Yoga Teachers of Purusha Yoga
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.
Jen Betti, Partner
Growing up studying intensive ballet, Jen found the dance studio a refuge to explore creativity, dedicated practice, and a community with aligned values. Practicing Pilates for the past 20 years has been a natural extension of all the ballet training, and once again, she found a studio community to be a touchstone. Jen has an over 20-year career in corporate communications, in both the non-profit and technology sectors, focused on supporting work cultures where diversity is embraced, and employees have a safe place to do their best work. In addition, Jen is a founding member of a San Francisco education non-profit aimed to empower communities for change in public education. Finding herself as a new leader of Purusha Studio, Jen has had a full-circle journey. She brings her professional and community activism experience to her passion for fostering a supportive community to the role.
Kopal Maheshwari, Partner
Kopal was first introduced to yoga in a way she didn’t fully recognize. Her grandmother would guide her grandchildren to sit in a particular posture after meals to aid digestion—only later did Kopal realize it was a yoga pose. As a young adult, she discovered the profound connection between breath and movement and has been practicing ever since. Kopal’s journey has taken many twists and turns, from a corporate career and becoming a mother of three to discovering a passion for entrepreneurship. Most recently, she has prioritized her spiritual and physical well-being with herbalism and meditation. Yoga and breathwork have been a source of balance and grounding for Kopal through every phase. Kopal relies on this experience to guide Purusha Studio as a new leader into its next chapter and to help the community grow in wellness.
Joy Ravelli, Founder, Master Teacher
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.
Hannah Williams, Studio Manager
Hannah (200HR, she/her) began to practice yoga in 2018 as part of a somatic therapeutic journey. Since then, she has become a dedicated student and teacher of Hatha, Vinyasa, and Yin yoga styles, and aims to provide her community with accessible and trauma-informed holistic care. Her current platform – Activate, Home for the Political Yogi– seeks to re-engage the modern yoga movement with an anti-oppressive social justice framework, honoring the call for unity at the heart of the practice. Born and raised in Oakland, Hannah is delighted to be in San Francisco and grateful to join the Purusha community. She looks forward to seeing you on the mat!
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.
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.
Lauren Rehbein
Lauren is a lifelong learner at heart with over a decade of dedicated yoga practice and a depth of education and experience which includes a 200-hour and currently enrolled in the 300. hour, and yoga therapy program. Lauren creates a nurturing space where you can embark on your own journey of self-discovery and growth. Lauren offers guidance and support as well as inspiration for you to experience your own metamorphosis through the transformative power of yoga.
Victoria Bautista
Victoria Bautista, A native San Franciscan, spent some of her youth in New York City, as a dancer, fitness trainer, and shoe model for Bergdorf. A bicycle accident led her the Ohashi Institute, from which she then graduated a Shiatsu practitioner. After she returned home, she earned a BA in Dance Education and MA in learning and Instruction. She came to Purusha where she shares her joy in yoga and in the many beauties life offers. Her teaching is thoughtful, attentive and inclusive, making full use of her knowledge of body mechanics and restorative movement.
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.
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.
Sarah Pascual
Sarah is a Bay Area native, ocean lover and a new mama living down by the beach in the Sunset District. With 16 years teaching both locally and internationally. She draws from a wide tapestry of mind-body healing modalities that she’s studied: Hatha, Restorative, Yin and Satya yoga, Holistic Massage Therapy, Subtle Body Energy Work, Self-Inquiry and Soul-Based Coaching. She gracefully and methodically weaves these teachings together with deliberate attention to what her students may need, guiding them towards a more conscious connection to body, heart and spirit. Sarah’s warm and welcoming energy is felt and allows you to show up exactly how you are, she believes through practice one can create flow, authenticity, grace and ease on and off the mat, inevitably pouring out into all aspects of life.
Justin Chickles
I approach yoga with a sense of wonder, enriched by learning from remarkable teachers worldwide. As a new teacher, my style fuses traditional and modern techniques, providing a comprehensive experience for all levels. My classes extend beyond vinyasa; they include mindful movements, breath work, and meditation, fostering balance in body, mind, and spirit. Incorporating vinyasa, my classes maintain a smooth flow, linking breath with movement, and offering a dynamic and invigorating experience. Meditation, a key part of my practice, is something I value and am eager to share.
Kaitlyn Kuehn
Kaitlyn has lived in the Bay Area since 2013. She originally did her 200 hr YTT to teach yoga to the elementary students in the school garden where she worked. Kaitlyn enjoys practicing yoga as a way to strengthen the mind-body-soul connection. Her classes focus on building strength in a mindful way while also honoring your body. Kaitlyn is grateful to be connected to an ancient practice that continues to bring joy and healing to people today. “
Yvonne Wang
I am a certified Mastery Method Intuitive Coach, Kundalini Yoga Instructor, Meditation Facilitator, and Sound Healer. I share ancient wisdom and practices rooted in yogic, shamanic & indigenous energy healing modalities. These practices work to strengthen, align and balance our mind, body, and spirit so that we can face life’s challenges with fortitude and resilience. Join me on powerful inner journeys towards growth, expansion, lightness, newness and freedom.
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.
Annie Dang
Annie began her yoga journey in 2019, quickly discovering the power of presence and the grace it can bring on (and off) the mat. Finding solace in yoga, she was drawn to deepen her practice at Purusha Yoga School, graduating from their 200-Hour YTT. Playful in spirit, she approaches her classes with joy and lightheartedness, offering a safe space to be playful and curious.
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.
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.
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.
Magali Clazon
Founder of Movimiento Creativo, Magalí is a Movement Artist born in Argentina who developed her hospitality and wellness career as an Ontological Senior Coach and Yoga, Dance, and Mindfulness Teacher. For the past 15 years, she has dedicated herself to the learning and practice of somatics and movement. Her long experience in hospitality, traveling the world, and corporate life allows her to facilitate unique transformational body experiences. In 2020, Magalí moved to San Francisco, California, to deepen her Somatics and Conscious Movement studies. Since then, she has been immersed in practices involving nature and shamanism to integrate her mind-body work into the realms of the spirits. She combines her Somatics Arts in different settings, such as a Wolf Womb woman’s circle, Ceremonies Dancing with Animal Spirits, Outdoors Creative Movement in Ocean Beach, and 1.1 Coaching Sessions in Nature. She brings music into every experience, creating curated playlists that reflect the natural rhythm of change. Magalí founded Movimiento Creativo from a place of love and gathering with our bodies and ourselves to rediscover human connections through movement, music, and nature. That is why she is inviting you to be part of this magical community.
Vanessa Bell
Vanessa began her yoga practice in 2014, finding comfort and expansion amid stress and anxiety. Her journey led her to Purusha’s 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training, which she initially embarked upon as a pathway through grief, but along the way unexpectedly discovered her calling as a teacher. As a flamenco dancer performing regularly on San Francisco stages, Vanessa brings a vibrant expressiveness to her yoga classes. She is driven by a desire to share the healing benefits of yoga and mindfulness, aiming to help others achieve bliss through the communal experience of yoga.
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.
