Teachers

Megan Bello is the owner and director of Orange County Yoga Studio. She is an ordained minister and holds a BS in Divinity from the Nizhoni School for Global Consciousness. Before she became a full time yoga teacher, she was a personal counselor and traveled throughout the US and Europe giving workshops on spiritual topics.

Megan took a keen interest in the human condition at an early age. After having a spiritual experience in 1993 she devoted herself to the pursuit of yoga and enlightenment. Megan feels that the regular practice of yoga asanas and pranayama help her to live life more peacefully and fully.

A deep passion for the practice of yoga led Megan to start teaching at her college in 1996. She soon discovered the joy of sharing yoga's benefits with others and knew this would be her life's work.

Megan is deeply grateful to have found her current teachers Manouso Manos and Anna Delury. She has also studied with Sri H.S. Arun, Karin O'Bannon, Faeq Biria, Gabriella Giubilaro, Mary Dunn, Carolyn Belko, Paul Cabanis and many other gifted Iyengar yoga instructors.

Megan has traveled to Pune, India two times where she was blessed to study with Geeta S. Iyengar and Prashant S. Iyengar.

Megan is E-RYT 500 certified through Yoga Alliance and has over 15,000 hrs of teaching experience. Megan's classes emphasizes dynamic precision in bodily alignment. In her teaching she strives to be clear and to inspire students to move beyond self-imposed limitations and discover greater awareness and joy in their lives.

To schedule a private, semi-private or workshop please email megan@ocyogastudio.com or call her at (949)307-9517.

Chris Beach has been practicing Iyengar Yoga for 23 years, and teaching for 11 years.

An Intermediate Junior II certified teacher, he has been to Pune three times to study with the Iyengars, most recently in October 2007. He has also studied with a wide range of teachers, including Patricia Walden, Manouso Manos, Faeq Biria, Karin O'Bannon, Gloria Goldberg, and Carolyn Belko.

Chris recently began his four-year term on the Board of Directors of the Iyengar National Association of the United States (IYNAUS), and is currently President of the Board. He served on the Board of Trustees of the Iyengar Yoga Association of Southern California (Los Angeles chapter) from 2004-08, and was president for the last three years.

Leilani traveled extensively as she was growing up, and she competed and performed in Japan, the US Mainland and Hawai'i. She was blessed to train under several renowned teachers, and since 2006, she has been training with her hula master, Loea Frank Kawaikapuokalani Hewett.

Halau Hula Ka Lehua O Ka La'akea was established in October 2006, under the direction of Leilani Hoogerbrugge. The halau's aim is to perpetuate traditional hula, and to share with others our passion for hula and Hawaiian culture.

Group Hula classes with Leilani are currently held on Tuesdays at Orange County Yoga Studio.

Beginner Group Class/Papa Pikake: 6:45 - 7:45 pm
Intermediate Group Class/Papa Maile: 7:45 - 8:45 pm
Show Dancers' Rehearsal: 8:45 - 9:30 pm (by invitation or successful audition only)

Tuition is $55 a month and it is paid at the first class meeting of the month. If you are a new student beginning class after the first class meeting of the month, then your tuition is pro-rated for the first month.

For more information about Hula Classes and Private Lessons, please email HalauHulaOC@gmail.com or call 714-322-0644.

For more information about Leilani and her professional Polynesian Dance Troupe please check out her website www.ochula.com

Denise Kirkpatrick's teaching style is a unique yoga experience as she blends ten tears of teaching and her travels to India, Australia and Italy. Using methods from ancient and indigenous tribes combining breath and movement; her teacher trainings includes studying Iyengar with Gabriella Giubilar in Rapolano Italy, David Swenson Ashtanga (1st series), Erich Schiffmann, YogaWorks with Maty Ezraty, White Lotus, Tai Chi and Indonesian Silat. All levels, all ages. Each class is different infused with love and passion for the sacred teachings of yoga.

Gary Penn began practicing yoga in 1998 as part of his training for triathlon. Upon retirement from triathlon he attended a Teacher Training Retreat with Rodney Yee and has been an avid practitioner and teacher since 2004. He has trained with Manouso Manos, Anna Delury, Rusty Wells, Max Strom, Peter Sterios and Aadil Palkhivala practicing worldwide in such varied places as Sydney, Maui, Japan, China, the Pacfic Northwest and NYC.

Valji Bagada, known by his yoga students as ‘Premyogi’, began doing yoga practice in 1984 and is certified by KARE Academy of Ayurvedic Studies affiliated with University of Pune, India to teach Iyengar Medical Yoga. He received a personal blessing from B.K.S. Iyengar in 2009 at Pune, India.

Iyengar Medical Yoga is doing yoga postures using props. By using props individuals from all walks of life, irrespective of age and health conditions, are now able to do yoga to achieve perfect health the holistic way. Most people in the USA call this ‘Therapeutic Yoga’.

He has met with many great Indian spiritual leaders and dignitaries like Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swarupannad Sarswati of Dwarka Pith, Osho, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar of Art of Living, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi of Transcendental Meditation, Pramukh Swami, Dada Vasvani, and Anandmurti Gurumaa.

In 2005, Premyogi followed in Gandhi’s footsteps while walking 241 miles during the 75th year anniversary of the reenactment of the Mahatma Gandhi’s Salt March.

Premyogi was fortunate to learn and practice Iyengar medical yoga directly from B.K.S. Iyengar's long time student, Mr. Shah, along with Dr. Prakash Kalmadi, Dr. Rohit and Dr. Shetty.

Premyogi has helped individuals with health problems through yoga including back problems, sciatica nerve pain, knee and joint pain, sinus and thyroid problems. He has helped women through special yoga poses to deal with their issues related to menstruation and pregnancy.

Tim Senesi has been teaching yoga for the past six years. Tim began his yoga journey simply as a means of releasing musle tension and practicing healthy exercise, but he soon began noticing a significant mental and bodily shift in addition. Negative feelings and emotions were being replaced with a sense of calmness and serenity, and a new feeling of bodily strength and ease was becoming apparent.

Tim has studied several disciplines of yoga, and spent a number of years teaching Vinyasa flow in San Diego. He became familiar with B.K.S. Iyengar through his book, "Light On Life" and has since devoted his practice to the study of the Iyengar Method.