In a partnership of mutual respect and responsibility, teachers and students share the journey at Thrive. Empowering students with accountability for their own discipline and development, Thrive instructors support students in bringing their maturation and acquired self-knowledge to their mat. Familiar with students by name and needs, teachers seamlessly integrate individual instruction into the group teaching, creating a public class that feels both intimate and focused.
owner
Love at first sweat, in 1996 Shannan Donovan wandered into a hot yoga class that set in motion a journey still unfolding. Transforming both her body and mind, Shannan committed to her calling in 2001 when she moved to Asheville, North Carolina and signed on for an intensive, yearlong teacher training with the highly respected vinyasa flow instructor Stephanie Keach. Renown for her non-dogmatic and comprehensive curriculum exploring the roots and traditions of yoga, including its many distinct expressions, Keach inspired Shannan to synthesize her studies and evolve her own style.
Eager to learn more, Shannan headed to Los Angeles to train with Bikram Choudry and earn accreditation as a Bikram Yoga instructor. From Bikram, she continued adding to her Yoga Alliance hours, and her style, by studying with Shiva Rae, Shawn Corn and Bryan Kest.
A word that means to develop gradually, the concept of evolving exists as the central tenet behind Shannan’s approach to her studio, her students, her self. Promoting the mantra —practice not perfect— Shannan’s manner balances playfulness with discipline, openness with boundaries, guiding with allowing, stretching with integration. Considering herself first-and-foremost a student, Shannan strives to daily discover and incorporate new insight and wisdom into both her personal practice and her role as a model and guide. Borrowing perspective from other teachers, her students, as well as philosophy and scholarship, Shannan continually experiments with the dynamic dialog between physical patterns of holding and release, inner truth, and the content and boundaries of our life experiences.
Over half of Brad's life has been a love affair with the connection between earth, heart, breath and body. The yoga and expression of these elements has given way to a lifestyle that inlcudes rock climbing, surfing, asana, meditation and amazing food. In 2007, Brad's journey brought him to the island of Kauai where he became a structural integration body work practioner and a vegan chef. It was Brad's recent experience, living in Santa Cruz and going to nursing school, that crystallized his desire to bring a more holistic approach of light, well being and inspiration to community. Brad now lives in West Sonoma County, where he has found an authentic blend of teaching yoga and practicing bodywork. Thrive Yoga Studio has become the perfect venue to combine beautiful music, and a powerful flow, that is made safe and uplifting by careful attention to the heart and universal principles of alignment. Brad has practiced yoga for fifteen years and has more recently plunged deeper into his understanding by studying awareness based vinyasa with Baron Baptiste and Anusara Yoga with teachers Kenny Graham, Sianna Sherman and Noah Maze.
Iris has been teaching yoga since 1972 in Sausalito, California. Her first yoga teacher was Swami Satchidananda, who will alway be in her heart, but Ashtanga Vinyasa became her asana practice. She had the opportunity to live yoga in various ashrams and extended retreat settings in the 1970’s in Los Angeles, Santa Cruz and Clear Lake, California and Hawaii. More currently Iris has been inspired by Bikram Yoga, Anusara Yoga, specifically Desiree Rambaugh, and Shiva Rea. She has taught classes and teacher trainings in Ashland, Oregon as well as traveled teaching workshops in Santa Cruz, CA and Bend, Oregon in the US as well as the US Virgin Islands, Thailand, Mexico and Costa Rica.
Visit www.irieyoga.com for more Bio info.
From her background in ballet, Sara was drawn to yoga as a way to heal the body. She observed yoga transform all aspects of her life and discovered the benefits of a committed and consistent practice. In addition to a vigorous practice at Thrive, Sara studied with Baron Baptiste and teaches his powerful vinyasa flow sequence. Inspired by her own teachers, she is dedicated to helping her students explore the moment and push themselves with compassion and joy.
My Intention is to provide a vigorous-yet-sumptuous approach to Vinyasa yoga that effortlessly melds awareness with movement and breath. My classes are often strong, sweaty and deeply nurturing, full of great music, humor and lots of heart. Inspired by my own dedicated practice with teachers like Ana Forrest, Shiva Rea and many Anusara teachers, I hope to bring a well rounded approach to a more personal relationship with your body.
Natalie Perez-Hayden a mother of three first sought yoga to ease the stresses of parenting and everyday life.
She immediately fell in love with the many limbs of yoga and in 2007 pursued Teacher Training at Ananda Seva. Natalie is a 200 hr Yoga Alliance Registered Teacher.
Natalie's style of teaching is reflective of her many workshops and immersions with Anusara founder John Friend and Anusara teachers Sianna and Desiree. In 2009 she trained with renowned Bay Area Pre and Postnatal Yoga Teacher Jane Austin.
Natalie’s classes are core and pelvic floor centered and she is best known for her creative and dynamic vinyasa sequencing and her ability to make yoga accessible with the use of props. Please visit her website www.perezyoga.com for more bio info.