Stacy Whittingham

Lead Teacher

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"This ancient practice speaks as clearly to human beings today as it did over 4000

years ago. My love of yoga continues to grow as I observe the transformational effects a regular practice has on my own life and in the lives of those who practice regularly. Strengthening the body is wonderful so a lot of us start there. Strengthening the body and mind while connecting with spirit brings healing and wholeness. In this place, we

can accomplish just about anything.”

Stacy is ERYT-500 Yoga Alliance certified and has received the majority of her training through Rusty Wells of Urban Flow Yoga in San Francisco and Karen Miscall-Bannon of Embodyoga ®. Stacy has also studied with and is inspired by Stephanie Snyder, Sri Dharma Mittra, Jason Crandall Anatomy, Wah!, and Francisco Kaiut. Stacy has also studied Conscious Breathing & Eating with Briksha Mahendra,. Stacy teaches yoga classes, leads yoga retreats, and offers RYT-200 and RYT-500

yoga teacher trainings.

Stacy offers private sessions on yoga alignment, trauma informed yoga, regulating the nervous system, yoga nidra, yoga asana, yoga philosophy, breath work, and meditation.

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Stacy has a passion for feeding the body well and also offers private sessions on whole food preparation and cleansing practices. Stacy is also a co-owner of Leap Yoga in Folsom California.

Gaya Shelton-Ostadi

Music & Mantra

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Gaya Shelton-Ostadi grew up and Rancho Cordova and could be found banging around on a toy piano as a toddler, an electric organ as a pre-teen, strumming a guitar as a teen and a homemade harp as a college student. She also sang second soprano in her junior high choir. But other creative threads caught more of her attention as she moved through college, receiving a Masters of Fine Arts at UCD Davis as a visual artist in 1990.

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After directing a small regional art museum in Santa Rosa for about 15 years, Gaya left for a simpler life, becoming a yoga teacher and living at a Santa Rosa ashram, Ananda Seva Mission. Over the next couple of decades, Gaya built a full-time teaching practice and became a skilled Yoga Therapist and eventually joined the ashram teaching staff. Eventually, yoga lead her back to music in the form of chanting and kirtan (call and response chanting). 

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Gaya has studied raga with Kiranjot Kaur in Sonoma County, sacred music with Gina Salá in Seattle and Kirtan Leadership with Mike Cohen in Boulder. Having moved to Placerville, she now composes, leads Gaya’s Earth & Spirit Band, and records original versions of chants and meditations which are published on digital platforms such as Insight Timer, Spotify, You Tube Music, Apple Music and more.
 

Gena Foreman

Lead Teacher​

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Gena Foreman has over 25 years experience as a student, teacher and mentor. Her classes are a balanced fusion of informed, flow style yoga with attention to breath (pranayama) and healthy energetic alignment. Throughout her classes students learn yoga is not a “one size fits all practice” and that there is more than one way to be in a pose. 
 
Gena has experience working with corporations, professional athletes, incarcerated and marginalized youth, addiction recovery, and is currently on staff with Dignity Health as the lead instructor with the Multiple Sclerosis Achievement Center. In addition to teaching weekly classes, Gena leads retreats, immersions, 32 hour Yoga Nidra certifications, and 200-Hour Yoga Alliance Teacher Trainings. She was recently voted one of the best yoga teacher's by Style Magazine for the Folsom and El Dorado Hills area. 
 
Aside from teaching yoga, Gena enjoys hiking, traveling, and spending time with family.

 

James Kapicka

Yin Yoga

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James Kapicka is a movement facilitator, yoga ambassador and Thai bodyworker with a passion for bringing people together to celebrate, learn and connect. He offers somatic based ceremonies, leads embodiment retreats and teaches yin yoga trainings to inspire personal freedom and support community connection. Through sincere and heartfelt guidance, James creates an environment that empowers students to trust their intuition and listen to their heart. This approach promotes curiosity, creative play and authentic expression, and allows for a deeply resonant relationship with self, others and our planet.

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James is an E-RYT 200 / RYT 500 and former studio owner with a background in Embodyoga® as taught by Karen Miscall-Bannon. He is a student of eastern and western psychology who teaches non-dualistic philosophy. The spiritual path found James through the wisdom teachings of Ram Dass, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Tao Te Ching. These guides brought him to the physical discipline of yoga where he began to experience more personal power and peace in his life. Inspired by this unfolding freedom, James began learning to teach yoga and was quickly drawn to the practice of yin and understanding of the Chinese meridian system. He perused this calling, studying with Paul and Suzee Grilley, and Sarah Powers, as well as learning Thai yoga massage at the Old Medicine Hospital in Chaing Mai, Thailand.

Timothy McCall

Yoga Anatomy

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Timothy’s joy and passion for yoga clearly extend far beyond his teaching on the mat and in the studio. His understanding of the art and science of living yoga transfers to students through his inspiring classes. A native of Upstate New York, and recent transplant from Aspen, CO, Timothy began his yoga journey over 20 years ago while recovering from both physical and emotional upheaval. His personal practice naturally evolved into teaching where he seamlessly weaved a symbiotic and influential yoga experience into life. As both a follower and fan of master yogis Richard Freeman, Bryan/Johnny Kest, Baron Baptiste and Ana Forrest, he respects the lineage of those who came before. His creed says it completely…”always a teacher, always a student.” Although formally trained in Ashtanga yoga, he draws from all forms of yoga, resulting in his own creative and inspirational style. Teaching primarily from traditional yoga philosophy, Timothy leads an athletic, light hearted (and often humorous) class. Timothy also holds a Masters and Doctorate in Physical Therapy and facilitates discussion of utilizing yoga to heal from injury and enjoy greater health.
 

Uddhava Dasi

Meditation Teacher

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Uddhava dasi is the director and founder of the Lotus Garden Meditation Center and Lotus Garden Yoga Studio. She started the meditation center in 1991 and it has continued to grow with the dedicated help of many. Uddhava dasi began studying and practicing the ancient Vedic teachings, specifically Bhakti Yoga, 47 years ago at the age of eighteen. At that young age, the subject of yoga was intriguing and felt a perfect fit as she was becoming increasingly interested in self-discovery, spiritual knowledge and meditation.

At that time, she began a practice of mantra meditation, became vegetarian and was reading the yoga teachings, contemplating the deeper meanings of life. It was becoming clear that this was the journey she wanted to make her life course.

In 1970’s, Uddhava dasi had the great fortune to take up the serious study of the Vedic teachings under the guidance of her Spiritual Master, which she continues to do today. It was then she was given the name Uddhava devi dasi, which means “the servant of the friend and servant of God.”

Uddhava holds a 200-hour RYT certification and has taught the practice of yoga asanas and meditation in a wide nge of venues, from yoga studios and country clubs to cancer centers, prisons, drug rehabilitation and crisis centers. Giving the gift of yoga to others has been a lifelong passion. She now focuses primarily on teaching meditation and yoga philosophy. Hers is an effort to simply pass on what she has been able to capture and apply in her own life from the path of yoga. All the work and efforts of maintaining the Lotus Garden Meditation Center are a labor of love and an effort to share the countless gifts and benefits yoga brings with others.