Ana Costa was born in Brazil and has been teaching yoga for over 24 years. Ana has been studying Raja Yoga as a member of Self-Realization Fellowship since 1988. In 2001 she developed her own style that she named Anahata Yoga - Awakening Heart which focuses on the opening of the heart center. In 2002 she started offering Anahata Yoga Teacher Training Programs and has been certifying teachers all over the world. In 2009 the Anahata Studio moved to 2nd Street in Encinitas and has been a little piece of heaven to all the beautiful souls that has become part of the Anahata family!

Julia has a wide background which uniquely suits her calling as a yoga teacher,. She is a registered Yoga Alliance® teacher, with certifications in Anahata Yoga™, the Anahata Awakening Method™, and Synergy Yoga®.  She holds a certificate to teach Mat Pilates from a Pilates Method Alliance (PMA®) approved provider.  She has certifications in Reiki energy work (Usui lineage), Raja Energy™ (Feisst Institute), and Yoga Nidra (Moore Yoga) and does private therapeutic sessions in these modalities.  Julia has practiced yoga and meditation since childhood, having been raised as an active member of Self Realization Fellowship her whole life. She has a Master’s Degree in Social Work (MSW San Diego State, 2011), and loves to provide compassion and support to others. Julia LaPlante is a mother and stepmother to three children and lives with her husband in Encinitas.  She has been with us at Anahata Yoga Studio for over four years and loves being an Anahata yoga teacher!

Erika has devoted the past decade of her life helping herself and others embody their highest potential by cultivating a heart full of self-love and gratitude, an inner environment of peace and harmony, and a spirit of courage and strength through her passions of Yoga, Reiki energy healing, chakra balancing, and aromatherapy. Erika has taught over 1,000 yoga and meditation classes as well as numerous workshops. She is certified as an Anahata Awakening Method facilitator, a powerful modality used in a one-on-one environment to awaken ones own intrinsic healing. When Erika is not teaching or practicing yoga, she can be found spending time with her husband, a high school teacher, and two adorable boys, Jett (7) and Levi (5). Their favorite things to do as a family are garden, ride bikes and skateboard, cook, visit museums, practice yoga (of course!) and camp along the California coast! To learn more about Erika and her offerings, visit www.elevateyourwellness.life.

Sanjana was born in India and moved to the US in 1992. Graduating from the Fashion Institute of Technology New York, she pursued a career in the apparel Industry in San Diego. She's a mother of two college going kids. In 2011, faced with some significant health challenges she decided to look into Yoga. The more she practiced it, the more she realized the role it played in not only improving her health but also in enabling her to connect with her true spirit and nature. Having seen the positive role it played in her personal growth she decided to delve deeper and pursue the teacher training program at Anahata in 2015. She loves sharing her knowledge and understanding of yoga with others and hopes to play a role in bringing peace, love and balance in peoples lives.

Gina’s yoga journey began in 2005 at Anahata Yoga Studio. As she experienced increased strength and flexibility in her body, she also noticed an increased sense of inner peace and self-love. With a grateful heart, she felt inspired to share the benefits of yoga with others. Gina creates an uplifting, safe environment for students to explore and expand their own body and consciousness. She also infuses the benefits of essential oils and incorporates Reiki, heart-focused breathing and meditations into her classes.  Emphasizing heart awareness helps students bring their physical, mental and emotional systems into balanced alignment with their heart's intuitive guidance.

She is also a certified Awakened Heart Method facilitator, which is a powerful modality that uses yoga postures, breathing exercises, meditation, and guided imagery to improve mental and physical health.  Awakened Heart Method is holistically focused and encourages the integration of mind, body, and spirit.

I have been studying yoga most of my life, and I have done most all of it. I have also been a longtime member of Self-Realization Fellowship. My beloved guru, Paramahansa Yogananda, is my biggest inspiration to follow the path of yoga and to teach yoga. I really enjoyed taking my Teacher Training from Ana at Anahata. It is gentle yet wonderful for all of the body, mind, soul, and because I love this routine so much I find it a delight to teach and share with others. I have a  small private practice that I do, when not in an official studio. I am a painter, Astrologer, and lover of all that is full of beauty, harmony, grace and most of all Truth that brings us to a new level of life and sharing.

Usha has been passionate about yoga her whole life. She has experienced many yoga styles through the years and fell in love with the Anahata style since she came for her first class. She took the Anahata Teacher Training in 2013 and has been teaching and sharing her love for yoga since then.

She has been practicing meditation for many years as a member of Self Realization Fellowship. She is a Reiki Practitioner, mother of two children, a wonderful cook, and a very positive and enthusiastic person. 

The meaning of the word yoga is union. When we practice Hatha Yoga, we seek to unite our body, mind, and spirit. At Anahata Yoga, Lisa found a yoga practice which helped her to connect movement, breath, and self-awareness. Having practiced yoga throughout her adult life, she believes in its enduring benefits. In 2015, Lisa retired from teaching art to children and began to explore a new direction in teaching by joining the teacher training program at Anahata Yoga. Today she enjoys life with her husband of 34 years and family time with their grown son and extended family. She looks forward to welcoming all who come to the Anahata Yoga studio and sharing her love of yoga with her students.