amrita instructors


sarahjoy@yogajoy.net sarahjoy’s website…	sarahjoy marsh, ma, certified yoga instructor and teacher trainer, has been dedicated to the heart’s awakening through yoga since 1990, and teaching since 1994. sarahjoy founded amrita: a sanctuary for yoga in portland, oregon, as a place of homecoming for the community. she has produced two instructional yoga cds, river of devotion and rooted in the dharma. sarahjoy is also the founder and director of living yoga, a non-profit outreach program teaching yoga in prisons, drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, battered women’s shelters and for homeless youth. living yoga is the feature of a documentary, yoga and the tao of service, produced by world soul music and kirk mann. a lover of the mystical traditions of the world, she lives and teaches with joy, sincerity and passion.

kimberly’s website…	kimberly carson mph, ryt, is a health educator and yoga therapist who specializes in the use of yoga and meditation for medical concerns. for the last 10 years, kimberly has taught medical patients, including pain patients, heart disease patients, cancer patients, and the morbidly obese, at duke university medical center. also while at duke, she co-developed and served as a teacher on research protocols using yoga and meditation targeting pain conditions (e.g., chronic low back pain, cancer pain, treatment-related arthralgia). currently, kimberly co-directs a therapeutic yoga for seniors teacher training program at duke’s integrative medicine center.

ShineYourRadiance@gmail.com	emilee coulter-thompson, msw, ryt, discovered yoga in 2000 while finishing her master of social work degree, and yoga has inspired her ever since. teaching yoga supports emilee’s strong commitment to social justice, including over a decade of work with trauma survivors and advocacy to end violence and promote women’s health. realizing yoga’s potential to empower individuals and transform communities, in 2006 emilee became a certified kripalu yoga teacher and living yoga volunteer teacher. she also completed the teacher training and apprenticeship at amrita: a sanctuary for yoga in 2008. through yoga teaching emilee aims to create a culture of liberation in which all beings thrive.

	vicky davies has been practicing yoga since the 1980’s though she still has tight hamstrings. for her, yoga is a way of life and a great passion. she has been studying anusara yoga since 2000. she welcomes students to experience the rhythm of their breath and to listen to the wisdom within their heart. deepest thanks to her teachers who have assisted her along this continually unfolding path.

www.tualatinyoga.com 503-804-9094	kate dessommes works full time as a yoga instructor in the portland metro area teaching a blend of iyengar and anusara style yoga and buddhist meditation. her practice focuses on karma yoga and she serves on the board of living yoga and volunteer teaches through living yoga and at maplewood elementary. she specializes in yoga for relaxation, pregnancy, treatment of addiction, and yoga for adults and children suffering with add and related illnesses. kate has been practicing yoga since 1999, and is very grateful to all of her teachers, without whose help and guidance she would not be able to teach: luciana proano, julie gudmestad, julie lawrence, donna farhi, john friend, and sarahjoy.

503-422-3257	liz eisman, lmt, has been a licensed massage therapist since 1995 and a yoga student since 1991. she began studying anusara yoga in 2000 and completed a year-long apprenticeship with sarahjoy marsh. She has also studied extensively with john friend, completed the level i & ii anusara teacher trainings, and the anusara mini therapeutic training. her warmth, enthusiasm, and attention to detail make her an excellent teacher for both new and seasoned students. in her classes students are encouraged to honor their bodies while exploring their perceived ideas of limitation.

	leighann franson will be writing more about herself shortly.

	lani jelen has been a student of yoga for more than 30 years and, through teaching, has encouraged and inspired students at all levels of practice for the last 17 years. discovering the power and depth of yoga is her passionate interest and sharing this discovery with her students is a great joy in her life. lani teaches with a focus on the inner experience of yoga; through breath and movement she guides students to access their deepest inner strength and to sustain awareness of its presence. she honors her teachers john friend, richard freeman, and rodney yee and continues on-going studies with sarahjoy marsh and other visiting teachers.

	susana laborde-blaj, ryt, began practicing yoga in 1993 and has been teaching since 1996, when she took her first teacher training with federico enriquez, indra devi’s pupil. she worked extensively in mexico city, oaxaca and teaching workshops throughout mexico. in 2008 she moved to the portland area with her husband and two sons. always willing to learn and grow in her life, in her yoga practice and in her teaching, she has completed a 200 hr yoga alliance certification plus a one-year mentorship at amrita: a sanctuary for yoga. she is also a reiki master and a certified thai massage practitioner. “susana has a precise and nurturing approach. her students note how her classes open their bodies, still their minds and touch their hearts.”

info@mybodyworks.net	lynn morrison, lmt, ryt, has been practicing yoga for more than 20 years. she took her practice with her as she led wilderness expeditions and taught technical skills for the national outdoor leadership school in chile, alaska, mexico and the western u.s. after having a child and settling down long enough in one place to study with a teacher, lynn took her teaching skills and brought them to yoga. she took a 200-hour teacher training with lynne minton in anchorage, alaska and then studied with sarahjoy marsh in 2004 completing another 200 hour training. says lynn, “i love sharing yoga with others. yoga is medicine. it grounds me in the present, puts me in touch with my body and relaxes my mental and emotional state.” lynn owns the business my bodyworks.

	nikki perry, ryt, began practicing yoga in 2000 as a way to bring grounding and inspiration to her work in the field of youth outreach. in 2007 she completed a 200-hour yoga teacher training with ana forrest, and a second 200-hour teacher training and apprenticeship at amrita with sarahjoy marsh. since 2008 she has specialized in teaching the basics of yoga and alignment to beginning students at amrita: a sanctuary for yoga. nikki’s supportive style of teaching encourages students to find their own path by connecting to the body and breath with awareness and compassion.

emily’s website…	emily soiney, pt, dpt, ryt, began exploring yoga in 1997 and has taught since 2004. after earning her doctorate in physical therapy, she finished two 200-hour yoga teacher trainings and an apprenticeship at amrita. emily has been honored to facilitate healing for individuals of all ages and abilities through yoga. her teaching style empowers students to flow through each joy-filled practice. emily is the owner of shine integrative physical therapy.