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Certified, experienced, and real, every instructor here teaches from lived practice, not just a manual.
Kevala is a certified yoga therapist and the founder of The Mind-Body Connection Yoga Studio. Her journey into yoga began as a personal path of healing from trauma and PTSD, where she found deep relief through the integration of breath, movement, and meditation. With over two decades of experience, Kevala is known for creating safe, compassionate spaces that honor each student's unique process and inner wisdom.
She is currently pursuing a master's degree and Ph.D. in Yoga Studies at Vivekananda Yoga University, and specializes in yoga for trauma recovery, emotional healing, and self-realization. Her mission is to make yoga accessible to all and to restore its roots as a path to deep inner transformation, not just physical fitness.
Kevala's yoga foundation and training comes directly from the Krishnamacharya lineage. She has been privately trained and mentored in the Ashtānga tradition by David Miliotis, an authorized teacher of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois; and in the Viniyoga tradition, Yoga Philosophy and Yoga Therapy under the personal mentorship of Chase Bossart, student of TKV Deśikāchār.
Larissa discovered yoga in 2021 and felt an immediate calling to the practice. She began with a Yoga 101 class at a local community center, which led her to a nearby studio where yoga quickly became a deeply grounding and transformative spiritual practice which helped to heal and transform her life. In late 2023, she found her way to The Mind-Body Connection Yoga Studio and immediately knew it was the perfect place to deepen her journey.
Before becoming a yoga instructor, Larissa spent 18 years teaching TK and Kindergarten, where she honed the skills of structure, adaptability, and meeting students where they are. These qualities seamlessly translate into her yoga teaching, allowing her to create classes that are both thoughtfully designed and adaptable to individual student needs.
Larissa completed her 225-hour Yoga Teacher Training at The Mind-Body Connection Yoga Studio under the guidance of Kevala. Her training is rooted in the Krishnamacharya lineage, drawing from both the Ashtānga and Viniyoga traditions. She studied the foundational principles of breath-centered movement, yoga philosophy, and therapeutic applications of yoga, with an emphasis on trauma-informed care and individualized practice.
With over a decade of teaching experience, Rita has guided countless students toward greater strength, balance, and well-being. Her classes are known for being thoughtful, accessible, and intentionally sequenced to meet a wide range of physical needs. She brings a warm, grounded presence and a deep respect for each student's unique body and journey.
Whether you're working with injury recovery, building core strength, or seeking a more mindful movement practice, Rita meets you where you are, with compassion and care.
Rita began her journey in 2011 and has trained extensively in multiple movement disciplines to support whole-body healing. She is certified in vinyasa yoga, classical mat Pilates, and STOTT Pilates, with additional training in Barre Bootcamp, Yoga Body Sculpt, and Ballet Barre Pilates. Her teaching approach blends mindful movement with body awareness and breathwork, creating a strong foundation for functional strength, mobility, and resilience.
David was introduced to Ashtānga by David Swenson in 1993, at the original Yoga Works studio in Santa Monica, and never looked back. What began as an introduction became a practice spanning more than thirty years, carrying him through breath, movement, teaching, and philosophy.
From 2014 through 2020 he created and ran his own studio, teaching Ashtānga and preparing teachers in the Primary Series. He holds a Ph.D. in education from the University of California, which shapes how he builds a class around two lifelong interests: how we learn, and how we become.
His classes are not lectures. David especially enjoys introducing Ashtānga to students who assumed it was too difficult, too athletic, or simply not for them. His approach is patient and accessible, helping each person understand the relationship between breath and movement while learning the sequence well enough to make the practice their own. The goal is not perfection. The goal is independence.
David's practice traces to David Swenson, a longtime student of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois and one of the most widely respected teachers of the Primary Series. He has practiced continuously since 1993 and spent six years running a studio where he taught the method and trained others in it.
His study eventually carried him beyond the physical practice and into seminary, where he deepened his work with the Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali and the traditions from which yoga emerged. He recently founded the nonprofit Spirits Without Borders, which helps seekers pursue deeper spiritual study through stays at ashrams and other places of retreat.
Karina came to yoga in 2016 and found something that changed the course of her life. What began as a physical practice became a way to work with chronic anxiety and OCD, and that experience shapes how she teaches. She understands the practice as something that meets you in the difficult places, not something that asks you to leave them at the door.
Her background is in competitive dance, both as a performer and as a dance instructor, and it shows in the way she teaches āsana. She treats movement as essential and expressive, something to be felt from the inside rather than arranged from the outside. Her classes have a sense of flow and musicality that invites students to inhabit their bodies rather than simply position them.
Karina teaches Vinyasa with attention to breath, pacing, and the way a sequence builds. She offers clear direction while leaving room for each student to find their own version of a shape, and she is steady company for anyone who has ever felt that their mind moves faster than their body.
Karina completed her 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training in the Vinyasa tradition, building a foundation in breath-led sequencing, alignment, and the practical craft of guiding a room.
She continues her education at The Mind-Body Connection under Kevala, studying the therapeutic applications of yoga within the Krishnamacharya lineage. That work has deepened her understanding of breath as the organizing principle of practice, of nervous system regulation, and of how a practice is adapted to the person in front of her rather than the other way around.
Beatriz brings a calm, supportive presence to her teaching, creating a space where students feel comfortable, safe, and cared for. With over 15 years of experience in the medical field, she has a deep understanding of how to support individuals with different needs, abilities, and physical conditions.
Her classes focus on breath-centered movement, gentle strength, and accessibility. She is known for her clear guidance and thoughtful modifications, making her classes especially welcoming for beginners, seniors, and those returning to movement after time away.
Beatriz is passionate about helping students build confidence in their bodies while improving mobility, balance, and overall well-being. She encourages students to move at their own pace, listen to their bodies, and develop a sense of trust and ease in their practice.
Beatriz completed her 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training and a 20-hour Restorative Yoga certification, building a strong foundation in breath-centered movement, accessibility, and supportive teaching. Her experience includes working with a wide range of students, from beginners to seniors.
Her teaching is currently being expanded through her studies under Kevala at The Mind-Body Connection, where she is deepening her understanding of the therapeutic applications of yoga, including breath, nervous system regulation, and individualized practice.
Mia found Pilates through her own body. She developed scoliosis when she was young, and the back pain that came with it shaped how she moved for years. Pilates and yoga changed that. Her posture shifted, her mobility opened, and the way she moved through daily life stopped costing her so much. That experience is the foundation of everything she teaches.
She has been an athlete for as long as she can remember, and exercise has always mattered to her. What kept her searching was the need to find ways of moving that supported her body rather than working against it. Swimming was the first practice that helped her back, and she went on to spend several years coaching swimmers before turning toward Pilates.
Mia also trained as a stretch therapist so she could understand the mechanics underneath the pain. That training gives her a working knowledge of how tension builds, how soreness travels, and what actually helps. She brings it into her classes as clear, practical direction rather than theory.
Her teaching is built around a simple aim: helping students move better so they feel better. She is a good fit for anyone carrying a structural issue, recovering from injury, or looking for a way back into movement that respects what their body is currently able to do.
Mia is an ISSA Certified Pilates Instructor. Her Pilates work is grounded in postural awareness, core stability, and controlled, intentional movement, with attention to how each exercise serves the whole structure of the body.
She holds an additional certification in stretch therapy, with training in the mechanics of pain, soreness, and muscle tension. Her years as a competitive swimmer and swim coach inform her understanding of how strength, mobility, and technique work together over the long term.
Pragalbha has spent decades studying yoga, and it shows in how she teaches. Her work is rooted in the classical frameworks of Yoga Therapy and grounded in science, but what students notice first is her genuine care for the person in front of her.
As a yoga therapist, she designs practices for specific conditions and individual goals using breath, asana, and meditation. From 2017 to 2024 she was a visiting stress management expert for the American Heart and Stroke Association. In class, her instructions are clear, precise, and easy to follow.
Her practices leave you with new capacity, insight, and relief. The effect is calming and energizing at the same time.
Pragalbha trained in the Viniyoga tradition with Chase Bossart of the Yoga Well Institute, and continues her own study of Yoga Therapy and philosophy with him.
Our teachers are more than just certified, they are heart-led facilitators of healing. Here is what those letters mean.
