Charlene Bendt

“When I first signed up for teacher training, I was hoping to increase my knowledge about yoga, learn to teach yoga to others and enhance my personal practice. Little did I know, teacher training would change my life! I learned that yoga is so much more than postures and breath work. It is truly a way of life, on and off the mat. My experience in Yoga Mittra training led me to a deeper love and appreciation for yoga and life! It also gave me an opportunity to build some amazing new friendships that I will cherish for a lifetime.”

Esteban Vargas

I had done yoga classes before then, but that retreat, for me, melted a barrier that’s kept me ignorant to the awareness of true spiritual growth. A mindful attitude. Sure there’s church and sports and AA for those afflicted…but, something happened to me that week, something big, and I never really even liked yoga that much. Now my day is incomplete if I can’t practice for 15 mins and check in. Weird what the universe and fate have in your path.

Mike Kuehl

The Yoga Mittra TT was a “life opening” experience I was fortunate to have early in my yoga practice and share with my wife. I gained a new level of understanding and relationship with my yoga practice including asana, but also the many other aspects of yoga that are not often taught in a typical yoga setting. My experience felt like cleaning the foggy window of my life perception and revealing possibilities I had never recognized before.

The Yoga Mittra TT was comprehensive in its curriculum and “hands-on” allowing the students to experience the teachings. From day one, the environment and energy felt safe, supportive and loving.

For people considering TT, I would say do it! Make it happen. There is unlimited upside here. Make this investment in your life and your potential.

Bonnie Marder

As a yoga enthusiast, 15-year yoga instructor and yoga program coordinator I can honestly say that Shelley Williams’ and Genevieve Pujalet’s Art of Yoga, Yoga Mittra Teacher Training is the “real deal” and the best yoga teacher training in the Southbay. Their 200-hour Vinyasa Yoga Foundation Training and Advanced Yoga Teacher Training modules are comprehensive and provide valuable learning opportunities for every type of yogi out there. From pranayama to meditation, to sequencing, to restoratives, to Ayurvedic living, this program has it all. Shelley and Genevieve are true master teachers who welcome you into their teacher training with a warm smile and an open heart. As a former yoga program coordinator, I would be proud to have any one of their teacher graduates on my yoga team. Congratulations Shelley and Genevieve on your beautiful journey together.

Angie Mazzotta

The Yoga Mittra 200-hour training during the Fall of 2011 was a pleasantly surprising prelude to a personal transformation of body, mind, and soul. At best, I was hoping for an informative template for opening up my yoga practice and maybe a little encouragement to opening my mind to the possibility of someday actually teaching. My expectations were far and unexpectedly fulfilled. I had no idea of the magnitude of what I was signing up for. There was an environment of yoga academics that paralleled university standards. The quality of instruction and the atmosphere of spirituality were palpable and I truly felt I was in the most nurturing, informative and well-chosen hands. Genevieve and Shelley are a remarkably gifted team. The organization and insight are wise and knowledgeable. Would I, Could I? I would enlist full-time under the mentorship of such a multi-faceted assembly! I am in gratitude to be divinely inspired by the presence of such skill.

Christine Williams

If you have the calling to join YTT do not hesitate to participate in this life-changing experience. When I joined I had a million reason will not participate (over worked, no time) but ultimately I knew I wanted to build my personal yoga practice and knowledge of the ancient yogic science. Deciding to partake TT at the yoga loft was an easy choice. I did research on other studios and programs but none had the integration of knowledge, community, and fun that YL has. Most yoga teacher training is structural and athletic in nature but YL gives more depth, diversity teaching through passion rather than course material. Simply put: if you have the calling, go for it, do not hesitate for this will be a change your life introducing you to people and ideas.

Gia Humelbaugh, M.D.

I am a Yoga Mittra graduate, a Costa Rica retreat addict, and a superfan of Shel-ley. I have been so profoundly influenced by Shelley’s guidance and teaching, I find it difficult to distill such a grand ocean into a few drops! After taking her wonderful classes, I knew she was the teacher that I wanted to learn from to deepen my yoga practice. She is academic and encyclopedic in her knowledge of yoga teachings and philosophy. She is thoughtful and passionate about creating an inspiring experience, every class, workshop, and retreat. She is delightfully funny, talented and real. My experiences in teacher training and on the Costa Rica yoga retreats have brought me deep healing, greater confidence, and new friendships!

Tawny McDonald

“I went through Gen and Shelley’s 200 hour Yoga Mittra teacher training at the Yoga Loft beginning in September 2011 through March 2012. I have to say, it was one of the best things I have done in my life besides getting married and having kids!

Gen and Shelley are two of the most incredibly knowledgeable, talented, gracious and graceful yogis you will ever meet. The training was thorough, informative, exhausting, exhilarating, and fun and humbling all at the same time and I loved every minute of it. Our class was amazing and I met friends that I cherish and know will always be a part of my life. I highly recommend this training and any other training or retreats Gen and Shelley offer. Happy Trails and Namaste!”

Sarah Beston

Teacher training was the first step in propelling me into a career in yoga and wellness that I truly love and am grateful for every day. Beyond the technical knowledge learned throughout the training, the spiritual discovery and deepening of my own practice has been life-changing.

When I began my teacher training journey, I had no intention of teaching or starting my own spiritual-based business, it was simply to deepen my own practice and spend more time with my teachers. It’s amazing what unravels when you follow your intuition and trust the process with your whole heart. It was so special to learn from three individuals with such unique gifts and perspectives all with a common love of sharing the teachings of Yoga.

Gina Pieri

The program was, in short, fantastic. Very well done. It was clear from the start that you both have an ocean of knowledge to share with us, as well as a passion for yoga. Your styles are unique to each of you but still consistent enough that we did not receive drastically conflicting information. It felt diverse, yet cohesive.

Spring 2012 Graduate/Trainee

Gen & Shelley’s TT has allowed me to grow & heal in ways that years of talk-therapy could not. Talk-therapy is an important healing modality that has no doubt helped me work through issues. However, being in an environment over a significant period of time with a group of people who are just as committed to learning, healing, & growing through the mind-body awareness connected with yoga, has allowed me to tap into different levels of awareness, healing, & growth. The key is in the relationships that are formed during training with both my fellow classmates as well as my teachers & yoga is the common thread. Having the presence of my peers flowing on their mats inches from me, in pursuit of similar goals, helps reinforce my own. And the conversations that take place, with yoga at their foundation, has brought new information & feelings from my subconscious to my conscious which allows me to more fully engage with life & the people around me.

Courtney Hermann

I had been practicing yoga for about 4 years off and on before deciding to the Yoga Mittra Teacher Training. I wasn’t sure what the outcome would be but I knew right away that I was in the right place. Suzy and Shelley are the perfect combos of bringing love, knowledge, humor, and experience to each and every class and lecture. Now almost 7 months out of training, I teach 4-8 classes a week, I get to sub at the Yoga Studio I call home, Yoga Loft, and I could not be happier with the education I received. Thank You Yoga Mittra!!

Josh F.

“I enrolled in Shelley and Genevieve’s yoga teacher training, unsure of whether or not I had ambitions to eventually teach my own class, but certain that Shelley and Gen’s experience and guidance would inform and deepen my yoga practice and serve me in my personal life. I have always enjoyed education, both as teacher and student, and believe in the value of education as a means for deeper self-realization, and so I enjoyed the weekly and monthly classes and made some meaningful connections with my fellow trainees in the process. However, it was not until I suffered a back injury months after the training playing basketball that I began to understand the valuable skills that I had acquired over the course of the program. At the onset of the injury, I was unable to get out of bed, and the muscle pain was so bad that I could not move, even to roll onto my side. I used many of the breathing and meditation techniques we discussed, as a means to mitigate some of the pain and relax despite my discomfort. When I was able to begin to move again, I used many of the principles of mindful movement to explore my range of motion, and the feedback from my body to better understand the nature of the injury. And when I was finally able to get up, move, and rehab my back, I was able to make a recovery which was much speedier than the doctor had originally anticipated, employing breathing, gentle movement and relaxation techniques that were indispensable in the recovery process. Within two weeks, incredibly, I was back on the yoga mat and “graduated” physical therapy. There is no doubt in my mind that my yoga practice was instrumental in alleviating the pain of my injury and regaining a sense of wellness. The Yoga Mittra training helped to strengthen the skills necessary to live an active life, with greater confidence that life’s inevitable obstacles can be handled with a touch more resolve and grace. In gratitude”

Lane Jaffe

Yoga teacher training transformed my life in all the best ways. As a student, really immersing myself in the practice and being able to ask questions as they arise was so important in my growth as a Yogi. To be challenged and supported at the same time allowed me to not only learn the practice but also to apply it. I attended teacher training with the hope of learning more, I left the training with confidence and drive to share the practice with anyone that would listen. I think the best thing about Yoga Mittra was a supportive environment created by the leaders, Shelly Williams, Suzy Nece, and Genevieve Pujalet. It really felt like being home.

For people considering TT to either teach or simply deepen their practice, just do it…if you are thinking about, don’t think too hard. The teacher appears when the student is ready and if you are being called, it is your time.

Chris E.

I was thrilled to partake in TT with Shelley, Suzy, and Gen. They have been the foundation of yoga in the Southbay for years. As a physician, I was appreciative of their insight into anatomy and keen knowledge of instructing asanas safely. Plus they are a lot of fun!

Mandy Kossoris

This retreat was above and beyond what I had expected. Shelly’s passion for yoga, and professionalism as an experienced teacher set the tone for an ideal un-plugged, exotic jungle retreat.

Angie C.

Have you ever been under the skillful care of any kind of practitioner that makes you believe with unwavering confidence that you are on the path to growth and healing? It is with this very confident that I allowed myself to have a new and liberating experience with yoga. The Yoga Mittra facilitators shined a liberating light on any ideas I may have had about what service yoga was providing for me. I came to strengthen my practice but stayed only to complete a much more spiritual journey and transformation which continues to unravel my limited ideas of what I thought I knew about all things yogic. The creative and nurturing allure of Shelly and Suzy, allowed me to break away from daunting patterns and helped ease me into a life long commitment towards self-care and service to others. Thank you, girls. I’m a better person because of my time learning from and with you.

YogiDee

“I have been privileged to have Yoga Mittra steering my yoga practice and teaching path for the last couple years. Not only is their teaching style inspirational and full of valuable wisdom, but also amazingly thorough as Shelley and Genevieve both personally take the time to guide each student through to their best potential by offering mentorship, further in-depth study, and soul-nourishing retreats. My husband (a new yogi) and I attended Shelley’s Costa Rica retreat which worked in depth with the chakras and living in harmony with the planet. Our lives have since attuned themselves to the natural beat of nature we experienced there and have brought home with us. Thanks for all your continuing guidance! Namaste”

Angela Capilli

Twice. Twice I’ve been on a Shelley yoga retreat to this indescribably mystical and orphic paradise (and I’m planning to go again this summer). Through her sage-like yogic wisdom paired with her playful and light-hearted humor, I was piloted through two magical experiences. The first time…the cells in my body took on new shape and form. I was literally transformed as a human on both the dimension where most people reside, but also on the most spiritual dimension; the fifth. Colors were re-constructed, physical sensations became euphoric and unconfined, even the most mundane sound became expressive and poetic, and of course, the food…the piquancy of the fresh flavors took on such gusto and healing qualities (of course masterfully orchestrated by one of the most amazing holistic/wellness culinary artists ever). Whether you arrive to heal a part of you that has been momentarily fractured (my first visit) or you enter to simply harvest new vitality and nurturing on an already healthy body (my second visit)…You will come away with a cleansed mind, body and soul. Your yoga practice will be stronger, healthier and more customized; your body will be purged of the mundane and open and receptive to a new level of self-discovery. Don’t believe me? See (rather, feel) for yourself.

Alana Towle

This program exceeded my expectations and solidified yoga as the lifestyle for me. I left with a deeper understanding of the practice and myself. Whether I go on to be a teacher or continue to be a student, I will forever be grateful for the experience and the lifelong friends that made.

Stef Heinz

Yoga Mittra Advanced Teacher Training was exactly what I was looking for…soulful training with the sharing of helpful and beautiful sequences & asana break downs with a lot of emphasis on intelligent sequencing for the body. As a beginning yoga teacher of 3 years, I take the time to study & learn from a lot of amazing & knowledgeable yoga teachers, yet over these years, Shelley Williams continues to be the most influential mentor in both my yoga practice & my teaching…I hope that speaks for itself. Genevieve Pujalet, who I met through this training, is another long term experienced teacher & it shows. It was a perfect pairing & expression of wisdom, experience, knowledge & kindness. Every yoga teacher has strengths & things that need practice and this training supported the things that I need help with so deeply that my strengths are blossoming even more. Words of gratitude are no match for what my heart feels.

Nicola Lowrey

Our trip to Costa Rica with Shelley was one of the most amazing experiences of our lives! The food was delicious and healthy. The excursions were some of the best we’ve ever done. From mega adventurous horseback riding to repelling down a waterfall to climbing a massive jungle tree and leaping from its branches.

The yoga was just the right amount and very grounding. The connections fostered between our family and with new friends created memories that will last a lifetime.

Amanda Lee LAc

Signing up for teacher training With Shelley and Gen changed my life. I made many new friends, filling holes I didn’t know existed and gained a deeper understanding of my own mind-body connection and lack thereof.

When I signed up for teacher training I had no intention of teaching yoga or teaching anything for that matter. I had only taken my first yoga class in January. This was to be a part of my personal journey. It was through the continued support and encouragement of my teachers that had me teaching a full schedule by the middle of 2012. The whole experience made me want to share all the knowledge I gained, all the layers of yoga with everyone who wanted to learn.

After a grueling 4+ years of Chinese Medical School, I launched my Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture Practice at the end of 2018. While yoga is no longer my main career path, my yoga journey and yoga community has helped shape who I am today. I still teach yoga almost every day and I think I will always make the time to teach. Yoga is a part of who I am