Meet Our Teaching Team

Christine Anderson, E-RYT 500 certified yoga instructor at Sama Yoga House, teaching Bhakti Vinyasa-based classes that emphasize devotion, breath, alignment, and yoga philosophy.
E-RYT 500

Christine Anderson

Christine is the co-founder of Sama and is deeply devoted to creating intentional spaces where people can reconnect- with themselves, with nature, and with the world around them. Her journey with yoga began as a teenager in the suburbs of Chicago, when she discovered the practice as both a sanctuary and a powerful outlet. What started as solace soon became a lifelong path 18 years and going. Today, she is known for her uplifting teaching style and her passion for guiding devotional, vinyasa-based classes that weave together inquiry, alignment, breath, and yoga philosophy. Her dynamic vinyasa classes leave students with a radiant glow and a deep sense of release, while her restorative practices and guided meditations bring grounding, balance, and bliss. With over 1,000 hours of training in yoga and fitness education, Christine brings a depth of knowledge, experience, and heart to every class, retreat, and teacher training she leads. She is especially passionate about sharing the transformative power of yoga through international retreats and immersive trainings, where community and practice intertwine and has led over two dozen yoga trainings and retreats. 

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E-RYT 500

Zoe Thompson

Zoe is an E-RYT 500 yoga teacher based in Marina Del Rey, CA, with over a decade of teaching experience. A former ballet dancer, Zoe discovered yoga after an injury and found it to be both healing and transformative-a practice that continues to inspire her journey as both teacher and lifelong student. She is known for teaching incredible, powerful vinyasa sequences set to upbeat soundtracks that energize and uplift, as well as nourishing slow flows and grounding, heart-centered meditations that restore balance and presence. Zoe leads teacher trainings, mentors yoga teachers, and is deeply passionate about empowering others to find joy in movement, expression, and self-discovery through the practice of yoga. When she’s not on the mat, you’ll often find Zoe surfing with her husband or hiking the trails with their pup, Maui.

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Tavo Grijalva

Tavo Grijalva, a highly experienced yoga teacher with over 11 years of dedicated practice and instruction. Certified in Vinyasa, Hatha, Yin, Breathwork, and Meditation, Tavo has taught a diverse range of classes, workshops, retreats, and teacher trainings around the globe. His leadership extends to managing yoga studios in Rome and Costa Rica, bringing a wealth of knowledge and insight to their teaching. In addition to yoga, Tavo is a sound healing therapist, certified personal trainer, and mobility specialist, incorporating holistic wellness techniques into his work. He regularly collaborates with high-end hotels, such as the Four Seasons, as a guest teacher and wellness expert. His teaching approach emphasizes biomechanics, anatomy, and muscle actions, integrating mobility and strengthening drills into yoga flows to promote physical resilience and awareness. 

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Pradeep Teotia

Pradeep was born and raised in a small village outside of New Delhi, India, and is an internationally acclaimed yoga teacher,and meditation guide known for his empowering and transformational approach to yoga, healing, and spirituality. His teaching draws deeply from the roots of the yoga tradition, weaving in the wisdom of Bhakti, Raja Yoga, and universal light, love, and truth. In his classes, Pradeep weaves levity and laughter with devotion, creating a space that invites both strength and softness. Students are guided to move beyond the physical postures into a fuller experience of connection, joy, and inner awakening. Pradeep’s passion is holding space in destination-based trainings and retreats around the world, where community, deep practice, and transformation unfold side by side. Through his unique style, he inspires practitioners to embrace yoga not only as a practice on the mat but as a path to live with more compassion, authenticity, and spiritual freedom.

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Akshay Bhat

Akshay began his yoga journey in India at a young age, studying at a traditional Gurukula, a Vedic yoga school- where he was immersed in the philosophy and practices of yoga from an early age. Through his own lived experience, he came to understand the profound transformative power of yoga—not only physically, but also mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. This foundation inspired him to pursue an academic degree in Yogic Sciences, deepening both his knowledge and personal practice.For the past decade, Akshay has dedicated his life to teaching and sharing the authentic practices of yoga in both India and Bali. His passion lies in guiding students into the timeless wisdom of Hatha Yoga, the Yoga Sutras, meditation, and the recitation of Vedic mantras. Known for his grounded presence and depth of knowledge, Akshay’s teaching style bridges tradition with accessibility, helping students experience yoga as a holistic path of healing and self-discovery.

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E-RYT 500

Alonya Skvortsova

lonya is originally from Ukraine and has been living in Bali for the past three years. Over last 17 years, she received a scientific education as a medical doctor as well as a traditional Yoga educator in India. Since her teens, she has been teaching yoga practitioners (privately, seminars, retreats, YTT) all around the world (Europe, India, Turkey, Bali, etc.) She specializes in combining modern sciences like anatomy, physiology, physiotherapy and traditional yoga methods like Vipassana meditation, Yoga philosophy, Tantra, Pranayama and Ayurveda, Hatha and Flow yoga. 

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E-RYT 500

Eduardo

Born in the desert of Sonora, Mexico, and raised in the mountains of Utah, Eduardo is a multifaceted healer, weaving together yoga, music, vibrational alchemy, and holistic medicine. Currently based In Bali- Eduardo teaches yoga, anatomy, and sound healing with Sama.At the heart of Eduardo’s journey is sound—the unifying force that shapes their personal and collective alchemy. Whether welcoming the sunrise from a mountaintop, finding stillness by the water, holding sacred ceremony, or dancing beneath the stars with their soulmate, Eduardo embraces life as a deep and intentional practice.An experience with Eduardo is an invitation to awaken, attune, and activate the alkemist within.

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Joel Leander

Joel discovered yoga after a series of traumatic injuries, initially embracing it as a physical practice. However, this soon evolved into a profound interest in the philosophy behind it. Joel views yoga as a tool for self-improvement, using strong physical practices paired with more subtle inner work to help his students find comfort in discomfort and effort in ease. With 500 hours of yoga teaching qualifications and certification as a wellness practitioner from Vikasa, Joel sees yoga as a holistic tool within a broader arsenal designed to strengthen both the body and mind. His background in calisthenics further enriches his teachings, infusing his classes with a unique blend of strength and mindfulness.

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Saundra Alexander

Saundra Alexander is a mindfulness coach, yoga guide, and sound healer dedicated to helping people regulate their nervous system and reconnect with their authentic selves. Blending gentle yoga flows with breath work, meditation, and sound baths, she creates accessible and nurturing practices that meet students where they are—whether they’re new to yoga or seeking deeper grounding.Her offerings are designed to cultivate balance, clarity, and inner peace both on and off the mat. With a heart-centered approach, Saundra holds space for transformation by guiding others back into presence and alignment. She is especially passionate about the intersection of mindfulness and healing, and her work reflects a deep commitment to helping people move through life with more calm, resilience, and connection.

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E-RYT 500

Gustavo Padron

Gustavo, a yoga and meditation teacher, personal trainer, and author based in Mexico City, Mexico, discovered the transformative power of yoga while healing from a hamstring injury during his pursuit of a medical career. For the past decade, he has been uplifting his community through joyful movement, soothing meditations, and light-hearted classes. Beyond the mat, Gustavo serves as a mindset coach, passionately helping individuals reshape their thoughts and overcome limiting beliefs with the tools from his published journal, "grounded practice." When not teaching or coaching, he can be found writing wellness blogs at a coffee shop or enjoying time at the park with his lively goldendoodle, Bayley.

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Rebecca Fonseca

Rebeca Fonseca, a yoga teacher and nutritionist from San Jose, Costa Rica. Her mission is to create spaces where people can connect with their bodies and minds to live more intentional lives. Rebecca blends yoga, functional movement, and holistic nutrition to guide students through practices that are grounding, accessible, and transformative. One of her favorite parts of being a yoga teacher is witnessing people rediscover the practice every time they land on the mat, realizing how capable they are, both in movement and stillness. 

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Trivia Edwards

Trivia Edwards is a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT-200), wellness advocate, and community builder dedicated to creating safe, restorative spaces for healing and self-discovery. Her teaching blends mindfulness, breath work, and accessible movement to support students in reconnecting with their bodies and inner wisdom. Drawing from her own journey of resilience and transformation, Trivia integrates practices rooted in self-love, empowerment, and holistic wellness. She currently leads yoga flows, journaling sessions, and community wellness gatherings in Mississippi and beyond, and has partnered with organizations to make wellness more accessible to underrepresented communities. Her mission is to remind people that wellness is not a luxury but a birthright, and that movement, stillness, and community can be powerful tools for healing.

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Sneha Yogish

Sneha is a yoga teacher from India whose journey began in Los Angeles while working as a data analyst. Leaving the tech world in search of deeper purpose, she discovered her true calling through yoga teacher training. After returning to India, she pursued advanced studies in anatomy, sequencing, philosophy, and spiritual practices to honor the depth of this tradition.With over five years of experience, Sneha blends Eastern wisdom and Western approaches in dynamic vinyasa classes that integrate functional movement, meditation, pranayama, and philosophy. She believes harmony between body, mind, and soul is the foundation of a fulfilling life — and that nature offers the greatest teachings for conscious living.

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