CULTURE

Yoga Shala Bend is a welcoming and inclusive environment. We offer a welcoming space for both beginners and seasoned yoga students focused on community. Rooted in the Sanskrit word "Shala," meaning school, home, or abode our diverse class schedule includes Vinyasa, Ashtanga, Hatha, Yoga Therapeutics, Restorative and Yoga Nidra. We invite you hOMe to a journey of self-discovery.

REBECCA BELL
FOUNDER & TEACHER

Rebecca Bell has been a lifelong student of yoga, beginning her journey in search of deeper meaning and answers to life’s big questions. From a young age, she found those answers both on her yoga mat and in nature, through her climbing adventures across the United States, Mexico, and the Himalayas. Her yoga path has taken her to the ashrams of India, where she studied with world-renowned teachers, including Shri K. Pattabhi Jois and Mr. BNS Iyengar in Mysore. Her education also includes the wisdom of teachers,  Richard Freeman, Jeanie Manchester, Gabriel Halpern, Sianna Sherman, Rod Stryker, Larry Schultz, and Rusty Wells.

With 28 years of teaching experience, Rebecca approaches her practice with a beginner’s mind and compassionate curiosity. The practice of being present has been instrumental in her personal journey, gifting her 37 years of sobriety and supporting her roles as a mother, wife, and dedicated teacher.

Rebecca has been leading 200-hour yoga teacher trainings for over 18 years and regularly offers workshops, immersions, and international yoga retreats. In 2022, she combined her passion for yoga and adventure by launching Ruby Rides Bikes, a unique retreat that merges mountain biking with yoga for women. In January 2024, Rebecca founded The Yoga Shala Bend in historic downtown Bend, Oregon, where she continues to share her love of yoga with her community

Rebecca’s teaching is rooted in service, presence, and the joy of sharing the transformative power of yoga with others.

OUR TEACHERS

  • Shriman, a passionate yogi and dedicated teacher, has spent years honing his craft under the guidance of Dr.Yogrishi Vishviketu in India, embracing the transformative power of authentic yoga. Hailing from Brazil, Shriman's journey into the depths of yoga has been intertwined with his rich musical heritage, creating a unique fusion of ancient wisdom and contemporary understanding. Immersed in the vibrant culture of India, he has delved deep into the traditional teachings of Yoga, spending the last seven years fully immersing himself in its ancient wisdom. Shriman believes in the healing and enlivening potential of a disciplined yogic lifestyle, both individually and collectively. As a world traveler who has shared the light of yoga on 5 continents, he brings a global perspective to his teachings, caring deeply about the well-being of his students and the communities he serves.

    Whether guiding students through a blissful yoga class or leading a soul-soothing sound bath journey, Shriman's powerful gift with music and his deep understanding of yoga create an immersive experience that fosters inner harmony and bliss.

    Shriman’s message is one of balance. He believes Yoga includes discipline, surrender, effort, and fun. In his class you have the opportunity to experience many of the various aspects of yoga: Asana, Pranayama, Mudras, Meditation, Cleansing kriyas, Yogic Philosophy, Sound healing and Vedic chanting. Through his teachings, Shriman empowers others to embark on their own journey towards physical, emotional, and mental well-being, inspiring them to connect with their inner joy and true nature.

  • Malachi's journey through wellness and fitness began at the University of Colorado in Boulder. Her athletic background involved competitively running 10 K's and half marathons until a lower back injury redirected her first to massage school and then to yoga. In 1997, she completed her initial 200-hour yoga teacher training at Yoga Works in Los Angeles. Expanding her knowledge, Malachi pursued her 300-hour training at Yoga Works in 2002, eventually becoming an E-RYT 500 certified instructor through the Yoga Alliance.

    Malachi went on to become a senior yoga instructor at Yoga Works, teaching there for over 23 years. In addition, she taught for Equinox gym in Los Angeles for over 10 years and was the yoga therapist at Sportsfit Physical Therapy before an extended family adventure to Costa Rica.

    Malachi has recently landed in Bend with her two daughters.

    She is excited to share her passion for yoga, her healing touch, and her compassionate and intelligent classes with you. She wishes to honor the teachers that have most informed her teaching; Maty Ezraty (founder of Yoga Works), Lisa Walford (senior Iyengar teacher), and Annie Carpenter (Smartflow Yoga).

  • Lauren was trained as a classical ballet dancer and found Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga in college. Her first training was in Palo Alto, California where she studied with Ben Thomas, Dr. Kelly McGonigal, Anirudha Shastri, and later on Richard Freeman, Doron Hanoch, and Max Strom. She has traveled through India, Thailand, and Indonesia for both training and teaching in yoga and her style is strong, fluid, creative and sustainable. Her teaching is designed to emphasize the strength, stability and grace that can feel like home on the mat when the body and mind are committed to the dedication and beauty of the practice. Her classes are challenging, fun, engaging and designed to leave you feeling refreshed and present. Expect dynamic movement and sequences that incorporate both traditionaly poses and unique transitions. It is valuable in all ways to learn to move the body in different ways, to challenge ourselves and shift perspectives on the mat and in our lives. The mat is the perfect practice ground to learn how moving our physical body intentionally with the breath, and reflecting on the inner landscape of ourselves can positively change our life. 

  • Favorite quote:”Move a muscle, change a feeling”


    Molly began her yoga journey in 2020 with her first 200 hour certification in Baptiste Power Yoga.  She went on to teach in Northeastern Pennsylvania and then opened her own studio, Melt Hot Yoga, in 2011.  After selling her studio in 2018 she moved to Bend with her husband and dogs and landed at Yoga Shala in 2024.  She also worked for several years as a consultant for The Yogapreneur Collective, which advises yoga studios throughout the world how to grow their businesses.  She most recently completed her 300 hour training with Dr. Yogrishi Vishveketu and the Akhanda Yoga Institute.  


    Molly’s classes are a combination of asana, breathwork and meditation but also wants her students to be able to laugh and have fun on their mats, to not take ourselves too seriously. 


    Molly lives by the words “move a muscle, change a feeling.”  Whenever times are tough, or our mood is low, we simply need to move our bodies to start shifting those feelings within us.  


  • Deanna is passionate about music, movement, ritual, travel, real human connection & nature. She is attracted to ancient Eastern methods of medicine (Ayurveda, Chinese Medicine, Yoga & plant medicine) as well as weaving present-day bio hacks to live a life of fullness that enables a person to simply feel good in their body.

    Deanna has been teaching since 2009 & currently works with people to overcome chronic stress & anxiety. She began her yoga studies in India where she was first introduced to meditation and Ashtanga yoga. Throughout the years she has studied with many teachers and has explored various lineages. She regularly guides and teaches Vinyasa flow (with alignment), Hatha, Yin yoga, Restorative, Yoga Nidra, pranayama and meditation.

    Deanna states that “Yoga is a constant unfoldment that delivers awareness to the parts of ourselves that may have not been noticed before. Ultimately, pulling us back to our inherent wholeness.”

  • Alison is known for her playful fire, inquisitive nature, and technical expertise. Her background is in Anusara and Ashtanga Yoga. Complemented by deep studies in yoga philosophy, neuroscience, and anatomy. With over 16 years of teaching experience, Alison brings a grounded and gracious perspective to explore body, breath, and being.


  • Kent Bond is the owner/operator and senior instructor at Willow Glen Yoga which he established in 1996. He holds several advanced certifications in a variety of yoga lineages. 

     

    His extensive studies at the White Lotus Foundation in Santa Barbara with Ganga White and Tracey Rich culminated in his leading teacher trainings at this prestigious institution for over 20 years. He has also trained with Erich Schiffmann, Robert Brook, Glenn Black and Duncan Wong. He is a certified Yoga Tune Up instructor.

    Kent has developed a signature teaching style that is uplifting, informative and challenging. His classes fuse classical hatha yoga, astanga based flow with bio-mechanical alignment and somatic principles.

      

    Find your mojo as you set aside outmoded beliefs and patterns of movement. Upend your notion of the physical practice as you go beyond alignment and tap into an evolutionary approach to yoga.

    Kent has lead focused workshops and trainings nationally and internationally since 1998.

  • Meg Tuazon Shemai shares a grounded, playful, encouraging, and technical focus on her teachings. Inspired by her lineage of teachers-Vinyasa (Baron Baptist), Ashtanga (Josh Vincent-student of Richard Freeman and Tim Miller), Bowspring (John Friend and Desi Springer), and Yin Yoga (Bernie Clark), Meg incorporates bits and pieces of her passion for yoga and movement with her teachings. Over the past two decades of sharing yoga, Meg has taken a holistic approach to her teaching with the philosophy of, ‘the forever-student.’
    While exploring creative sequencing, restorative poses, and pranayama, she continues to find balance in her life, driven by her passion for the outdoors, while consciously ushering in the next generation of two little humans. She brings a light and joyful presence, and encourages all students to find their individual light and creativity. As a current resident of Bend, (with roots in California and New Mexico), she looks forward to integrating into the lively community!

  • Nicole Williams, a restorative yoga expert and 500 RYT certified yoga instructor, began studying zazen meditation in Japan in 1988. She went on to get a BA in dance/movement therapy at Evergreen State College in 1992. Nicole has been teaching for over 25 years studying with the senior teachers of Iyengar yoga, yin yoga, her restorative yoga training and structural formulas are inspired by body based mindfulness gurus: Judith Lasater, Pema Chodron and the Feldenkrais method.

    In 2000, Nicole created Sundog Yoga in Sedona, Arizona where she created programs at Mii amo Spa. She moved to Bend in 2006 and brought this unique style of restorative yoga to Bend. She is the author of “Awake and Calm” a restorative practice manual used for trainings at Central Oregon Community College, on her YouTube channel and yoga sanctuaries. Nicole brings playful inspiration to her students.

    She has created a unique series of restorative yoga formulas that blend movement and stillness. These formulas and the extensive use of props like sandbags, bolsters and blankets are the hallmark of Nicole's classes. 500 RYT

  • Jessica Jones is a proud Oregon native who grew up in Eugene and has called Central Oregon home for nearly two decades.

    Her journey in health and movement began early in life and has remained a constant driving force throughout her personal and professional endeavors. Her military career instilled in her the discipline and fortitude that continue to guide her approach to fitness and training today. After transitioning out of the service, she channeled her knowledge and passion into a career focused on helping others build both physical and mental strength.

    In addition, she is a 350+ hour certified Yoga Teacher with specialized training in trauma-informed yoga, Yin, Vinyasa, Primal Yoga, Yoga Nidra, and the neurobiology of yoga. Her holistic approach to fitness emphasizes balance, integrating strength training with yoga and mindfulness practices to empower the body, mind, and spirit.

    She believes true transformation begins with reframing the mind and cultivating self-connection. Whether teaching yoga, leading group classes, or personal training, she designs every session to help others tap into their own resilience, discover balance, and move toward whole-body strength.

  • Anna moved to Bend in 2016 from Minnesota. She brings with her years of experience teaching various yoga styles. A long time Ashtanga practitioner and dancer, she finally decided to become a certified yoga teacher at The Yoga Center of Minneapolis. She also completed Ashtanga teacher training with David Swenson.

    As a dancer, Anna loves to bring the beauty of movement into her yoga classes, finding that perfect balance between strength and flexibility.

    Growing up in Latvia, Anna traveled the world extensively before moving to the US.

    Anna loves to help students grow in their individual practices, helping them get stronger and more confident in their bodies with each class.

  • Cat is a yoga + meditation teacher on a mission to transform your health through mindfulness and, ultimately, feel good naked - not just physically, but as your most authentic, unedited, radiant Self. Although originally from Southern CA, she has been traveling around the world for the past ~8 years in search of Truth and, ultimately, Self. Along her journey, yoga found her. Amidst these travels, yoga provided safety, strength, comfort, shelter, and, ultimately, a path home. This union - this yoga - is the practice Cat is devoted to not only teaching, but practicing.

    She did her 200 hour training in the Sacred Valley of Peru and is deeply inspired in her creating + teaching by the many cultures & types of movement she’s experienced. She creates flows that marry the strength, resilience, and power cultivated in a strong Vinyasa flow with the steadiness, levity, and peacefulness generated by a more slow, sensual, restorative flow. Her intention is for you to leave her classes feeling grounded, strong, clear, and embodied.

  • Jennica is a devoted yoga and meditation teacher whose journey began with a deep curiosity about the connection between the inner and outer worlds. Introduced to meditation in 2013 through a 10-day silent retreat at the Northwest Vipassana Center, she has since immersed herself in global studies of self-mastery, consciousness, and holistic well-being.

    Since 2019, Jennica has been studying under Himalayan yoga master Anand Mehrotra in Rishikesh, India, and was initiated as a Sattva Master Teacher in 2020. She holds extensive certifications in Vedic and Tantric wisdom, Kriya, naad (sound), Himalayan Kundalini, Hatha Vinyasa, meditation, Ayurveda, and prenatal yoga. She is also a skilled Vedic Astrologer, having studied with Anand Mehrotra and Dr. David Frawley, and has deepened her spiritual practice with Paul Diamond in the Andes of Peru.

    Jennica’s classes weave together breathwork, mindful movement, and subtle energy practices. Her grounded and heart-centered presence creates a nurturing space for transformation, guiding students toward unity, awareness, and love through the timeless teachings of the Himalayan tradition.

  • Kim Hoover has been a devoted student and practitioner of yoga for almost 15 years, including teaching primarily Ashtanga-based vinyasa flows for the last 8. She began her practice through the limb of meditation as a teenager and quickly learned in her 20s that her practice on her yoga mat would be the constant home she'd return to through all of life's ebbs and flows. 

    Kim originally trained as a yoga teacher under the Baron Baptiste tradition of Power Vinyasa in 2017 in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, and she continues deepening her training as an Ashtanga teacher under Christina Martini since her teacher training in Maui, Hawai'i in 2024. Kim holds a doctorate in Critical and Cultural studies where she deepened her studies of access to alternative and integrative medicine within the "western" medicine system. In the yoga classroom, Kim's passion is all about making the sacred tradition of Ashtanga yoga accessible. She loves to provide a welcoming learning environment, while gently encouraging the freedom that comes from discovering and transcending our limits--body, mind, and soul.