I never thought that I would step into a yoga class.  I thought it was weird, and I had no interest in "feeling the earth". I thought that was strange. I thought you had to be super skinny and super flexible.  Neither of which I am.  But my friend saw that I needed something in my life.  My 80 hour a week job was taking its toll on my mind, body and spirit.  He convinced me that I could do it.  So one very early morning I took a heated vinyasa class and was immediately in love.  It was the first time in a long time that I could hear some stillness in my mind, body and soul.  I was hooked.  I knew I wanted everyone to have an opportunity to participate in something like this. 

My classes are accessible to everyone.  The beginner to the seasoned yogi.  Everyone finds a home in my class. With music that fills you, postures that move you, and fun that leaves you wanting more you too may find yourself hooked.

I am excited to come to Practic Yoga and be a part of this family.  Teaching children and mommies have become a passion of mine.  Children are natural yogis!  Their authenticity and true joy and unlimited potential are what makes it so much fun.  

I began practicing and teaching yoga in 2007. My multi-faceted style stems from a 200-hour teacher training course I completed with the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre Ashram on Paradise Island, Bahamas in 2009. Since, I have dedicated my hours to leading group and private classes, as well as devoting my teaching and time through many volunteer opportunities. I offer a balanced mix of Vinyasa, Yin and heated yoga.
 
My passion for health and wellness led me to studying at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition to become a health counselor. I continue to travel near and far to evolve my own yoga practice with intentions of expanding and offering diversified teachings that will nourish the needs of all of my students.

Yogic philosophies speak to me on levels no others have. Yoga has been a blessing in my life, and my passions lie in spreading the gift that is yoga.

I was first introduced to yoga when my mother began participating in studies testing the beneficial effects yoga has on people suffering from Multiple Sclerosis. After seeing the changes that took place, I decided to begin practicing myself. Five years later, after graduating from college, I relocated to Los Angeles and began practicing with Claudia Fucigna, who told me about the upcoming teaching training she was giving. In the fall of 2011, I advanced on to get my 200-hour yoga certification with PURE Yoga at Equinox. While completing this certification I developed my personal teacher’s creed—make yoga accessible to everyone. Whether people have access to a studio or not, feel that they are not fit enough, or think too much, I strive to introduce yoga to anyone I can.

Of the many mantras I have learned in my yoga development there is one that rings most true in my heart: lokah samastha sukhino bhavantu: May all beings everywhere be happy and free, and may the thoughts, words, and actions of my own life contribute in some way to that happiness and to that freedom for all. 

For me, yoga began as a way to become more active and exercise, an alternative to the gym. It did accomplish those things but it also gave me so much more. Yoga gives me greater mental clarity and peace of mind. I feel grounded when I practice and I am much more able to confront life's challenges. It has also given me greater self-awareness and has helped me to move more fully into living my truth. Yoga is about joy and freedom; freedom to be you and live joyously in your own body.

I have been practicing since 2002 and received my 200-hr teacher training from Inland College of Yoga in 2006. In my classes I seek to create a space in which you can experience your own since of freedom, joy, and groundedness while strengthening and stretching your body and mind.

Yoga to me has truly been a surprise and delight.  Traveling through the different stages of my life, I believe it was the Universe that led me to my practice.  Growing up I was under the impression exercise was not for everyone and that being healthy was not a priority.  While experiencing the symptoms of Asthma and being overweight, I began my journey to finding better health.  With strong determination and a gradual increase of confidence I began distance running.  However, the running was taking a toll on my body.  Devastation began to set in at that point.  

Looking at my alternative health options I found Yoga. This brought me the gift of Ashtanga Yoga and to meet my instructor Marti Lee in 2009. Upon Marti's request, I began volunteer assisting.  This exposed me to the various aspects of teaching Yoga and managing a studio. My teaching Yoga began a year ago and a romance with the practice has followed ever since. 

I have attended various teacher trainings and workshops such as: Ashtanga Yoga 40 Hour Teacher Training at Maya Yoga with Kathleen Kastner and Wade Mortenson in 2012, Yoga Retreat at Circle S Ranch, Tim Miller Pranayama-Breath Control Workshop, Max Strom Yoga Workshop, Chanting and Mantra Workshop with Marti Lee, Deeksha Oneness Blessing Workshop with Rainbow Moon, Partner Yoga Workshop with Ian and Jennifer Rabang and Thai Massage Workshop with Drew Corrigan. I am group fitness, CPR, Adult First-Aid and AED certified.  

There is no better word than abundance to describe my experience with Yoga. With a heart full of gratitude and love, thank you for reading and hope to be practicing with YOU soon! NAMASTE'    

I have always been drawn to the power of physical movement, I find it nearly impossible to sit still! I love to move my body in so many ways, but my favorite way to move is to practice yoga. I don't remember when I first found yoga, but over the last decade, my yoga practice has found me when I have needed it most. Many lessons have been learned on my mat, and my yoga practice has helped me to develop strength, confidence, and plenty of self-love.    

After witnessing the healing power of yoga, I decided I needed to share this sacred practice with others.  I completed my 200-hour certification at Yoga Blend in Burbank, CA.  As I carry on with my personal practice, exploring the many aspects of yoga and it's philosophy, I am humbled and incredibly grateful to be able to share my experiences with others.

It is really important to me to create a safe and comfortable environment.  I believe yoga is for anyone, if you can breathe and move even just a little, you can do yoga!  My hope is my students can feel safe to go deeper and explore, and have fun!  

I was born and raised in a very small town in western Montana. My father owns a biodynamic/organic dairy farm and my mother owns a frame shop and gallery. It is only natural that I would eventually find yoga, as my hippie parents built their own house out of an old grain silo: complete with an outhouse and baths in a washtub filled with heated water. While not selling lemonade on the side of our country road, or helping my grandmother bottle-feed baby cows, I was busy expressing myself in the form of endless ballet “recitals” in my favorite pink sequined tutu. 

Eighteen years later I was still dancing, but after a knee injury in college and ridiculous amounts of stress, decided to give this “yoga” stuff a chance. My first classes in the basement of the student athletic center were not exactly inspiring- think florescent lights, a showy teacher, and not much about how to actually “do” each pose, but something about the practice stuck with me. After toying with the idea of teaching for several years, and asking “do I have what it takes to do really do this?” I took the plunge, and got my certification under the amazing direction of James Brown and Alexandra Crow at YogaPoser and found that I not only can, but that I love to teach.  

I teach because I am in awe of the awesome abilities of the human body, have a deep appreciation of the beautiful silence of a peaceful mind, and a dedication to the purity and freedom I felt as a child under the big blue skies in Montana and want to share, and help my students find those same things. 

I am a native of Chicago, Illinois, and a Hatha yoga teacher and yoga therapist in Los Angeles.  After several car accidents that left me with extreme body ailments and years in a high-stress job in the entertainment industry I found myself depleted, unhealthy and sick. I decided to change my lifestyle, said goodbye to my nine to five desk job, and started my journey to heal.  I found Yoga, one of the greatest tools for my personal growth, as well as for the transformation and healing of my mind, body and spirit. I’m very fortunate that I’ve had great teachers who helped me regain my wonderful passion for life, health and well-being.

In the last seven years of practicing yoga, I graduated from Loyola Marymount University with a degree in Yoga Therapy led by Larry Payne, acquired the 500-hour Yoga Alliance Credential following the Professional Yoga Teacher Training with Yoga Works and mentored with Jasmine Lieb and have completed the Restorative & Therapeutic Teacher Training with Jillian Pransky. 


It is my intention to help others with their lifestyle challenges. I want to inspire, elevate and educate as many people as possible while encouraging them to live their lives to their fullest potential. Ultimately, we are our own greatest teachers. 

I always aim to create a gentle environment which respects the individual journey of each person.  My classes draw from studies evolved from the teachings of Ashtanga, Iyengar, Desikachar, and Idra Devi to name a few, and have an emphasis on Yoga Therapy, Restoratives, Pranayama and Meditation.

I have been a yoga instructor for nearly ten years, though I wasn't always as confident as I am today. My initial resistance melted into surrender, and eventually matured into an outright love for the honor of teaching.  I am passionate about beauty of how yoga elegantly harmonizes the physical, mental, and spiritual. She believes the yoga tradition enlivened through the authentic delivery and the unique perspective of each teacher. 

My goal is to facilitate the development of confidence and personal style in yoga teachers around the world.

In addition to my love of yoga and yoga teacher development, I have a particularly strong affinity for eating chocolate, climbing trees, and having deep philosophical conversations with people younger than 10 years of age. 

Check out Practic Yoga's Youtube channel to hear more from Tazima!