Meet the Yoga Haven Fam

Troy has been practicing Yoga for 13 years. As a traditionalist in most things he prefers to practice and teach traditional Hatha. He likes the fundamental poses and core strength building. Troy is a certified Massage Therapist with multiple modalities and Holistic Health Practitioner (HHP). When not teaching, you can find him riding his motorcycle, which is his favorite form of moving meditation. His main focus in life is being in the here & now. The past is gone and the future can wait… 

Karen began practicing yoga in 1998 to complement her active lifestyle as a runner, mountain biker, and spin instructor, but quickly discovered yoga’s profound impact on her mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.
 
Ten years later, inspired to share her love of yoga, Karen became a certified instructor. She now holds over 1,000 hours of Yoga Alliance-certified training in Vinyasa, Yin, Hatha, Yoga for Cancer Therapy, Yoga for a Happy Back, and The Great Yoga Wall.
 
Karen’s classes are influenced by her many renowned teachers, including Gerhard Gessner, Paul Grilley, and Rachel Krentzman.  Her teaching places a strong emphasis on promoting spinal health and relieving back, neck, and shoulder pain through yoga.
A lifelong learner, Karen is currently pursuing an 800-hour Yoga Therapy certification.
 
She is dedicated to helping students of all ages experience the healing and joyful power of yoga — making every practice accessible, transformative, and fun.

Zach firmly believes that the Yogic path is accessible to everyone. He is sincerely committed to living more skillfully and finding peace with the world, and he is passionate about helping his students discover their own paths of self-discovery.Having recently survived cancer, Zach's connection to the yogic path has become even stronger. He encourages each of us to delve deeper, uncover common threads, slow down, and embrace life through mindful breathing and movement.

Zach's yoga journey includes a 200-Hr Budokon Yoga Certificate in 2015 in Miami, and in 2022, he completed his 200-Hr Hatha Yoga Certificate and Yin training from Pilgrimage of the Heart in San Diego. Additionally, he holds a Budokon Red Belt. His teaching approach is centered around recognizing each person as a unique individual, viewing their journey as a creation of their own. Zach understands that yoga is not a one-size-fits-all practice. While you'll learn various well-known postures in his classes, he also encourages you to explore your own sensations and thoughts, which may vary from day to day.  Zach firmly believes in continuous learning and encourages viewing life with a beginner's mindset.

Maryann has been practicing various styles of martial arts since the age of 11. Her passion ignited after seeing the karate kid movie. As a child, Maryann was shy and had difficulty making friends. Since practicing martial arts her confidence and skills grew. She eventually earned her black belts in the styles Kung fu and Tai Chi, has won first place in several tournaments and made life long friendships along the way. Maryann is excited to be sharing her passion for Tai Chi at Yoga Haven, hoping to grow a community bonded by the shared interest of martial arts. Outside of practicing martial arts Maryann enjoys taking yoga classes, going on hikes and traveling. 

After practicing yoga on and off for 15+ years, in 2021 Allison’s love of world travel brought her to a retreat in Mexico where she discovered a lineage of yoga that profoundly changed her life for the better. This led her to complete her 200 RYT so she can share this magic with you! Allison brings a balance of fun, casual vibes + deep, purposeful energy to her classes. She believes music and movement are true medicine, and you can expect to hear a wide playlist - gentle indie, pop, r&b, and heavy house beats - in her power vinyasa flow. Come ready to challenge yourself and to sweat! She’s passionate about holding space for you to come as you are - no frills, no expectations, so you can tune inward and connect with your authentic self in order to better connect with the world around us.

Christina is a Hatha and Vinyasa Yoga Instructor  originally from Philadelphia. She discovered yoga in 2016 as a way to heal physical pain and reconnect with her body. Over time, the practice became much more than movement. It became a path of self-discovery, mindfulness, and personal growth.

Christina completed her first 200hr yoga teacher training in 2022 and her second in 2026. She is deeply inspired by the philosophy and teachings of yoga and loves creating spaces where students can explore movement, breathe, and the mind-body connection.  Her classes encourage presence, awareness, and a deeper understanding of Self. All are welcome! 

​Kirstin is a 500-hour certified yoga teacher, trained at HeartYoga in Minneapolis, MN. Since 2020, she has taught weekly offerings in Vinyasa Flow, Ashtanga, and Yin at studios across San Diego. She teaches from the heart, fostering a supportive and creative space where students are encouraged to connect with their breath, trust their intuition, and feel free to explore and move in a way that feels right for them.

Hi, I’m Lisa.👋 I’m excited to join Yoga Haven’s group of great teachers. I love all things ocean related whether it’s year-round plunging or freediving, and in my free time you can usually find me at the beach working on a craft or flowing sun salutations. 

I became a yoga teacher in 2025 at Reunify in OB, and since then have been teaching around San Diego as well as gaining certifications in Reiki and Yin yoga. 

I have a background as an ICU nurse, and have a deep reverence for our bodies’ natural wisdom. I also bring a strong focus on bodily alignment to my classes in hopes of giving students tools to prevent injury in the future. 

I look forward to practicing with you! 

Markandeya Rsi: Born in Argentina, he’s been practicing Yoga since he was very young, thanks to the influence of his grandmother (his first yoga teacher).  He trained as a monk in India and other countries for more than 4 years, certifying himself in different styles of yoga, meditation, philosophy and leadership.  Now, based in San Diego, CA. Teaching in the most renowned gyms and studios in San Diego and traveling to many cities and countries, giving classes and seminars at universities, TV shows, radio and schools.

I enjoy a life of healing, practice, study, being a mom and becoming my true self 🤍 Join me for vibrational sound healing, sound bath massage, and energy~healing yoga.

Sydney is a Licensed Mental Health Therapist (LPCC), intuitive healer, psychic medium, dancer, and more!
 
Sydney has been dancing since they were very little and is trained in many different styles of dance and currently works part-time as a country line-dancer!
 
Sydney was drawn to yoga many years ago and found its medicine to be healing and magical, especially through the darkest period of Sydney’s life. 
 
Sydney knew that becoming a yoga teacher was something they eventually wanted to do to deepen their own practice and finds immense fulfillment sharing their love of yoga with others! 
 
Sydney’s classes are centered around deepening the connection we have to our bodies and fully feeling any emotions that arise before, during, and after practice and transmuting, alchemizing, and moving them through the physical practice.

Ballet Mistress and School Principal, is a native of Philadelphia, PA where she began her professional dance training under John White and Margarita De Saa at the Pennsylvania Academy of Ballet. She furthered her training in Philadelphia with Kip Martin, Alexander Boitsov, The Rock School for Dance Education, and the Koresh Dance Company. Natalie has also had the opportunity to dance professionally with Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet, and Colorado Ballet’s second company. She spent summers attending programs at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, Washington Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet, and Kaatsbaan International Dance Center. 
 
Natalie joined City Ballet in 2007 first as an apprentice and then as a company member in 2009 where she performed in numerous productions until 2020. After serving as Rehearsal Assistant for a number ofyears. Natalie was named Ballet Mistress in 2020.

Kayleigh has been practicing yoga for 15 years and is especially drawn to advanced vinyasa sequences and power flows. She believes yoga is a transformative experience for both the body and mind, offering benefits that everyone can access, regardless of their ability or experience level. Her classes are designed to be inclusive, empowering, and rooted in the calming mental health benefits of a consistent yoga practice.
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Kayleigh earned her 200-hour yoga certification in July 2024 under Gerhard Gessner at Prana Yoga Center. As a lifelong learner, she hopes to pursue a yin yoga certification to expand her ability to share the restorative power of this grounding practice.
 
When she’s not teaching or practicing yoga, Kayleigh enjoys training for 10k races, teaching gymnastics to kids, spending quality time with her husband and cat, and watching sunsets on the beach.

Trained in and residing in Ocean Beach, Allie teaches traditional vinyasa and hatha yoga with a spiritual, heart-led approach. Her classes blend philosophy and intentional movement to safely support alignment—both physically and mentally.

As an athlete herself, Allie understands what it’s like to move with tight muscles and emphasizes that yoga isn’t about how a pose looks, but how it feels. She encourages students to tune into their bodies and deepen their connection within.

Born and raised on Kumeyaay land, Vivian started their yogic journey to recover from an injury, then ended up falling in love with embodying asana postures, breath, and yoga philosophy.

Four years of practice later, Vivian is 200-hour YTT certified! They continue to play while emphasizing safety in the body and mind, all to deepen connections with the now. 

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