The Tree Yoga Cooperative Team

Owners & Founders

Jenni Alvarez, MPH — **Jenni Alvarez**, **MPH**
*Founder & Owner of The Tree Yoga Cooperative*
*Yoga Instructor (bilingual: English-Spanish), Health Equity & Partnerships Director*
Jennifer Alvarez received her Master of Public Health, in the Urban Health Disparities program at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science. She is a health equity advocate with an extended experience in community organizing and program development. In 2016, she undertook the role as Operations Director of The Tree South LA (the former nonprofit organization). As a certified yoga instructor, she has dedicated her energy to share the healing modality of yoga and mindfulness with system-impacted youth of color, Spanish speaking communities, and beginners to the practice.
@conjenni_

Ja Cole, E-200 RYT 500HR RYT — **Ja Cole,** 500HR E-RYT
*Founder & Owner of The Tree Yoga Cooperative*
*Yoga Instructor, 200hr & 300hr Teacher Training Lead, Lecturer, Author*
Ja Cole is an author, philosopher, historian and computer engineer. During a successful career building computer networks and systems for companies like Abbott, Disney, Healthcare Partners and more J began to research the practice of mindfulness through studying history, ancient civilizations, philosophy, spirituality and various religions.

His research and study lead him to adapt the practice of Yoga in 2006 and he wrote his 1st book on Self Responsibility called Sea of Circles in 2010. In 2011 J took his first 200HR Training and received his certification with the Yogaden Health Spa under Leeza Villagomez and took more extensive trainings with Just Yoga under Lisa Salners and Damien McVey. In 2019 J began his 300hr Training under world renowned instructor and trainer Annie Carpenter’s SmartFlow Yoga Program and received his 500HR RYT.

Today J works to spread the philosophy of Mindfulness, Self Responsibility and Social Justice through his Soul Flow Yoga (est. 2011) as well as his Decolonization, History and Philosophy lectures and workshops. J’s mission is to empower more people through Decolonization Teachings. Removing the programing of White Supremacy is how we can all understand that we are on family, one tribe, one so-called race.
@10thletteryoga

Jana Janelle Johnson, 500hr RYT — **Jana Janelle Johnson**
*Founder & Owner of The Tree Yoga Cooperative*
*Yoga Instructor (bilingual: English-Spanish), 200hr & 300hr Yoga Teacher Training Lead, Programming Director*
Jana Johnson is an enthusiastic yogi whose classes tend to have a relaxing & rejuvenating feel as she sets the tone for authentically & intentionally connecting with oneself. Her intention is for her students to allow the benefits garnered in the class to extend "off the mat" for positive influence in everyday life that go well beyond the formal practice.
She loves the idea of living out, moment by moment, the expression of “Namaste” where we recognize the Love, Divine, and Light in ourselves, and thus recognize it in others, and allowing that to be the basis in which we acknowledge all forms of life.
Jana is a 500-RYT with Yoga Alliance. She received her 200-hr yoga teaching certification from The Tree (formerly known as Green Tree Yoga & Meditation) with Raja Michelle, her 300-hr teaching certification with Melanin Yoga Project with Davina Davidson, and has completed her Ganja Yoga certification with Dee Dussault as well as the 300hr SmartFlow program with Annie Carpenter. Jana’s current teacher is primarily her Inner Knowing, the Life she lives, and Jerome Mercier at Power Yoga East in Santa Monica.

**Rita Ortiz-Contreras**
*Founder & Owner of The Tree Yoga Cooperative*
*Yoga & Kinam Instructor (bilingual: English-Spanish), Accounting Manager, Spanish Programming Curator.*
Mexican born & Raised in Los Angeles this Punk rocker found her zen thru the practice of yoga. She's a military service woman and has worked her way up the fashion industry ladder which has given her the ability to be a tough, fashionable and humble yogi.
She offers all level classes in spanish, spanglish and english. She is also certified in Kinam which is the Toltec knowledge to connect with our roots through the practice of Toltec power postures & functional exercises.
A 40+ year resident of South Central Los Angeles she embraces and loves her sometimes rough and misunderstood community.
@rita_la_yogui

Teachers on our Current Studio Class Schedule

Rebecca Watson @begoodkarmaRebecca Watson’s relationship with yoga commenced in 2003, when she stumbled into a hot yoga studio on a cold New Years Day. After those first 90 minutes, she knew that yoga was something she needed more of in her life. Sh… — **Rebecca Watson**
*Yoga Instructor; 200hr Training Guest Teacher; 300hr Training Lead*
Yoga found Rebecca in 2003, when she stumbled into a hot yoga studio on a cold New Years Day. After those first 90 minutes, she knew she needed more yoga (or whatever it was that just happened) in her life. She spent the next 3 years sampling styles, and ultimately was called to share the practice of Vinyasa. What initially began as a means to heal her old athlete’s body, transformed into a healing of heart and mind as well.
Rebecca considers herself blessed to have found teachers who connect the physical and spiritual planes within their teachings. In 2006, she obtained 200 Hour certification with Shiva Rea in Prana Vinyasa Yoga. Rebecca has since continued to study with numerous esteemed senior teachers. Her personal hatha practice is heavily influenced by the classical teachings of Dharma Mittra, and her beloved Kundalini Yoga mentor is Krishna Kaur Khalsa.
Yogic Education:
200 Hours, Prana Vinyasa with Shiva Rea
Rocket Yoga 50 Hours, 100 Hours
Awakening Yoga Immersion with Patrick Beach & Carling Harps
RYT 200 Get Loved Up Vinyasa with Koya Webb
Level 1 Kundalini Yoga 220 Hours with Krishna Kaur
2019 - Foundational AcroYoga with Jason Nemer
2020 - 200 Hours, JM Vinyasa with Jared McCann
2021 - 300/500 Hours with Erin Kelly, Steph Gongora, & Bianca Scalise
@begoodkarma

Amisha Stanley @skintybuffyogi — **Amisha Stanley**
*Yoga Instructor*
Amisha Stanley, affectionately known as “The Unicorn” laid the foundation for her yoga practice in 2014 after feeling stagnant in a stage of her many weight loss journeys. She knew that a physical change was necessary in order to balance the mental and emotional challenge she undertook to lose over 100lbs naturally. She began emulating photos she’d seen on Instagram, searching for plus size yogis and YOC (Yogis of Color), then attended her 1st community yoga class although it felt welcoming, she also felt very out of place, especially after having represented larger bodies for over 25years. It wasn’t until an old friend saw a post on Facebook and offered her a free pass to a hot yoga class, and she was able to practice with someone that looked like her, did her comfortably shift.
The strength, beauty and just effortlessness of yoga, done with ALL bodies, is what drew her in and the practice of going beyond the physical is what keeps her in. Seeing her love of dance and movement, pair itself with the dynamic beauty of yoga, the fluidity of physical therapy; all ignited her desire to create a practice to feel continual appreciation for body conscious movement. Learning how yoga is here to teach us to self-heal with self-love, self-mindfulness, and being present with self.
Amisha’s background has seamlessly led her into the arms of Yoga. As a natural educator and altruist, extending her 1st free Yoga class to the community in 2016 she fell in love again. Offering Breathing techniques, yoga asana, strength building moves, with a mix of the fluidity of her foundation in physical therapy, her classes are always a learning and fun experience. Students get an invitation to dig into their inner selves to find the strength to try and smile while doing it.
After being laid off in 2018 from her Executive Assistant position, she dove full swing into her Yoga teacher training with The Tree SouthLA the very next week. After the 1st week, she knew she had made a great decision and had taken on a venture that would forever transform her. Graduating in 2018 with 15+ YOC (Yogis of Color) and being the last Green Tree Yoga and Meditation Cohort felt amazing.
No longer feeling like the big girl that had something to prove, now it was just Amisha proving she was The UNICORN, beautiful, magical creature with limitless abilities.
**Amisha Stanley** @skintybuffyogi

**Lauren Anuwolley Ross**
*Yoga Instructor*

Naima Merella

Yoga Instructor

Naima loves teaching yoga that encourages people to be soft and connect with their bodies in a gentle and loving way. In a world that often hardens us, softness can be a form of resistance that helps us become more resilient. Naima is passionate about teaching yoga in an accessible way. Specializing in restorative yoga, yin yoga and gentle vinyasa; as well as having experience teaching chair yoga and prenatal yoga. Naima teaches in a trauma-informed way acknowledging that it can be difficult to be in our bodies. The yoga practice can be a chance to check in with our bodies, meet them where they are today and listen to what it is that they are trying to communicate with us, using that as feedback to better understand how we can care for ourselves. Naima is passionate about supporting QTPOC communities in particular and acknowledges the ways that systems of oppression affect our health and our ability to care for ourselves.