Aasha Elliott (She/Her)

Studio Owner/Yoga + Meditation Instructor/Lead Teacher Trainer, E-RYT 500, LCSW

Aasha is a lover of all things yoga, meditation, mantra, astrology, chanting and singing. She is also currently working on drawing 108 Ganeshas and each one is a surprise in how he manifests! :)

Yoga has become an integral part of Aasha's life over the years, and preserving the authenticity of Chi-Town Shakti as a ShambhavAnanda Yoga® Center and supporting the growth of her students brings her so much joy. Aasha first welcomed yoga into her life several years ago when she was desperately seeking a "life-line". She first began to understand the true essence of "surrender" while melting into the exhale of a supine twist. Aasha continues to deepen her ability to surrender, to trust the divine and to open her heart through practice and through teaching. Aasha completed her 200-hour teacher training in 2012. She also completed Meditation Teacher Training in 2012 and is committed to daily yoga and meditation practices of her own. Aasha is passionate about sharing these invaluable practices that have become such an invaluable part of her life.

Aasha also holds a Master’s degree in Clinical Social work from Loyola University Chicago (2009) and also works as a clinical therapist. She frequently integrates yoga and meditation practices into her sessions with clients. Aasha feels eternally grateful for her practice, for the Chi-Town Shakti Yoga community, for her life-changing connection to ShambhavAnanda Yoga® and to her teacher/founder of ShambhavAnanda Yoga®, Babaji Shambhavananda.

Elena Tinaglia (She/Her)

Yoga + Meditation Instructor/Teacher Trainer, E-RYT 200, J.D., SHRM-SCP

Elena was first introduced to yoga through dance when her instructor weaved yoga poses into stretches after vigorous dance practices. She was drawn to the physical challenges that yoga provided as well as its ability to center her effervescent energy. Elena found Chi-Town Shakti while she was in college at nearby Loyola University and completed her 200 hour certification through the studio in 2010. Since then, she has taught over 3,500 hours of yoga! Elena is an E-RYT 200 and is on her way to completing her 500 hour certification.

Life can get hectic as an attorney, mediator, and consultant, which is why Elena uses her yoga practice is a way to delve deeper inward and surrender to the challenges that life presents.

As a teacher, Elena strives to create a warm and accepting atmosphere where students can explore their practice and cultivate compassion. As a leader of yoga teacher trainings, she works to provide a space for trainees to deepen their practice and experience of yoga as well as find their own unique voice and viewpoint in the teaching world.

Amanda Francis (She/Her)

Amanda experienced her first yoga class at age 15 during a summer dance camp and was immediately hooked. For the past 20 years, she has practiced a variety of yoga styles, eventually stumbling upon and falling in love with ShambhavAnanda Yoga®️. Studying at both Chi-town Shakti and Shoshoni Yoga Retreat, she obtained her 200-hour in 2014, and has since completed Levels 2 & 3, and 85-hour Prenatal certification. She is currently working toward her 500 hour certification and enjoys always being a student. 

In her spare time, you can find Amanda distance running alongside Lake Michigan, or doing acro yoga with her husband and 3 silly children in one of Chicago’s beautiful parks.

Sithara Vincent (They/Them)

Sithara aims to teach from the heart--bringing an authentic sense of groundedness to each class. After diving deeper into their journey with movement in 2015, Sithara began to reconnect with a daily yoga practice. At this time, they completed a capstone project researching the effects of movement on human empathy. Through this process, Sithara found forms of movement incorporated into mental health therapies. Sithara then happened upon Chi-Town Shakti in 2018 and immediately felt a connection with the people, the studio, and the school of ShambhavAnanda Yoga®.

Upon completing their 200hr certification at CTS in 2019, Sithara began to incorporate breathing techniques and movement into their daily practice of social work. Their main goal has been to continue making holistic forms of care more easily accessible to those in need. Sithara’s teaching focuses on pranayama (breathing techniques) to utilize the energy we all have to continue to heal and build a connection with ourselves and the world around us through Yoga. Sithara is thankful for the opportunity to continue this Yoga journey through practicing, teaching, and growing with their students. They hope to continue bringing this sense of gratitude to every class, and hope to continue to grow and learn along with their students. Sithara also completed ShambhavAnanda Yoga®️’s 30-hour Meditation Teacher Training in 2020.

Kisa Kowal (She/Her)

RYT 200, ShambhavAnanda Yoga®️ Meditation Instructor

Kisa discovered the magic of Yoga in 2006 when, during her first class, she experienced the deep connection between body, spirit, and breath and also managed to touch her toes without pain for the first time since childhood. An enthusiast of movement in all of its forms, she has enjoyed practicing many types including several styles of dance, Tae Kwon Do, hiking, swimming, and theatrical movement. In yoga, she found a unique combination of laughter and meditative movement that has been transformative and deeply nourishing.

 Kisa began taking classes at Chi-Town Shakti in 2008 and received her 200 hour teaching certification there in 2012. She has completed numerous trainings in both asana practice and meditation since that time and continues to work toward 500 hour certification.

Kisa is deeply grateful for the growth practicing ShambhavAnanda Yoga® has brought her both on and off the mat. As a teacher, she encourages each student to have their own journey, meet their body where it is at in this moment, explore the magic of the breath, and strengthen their connection to the love, laughter, and silence within. Kisa is passionate about exploring the use of props with students during yoga to experience asana in more accessible, more challenging, or in new and different ways! Yoga truly can be for everyone.  

Stephanie Seals (She/Her)

Stephanie started learning about Buddhist philosophy and meditation practices as a teenager, and began consistently attending yoga classes in 2006 while completing her master's program in social work. Stephanie initially sought yoga as a way to continue expression through movement, having studied ballet from childhood. As she increasingly noticed the benefits of spending time on the mat, and came to better understand yoga's regulating effect on the nervous system, she became determined to deepen her practice and help others find their "way home" by connecting mind, body, and spirit.

Stephanie is grateful to the teachers & community at Chi-Town Shakti for generously giving their knowledge, time, and energy; and for modeling authentic open-heartedness and dedication to yogic principles.

Jasmine Alkhatib Márquez (She/Her)

Jasmine began to formally practice yoga in 2007 and shortly thereafter took on a work-study position at a studio, where her love of yoga continued to blossom. She completed her 200-hour teacher training program at Chi-Town Shakti and is immensely grateful for her mentors and fellow yogis who continually inspire growth in her practice and beyond. Jasmine's approaches to yoga promote healing and wellness through body-affirming and trauma-informed teachings.

Off the mat, Jasmine works as a therapist, providing neuropsychological evalutations and therapy services. She is a Chicago native who celebrates diverse identities and compassionate acts toward collective progress.

Tania Schusler (She/Her)

Tania finds that yoga's integration of breath, movement, and meditation has led her to feel more centered, calm, adaptable, and present in all facets of life. She enjoys sharing yoga with others and encourages each student's personal experience. Originally from northern Illinois, Tania began practicing yoga while a graduate student in upstate New York and next lived in New Hampshire. Each time she moved, she sought a studio that felt welcoming and so was thrilled to discover Chi-Town Shakti when she settled in Chicago in 2012. She especially appreciates the supportive community at Chi-Town Shakti as she continues to learn and grow in her own yoga and meditation practice.

Tania completed the ShambhavAnanda Yoga® 200-hour training at Chi-Town Shakti in 2016 and Level 2 training in 2018. She has been a Certified ShambhavAnandaYoga® Meditation Instructor since 2022. Off the mat, Tania teaches environmental studies at Loyola University Chicago and enjoys reading, cycling, hiking, cross-country skiing, and spending time with family and friends.

Pamela Diaz (She/Her)

Pam was introduced to yoga in 2008 and was quickly drawn in by the physical and energetic benefits after just a few classes. She loves that yoga is a very individual practice and the idea that wherever you are in your practice is exactly where you are meant to be. She recently completed her 200-Hour Certification at Chi-Town Shakti and is appreciative of the kind, supportive community here.  

Off the mat, Pam works full time in the Environmental Sustainability field and enjoys running, stand up paddle boarding, and spending quality time with friends and family.

Chris Dimock (He/His)

RYT 200, ShambhavAnanda Yoga®️ Instructor

Bio to come!

Jesenia Roman (She/Her)

Jessie received her 200-hour Hatha Yoga teacher training at Chi-Town Shakti in Spring of 2022. She is excited to complete Level 1 Meditation teacher training at the end of August. 

The wish to grow is alive and vibrant at Chi-Town Shakti and she is honored to be a part of the community as she continues to learn, grow, and explore her own practice, as well as sharing it with others. Jessie hopes to share the effort and ease, playfulness and reverence, spontaneity and structure she discovered on the mat to others on her journey of teaching. She thoroughly believes yoga and meditation are invaluable gifts and strives to create a space, both internally and externally, that nurtures curiosity, growth, and expansion.

Off the mat, Jessie spends her days tending houseplants as a horticultural technician, writing and reading fantasy stories, admiring the moon, and drinking copious amounts of tea.

Kirstin Safakas (She/Her)

Kirstin has been practicing yoga for 15 years, visiting dozens of studios around Chicago hoping to find a home. Upon consistently taking Chi-Town Shakti's Sunday night classes she realized that she had finally found it! Through slow-flows and Tuesday evening meditations Kirstin became a part of our community as well as a member of the larger Shambhavananda Yoga sangha. Wishing to deepen her practice during the pandemic she received her 200-hour certification and is now working towards her 500-hour through Shoshoni Yoga Retreat. She is also certified as a meditation instructor.

Candid about her own struggles with mental health, Kirstin credits yoga and meditation with supporting her journey towards wellness- physically, yes, but even more important, mentally and emotionally. Through teaching yoga she holds a warm and open space for those who may be on a similar journey, meeting people "where they are" on the way. She loves that the studio celebrates individuality and will always encourage students to come to class as their truest self.

Kirstin feels most alive when she's traveling, eating, laughing, and staying up late. Outside of working in communications for the Federal government, she also enjoys running, antique shops, cats (especially her own), poetry, and making a mess of her kitchen.

Renee Shurilla (She/Her)

Renee was introduced at an early age to meditation, and reiki. She fell in love with the practice of yoga when starting to take classes regularly in 2015. She received her 200-hour teaching certification through the ShambhavAnanda School of Yoga at Chi-Town Shakti in May of 2021, and is excited to bring her practice into teaching. She enjoys being a student, and plans to continue learning and working with her practice.

Renee’s style is grounding and calming, bringing in a sense of surrender. She hopes to provide a welcoming environment that is accessible to all. Through her yoga practice, she has found ways to listen to her mind and body and a greater appreciation of the art of being kind to yourself. This concept of self care and acceptance is something that she strives for in her own practice and while teaching.

Off the mat, Renee works as a licensed counselor, bringing tools of meditation and grounding into her therapy practice. She also enjoys creative writing, singing, music in general, and spending time with her husband and dog.

Denise Stein (She/Her)

Denise believes that Yoga is for every body! Along with physical benefits, Yoga can help us find greater compassion, curiosity, and presence. Denise began practicing Yoga over a decade ago, and completed her 200-hour Yoga teacher certification at Chi-Town Shakti in 2022. She also holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in Dance. She enjoys camping, reading, growing plants, and learning about new topics with her trivia team. Denise hopes to cultivate classes that are grounding, calming, safe, and welcoming- especially for students who are just starting their Yoga journeys.

Alberneisha Grant (She/Her)

Alberneisha is originally from New Orleans, LA. She moved to Chicago in 2020, the same year she began her yoga journey. She is a recent graduate of Chi-Town Shakti’s 200 Hour Hatha Yoga Teacher Training. 

Her yoga journey started as a simple 15-minute stretch in the morning and has now led to an everyday (mostly everyday) practice, for mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being. Alberneisha hopes to spread yoga's healing and transformative benefits to each person she can reach. 

Off the mat, Alberneisha enjoys hanging out at Haji Healing Salon, taking long walks and bike rides, exploring Chicago’s scenery, greenery, and architecture, crunching numbers, and traveling to random cities in America.

Zaira Castillo (She/Her)

Zaira is a dedicated yogi and pianist who has experienced the incredible benefits of yoga in her life, finding a harmonious balance between her musical pursuits and personal wellness. As an artist committed to her craft, she deeply understands the demands of a musician's lifestyle and the vital role that overall well-being plays in their journey. Yoga has become an integral part of her life, seamlessly merging her love for music with her holistic self-care practices.

Beyond her musical endeavors, Zaira finds profound joy in guiding individuals from diverse backgrounds on their yoga journeys. As a yoga teacher, she cherishes the exploration of creativity and movement, creating a sacred space where students can freely delve into their practice. Zaira's teaching philosophy revolves around cultivating a safe and supportive environment that empowers students to nurture their unique relationship with yoga.

Zaira's passion extends specifically to musicians' wellness, as she is committed to helping her fellow artists integrate self-care and mindfulness through yoga. Having completed her training at Chi-Town Shakti, she is thrilled and eager to share her newfound knowledge and embark on her journey as a yoga teacher.

Having performed live piano during numerous yoga sessions, she is interested in exploring the connection between music and movement. She is excited to craft immersive classes where the melodies guide the flow of the practice.