Yoga Sociale

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.

Iva (RYT500, E-RYT200, YACEP) was born and raised in Hong Kong. In 2008, she completed her 200 hrs yoga teacher training through Kevala Centre, UK. She has studied Yin yoga, Prenatal Yoga, and Chair yoga. She is also a Mat-Pilates Instructor, Certified Exercise Physiologist, and Certified flexibility Coach. Additionally, she has academic qualifications in Kinesiology, therapeutic option (B.S), focusing on human movement, injury prevention, and biomechanics. Her love for learning also led her to study the application of science into yoga and earned her 600+ hours advanced Vinyasa yoga teaching training in 2022, specializing in biomechanics principles of alignment, anatomy, injury management, and the skills to teach asanas with a therapeutic approach.