MEET OUR INSTRUCTORS
INSTRUCTORS
We pride ourselves in having the finest, most experienced yoga and Pilates instructors the valley has to offer! With decades of combined experience (and huge followings), we are honored to be blessed with such incredible staff who provide a warm, welcoming environment to all!
Britney is a Fresno native who began practicing yoga while living in San Francisco many years ago. She fell in love with the Bikram practice and it became a daily part of her life. Soon enough she quit her job, went to Teacher’s Training and ended up back home in Fresno where she taught her first class at Blue Moon Yoga in 2010. Before making Fresno her permanent home, she travelled around the world for 2 years and taught in France, New York City and other locations across California. In July of 2013 she became the owner of Blue Moon, an exciting chapter in her yoga journey. She is passionate about creating a space where all students feel welcome to pursue and achieve the amazing benefits of heated yoga. She is dedicated to her husband, Mike, and their children, Andrew and Miller, who are the true loves of her life.
Taryn (Founder of Aloha Yoga; RYT 200, 2009) has been drawn to health and fitness as long as she can remember. Taryn received her yoga certification at a Northern California Ashram and her training also includes study with the Hot Yoga Doctor, Gabrielle Raiz, in Costa Rica, and 40 hour Vimana Fusion training. Taryn has been teaching Yoga for over 6 years and has experience teaching a variety of styles of yoga, including Bikram, Vinyasa, Yin and Restorative Yoga classes. Taryn’s classes offer a peaceful approach to a sweaty mind – body connection.
Jean (Bikram TT 2010) and is one of Blue Moon Yoga’s very first students from 2006. A former marathon runner and triathlete, Jean loves a challenge and encourages her students to engage in new experiences. Students participating in Jean’s classes can look forward to working hard, sharing a few laughs, and exploring new boundaries to meet and even surpass their goals.
Ali first moved in Fresno in 2010 and Blue Moon Yoga was her first stop in a new town and it’s been the second home she shares with a very special community of yogis ever since. Ali was first certified to teach children’s yoga and after a year of teaching mini yogis, she traveled off the mat to Guatemala to become 200hr certified in teaching Sadhana Vinyasa flow and Sadhana Hatha flow to adults through the School Yoga Institute. Two years after that, she craved an even deeper understanding of all the different limbs of yoga with a focus on alignment and adjustments and her heart guided her straight to the yoga capital of the world, Rishikesh India where she completed her 500hr certification in Vinyasa Ashtanga flow and Hatha. Ali could not be happier sharing her passion in a city she loves with the entire Blue Moon Yoga family. When she’s not at the studio, you can find her promoting and producing Fresno State athletic events, eating or spending time with her adored family and beloved dog.
Jack had been practicing yoga for several years when he took his 1st Bikram method class at Blue Moon Yoga in the fall of 2014. After trying many different types of yoga, he was deeply affected by this method that teaches us how to relax and releases stress and tension from our bodies. After spending a year practicing almost every day and inspiring many with his enthusiasm and dedication, Jack became certified (RYT 200) and is excited to share all that he has gained from the practice by teaching others. Jack is also a first degree black belt in Moore’s Shou Shu (martial arts), and when he’s not practicing yoga he loves to travel, go wandering in nature, hang out at the beach, and surf.
Kyle’s love for movement originated in the hot Arizona desert where she played soccer and swam competitively. As she grew out of playing organized sports, she began to explore different avenues of movement. Her first introduction to yoga was while living in San Francisco and she instantly felt a deep connection. She continued to pursue her new passion while living in New York City. The calming effects of yoga and meditation helped to alleviate some stress of living in a big city. In the last seven years she has trained with inspirational teachers in New York City, Costa Rica and all over California with over 400 registered hours.
Kyle has enthusiastically jumped down the rabbit hole of holistic living and is also a Certified Massage Therapist where she is constantly learning new modalities and techniques. As she has come to the realization that this world is full of opportunity to feel happy and healthy, she feels even more inspired to share her knowledge and open mindedness to help the Fresno community feel better in their bodies, mentally and physically.
Kyle’s many other passions include cooking, her twelve-year-old pitbull – Fanny, traveling and exploring new places with her lover and being in nature. Kyle believes life is all about being surrounded by good people and loving with no condition.
Kyle has enthusiastically jumped down the rabbit hole of holistic living and is also a Certified Massage Therapist where she is constantly learning new modalities and techniques. As she has come to the realization that this world is full of opportunity to feel happy and healthy, she feels even more inspired to share her knowledge and open mindedness to help the Fresno community feel better in their bodies, mentally and physically.
Kyle’s many other passions include cooking, her twelve-year-old pitbull – Fanny, traveling and exploring new places with her lover and being in nature. Kyle believes life is all about being surrounded by good people and loving with no condition.
My name is Corie. I’m a mom to 4 amazing teenagers and a 1st grade teacher. I began a consistent yoga practice in 2008. After spending 8 years exploring and deepening my own practice I decided to attend Yoga Teacher Training with Mark Stephens during the summer of 2016. Yoga is a journey that deepens my passion for others and for life…I take yoga where ever I go and love to share it with others. My teaching focuses on awakening the true self through awareness, truthfulness, and movement of the Divine energy. I am committed to offering my students not only the physical benefits of yoga, but also the ways it can transform your life off the mat.
When I am asked what yoga means to me my response is “Yoga is whatever you want it to be…Yoga is having passion, kindness, gratitude, and compassion for yourself and others. Yoga is LOVE and to practice yoga helps you get better at all of those things. Don’t practice yoga to get better at yoga; practice yoga to get better at living.”
When I am asked what yoga means to me my response is “Yoga is whatever you want it to be…Yoga is having passion, kindness, gratitude, and compassion for yourself and others. Yoga is LOVE and to practice yoga helps you get better at all of those things. Don’t practice yoga to get better at yoga; practice yoga to get better at living.”
I have held a variety of teaching positions in the Clovis Unified School District and am looking forward to bringing those teaching skills to the Pilates classroom. I have been married for 20 years to my husband, Mark, and we have two children, Joseph (18 years old) & Jaden (16 years old). Blue Moon Yoga has been a staple in my life since September 2010 as a source of healing, rejuvenation, and peace. When the opportunity to take the Inferno Hot Pilates training popped up, I just knew it was something I was interested in helping develop at the studio.
Hi! I’m Kathleen Spain. I have been practicing yoga at Blue Moon for over 7 years. Blue Moon is my home away from home. The studio provides a place of peace, community, and classes that push me to be stronger and more diligent in my yoga practice. I have been married for 24 years to my best friend, Matt. We have 3 children, Rachel – 20, Ryan – 18, and Dylan – 15. Inferno Hot Pilates is a great addition to the class schedule. I am so excited for everyone to be inspired, to sweat, to work hard, and to feel great!!
What’s Namaste, I’m Darrion! I started practicing yoga during my senior year of High School after dealing with chronic back pain, although I’ve always been drawn to health, wellness and magic. My first time I stepped foot in a class I had no idea how to do “yoga” I struggled through my downward dogs and laughed through my happy baby, but despite this, I found myself coming back time after time. When I was 19 I made the decision to deepen my practice and attend my first Yoga Teacher Training, which led me to Rishikesh India (where my heart still resides). I started teaching yoga about 6 months after returning and have fallen in love with sharing love! In addition to teaching yoga, I also work as a full time Veterinary Technician and dog mom, blogger and prefer spending time exploring somewhere with my feet grounded to the earth.
If funny, weird, and warm are traits that you hold in high regard then Izzy is the teacher for you. His class carries a steady pace that focuses on slowing the thoughts, lifting the spirit, and bringing awareness to proper body alignment throughout practice. He’s a firm believer that a healthy practice is one that focuses on inner healing through inner strengthening of the body- moving with emotions and thought, alongside the flow of breath and body, rather than suppression or confrontation. After receiving an inspired dream pointing to move to NYC, this Fresno native packed up and spent 3 years being tried and tested under the crafting hands of the Big Apple. A barista by trade, it was there Izzy experienced yoga for the first time and ultimately fell in love with the centering practice that forever changed the course of his life. He completed his 200 hour Hot Vinyasa YT in May of 2017 while in Brooklyn, and well, the rest is just a quiet journey back home to share yoga with the warm foothills of Fresno.
I’m Cris, originally from Costa Rica. I moved to Fresno more than three years ago and I took my first Bikram class some months later. I fell in love with yoga in my first class and since then Blue Moon Yoga became a very important part of my life, not just because of my practice but because it makes me feel part of a community.
I finished the Winter Challenge in early 2017 then I decided to get my 26&2 certification in Santa Barbara last Autumn. Along all this time, my yoga practice has become a way of life. It has been teaching me to be thankful, to open my heart and soul to receive love and peace and to live more in the present.
I would like to share the benefits of the yoga and help others to receive them. I want to continue my journey to learn more and inspire others on my way. I’m also interested in vegetarian and organic food. I’m passionate about meeting new people and new places.
Christine’s commitment to yoga began in 2010 during her days as a runner, and through the years her practice has been critical in helping her with stress relief and anxiety. It’s because of her journey with this practice and love for wanting to help others, she wanted to become an instructor. Whether you’re taking one of her 26+2 or #infernohotpilates classes, you’ll be treated to fun music during your experience.
Christine is a Southern California native who is now proud to call Fresno ‘home’. After 12 years in television news, she has ‘retired’ to focus on her health and other things that make her happy. When she isn’t at the studio, you can find her spending time with her (fellow Blue Moon yogi) husband, Marquese, and their 2 furbabies. She’s also proud to be the Fresno Grizzlies’ first ever female game-day emcee. What she loves most about teaching at Blue Moon is being a part of a stellar teaching staff and among a group of dedicated and inspiring yogis.
Christine is a Southern California native who is now proud to call Fresno ‘home’. After 12 years in television news, she has ‘retired’ to focus on her health and other things that make her happy. When she isn’t at the studio, you can find her spending time with her (fellow Blue Moon yogi) husband, Marquese, and their 2 furbabies. She’s also proud to be the Fresno Grizzlies’ first ever female game-day emcee. What she loves most about teaching at Blue Moon is being a part of a stellar teaching staff and among a group of dedicated and inspiring yogis.
She practiced at her first hot yoga studio in May of 2015 and soon after became a 200 RYT in August of 2015. She loves the physical challenge, mental clarity, and emotional balance that yoga offers. Beija is preparing to pursue a career as a physical therapist and she hopes to integrate traditional modalities with yoga to encourage holistic and long-lasting wellness. Her classes are creative and designed to allow students to feel empowered to connect within, be authentic, and feel full of vitality and bliss.
Beija is a Central Valley native who found yoga at the age of 14 when looking for a relaxing complement to her hectic, active lifestyle. After enrolling at UCLA, Beija continued to explore a variety of yoga styles under instructors of different disciplines across West Los Angeles.
She practiced at her first hot yoga studio in May of 2015 and soon after became a 200 RYT in August of 2015. She loves the physical challenge, mental clarity, and emotional balance that yoga offers. Beija is preparing to pursue a career as a physical therapist and she hopes to integrate traditional modalities with yoga to encourage holistic and long-lasting wellness. Her classes are creative and designed to allow students to feel empowered to connect within, be authentic, and feel full of vitality and bliss.
Gigi is a Bay Area native who moved to Fresno in 2015 after her husband’s job relocated them back to his hometown. She has been a longtime fitness enthusiast, running in high school and college, and trying a variety of workouts including cycling, yoga, and pilates to keep her strong so she can keep up with her two young boys, Dawson and Maddox. Gigi found Blue Moon after the birth of her second son and never looked back! She was drawn to the people and staff that made her feel accepted and challenged her mentally and physically. This past April, after taking a few Inferno Hot Pilates classes at Blue Moon, she knew she wanted to be an instructor offering the same high-energy, sweat-driven, and lively music to clients at the studio. Gigi enjoys eating alone, yes you heard that right (if you’re a parent, you understand), traveling, and easy conversations with friends at coffeeshops. She is known to be sarcastic so don’t take her too seriously. SERIOUS…
A native of San Francisco, Anna began her athletic career at 7, studying under master Chinese acrobatics instructor Mr. Lui as a member of the Pickle Family Circus troupe and performing as a contortionist, trapeze artist and acrobat. Anna expanded her studies at the San Francisco American Gymnastics Club where she mastered all four events in just two years. Anna then studied and performed Flamenco dance, first as a member of the Rosa Montoya Flamenco troupe and later in Spain, where the art was created. Back in the U.S. she trained in the Bikram Yoga Method and has taught yoga classes around the country since certified. In 2006 Anna began training under master and Olympic trainer Justin Chinn, focusing on weight, kettle bell and strength training techniques and shortly after decided to transform her corporate marketing career to her passion of health and fitness. She is now certified in 12 technical areas of training and is changing people lives.
Shonna began teaching fitness classes in 2008 as an Indoor Cycling and Group Fitness Instructor in Clovis. She has shared her love of fast and fun paced spin classes to the beat of the music throughout the years with many, and loves the connections she makes on a daily basis with clients. Shonna has experience in instructing a variety of other classes such as Sculpt, Bootcamp, Piloxing (a high intensity based workout blending pilates and boxing), and TRX. She found her way to Blue Moon about a year ago and was hooked. She found the energy in the studio to be cathartic and addicting. And the classes at the studio to be just as, if not more challenging as the HIIT and strength training classes she enjoys teaching. Eventually she stepped into Inferno Hot Pilates classes and felt immediately at home. The fun and invigorating music along with the strong and effective workout were perfect for her. Now she is happy to add teaching Inferno Hot Pilates to her resume. She goes above and beyond making sure those in her classes have an absolute blast while still getting an effective and powerful workout. When she’s not teaching or taking classes, she’s working at CRMC as a Respiratory Therapist which she has been passionate about for the past 15 years.
I’ve always been driven by health and wellness. Over time I came to realize that my idea of “health” was more about being fit than being well. Now I know that wellness is truly achieved from the inside out.
I moved to Fresno, CA from the East Coast about four years ago. In a desperate attempt to cope with the drastic changes that had taken place in my life, I decided to give yoga a try. Quickly realizing that I was exercising much more than my physical body, I fell in love with my teachers and the practice and the peace both helped me to achieve. I became passionate about yoga, the yoga lifestyle and more aware of true wellness than ever. I began to desire more than anything to share this passion with the world, hoping to present others with the gift I was given when I discovered yoga.
I earned my 200 hour teacher certificate in 2018 and am currently enrolled in an advanced program to obtain my 500 hour teacher certification. I am enlivened to be on this adventure with you!!
I moved to Fresno, CA from the East Coast about four years ago. In a desperate attempt to cope with the drastic changes that had taken place in my life, I decided to give yoga a try. Quickly realizing that I was exercising much more than my physical body, I fell in love with my teachers and the practice and the peace both helped me to achieve. I became passionate about yoga, the yoga lifestyle and more aware of true wellness than ever. I began to desire more than anything to share this passion with the world, hoping to present others with the gift I was given when I discovered yoga.
I earned my 200 hour teacher certificate in 2018 and am currently enrolled in an advanced program to obtain my 500 hour teacher certification. I am enlivened to be on this adventure with you!!
Aurandeep Singh Samra is a seeker of truth and extremely grateful to be connected to his culture and heritage of India and the practice of Yoga. Yoga & Meditation has benefited Aurandeep’s life physically, mentally, and energetically. He loves to share the Universal tools that have helped him evolve spiritually with anyone who is receptive and curious about the ancient practice of yoga and meditation. One of his favorite mottos to live by is, “Each One, Teach One.” He knows that every individual is an expression of the Divine and is blessed with unique gifts and talents waiting to be activated and shared. “We are all teachers of experience, and students of life”. Aurandeep also is very humbled to have been able to spend two months pilgrimaging throughout many ancient cities in India. There is where he deeply realized that there is only One Divine Truth and many paths back to the Eternal Truth. Love, Gratitude, and Compassion are the common denominators on every path back to the Divine and he is extremely inspired to share this message with mankind. Aurandeep also loves to spend his free time writing poetry, adventuring through nature, listening to conscious music, and co-creating with souls who share the same mission as him, which is to uplift consciousness!
Hello everyone! Here’s my yoga story (so far)in a nutshell. In 2013 life guided me to hot yoga, and what I thought was an amazing physical exercise quickly became a mental exercise as well. A few years into my practice I noticed my progression in both my physical body, and emotional well being. I feel what’s most notable is the negative emotions I’ve been able to release through my practice. With these experiences I wanted to deepen my understanding of yoga. So December 2018 I had the chance to travel to Peru, and I took a 200hr YTT. Through this experience I’ve gained an even deeper appreciation and understanding of this practice. I’m super excited to share my knowledge, and continue to grow with all of you.