Teachers

 

Diana Hopper,RYT

In December 2000, Diana began her wonderful, healing journey with yoga during her third pregnancy. As a Personal Fitness Trainer, she and her pregnant client decided to use Power Yoga as a cross-training technique to guide them through the rigors of being with child and the childbirth itself. Diana experienced immediate benefits of a stronger and more supple body which greatly relieved many injuries from her career as a mountain/road bike racer. The mental clarity and peaceful inner journey came as a wonderful surprise! At 41 years of age Diana was a testament to the benefits of yoga for the pregnant woman of any age, as it guided her through her fourth pregnancy, to the peaceful and natural childbirth of her first daughter in 2003. “As the mother of 3 sons and a rambunctious daughter, yoga keeps me strong and centered."

Diana teaches Hatha Yoga strongly influenced by her many Master Teachers: Dharma Mittra, Ana Forrest, David Swenson, Doug Swenson, Bryan Kest, Sharon Gannon & David Life, with a Sivananda-based teacher training. She enjoys all forms of Hatha Yoga (i.e.:Power Yoga & Astanga,Jivamukti, Sivananda & Vinyasa Flow) in her personal practice she is guided by the plethora of resources available and encourages her students to follow their own Path and discover the True Self with deep breathing, asana practice and meditation. Come and be nurtured and guided by Diana’s love of Maha Sadhana-the ultimate practice!

 

Travis Hopper

When Travis thinks back to his first experience doing Yoga he recalls it was rather painful. He couldn't believe how the asanas (postures) exposed his physical and mental weakness. Having been an NCAA Division 1 College Baseball player , he had built up large amounts of stress and tension in his body. Travis says yoga has changed his life. He is compelled to reach out and share the astonishing benefits that yoga can bring.

Travis combines his 7 years of teaching experience as a local High School teacher and strong athletic background to create an invigorating session consisting of a Sadhana Yoga Chi warm-up, focusing on breath and flow. He likes to incorporate Astanga variations in his Power Sessions along with the many other techniques he has learned along his journey as a Yogi. As a licensed Reiki practitioner, he often invites the Universal Life Reiki Energy into the studio during Savasana for a nice overall mind/body healing and cleansing therapy. With his experience, humor and true passion for people, Travis enjoys guiding his students to the next level of their practice.

Tabitha Gardner

Tabitha is Body And Soul's very first organic and homegrown instructor! She began her yoga path to relieve her body from the rigors of being an Ironman Triathlete and her mind from the stressors of her occupation as Accounting Supervisor at a major corporation. The aches and pains of training in the 3 disciplines for the Ironman were eased and her body felt stronger and better balanced immediately. She progressed very quickly in her personal practice of Power Yoga, her utter devotion and loving spirit as the driving force.

Tabitha was the inspiration for Body And Soul offering it's very first Teacher Training, as her practice began to blossom into an interest to help others to find the special connection which was providing grounding and solace within her. The Teacher was born long before the training began-she has an inate desire to nurture others and seems to be everyone's favorite fellow student! Her energy is welcoming and fun, come in on Sunday and see why Tabitha's ever-expanding interests in all forms of yoga (especially Anusara) are offering each of her students the grounds for endless joy within their practice of this holistic discipline.

Amber Jesch

Amber's Journey on the hatha yoga path began in 2002 when she took her first yoga class through UNR. She was initially drawn to yoga purely as a form of physical exercise, as she already followed another path that nurtured her mind and spirit. Amber was fortunate to have been raised an initiate of a branch of Jnana Yoga: Transcendental Meditation. She quickly discovered that this physical asana practice complemented her 15-year TM practice perfectly. The further she traveled down the yogic path , she found it was one and the same as her TM background. As Amber began to incorporate Power and Ashtanga yoga into her asana practice, her love of more vigorous movement has further blossomed into a healthy lifestyle including hiking, cycling, and skiing.

Amber received her credentials to teach yoga with Kim Orenstein of Yoga Loka in Reno,NV. Since experiencing life through the eyes of the teacher, her personal practice has evolved tremendously, but she has never forgotten the gift that her first class offered her: a love of precise movement coupled with challenging effort, a gift that she offers to all of her students at Body And Soul Yoga Studio.

SEE YOU AT THE STUDIO!