MASTER TEACHERS
2025
Laruga Glaser
Laruga Glaser has practiced Ashtanga yoga for over 28 years, studying in Mysore, India, with the late Sri K. Pattabhi Jois and now with R. Sharath Jois. Certified to teach up to Advanced B, she has made over 15 trips to Mysore, continuing to grow as a student and teacher. Laruga shares her deep passion for the practice globally, inspiring others to realize their potential while honoring the lineage.
David Swenson
David Swenson began practicing yoga at 13, guided by his brother Doug. In 1973, he was introduced to Ashtanga Yoga by David Williams and Nancy Gilgoff in Encinitas, California. He met Sri K. Pattabhi Jois in 1975 and later traveled to Mysore, India, where he learned the full Ashtanga system. Today, David is recognized as one of the foremost Ashtanga Yoga practitioners and teaches worldwide.
Kino MacGregor
Kino MacGregor is a renowned Ashtanga Yoga teacher, author, and co-founder of Miami Life Center. With over two decades of practice, she is one of the few people worldwide to receive certification to teach Ashtanga Yoga by Pattabhi Jois in Mysore, India. Kino is dedicated to sharing the transformative power of Ashtanga through her global teaching, online platforms, and publications.
Dena Kingsberg
Dena Kingsberg has been studying and practicing traditional Ashtanga Yoga for almost 40 years. She is a devoted long term student of the late Sri K. Pattabhi Jois. She remains committed, deeply inspired and continuously amazed by the vast healing potential of this life changing practice. Dena has a disciplined, yet lyrical style of teaching with a holistic approach that looks beyond external form to inspire a passion for self-inquiry and reflection.
Richard Freeman
Richard Freeman has been a student of yoga since 1968, studying various traditions across Asia, including Sufism, Zen, and Bhakti, which he integrates into Ashtanga yoga as taught by K. Pattabhi Jois. His deep knowledge of both Western and Eastern philosophy, along with his unique, metaphorical teaching style, makes him a respected instructor at the Yoga Workshop in Boulder, Colorado, and worldwide.
Mary Taylor
Mary Taylor is a seasoned Ashtanga Yoga teacher with over three decades of experience. She began her practice under the guidance of Pattabhi Jois in the early 1980s and has since become a respected instructor known for her compassionate and insightful teaching style. Mary co-founded the Yoga Workshop in Boulder, Colorado, with her husband, Richard Freeman, and continues to share her deep understanding of yoga through classes, workshops, and writings.
Jessica Walden
ASSISTANT TEACHERS
2025
Steve Dwelley
Steve Dwelley is a dedicated Ashtanga Yoga teacher and studio owner based in Santa Barbara, California. With decades of experience, Steve brings a deep understanding of the traditional Ashtanga method to his teaching, fostering both discipline and inspiration in his students. His studio serves as a welcoming space for practitioners of all levels to explore and deepen their yoga practice.
Jack Wiseman
Jack Wiseman is a devoted Ashtanga Yoga practitioner and teacher with years of experience studying and sharing this transformative practice. Known for his thoughtful and focused approach, Jack guides students to connect with the deeper aspects of the Ashtanga tradition, blending physical discipline with mindfulness. He is committed to helping students grow both on and off the mat.
MODERATOR
Jessica Walden
Jessica began practicing Ashtanga Yoga in 1994 and studied extensively in Mysore, India, from 2001 to 2011 with Patthabi Jois, Sharath, and Saraswati. She earned a Level 2 Teaching Authorization Certificate from KPJAYI in 2009 and has taught at renowned studios in the USA and Australia, including Tim Miller’s Shala and Jois Yoga, and has assisted Sharath at KPJAYI Mysore. Twelve years ago, Jessica suffered a major spinal injury, which initially caused fear and pain and often requires invasive surgery to stabilize the spine. However, she chose not to undergo surgery, instead using the injury to reshape her practice with a focus on inner awareness and accessing subtle energies to cultivate gentle strength, grace, and flexibility. Jessica sees herself as a lifelong student and approaches teaching by helping students find self-acceptance, control, grace, and effortlessness in their own practice.