Prana Yoga (La Jolla, California)

ABOUT PRANA

Celebrating 12 years of offering Yoga in La Jolla & San Diego, Prana Yoga Center was founded in 2001 by Gerhard & Alexandra Gessner. A long-time La Jolla resident and Yoga instructor of 30 years Gerhard fulfilled his dream of offering his love and passion for Yoga in a peaceful, light-filled space in downtown La Jolla, just steps away from the Pacific Ocean.

Since 2005 Prana has established one of the most reputable and comprehensive teacher training programs in San Diego and Southern California, including a partnership with YOGAWORKS for the Advanced 300-Hour Professional Program, which is exclusively offered at Prana in San Diego.

Prana Yoga has been voted "Best Yoga Studio" by La Jolla Light and has won the "Reader's Choice Award" by La Jolla Village News for several years.

With strong roots in the community Prana is known for a non-dogmatic approach to Yoga, recognizing that each body is different and everyone is welcome!

TEACHERS

Gerhard E. Gessner, E-RYT 500, Owner/Director
Director of Prana Yoga Teacher Trainings,

Yogaworks Teacher Trainer & Mentor
Gerhard is founder and director of Prana Yoga Center. He has been a student of Yoga for over 28 years and is trained in a variety of different styles of Hatha Yoga, including Ashtanga, Iyengar, Ananda and Contact Yoga. His non-dogmatic and unique Vinyasa style combines these different influences and is tailored to the needs of his students. More...

Alexandra Oehmigen-Gessner, MA, R-YT, Director
Alexandra is a certified Yoga instructor and has been practicing Yoga since 2000. Together with Gerhard she manages the everyday business of Prana Yoga. Her professional background is in writing, marketing, PR and business management.

Please contact her at info@prana-yoga.com with any questions or inquiries.

Amy Jo Hearron - Vinyasa Flow & Hatha

Through her yoga classes, Amy Jo shares personal challenges and discoveries as a way to connect with humankind and intensify her own understanding of self and others. Teaching since 2002, she teaches a style of yoga that integrates deep breath with mindful movement... More...

Sarah Clark RYT - Vinyasa Flow

On the 4th of July, 2011, Sarah Clark relocated to San Diego from New York City, where she had taught Yoga at OM Yoga Center, New York University, Dance New Amsterdam, and privately since 2007. In addition to her 200-hour training from OM Yoga Center with Cyndi Lee, Christina Clark, and Joe Miller, Sarah is also certiﬁed as a Relax & Renew Restorative® Yoga teacher via Judith Lasater.

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Arati Lane RYT - Happy Back/Yoga Wall, Prenatal
Arati Lane has been teaching Yoga since 1989 after living and studying Yoga and meditation in India and Southeast Asia for several years. After teaching and studying Jivamukti, Ashtanga & Vinyasa Yoga, she now focuses on teaching Hatha Yoga, Pre-& Postnatal Yoga, Happy Back Yoga, Flow Yoga, women’s Yoga, Yoga for kids & infant massage, More...

Debora Wayne E-RYT - Restorative Healing & Yin Yoga
A counselor, healer, and educator, Debora Wayne has been involved in the world of Dance, Fine Art, and the Healing Arts since early childhood. An ex-professional Modern Dancer, Debora discovered her passion for Yoga in 2001. As a Certified Yoga Alliance Instructor, Debora is dedicated to assisting students of all levels in experiencing how the practice of yoga can benefit their health & inspire their daily lives. More...

Nauder Motamedi - Happy Back Yoga/Yoga Wall

Liza’s unique teaching style incorporates both traditional and experimental sides of Yoga. She practices the Ashtanga Yoga system under the guidance of senior teacher Tim Miller, and has studied at length with both Sharath Ragaswamy and Rolf Naujokat in India. Less traditionally, Liza has been a student and member of Edward Clark’s Tripsichore Yoga Theatre, a London-based performance company known as the “Cirque de Soleil” of Yoga. More...

Rachel Krentzman E-RYT 500, RPT, CPI - Happy Back Yoga
Rachel Krentzman is the founder and director of Embody Yoga and Physical Therapy Centers. She received her degree in Physical Therapy from McGill University (Montreal, Quebec) in 1996 and has worked in a variety of acute care, rehab and outpatient facilities. More...

Stefanie Gaines RYT 500 - Hatha Yoga
Stefanie found Yoga in 2003 and was immediately inspired by the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual transformation she went through as a practitioner and in her life. With a strong desire to share the benefits of yoga with others, she received her 200hr. Vinyasa instructor certification (2008) and completed the YogaWorks 300hr. Professional Program (2010), both under the mentorship of Gerhard Gessner at Prana Yoga Center in La Jolla. Stefanie's classes are strongly influenced by her mentor with a focus on alignment, breath, and the natural flow of postures. More...

Vicki Abrams, RYT, CCE, IBCLC, Pre- & Postnatal Yoga, Mommy & Me
Vicki is a Childbirth Educator, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, Yoga Instructor and the Director of the Childbirth Education Program at the Chopra Center for Well Being in La Costa. More...

Shauna MacKay RYT 500 - Hatha & Vinyasa Yoga
Shauna teaches an alignment-based class that emphasizes stability and strength as well as flexibility and moving with breath. Although she enjoys teaching an energetic class, her ultimate goal is to help students experience the peace within. More...

Roman Yaroshenko - Ashtanga Vinyasa
Roman is a certified Yoga instructor who has been teaching Yoga for seven years. His Vinyasa Flow/Ashtanga Improv class is inspired by the tradition of Ashtanga Yoga, integrating postures from the Primary and Second Series in a unique sequence. More...

Sara Deakin E-RYT 500 - Vinyasa Flow
Sara has been practicing Yoga since 1999. Like so many people Sara began Yoga for physical benefits. With numerous knee and shoulder injuries from competitive tennis and running, she turned to Yoga for rehabilitation. The therapy went far beyond her joints, and started to resonate in her mind and spirit. From surfing, to traveling, to being a student of natural medicine, she has been able to integrate yoga philosophy into all aspects of her life. More...

Mandy Burstein RYT500 - Vinyasa Flow, Teen Yoga
Mandy Burstein is a yoga instructor and writer based in La Jolla, California. She began her journey into yoga on the beaches of Costa Rica and has been captivated ever since. Through yoga and writing, she passionately empowers people to become the best versions of themselves, both on and off the mat. More...

Jessica Flores

Jessica Flores...began her love of movement as a competitive gymnast and youth body builder. Her passion led her to teach recreational and competitive gymnastics. She eventually earned a head coach position, and led athletes up to the Elite Level. In 2004, Jessica was invited to join the Triton Circus in Chicago to perform on trampoline. More....

Hari Das Kaur

Hari Das is a Certified Kundalini/Meditation Instructor Level II, trained directly by Yogi Bhajan, the world-acknowledged Master of Kundalini yoga. Hari Das has been practicing and teaching Kundalini yoga and meditation for over 25 years. Her spiritual name 'Hari Das Kaur' means Servant of God. More.....

Heather Fenwick

Heather Fenwick first practiced yoga on the beach in 2002 after migrating to San Diego from the East Coast. Her first teacher training in 2005 (Yoga Works) sparked a deeper interest in the art of yoga.More....

Ingrid Yang

Ingrid embarked upon her yoga journey in 1999 at the Jivamukti Yoga Center in New York City, where she studied directly under David Life and Sharon Gannon. More....

Jason Cull

Jason is a registered Yoga instructor, lifeguard and personal trainer and also holds a BA in Physical Education with an emphasis in Athletic Training. He began practicing Yoga in 1997. More.....

Jeanne Cummings

Jeanne left the corporate oil and gas world in Calgary, Canada in 2004 to move to San Diego, California and pursue full time study of the body mechanics and teaching disciplines of Pilates and Yoga. More....

Jennifer Oh RYT 500

For Jeni, spirituality and faith has always been integral to all aspects of her life. An athlete from childhood, Jeni began her yoga journey at the gym in the mid 90s and initially approached yoga as she had with dancing, running, and soccer thinking of yoga as a purely physical practice. More...

Merrin Muxlow

Merrin began a consistent Yoga practice in 2005 and she has been teaching Yoga since 2008. Since that time she has trained in several different styles (Vinyasa Flow, Hatha, and Hot Yoga). More....

Liza DiGaetano, E-Ryt 500

Liza DiGaetano, E-RYT 500, has been teaching yoga since 2003. Her unique teaching style incorporates both traditional and experimental sides of yoga: She practices the Ashtanga yoga system under the guidance of senior teacher Tim Miller, and has studied at length with both Sharath Ragaswamy and Rolf Naujokat in India. More.....