Our Teachers

Sara Born

workshop Flow

Sara found yoga 23 years ago as a way to gain strength, flexibility, and quiet her mind. She started yoga as a diehard Bikram fan and soon after discovered the myriad of other options available. As an active person who loves kinesthetic movement she explored various vinyasa classes and ran down every rabbit hole of yoga available from Core Power yoga to yin to Iyengar, eventually discovering Anusara yoga. The heart opening and alignment focus of Anusara yoga beckoned her to a place of no return. Many hours flew by studying and retreating with various Anusara teachers where she began to unravel the many layers of the physical and mythological aspects of yoga within her. Lately her practice has brought her back to the foundational practice of Asthanga in the Mysore tradition at the Yoga Workshop. Her teaching style is slow and strong with an emphasis on alignment, opening and building strength. Her classes are an amalgamation of many lineages she has studied and focus on play in movement to find that moment where you can feel within every cell of your body that we are free and connected to the minutia that surrounds us. 

Erika Gordon

Shala Flow

Erika is a dedicated yoga practitioner for over twenty years. Her playful, balanced Shala “Home” Flow class is infused with music, poetry and a general celebration of all that is human + many teachings including Prana Vinyasa (200 hr Yoga Alliance certified) - Shiva Rea, Monica Mesa & Katie Graves; Nancy Stechart and Yoga Tree in the Iyengar tradition; early roots in Bikram; ventures into Anusara…and most especially her family and beloveds at the Yoga Shala including Melanie Law (who fanned her original wings); plus many other life lovers and truth seekers, past and present. Erika is also a mom of two super rad humans, a daughter & sister, performance poet, advocate for the language of cinema, and maker of music around campfires with her love.

Anya Shvetsova

Shala Flow

Anya`s true romance with yoga began when she met her teacher Yogi Dinesh Chander Ji (disciple of Swami Yogananda) in Rishikesh. After visiting India several times and practicing with her teacher she completed her teacher training under his guidance in 2017. She practices and teaches Hatha yoga with elements of vinyasa and strong emphasis on pranayama. For Anya, yoga is the key to understanding the relationship between different parts of body, brain and nervous system through safe and consistent practice. First and foremost Anya is a forever desciple of yoga, who is on a constant hunt for knowledge, ancient and modern, that can help her and her students improve their practice and feel more free and in tune with their own bodies.

Julie Mehrer

hatha - back to basics

Julie began her teaching career in 2008 while living in Atenas, Costa Rica where her clients were retirees seeking increased strength, flexibility and balance through simple Hatha Yoga. She enjoys working with students who have issues with weight, long term injuries, past surgeries, aging and any other challenges that may discourage them from having a yoga practice. Her philosophy is that anyone who can breathe can do yoga. Julie’s classes focus on listening to the wisdom of the body, working through each body part to find limitations and abilities before putting it all together into simple Hatha poses. She uses a sense of humor to encourage her students to lovingly accept where they are in their bodies while letting go of judgment and criticism of themselves in their practice and their lives. She received her 200-hour Alliance Yoga certification in Longmont, Colorado at Full Circle Yoga in 2013. Her passionate belief that yoga can positively change our mental outlook and physical health regardless of age, weight, and athleticism encourages students of all abilities to embrace a lifetime commitment to yoga.

Jamie DeLuccio

Mindful Flow

Jamie is a whole-hearted yoga teacher, Life Coach and Astrologer who thrives on learning and teaching. She designs seemingly fluid and intelligent sequences that invite her students to find the strength within, to soar past their limiting beliefs and to discover their authentic selves.

Upon entering Jamie’s class, students discover a sacred space through her warm, inviting, heartfelt presence. She invites her students to “show up” as they are in all their perfect imperfections. Jamie plants the seeds of self-reflection so her students can bloom on their own time, encouraging them to explore the depths of their being and see if anything is unfelt. Dedicated to her students Jamie strives to share the practice of yoga in ways that make a profound lasting difference in their lives.

A soulful and wise voice, Jaime is a respected and beloved teacher and mentor to teachers. Her offerings are infused with a profound wisdom and clear ability to bring out a student’s innate confidence and ability to heal, connect, and source truth. When Jamie is not on her mat she is enjoying an active mountain lifestyle mountain biking, running, XC skiing, and spending time with her friends and family. She loves astrology, studying relationships as a spiritual practice, and a million other things.

Stephanie Lauerman

shala flow + Slow flow

Stephanie was first introduced to yoga when she moved to the Western Slope over 15 years ago. After a gradual start with many styles, she has come to love every aspect of yoga- both  on and off the mat! This strong connection lead to the next step- embracing a 200 hour Yoga Alliance Teacher training with Monica Mesa and Katie Graves in the Shiva Rea Prana Vinyasa. Her classes are a graceful balance of physical challenge and appreciation for the mind balance on on the mat that embrace the flow of Vinyasa styling. She welcomes the gift of being able to help others find their path with yoga, and is honored to be a part of such a wonderful tribe at RYS. When not on the mat, she cherishes taking in the beauty of the mountains whether it is on on skis, a bike or her feet hiking up a mountain. But her greatest joy is time with her two beautiful girls, truly the most amazing gifts in her life!

Danika Gilbert

stretch & restore

Danika Gilbert discovered yoga in 1996 while working on her master’s thesis in Seattle, WA. She credits a gentle Hatha yoga practice as helping “keep her sane” during the long rainy PNW winters. Her personal practice has ebbed and flowed over the years, with many different styles and intensities. In 2004, Danika started to practice again more regularly as a way to offset the tightening of her body from the rigors of daily mountain guide work. Since then, the Ridgway yoga community has been essential to helping Danika maintain balance in her life, between guiding and international travel. In 2016, she embarked on her first yoga teacher training, a 200hr Shiva Rea Prana Vinyasa at the Ridgway Yoga Shala with Monica Mesa and Katie Graves. Initially, she was intending to use her new knowledge primarily to help the young women in Afghanistan she has been training to climb mountains. However, Danika found she truly enjoys teaching yoga and loves giving back to our local community through yoga. For Danika, it’s important that we all live from our hearts, with compassion and kindness for others.

Shane Carrick

YOGA & MEDITATION

Shane Carrick is an experienced yoga teacher with over 500 hours of training around the world. He specializes in Yin Yoga under the guidance of renowned teacher Bernie Clark. He brings a profound understanding of the therapeutic and meditative aspects of yoga practice. Shane practices Zen Buddhism regularly at the Crestone Mountain Zen Center and his holistic approach to yoga and meditation weave together physical and mental wellness. Shane’s classes provide a space for healing, transformation, and growth for everyone.

Jenn Turner

HOT YOGA

Jenn is a teacher and lifelong student of yoga, functional fitness instructor, and certified holistic health coach (FDN-P). She has over nine years of teaching experience and 500 hours of yoga education (E-RYT 500) specializing in vinyasa, power, yin yoga, functional movement, and cycle-based fitness for women. Coming from a background of dance, she approaches her practice, teaching, and all of life with a deep sense of curiosity, athleticism, intuition, and joy. Her classes hold space for conscious movement, dynamic sequencing, breathwork, and accessing the innate healing powers of the body through storytelling, mindfulness, and integration. Jenn's greatest joy and honor in life is sharing these practices that have profoundly healed, shaped, and continue to direct her life.