Monica Alanna Yoga

Introduction: Since her inception, Monica has always been a creative thinker with an insatiable curiosity. Born in San Jose, CA, and raised bicoastally in Honolulu, HI and Rochester, NY, Monica gives much ‘Mahalo’ to her family and eclectic upbringing for fostering her passionate, artistic, and knowledge-hungry mind. Monica started commissioning artwork, selling handmade jewelry, and building her own website before she had even entered middle school. She went on to earn an Associate’s in Applied Science degree in Graphic Design from Monroe Community College, and currently offers freelance design and illustration for business needs and custom projects. Monica took her first Bikram yoga class 7 years ago to help heal ongoing issues with carpal tunnel. Since then, she has received her RYT-200 yoga certification, and brings an inherent calming, inclusiveness, and strength to all of her classes. With experience in Anusara, Baptiste Power Vinyasa, Kundalini, Yin, and Iyengar, Monica is constantly working to enhance the experience of her students, and to deepen her own practice on and off the mat. Monica believes in "visual problem solving"; from her illustration and design work to yoga teaching and anatomy studies, she constantly strives to see the beauty and intricacy in all things. Suffering from “Peter Pan syndrome”, Monica has resolved to ‘never grow up’ – to be forever-creating, forever-playing, and forever-wielding her positive vibes to inspire those around her. When she’s not perfecting her inversions or furiously sketching in moleskin notebooks, Monica is also passionate about the outdoors, being on the water, and music. She currently lives in Rochester, NY with her rescue dog, Nugget.