Rebecca Hutchings

Rebecca was born and raised in Berkeley, California. She discovered yoga while studying medicine in Manhattan, and has now been practicing for 25 years. In her travels she has been able to study Aryuvedic medicine, as well as yoga at Kasturba Medical College in Manipal, India. Although Rebecca practices traditional western medicine, she believes that adding alternative therapies can be quite beneficial for some of her patients. She completed her 200-hour yoga teacher training with Annie Carpenter's SmartFLOW school, is a certified Kidding Around Yoga Instructor, and completed her 500-hours advanced teacher training with Shanti Teacher Training school. Off the mat, Rebecca is a wife, the mother of two lively children, a dog lover, runner, and an Emergency Medicine physician.

Laura Jensen

My name is Laura Jensen and I am a yoga teacher, birth doula and actress. I enjoy leading a breath and alignment centered class with plenty of quiet moments to drop in deeply. Thoughtfully planned vinyasa filled with pranayama and restorative postures are my focus. My intention is to bring kindness and guidance as students deepen their breath and turn inward. It’s an honor to offer classes to all levels, all ages and all bodies. I give thanks to the Iyengar and Kundalini lineages, Kula Yoga Project, my teachers Nikki Villela and Alison Sinatra. 

200 hr Yoga Alliance Certified at Asheville Yoga Center 2010. 

Zoe Shipley

Zoe discovered yoga in the late 90’s at Jivamutki Yoga Center in New York City.  She appreciates the discipline of the Ashtanga method equally with the flow and acceptance of Vinyasa. She is a certified RYT Vinyasa instructor. She is also trained in Yin, Restorative Yoga, through the lineage of Judith Lasater, Kripalu School. Zoe is also a certified GroovyKids™ Yoga instructor. As well, Zoe is trained as a Mindfulness Educator, and has her own business teaching mindfulness in New Orleans public schools and private colleges. She is passionate about helping to better the lives of her community in whatever way she can, and wholeheartedly believes that mindfulness and yoga can lend to a happier, healthier life for all. 

Jimena Urrutia

Jimena is originally from Argentina and has lived most of her life in Chile, where she fell in love with yoga in 2001. Her practice helped calm her mind and find discipline for her studies in school. Since then, she has deepened her practice in Ashtanga and Vinyasa Flow yoga through various trainings and workshops. Although she has a degree in Economics and worked as an entrepreneur, Jimena began moving towards becoming a yoga teacher in 2007. Teaching allows her to feel whole with the experience, and she is grateful for the opportunity and the energy she shares with her students. Jimena recently moved to New Orleans, where she loves to live. She just finished her 200-hour yoga teacher training at Shanti Yoga Shala. Join her classes to connect deep breathing with movement and find a clear and a calming mind. Off of the mat, Jimena enjoys being a mother of two children, two dogs, and a cat.

Edie Cagnolatti

Edie has lived in NOLA for 25 years, moving here after graduating law school.  She discovered the benefits of yoga and meditation in her search for a better work life balance.  She has always been interested in fitness and wellness but fell in love with her local yoga studio in the Garden District, Shanti Yoga Shala in 2012 and became hooked on yoga’s connection to mind, body and spirit.  She deepened her yoga practice attending yoga retreats and workshops.  She completed her 200-hour RYT yoga teacher training at Shanti Yoga Shala in early 2015.  She regularly taught classes at Shanti, SoulFull Yoga, and Neutral Ground Yoga.  When she is off the mat, she is an attorney, dog mom to Pierre, and avid foodie and world traveler.  She attends international yoga retreats every year with her yoga teacher which enables her to reconnect to her practice, connect with others and experience other cultures.  She’s traveled to India, Tulum, Puerto Rico, Greece, Peru, and Portugal and Spain.

Erica Hoff

Erica Hoff is a yoga teacher, traveler, and storyteller who understands Yoga as a path of self-inquiry and deep connection. Trained at Sattva Yoga Academy in Rishikesh, India, she is a 500-hour RYT specializing in Kriya Yoga, Pranayama, Meditation, Vinyasa, Hatha, and Yin.

With over six years of international teaching experience, Erica blends ancient tradition with a modern, accessible approach, guiding students to explore their breath, body, and inner world as a catalyst for transformation. Her classes are equal parts grounding and uplifting, offering space for both stillness and dynamic movement.
Off the mat, Erica works behind the scenes at some of the world’s largest yoga and music festivals and is currently part of the team at the legendary New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.

Giselle de Castillo

Giselle is originally from the Republic of Panama and has been living in New Orleans since 2009. She is trained in Hotel Management and Human Resources and has always been interested in fitness and wellness. Years ago, she stumbled upon Yoga and found in it a way of expressing the connection between her mind, body and spirit, to better deal with life’s struggles -this was a life-changing experience for her. Soon after, a 200hr SmartFlow teacher training came to New Orleans from Los Angeles and she took the opportunity to deepen her practice. She is also a 200 & 300hr TT graduate at the Ashtanga Yoga Room.  Giselle is always looking for ways to deepen her practice attending as many classes and workshops as she can, as well as being a dedicated yoga practitioner.

Join any of her classes, as she shares her love of yoga with you, one breath and one movement at a time; finding balance, body, mind and spirit together as a community.

“Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self, to the self.” – The BhagaVad Gita

Namaste

Nathalie Croix

Nathalie has been teaching yoga since 2003. She has worked with some of the world's most influential yoga teachers from an early age. Nathalie offers teaching in the Krishnamacharya lineage. After working for YogaWorks in Los Angeles for eight years, Nathalie moved to New Orleans where she founded Shanti Yoga Shala - a Vinyasa Yoga Studio in the Garden District. Her studio hosted world class teachers such as Seane Corn, and Annie Carpenter's SmartFLOW Trainings.

SHANTI YOGA TRAINING SCHOOL
Offers 200 & 300 Hour Yoga Alliance Registered Teacher Trainings with over 200 teacher graduates.

Nathalie is the author of Living Life In Light, A Yogi's Journey - launching this month and the host of the popular poscast Life On Earth.

Karina Pivot

Karina is a New Orleans transplant, yogini, and world traveler. She studied business in college and began yoga when the urge for freedom and adventure overtook routine. She began her studies in Bali, Indonesia, and continues with Shiva Rea in Malibu, CA. She teaches Vinyasa, Power, Yin, and Prenatal yoga. She has worked with athletes, movie stars, children, and elders. Karina is ideal if you're looking for a flow, both in practice and in life with a focus on cultivating flexibility both mentally and physically. Her classes are accessible for all levels yet challenging. Karina encourages a positive attitude from within—building strength, growth, and awareness through her yoga practice.

Maureen Herring

Maureen is an Occupational Therapist and teacher, with many years experience working with adults undergoing rehabilitation for a variety of conditions, including movement disorders caused by Parkinson’s Disease and brain injury. In her career as a therapist, she found that she had a passion for teaching and has been able to incorporate this into her clinical practice . Her interest in the relationship between the mind and body and healing led her to begin practicing yoga. Seeing the benefits of yoga for rehabilitation, injury prevention, and overall healing, she began instructor training at Shanti Yoga Shala under the direction of Nathalie Croix, completing training in May 2018. When not working or teaching yoga, Maureen enjoys singing with Symphony Chorus of New Orleans, zydeco and swing dancing, and performing with the Disco Amigos.

Jenny Nguyen

love and light

Kaitlyn Clement

Kaitlyn began her yoga journey in 2006, drawn to the practice as a path of personal healing and self-discovery. After a decade of devoted practice, she followed an inner calling to deepen her studies and traveled to Thailand, where she became a certified yoga teacher. Since 2016, she has been teaching vinyasa full-time in the heart of the Crescent City, offering classes that blend intuitive movement, breath, and soul.
A lover of the moon and all things celestial, Kaitlyn guides students to set unique intentions in alignment with the stars, often weaving astrological wisdom into her offerings. Her teaching is rooted in presence and empowerment, inviting each student to explore their own rhythm and return to their center.
Kaitlyn is proud to serve as the current Yoga Ambassador for lululemon in New Orleans, where she continues to uplift and grow the local yoga community through conscious connection and creative expression.

Amina Harman

love and light

Tara Loftis

Tara's love affair with yoga began in 2012, during a two-year travel stint abroad. She moved to India to live on an ashram for several months, during which she earned her first 500-hr yoga teacher training certification. Since then, she has completed two more 200-hr teacher trainings and owned and operated her own yoga studio.

Tara is also a second degree reiki practitioner, which she offers in her spare time. Both reiki and yoga have become integral parts of her daily life. The more she learns and grows as a practitioner, the stronger she feels physically, mentally, and emotionally. These spiritual practices have transformed her life, her self-esteem, and her mental health. She is grateful for the opportunity to share her knowledge and experience with others, so that they too may cultivate more self-love, acceptance, and peace in their own lives.