Purusha Team
The Purusha team embodies spectacular human beings that come to our community with diverse backgrounds, education and experiences. Each team member brings their own special sauce to create a rich and unique experience, we call Purusha.
Joy Ravelli
For over 25 years, Joy has led workshops, retreats, and yoga teacher trainings. Joy is the co-owner and founder of Purusha Studio as well as the founder of the non-profit Purusha Seva Project, bringing yoga to people in underserved communities.
Kendall Eric Sparks
Co-owner of Purusha Yoga Studio, Eric is a classically trained ballet dancer since 1982 who brings a dynamic physical practice blended with mindful intention. His expertise in alignment, form, and physical adjustments will rock your world.
Kristen Singer
Kristin has been teaching Yin and Restorative Yoga since 2014. She also practices and studies bhuddism. This combination of spiritual and physical practice is her wise and great strength as a leader and mentor.
Lori Pim
Lori is a trained Yoga and Pilates instructor. She teaches flow based vinyasa and mat pilates for all levels, set to a rockin’ playlist. Her spirit and smile are a great light in the Purusha community.
Dinorah Meyer
Completing the 200 and 300-hour Yoga Teacher Trainings at Purusha has enabled her to discover and deepen her appreciation for the many other rich tools that yoga offers A holistically oriented career counselor with a master’s degree in Counseling, Dinorah integrates yoga concepts and practices into her work with clients at the Career & Personal Development Institute (private practice) and UC Berkeley and is available for private sessions at Purusha.
Shai Plonsky
Born and raised in Montreal Canada Shai now lives in El Sobrante California. He is a best selling author of two books and renounced Thai massage expert. Shai has taught Thai Massage to more than 5300 people on three continents for the past 17 years, first as the dean of the Lotus Palm School and then after opening his own, Still Light Centre. Shai loves educating other people on how giving massage is a life-changing choice and sharing how simple and easy it is to do.
Silvia Sanchez
Born and raised in Mexico, Silvia moved to San Francisco in 2007. She has always enjoyed an active lifestyle. Her classes are about building strength – physically and mentally – and listening to the body. She hopes to inspire her students to trust themselves and to find what serves them the best.
Gina Iadarola
Gina Iadarola, is Joy’s sister. She is also MSOTR/L, C-IAYT, ERT-500, YACEP has been an Occupational Therapist for over 40 years and is also a certified yoga therapist.
Lucia Grace Young
Lucia Grace Young is an embodiment and mindfulness teacher, IAYT Certified Yoga Therapist, Advanced Yoga Instructor RYT 500, and improvisational dancer based on the Big Island of Hawaii. It was through personal trauma and hardship that Lucia found herself on her spiritual path.
Jess Kay
Jess (RYT 500, she/her) began her yoga journey in 2016, with a special focus on Hatha yoga, emphasizing alignment and mobility. She obtained her 200-hour Hatha training in St. Louis and her 300-hour Hatha and Ashtanga training in Rishikesh, India in 2019. Jess incorporates her love for Hatha, Ashtanga, and Yin yoga into her teaching style, infusing each lineage with her passion. Her classes are enjoyable and may include some quality dad jokes. Above all, she aims to demystify yoga and make it accessible for all practitioners, regardless of experience.
Elizabeth Mc'Kinley
Elizabeth is a Certified Yoga Therapist and Registered Yoga Teacher in the Bay Area. Her offerings incorporate the traditions of Hatha, Restorative and Therapeutic Yoga, as well as a background in community mental health. Exploring the intersections of physical, mental, emotional and social health, Elizabeth supports her students in recognizing their inherent worth and increasing resiliency.
Allegra Bautista
Allegra began practicing yoga in 2016. She received her 200 hr Yoga Teaching Training from Purusha Yoga School. Within her teaching, she aspires to bring creativity, light and a positive nurturing environment to her classes encouraging students to feel strong, grounded, clear, and joyful.
Kristina Romanov
Kristina, an RYT 200 certified yogi, trained in Costa Rica’s lush jungles. She infuses nature’s elements and cycles into her flows, channeling her creativity as an artist into unique sequences. Her intentions center on growth, embodiment, and grounding. Kristina’s practice aims to relieve external pressures and restore inner peace. Her flows are playful and empower you to embody your authentic self, both on and off the mat.
Kathy Gehlkin
Kathy Gehlken is a Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Certified Massage Practitioner and Wellness Coach in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her work is geared toward connecting people to their inherent power to heal and be well through Ayurvedic medicine, yoga and nutrition. She also teaches workshops and classes on Ayurveda, modern nutrition, cooking and wellness. She also is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Wellness Coach, Certified Massage Practitioner and RYT-200.
Brad Xu
Brad started practicing yoga in 2011 and recently graduated from Purusha’s 200 hour yoga training program. He learns from Taoism, Buddhism and Stoicism to practice balances in Yoga and Life. He invites you to join his quest to explore power and calmness and eventually blend them together in harmony.
Natalie Russel
Natalie has been fortunate enough to practice under the guidance of experienced teachers in California, India, Thailand, and Costa Rica. She completed a 200-hour teacher training with Leah Gillman in 2012, and has continued her training with teachers such as Cybele Tomlinson, Kristyn Marshman, and Jason Crandell. She has a passion for women’s health, which also led her to complete a pre and post natal teacher training to support women through their journeys into motherhood.
Emily Zuckerman
Emily is a passionate yoga practitioner who discovered her love for yoga in her first class. With insights from her teachers and personal journey, she offers a unique, intuitive, and supportive practice. She emphasizes yoga as more than just physical exercise, promoting mindfulness, self-awareness, and compassion in daily life. Her classes are dynamic, challenging, yet nurturing, aiming to provide a holistic experience for rejuvenation and grounding. Emily is dedicated to sharing the transformative power of yoga and creating a space for students to deepen their practice and connect meaningfully with themselves and others.
Kristen Holland
Kristen is a 200 hour RYT who is very passionate about helping pregnant women connect with their bodies, connect with other moms, and to help moms prepare for childbirth in a safe and supportive environment.
Jason Hogeboom
Jason’s remarkable journey of self-discovery through yoga began after he experienced a life-altering stroke at 37, significantly affecting his balance and coordination. With an unwavering dedication to healing himself and others, Jason has trained diligently with Purusha since 2019, achieving his 200 RYT certification and fulfilling the requirements for 500 RYT. Currently pursuing Level III in Holistic Yoga Therapy and Coaching, he embodies the essence of personal growth. His unique warmth and empathy will invite you to find your own sense of balance and well-being
Nick Ramos
Nick is a certified yoga teacher, having completed his 200-hour training, with a specialization in vinyasa-style yoga. His dedication to the practice spans over two years, during which he has delved deep into the transformative power of yoga. To Nick, yoga is not merely a physical workout; it is a holistic lifestyle that places emphasis on self-reflection and the rediscovery of one’s true essence. Nick feels honored to be a part of this ancient practice and to serve as a guiding presence for others on their individual journeys.
Joaquin Rueda
Joaquin’s curiosity led him to yoga, where he discovered a deep passion. He started as a student and later became a teacher, finding profound meaning in the practice. Joaquin’s journey through various yoga traditions, including Hatha, contemplation, Bhakti Yoga, and Tantra, brought him insights and fulfillment. Inspired by Eastern traditions like Yoga, Buddhism, and Taoism, he now guides others on their path, offering meditation teachings that blend tradition with experimentation to boost confidence in practice. Joaquin’s purpose is to help individuals establish their own meditation routines, fostering kindness and clarity in their practice.
Jaen Valdes
Jaén Valdés, originally from Mexico, began his music journey at 16, mastering various instruments through his musical production studies. In 2012, a transformative spiritual retreat in the Amazon jungle introduced him to healing techniques from a shaman. Combining his love for music and energy healing, Jaén pursued three Tibetan singing bowl courses with Professor Geoffrey Torkington and a music therapy diploma from the National Autonomous University of Mexico. For over 5 years, he has conducted individual and group therapy sessions across Mexico, California, and South America.
Rafael Amar
I am a certified 500-hour meditation and yoga teacher trained in India in Kriya Yoga . After serving as a combat soldier in the Israeli Army, I turned to meditation to help me process the death and violence I witnessed. I became an Emergency Room Nurse in 2019 and continued to lean on my practice to navigate difficult experiences throughout the pandemic. Burnout and compassion fatigue ultimately led me to India and to Kriya Meditation specifically. These powerful tools have helped me find more mindfulness and balance in my own life by teaching me how to release anxiety and refill my own cup. I’m very passionate about sharing this beautiful tradition with my students and am excited to support you on your journey within.
Yousra Gaballah
Yousra Gaballah started her yoga journey back in 2017 in Purusha Yoga School in San Francisco, and the following year, she traveled to Bali to get certified to teach Hatha Yoga from Gokul Yoga School. Throughout her journey, she was constantly joining diversified yoga retreats to learn more techniques that she can use in her classes. Yousra launched her own wellness studio in Egypt that focuses on Yoga and Meditation and used to , and she also got certified to teach Air and Flexibility Yoga. Recently, she moved back to San Francisco and joined the Purusha family.
Raktim Mahanta
Greetings! I’m Raktim, hailing from India, where my connection to yoga began in Bengal amidst stunning landscapes and rich culture. Introduced to Hatha Yoga at a young age, and it evolved from a hobby into an integral part of my life. Pursuing knowledge, I joined Purusha Yoga School, completing a 200-hour TT, blending traditional and modern yoga styles. I’m passionate about sharing this art and helping you find balance, strength, and serenity. Join me on the mat to empower your body and mind, guiding you towards your authentic self and inner peace.
