This is the first in our Practice in Focus series, where we share the stories and the images we capture with the teachers and studios who bring yoga to life.
For this story, our intent was simple: to celebrate teachers and to capture practice and community in action, as they truly are. Not staged, not performed, just teachers moving together, guiding one another, and letting the practice unfold authentically.
We gathered at One Down Dog in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles with six yoga teachers from our Manduka community. Supported by the PROlite mat and our trusted props, the practice unfolded in ways that reflected both the strength of the studio and the spirit of those who teach within it.
The Story Unfolds
Even before a single mat was unrolled, there was a sense of anticipation in the room. As our teachers began to arrive, voices rising, mats unfurling, the space shifted into something warm, vibrant, and unmistakably communal.
Six teachers side by side, moving not to demonstrate, but to share and guide one another, exchanging cues, letting the practice take shape in unexpected ways. There was gentleness in the quiet adjustments and curiosity in the new transitions discovered mid-sequence. And there was ease—moments of joy that interrupted the stillness and softened the flow.
The Teachers: Stories Intertwined
Throughout the day, the boundaries between teacher and student blurred. Each voice, each style, carried its own rhythm: some steady and grounding, others light and playful. Gabby’s quiet guidance anchored the group, while Steven’s playful presence and warmth brought levity to the flow.
But what unfolded wasn’t only about this moment on the mat; it reflected the journey each teacher carries with them. Years of study, practice, and devotion to guiding others came through in every cue, every adjustment, every spark of connection. Their presence helped us tell this story, reminding us that the role of a teacher extends far beyond demonstration. It’s about holding space, offering perspective, and returning us to the heart of practice. Sara Krish put it simply: “I teach yoga to call humans back home—into their bodies, into their breath, into the present moment.”
Together they created something layered and alive, a mosaic of yoga that welcomed every expression, every level. A hand resting on a shoulder, a whispered cue mid-sequence, or shared discovery unfolding in real time reminded us that even among teachers, we are all, always, forever students.
Meet the Teachers
Steven Arcos · Sara Krish · Kelly Nalani · Tiffany Leonardo · Gabby Pariseau · Donna Vo
Over the month ahead, we’ll bring you closer to each of them. On the mat, in their words, and in the journey that shapes their teaching.
The Studio: One Down Dog, Echo Park
Every community needs a home. One Down Dog in Echo Park welcomed us with light, warmth, and space for connection.
The setting itself was a character in the story: exposed brick warmed by sunlight, greenery softening the edges, and light spilling generously across the floor. The studio set the tone for the day with an energy that encouraged practice, amplified connection, and wrapped every exchange in its eclectic charm.
The Practice: Supported by the PROlite
Every shape—from the steadiness of Warrior II to the lift and balance of Scorpion–was supported by the PROlite, anchored in stability and cushioned in release. Props layered into the flow: a block pressed firmly into the floor, a strap lengthening a fold, a bolster softening rest. These tools made space for exploration, for trying something new, for meeting the body exactly as it was. They reminded us that practice isn’t about perfection, it’s about presence.
The Moments Between
The beauty of the day was found not only in the asanas, but in everything that unfolded around them. Joy that surfaced spontaneously. Quiet encouragement exchanged with a glance. These in-between moments stitched the day together, turning movement into memory and practice into community.
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What culminated was more than a shoot. It was yoga as it truly lives—in the teachers who share, in the studios that welcome, and in the stories, laughter, and stillness that carry us forward.
As we continue to tell these stories, we’ll keep spotlighting the teachers and studios who shape the practice and the communities who bring it to life.
