Teachers

The Anjali Yoga Room respectfully assures that all of our classes are taught by Certified Yoga Instructors.

Linda Anastasia Ransom, RYT

Linda’s Yoga journey began about 14 years ago. She began exploring Yoga for improved health along with stress management. Linda feels blessed that she has found so much more with so much to learn! She believes Yoga has helped her grow mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. For Linda, being present, mindful, and using pranayama, (the breath) has been the greatest tool for inner peace.

She began teaching Yoga in 2002. Linda’s training is in Hatha Yoga Iyengar Style at Inner Dance Studio in Anchorage, AK. She recently completed Phoenix Rising Sun Yoga Therapy Level 1 training. Linda brings heartfelt compassion that comes from her Yoga practice to her classes. She loves helping others feel empowered to manage their stress through Yoga and gain mindfulness in their lives. Yoga resonates so whole-heartedly in Linda’s life that she has brought Therapeutic Yoga into her Mental Health practice. Individuals are empowered to work on a self discovery of releasing depression, anxiety, stress, trauma… thus making space for liberation.

Linda continues to grow as both a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) with every student/client she encounters. She reminds us that the “The Real Healer Is You”. Linda lives in Wasilla with her amazing husband and son. She is forever grateful to her primary teachers, Lynne Minton, Karen Greenwood, Dori McDannold, and Tammy Moser.

Heidi Snavley, RYT

Heidi was born and raised in the far north of Fairbanks, Alaska. She met and married her husband in Alaska, eventually giving birth to three incredible children, now 18, 16, and 12 years old. Her life over the past 18 years has mainly revolved around being a good wife and a totally present mother.

One of the reasons Heidi came to yoga was to tone and strengthen her body. She says that the amazing thing about her journey through yoga is that instead of obsessing over changing her body, she slowly started to come to the place where she loved and accepted her body exactly the way it is. She also started becoming sensitive to subtle changes within; recognizing when she needed to change something, either on an emotional level or a nutritional one, eventually learning to honor and accept what her body can or cannot do on any given day or moment. That is what yoga will do for a person; bring their attention inward.

Yoga has given Heidi a spiritual path outside the confines of religion. She says, “I have attained a sense of peace and calm that seemed so unattainable before. Even when everything around me is falling apart, I’ve learned to use my breath to bring me back to that place where I feel grounded.” Yoga has taught Heidi how to be present in the moment and to enjoy the journey as much as the destination. She feels that she has become more sensitive to the subtle messages that the Universe gives her, learning how to live more intuitively through the mind/body/spirit connection.

Heidi feels that there is a sort of “magic” in the practice of yoga and invites you to join her on the journey.

Veronica Wolf, RYT

Veronica enjoys teaching a broad range of yoga classes.

Her classes include YogaKid (a hilarious experience for 6-13 year-olds), Healing Yoga (focuses on gentle and safety for those with physical challenges due to illness/injury), Gentle Yoga (offers gentle asanas and restorative poses to help reconnect with alignment), and Prenatal Yoga, for all stages of pregnancy (offers strengthening, stretching, and breathing techniques for mommies-to-be in a nurturing environment).

Her practice philosophy is to include everyone, at all skill levels, and experience in creating a shared yoga community here in the valley.

“When your mind wonders, focus on the breath because the breath always lives in the present.” – Judith Lasater, 2009

Choi Kagel, RYT

Ever since Choi discovered yoga 10 years ago, it has been an ongoing mind awakening and learning experience for her. She knew right away how many benefits she was gaining from her regular yoga practice. There was no doubt her mind that she had found her life time exercise.

She enjoys her practice so much, she even became a yoga instructor in 2005. In 2006 she received 200 Hr. Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) training certification. She began delving more deeply into her yoga practice after she met Fr. Joe with Iyengar style yoga and Doug Swenson with Ashtanga/Yoga Chi. She has also studied many varieties of Hatha yoga to educate herself and share with her students.

She brings to her class with great deal of energy and enthusiasm, yet there is always gentleness to balance the class. Beautiful atmospheric music flows in her class, and helps students feel their movements even better within.

She is grateful to her loving family and yoga friends; yoga has not only brought her health, but also a life time of friendship within the community.

In her spare time, Choi enjoys taking ballet classes.

Dori McDannold, RYT

Dori McDannold, LMT, RYT has been teaching Yoga since 2001. Dori is certified by the Nosara Institute Interdisplinary Yoga Program at 200 hr. level, and the 200 hr. level Inner Dance Iyengar Yoga Teacher program. Dori brings to her classes an active flowing style of vinyasana, humor, openness, and a sense of wonder and discovery toward alignment of the body, mind and spirit.

Dori is also as certified Massage Therapist through the Heartwood Institute. She specializes therapeutic work utilizing a blend of Deep Tissue, Myofascial Release, Craniosacral Therapy, and also offers Full Body Swedish that relaxes and rejuevenates the whole being.

For an appointment, call Dori @ 745-3266 (home) or 775-0238 (cell).

Amy Chadwick, RYT

Amy began practicing yoga 11 years ago as a way to stay physically ﬁt and to manage stress in her life. She practiced hot yoga 5-6 days a week for almost two years before starting Naturopathic Medical School. Now, as a Naturopathic Doctor, Amy brings her medical knowledge, her love of human physiology and the science of what makes us well, her love of observation of both people and nature and her own spiritual and healing journey to her yoga practice and to her teaching.

Amy now strives to be a yogi on and off the mat; allowing the principles of yoga to continue to heal her and provide wellness and balance in her daily life. Amy owns Soaring Crane Natural Health Center in Palmer offering Naturopathic medicine to people of all ages and walks of life. Sharing in her patients stories and journeys toward health is a true blessing. Amy incorporates yoga into her practice, encouraging her patients to be physically, mentally and spiritually well through clean living, therapeutic yoga postures, breathing, and meditation.

Amy is intensely grateful to her many teachers and guides over the years for their encouragement as she has deepened her yoga practice and experienced the ongoing beneﬁts of a regular practice

Wendy DeGraffenried, RN

Tai Chi, Qigong, and Certified Healing Tao Instructor

Wendy carries on Master Jou, Tsung Hwa’s goal to use the many open spaces we have here in the United States to teach the ancient art of Taijiquan. Her classes synthesize her broad and continued studies of the Oriental Healing Arts. These studies include Yang Style Taijiquan, Qigong, Medical Qigong, Chinese Calligraphy, Healing Tao, I Ching, Yang Style Sword, Yang Style Fan, Push Hands, Silk Reeling, Points and Meridians, Auricular Therapy, and Energy Healing. Together with these studies and her experience as a Registered Nurse, she maintains an awareness of each individual, carefully and gently guiding students to balance in body, mind, and spirit.