ANGELS

These beautiful Rina Yoga Angels donate their time and skills to the studio!
The studio runs from their love and dedication to seeing
this yoga community grow collectively!
Thank you, Angels!!!

Kristin Eleazer
Web Directing Angel – Kristin assists with updating our website and our newsletters.

In another life I was a writer. In this one, I’m currently training to be a massage therapist. Rina graciously lets me keep writing in my life by allowing me to be the purveyor of her words online. I have learned so much by her guidance in my writing, in my yoga practice, and in life. I have practiced yoga on and off for over ten years, but wasn’t able to commit to it until I decided to take the Rina Yoga Teacher Training last year in order to deepen my practice. Rina promised the yoga teachings would change my life. At first I didn’t believe her, but yoga has opened me up to possibilities. It is the path to the highest version of myself. On which I have many miles to go, but through my role as Rina Yoga Angel web director, it allows me to progress on the path.

Liza Rios
Retail Managing Angel – Liza assists in updating our inventory and retail store.

I loved Rina Yoga from the first class I took here. I felt and enjoyed the benefits of my practice right away. With time, Rina’s positive outlook started to change my perspective of yoga from just a physical workout to a path for spiritual growth. When Rina offered the teacher training program for 2009, I decided to take it in order to go deeper into my practice and knowlege about yoga. Today, from my humble position of teacher trainee, I want to share with others what I have learned.

Thank you, namaste!

Harmony Varini
Assisting Angel – Harmony assists in cleaning the studio and greeting students.

‘When I first met yoga I was three years old. I started out with a Yoga For Kids video. Then when I met Rina Yoga I already knew about some poses. I also did yoga with my mom. She had a video that was taught by Rodney Yee. I tried some of the poses. Then Rina Yoga taught me how to do Sun Salutations, backbends, vinyasas, and more. Then I found out my favorite was backbends. So I am very flexible. I can fold in half when I do full wheel. I feel that yoga has taught me to be open and to also try my best!’

Heidy Toledo
General Managing Angel – What does Heidy not do is a better question? The website isn’t big enough to list all her skills and tasks. 

A few years ago, I thought that people who did yoga were weird. But not too long ago, a good friend of mine introduced me to the practice of yoga. Now, it is my passion.
What do I expect to gain from Yoga? There was a point in my life that I was depressed, and I thought that life was just living day to day. Now, I know there is a much deeper meaning, because I am a different person. I would like to become a yogini. I think it will be a way to show the universe how thankful I am for all of my blessings.
Thank you Tess for showing me the way. Thank you Rina for giving me the opportunity to show what I have learned. If you cannot see God in all, you cannot see God at all. Namaste’

Joan Varini
Health and Safety Managing Angel – Joan assists in cleaning the mats, towels, blankets, etc.

It seems my whole adult life I have been actively searching for the one thing that fulfills my spiritual, physical, emotional, philosophical and artistic needs. Through the Universities this search yielded an MFA in Creative Writing. I have been a poet since my youth. Being a mother has strengthened my character and my awareness of the human experience. And my wandering spirit has found refuge in various ancient traditions. But all of my other odd and usual career experimentation’s have fallen short of my complex needs. Until last summer I realized the possible answer to my query was in my prescription for mental and physical health, Yoga. Yoga has been part of my life for over twelve years. Sharing this pathway, accessible to anyone, for physical health and beauty, mental and emotional balance and spiritual and self-awareness, has become my passion and obsession. I aspire to give honor to the perfection of this science of self realization and to the wisdom of Rina’s teachings.

Natalia Sturla

Domingos Sobrinho

Vanessa Alpizar

Vanessa began her Yogic journey with Rina Yoga in June of 2008, practicing Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Hatha and more recently Anusara and Kundalini.  In January, 2010 she entered the Rina Yoga Teacher Training and completed her 200+RYT.  She believes it is very important for us to take the time out of our busy-stressful lives to love ourselves, discover peace, volunteer and do physical practice in order to achieve balance. She has also been teaching qigong and meditation at Zen Village since August 2009 and strongly follows the Karma Yoga path. Thank you Rina!

Carolina Pico

Eight years ago a trusted friend invited me to a yoga class. From that first
experience, I was attracted to all that the practice had to offer. I left with such a
peaceful feeling that I knew in my heart I wanted to continue to recapture again and
again.
Since then, I have logged in many hours of practice. Yet, there was something still
not fully connecting within me. Through a series of fortunate events, I found my
way to Rina Yoga. I had no idea that this would be my starting point. But it was.
A calling to jump in, embrace where I was at the present moment and know that
I aspired to make some changes; effective and needed transformation that would
come to enhance my life in a way that I could never have imagined.
Rina has created a family- a community of authentic, like-minded people coming
together to develop ourselves to be the best that we can be – physically, emotionally
and spiritually.
This spring, I was given the opportunity to embark on Rina’s Teacher Training
program as an extension of my journey. That is when something clicked. It all came
together and since then, I feel on the true path of self-discovery and change.
In Rina’s yoga classes I feel that special connection of “teacher – student”, she is
always aware of her student’s needs, and is fascinating how she loves and enjoy to
share her energy and passion in all her classes.
I feel gratitude, joy and confidence that I am on the path that was intended for me;
one of unity, one with my true self.