My Story

Hi, I’m so glad you found me! My name is Ali, and I am an international yoga teacher and global
retreat leader.

With over 1000 hours of certification in Yoga, Meditation, Kalari Vinyasa, Pre/Post Natal Yoga, and Ayurveda, I offer an innovative teaching style and create a safe environment for yoga students of all levels to learn and thrive. Praised for my mindfulness and approachable technique, my true passion lies in leading international yoga retreats. I just started my own retreat business because I love to travel and create an experience for students to dive deeper
into their practice while being immersed in a new culture.

But before I get into all of that, first I must start at the beginning. Dance brought me to life from young age and ended up taking me out to Los Angeles, California, where I studied at UCLA and performed professionally for many years. As a way to recuperate from the long days of dance
training at UCLA, I signed up for a yoga course. The course covered all aspects of yoga – from movement, history, and philosophy to daily rituals, meditation, and the evolution of the practice. Much to my surprise, I discovered that not only did yoga help me destress, it also improved my dancing. I soon fell in love with the practice as it deepened my awareness and unified the connection between my mind and body.

After I graduated from UCLA, I cinched a dream first job out of a college – a marketing position for the Nederlander Organization, first as a sponsorship director for the Greek Theatre and later as a marketing director for the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood. I continued my yoga practice during this time and signed up for a teacher training to deepen my practice. I was offered teaching slots at Bryan Kest’s Power Yoga, and I juggled teaching and corporate life for a few years until the summer of 2010 when my life came to a cross roads. I was given an opportunity to travel to Bora Bora and participate in the launch of a new yoga-based product or stay behind due to the request of my employer. I chose the yoga path and have never looked back. I thought I would take some time off after the trip to travel the world before stepping into a new career, but after a month in Australia, I received a teaching opportunity at a new studio in L.A. I flew back to California and started my journey as a yoga teacher.

Dedicating my work to teaching launched me deeper into the practice of yoga. I started to live my yoga in a whole new way rather than just practicing it for my own pleasure. It was challenging in the beginning, but luckily the lifestyle trains you to pause and integrate the yogic teachings. I had an amazing support system of healers and teachers who helped guide me through that transition.

After teaching yoga for a few years at some of the most prestigious studios in the city, I wanted to merge my passion for yoga with my interest in travel. I began to lead and co-lead international retreats to some of my favorite destinations: Bali, Greece, Tulum, and Thailand. I absolutely love guiding a group of like-minded people around a city for a week and infusing cultural exploration with fun adventures and daily yoga practices.

This led me to meet my husband. He signed up for one of my retreats, and our love started to blossom months before the plane ever took off. A few short months after the retreat, we found out that we were expecting a baby and our life as a family began. We now have a beautiful daughter named Clover who is the light of our lives.

Yoga is not only my work, it is my passion. It has transformed my relationships and given me a way to weather all of life’s transitions. It is a beautiful blessing in my life, and I am so grateful to have found yoga at a young age, so that I could become the best version of myself for my husband and my daughter.

Over the years, I have had the opportunity to work with some of the top brands and companies in the fitness industry including Hardtail, Manduka, Lululemon, Free Motion Fitness, and more. I currently teach public classes in L.A. and have a coaching business where I meet with clients one-on- one.

You can also practice with me online on yogaglo.com, Udaya.com,
YogisAnonymous.com, and SpreadYogaLove.com, and I am a contributing writer for YogaJournal.com, MindBodyGreen.com, ChalkboardMagazine.com, and Thrive Global. Above all else, I remain a student of yoga and enjoy connecting with members of the community and spending time with my family.

I would love for you to connect with me on social media. You can find me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @aliomyoga.