Our Teachers
Nancy Goodstein
With over 20 years of teaching experience, renowned instructor Nancy Goodstein is an invaluable resource for everything yoga. With a foundation in Pranayama and meditation, Nancy expanded her versatility and knowledge with studies in Iyengar and Flow yoga, eventually concentrating on the Ashtanga practice. Nancy encourages students of all skill levels to find strength, abundance, and joy in a diverse range of yoga poses. With a gentle emphasis on breath and body, Nancy also guides her students to hone the mind and be present in the moment.
Abby Willis
Sportskool yogi Abby Willis has well over a decade of experience teaching yoga to youth of all ages and the credentials to match. Her scholastic accomplishments include; Teacher training in India with Sivananda Vedanta (where she earned the title of Yoga Siromani), Yoga Works training with Maty Ezraty and Lisa Walford, and yoga philosophy at Loyola Marymount University. Abby is currently teaching kids and teens in Los Angeles while continuing her studies at the Human Development department at Pacific Oaks College and leading teacher training courses internationally.
Ted McDonald
A yoga teacher, fitness trainer, endurance athlete, philanthropist, former Elite Adventure Racer and UCLA lacrosse player - Ted McDonald is an athletic powerhouse. Clocking over a decade of teaching Iyengar and Ashtanga styles, Ted is your guide to increased flexibility, strength, and focus whether you are a professional athlete, business professional, or everything in between. To attest to his physical prowess, Ted also competes in marathons and triathlons, co-created Tony Horton’s p90x:2 yoga sequence, and is the designated yoga teacher for the Tour de France winning BMC Racing Team. He is also the founder of Adventure Yoga Retreats.
Malachi Melville
Malachi Melville is a 500-Hour Yoga Alliance Certified Instructor with 16 years of teaching under her belt. Before becoming a force in the yoga world, Malachi was a long distance runner and competitively raced cross-country. After sustaining a serious injury, Malachi turned her focus to the study of Ashtanga and Iyengar yoga. Since then she has appeared on the cover of Yoga Journal, twice on the cover of Yoga International, and has taught the Men’s MLS soccer players and portions of the men’s US soccer team. Malachi has been teaching exclusively at YogaWorks in Santa Monica, California since 1996.
Matthew Reyes
Matthew Reyes is an all-around athletic machine. In addition to leading sold out yoga sessions, Matthew coaches running, tennis, cycling, and is a personal fitness consultant. Considered to be one of the most prominent yoga figures in Los Angeles, he has been offering clients the epitome of feel-good yoga for over 15 years. Matthew’s personal yoga style is described as a hybrid of traditional eastern yoga and meditation with a western edge. He has taken his yoga practice on the road, sharing the benefits of yoga to an audience ranging from massive studios like HBO and Sony, to 6th graders and cancer patients. Matthew currently teaches at the prestigious Maha Yoga in Brentwood, California.
Mark Stephens
Author of the national bestseller, Teaching Yoga: Essential Foundations and Techniques, Mark Stephens is regarded as one of the leading teachers in North America. Mark has been teaching yoga since 1996 with deep roots in Ashtanga, Iyengar, Vinyasa, Anusara, Tantra, and Qi Gong. In addition to his inspiring credentials, he is celebrated for his eclectic and open-minded approach.
Marla Apt
Marla Apt is a senior intermediate level certified Iyengar instructor and served as president of the Iyengar Yoga National Association of the United States. Based in Los Angeles, she is on the faculty of the Teacher Training Program of the Iyengar Yoga Association of Southern California. Marla is involved with medical research studies at UCLA on yoga for the treatment of depression, anxiety, and IBS, and created the first yoga therapy to be incorporated into the School of Medicine curriculum. She is currently a writer contributor for Yoga Journal and Yoga International and continues to study annually with the Iyengar family in Pune, India.
Kim Haegele
Kim Haegele is trained in Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga, YogaWorks method, Integrative Restoration/Yoga Nidra, and Trauma-Sensitive yoga, and has been practicing yoga for over 20 years. Exercising a deep knowledge of fitness and nutrition, stress management, and neuro-psychology, Kim’s yoga approach focuses on maximizing the brain’s potential to change and heal. She has completed an apprenticeship in the Specialized Care Program at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and holds certifications in iRest/Yoga Nidra, Trauma-Sensitive Yoga, and the Wounded Warriors Program. Kim has also been a certified massage therapist since 1990 and is registered with Yoga Alliance at the 500 ERYT level. She currently teaches private yoga and meditation and hosts some in studio time at YogaWorks and Swerve Studio in West Hollywood.
Heath House
A former gymnast, Heath House’s objective is to create sequences accessible to yogis of all levels, incorporating arm balance and gymnastic elements in a fun, upbeat, and stimulating workshop. Heath’s playful and motivational approach also helped launch him into the elite group of celebrity fitness trainers. He is a former YogaWorks teacher and currently works as a yoga instructor and landscape architect in Miami, Florida.
Sue Elkind
Sue Elkind has been teaching yoga since the mid 90s. She completed extensive training at YogaWorks and was certified in Anusara yoga in January 2002. Sue is nationally recognized for her inspiring and comprehensive teaching method. After five years as co-owner of a booming yoga studio in Los Angeles, Sue moved to Rochester, New York, to study with Dr. Douglas Brooks, professor of Religious Studies at University of Rochester, and among the world’s leading scholars on Hinduism. Sue currently resides in Bucks County, Pennsylvania and continues her yoga teaching at Dig Yoga in Lambertville, New Jersey.
Uma Inder
At the age of 20, Uma Inder embarked on 7 years of secluded one-on-one ‘guruku’ training. She lived and studied daily with her teacher for 14 years before being initiated into the Kundalini awakening practice as a ‘means of liberation’. Living without access to modern medicine, Uma was compelled to pursue medicine at the American Institute of Ayurveda. She has trained with international pioneers of Vinyasa and Ashtanga yoga and studied intensively with tantric teachers. Uma has been teaching internationally for over 20 years and continues to lead workshops and teacher trainings that combine traditional principles and modern lifestyles.
William Asad
William Asad has been teaching yoga in Los Angeles for 13 years. A yoga student since 1993, he has studied Ashtanga, Iyengar, and Sivananda yoga methods. With a background deeply rooted in athletics, William focuses his sessions on strengthening and creating flexibility. He also channels a great enthusiasm for the outdoors into yoga and adventure retreats around the world, sharing the benefits of surfing, hiking, and mountain climbing, and writes sports yoga articles for Healthy Living and Men’s Health. William currently teaches at YogaWorks in Santa Monica, California, and directs partner workshops with his wife Patti (see bio.).
Bahni Turpin
Highly trained in dance, Bahni Turpin was hesitant to cross over into yoga territory. After completing a seven-week teacher-training course at YogaWorks, Bahni was asked to teach at Paramount studios. Following the success and popularity of her practice, Bahni landed a spot on the cover of Yoga Journal. She has also completed teacher training with Maty Ezraty and Lisa Walford, is certified in Kundalini Yoga, and has clocked over 13 years of teaching experience. She currently teaches at YogaWorks while continuing to pursue a career in modeling and acting.
Hala Khouri
Hala Khouri has been teaching yoga for over 20 years, beginning at the age of 16, with roots in Ashtanga and Iyengar, dance, and Somatic psychology. She holds a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute and is trained in Somatic Experiencing - a technique that focuses on ways to resolve the impact of trauma on the mind and body. Hala has lead yoga sessions in juvenile detention centers, mental health hospitals, police stations, yoga studios, conference halls, and jungles - just to name a few. She is also one of the creators behind Off the Matt, Into the World - a yoga and activism initiative.
Jess Gronholm
Jess Gronholm has completed 3 teacher trainings including YogaWorks and Shiva Rea, is Yoga Alliance certified, and has been a yoga instructor for over a decade in LA and NYC. As National Director of Yoga for Crunch, he developed and implemented yoga programs for 32 gyms and created over 20 innovative yoga workouts. Jess is co-founder of Dirty Yoga Co. - your online source for streaming convenient and consistent yoga sessions.
Terra Green Gold
A licensed acupuncturist, a licensed doctor of oriental medicine, a clinical nutritionist, a certified yoga instructor, a Bhakti Kirtan musician, founder of Terra Wellness, co-founder of Yoga Doctors, and co-director of the 200-Hour Yoga Alliance Registered Teacher Training program at Loyola Marymount University - Terra Green Gold is a gale force in the yoga community. She has been featured on the cover of LA Yoga Magazine and in the pages of Yoga for Dummies and Shakti: The Feminine Power of Yoga. Terra has over 20 years of training in yogic practices and body oriented therapies and shares effective ways to manage stress and achieve health and wellness. Terra holds weekly classes at Sports Club LA and Spectrum Watergarden Club, operates a private practice in yoga therapy and Chinese/ nutritional medicine, and leads workshops and retreats internationally.
Jodi Petlin
Equipped with a master’s degree in spiritual psychology and influenced by Ashtanga and Iyengar yoga, Jodi Petlin integrates body and mind to deliver greater levels of inner peace and joy through the practice of yoga. Her vibrant sequences adapt to the individual physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of all yogi levels. Jodi is the founder of Shanti Yoga Studio in Whitefish, Montana, where she teaches daily.
Patricia Asad
Patricia Asad is an instructor and teacher trainer at YogaWorks in Los Angeles, California. When she isn’t at home base she is traveling the country training yoga teachers with an emphasis on the importance of proper alignment. Patti is the creator of Journey to Birth - a prenatal yoga practice. Together with her yoga professional husband, Billy Asad, Patti also leads partner yoga retreats internationally.
