Yoga Teachers

 All of our ongoing class Yoga Instructors are Certified at a minimum of 200hrs and many have over 5000 hours of teaching experience.
Please enjoy getting to know us through our Bio’s below… and join us soon for yoga, meditation, retreats, workshops and more!

Cassandra Wallick (aka Nischala), E-RYT200, CYTx2
Ordained Healer and Yogacharya
Founder of Gilbert Yoga
I began my practice of yoga in California in the Ashtanga tradition in 1998. Through my first experience of yoga, I realized that this was the Path for me. It felt ‘right’; I had finally found a practice that fulfilled me…in mind, body, and spirit. As my body became stronger, my mind became more peaceful, and my spirit soared. I was first certified as a yoga instructor in Arizona in the year 2000, and later studied under an Self-Realized Master from South India (from 2006-2009) gaining my Ordainment as a Yogacharya and Spiritual Healer in India in 2007. Within these many hours of experiential practice and studies with a Master my practice became deeply spiritual, and meditation led me further inward and ultimately to connect with my Divine Self. Throughout the years on this Yoga path, I’ve enjoyed practicing and studying Sanskrit (the language of yoga), Ashtanga yoga, Anusara yoga, Power yoga, Restorative yoga, Yin yoga, Viniyoga, Nithya Yoga, Hot Yoga, Kids Yoga and more. In my classes I openly and respectfully share my Truth – we are spritual Beings living a Human Existence, and through Love and Oneness we can enjoy each moment as it arises, opening to Grace, allowing ourselves to Flow with the rhythm of this Dance we call Life.

Ingrid Ortega, RYT
We are all born with an enlightened heart, with a calm and peaceful mind, breathing.  In our yoga practice we are simply coming back to who we Are…to our Divine Essence. There are many ways to walk our path; the Art and Science of Yoga is a very special and effective one, at least for me. My journey started when I was a child; we were 7 crazy kids (3 girls/4 boys), me in the middle. Yoga for me, at first, was about trying to impress my family with some pretzel-like yoga poses I may have seen in a book at home in Venezuela. Now yoga is a way a life…a method of healing. My childhood freedom was often interrupted by broken bones, a symptom of premature osteoporosis at the age of six. Through my younger years I had two broken vertebra, a broken tailbone, ankles, foot, toes, fingers, etc… not all at once of course! At one point in my late 20′s I asked myself, ‘Do I want to live this way?’ In constant pain, so limited and restricted? Of course not! Two days later I met my first yoga teacher, Nancy. Within a few weeks I began to see the results of a consistent practice of yoga. I started to heal and transform in so many ways. The more I woke up and continue to wake up, the more I see and realize that I know nothing…and that inspires me to move on. After some years, I came to the United States, having faced many challenges but along the way learning that it is our perception that will make a difference…allowing us to remain in Peace, and remembering to continue to Trust. Along my path, I met Cassandra, who encouraged me to get teach yoga. And in 2001 in Sedona, through an amazing 30 days of yoga…of waking up… I became certified to teach and joined her at Gilbert Yoga. My training was based on ancient Tantric Techniques of Yoga and Kriyas, developed by Yoga Master Swami Satyananda Saraswati, a disciple of Enlightened Master Swami Sivananda. Meanwhile I met my husband, Carlos, who is a constant teacher, Guru, and daily inspiration. In 2002 our son David came into our lives and gave us the honor of being his parents. He is our teacher, our inspiration, our reminder to Just Be…be happy, be joyful, be grateful! So, hear I AM, continually learning, teaching, giving, and receiving the many Blessings and benefits of this science, art, discipline called Yoga. We can call it whatever we like, but it is bringing us together. It welcomes and holds us…as we are, feeding any particular need of our body, mind and spirit, gently guiding us back home to our Divine Essence. I invite you to join me in a practice of All Level or Vinyasa Flow Yoga, so that we may ultimately break free from the illusion of seperateness, boundaries and suffering. I AM YOU, YOU ARE I, and WE ARE ONE….ONE with the Divine.

Lisette Mercado-Pena, RYT
Certified Prenatal Yoga Teacher
Licensed Hypno-Birthing Coach
     Many people ask, “How were you drawn to yoga and birth education?” Several life experiences drew me toward the wonders of yoga and the amazing spiritual, emotional and physical aspects yoga offers. For me, yoga emcompassed everything that I needed to keep myself healthy and sane in mind, body and spirit. My greatest joys are my children, husband, family and teaching. Evolving as a woman, wife and mother is what motivated me to become a yoga instructor. I had practiced yoga for many years, but knew that I was missing something – that was sharing my passion with others. I had already brought two amazing little girls into the world, both great birthing experiences, but not in the natural methods that I later realized and felt deep in my heart were best for myself and my baby. While in yoga teacher training, I also became a Hypnotherapist and found HypnoBirthing the Mongan Method. I then became certified as a birth educator before even experiencing a non-medicated birth. Knowing and learning about the history of child birth and how we as women gave and still give all our power away during birth, I began to strongly feel that we need to regain confidence and trust in who we are and in the bodies we were given. My next two children were birthed at home, as water births; a profound experience which words cannot do justice. I have become extremely passionate about yoga and birth education and am overwhelmingly happy to share this with students in my classes. It is so joyful to watch a pregnant woman evolve – sometimes from a place of fear and doubt, into a being full of happiness, love, joy, and excitement around their upcoming birth process. When a woman really wants to, they can trust the process of labor and birth and have the birth experience that they envision! Let me help you to envision YOUR MOST PERFECT BIRTH!

Lisa Hecke, RYT
Hypno-Therapy, Aromatherapy and Reiki Practitioner
This journey called yoga has brought me to a place of healing, love, and an overall connection to Self. My yoga path began in 2006 when I was searching for a sense of self discovery. I was pleasantly surprised when I arrived at my first yoga class and found that my spirit had been longing for exactly this. On that day I was able to find a place of Center, a place of Peace within myself that I had not ever experienced before.  As the years went by, my practice began to evolve until one day I found myself awaken to a new chapter that would bring me into a 200 hour teacher training program. I have been blessed to train with Carrie Hensley, in Ashtanga, Vinyasa and the Fundamentals of Yoga.  As a teacher it is my intention to create a space of peace where students can connect to the physical, energetic, and emotional sensations in the postures. Each class will gently blend steadiness with ease, while focusing on alignment, breath work, and an exploration into self discovery, allowing a safe space for students to look within and honor their Truth…their authentic Self.

 

Jeanette Runnings, Pediatric Occupational Therapist
RYT & Certified Kids Yoga Teacher through Karma Kids and Radiant Child Programs
Certified Laughter Leader through the World Laughter Tour Program
I added yoga to my life in the late 1990′s, but with job changes and family moves it was difficult to always maintain a dedicated practice. I started teaching children’s yoga classes in 2005 in Boise, Idaho.  I was motivated as a pediatric Occupational therapist, to give to the kids the benefits I got from yoga for myself. Children are different than adults and so I sought out how to make yoga more kid appealing through trainings with Karma Kids Yoga in NYC and the Radiant Child Programs. I immersed myself in both kids and adult workshops and began using yoga in my therapy practice and in the community. My Kids classes include imaginative play, stories, laughter, music, toys, games and other yoga props. Once a child is happy, confident and motivated, they soon become more open to learning not just the movements of yoga but begin to tune into breath and the spirit of yoga. Using my therapist background I am happy to be sharing yoga with both typically developing children and those with special needs. Yoga helps kids find balance in their life, aids their motor development, as well as improves flexibility of body and mind, improves anger control, and teaches self calming techniques. Just like an adult, the practice is accumulative and does not happen overnight. A consistent yoga practice will help children blossom into confident, balanced, happy individuals. When we moved to Arizona in 2008, I was so happy to find Gilbert Yoga and the support of the wonderful teachers there. Besides kids classes, I enjoy teaching Level 1-2 Adult classes and Laughter Yoga for all ages!