As part of our merger with Moxie Yoga, we are excited to welcome Elisha St. Denis to the team!
Tell us about yourself! What are some things that your students might not know?
At my core, I’m an adventurer and love exploring and traveling the world. When I’m not traveling or teaching, I draw inspiration for my yoga practice from many hobbies: I combines my knowledge of vinyasa yoga and prayanama into my love of swimming and scuba diving; I incorporates my love of travel and adventure into the yoga retreats I hosts; and I infuse my love of sharing music into the yoga classes and events I DJ.
How did you become interested in yoga?
From a young age I was always active and found solace in physical movement. In college, I experienced my first yoga class, but it wasn’t until I moved to San Francisco in 2015 that I became dedicated to a regular yoga practice. After being in a competitive environment to constantly push myself, I loved how yoga made me feel both physically and mentally.
Tell us about your yoga journey. What style did you start in and with whom do you study now?
I started my yoga journey practicing vinyasa and power yoga because it reminded me of traditional work-out classes I was more familiar with. When I first started practicing yoga, I would have never taken a restorative yoga class because I thought that no sweat or soreness meant you weren’t working hard enough. Now, I couldn’t imagine my life without the balance of both fiery, vinyasa power flows & mellow, restorative yoga flows. I completed my yoga teacher training at Moxie in San Francisco and have been teaching since 2020. Yoga has been a constant in my life and I’m grateful that it meets me wherever I am on my life journey.
Describe your teaching style. What can folks expect when they attend your class?
As someone who works a 9-5 during the day, I personally know the impacts WFH or working in-office can have on the body. My classes build on a mellow, juicy warm-up before we jump into a fiery vinyasa flow that will leave students feeling stronger and rejuvenated after each class. I also have a background in mat pilates, and take care to incorporate pilates movements in each class that strengthen the core and improve posture so students feel better outside of the studio. My passion for sharing music and DJing also inspires me to create motivating and inspiring playlists to help guide students through their practice and melt outside distractions.
Any exciting projects or plans on the horizon?
As a double Capricorn I always have projects! I am planning a yoga retreat, an immersive audio/visual yoga workshop, and sip n’ sweat yoga classes where students can learn a mocktail recipe after class while meeting other members of the community. Come join!
Anything else you’d like to share with the YGSF community?
I’m beyond grateful for the opportunity to share this beautiful practice with people. As a Bay Area native, it means the world to share this practice at home. I’m looking forward to meeting all the members of the Yoga Garden Community!
That’s all for now! Follow Elisha St. Denis on Instagram: @elisha_yoga.