Daphne Larkin / Founder
Director of Teacher Training
Daphne Larkin is an inspired vinyasa yoga teacher and industry leader based in Nashville, Tennessee. Her work and her life are based in a deep trust in the flow. In 2004, she co-founded Sanctuary for Yoga where she directs Sanctuary’s Teacher Training programs and has been training teachers since 2008. Over her 20-year teaching career, Daphne has created 2 popular instructional yoga DVDs, an online studio featuring 21 Days of Yoga, and most recently released her new book A Curated Life: Creating Space for the Life You Crave. In 2021, she took another bold leap and rebranded Sanctuary, and relocated the studio to the heart of West Nashville.
Always inspired by the creative process, Daphne’s life has included extensive work as a performing artist and a vibrant 12-year music industry career. Committed to fully immersing herself into her studies, Daphne dedicated a decade-plus to traveling and studying yoga, finding inspiration in many teachers. Her most profound influence has been Shiva Rea, with whom she spent more than 10 years studying and assisting around the world.
As a teacher, she is known for the fluid grace of her practice and her skillful balance of alignment and flow. Her teaching is clear and authentic - fueled by her passionate curiosity about both the shapes and alignment of poses, but also transitions and the powerful potential of the space between. Her classes are fluid journeys through an intentional sequence of poses that lead us deeper into ourselves. The effect is grounding, spacious and balanced.
She is most grateful for her wife Stephanie - her partner in the flow of life. There is nothing greater than love.
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To learn more visit Daphne's personal website.
Cameron Clark
While Cameron’s journey to yoga isn’t particularly exciting, what has unfolded since she walked through the studio doors in 2006 is an incredible journey of healing, hope and joy!
Cameron’s teaching is an invitation to her students to move inward and get curious. She believes in the power of gentle movement and supported stillness to deepen our connection to the wisdom of the body.. and most importantly learn how to be with ourselves lovingly.
Cameron extends her gratitude to her teachers and mentors Kay Kay Clivio, Yogi Caru of Pure Yoga, Dana Slamp of Prema Yoga Therapeutics, Sarah Powers of Insight yoga and numerous other teachers in the practice of vinyasa, yoga therapeutics, yin yoga and Insight meditation.
Cameron has additional advanced studies in Trauma Center Trauma Sensitive Yoga (TCTSY) and Somatic Experiencing which inform her teaching.
May all beings be happy and free!
Shelby Baxter
Shelby grew up in Connecticut and bounced around New England while starting her family and landing in Nashville in 2013. A retired runner, active mother of two, and avid cook she enjoys creating whether that be in the kitchen or on the mat. Her journey is steeped in self-study and discovery, something she loves to share with others looking to go a little deeper into human beings rather than human doing.
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Shelby began studying yoga in 2015. She came to the mat looking to move and found so much more. She received her 200 RYT in 2017 and has been teaching since. In her classes, you will find more than just asana, or the physical limb of the practice. Pranayama (breathwork), Mudra (symbolic hand gesture), Yama (self-study), and Niyama (spiritual discipline) are all carefully curated throughout her challenging but welcoming classes. Movement is measured and challenging, cues are meticulous and the goal is connection; the true function of yoga is to “yoke” or “unite” the facets of the self in search of a connection to source. Her hope is that when you leave her classes you will feel challenged, empowered, and balanced.
Holly Garcia
Holly was first introduced to yoga 12 years ago by a friend who suggested she try it to relieve her constant migraine headaches. She found healing through At One Yoga in Phoenix, AZ. Healing her body and growing to love yoga was easy, but being consistent was not. Never forgetting the practice and its foundations, Holly found her way back onto the mat shortly after moving to Nashville in 2008. She began to realize the benefits of making yoga a constant part of her lifestyle and decided to take it a step further by becoming an instructor. In 2009, while pregnant with her second son, Holly completed her 200-hour RYT Yoga Alliance certification.
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Since then, Holly has been on a quest of continued education through her daily practice and by attending numerous workshops. Having been blessed to have many teachers with different styles, Holly’s class is a varied mix of Vinyasa, Ashtanga and Hatha with a heavy emphasis on the breath and alignment. Although there will be similar elements, each class will be a unique blend of Holly’s influences which like life is ever-changing. She has learned to allow the energy of the students and the moment to guide the flow of her class. Her goal is that students leave with an awareness that will help them become their own best teacher on and off the mat.
Page Hart
Page is fueled by the beautiful integration of mind, body and spirit that exists in yoga and believes this connection is the essence of the practice. Page consciously creates the space within her classes for students to awaken a sense of empowerment that gracefully guides them to an open mind and open heart. In the process of discovering the fluidity and strength of their own bodies, Page’s desire is that students begin to realize the true beauty that exists within themselves and All others.
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Over 25 years ago, Page’s passion for yoga emerged but was refueled when Sanctuary opened their doors. Her experience and time practicing yoga at Sanctuary cultivated a strong passion for Vinyasa Flow Yoga.
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Combined with her practice at Sanctuary and her work with Daphne and Tom Larkin, Page began studying with Shiva Rea in 2006 and completed Shiva¹s Samudra Global School for Living Yoga Teacher Training program. In 2011, she completed Dharma Mittra¹s 500 hour Life Of A Yogi Teacher Training. Dharma’s training focuses heavily on the classical teachings of yoga with a strong emphasis on the spiritual dimension of yoga, as well as the physical discipline and pranayama practices. Page is also strongly influenced by the teachings of Seane Corn, Simon Park, and Annie Carpenter.
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She has a devoted passion and deep gratitude for the Sanctuary for Yoga community, the gift of friendships and the of her beautiful family (including 2 legged and 4 legged members)!
Christy Lynn Hicks
Christy was born and raised in Nashville, TN, and is a Holistic Yoga Teacher, Mentor, Coach & Guide.
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She was led to Yoga back in the 90s because of chronic low back pain and stayed with it for the profound transformation that she experienced in her everyday life and in her relationships.
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She has been teaching Yoga & Meditation for over 25 years and loves to blend the practical with the spiritual & the discipline with a sense of humor and a lightness of heart. She encourages a practice that is the embodiment of both steadiness and ease in body, mind, and breath. Her classes are intentional, inclusive, and relaxed.
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After 16 years of owning and operating a Yoga Studio in Burbank, CA, and training others to become teachers at the 200-hour and 300-hour level, Christy has recently relocated back to her hometown outside of Nashville and is excited about being a part of the Yoga Community in the city where her practice began many years ago.
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Some of her favorite practices to explore and teach are the Chakra System, Energy & the Elements, Meditation, Pranayama, Mantra, Mudra, Yoga Nidra, Yin Yoga, Visualization & Manifestation, Ritual, Ecstatic Dance, Effective Communication, Ayurveda, Yoga Asana, Yoga Sutras, Philosophy & Positive Psychology.
Shannon Hillenmeyer
Shannon discovered yoga 16 years ago as a means of physical fitness during her college days. As she transitioned to the "real world," she quickly found that yoga provided so much more than physical strength and flexibility.
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She knew she wanted to take her practice deeper as she began to notice how it sparked her overall energy, sense of connection, and gratitude "off the mat." In 2009, she completed her teacher training. Shannon is grateful for the unending journey and continual challenge that yoga provides. Her classes combine vigorous vinyasa with warmth and acceptance. She hopes her students will meet new challenges with curiosity and ease, always leaving room for exploration and new horizons, on and off the mat.
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In addition, Shannon graduated from the University of Chicago with a Masters's in Social Work in 2012. She is in awe of the way yoga continues to inform her counseling work outside of the studio. In 2017, she moved to Nashville with her husband Hunter, and their three daughters, Harper, Brynn, and Lyla.
Durden Napier
At some point, you may just want to try. My first class was comical. I was not flexible nor strong and sitting on the floor was excruciating. And I savor the fact that I came from this initial feeling (to note: I still do on one or more tried asanas). One day, it all comes together by simply, showing up for yourself. I began my yoga through a 5-week Kundalini workshop where I learned more on how to make mung bean soup. (In addition, my adoration for turmeric began here as well). Years later, I went to an Ashram in Oregon and my love for Sanskrit Mantra took root. It was nearly 6 years later that I decided to become a teacher after finding such support in a practice after the passing of my dad. My body was holding on to all the sadness. Goodness knows a body can shut down at will. From Los Angeles to Connecticut and then to Nashville in 2011 is where my yoga home was found…and at Sanctuary nonetheless.
I became certified in 2014 and enjoy teaching around the city. I created a wonderful class at Adventure Science Center called Yoga Under the Stars and it ran strong for three years prior to 2020. I teach on the westside and one on one. I’m so dang happy to be back at the place where I found my true self: whole, broken, mendable and joy-filled. My classes are structured with alignment integrity: the belief that strength will come in time if the foundation is ideal. Also, it’s yoga…a place of movement and getting out of your own way, (you’ve got this, just give it a go).
Heather Maki
Heather grew up participating in competitive sports and dance. She always enjoyed pushing through her limitations. Never thinking of yoga as anything other than ‘stretching’, she was surprised in 1999 when she tried Bikram yoga once just to mix things up and, from that very first series, couldn’t get enough. It has been a fun and winding journey from teaching step aerobics and body sculpting in the ‘90s to a deeper focus of yoga.
Delving further into vinyasa with roots in Iyengar, and a heavy emphasis on alignment and anatomy she earned her 200 RYT certification in April of 2019 and Yin Yoga Teacher Training in 2020. She is completing her 500-hour certification and also holds a Level One Baptiste Power Yoga Instructor credential. Heather is always open to continuing to learn and work with her students.
Grace French
Grace’s introduction to yoga was unexpected. As a company member with Nashville Ballet, she was required to take a yoga class to help get ready for the upcoming season. Daphne and Tom Larkin came to the ballet studio to lead this class and Grace was mesmerized. In the same room that she had spent countless hours dissecting her exterior appearance to entertain and impress others, she found that the yoga class moved her inwards, even with movements often similar and complementary to dance. She was intrigued and inspired and has chosen to spend time on the mat ever since.
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Three children later with an itch to deepen her practice, Grace earned her 200 hr YTT through Sanctuary in 2019-2020. She enjoys offering a nonperformance-type space by linking movement and breath in a dance-like flow. Grace loves and understands that in yoga, one is always learning and that we are all on our own individual paths of acquiring new understandings of ourselves. She is grateful to Sanctuary as it has truly acted as a consistent sanctuary throughout the many chapters of her life.
Liz Stewart
Liz is Yoga Alliance certified at the 500 hour level through the Asheville Yoga Center, with an additional 50 hour certification with renowned Yin Yoga teacher Bernie Clark in Vancouver, BC. She has also completed Sarah Powers' Level I Yin/Insight Yoga teacher training. Certified in Katherine Roberts' Yoga for Golfers, she completed her first 200 hour level in Ashtanga Yoga through the Franklin Yoga Center.
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Liz's teaching embodies an extensive knowledge of Yin Yoga with its passive, deep, restorative and meditative combinations of poses. Varying levels of intensity and creative use of props are the basis for a practice that students of all levels can enjoy. Her emphasis on the cultivation of body and breath awareness, and the re-establishment of health and harmony, offer benefits to students both on and off the mat.
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In her time off the mat, Liz plays the double bass in the Nashville Symphony, enjoys reading, playing golf, and spending time with her husband, violist Jim Grosjean and their Spinone, Wally.
Adrienne Hite
Adrienne pursues an empowering style of teaching, creating a place for students to make space for themselves and cultivate self-awareness, in order for that same grace and awareness to carry out into their lives, relationships, and beyond. On a technical level, she is a stickler for good alignment and wants to pass that same knowledge on, in order for students’ practices to become a healthy long term addition to their lives, full of longevity and growth.
Bringing the right amount of cultivation and challenge through breath and asana, using her studies in various yoga lineages, as well as ballroom dance, she creates a centered, affective, fulfilling class. Creating an environment where students can connect to themselves and beyond.
Adrienne received her BFA in Media and Theatre Performance and also acquired her DVIDA certification, recognized by the National Dance Council of America. In addition, she is an RYT-500+ through Yoga Alliance. She holds her Master’s in Yoga Studies, with a Yoga Therapy concentration and will finish her certificate in Clinical Yoga Therapy in the spring.
Troy Akers
​I was born and raised right here in Nashville, just a mile down the road from Sanctuary's new home. In fact, my first job, at 15, was at the Target across the street. I have been a singer/songwriter for over half my life, under the name Bandit Heart, as well as a writer for other artists. I also attended Belmont University for my undergrad in Music Business. However, even after all of that...yoga found me at just the right time 6 years ago after a very traumatic extended season of life. I quickly understood the amazing gift that yoga brings to the body and mind, and started attending classes every day...sometimes twice in a day. My passion is to show that this practice is for everyone, every walk of life, every shape and personality. Yoga will make you stronger inside and out, and is one of the only things you can take with you anywhere life may take you. It met me where I was, and it will do the same for you.
Carly Schroeder
A child of a professional athlete and a personal trainer, exercise and training have been a focal point in Carly’s life. Carly was drawn to yoga over 12 years ago after a wake boarding accident left her in the ICU for two weeks. Her journey to healing was not an easy one, but yoga helped her find peace while navigating the challenges that severe neuropathy and weakness created as a result of the accident. Through commitment, along with the many benefits she found in yoga, Carly regained full functionality in the left side of her body.
As a result of her personal experiences and physical goals, Carly’s classes focus on strong core engagement and blend her passion for yoga with pilates and other training techniques for creating stability and strength. Her Yoga Sculpt class is a blend of vinyasa yoga, core strengthening and sculpting movement.
Carly is from Atlanta, Georgia and attended the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss). She’s been a Nashville resident for nearly two decades and is Mom to William and Georgie. Carly is a graduate of Sanctuary’s 200hr Teacher Training Program.
Anaise Bowen
Anaise began practicing yoga over 25 years ago while recovering from knee and hip injuries. As is often the path of a yogi, she came to the mat for the physical benefits and found so much more. She moved to Nashville in 2009, and was thrilled to find an active yoga community. Driven by her love of learning, she continues to expand her practice and deepen her knowledge. Anaisecompleted her 200 hour RYT at Sanctuary for Yoga in April of 2019, and her Yin Yoga Certification in February of 2020. She continues to work towards her 500 hour Certification at Sanctuary.
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Anaise draws from her own background in dance, her love of nature, and her unique sense of humor when she practices. Her classes are often inspired by cycles in nature, changes in the seasons, and chakra or chi energies. In her classes, you will find a combination of strength and softness, and she will encourage you to find those qualities within yourself. Her classes focus on moving intentionally, learning to listen to our own inner wisdom, and finding balance. She incorporates aspects of asana, breathwork (pranayama) and meditation into each class. She believes that in this crazy world, where we are encouraged to always be doing something, where we wear our stress as a badge of honor, where we are always competing, one of the best gifts we can give ourselves is to slow down and just “be”. As a wise person once said, we are human BEings, not human DOings.
Off the mat, you will find her hiking, kayaking or cooking, often with a book or three close at hand. She enjoys spending time with friends and family, traveling, and exploring the world at large and the world within. Doing the things that allow her to BE.
Paige Green
It is with the greatest honor that I extend my yoga journey by joining the community of Sanctuary as a teacher! It was here in 2016 that I completed my 200 hour yoga teacher training with Daphne and Tom. Previously, I received 100 hours yoga TT at Shakti of Nashville.
My interest in yoga really began much before that when I was introduced to classes held twice daily at the Ashram in Malibu, CA. At the Ashram, I observed the various ways yoga may be practiced by their many different teachers. I loved the opportunity each person has to develop their own personal practice according to their individual needs in the moment. This has made me an advocate for new students and devoted teacher that enjoys bringing first time and beginner yogis to their mat. I like to explore a full experience of the mind and body connection in my classes beginning with breath work for centering and ending with intentions to carry forward throughout your day. It is a Level 1 vinyasa flow class.
Also, I am the very proud mother of two teenage boys. I am originally from Selma, AL and I have enjoyed calling Nashville home for the past 20 years. I am so appreciative of the yoga home Sanctuary has provided for me as I have raised my family. I look forward to meeting you and sharing this welcoming yoga space!
Vanessa Paletta
Vanessa Paletta is a Vinyasa Yoga Teacher living in Tampa Bay Area with her husband, Stephen, and their two rescued hound dogs, Lucy and Mikko. In 2018, Vanessa took the leap into becoming a yoga teacher and earned my 200hr certification from Sanctuary for Yoga Nashville. Her focus as a teacher soon became centered on PTSD, trauma, and the profound impact yoga can have on healing. This led her to become certified in Trauma Informed Yoga through Sacred Roots Wellness and soon after, she followed her heart to Goa, India where she received a 300hr certification in Vinyasa Yoga from Sampoorna Yoga School. Discovering a profound connection between physical alignment and nervous system regulation, in 2020, Vanessa continued her studies under physical therapist, Lara Heimann, earning an additional 200hr certification in LYT Yoga Method. She recently finished the LYT Yoga 300hr program keeping her understanding of anatomy and functional movement.
Vanessa’s classes focus on core integration, mobility, postural alignment as well as nervous system regulation. Her classes are heart-based and intentional, intelligent and intuitive helping you move better, feel better, and live more compassionately. She opened her own virtual studio called The Yoga Room during the height of Covid and enjoys teaching and connecting students from all over the country via Zoom. Vanessa is dedicated to holding inclusive spaces and thoughtfully guiding each student as they explore movement, strength building and the mind-body connection. You can catch Vanessa in Sanctuary’s virtual class options and in-studio when she shows up in Nashville to see us.
Mary Weaver
Mary found the yoga practice in early 2020. After feeling burnt out in the healthcare profession during a global pandemic and looking for a safe, accepting space to destress both mentally and physically, she stumbled upon a local yoga studio and immediately joined the community. As her curiosity for self-growth and the yoga practice deepened, she took the leap of faith and completed her 200 hr teacher training at Torch in Virginia Beach in April of 2021. New to the Nashville area, Mary is excited to share the practice of yoga with a new community and grow as both teacher and student.
She wants to use her passion for creativity and helping others to hold space for all students to find self-love, acceptance, and growth on and off the yoga mat. Finding this practice has inspired Mary to step into the unknown, every single day. On the mat, she encourages her students to find their inner flame and self-love through creative movements and stepping into the unknown. Mary enjoys the outdoors, being barefoot, spending time with her dog Oscar, and climbing trees whenever a good one comes around!
Lindsey Preston
Lindsey, a born and raised Nashvillian, started practicing yoga while living in Austin, TX in 2017 and found something she didn't know she was looking for. What did she find? A practice that lead her to the connection of her mind, body, and spirit like nothing else. Through this connection she started to peel back the layers on her false self to start the journey inwards towards her true self. Yoga, for Lindsey, has ultimately been a place of reclamation and she is passionate about holding space for others to experience their own sense of embodied authority through pranayama, asanas, and meditation.
Lindsey Graduated Sanctuary's 200hr teacher training in spring of 2023 and jumped right in as a teacher! Her flows are strong but slow, encouraging space for the poses to be integrated into the body and the breath to be felt completely. Lindsey is passionate about inclusivity and letting there be room for all people and all parts of you to show up to receive love and care. She is excited about gaining more knowledge and experience and feels honored to get to flow with the Sanctuary community!
Ally Hanson
Ally grew up with the practice of yoga always in her life. Inspired by her grandma, a long-time yoga teacher and practitioner, Ally completed her teacher training in 2019.
Yoga is integral to Ally’s life to support her health, happiness, and creativity. At the completion of a season of life as a ballet dancer, she fully committed to the practice to heal her body, spirit, and relationship with movement. Yoga is her means of staying grounded and grateful. She views the practice as much more than what happens on the mat. It can be practiced in every aspect of life and manifests as many things: choosing joy everyday, how to treat others, taking care of the environment, and so much more.
Her classes incorporate breath, functional anatomy, and creative sequencing. In each flow, Ally will encourage you to find your inner strength and push beyond any limiting beliefs to what you think you are capable of. For Ally’s class be prepared to turn within, try new things, and have a laugh.
Melissa Eltringham
Californian by birth and Nashvillian by choice, Melissa Eltringham has been teaching vinyasa yoga since 2011. A childhood background of dance along with a lifetime of spiritual seeking serendipitously led Melissa to ground herself in Nashville’s pre-eminent yoga school and studio of Sanctuary for Yoga after moving to Tennessee in 2007. She also dedicated herself for over a decade to studying the teachings of the renowned but now closed Jivamukti Yoga Center and also the Dharma Yoga Center, which is thankfully still open in New York City.
Melissa strongly believes in the universal tenet of yoga for every body, shape, size, and color, espousing strength, grace, and power in a gentler and slower practice. In addition, Melissa exercised the yoga of her mind by earning a master’s degree of clinical mental health & counseling in 2023. She lives in Nashville with her outstanding husband Fred, two extraordinarily musical sons Truman & Cooper, and her rescue puppy Celine.
Sara Bickhart
I have been practicing Yoga since 2019, beginning my practice in my home state of Pennsylvania. I began with a studio in my college town and fell in love with movement. In 2021, I decided to do the 200hr Teacher Training my studio offered to deepen my practice and to teach the practice I am so passionate about.
I teach a style of yoga called "LYT Yoga Method" which is a Vinyasa style of yoga focusing on anatomy and alignment. LYT is a functional movement based practice where we challenge the body and mind by creating dynamic flows focusing on strength, mobility, alignment and stability.
I moved to Nashville in 2021 and began teaching in early 2023. Yoga has become an integral part of my daily life. I love to share this practice with others to help them move better and feel better in their mind and body. When I'm not teaching yoga you can find me reading a book, walking my dog on a nice day or going on a new adventure with my friends.
Anne-Marie Kida
Anne-Marie was born and raised in New Jersey. Living, growing and working a fast paced life, she first stepped into yoga as a means to slow down a bit. That first yoga class felt like a homecoming, sparking a love for slowing down and diving deep into mind-body connections. After a few years of practice and a move to Nashville, she decided to take Sanctuary’s 200-hour YTT online during the pandemic. Her decision to take teacher training was driven by a love for learning and a feeling deep inside that teaching was her true calling.
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Anne-Marie shares her passion for slowing down through gentle flows and restorative yoga. Mindful movement became her compass, guiding her towards a path of intentional stillness and self-discovery. With her background in personal training and integrative nutrition, Anne-Marie aims to help others experience wellness in a holistic way.
Jana Parham
Jana originally tried yoga in 2003 as a supplement to her running addiction. Expecting a ‘stretching class,’ she was humbled by her first Iyengar yoga class, where the entire hour was spent on the alignment of Dandasana (Staff pose) and Tadasana (Mountain pose) and was extremely challenging! Finding a respect, and soon, a great love, for precise alignment, she found her way to Sanctuary for Yoga in its early years. At Sanctuary, she was introduced to very intentional positioning combined with the movement of Vinyasa flow. This ‘yin and yang’ of the asana practice, where the specific alignment of the body in each pose is complemented by the fluid transitions linking those poses, fascinates Jana and informs her classes. Having a typical runner’s focus on speed and efficiency, Jana has benefitted from the ‘going slower’ a yoga practice requires. The practice of the yoga asansas (poses) has become as much a mediation for her as a physical experience. She loves knowing that her practice will continue to change and unfold, and encourages students to explore and experience their own evolutions in her classes.
Jana earned her 200 RYT in 2024 at Sanctuary for Yoga. Her teachers of many years, Daphne Larkin and Page Hart, demonstrate the limbs of yoga on and off the mat, and she is grateful to their continued teachings and influence. Jana believes yoga is something you can (and should!) do for the rest of your life. The practice can (and should!) be adapted to the student, wherever they are in their life, and there is no age where it is too late to begin.