Studio Teachers Bio

Ken “Anand” von Roenn III (E-RYT 500) is the creator of Skanda Yoga (RYS), and is the director of the Skanda Yoga Teacher Training program. A practitioner for 20 years, Ken founded Skanda Yoga in 2009 after studying many hatha yoga traditions. Ken holds a B.A. In Philosophy, is a Level III Reiki Master, and is certified in Iridology. He was an Honors graduate in 2000 from the Yoga East Teacher Training program. He has led 19 teacher trainings in Miami and has published two books: “The Practice of Skanda Yoga,” and “Classes of Enchantment.”

A teacher in the word’s most profound sense – throughout all aspects of life – Lina Vallejo meets each individual that approaches her with absolute attention, compassion and integrity. A teacher of teachers, she has educated over one hundred new yoga teachers in the style of Skanda Yoga®, which she co-created with her husband and asana master Ken “Anand” von Roenn. She is the owner of Skanda Yoga Studio, elected ‘Miami’s Best’ (New Times Magazine 2015), while also one of the most sought after one-on-one private yoga instructors in South Florida.

Astrid’s aim as a yoga teacher is to become an assistant to practitioners so they can see that yoga is a great vehicle for healing, not only physically, but mentally and spiritually as well. For Astrid, yoga is a lifelong practice. She started practicing different styles of yoga 15 years ago in Caracas, Venezuela, then in Thailand, Panama and Indonesia.  She began her practice at Skanda Studio in 2015 intermittently and inspired by Skanda teachers, friends and other practitioners who have transformed their lives through the Skanda philosophy, she completed the 200 hours Skanda Yoga Teacher Training at the beginning of the year (2018).

Assia Kojo left a corporate project management job to pursue the rewarding journey of learning and teaching Yoga. Her love and dedication to the practice has revealed her true course: to devote her life to serving her community mentally, physically and spiritually.

Claudia was very attracted to yoga but coming from a small city, Cartagena, Colombia, there was no yoga around. In her twenties she found a group that practiced Kundalini yoga and joined for a while but missed more physical movement. Then she started home practice with videos, and took private classes.

Claudia practiced yoga for the first time in 2011 looking for something to help her calm her mind, but it wasn’t until she tried a power yoga class in 2013 in her hometown of Cali – Colombia, that she got really involved into this practice. She has always been an athletic person, practicing basketball during her childhood, going to the gym during her twenties, and being active in general in different physical activities. Nowadays she just basically does yoga which not only gives her a calmness of mind, and a spiritual connection, but also helps her tone her body and to maintain it healthy.

Dahyana’s goal has focused on the evolution of the spiritual path. She believes that you can transform your life within your heart, connecting with the true essence of love and light. Since she started practicing Skanda yoga, she was able to identify her fears and challenges in life, having the power to overcome them. Dahyana’s teaching is based on her own experiences, connecting students with the real nature of yoga, where body, mind, and spirit can be projected in and out of the mat.

Ganesha Michael Shapiro: IKYTA Certified Kundalini Yoga Instructor.

Ganesha will expertly guide you into embodying your essence, wisdom and creativity in new and powerful ways. He effortlessly draws from more than 12 years of experience in Hatha, Raja, Kundalini and Tantric yogas, a multitude of healing modalities and many years of intensively practicing contact improvisation and other “free” movement disciplines such as Ecstatic Dance and The 5Rhythms. Ganesha trained as a Healing Science and Energy Healing Practitioner at the Barbara Brennan School of Healing, a 4 year program focusing on psych-spiritual development and Brennan Healing Science.

Gloria found Yoga in Miami in the summer of 2010. After trying her first style of Yoga she was hooked to Power Vinyasa. She quickly enrolled in a teacher training program completing her first 200 hours. After practicing committedly for three years she found Skanda Yoga through a fellow Yogini.

Kurt has been practicing yoga for over 20 years and has explored many styles. After taking a Skanda-style class by chance, he was immediately drawn to the style and dedicated himself to the practice.

Her story with yoga began when a close friend would cancel plans to practice yoga; feeling curious about this, she decided to give it a try. Safe to say, she got hooked. The practice gave her a feeling unlike other physical activities, something indescribable… a release of mind and spirit. She liked the uncompetitiveness of it, the fact that, in yoga, you’re racing yourself, building yourself; it’s a slow process and Maddison felt encouraged and driven by this phenomenon.

Silvia Lyle is an IKYTA certified Kundalini, Khalsa Way™ Prenatal and Postnatal Yoga Teacher, a Birth Doula and the mother of a beautiful boy. She has been practicing Kundalini Yoga and meditation for over 12 years. Her first passion is the body and its movement and as a trained dancer she has explored various healing technics in Mexico and Cuba for over two decades.

Born and raised in Venezuela, Tania took her first yoga class in 2000 when she moved to Miami, and immediately fell in love with the essence of its teachings. While trying different teachers and methods Tania found a true connection with Lina Vallejo, as well as Ken Von Roenn before they established Skanda yoga.

Victor has been a practitioner for almost two decades and in 2015 took his Skanda Teacher Training. He first discovered yoga after a debilitating cancer surgery at the age of 20 and credits his recovery, in part, to the cumulative benefits of a quality yoga practice. A true native Floridian, Victor moved to Miami in 2006 to continue his career as a Park Biologist and Wildland Firefighter. Having been raised with a deep connection and fascination of the natural world, he felt instantly connected to Skanda’s synchronistic fusion of energy and nature.