In this modern digital era, people are feeling rushed, stressed, and spread thin. Work, finances, health, and relationships are all sources of potential tension and upset. Finding a way to unwind and relax is paramount to counterbalance this.
Unfortunately, most people are turning to their phones to find some peace. Yet, no matter how much doom scrolling you do or how many Netflix films you watch, you will still feel agitated and depressed.
It is time to discover new therapeutic tools for self-care — a way to calm your nervous system and reset your well-being.
Yoga is an ancient practice that nurtures the mind and body. It can help you physically by becoming more flexible, mobile, and strong. But it helps you to feel more centered mentally and emotionally.
The Paseo Club is a social club in the Santa Clarita Valley. Each week the club offers several yoga classes, including beginner, intermediate, advanced, therapeutic, and restorative yoga.
In this article, you get to meet our wonderful yoga instructors. Learn about their training, why they love to teach yoga, what benefits they have discovered, and their favorite poses.
Who are the yoga instructors at the Paseo Club?
Jalin Runza
Certification/Training:
Yogaworks 500 hours, Therapeutic yoga
What do you love about teaching yoga?
Teaching yoga brings me immense joy and fulfillment for several reasons. I enjoy guiding students through practices, and yoga encourages them to be present in the moment.
I love witnessing how yoga facilitates a transformation in body and breath awareness. It's incredibly rewarding to see students become more attuned to their bodies, learning to listen to their breath as they move through poses. This awareness often extends beyond the mat to their daily lives.
Teaching yoga allows me to share a practice that promotes health and well-being. It is a privilege that enables me to empower others on their journey toward greater self-discovery and overall wellness.
What is a benefit about yoga most people don’t realize?
Yoga not only helps create a deeper connection between mind, body, and breath, but it also helps reduce stress, improve sleep quality, and increase mobility. A sense of community is created in class that is empowering.
What is your favorite yoga pose?
Warrior 3 is my favorite pose recently. I love the challenge of balance, strength, and the different ways the pose can be adjusted to keep it energetic and fun.
Justin Barnes
Certification/Training:
200 hours YTT & Yoga Therapeutic
What do you love about teaching yoga?
I’ve been practicing yoga for the last 15 years. When I first started, I just wanted to be able to touch my toes. Since then, the practice of yoga has changed my life. I walk into rooms taller, feel more confident in my body, and move through stress with more ease. Sharing this practice with my students so they may also feel the benefits, is a rewarding experience.
What is a benefit about yoga most people don’t realize?
Over time, you begin feeling lighter mentally. The mindfulness of yoga creates more space and slows down the nervous system. Suddenly you realize you have a more uplifting outlook on the world around you.
What is your favorite yoga pose?
Any of the arm balances. Each one requires a lot of care, focus, and strength.
Kylee Cary
Certification/Training:
Yoga Alliance 200 hours RYT/NASM CPT
What do you love about teaching yoga?
I love seeing the smile on people’s faces after taking my class. I also love seeing the progress my students make. It’s so rewarding to hear the ways their lives have become better through practicing yoga.
What is a benefit about yoga most people don’t realize?
Mental clarity is a huge benefit of yoga that I didn’t even know about myself until I started practicing. Taking time to down-regulate your nervous system is so important, and yoga is an amazing way to do that.
What is your favorite yoga pose?
My favorite pose is Warrior 2. I always feel incredibly connected to my body while in this pose, which is a very powerful feeling.
Kim Harper
Certification/Training:
Yoga Alliance 200 hours
What do you love about teaching yoga?
My favorite part of teaching yoga is the connection I make with the members in my classes.
What is a benefit about yoga most people don’t realize?
People assume flexibility is a prerequisite to enjoying yoga. Many do not realize yoga is much more than the physical poses themselves. It is about finding a deeper understanding and awareness of their own bodies and the mindfulness that comes from that connection.
What is your favorite yoga pose?
Inversions such as headstands and handstands are two of my favorite yoga poses. That is not to say that I am excellent at either one; I simply have a great appreciation for the concentration and courage required to attempt them.
Allison Nelson
Certification/Training:
500 Hours RYT Yoga Works, certified in Therapeutic Yoga
What do you love about teaching yoga?
There is so much to love about sharing the practice of yoga. I value helping a student ease their physical tension, teaching them something new about their ongoing personal practice, and introducing them to the self-soothing and introspective components of yoga.
What is a benefit about yoga most people don’t realize?
Yoga is much more than the poses we take on our mat. When we practice, we slow down, breathe, and pay attention. This process creates a sense of calm, which makes us feel more clear. Over time, we begin to use this clarity to see the patterns that can create chaos in our minds and lives and let them go.
What is your favorite yoga pose?
My favorite pose is rolling out my mat, lying down, closing my eyes, and breathing.
Andrea Dill
Certification/Training:
550 hours Yoga Works, 50 hours Vin Yoga
What do you love about teaching yoga?
Sharing the experience that is yoga is what I love about teaching. I am so blessed to be guiding individuals through this ancient practice. Witnessing the joy that emanates from them as they embark and continue on their yoga journey is very rewarding.
What is a benefit about yoga most people don’t realize?
If one truly immerses themselves, they will realize the openness they create within their body, creates openness within their mind and heart. This process encourages lightness within their spirit, creating beautiful ease and grace within themselves. Naturally, this shines outwardly with warmth and perhaps with a smile.
What is your favorite yoga pose?
Ardha Mandalasana/Half Circle is my favorite pose. This pose allows one to expand and extend the entire body, especially when drawing it into a full circle. I also love the final pose of the practice, savasana, where one simply rests and accepts all the benefits of the practice they just created.
Getting started with yoga
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to be able to touch your toes to do yoga. Many people think they aren’t flexible enough to take classes — but this is a myth. The practice of yoga is accessible to everyone. Whether you are starting with a more gentle approach or have been practicing for years, everyone is capable of reaping the benefits.
Yoga classes are free with a Paseo Club membership. Classes are taught throughout the week at various times, so check out the athletics calendar and reserve your spot for a yoga class today.
The Paseo Club has a wide range of fitness classes. If you would like to diversify your activities, try Pilates, cycle, Liquid Cardio, strength and tone, or one of the other 60+ fitness classes available each week.
If you want to improve your self-care routine, schedule an appointment with one of the practitioners at the spa. With one esthetician and two massage therapists at your disposal, you can enjoy one — or many delightful treatments.
The Paseo Club is not just a fitness center. It is a social club with fitness events, social activities, and amenities for you and your family so you experience the best of the Paseo lifestyle. Join the Paseo Club and enjoy all that we have to offer.
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