Claire
Co-founder / co-owner
Co-founder of Rising Lotus Yoga, British born Yoga teacher, Claire Hartley, is known for bringing the deeper layers and meaning of Yoga and Yoga philosophy through all of her classes and workshop experiences, leaving the practitioners with an experience of the authentic joyful Self. She always does this with a healthy dose of her Brit wit and sensibility! She teaches weekly at both of the studios she co-owns Rising Lotus Yoga, sherman Oaks and Santa Clarita, as well as trainings, workshops and conferences.
Her journey begin when she was fortunate enough to stumble into the beginning of the western Yoga revolution in New York city in the early 90s. The east village was still known as Alphabet City and it was here she found her healing and passion for Yoga at the Jivamukti Yoga Center. A deeply spiritual center led by Sharon Gannon and David Life who were intimidating, wild and incredibly uncompromising in their conviction that Yoga was a path to Self-Realization.
She moved to Los Angeles in 2001 where she continued her practice and trained with some of the best teachers in the world including an apprenticeship with Senior Iyengar teacher Lisa Walford. This training along with other studies informed her vinyasa flow style with a deep love of alignment and functional movement, that if yoga is about relationships then building a more healthy and sustainable and joyful one with the body and movement can lead to a deeper inquiry into the self.
In April 2006 she opened and co-founded Rising Lotus Yoga, a busy and thriving studio in Los Angeles, attracting practitioners seeking alignment based Vinyasa Yoga classes with healthy doses of dharma talks, chanting and joyful community.
In 2008 she created the popular Rising Lotus Teacher Training Program, along with Daniel Stewart, which teaches trainees how to bring intelligent alignment and sequencing to students as well as bringing real meaning back to the yoga practice with dharma talks, self-reflection and a commitment to stay constantly curious to the path of becoming a teacher of yoga, which ultimately is a teacher of the heart.
2018 brought the beautiful expansion of Rising Lotus Yoga and the vision for Yoga with heart and intelligence to Santa Clarita Valley and her partnership with Heather Riggen. She looks forward to nurturing this new community and for how Rising Lotus Yoga can bring healing and change to more people in the future.
Heather
CO-Owner Rising Lotus Yoga SCV
Yoga Teacher
Santa Clarita Native, Heather Riggen has long dreamed of bringing the community practice of yoga to her hometown in a space she could share with others and provide warmth, love, and acceptance. Now her commitment to her practice along with a dedication to her dreams has turned thoughts into reality as she embarks on this journey to build not just a yoga space but a community center at Rising Lotus Yoga SCV. Heather studied under Claire Hartley and Daniel Stewart and completed her 200hr RYT from Rising Lotus Yoga in 2012.Since then she has continued to deepen her knowledge and has studied world wide attending various trainings and workshops. She has taught yoga in the Santa Clarita Valley both privately and publicly at crossfit gyms, barre studios,yoga studios, children's centers, senior centers,and her personal favorite, yoga in the park. She has experience with students from all ages and stages of life and always aims to meet her students where they are at. She believes yoga is much more than a physical practice,and that through practicing yoga we learn how to take control over our thoughts and actions in the world. She found yoga to be an invaluable tool to help her cope with her own struggles with anxiety and is passionate about spreading that knowledge to others. She enjoys teaching her students how to connect with their breath, body, and minds and hopes to empower people to believe in themselves and live their best lives.
cara
Yoga Teacher
Cara developed a passion for yoga in her late teens. It arrived as a grounding pathway to lead her out of anxiety and into the souls continuous journey of becoming loving acceptance. The deep healing that took place sparked her passion to assist others in their relationship with self through yoga and love. Her will is to hold a nurturing and intentional space where others feel safe to shed, grow, and transform through the healing power of yoga.
Cara is currently practicing yoga therapy as a student at the Soul of Yoga. In 2003 she completed her 200-hr training with senior teachers Patti Quintero and John Gaydos through YogaWorks, and later continued on to complete her 300-hr studies in India at Rishikesh Yog Peeth. The foundation of her teaching is vinyasa, the connection of breath to slow intentional flow.
Outside of the studio Cara works privately with individuals practicing yoga therapy, as well as healing work on the body and energy systems, assimilated from a variety of modalities and teachers. In her spare time she enjoys attempting to climb large rocks, watching Moana, and connecting with her family and the Universe.
jessica
Yoga Teacher
Jessica is a 500 RYT and also an Urban Zen Integrative Therapist (UZIT) with an additional 500 hours training in therapy and working with patients at UCLA Ronald Reagan Hospital and Motion Picture Television Fund. Jessica's UZIT classes combine 5 core healing modalities: yoga therapy, Reiki, essential oils, breathwork and meditation. UZIT addresses the symptoms of pain, anxiety, nausea, insomnia, constipation (PANIC) and exhaustion. When our bodies are stressed, the symptoms of PANIC can occur, making healing difficult. UZIT is now offered at both UCLA hospitals in Westwood and Santa Monica and the Motion Picture Television Fund in Woodland Hills. The patients are now being treated by a system where Eastern healing techniques support Western medicine in a holistic approach to patient care. The UZIT program for patients includes: yoga therapy, essential oil therapy, Reiki, nutrition and contemplative care.
Jessica has been practicing yoga for almost 20 years, and in that time, it has become an integrated part of her life. As a teacher she has witnessed amazing healing and transformations in others and herself and is constantly amazed by what our bodies and our minds are capable of. She attributes the health of her mind, heart and body to her steady yoga practice and cannot wait to share these gifts with her future students!
TAMMY
Yoga Teacher
Nearly twenty years ago, Tammy began her relationship with Yoga. Immediately, she fell in love with this soulful practice. From the very first moment, she stepped on her mat in a yoga class; it was like coming home and arriving inward to her own self. The light from within had sparked and she knew right then, that she had to share this practice with others.
Tammy’s classes incorporate alignment, philosophy and breath. She offers a knowledgeable and heart centered approach to her teaching. Throughout each class, the philosophy of yoga or a thought provoking theme is interwoven. Tammy holds a safe and loving space for students to explore, learn and grown in their own personal practice. The goal is to ensure, at the end of each class, that each student feel energized, yet calm with a little more sense of peace and gratitude. She Allows her passion and love for this practice to be felt in each class.
Cassidy
Yoga Teacher
Early on in her nursing career, Cassidy realized that healing is a lifelong practice, notsimply accomplished by medicine alone. She began incorporating forms of holistic healthand yogic tools in her patient care-essential oils, meditation, & breathwork. In 2017,abirth to twins would gift her one of the most important lessons of her life,Faith. An unconditional belief that you are perfectand whole while ever-changing and growing.She completed her 200 hour trainingwith Yogaworks senior teachers Alicia Cheung &Oliver Reinsch in Bali, Indonesia and went on to study prenatal and postpartum yoga with doula and French-American woman’s advocate, Alexandra Rossi in San Francisco, CA. Through the lens of motherhood,Cassidy hasdeveloped a deep understanding of compassion, love, and the value of living our full expression. Herclasses incorporatethought-provoking themes, intuitive healing,and empowering flow. She wholeheartedly invites you to come as you are...
Johanna
Yoga Teacher
Johnna is a Florida native currently residing in Santa Clarita since 2015. She has been a yoga practitioner for over 7 years and holds her RYT-200 through Rising Lotus Yoga. She enjoys hiking, dancing, yoga, hanging out with her family, the color pink, and anything that sparkles.
Her passion for sharing yoga with kids stems from her love of practicing yoga with her own children. From downward facing dog, to happy baby, to handstand she has been playing yoga with her kids since they were babies. She loves to help children with their focus and balance through fun based movement and skill building games. In her class your kids can expect to learn calming breathing exercises, confidence building poses, fun games, and of course some self love.
She loves to play and teach wonderful, creative little ones and is super excited to be a part of the crew of teachers at Rising Lotus Yoga!.
Kenya
Yoga Teacher
Kenya’s teaching style is gentle and restorative. She is warm, friendly and demonstrates an exuberance for life that is infectious. Her classes embrace the interconnectedness of body, mind and breath (prana) in an uplifting and safe environment. She was led to become a yoga teacher from the sense of connection, balance, self-awareness and peace she found in her own yoga practice during her healing journey as a breast cancer survivor-thriver. Her passion is to share the life-affirming benefits of yoga with as many people she can.
Kenya holds a B.A. degree in Environmental Studies from California State University, Hayward in Northern California and completed a nine-month Teacher Training Certification Program at Antelope Valley College and a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT®200) with Yoga Alliance. She teaches Hatha Yoga, Restorative, Gentle Vinyasa Flow, Yin Yoga and Chair Yoga. She also has advanced training in Yoga Nidra from Amrit Yoga Institute in Salt Springs, Florida. Yoga Nidra is a specialized guided meditation technique, often called ‘yogic sleep’, that produces deep relaxation of the body and mind. It has been shown to reduce stress, ease insomnia and decrease depression and anxiety, to name a few. Many people find it to be the easiest type of meditation because anyone can do it and you cannot do it wrong. As you lie down comfortably in Savasana, all you have to do is follow the voice that is guiding you. And if you do dose off, your body still reaps the benefits!
Kenya’s classes offer a welcoming space to soften, become present and explore. She crafts asana (poses) sequences, pranayama (breathwork) and meditation that respects students’ needs. The use of props is encouraged, and support and modifications are offered to individuals experiencing limited mobility. Her foremost desire is to share the practice in a way that is accessible to all: to meet people where they are, as they are.
Currently, Kenya is studying for the 500 RYT and works privately outside the studio with clients who wish to harness the transformational power that a personalized Yoga Nidra practice can provide. She considers herself a lifelong learner and finds joy in laughter, spending time with family and friends, experiencing new adventures and other cultures through food, reading and travel. She shares life with her talented husband and furry baby, Martha the Maltipoo.
Crystal
Yoga Teacher
My name is Crystal Cerrato and I first discovered yoga at the age of 16. It was through the journey of self discovery that I fell in love with the practice, embracing both its spiritual and physical aspects. I’ve been a dedicated yoga practitioner ever since and have committed myself to a conscious exploration of Yoga. After training at YogaWorks with Beth Prandini and Hayleigh Zachary, I am currently studying to obtain 500-hour Yoga Alliance registered certification in Scottsdale, Arizona with Bizzie Gold, Jennilee Toner and Anton Mackey. I am also certified in Buti Yoga, DEEP, and next- Primal Flow!
We know that anatomically and energetically, eve thing is connected. When I teach, I emphasize the precision of alignment combined with breath-based flow of movement to clear stagnant energy.
For me, yoga is about breaking through emotional barriers to align with our true Self, using movement as medicine.
