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  by Tara Malouf of Red Thread Photo
 Dhaval Dhru, MD
Dr Dhru is a certified Yoga teacher approved by Yoga Alliance having undergone yoga teacher training at White Lotus foundation, Santa Barbara, CA and also at Ayurvedic Institute, Albuquerque. He teaches at Three Trees Yoga and provides individual and private yoga classes incorporating Ayurvedic principle so as to come up with appropriate yoga practice for an individual.
Dr. Dhaval Dhru MD, retired ENT Surgeon, now provides Ayurveda and Yoga Consultation and Education by appointments. He teaches Ayurvedic seminars at various locations nationally as well as internationally including teaching assignments at Ayurvedic Institute, Albequerque, NM and Kerala Ayurveda Academy, Seattle, WA. He studied Ayurveda with Dr. Lad, the world renowned Ayurvedic educator, practitioner, author and founder of Ayurvedic Institute, Albuquerque. Click here for more information about his Ayurveda and Yoga Consultation services.
 Suzy
Green-Cindrich, RYT
I first fell in love with yoga in 1991 during a
ski holiday in Vail, CO with childhood friend Fenella
Zimmern. Fenella had just returned from India, was
in the midst of her teacher training in London and
happy to share her new passion.
Fenella went back to England to become a fabulous
teacher and eventually to develop the Yoga Bugs™ program (seeYogaBugs.com).
I went on to have a couple of babies and forget
about yoga in an effort to stay on top of the laundry.
When I realized it was time to find a interest outside
of being a wife and mother, I made a very clear
intention about finding my life’s passion.
After a friend’s repeated encouragement to
join her yoga class-I was finally ready to make
room for it. During that first class it all came
back to me-how much I loved yoga in every fiber
of my being. I began signing up for classes wherever
I could find them including week long conferences
in San Francisco and Orlando.
After moving to Federal Way I made another intention
(feeling very successful at the whole intention
thing) to find a Hatha yoga teacher not more than
5 minutes from my house that could challenge me.
Two weeks later at a school auction I bid on and
won a life changing series of yoga classes from
Jeni Martinez who became a dear mentor, teacher,
friend – and now partner.
Do you know how you are on the right path? The most
amazing teachers keep taking your hand and helping
you with your footing down that path.
It is my hope to be able to provide a hand for others.
 Mark Harding, RYT
Yoga has been a major part of Mark’s life for a long time, a discovery he made at the very beginning of his searching years. His meditation practice or “quest to become one with the flame” began in high school while studying Transcendentalism when he discovered the “Bhagavad Gita”. The book “Be Here Now” by Ram Das significantly changed Mark’s life by adding yoga asana and pranayama to the practice. He is still continually looking for new ways to quiet the fluctuations of the mind.
In the mid 80’s Mark was introduced to Ashtanga yoga asana and became enamored with the vigor of the practice, especially Chaturanga. He spent many years developing a home practice while living in areas where yoga was not in the mainstream.
Yoga has provided a foundation for many of Mark’s other activities, including a strong core, good balance, flexibility, mindful breathing and a peaceful focused mind. He is a certified ski instructor and actively uses balance, breathing and mindfulness in that sport. As a SCUBA diver, he uses the practice of pranayama to help maintain a centered calm focus and significantly increase the time he can remain at the bottom. Mark has been a leader in the Tacoma Mountaineer climbing program which includes rock, glacier and ice climbing. Yoga has provided strength with flexibility, stamina and a quiet focused mind, which together supports what is normally an adrenalin producing sport. One of his favorite activities now is finding high mountain locations to hike or climb to where asana can be practiced with a spectacular view.
Mark incorporates various styles in his classes including vinyasa and hatha. He received teacher training by YogaWorks recently at the YogaTree in Fremont. The YogaWorks method combines principles from Patabi Jois Ashtanga and BKS Iyengar into a style that includes the best features from both methods. His favorite resources include Nicky Doane, Shiva Rea, Donna Farhi, Beryl Bender Birch, Sharon Gannon and David Life. He is quite thankful for the many teachers who provide inspiration and guidance in his life and practice.
It is Mark’s sincerest intention that everyone discovers a benefit within their yoga practice. Inevitably the world will become a better place. May everyone everywhere be free and happy…deep peace!
Pamela Higley
 For over 12 years, yoga has been a major balancing piece in Pamela's life. Her passion for empowering women during pregnancy and the birthing process led her to become a doula. Having practiced yoga during both her pregnancies, she believes that yoga is an invaluable tool aiding in the birthing process. She received her yoga teacher training from Molly Lannon Kenny and Stephanie Sisson, co-founders of the Samarya Center and home of Integrated Movement Therapy. Her prenatal teacher training was with Jane MacKarness, of Classical Yoga. Her recent training with world renowned yogini, Shiva Rea, continues to influence her teaching, bringing awareness of connecting movement with the divine breath that we all share. Pamela's approach to teaching is joyful and light and you will most likely find yourself laughing now and again in her classes. Pamela is passionate about her work and the joy that yoga brings to her students.
 Jessica Ho
My name is Jessica Ho, and I am 22 years old. I am happily married to my husband, John. Together we have a beautiful two-year-old daughter, Opal. We are also overjoyed to be expecting our 2nd child in June 2009. I have been practicing yoga for about five years now. During that time yoga has done so much for me already. I was able to breathe through an all natural childbirth, battle postpartum depression, overcome anxiety, and heal past trauma. But most importantly through yoga I have found love for myself. Yoga has truly and deeply touched me, and it will always be a part of my life.
I have studied with Hala Khouri during the YogaEd teacher training for working with at-risk-youth last April 2008 in Santa Monica CA. In June 2008 I completed my 200 hr teaching training with Yoga Works at the Yoga Tree in Seattle WA with Catherine Munro. In September 2008 I attended the Loving Touch Infant Massage Training in Portland, OR with Diana Moore. In the future I'd like to attend a teacher training with Shiva Rea.
www.jessicaho.doodlekit.com
 Lawrence Loofbourrow
Lawrence is a martial arts practitioner and teacher with 35 years of experience. His roots are in Kajukenbo kung fu, for which he holds the rank of black belt, but his passion and joy is Tai Chi. Lawrence has been tested and certified to teach Tai Chi by two separate martial arts organizations: The International Tum Pai Association, a branch of Kajukenbo, and the Chen Style Xinxi Hunyuan Institute in Beijing, China, through his current teacher Harrison Moretz. Lawrence has been with Harrison, the founder and director of the Taoist Studies Institute in Seattle, for 20 years. Lawrence is Harrison's senior disciple. Harrison is a close personal disciple of Grandmaster Feng Zhiqiang, Beijing, China. Feng Zhiquiang is the 18th generation Grandmaster of Chen Style Tai Chi and founder of the chen Style Xinyi Henyuan Taijiquan system.
 Jennifer Lovejoy
As a child, I was a gymnast and I always delighted in the contrast between being grounded and defying gravity. As a Soma Practitioner I find myself in the same study of the body in the dynamic relationship between levity and gravity. Yoga was my first delicious introduction as an adult to the study
of dynamic human polarity and has been part of my life since 1998. As a yogini, the chance to explore the relationship between heaven and earth, andthe body's function as a listening mechanism that can translate the energies of each to the other is so exciting to me. I studied Hatha yoga casually
for couple of years before I (happily) stumbled upon Diane Bunting and
Kundalini Yoga. It took me about 5 minutes to know that I was in exactly
the place I never knew that I always wanted to be! I have studied with
Diane for close to 10 years and am grateful every day for her wisdom, depth
of practice and for her example in living the soul's path. Kundalini Yoga
has been such a blessing for me, helping me to overcome long time body
issues like scoliosis and chronic pain, reducing my tendency to anxiety, and
helping me to live daily in awareness and gratitude. I completed my KRI
Kundalini teacher's training in 2009 in Portland, OR and am delighted to
have the chance to share the beauty and depth of this practice with others.
 Jeni
Martinez, RYT
I have been teaching Hatha yoga since 1990.My first teacher, Renee Taylor, was in her late 90’s and lived in Redondo Beach, CA. I was so inspired by her work and her wisdom that I agreed to do a teacher training program with her. I had absolutely no intention of ever teaching yoga at the time. (Why would I give up a stressful management job that gave me stiff necks and migraines?) With her encouragement, I discovered that I loved teaching yoga as much as I loved doing yoga. My teaching style is best described as playful, yet challenging and is based on the Kripalu and Iyengar influences that have shaped my own practice.
After 14 years of teaching, I attended another teacher training program, this time at Pacific Yoga in Seattle. Suzy and Karen were also in the program and it was during our year of commuting that the idea to open a yoga studio together was born. In June 2005, Three Trees Yoga & Healing Arts Center, Federal way’s first yoga studio opened its doors. I am grateful to the incredible community of teachers, massage therapists, healers and students who have been drawn together at Three Trees Yoga.
My son, Cody, recently asked me what dharma was. When I told him it was his life’s path or purpose, he responded, “Well, your dharma is to teach yoga, be my mommy (and his twin brother Devin’s) and to be Daddy’s wife! “ I couldn’t agree more.
 Bryan Michel
Practicing yoga since 2004, Bryan quickly realized that yoga helped improve his performance in other favorite sports. Additionally, he noticed the mental clarity and calm yoga provided to everyday life. In 2008 Bryan trained through Corepower Yoga in San Diego, CA to receive a Yoga Alliance certification.
Bryan teaches a Power style of yoga, with elements of Anusara and Ashtanga yoga, focusing on strong, flowing vinyasa movements and centered mental focus. Bryan provides an athletic and meditative class for all experience levels. Whether for sports cross training, serious yoga practitioners, or those in need of rejuvenation, Bryan can provide an experience that will resonate with each student. Namaste.
 Dylan
Noebels
Underneath Dylan's casual demeanor lies a deep respect
for the tradition of yoga. He is grateful for the
inspired teachings of Kathryn Payne and Teresa Elliott
of Pacific Yoga Teacher Training. Dylan uses yoga
to gain a greater awareness of the body and mind.
His teaching emphasizes proper alignment and clear
intentions to realize our full potential one breath
at a time.
 Rebecca Ray, RYT
Rebecca came to yoga as an avid runner searching for ways to keep her body flexible, strong, and injury free. But, what she discovered was a process for unfolding and connecting with her true Self. In 2009, she completed the 200-hour Teacher Training program at 8 Limbs Yoga Centers in Seattle and is a RYT with the Yoga Alliance. Her classes focus on meditation through movement, creative flow, strength building, focused balance, and seeking stillness amidst the chaos of life. Rebecca works to create a safe and inviting space for all to experience the benefits of yoga in their own bodies and mind.
 Janice
Sack-Ory, CNM, ARNP
Janice combines 25 years of midwifery experience with
the ancient wisdom and movement of yoga. Janice has
a Master’s Degree in Maternal/Child Nursing and
is board certified by the American College of Nurse
Midwives. She completed her yoga teacher training
in Seattle with Molly Kenny, the developer of Integrated
Movement Therapy. Janice has provided birthing care
both in and out of the hospital and has had the honor
of welcoming over 800 babies into the world. She has
had a long time commitment to teaching women about
prenatal fitness and is also certified by two national
organizations on perinatal exercise. Janice believes
that pregnancy and childbirth are profound rites of
passage for women, and that they deserve to surround
themselves with loving support as they prepare their
minds, bodies, and spirits to birth in awareness.
Blending this philosophy with the spiritual wisdom
and practice of yoga gives Janice a unique opportunity
to support women as they learn to let go and trust
in the process of becoming mothers.
 Karen
Schwisow, RYT
I was introduced to yoga in 2000 when
my 80 year old Grandmother asked me to come to a
free class at her church. Yoga resonated in my
body and mind from that first night and since then
I've found it to be a constant source of joy, challenge
and learning. Although I had practiced meditation
for over a decade, I found that yoga had an equally
powerful ability to quiet the mind while simultaneously
nurturing the body.
I discovered Jeni Martinez a year and a half later and deepened my relationship with yoga considerably until one fateful night in 2004 when she described a teacher training program she was about to begin and invited me to participate. (It may have been because i was drooling and said, "I would give my right arm to do something like that." Very subtle.) I left her with the impression that I could not afford the time or the money that was required for such an indepth program, but during my drive home I felt like a gift had been dropped into my life and the universe was slapping me upside the head for passing it by. When I nervously presented the idea to my husband he said only, "You should have done it years ago."
I received my Master Yoga Teacher Training in 2005
from Pacific Yoga Teacher Training in Seattle and I gratefully continue to learn
from my teachers; Kathryn Payne and Theresa Elliott.
Now I've got the best job in the world with people that are a constant blessing. Thank you to all of you who guided me on this path and especially to my two daughters, Jillian and Kelly, for allowing their mom to follow her heart.
 Wayne Schwisow
Wayne Schwisow still considers himself new to Tai Chi by ancient Chinese standards. He began his practice in 2005 at Three Trees Yoga, moving from the beginner short form through the traditional long form. He began teaching Tai Chi as a substitute for Coach Xu, his instructor, and has valued the rewards that teaching brings.
Tai Chi has brought him a sense of peace and tranquility that is much needed in his demanding life as a graphic designer, father of 2 girls, soccer coach and husband to the demanding woman pictured above (she is known to occasionally mess with his bio).
 Louise Shields
Louise started practicing Yoga with Jeni Martinez in 1999 as a safe way to exercise and to counter a high stress work environment. After a Yoga retreat, she decided to take teacher training with Kathryn Payne and Theresa Elliot at Pacific Yoga in Seattle and she graduated in 2008. Yoga has solved the chronic back issues, which dated back to 1992 and prematurely ended her dance career. Consequently what is important to her and what she teaches is stability and integrity of alignment, never moving into pain and stilling the mind, with the occasional helping of bliss.
 Amy Tangen
I started practicing yoga at home as a junior in high school as a way to manage the stress that school too often brings, but it wasn't until I took my first class in college that I really began to develop my love of yoga and meditation alike. I continued to practice yoga at home until in February of '08 when I was hired on as the Office Manager at Three Trees Yoga. I absolutely love my job and enjoy the wonderful community of people I am able to help everyday. It might be finding them the right yoga class, helping them get set-up for a class, or just being someone they can talk to. In addition to being an administrative support to Three Trees Yoga, in '09 I received my Kids Yoga Certification thanks to the wonderful encouragement and support from Karen, Suzy, and Jeni after hearing the many stories about my son and yoga. My passion for yoga has always been something I loved to share, so naturally I was excited after having my son to see him try and mimic my yoga poses from a very young age. Gradually he began to practice yoga by my side on a regular basis and it has been a wonderful bonding experience for the both of us. We regularly use breathe work and simple postures during our daily routine to help us deal with the overwhelming emotions that come with the trials of growing and learning. Yoga has been such a wonderful tool for my family and I am thankful that I have been given the opportunity to share it with other children as well as their parents.
 Coach Xu
Coach Xu attended four years of college at the Shanghai Institute of Physical Technology where he majored in Physical Exercise with an emphasis on coaching. From 1972 to 1985 he was the head swimming coach at the Shanghai Culture and Sport School. In 1973, he was selected as the head coach for the Chinese National Swimming Team for the First International High School Sports Games at Wiesbaden, West Germany. Several young students that he trained earned positions on the National Team of China, breaking world swimming records and winning national awards. Between 1985 and 1989, he coached High School and University students. In 1986, Coach Xu was named the "Best Swimming Coach of the Year" in China. In 1989, he was invited to the University of Tennessee Knoxville to be a "visiting coach" for the women's swim team. During his two years at the University of Tennessee, the team went from 10th to 4th place in its division. In 1991, he became the head swimming coach for the Richmond Department of Parks and Recreation in Virginia. Between 1991 and 1996, under Coach Xu's guidance, the Richmond team improved their poor record and became Virginia Swimming League Champions.
During a serious illness in 1971, Coach Xu began studying Tai Ji Quan under the legendary Grandmaster Fu Zhong Wen. He found that Tai Ji Quan helped speed his recovery, made him less reliant on medication and improved his general health. After seeing what a difference the study of Tai Ji Quan made in his recovery and his life, he decided to help others experience the benefits of Tai Ji Quan. In 1975 he became a qualified Tai Ji Quan instructor and has been teaching it ever since. Coach Xu has been an instructor with the Yong Nian Tai Ji Association both in China and in the United States. In Knoxville, Tennessee, he taught at the Koryo Traditional Martial Arts Center and St. Catherine's school.
His continuing interest in health and helping others led him to begin the study of Qi Gong with master Yuan Zheng Ping, a well known Qi Gong teacher and a student of the founder of the Guo Ling Qi Gong style. He founded the Shanghai Rehabilitation Club for Cancer Patients, using Qi Gong to aid the patients in their recovery. From 1980-1989, Coach Xu was a Qi Gong instructor at the Shanghai Qi Gong Institute while simultaneously teaching Qi Gong to patients at the Shanghai Rehabilitation Club for Cancer Patients. He found that Qi Gong helped their attitudes and outlook as well as their physical recovery. In the United States, Coach Xu taught Qi Gong at the University of Tennessee Knoxville and at the China People's Friendship Association. After moving to Richmond, Virginia, Coach Xu taught through the Chinese School, the Richmond Parks and Rec and the Coach Xu Tai Ji Institute. In 1994, he participated in the Sino-Japanese Conference on cancer patient rehabilitation. Today, he continues to assist cancer patients and others with illnesses to learn Qi Gong, to improve the quality of their life and to help in their recovery.
In America, more than 1/3 of people aged 65 and older fall each year, and those who fall one are 2-3 times more likely to fall again. Fall injuries are responsible for significant disability, reduced physical function, and loss of independence. Direct medical costs for fall injuries total $19 million each year.
In the last five years, Coach Xu has worked in cooperation with Oregon Research Institute to explore the use of Tai Chi in improving physical performance in older adults. Results indicate that for adults over the age of 65, practicing Tai Chi regularly improves balance and decreases their risk of falling by 55%. The findings from this research have also been included in a compendium of effective community-based interventions published and disseminated by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention for general consumption.
Coach Xu continues his partnership with Oregon Research Institute aby creating and providing training courses for Tai Chi instructors targeted at the needs of older adults in the prevention of falls and the improvement of overall quality of life.
Coach Xu and his wife recently relocated to Seattle to be closer to their daughter.
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