student is to begin the healing of the collective unconscious to one that is compassionate, whole, and bright.

She is a certified Reiki Master, has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Holistic Health Psychology from Bastyr University and a Master's Degree in Integrative Studies in Psychology with a focus on Holistic Health and Wellness Planning from Antioch University and continues collaborating with others involved in the healing arts to bring students a comprehensive understanding of their own healing potential.

Colin received the calling to practice yoga in 1996 while living in Portland. He was searching for an activity that used the body but also created more energetic grounding and spiritual enrichment. With 25 years experience, his first teacher, Diane Wilson was Colin's first inspiration. After many years of practice, he began teaching classes at Crystal Mountain, before a full day of skiing. He slowly began adding community classes and was soon teaching at a local Kauai studio after studying with a former student of Guru G's.

In the fall of 2005 Colin took the Samadhi's teacher training. He was drawn to Samadhi because of its dedication to all the aspects of yoga and because Kathleen was one of the most amazing teacher's he had ever met. This year he's had the pleasure of studying with Shiva Rea, Katerina Wen, and Andrea Lappa. These new influences have greatly enhanced my knowledge and teaching of yoga. He is very open about the flow of his classes depending on the people in the room and the energy of the day. He generally likes to incorporate pranayama, meditation and sometimes mantra into the flow of the class. He really likes a flowing type class that challenges the students while keeping them in touch with the subtleties of the poses.

Originally from Seattle, Jenna lived in New York City for six years, where she discovered Jivamukti Yoga, a method founded on the belief that the path to enlightenment is through compassion for all beings. Immediately mesmerized by and awakened to the possibility of Yoga, Jenna was blessed with the opportunity to attend a month-long intensive teacher training with the Jivamukti Yoga founders, Sharon Gannon and David Life. She also completed an additional 500-hour apprenticeship under the guidance of her mentor, Amy Armstrong. From her very first yoga class, Jenna has been privileged to be surrounded by holy teachers and enlightened teachings, and she enjoys sharing what she has learned as well as learning from her students. Jenna’s classes are fun, physically challenging, and emphasize breath awareness and high intention. A firm believer that flexibility starts in the mind, she encourages students to expand their notions about capabilities and limits in a supportive and loving environment.

Jenna would like to thank her courageous and inspiring teachers, Sharon Gannon, David Life, Manorama, and Amy Armstrong who inspire her to be of service, and have given her the tools to do so. She would also like to acknowledge and thank Amber and Colin for their compassion, vision and warm embrace.

Angela Gayle is a true NW native that gets her inspiration from the Mountains and the Sea. Her favorite place to be in Yoga and to meditate is on the high peeks of Mountaintops, next to Rivers and the open beaches of our beautiful Oceans. Whether you are in a Yoga Studio or practicing with her in the Studio of Nature, you will be led through Meditation, Pranayama and unique flowing classes to open the gates of personal development in the way you are looking for with encouragement and strength.

Angela Gayle has been practicing Yoga since 1997 and teaching in Studios around Seattle, Corporate offices and Privates since 2005. She has been guiding tours around the Northwest and offering Yoga in nature since 2005.

Angela Gayle has studied with a variety of teachers in both Yoga Asana and Yogic and Buddhist Philosophy in Studios and Temples in England, New York and Seattle since 2003. "I teach to learn, to experience and feel the true nature of peace inside my heart for no other reason than I just love sharing what I find with others".

Annie came to yoga as a way to stay grounded while studying abroad with the University of Washington. She got serious about the practice in open air classes in the parking lot of her teacher's house in Mexico. She loved learning Spanish through movement and the welcoming, non-competitive atmosphere of yoga class kept her sane while living in a foreign language. She led her first "classes" for her friends on rooftops in Spain, hoping to share the experience. Returning to Seattle in 2005, she found Rain City and Amber who encouraged her to study and teach. She got her first training from Richard Schachtel who, in the Iyengar style, introduced her to the art of alignment, and has since studied with Shiva Rea where she learned to blend and spice the structure of her Iyengar background with the creativity of Vinyasa Flow.

Baca's style is unique and dynamic. His vinyasa flow classes are intended for his students to open up to themselves and to be courageous in their Self-exploration. He uses breath, the mind, attention, and visualization. He has a Yoga-Works training and a Universal Yoga training with Andrey Lappa. Baca came to Yoga after studying meditation, anxious to learn about the nature of being and the nature of himself, so these attributes you might see when you attend one of his classes.

Whilst on a lonely beach in Tasmania, Australia, 3 days hike away from any form of civilization, alone, Brent had an epiphany: “No matter where I travel, however far away I get from civilization, how high of mountains I climb, one thing always remains the same: Me.” This began a 180 degree shift from exploring the physical world to a deep systematic journey into the inner world, which has continued intensively to the present day. It has led Brent on a true adventure of self discovery. Since that moment on the beach in Tassie Brent has studied with Shamans from Peru, lived at Yoga ashrams in New Zealand and California, participated in Native American rights of passage including the Vision Quest and the Sweat Lodge, sat over 120 days in silent intensive Vipassana meditation including a 3-month silent retreat, completed 2 separate Yoga teacher trainings, recieved his license in Massage Therapy, and studied with world renowned teachers in the Buddhist, Yogic, and Western Psychological traditions. Brent enjoys blending these traditions together into a class that will challenge the physical body with creative and well executed asana, quiet the mind with mindfulness based awareness practice, and open the heart with inspirational quotes and teachings. Most influential teachers= Meditation/Mindfulness: Jack Kornfield, Joseph Goldstein, Sayadaw U Tejaniya. Psychology: Stanislav Grof, Grant McFetridge, C.G. Jung, Harville Hendrix. Yoga: David Life, Sharon Gannon, Kathleen Hunt, Steve Davis, Eiric Ovrid, Yvonne Croteau, Swami Sitaramananda, Sarah Powers. Practicing since: 2002. Teaching since: 2007

Yoga asana and pranayama played an important role in self care for Janell during her many years in social services. As a musician, artist, athlete and world traveler, the shifting of physical, perceptual, emotional and creative energy that occurs as a result of steady practice offers abundant inspiration and practicality.

Over time her interest in the deeper aspects of a yogic lifestyle have come into focus. Asana--after all, is just the tippy-top of this ancient iceburg. Janell believes that the goal of any asana practice is to achieve ease in the body and quietness in the mind for long periods of seated meditation. Maintaining a sharp and ever-developing interest in breath work, anatomy and sequencing, Janell strives to provide the most effective opening in the physical and energetic body to facilitate this.

A longtime fascination with Chinese Medicine theory led her to begin practicing and teaching Taoist, or Yin Yoga--a still and contemplative form of asana work which stimulates and balances the vital energy of the body's internal organs and frees the connective tissues and joints.

Since her training and certification as a teacher at 8-Limbs in 2005, Janell has studied with master instructors such as Tias Little, Jin Sung, Sarah Powers and Elise Browning Miller as well as numerous brilliant Seattle-based teachers who constantly freshen her fire. Her wish is for students to develop a consistent personal practice outside of class, experimenting with various aspects of yoga according to their own needs and inner promptings.

"All I am doing is sharing my experience with others. As a teacher, I am forever a student."

Born and raised in Sapporo, Japan, Saiko was exposed to classical ballet and Zazen (sitting still) in her early ages. In 1993 Saiko moved to the United States and for eight years worked in corporate America in New York City. To balance the intense energy of her work she began a Yoga and meditation practice. During her studies she had the fortune if meeting two prominent teachers, Bryan Kest of Power Yoga and Goenkaji of Vipassana Meditation, who helped root her skills in the fundamentals of both physical and spiritual practice.

After 9/11, Saiko and her husband made an amazing motorcycle trip across the county from NYC to San Francisco and back, and upon their return, they decided to move to Seattle to be closer to family and begin a new life. For Saiko this meant releasing the high stress and drive of the corporate world and turning her attention more deeply to her practices. Naturally she was guided to become a Yoga & Meditation teacher.

Saiko's classes are authentic, challenging and supportive. Under her watch, each person is gently but clearly directed to find his/her personal edge in asana (yoga posture). For Saiko, this process is not just physical. Each practice carries with it the intention of helping the student move to the place where they can strengthen their mind and deeply focus on anything of choosing for any duration necessary. Over time this process cultivates peace and quietness. Saiko refines her own practice through daily meditation and yoga practice and continuing exposure to her teachers. She sits 2 hours a day and attends ten-day silent retreats semi-annually.

Saiko is an active member of Yoga Behind Bars, a non-profit organization offering yoga and meditation to prisoners and populations "at-risk" to specifically facilitate therapeutic, conscious human development. The goal is to provide a unique opportunity for rehabilitation to those in need through compassion and devotion to the path of yoga and meditation.

In April 2009, Saiko has returned to Seattle after six-months journey to India to deepen her yoga practice at Iyengar Yoga tradition. She has also taught yoga and meditation at a Tibetan refugee camp in South India as well as her hometown Sapporo, Japan during 2008, and now ready to serve her students in Pacific Northwest again.

Yvonne Croteau is an Anusara influenced teacher whose classes are informed by somatic, investigative meditation, by poetry, pranayama, and an expressive, expansive physicality. She offers precise, detailed instruction geared toward awakening internal energy, wedded with juicy, free movement and individual exploration. She is inspired by lightning, waves and shooting stars, weather, wind and dirt, and --perhaps especially-- those furred, finned, feathered, shelled or scaley, totally on-the-level animals. She is also a dancer and a published poet. Yvonne is thankful for her teachers and for the way yoga and meditation awaken us to breath, the vast mind, the inherent web of love, and the gift that is this wild, beautiful world

I began my study of yoga in 2000 and, though it took a few years of flirtation before I was sure I wanted to invite yoga in to stay, I would never turn back at this point. I come back to yoga practice, each day, each time, because it has the capacity to make me into the kind of human I want to be, living at a slower, more grateful pace. I completed my teacher training at Samadhi Yoga with Kathleen Hunt, and, in terms of other formal training, also spent several months at a zen monastery a few years ago. In addition, I studied classical ballet for 15 years. All of these interests influence what I bring to class, and the list is always growing! I am pleased and excited to be joining the community here at Sutra Yoga. Gratitude to my teachers and all those who have nudged me back, and back again, to this path.

Megan has been studying yoga for the past 9 years, and teaching yoga since 2005. Her teaching style reflects a deep love and understanding of movement and the human body that has been developed through her extensive studies in yoga, dance, physiology and anatomy. Megan brings joy, humor, compassion and a sense of unconditional acceptance to all of her work. She feels incredibly blessed to have the opportunity to transmit the powerful and transformative teachings of yoga to others, and loves to behold her students as they blossom into their highest potential. Megan holds a Bachelors degree in exercise science from Bastyr University and is a certified yoga therapist. She is currently pursing a Master’s Degree in Ayurvedic Medicine at Kerala Ayurvedic Academy.