Yoga Sociale

My philosophy is that yoga is a lifestyle which adheres to morals embodied in daily life.

Yogic morals manifest in my life through my activism and awareness of human and nonhuman suffering, therefore I am passionate about equity for all. I hope to help others see their beauty, strength, and intelligence and honor and care for themselves without self-judgment.

My background is in Vinyasa, subtly influenced by the lineages of my teachers, including Iyengar and Hatha. I teach varying levels of intensity, having regularly taught students of many demographics and experiences. My priorities are to keep people safe and breathing throughout their practice and to approach students in a trauma-informed and gentle way.

A native to the Bay Area, Desiree returns to Hayward after her academic career took her to UC Irvine where she graduated with her B.A. in dance and B.S. in biological sciences, then to Northwestern University in Chicago where she earned her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree; and then to New York City to treat NYC Ballet dancers, School of American Ballet students, and Broadway performing artists at Westside Dance Physical Therapy.

After giving birth to her son, Desiree completed the Polestar Pilates Mat Foundations curriculum as a way to self-rehab and to formally incorporate Pilates into her physical therapy practice.

Desiree currently continues her Pilates education with the Polestar Pilates Comprehensive Teacher Training.

As a physical therapist, Desiree is passionate about proper movement biomechanics and brings a rehabilitation perspective to her Pilates classes. This enables Desiree to appropriately modify exercises for clients with existing injury, whether it’s a sports injury, chronic low back pain, low bone density, etc., and to reduce risk of future injury. In addition to Pilates, Desiree enjoys dancing West Coast Swing with her husband and spending time with her family

Anchal grew up in Kolkata, India and has always been familiar with yoga and Indian Arts. But she truly fell in love with these after moving to the US for college. She holds a PhD in Electrical Engineering and works full-time as an Engineer in the Silicon Valley. She is happiest when she is learning, even from her students. She completed 500 hrs of YTT from Yogi Hari’s Ashram in Florida and subsequently from Rishikesh in India. She brings an academic approach to her classes and is committed to educating her students on all aspects of yoga, health and well-being. Her traditional Hatha yoga classes will be very suitable to those new to yoga as well as experienced yogis who enjoy a calm and meditative style while still getting an excellent workout. Apart from yoga, Anchal is extremely passionate about Indian Music and Classical dance and performs regularly for the community.

I have always practiced yoga throughout the years. My life’s journey has taken me to many shores and given me such rich memories of epicurean delights and lasting friendships. Since 2009, after obtaining a degree in Film Production Technology in Miami, I worked as a storyteller in various countries of the world. After returning to Italy,
I earned a Master degree in Farm Management and Agri-food and I started to work professionally in the wine business as export manager. I had a career full of important meetings for my cultural and professional growth; trade fairs, seminars, international wine tastings, travels and sales. I was invited to host major radio shows and I was included in many articles of international wine magazines.

At times my life created envy in others, the photos portrayed me at private parties on the rooftops of New York or in Micheline Star restaurants in Chicago, at the openings of the Wynwood art galleries in Miami or in some elegant historic building in Prague. Anywhere in the world one would see me with a designer suit and a drink in hand. I must admit, I enjoyed it! To maintain certain standards, I began to push my body and my mind more and more as my schedule was more demanding. More working hours, less hours for rest, I had come to live at the airport, traveling over 180 days a year. The constant changes of time zones did not allow me to manage my biorhythms and my diet had become the last thing I was paying attention to.

In 2018 I was diagnosed with Cancer. Discovering the disease really scared me. Cancer is always something that happens to others or to someone you know, but when it happens to you, your perception of everything changes. I immediately reacted by starting to practice a lot of sport, taking care of my diet by gradually becoming a vegetarian, I started to slow down. After the operation and the chemo therapy, I left for Goa, India where I attended a 200-hour TTC. Yoga, along with swimming and martial arts, has accompanied my life for over 20 years, but I decided to find out more about the world of yoga.

Upon my return home I started practicing and working as a Yoga teacher in psychology and physiotherapy centres, hotels and studios. While teaching in Portugal, focusing on a Downward Facing Dog and a Chaturanga I met the love of my life, that would then lead me to move to the beautiful San Francisco Bay. Passionate about teaching, I decide to leave for Mysore, India to deepen my knowledge of yoga and I accomplished another 500-hours and a specialisation in Prenatal, Postnatal and Yoga Therapy teachings. I currently own Yoga Sociale in downtown Hayward.