ASHLEY DRAKLICH
Ashley has a yearning for self-discovery, introspection, and service. When she first discovered yoga in her early twenties, she had no idea how much it would change the course of her life. She built a strong practice at home and since has completed two 200hr RYT where she has enhanced her knowledge of yogic philosophy, meditation and pranayama. Through a playful approach to teaching, Ashley aims to help students get in touch with the inner knowing and find the simple pleasures of life by being even more present in the discomfort. She enjoys teaching challenging power vinyasa flows that provide options for all levels to enjoy while incorporating breathwork and introspection to deepen the connection with self. Come play!
ALESSA NEECK
Alessa’s journey with yoga was born out of a deep desire for mind/body balance. As a professional actress, singer and dancer performing 8 shows a week on Broadway and touring the country over her 15-year career, she struggled with maintaining mental energy and optimal health. Yoga provided her with a sanctuary to center her mind and heal her body from physical injuries. After relocating to Carlsbad, CA and hanging up her dance shoes permanently- she craved greater grounding and meaning to her yoga practice. Now a certified Mindset Coach and 200-hour RYT, you can expect an invigorating vinyasa, combined with consistent sequencing and musical creativity. Alessa is dedicated to providing a safe space for her students to explore the joys of yoga with attention to easing the stresses of the mind and expanding the potentials of the body.
BELINDA STAHLEKER
I first discovered yoga in high school P.E. circa 2005 and have been a dedicated practitioner ever since. My background in the Classic 26 series and vinyasa has given me a solid foundation in the practice which I wish to bring to my teaching style–a blend of the discipline and intense focus of the former with the playfulness and freedom of the latter. At home my two small children dabble in yoga with me, and their curiosity and joy inspire me every day. I aspire to infuse that same sense of sincerity and playfulness into my teaching, encouraging my students to approach the practice with childlike curiosity and enthusiasm. I believe yoga asana is the perfect compliment to any movement practice and is an invaluable means to find greater balance, strength, peace, and joy in anyone’s life.
CHASE MCCARTHY
Chase received her Yoga Alliance certification in 2016 and has been in love with teaching ever since! She blends traditional and unorthodox ideas in her teaching whether that be through her sequence style, personality, or most likely her music. Chase has a deep connection to music and incorporates different styles and genres to further enhance the mood for each class. She loves the Vital community and enjoys meeting new students while also developing meaningful connections with her regulars! She hopes to share a smile and a laugh with you when you come to your mat.
DARBY CANESSA
Darby Canessa is a yoga teacher based in San Diego County. She has been teaching yoga since 2017. She graduated from Marymount Manhattan College with a BFA in Dance and a BA in Communication Arts. During her senior year of college, she completed the 200 hour teacher training at Sonic Yoga in New York City. Shorty after, she completed their 300 Hour program. Darby is also certified in Prenatal Yoga and Yoga Trance Dance. She has experience teaching in different environments, including yoga studios, gyms, corporate offices, residential buildings, and hotels. Darby enjoys teaching all levels of vinyasa yoga, and is grateful to share the practice of Yoga with others! In addition to yoga, she enjoys dancing and surfing. Darby is excited to share what she has learned in the NYC yoga scene with the Vital community, and even more excited to learn and grow as a student and teacher at VITAL!
EMILY KORBY
I have been a lover of movement for my entire life and was drawn to yoga in high school because of my background in martial arts and competitive swimming. Throughout the years, my practice has continued to evolve, and my focal point has been on therapeutic modalities in order to help overcome overuse injuries and compensation patterns from everyday life. Kinesiology-based movement training, leveraged tools, and flow state principles have been significant influences on my practice and my inspiration to help others become more mindful and embodied in their everyday movements. I am passionate about the educational aspects of movement coaching and strive to create an atmosphere of accessibility in my classes where people of any background and ability level can deepen the connection with their bodies and find freedom through movement. I have completed a 40hr Iyengar Yoga teacher training, am a certified Steel Mace Vinyasa Coach and facilitator for its 100hr Teacher Training at Flow Shala, and specialize in mobility and functional movement coaching. I studied massage at WCC and hope to use my understanding of massage and bodywork as a clinical practice to create movement classes that include somatic principles and deepen the subjective understanding of the nervous system. As a writer and lover of language, I bring a unique understanding of rhetoric and ethos to my coaching style. I hold a BA in Business and Sustainability from WWU and believe that leading with fierce compassion, an ethical decision-making framework, and a focus on social justice for the most vulnerable members of our society are critical for a sustainable future. Bringing this paradigm into movement coaching and teaching yoga is something that I have identified as my personal purpose and strive to empower my students.
ERIC VILLANUEVA
Eric is a yoga and meditation teacher, with a background in kinesiology and physical therapy. He started practicing yoga in 2012, and then began teaching in 2018. Eric has his 200 HR yoga teacher certification, and also maintains speciality certifications in strength & conditioning and corrective exercise. He teaches classes that honor the ancient traditions and wisdom of yoga, while also emphasizing alignment and function of the physical poses.
ERICH STEIN
Erich is a RYT200 Vinyasa instructor who began teaching yoga in early 2019 after training with Colin Wolpert (E-RYT500). Erich trained at Colin’s studio in University City where he picked up his passion for teaching athletic style power Vinyasa classes. Erich was lucky enough to have Colin’s very close mentorship throughout 2 years, absorbing all that he had to share. C Yoga unfortunately had to close due to covid restrictions. Erich has since worked at multiple studios. He currently teaches regularly at Carlsbad Village Yoga and offers private sessions in addition to his role at VITAL. Erich is an Oceanside local who loves creating visual arts, enjoying music, camping, and personal development. Aside from practicing Vinyasa, Erich is also a practitioner of Zen meditation techniques. He draws much inspiration and wisdom from Mooji, Alan Watts, Ram Dass and many other spiritual teachers. Erich has an intense passion for holding space and guiding souls towards peace and empowerment. “We are all just walking each other home.” -Baba Ram Dass
MIJA SPEAKMAN
Mija Speakman is a Certified Yoga Instructor and Health Coach who has been teaching yoga and mindfulness for over ten years. Mija loves to combine strength, mobility, and relaxation practices into her classes to bring you closer into connection with your body and mind while feeling centered and refreshed. Mija moved to Oceanside last year with her fiance and loves to be outside in nature and also loves to climb here at Vital! She is also a small business owner and enjoys creating art and card decks for others to enjoy.
JENNIFER LOVAS
Jennifer is a Yoga Instructor and Massage Therapist, a giver of good vibes, and a conduit for transformation and healing. She has been practicing yoga, meditation, and other movement modalities for 16 years, teaching yoga for over a decade, and offering bodywork for the past seven years. Her 500 hour advanced teacher training was completed in California under the guidance of Rocky Heron and Noah Maze. She aims to provide mind, body, and spiritual development to all who are interested. Jennifer is trained in Hatha, Vinyasa, Yin, Power, Restorative, Therapeutics, Gentle, and SUP Yoga. As a teacher, Jen's classes include a mixture of alignment, blissful renewal, and light-heartedness. She provides guidance and insight, while holding compassionate space, so that you may choose your journey and experience on your mat. In her free time, you can find Jen climbing rocks, hiking in the mountains, surfing, sailing, fishing, and diving in the ocean.
LAUREN DABBS
Lauren's first introduction to yoga was in Costa Rica during her early teens, after her first class she immediately felt a deep pull to explore more of what this practice had to offer. Soon after her first class, yoga was part of her everyday life. Eventually leading her to study to be a yoga and aerial instructor in Costa Rica in 2017, and she has been teaching both modalities ever since! With her love and fascination for the body, she went on to study to be a holistic health practitioner and massage therapist at Healing Hands School of Holistic Health. In Lauren’s class you can expect a fun, creative flow that both strengthens and connects you to your body. Lauren is trained in Vinyasa, Yin, Yoga Nidra, Aerial Yoga, Silks and Lyra.
JENNY EDDO
I am a yoga instructor based out of North County San Diego. I grew up on the sunny beaches of Southern California. Having always enjoyed a healthy active lifestyle, yoga was a great fit for me. I enjoyed the balancing meditative qualities integrated with the invigorating, strengthening postures. Through years of practice and training I have worked and studied hard to be the knowledgeable instructor I am today. After pregnancy, surgeries, and other various physical challenges that we are all faced with in life I have always returned to yoga as a safe and supportive form of mindful movement. Yoga helps me to find healing in my body and to sustain my belief in my ability to heal and thrive as a healthy individual.
MICHAEL GUTIERREZ
Michael Gutierrez has been an athlete his whole life. He grew up playing traditional sports and has a background in gymnastics and parkour. Michael is an advanced hand balance practitioner. After healing from a severe ankle injury that ended his tumbling career, Michael ended up falling in love with hand balancing. He has been practicing and teaching since 2017 and has a passion for sharing his knowledge of handstands with others. Michael has experience teaching handstands to a wide range of students of all ages and skill levels and he looks forward to helping other handstand enthusiasts and anyone curious about handstands achieve their goals.
KELLI IVERSON
Jennifer is a Yoga Instructor and Massage Therapist, a giver of good vibes, and a conduit for transformation and healing. She has been practicing yoga, meditation, and other movement modalities for 16 years, teaching yoga for over a decade, and offering bodywork for the past seven years. Her 500 hour advanced teacher training was completed in California under the guidance of Rocky Heron and Noah Maze. She aims to provide mind, body, and spiritual development to all who are interested. Jennifer is trained in Hatha, Vinyasa, Yin, Power, Restorative, Therapeutics, Gentle, and SUP Yoga. As a teacher, Jen's classes include a mixture of alignment, blissful renewal, and light-heartedness. She provides guidance and insight, while holding compassionate space, so that you may choose your journey and experience on your mat. In her free time, you can find Jen climbing rocks, hiking in the mountains, surfing, sailing, fishing, and diving in the ocean.
HANNAH TUXBURY
Hannah Tuxbury has been passionately dedicated to aerial arts since 2017, with over seven years of experience as a teacher, performer, and competitor. As the Aerial Director at VITAL Oceanside, she welcomes students of all ages and skill levels, helping them explore and fall in love with the art of aerial. Hannah is a graduate of the Paper Doll Militia’s Aerial Teacher Training program and is also a certified yoga instructor. Her teaching style is informed by her diverse background in Pilates, yoga, and intense cardiovascular training, including regular sessions on the VersaClimber. Committed to fostering a supportive and vibrant community, Hannah shares her knowledge and enthusiasm with her students, inspiring them to reach new heights both physically and mentally. When she’s not teaching, Hannah enjoys indoor skydiving, spending time with her two dogs, Yogi and Lola, or diving into her studies.
KENZIE SCHMIDT
Kenzie completed her Ashtanga/ Vinyasa training in Goa, India in 2017. During her first year of training, she spent time teaching at yoga studios across Sydney and Perth in Australia before moving back to the States. Influenced by the soulful teachers she practiced with and the general power and grounding qualities of yoga, her teaching style aims to challenge her students through an energetic, balanced, and breath-forward flowing class — while always trying to keep it light-hearted and silly.
LAURIN WILSON
SAMANTHA BORMAN
Sam has been practicing yoga since 2010. Deeply inspired by her personal yoga journey, she decided to become a certified instructor in 2020 at VITAL to expand her practice and encourage others to enrich their lives through yoga. Initially drawn to yoga for its physical healing benefits that helped to balance her lifelong running passion, it was the sense of inner peace, moving expression, and community Sam found in yoga that kept her coming back for more. As an instructor, Sam enjoys teaching restorative and alignment- based mobility classes, and power vinyasa flows to build heat in the body. She feels both are equally important to balance the ebb and flow of life.
KAYLA CERVANTES
Kayla is a lively and helpful yoga teacher who teaches nourishing your mind and body connection. Kayla grew up being a dancer and is also a barre instructor. With her knowledge of body movements, she guides flows carefully for a safe and compassionate yoga space. No matter where you are in your yoga journey, Kayla is there to help make the class most effective for you. If Kayla is not teaching you may find her taking yoga or barre classes, drinking matcha at a local coffee shop, or sunbathing at the beach.
GENEVIEVE WELCH
Genevieve loves and has been practicing yoga for over 19 years. She completed 200hr YTT through Vital Yoga, Oceanside in the beginning of 2020. Her natural curiosity and experience as a scientific researcher and an artist leads her to continually explore creative ways to share the pleasure and benefits of yoga with her community in a way that is both challenging and fun.
RENEE MARIE
Renée helps people improve strength, balance, and flexibility so that they can live with greater energy and improved health. Through her peaceful yet powerful flows that invigorate the body and calm the mind, she facilitates wellbeing on the mat that leads to lasting wellness beyond the mat. Renée loves that yoga can be an inward journey that cultivates serenity, empowerment, and clarity for the individual, and that it is also a unifying experience when we practice together as a community. Giving back to the VITAL community of which Renée has been a member for years brings her joy. Whether you want to unlock joints or personal potential, submerse in your practice or just exercise and feel good, she is honored to guide you as you take each pose to your comfortable edge. She is completing her 500 Hour advanced training at MiraCosta, earned her 200 Hour at The Soul of Yoga, and holds a Masters in English and Bachelors in Communications. She enjoys clearly articulating alignment cues, creating playlists with songs from diverse music genres, and sharing creative sequences that resonate with our member’s various interests, skills, and preferences. Renée looks forward to holding space for you and believes when we feel good, we do good.
RACHELLE ROSANO
Rachelle is a San Diego native, born and raised in Imperial Beach and spent 7 years in the Bay Area before moving back down to Carlsbad. She has been a member of the VITAL community since 2021 and was certified by VITAL in alignment-based vinyasa (RYT 200) in 2022. Awareness and mindfulness of the physical body was the reason why she fell in love with practicing yoga. Exploring the awareness of the mind, breath, self, and community - and the beauty that happens when all that is brought together - is what keeps her a lifelong student. She will guide you through a strong practice that can be accessible to you on your best and worst days and her hope is that the energy built together off the mat during practice can be brought into the rest of your day, every day.