Shakti Yoga Instructors
ALL OF OUR INSTRUCTORS ARE CERTIFIED YOGA TEACHERS, COMMITTED TO OFFERING A COMPREHENSIVE PRACTICE AS CONSCIOUSLY AS POSSIBLE.
Sofia Artola
Sofia Artola began her journey in 2000, and has since dedicated her time to explore, learn and share her experiences of the practice. She opened Shakti Yoga Studio in 2005, with a vision to offer a peaceful, happy and relaxed space for all to come and practice.
Sofia has studied with world renowned teachers, in ashrams both in the US and abroad, traveled to Nepal and India to explore the true essence of yoga and on to Thailand, where she studied Thai yoga massage. She has recently graduated from Sai Ayurvedic College and Wellness Center with an Associate degree on Vedic studies. She is currently pursuing her practice as an Ayurvedic consultant and practitioner, as well as health, lifestyle and food, COACH, and helping clients reconnect to their true way of being, through simple connections, and guidance.
For Sofia, the joys of teaching have been in witnessing the progression of someone in their practice, to see and experience the change in their attitude towards life, changes in their body, & the connection that she has with every single person that comes to the studio. For Sofia’s students, the laughter found in her classes is equal to the challenge of the practice. Both are resounding, clear, and complete.
Tara McCabe
Tara began exploring yoga in 2001 as she was beginning a journey into motherhood. Practicing pranayama, asana, and meditation proved to be helpful in creating a joyful experience through this life’s transformation. She began teaching pre-natal and kids yoga in 2007 and joined the Shakti family in 2008. Tara teaches moderate flow, flow, and kids yoga.
She is also devoted to monthly kirtans at Shakti. She has completed two 200 hour trainings. The first under the guidance of Yogi Hari in Sampoorna Yoga and her second training with Ruslan Kleytman in the Yogic arts System specializing in Krama Vinyasa. In 2009, Tara brought together her two passions of yoga and her love for the ocean and founded Key West Paddle Board Yoga, known as Lazy Dog PaddleYoga today. She leads full moon meditations and conducts 20 hour ACE accredited PaddleYoga Certification trainings monthly.
All of Tara’s classes begin with chanting and pranayama, and are followed by a playful flow sequence. Tara encourages her yogis to practice with humor, non judgement and compassion.
Marlene Koeing
The Buddha said, The mind is a restless monkey. Marlene's path through life has been an endeavor to still and calm that monkey, through her creative, spiritual and yoga practices. She grew up in a house full of artists and so the gift of making art has been part of her life for as long as she can remember. As an undergraduate, she studied philosophy, focusing primarily on the teachings of the Buddha and Hindu traditions.
On repeated travels to India and Nepal over the years, visiting numerous Ashrams, monasteries and yoga retreats, her understanding of these traditions has deepened and this has allowed her art work to be infused with their richness.
While living in New York City as a young adult, Marlene began her investigation into the world of yoga. Here she was able to sample a variety of different schools of yoga from Iyengar to Jiva Munkti to Ashtanga, with countless gifted instructors. In 2004, Marlene moved to San Francisco and there came under the instruction of Barbra Weichman, a talented senior Iyengar teacher, who's 50 year+ practice and wisdom brought Marlene's own practice to a new depth.
Upon returning to Key West, Marlene has been lucky enough to be welcomed into the Shakti Yoga family. She completed her 200 hour Krama vinyasa teacher training with Ruslan Kleytman in 2011. She now sees her practice as fully informed by her life as an artist and student of eastern philosophy and spirituality. She brings this creativity and spirituality along with a wide variety of information from all schools of yoga to each and every one of her classes.
Abi Lockwood aka ‘The Happy Hippie’
“Free will is our destiny, but so is divine intervention” and it is both that lead Abi to find yoga. In 2015 Abi started volunteering for the energy exchange program with Modo Yoga Studio in PEI, Canada. Searching for an activity that did not contain High Impact exercises as she was born with scoliosis, injury could come too easy. Modo’s heated series with a focus on accessibility and creating space for everyone, made Abi fall in love with Yoga and the community it attracted.
In 2018, Abi completed her 200 hour Vinyasa Yoga training at Shakti Yoga in Key West under the Goddess’s Sofia, Tara, and Marlene. She offers gentle yoga to vinyasa flows, restorative yoga, yin yoga and meditation with a light hearted, non-judgmental, self-love approach. Abi has a passion for guiding Yogi’s to connect and listen to their bodies, calm their minds, and create space for mental health.
Come as you are, do what you can, and don’t be so hard on yourself!
Be sure to check out Abi’s beautiful jewelry and sacred creative adornments inside the Shakti Yoga boutique!
Amber Rose
Amber Rose is confident that wholeheartedness, authenticity, and empathy are felt within the space of her teachings. She carries an expansive and rebellious spirit, allowing the energetic theme of the day to influence the rhythm of her classes. She weaves cosmic presence with movement to achieve the work ‘in’ that yoga offers.
Her core values bring forth a strong emphasis centered around abundance and consistency creating an invitation to embody the art of living well. With prominence on strength and surrender, she has a passion for delivering vigorous expansive transitions birthed from traditional asanas as well as classes that invite gentle, alignment enhanced postures accessible to all bodies.
Amber Rose completed her teacher training at MovementWorks in Calabash, NC August 2019. She is a student of yoga teachers Claire Liddle (E-RYT 500) (YACEP) licensed Anusara-Inspired yoga teacher by the Anusara School of Hatha Yoga and Nancy Smith (E-RYT 500) (YACEP) Movement Education 20+ years and founding director of Community Movement Alliance in Calabash, NC. Amber most recently completed a Restorative Aerial YoganCertication with AlReal© Yoga and is in the process of completing an apprenticeship program through ‘Sacred Soul’ with Evolutionary Astrologer and Mindset Mentor Lindsey DePeri Franz learning the Foundations to Evolutionary Astrology and intermediate chart readings.
Savannah
Savannah's discovery of yoga was in response to the immense weight of grief. Having heard the practice was calming, she in fact found herself crying quietly on her mat within the first class or two. However, it wasn't long before yoga became a place for her to feel strong again. She continued to practice diligently--even into late pregnancy--and then, without meaning to, she took a five year break. When she surfaced again, 13 years into a career and two kids later, her life was amazing, full, loving, and supportive but also somehow hollow. She began searching for why and it wasn’t long before yoga beckoned.
In 2020, Savannah dove into yoga teacher training, finally fulfilling a desire that had been denied for too long. Expanding her practice into advanced training filled her life with the appreciation she always had, but was never able to feel before. It delivered a deep appreciation for herself and for those around her, and a drive and desire to give back.
Savannah began teaching Vinyasa classes in the summer of 2021, leaving her professional career in the spring of 2022. Later that same year, with an interest in trauma recovery, Savannah received her Restorative yoga certification.
These days, her classes invite each student closer to their own center. Through strength of body, composure of breath, and the room to bring awareness, each participant is encouraged to more accurately reflect the unique light of their true self. Like yoga once delivered to her, Savannah's teachings are meant to allow a student to take their surety of step out of the room and into their world.