Chuck Miller has been practicing yoga earnestly since 1971 and began practicing Ashtanga Yoga with Sri K. Pattabhi Jois in 1980. His ongoing studies with Pattabhi include numerous extended and familial encounters in America and nearly 2 years during 7 trips to Mysore, South India, during which time he received advanced teaching certification.

Chuck enjoys teaching with a focus on the holistic nature of Ashtanga Yoga, teaching it as both a philosophical system as well as a strong practical method. He is known for his gentle but deliberate hands-on adjustments which are both reassuring and challenging.

Teaching since 1988, Chuck was Director of Ashtanga Yoga and a co-owner of the original Yoga Works in Santa Monica, CA for over 16 years.


Maty Ezraty was the original founder of Yoga Works in Santa Monica, California and directed the Teacher Training Program there for over 16 years. She has studied with Sri K. Pattabhi Jois 5 times in India, and during 5 of his American tours as well as once in France .

Maty wrote the Yoga Journal Asana Column in 2001. She is known for her joyful, engaging and determined approach to teaching correct form. Teaching since 1985, Maty has also been a student of many senior Iyengar teachers which reflects in her practice and teaching.

 

In 1975, Rolf Naujokat began his studies in India where he lived and taught yoga for over 24 years. In 1990, he met his guru, Sri K. Pattabi Jois in Mysore, and since that time has spent 3 to 4 months out of every year studying with him. Rolf is a fourth series practitioner, who has been “certified” to teach the Ashtanga system since 1996.


Marci Ciu-Naujokat has been practicing Yoga since 1990. She traveled to India in 1998, where she learned the Ashtanga system from Sri K. Pattabi Jois and Rolf Naujokat. Marci completed the “Yoga Works Teacher Training” with Maty Ezraty and Lisa Walford in 2000 and apprenticed with Maty Ezraty and Chuck Miller over 4 years.


Rolf and his wife Marci, currently live in Hawaii Goa, India and have been teaching together throughout Asia, Europe, and the United States since 2004.


Guest Teachers

As part of our commitment to provide our students with the highest level of instruction possible, we regularly invite senior teachers from around the world to visit our studio.  While with us, they share their experiences and knowledge by teaching both classes and workshops.


Recent guest teachers include the following:

Petri has studied with many respected Ashtanga teachers since he began the practice in 1988 including Lino Miele, Derek Ireland, Radha Warrel. Gwendoline Hunt, Eddie Stern, and Pattabhi Jois who authorized him to teach the traditional Ashtanga method.  He is the author of two books on Ashtanga Yoga.  The first is “Ashtanga-The yoga Tradition of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois”, which he wrote in collaboration with Pattabhi and his grandson Sharath Rangaswamy and the second, Nadi Sodhana, “the purification of the energy channels” which he wrote with Pattabhi.

Anthony "Prem" Carlisi (ashtangaworld.com) has been practicing and teaching for 30 years, beginning his yoga journey in 1978, in Encinitas and is considered one of the American pioneers of Ashtanga Yoga. He began his studies with Guruji that year and shortly thereafter went to study with him in Mysore in 1979. Prem was honored by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois and is Certified to teach the Primary, Intermediate and Advanced series. Prem completed a 4 year course of Ayurvedic study in 1984, with Dr. Vasant Lad and has been studying Tantric techniques since 1990. Besides teaching Ashtanga, Prem has just completed writing his first book, "The Only Way Out Is In," which is his commentary on the synergy of the three life sciences: Ashtanga Yoga, Ayuveda and Tantra. He travels around the world enthusiastically teaching about these three sciences.

Heather Duplex (yogawithheather.com) has been practicing Ashtanga Yoga for 18 years, beginning her yoga journey in 1990, with Chuck Miller and Maty Ezraty at Yoga Works in Santa Monica, Ca. She made her first trip to Mysore to study with Sri K. Pattabhi Jois in 1996, and was Authorized to teach by him in 2005. Along with traveling and studying in India, Heather practiced with Chuck and Maty and taught at Yoga Works, until 2006. Over the years she has also done abundant workshops and additional studies with teachers: Annie Grover Pace, Richard Freeman, Dena Kingsberg, Dona Holleman, and Gabrielle Gubilaro. Besides traveling and teaching ashtanga, Heather also has a passion for cooking and preparing food. She has studied some Ayurveda with Bri Maya Tawari, and Amadea Morningstar, as well as done courses with Paul Pitchford of "Healing With Whole Foods."

Melanie Fawer is the co founder of The Yoga Room in New Orleans.  She began her study of Ashtanga Yoga in 1994 in Mysore, India with Pattabhi Jois and in 2001 became one of the few female instructors to receive his advanced teaching certification.  She is an Advanced Series B practitioner who returns to Mysore yearly to continue her studies.  Melanie also created and appears in her own practice and instructional video about the Primary Series of Ashtanga Yoga.

Dominic Corigliano is a Certified teacher of Ashtanga Yoga who was introduced to the Ashtanga method in Encinitis, CA.  He first traveled to Mysore, India to study with Pattabhi Jois in the 1980’s and is an Advanced Series practitioner who returns to Mysore each year to continue his studies.  Dominic is the Producer of the Ashtanga Yoga Primary Series DVD with R. Sharath.