Jeannie is a former professional ski instructor from Colorado turned finance executive in the high-stress world of private equity in Newport Beach.  She attributes her success in business over the last several years to the inner strength, discipline and contentment her Ashtanga practice provides on a daily basis.  Jeannie has always enjoyed opportunities to teach and share her passions and is very thankful for the chance to help others on the Ashtanga path.  "Diana has been such a strong influence in all areas of my life and her trust in me to pass this along to other students is very rewarding."

Jeannie has been studying with Diana Christinson since 2002 and completed Tim Miller's teacher training in 2009.

A dancer for years - ballet, jazz, modern and flamenco – Maria Dimarucut brings an inspirational grace and beauty to her practice. She received a B.S. degree in Dance from the University of California, Irvine with an emphasis in teaching. Because she understands how a body moves, she guides her students toward proper alignment with simple explanations and mindful adjustments.

Maria was first introduced to Ashtanga in 2003. From her first class, she was hooked. “I’d taken hatha yoga at a gym but loved the physical challenge and dance-orientation of Ashtanga.” Ashtanga’s repetitive sequencing and vinyasa-flow (linking breath with movement) give it a unique, choreographed feel that becomes meditative and graceful with ongoing practice.

She has even noticed more patience and a forgiving perspective on problems since she began Ashtanga. When she sees students struggling with vinyasa, she reminds them that this isn’t a competition, to take it easy and focus on the breath. “The hardest part to remember is that this is a daily, lifetime practice - both on and off the mat.” Maria has been studying with Diana Christinson since 2003 and completed Tim Miller’s Ashtanga teacher training in 2006.

Ten years ago Aimee Echo was living the rock star life – literally - singing in a band, living in Los Angeles, when a search for something deeper led her to yoga. While she’s still a rock star, playing in Los Angeles and all over the world – her yoga practice has given her tools to keep her body and spirit more balanced and healthy. Yoga's made her happier in every way. “I’m more compassionate, more responsible and definitely wiser – people even say it’s made me stop aging!” Aimee has been a gymnast, a competitive equestrian and a fitness instructor. She learned Ashtanga traditionally, Mysore-style, one pose at a time, nine years ago with Noah Williams and Kimberly Flynn in Los Angeles and immediately knew she wanted to teach. “I wanted to share this transformational medicine. Every area of my life has been enhanced – except maybe not getting enough sleep!” She’s still trying to balance the rock star life and early morning practice.

Aimee has been practicing since 2004 with Diana Christinson. While she feels the practice itself is the best training a teacher can have, she’s completed the YogaWorks 200-hr Teacher Training and both the Primary and Intermediate Ashtanga Teacher Trainings with Tim Miller. She’s made two extended trips to Mysore, India to study with Pattabhi Jois and Sharath at the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute and has spent hundreds of hours in workshops with master teachers Richard Freeman, David Swenson, Anthony Carlisi and more. She has also studied Sanskrit and the Yoga Sutras with various teachers including Sanskrit Scholars Laksmish at AYRI , Dr. MA Jayashree and Dr. John Casey.

Triathlete Dave Kiff walked into his first Ashtanga yoga class hoping to prevent injuries while training for his first Ironman. He was not expecting to leave the class thinking that it had “kicked his behind! Returning day after day helped him complete the 140.6 mile race injury-free. Dave encourages endurance athletes to work on flexibility and to not be intimidated by the “Bendy Gumbys” in class. He tells students, “I was stiff as a board and couldn’t even touch my toes when I started.” Ashtanga has taught him to appreciate the journey, accept his body for what it is, where it is, both the flexible days and the “wet cement” days. Dave still enjoys racing but his priorities have shifted – yoga is now first on his list. “I can’t say my cycling or swimming gets much faster each year, but my yoga practice keeps improving and that gives me something cool to look forward to as I grow older.” Aside from racing and yoga, Dave is the Assistant City Manager for the City of Newport Beach. He has completed four Ironman races and teacher training at Tim Miller’s Ashtanga Yoga Center in Encinitas. His class is great for endurance athletes or anyone “less-bendy” offering easy modifications while assuring you’re still going to sweat.

Not having started yoga until her late 30’s, Kathleen Morgan understands the difficulty of working with a body that is set in its ways. She tells new students, “If all you can do is mindfully breathe with us for an hour – you’ve done your practice.” She began her yoga practice in an attempt to improve her conscious contact with a Higher Power. What people notice most about her is the way she radiates a soothing calmness. She has a passion for life and the discipline of the practice has motivated her to pursue a career in Psychology with an emphasis in the field of addiction. She's completed the Yoga Works teacher training program, is a registered yoga teacher with Yoga Alliance at the 200-hour level and has completed the Primary Series teacher training with Tim Miller at his Ashtanga Yoga Center in Encinitas, California.

Sherrie Papa, D.C. considers it “a great fortune” to be able to focus her chiropractic practice on yoga students. While earning her degree, she became a licensed massage therapist and still incorporates massage into her medical practice. “Massage can sometimes enhance tension release and improve effectiveness of chiropractic adjustments.”

Her ability to read the physical body brings a special awareness to her teaching. Along with giving wise, comforting adjustments and modifications, she has a genuine respect for the more subtle transformations a student can experience off the mat. Sherrie started taking yoga at age 17 as an elective in college. She loved it so much she took the class every semester until she graduated. But, she really fell in love with the practice when she found Diana Christinson in 2000. “That’s when I felt it begin to transform my life.”

Sherrie completed Tim Miller's Ashtanga teacher training in 2001 and spent the summer of 2004 in Mysore, India studying at the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute with Pattabhi Jois and Sharath Rangaswamy. She loves teaching new students and watching their lives and bodies change. “It is such an inspiration to witness and be a part of that excitement.”