About Us

Sandra Sanford, RYT-500, LMT, Founder/Director

Sandrasanford@cox.net
Sandra's passion for yoga began the first time she stepped on a mat. She gravitated towards Kripalu Yoga, "the yoga of love and compassion". Sandra holds a 500 Hr. Certification from Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, Lenox, MA, has been actively teaching for over 7 years and is a Licensed Massage Therapist. Her desire to spread the joy of yoga throughout Pensacola inspired her to open Breathe Yoga Studio over 5 years ago. Sandra's unique style of yoga integrates the opportunity for self-inquiry with joyful vinyasa flow. Sandra's pilgrimages to Kripalu have allowed her to study intensely with many nationally recognized teachers, and to all of them she is immensely grateful for having been blessed with their love, knowledge, experience and guidance.
Originally from Puerto Rico, but raised mostly stateside, Sandra lived in the Virgin Islands for 14 years before moving to Pensacola in 2000. She holds a BA degree from the University of Southern Mississippi. Sandra's yoga practice, sadhana, gives her the fuel she needs to be a mother to two children, wife, teacher, business owner and caregiver to a yellow lab and a Cruzan cat.

 

Colleen Donovan

"I like to teach the type of class I love to take; warm, flowing inviting & surprising..."

Pensacola native Colleen Donovan began practicing yoga with Linda Kramer & Nancy LaNasa when they taught at the mind, body health center her parents opened in 1999.  "Looking back now I realize how incredibly blessed we are to have such great yoga in our little town.  In 2002 while attending USF in Tampa, FL the yoga studios  felt like a home away from home."  Colleen was inspired by and practiced with teachers of Jivamukti, Iyengar, Ashtanga, Anusara, and Vinyasa traditions, all of which inform her eclectic approach to yoga.  When she graduated in 2006 with a BA in Psychology, a 200 hour Yoga Alliance teacher training presented itself and it just felt right.  After completing the Adiaya Yoga Santuary vinyasa training Colleen moved to Rincon, Puerto Rico where she operated and taught Yoga in Paradise, a successful & beautiful yoga space just off the beach.  After two years on the island she moved back to the states & taught at The Yoga Circle in Birmingham, AL.  Thrilled to have a "yoga home" in Pensacola, Colleen is so grateful to be able to share yoga in her hometown.  She is currently pursuing a master's in Counseling Psychology at UWF.

"I am grateful for the opportunities I have had in my yoga career... being able to apply my knowledge of psychology, spiritual growth & development to my work as a yoga instructor.  I have enjoyed working with children, seniors, & students at every level/stage of life.  I have a strong interest in incorporating the philosophy and spirituality of yoga into the healing art psychotherapy."

 

Divya Elting

Divya Elting, a true Canadian, first discovered yoga in Vancouver in 1999 when after her first class had the desire not only to learn but to be able to share the power of yoga. Divya has been motivated by the spiritual and physical possibilities it offers ever since. Her first training was with Bikram Choudhary in Los Angeles in 2001, since then yoga has been a full-time job and a never-ending love affair. Most recently, Divya was teaching in Hong Kong where she managed a large urban yoga center and had the opportunity to train with Yin Master, Paul Grilley, David Life and Sharon Gannon of Jivamukti, Anusara's Desiree Rumbaugh, Shiva Rea and many other international teachers. While living in Hong Kong she went to study traditional yoga in India where she met her Guru, Yogi Vishvketu (whom gave her the spiritual name Divya) and became a member of The World Conscious Yoga Family. From her experience that spans the globe Divya excels in teaching diverse styles including:  Hatha, Hatha-Raj, Hot Yoga, Flow, Yin,  Pre-natal as well as Pranayama, Meditation and Satkarma, history and philosophy.

Divya hosts transformational retreats and workshops locally  and leads teacher training programs for The World Yoga Family in Rishikesh, India and is planning  her first teacher training spring 2011 in Pensacola.

She is highly regarded for her unwavering spirit in her own yoga practice and for the gentle eloquence she uses in encouraging self-reflection, physical and spiritual growth in her students.

Tara Tarini Taylor

Tara's practice was born in 2004, and she sensed immediately that yoga would become a permanent part of her life. Over the next few years she began to experience firsthand the physical, psychological, and spiritual transformation that come with a regular practice. She credits yoga with helping her to stop smoking, lose weight, and become a happier, healthier, more well-adjusted person by fostering a greater sense of awareness in her. She began teaching in April of 2009, and has since completed a 200 hour teacher training with the World Conscious Yoga Family in Rishikesh,India. She also teaches basic anatomy for yoga teachers and assists in facilitating teacher trainings.  Tara is known for bringing a sense of humor to the mat and approaching her practice and teachings with a beginners mind. She feels eternally grateful to all of the teachers that she has met along her path, and all that are yet to come. She hopes to share the beauty and peace of yoga and its philosophy with as many people as possible. Not just as a form of exercise, but as a way of life. In addition to teaching yoga, Tara is a licensed massage therapist offering Swedish relaxation and deep tissue treatments at Breathe. She feels that yoga and massage are perfect compliments to each other, and that together they are a powerful approach for healing the body, mind and spirit.

 

Tyler Montieth

Tyler first took a yoga class in 2004 at the University of West Florida.  His first teacher, John Harding, was a wonderful influence and inspiration on him.  Asking him to demonstrate in front of his classes gave him the opportunity to become comfortable with his presence in front of a group.  He received his certificate in group fitness and yoga and taught at many local gyms within the Pensacola community.  Teaching boot camp, cycling, Pilates, yoga and kickboxing for awhile his heart was always with his yoga classes.  With some ambition and a lot of luck he found himself teaching and taking training in the Los Angeles area for a few months and gained a lot of new friends and experiences.  He has been teaching for 4 years now and is always looking for new inspiration and challenges.  He brings an energetic attitude and practice to all his students so he can share the amazing experience and path he has moved on because of the support from of all his teachers and friends.

 

Lorraine Graves, P.H.D.

lmganchor@aol.com

Dr. Graves is a Certified Pranic Healer and Instructor. She teaches three levels of Pranic Healing classes, including Advanced & Pranic Psychotherapy. Lorraine mentors students in Pranic Healing Certification Programs and coordinates the Free Pranic Healing community clinic on Tuesday evenings at Breathe Yoga. She is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and maintains a private practice in Pensacola.