Shelley Sandifur - Owner & Instructor

Yoga has touched my heart and soul in a way that I can only explain as a feeling of coming home.  I have taught many other forms of exercise for many years but felt something was missing.  That void was filled the first time I stepped on my mat. 

I have always believed that the body is the home for your soul.  Yoga has given me the gift of self awareness - the ability to listen to the subtleness of the unspoken.  It has softened my heart and opened my mind.  This gift is something that I wish to share with my students and is a passion that lies deep within me. 

I have a bachelor's degree in Exercise Science, Nutrition and Health Promotion.  I have been teaching in the fitness industry for over 18+ years and in yoga 10+ years and hold ACE certification.  In addition, I recently completed my 200 hour Registry with Yoga Alliance.  I enjoy expanding my learning and have taken many teacher trainings and yoga intensives with David Garrigues, Dave Oliver, Rodney Yee, Shiva Rea, Doug Swenson and my Ashtanga guru - Sri K. Pattabhi Jois.  I plan in the near future to visit the birthplace of Ashtanga yoga in Mysore, India. My most precious gifts are my husband, Phil and our two beautiful children - Chase & Madison. 

April Ponikvar - Instructor

I began teaching in 2005 and am currently pursing my registry with Yoga Alliance at the 200 hour level. In addition, I am a Reiki healing practitioner. Reiki has strengthened my understanding of the subtle layers that yoga touches on. Yoga philosophy and a knowledge of Reiki are the underlying foundations I try to live by. Each having the power to move an individual towards freedom in their body, mind, and spirit. I enjoy studying the Yoga Sutras, The Bhagavad Gita and the ancient language of Sanskrit and sharing this knowledge with my students.

My teaching reflects my dedication to a daily yoga practice. My classes are thoughtfully created to meet the needs of my students. I enjoy seeing the seeds of yoga blossom in people. Everyone has the opportunity to change in a positive way. I am honored to be a part of that transformation. Everyday I feel like I am making a difference in this world by sharing yoga with others.


Betsy Lawrence - Instructor

Coming from a background in dance and weight training, when I discovered yoga I was delighted to find an activity that combined my desire for both movement and muscle. I soon learned that practicing also heightened my awareness and serenity. With my practice drawing from flow and Ashtanga yoga, I embrace both the creative elements of vinyasa flow and the patterns and rituals of Ashtanga. I am challenged, strengthened, and nurtured each time I step on my mat.

I have been teaching yoga for three years and truly love watching students transformed through their practice. Their courage, patience, and determination are inspiring. I enjoy working with students of all ages and abilities, and my goal as an instructor is that students feel safe while in class and healthy and rejuvenated afterward.

In addition to teaching yoga, I am an English instructor at Spokane Community College and am blessed with five fabulous children and a wonderful husband to whom I am grateful for many things: just one of which is bringing me to my first yoga class. I am passionate about yoga and am delighted to share that enthusiasm with all who enter the studio.


Lesa Renner - Instructor

I have been teaching yoga for three years and practicing the Ashtanga system with Shelley for four years.   It has and continues to be an incredible experience.

Yoga.  The word has many translations, such as yoke or union; however, what yoga means to me is depth, strength, serenity and infinity.  Depth, because I know that I have barely scratched the surface of what my practice will become or who I can be on and off my mat.   Strength because yoga takes physical and emotional strength to practice.  The more you give, the more you get.  Serenity because I am never more peaceful than when I am on my mat.  Infinity because my pracice is infinite.  It will be an important part of me for all of my life.

From a student's perspective, yoga has helped me to become a more peaceful person.  It has broadened my perspective, increased my patience and allowed me to walk faithfully on the path of life.  It's hard to describe all the benefits I receive from my practice, but easy to say that I am grateful to have it as a part of my life. 

Joanna Darlington - Instructor

Yoga has been such a gift in my life. It is something that I find difficult to express in just a few words. I started taking yoga in 2004 as a way to find a quiet space within the workings of daily life. My yoga practice has developed into a tool that I use as means of finding peace in difficult situations, brining joy to my physical body and teaching me how to explore the connection between mind, body and soul.

I was inspired to teach by a woman who opened her heart to Spokane and brought together some of the most influential people I have been lucky enough to find in my life. This inspiration has lead me to explore different styles of yoga, which so far, have mainly been Ashtanga, Iyengar and flow. The beauty that each style brings has deepened my personal practice and given me several aspects to share. While I am currently working on my 200 hour registration with Yoga Alliance, I have been blessed with the opportunity to share my love of yoga with my students, my friends and my family. Namaste.

Daniella Twigg - Instructor

Yoga is a blessing in my life.  After my first few classes I knew that I wanted to share this gift and become a yoga teacher.  I received my 200 and 500 hour certification from Cloud Nine Yoga Studio and School in Seal Beach, CA, in addition I am also registered with the Yoga Alliance. 

My beginnings in yoga started with Vinyasa (flow) style. I have spent time exploring the Anusara School and most recently enjoy studying Ashtanga. What I found is that there is no end to learning in yoga.  

I studied theater at CSU Fullerton before moving back to Spokane to be closer to my family and reconnect with my roots.  In addition to teaching yoga, I am currently a children's music teaching assistant at Kindermusic.