“I first met Yana when I attended the Jewish Family Senior Center in Rancho Bernardo. Before her class, I remember the other seniors saying: “Wait until you attend the Yoga class.  The teacher is really great.” And they were right! After just a few group classes, I felt safe enough to ask Yana to be my private teacher. As a person with Parkinson’s disease, I believe it’s extremely important for me to keep fit and limber. In our classes, Yana demonstrated each move and encouraged me to breathe while maintaining a pose.  It was quite a remarkable experience to me. She was very patient and funny.  The class was enormously helpful but it was great fun too 🙂 One of the conditions of Parkinson’s is an involuntary tremor…. To deal with that, Yana introduced me to the Humming Bee meditation. While my limbs usually shake during almost the whole class, when we practiced that meditation, for the first time my limbs remained completely quiet and I felt especially peaceful. If you are contemplating Yoga, try it with Yana. I highly recommend her.”

-Anne Hoffman, San Diego CA

“To be with Yana is to embark on a journey back to your very being. It is so much more than an ordinary yoga class. I know because I have attended many in search of the right teacher. So, I stumbled in this yoga studio in Poway stiff, arthritic, my soul wounded, emotionally packed with toxic waste. Yana looked at me with her warm engaging eyes and gently reassured me that I was in the right repair shop. Thus began my journey to recovery. After only 3 months of yoga with Yana, I saw and felt a transformation within. I felt an awakening to life… I see this shift in truly wanting to take care of myself, to love and respect my body… As Yana guided the class, her heart became one with us as a group. I felt a strong connection and this indescribable sense of BELONGING and SAFETY. It is not a class where you go and pose pretty postures. What we learn from her is the gift of life; the breath and how to utilize it to restore our health. We learn how yoga works and a picture is painted of our inner nomenclature… Being so protective of my well being, in such a short time of practice, Yana made it real for me to understand what it actually means “listen to your body”, “become free” and “find your physical safety zone”. Keeping a sacred ambiance throughout, she created a comfortable space for me to feel free to grunt, groan, belch, cry healing tears, or just giggle like kid. All are inward feelings that are able to escape, leaving my inner space a little less toxic, more tranquil and my physical body stronger each time I part my way at the end of our meditation. I’m so thankful for Yana.”

“July 19th, 2011

My first experience with yoga was at a Yoga Ashram many years ago. Since then, things changes, my health declined and getting up and down on the floor became challenging. Then, along comes Yana and her Chair Yoga. My thought was: “At least I get to sit down to exercise.”  I was immediately impressed with Yana and her teaching method. She has a thorough knowledge of yoga and the anatomy to complement it. She describes the posture we are to practice, does it along with the class and then follows up by asking us what part of the body we feel like it worked the most, where in the body there was the most challenge.

I, for one, get a great benefit from this approach, and, you know you have had a good workout. I heartily recommend Yana.“

-Bill Jessup, Poway CA

Bill passed away in 2012. Rest In Peace, dear Bill. Your dedication and faith in yoga were amazing. You are very missed. 

“Our seniors love Chair Yoga with Yana! She is just a treasure trove of information and everyone feels very relaxed and stress free at the end of class.”

-Melinda Wynar, former Program Coordinator, Jewish Family Service North County Inland. June 2012

“Yana is such an inspiring yoga instructor! She has such a gift of her knowledge of her practice. She is so soothing and a great influence in my life. I have known Yana for over 2 years and she is awesome. A benefit to all ages! I know she teaches all over, but the Jewish Family Service of San Diego is lucky to have her as a great resource to all in the community!”

-Beth Feldman, Jewish Family Service of San Diego. May, 2016

July 2015

“Yana, you have been doing amazing things in your yoga classes with our Tremble Clefs group. Way above and beyond the traditional, and so critical to the needs of Parkinson’s people. There are more and more people interested in participating. I know our paths will continue to cross and I will continue to admire what you are doing.”

From the retirement letter of Karen Hesley, former Director of San Diego County Tremble Clefs

– ‘In this workshop I learned to release years of accumulated rage. That was priceless to me, thank you!’
– ‘The first time I applied what I learned in your workshop, the panic actually receded. I now know I can handle it.’
– ‘You shared your personal experience with Anxiety, which made me feel more confident with my condition. It was a good example of acceptance and love!’
– ‘The hands-on structure of the workshop helped to practice and feel the effectiveness of every exercise and technique you shared with us.’
– ‘All the breathing techniques were very effective tools that elevated energy and awareness throughout.’
– ‘Your explanation of how to change the mindset was especially helpful.’

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