Meet Nadja Villegas

Nadja is a once-in-a-lifetime yoga teacher to me. I have been practicing since 2008, sometimes consistently and sometimes on and off and I always felt as if I am going through the motions rather than syncing with the practice. After the first lesson with Nadja, suddenly all those poses I have been doing for years suddenly started making complete sense! Nadja builds your practice step-by-step really focusing on fundamentals, WHY you are doing certain motions and HOW those affect one’s body – from tissue level to muscles / bones to the whole body. After going back to basics with Nadja, my practice is much more meaningful and rewarding. I’ve come to learn that yoga is not so much about being able to hit the poses but more about being mindful of your body parts all working together while moving through the practice. Oh, and I love her studio! The space just brings me peace the moment I step in. 🙂

I seriously look forward to every single session with Nadja. She has become such an important part of my life since I began as a private client of hers. Every class is different and tailored to what my needs are that day. She is extremely adaptable and creative in teaching her practice and making it work for me and for my body. She goes above and beyond for her clients and even lets me bring my dog to the yoga room where we meet. We call it Doga! At the end of every class, she offers me time for a savasana with essential oils and acupressure, which has become a very healing and poignant part of each session for me. Nadja is the real deal and embodies the type of yogi and person that we all can be inspired by. Xoxo Leeanne

I have been attending Nadja’s classes for about a year now, and I love them. I started yoga again (after many years of not practicing) due to some longstanding aches and pains I just couldn’t get to go away, and I feel so much better when I’m able to make it to her classes. She starts each class asking how we feel, what do we want to work on that day, what our energy level is. This is wonderful because we then get a class tailored to our needs. Sometimes it’s relaxation and stretching, other times strengthening and sweating, and sometimes a combination of both. During class she gives very specific instructions, right down to toe position, to make sure that our form is appropriate. She always offers modifications, particularly on difficult poses, while suggesting ways to go deeper into a pose or to challenge ourselves further. She quietly walks through the class and makes adjustments to individual students as needed, something I definitely appreciate. She ends each class with a soothing shavasana, including an optional essential oil experience to help complete the practice with ultimate relaxation. I always leave her class feeling so much better then when I arrived. She is very approachable and open to questions and suggestions. I highly recommend you try one of her classes (each friend I’ve brought with me loves her classes too)!

Nadja is warm and welcoming. Her classes can be challenging, but she teaches students to practice yoga with integrity-to listen carefully to their own body and to respect where they are and what they need without judgement. Her knowledge and understanding of yoga postures and philosophy is extensive. She incorporates the underlying concepts of yoga into her teaching, helping her students develop their body’s relationship with each asana and to begin to open their heart and mind with their practice. Nadja begins each class by asking students how they are and what they need. She can create a class to meet those needs on the spot. She effortlessly incorporates mindfulness into her teaching in every class, whether it be her candlelight vinyasa or yin. She gets to know her students and gently challenges them to extend their practice. Nadja has helped me use props and modifications while healing from a knee injury. I have seen her balance the range of ability and experience of a class to help beginners, challenge advanced students and safely support a pregnant woman right up to her delivery. Last, but most definitely not least are her yin classes. I have been taking Nadja’s yin class twice a week at East West Yoga for a year and a half and they are my favorite. She teaches pranayama and creates guided meditations for her classes. Both are deeply relaxing. Nadja takes time to do gentle adjustments on each student during class. She teaches us the difference between pain, which indicates you need to modify the pose to fit your body, and discomfort, which you can learn to get through by focusing your attention on your breath. This teaching has not only extended my yoga practice, but has helped me be more patient and resilient in my life outside the studio.

I would highly recommend any yoga class taught by Nadja. She creates a welcoming environment for all students and encourages an educational dialog when teaching new poses. Nadja also excels at creating a balanced class that challenges a student’s balance, strength, and stretching ability. If you’re lucky enough to attend more than one of Nadja’s classes per week you’ll find that the classes complement each other. Some classes focus on balance with core work while others focus on strength with back work, this results in a comprehensive yoga workout over the week. The best thing about Nadja is that she constantly improves her yoga classes by observing the class and taking feedback from students. This keeps me feeling challenged and satisfied after every yoga class. I would definitely encourage anyone to take a yoga class from Nadja.

Nadja is such an inspiring yoga instructor! Her classes are playful, challenging, and rejuvenating. I love her lighthearted personality, and the caring attention she gives to each student. I’ve attended Vinyasa, Restorative, and Yin yoga classes with Nadja and after each class I leave feeling amazing! Thank you Nadja for sharing your knowledge, kindness and love for yoga with me!