Jesselle Peña
Owner/Instructor
Jesselle learned her first asanas from her mother—a bona fide Humboldt County hippie—and began to delve into her own practice when diagnosed with scoliosis as a teenager. Drawn to health and healing from an early age, she studied nursing before completing a 200 hour certification program at The Yoga Shack with Tommy and Lori Anderson. Her training gave her a firm grounding in the science of yoga while still embracing the softer spiritual side. She now strives to give this balance to others and help them along their own path of health and wellness. Her teaching style is colored by her playful energy and her belief that yoga is for everyone.
Gabriel Remliel
Instructor
Gabriel first discovered yoga in 2002 while studying modern dance at Point Park University. Dance was his gateway to spiritual experience, a way to express the infinite through the body. After struggling with the pressures of being a professional dancer and finding relief in the yoga practice he completed his 200 hour training with Yoga works in 2010. After teaching at many places in San Francisco, creating a school program called OMNI PRANA and leading retreats in Sonoma he relocated back to the central coast in 2021 and finished his 500 hour YTT with Laura Burkart. His practice is a blend of alignment-based asana and organic movement, of discipline and flow. Adapting traditional Hatha forms for modern practitioners while maintaining a deep respect for the integrity of core yogic values.
Luana Knowlton
INSTRUCTOR
Luana literally fell into yoga when she injured her knee and shoulder – and her pride. As she struggled to come to terms with her body, an inner voice whispered “YOGA”. Within six months, she lost weight, gained muscle and found flexibility and balance. Luana’s upbeat personality, calming presence, and kindness will encourage you to listen to the subtle messages of your body to safely work the edges of your strength, flexibility, and energy while deepening your sense of peace and balance. Her classes are suitable for practitioners of all levels, providing detailed instruction and modifications where needed.
Shannon Fitz-Gerald
Massage Therapist
Shannon is a Nipomo local who has been doing massage for nearly two decades. She completed a 300-hour yoga teacher training with Jesselle. Shannon loves massage and movement and helping others relax, heal and manage pain. She treats all clients like friends and family. You might find her occasionally subbing a gentle flow or assisting Jesselle in the hot stone/infused restorative class.
KAtie Voice
Instructor
Katie found a community of kindness when she joined the studio in its first year, and has never looked back. She enrolled in Yoga Shine’s first 300-hour teacher training class and after graduation, continued her yoga education through Yoga International. She currently studies with Lila Lolling. Katie brings brings a love of storytelling, music, and visual imagery to her classes. She wants you to feel as welcomed as she did. It’s an endless invitation. We all need a little more yoga in our lives. Come on in and find your community. Together we help make this world a better place. Katie teaches the FREE community class every Sunday at 10 AM
Trisha Stewart
Instructor
Trisha began practicing in her mid-thirties, a busy working mom trying to find some space, to feel better in her body and mind and find balance. Soon after beginning a steady yoga practice, she knew she wanted to teach and share. She has been teaching for around 10 years and is a certified Reiki Master and yoga and mindfulness teacher. Trisha encourages you to tune in to your own inner guidance, the teacher within. Her classes are suitable for all levels, are well balanced, nurturing and encouraging. She often mixes different styles of yoga and mindfulness when creating her classes. Trisha holds sweet space, guides, and reminds students that their practice is their own.
Katie Pfluger
Instructor
Katie was first introduced to yoga in her mid 20s, as a busy single mom working two jobs, she practiced when she could on a quest to build her physical strength and increase her body’s flexibility. She had not been consistent in her yoga practice until 5 years ago when she found herself searching for something she could do to help with her deep depression and immense healthcare worker burn out. She began by rolling out her yoga mat in her living room and devoting time to herself and her practice on a regular basis. In time, she found that she had created space and freedom to experience not only the profound physical effects of yoga but the mental, emotional and spiritual aspects as well. After experiencing such an incredible personal shift within her own practice, she started searching for ways to deepen her understanding of yoga and to share her knowledge with those who might be in a similar situation. She felt called to invest further into her practice and joined Yoga Shine’s 300 hour YTT with Jesselle Peña in 2022. As a new teacher, it is Katie’s hope to offer her students a safe and accesible space on their mats to get curious and creative as they explore and experience the profound beauty that yoga can offer.
Greg Schallen
Instructor
Gregg stumbled into Yoga Shine back in 2017 and he can’t quite seem to quit us even though he moved to San Luis Obispo. Gregg is like family to Jesselle and Katie and he has done so much over the years to help keep Yoga Shine running, especially during the pandemic. In his day job Gregg is a contractor specializing in concrete so one could say what brought him to yoga at first was a sore back. He teaches Sunday mornings at 8:30 a groovy Prana Flow that will make you feel good to just be moving and breathing.
BellaKai Pena
Kid’s Yoga Instructor
BellaKai started doing yoga with her mother as far back as her memory goes. She started attending Kid’s yoga classes, taught by Jesselle, three times as week from ages 6-10. During that time she learned many yoga poses, history or yoga, the limbs of yoga, chakras, meditations and breathing exercises. Also a whole lot of fun games and crafts that were taught alongside the practice of yoga. She started out as the second youngest kid in kid’s yoga and then eventually was the oldest and then started attending adult classes. Now that she is a Sophomore at New Tech she is helping out her mom by offering kid’s yoga again at Yoga Shine. When she is not teaching kids yoga or taking classes at New Tech you might find her on a nearby stage with the Nipomo Theater Company or Central Coast Theater Company.
Christian Castaneda
Instructor
Christian says that “Yoga just makes me a better person.” She is passionate about making yoga more accessible to as many people as possible. After starting her practice at Yoga Shine in 2017, she completed her 300 hour yoga teacher training with Jesselle in 2022. A mother of three, she started out teaching kids’ yoga and added restorative to her repertoire in 2023. You’ll find her practicing alongside you and occasionally subbing classes.
Meghan Schmeizer
instructor
Meghan embarked on her yoga journey during a transformative period in her life — pregnancy with her oldest son. Her practice remains a sanctuary as she addresses autoimmune issues and the stress of everyday life. Under the guidance of Jesselle, she dedicated herself to deepening her practice, culminating in a 300-hour certification. Join her as she holds space for you to embark on your own journey of well-being, embodying a teaching philosophy that embraces the restorative elements of yoga. In her classes, you'll find a compassionate guide who believes that yoga is accessible to all, inviting you to embrace the beauty of stillness, movement, and everything in between.
About Yoga Shine
Yoga Shine is a warm, welcoming, inviting yoga home for the Nipomo, Santa Maria and Five Cities communities. We offer a wide range of yoga classes, with instructors trained in many different yoga styles. We’re also home to Nipomo’s only yoga boutique, with a variety of essential yoga supplies and apparel.