DRG Instructors

 
  |   Posted in
shapeimage 4  Monette 

Monette Michele Rios, RYT 200 began an intoxicating practice of yoga at age fifteen as an exploration of the mind, body, spirit connection. Her studies have been a continued celebration of energy, life, and the soulful roots yoga in it’s many forms. Monette is a Yoga Alliance certified teacher of Vinyasa yoga with a concentration in core and hot yoga from Yoga Sol and continues studies with Janet Stone Yoga San Francisco, CA.  Monette’s nurturing teaching is straight from the heart with a blend of breath control and graceful movement, to harness power, deepen flexibility, and quiet the mind. Her classes are filled with eclectic music, spontaneous humor, yoga philosophy, and generous passion; they tend to be vigorous yet deeply relaxing. 

 

 
Cyndi
Cyndi is a Bay Area fitness professional with years of experience teaching resistance, aqua, dance and aerobic styled workouts.  Her early experiences were with Gold’s Gym and Egypt Theater instructing adults in aerobic workouts and children in choreographed dance routines. She loves to help people overcome health and wellness issues, realize their dreams and have fun. Try her class, you’ll be hooked! 

 

250195 127276634018805_120094698070332_220867_7287107_n 
 IMG 1442 Julie
Julie Spiker comes to us with a long teaching history in Pilates, she started teaching in 1992 and has since added Barre and TRX classes to her instructing.  Prior to teaching Pilates Julie attended the Royal Academy of Dancing in London, England from 1987-1988.  She then returned to the United States to attend the University of California Irvine (UCI) as a dance major in 1990, and ultimately graduated with a BA in Dance and Kinesiology.  She was not only introduced to Pilates at this time, but discovered rock climbing in Joshua Tree that same year.  Beside rock, Julie has dabbled in mountaineering on Shasta and Hood.  Julie joined City Rock in Berkeley when it first opened and climbed at Diablo Rock Gym the day it opened.  She feels the inception of climbing gyms has made it possible to keep climbing but still maintain a work week and have a family.

Tina
Tina first came to yoga in 1999, hoping to balance her body and heal injuries after years of classical ballet, hip-hop and capoeira. She soon discovered yoga not only as a physical practice with tremendous health benefits, but also as a mental, philosophical and spiritual practice that calms her mind and grounds her in the present. Through the years, Tina has studied Iyengar, Ashtanga and Anusara yoga styles with many inspiring teachers. She has completed trainings with Mitchel Bleier, Mynx Ignatsu and Melanie Salvatore-August and continues to study with Tias Little. Tina’s classes are imaginatively and carefully sequenced and at times, physically challenging, but they are accessible to most practitioners. Her focus on the breath and alignment allows students to move safely into the postures and leave fully present in their bodies with an invigorated sense of calm, confidence and awareness.

IMG 0089
images-1 Christi
Christi is our water exercise instructor here at DRG. She also teaches at YMCA in Pleasant and Martinez Park and Recreation.  Before moving to Pleasant Hill, I was a water exercise instructor at Brisbane Community Pool for two years (one year through her first pregnancy! She has always been a water enthusiast! Starting with a swim team when she was 6yrs old through elementary school and high school, junior lifeguard at 10 yrs old and with her first job as a lifeguard at Oakland Hills Tennis Club. She was Water Instructor certified at 16 yrs old, teaching and lifeguarding at the Claremont Country Club during high school and college summers. She is excited to be at DRG!