Rebekah Cunningham
Rebekah has been practicing Bikram yoga for 21 years. She attended her first Bikram class after moving to Colorado from her home town of Long Beach, California. For the first few years she attended classes once or twice a week when her work schedule permitted. At the time she was traveling heavily and found the practice to be very grounding after being gone for extended periods. Over time, her practice increased to several times a week. She began to attend classes all over the country when she traveled, enjoying various teaching styles and techniques. Yoga became an engrained part of her life, something she felt deeply connected to. Rebekah understands that hard work and consistency pay off when you are dedicated to your practice. Craving a deeper understanding of the postures and their benefits has kept her practicing steadily over the years.
The benefits Rebekah has experienced from her yoga practice are almost to numerous to list. Sharing what she has learned and experienced throughout her time on the mat is such a great gift to give back. Teaching is a privilege and she feels truly blessed to be part of the yoga community. Her practice has taken many twists and turns (LITERALLY) over those years! She will be the first person to tell you she lives an exceptional life and is a better person because of her yoga practice. Her teaching style is tough but compassionate, striving for her students to achieve what they never thought possible, both physically and mentally.
Rebekah is a certified Bikram Yoga instructor and has attended Level 1 and Level 2 training with Baron Baptiste. In addition, she has completed two 200 Hour Yoga Alliance certified Hot Yoga teacher trainings. She believes you can never have enough training! Simply put, she loves Hot Yoga! Rebekah has experienced the benefits of her yoga practice first hand and is thrilled to share her knowledge and passion with The Hot Room community.
Chelsea Koehnen
Chelsea discovered her passion for yoga in 1997 with Bikram yoga and maintained a disciplined practice for 10 years. She found Vinyasa yoga in 2007 and hasn’t stopped doing it since. An avid health and fitness enthusiast her entire life, she found that yoga not only enhanced her physical strength and flexibility, but also allowed her to live life with a greater sense of peace, clarity and compassion. After experiencing the amazing physical, emotional and spiritual benefits of yoga over years of personal practice, she decided to share this gift with others by becoming a certified instructor through CorePower Yoga in 2010 and started teaching for CorePower immediately after. Chelsea strives to create dynamic and inspiring yoga classes for her students that challenge them physically and also provide them a time for reflection and meditation. Chelsea has lead and coached many teacher training programs and also teaches at Equinox La Costa. When Chelsea is not doing yoga, you can find her spending time with her three young daughters, husband and super adorable dog Parker.
Amy
I began my practice in Ashland Oregon nine years ago. I realized quickly this yoga was something special and transformative. In the fall of 2011, I made the decision to go to Bikram’s teacher training. I have had the opportunity to teach in Chicago, Kauai and now here in beautiful San Diego. It is with much gratitude that I am able to teach and share this yoga.
Shelie Herman
Shelie walked into her first Bikram Yoga class about 20 years ago in San Francisco. She immediately fell in love with the strong sense of discipline that was required to not only get through a class but that was expected of her. She continued to add yoga to her fitness routine which at that time consisted of training for many marathons and races. Shelie has ALWAYS had an intense passion for fitness and anything that challenges her mind and body. Which lead her to going through the vigorous 9 week Bikram Yoga Teacher Training in Los Angeles in 2003. She began teaching Bikram all over San Diego, and taught through two pregnancies. She taught Bikram Yoga for 7 years, but within those 7 years took her first Barre class. She began incorporating barre into her fitness regime. Which lead her to owning her own Barre studio and teaching barre for 6 years. With two kids growing up and following in her footsteps of playing competitive sports and her family needing more of her time she sold her barre studio 5 years after opening but continued to teach barre and yoga. Eventually getting her 200 E-RYT and 50 hour Sculpt certification through Corepower Yoga in 2016.
Courtney Bustillos
Courtney Bustillos has been teaching group fitness in Carlsbad for several years. Courtney started dancing at the early age of two and has been keeping her body “flowing” and moving ever sense. Prior to teaching Vinyasa and Yoga sculpt in North County, Courtney taught Barre at the Daily Method Carlsbad. Courtney became 200-hour certified in 2016 and loves teaching yoga because of the powerful connection it allows her to have with her students. Courtney is a former award-winning journalist and was born and raised in San Diego. She attended San Diego State University, where she was a cheerleader and dancer and graduated with a degree in Broadcast Journalism. Courtney met her husband Kevan (also a yoga enthusiast) while attending SDSU. The couple lives in Carlsbad with their two young daughters, Ella and Charlotte. Courtney and her family enjoy the outdoors as much as possible and spend a lot of time on walks and runs with their lab, Bodhi and labradoodle, Millie.
Hilary Marshall
Hilary has been practicing yoga for nearly 16 years. After the birth of her third child, her husband suggested that she try a yoga class. She was temporarily living on the east coast and was fortunate enough to live a few blocks from Synergy Power Yoga, a Baptiste Affiliate Studio. From the moment she entered the room, she knew she was home. The dynamic and balanced Baptiste flow offered inner power that she had never experienced, both physically and mentally. After practicing at Synergy, and then another Baptiste studio for 5 years, she attended both Level 1 and Level 2 teacher trainings with Baron Baptiste in addition to some weekend immersion trainings. She also has completed her 200 Hour Yoga Alliance certified training with a local studio in Encinitas. Hilary has taught power vinyasa in Encinitas and also attends classes regularly throughout the community. Hilary is a wife, and mother of 3 boys, and 4 dogs. She is a health and wellness mentor through use of essential oils, lover of vegan food and fresh juice, and animal welfare advocate.
Francisco Rufino Baeza
Dear Yogi,
Let me introduce my self, my name is Franciso Rufino, I’m originally from Mexico City, Mexico . I graduated from Bikram Yoga Teacher Training in San Diego (Fall 2010), after the Training my journey as Teacher start sharing my passion with the yogi community in Mexico for the last years. As a practitioner I discovered the unlimited potential that hatha yoga practice give us day by day, that’s why it’s a practice !!, each day We learn together, the Teacher learn from the Student and the Student learn from the Teacher, it’s part of the union, it’s part of the process. I’m happy to start learning and sharing my passion with this community, let’s work together and discover day by day Who We really are with our unlimited potential, It is going to be my privilege to be part of your daily practice .
Brooke Welty
Brooke Welty was raised in the desert and beach regions of majestic southern California. After graduating with a double degree in sociology and dance from the University of California, Santa Barbara, a career in dance and choreography took her to New York City for the better part of a decade. During this time yoga became a peaceful and centering escape from the highly competitive and intense world of performance. It was not until she retired from dancing professionally, and moved back to North County San Diego, that yoga and wellness truly struck a new chord. It was perfect timing.
Throughout the past six years Brooke has worked in the fitness, yoga, and wellness industry as a studio manager, instructor, and teacher training lead in the north county San Diego region. She holds an E-RYT 200 hour Yoga Alliance certificate and many continuing education credits. Brooke is dedicated to being an open and compassionate soul; she lives to recognize the beauty and inspiration in every being and situation. Truly inspired by the lovely and diverse yoga and fitness community that surrounds her, Brooke believes that yoga and wellness is a path that is specialized for each individual body and soul.
Amanda Goad
Amanda was born and raised in San Diego, she lives in Carlsbad with her husband and their two children. Always an athlete, and fitness enthusiast, she began her career in fitness instruction in 2016. She began teaching barre, because of her love for the low impact workout, this path led her to yoga and a new passion. Growing not only physically but mentally after each step on the mat. “With every class I lead and take, my passion for this practice only deepens. I am inspired, motivated, and in awe of my students and fellow classmates and I hope to share that inspiration with them”, Amanda says.
Monica Mahdion
The yoga I didn’t think I needed came to me 11 years ago. When I began it soon revealed the realization we are all practicing some form of yoga on and off the mat daily as we hang on to the swirling sphere around the sun we call home. Since then I’ve taught over a few thousand classes and on New Years Day 2021 I reached a 10 yr anniversary of doing so and… I still enjoy it! With each of our lives in a constant state of change, each class is an opportunity to renew and reset our awareness and expectations. The intention I have for every class I teach is to bring the best direction and energy to your mind, your body and your practice. My wish is that it will guide you to become aware and use your inner strengths to grow and build upon the intentions you bring to class, leaving you revitalized and ready to LIVE Your Life. It’s never too late to start……so let’s begin!
Angelique Daniell
Angelique Daniell, a South African native, has been a dedicated health and wellness practitioner since 2005. As a Master Certified Health Coach, Movement specialist and essential oil expert, Angy brings a broad array of knowledge and expertise to her clients. After 10 years in corporate marketing, Angy turned to Pilates to help with chronic back pain. So convinced of the healing of Pilates, she completed a rigorous 800-hour teacher-training at the Pilates Institute of Southern California and made the full-time career transition into wellness. As a Lululemon Ambassador in Los Angeles, she quickly gathered a strong following for her vibrant and energetic teaching style. Always a learner, Angy soon received certifications in CrossFit and Olympic Lifting which gave her a new respect for strength training. As a long time yoga practitioner, in 2012 Angy completed her 200hr RYT in Vinyasa and restorative yoga, and has since gained over 300hrs of additional training. Her effervescent energy and warm approach are creatively woven into her love for movement, inspirational music and the mind-body connection. She has taught at premiere studios in Los Angeles, Portland and Northern San Diego. Angy is a loving wife, momma to Jack, and a two-time cancer warrior who has learned to tap in to her strengths and perseverance to keep moving forward. The right foods, essential oils, appropriate supplements, movement and a positive mindset have helped heal her body. Daily breathwork, meditation, hot yoga, Pilates, healthy habits, and surrounding herself with like-minded people inspire her each day. She encourages her clients to take ownership of their own wellness, build the right mindset, and create the life they love.
Missy
Missy hails from San Diego originally and is a mother of two. She spent 10 years teaching yoga in Hong Kong and was a pillar in the HOT yoga community. Missy has taught hot yoga for over 15 years and uses the hot practice as a tool for finding balance and peace in her everyday life. She is devoted to the Bikram hot sequence and has practiced over 20 years, leading workshops, trainings and retreats internationally. She believes firmly in the immeasurable benefits that come from the unique setting of the hot room, such as; cultivating perseverance; stamina and increased flexibility. In addition, she has received other certificates including alignment, vinyasa and advanced trainings. As a teacher, Missy is known by some as the “sweet killer.” Her classes are challenging and she guides students through the sequence with a clarity and directness. She is firm, pushing her students to aim high and do their best, while maintaining a soft and gentle nature, always with a smile. Her aim is to have students leave their mats feeling lighter, freer but also give them an incredible physical experience. She is grateful to her teachers who gave her the foundation for her practice and the tools to be a passionate, direct and kind teacher. Bikram Choudhury and Emmy Cleaves.
Leah Elliott
Leah grew up in Canada and in 2000 decided to make the move and call Southern California home. With a desire to become more present in her life, she was introduced to yoga in 2009 and felt the life altering changes from her continued practice. Shortly thereafter she left her busy life in the corporate world to become a full time stay at home mother. Her continued yoga practice was essential in helping her navigate through the ongoing changes that life presented. Having always felt inspired to share the gift of yoga with others, the stars aligned in 2018, and she completed her 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training. With a craving for continuous learning, she completed her 300-hour Yoga Teacher Training in 2021. Leah is extremely passionate about the mind-body connection and the way in which yoga can heal and transform us through breath, asana, and the spiritual essence held within the practice. Her goal is for students to leave her class feeling more inner peace, compassion and mental clarity.
Hannah McConaughy
Hannah, born and raised along the coast in Virginia, first started dabbling in meditation and yoga as a teenager. Eastern philosophy became a huge part of her journey as a youth to young adult. In her early twenties she spent time surfing and traveling in Indonesia and Thailand to discover more of how yogic tradition, Hinduism, and Buddhism played out in the daily lives of those around her. It transformed her and she knew fo years she wanted to teach yoga. It wasn’t until she lived in Florida that she started taking hot yoga vinyasa style classes. She became hooked. Two years later she unexpectedly moves to San Diego. She right away started taking classes at studios in North County. Over a period of 5 years living in San Diego she transitioned from working in the service industry, to acting/ modeling, to the health and wellness industry. She began with teaching Lagree fitness and has recently become 200 HR Yoga Alliance certified. It is just the beginning for her. She is delving into an array of fitness and wellness certifications and is young, eager, and passionate. She is inspired and motivated by the process of creating through moving meditation as a means for connection for those around her and giving the space for others to step into freedom and help transform and embrace community.
