Who We Are
Jamie Eversweet Belmarez, program director & yoga teacher
Jamie is mother to a growing boy and has been teaching yoga since 2001, receiving her certification from the White Lotus Foundation in Santa Barbara, CA. She received her Yoga Ed. certification in 2013. She enjoys teaching adults and children how to feel more comfortable in their body and sharing yoga as a vehicle to tap into intention and cultivation of the mind-body-breath connection. Can you imagine what life would be like if you had the opportunity to learn yoga in kindergarten? Jamie has been teaching yoga to children since 2012 and teaches weekly local adult yoga classes as well. She is a also a Hawaii state licensed massage therapist practicing since 2007. You can learn more about Jamie at her website, JamieBe.com.
Jamie is mother to a growing boy and has been teaching yoga since 2001, receiving her certification from the White Lotus Foundation in Santa Barbara, CA. She received her Yoga Ed. certification in 2013. She enjoys teaching adults and children how to feel more comfortable in their body and sharing yoga as a vehicle to tap into intention and cultivation of the mind-body-breath connection. Can you imagine what life would be like if you had the opportunity to learn yoga in kindergarten? Jamie has been teaching yoga to children since 2012 and teaches weekly local adult yoga classes as well. She is a also a Hawaii state licensed massage therapist practicing since 2007. You can learn more about Jamie at her website, JamieBe.com.
Carla Orellana, yoga teacher
Carla Orellana is a Certified Yoga Therapist and Yoga Instructor, C-IAYT Certified Yoga Therapist; E-RYT 500, who has been teaching since 1972. Her first initiation into the remarkable lineage of Sri T.Krishnamacharya’s yoga was through the gentleness of Indra Devi who taught her the sacred connection of breath and movement. After studying with many of the advanced B.K.S. Iyengar teachers for two decades, she completed the Iyengar Teachers Training of precise postural alignment and descriptions with Aadil B.A. Palkhivala, Director of The College of Yoga Purna. After further study she completed a second Teacher’s Certification with Gary Kraftsow, Director of the American Viniyoga Institute in 2000.
After forty years of practicing and teaching the classically strong asana classes, Carla’s 2010 Certification in Trauma Sensitive Yoga: Yoga for Veterans with PTSD with David Emerson and Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, opened yet another passion to teach the much appreciated Restorative Yoga classes. Treasured not only to the general community, this ‘yoga of recovery’ is valued by our many Veterans who suffer from PTSD. Carla has worked with 90-year-old Veterans from WWII to our present day “Wounded Warriors”, including her husband (Army Vietnam Veteran) and son (Air Force Iraq/Afghanistan Veteran).
Ever deepening her studies led her to complete more comprehensive work in Yoga and Ayurveda to earn her a Certified Yoga Therapy degree in 2013 from Robin Rothenberg, Director of Essential Yoga Therapy, one of the first Yoga Therapy training programs to be approved by the Accreditation Committee of the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT).
Carla Orellana is a Certified Yoga Therapist and Yoga Instructor, C-IAYT Certified Yoga Therapist; E-RYT 500, who has been teaching since 1972. Her first initiation into the remarkable lineage of Sri T.Krishnamacharya’s yoga was through the gentleness of Indra Devi who taught her the sacred connection of breath and movement. After studying with many of the advanced B.K.S. Iyengar teachers for two decades, she completed the Iyengar Teachers Training of precise postural alignment and descriptions with Aadil B.A. Palkhivala, Director of The College of Yoga Purna. After further study she completed a second Teacher’s Certification with Gary Kraftsow, Director of the American Viniyoga Institute in 2000.
After forty years of practicing and teaching the classically strong asana classes, Carla’s 2010 Certification in Trauma Sensitive Yoga: Yoga for Veterans with PTSD with David Emerson and Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, opened yet another passion to teach the much appreciated Restorative Yoga classes. Treasured not only to the general community, this ‘yoga of recovery’ is valued by our many Veterans who suffer from PTSD. Carla has worked with 90-year-old Veterans from WWII to our present day “Wounded Warriors”, including her husband (Army Vietnam Veteran) and son (Air Force Iraq/Afghanistan Veteran).
Ever deepening her studies led her to complete more comprehensive work in Yoga and Ayurveda to earn her a Certified Yoga Therapy degree in 2013 from Robin Rothenberg, Director of Essential Yoga Therapy, one of the first Yoga Therapy training programs to be approved by the Accreditation Committee of the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT).
Yoav Melamed, yoga teacher
Yoga classes include oriental wisdom from Chinese medicine tradition, Yoga asana sequences, fascial stretching and effective range of motion exercises. Classes build strength and promote length for proper integrity of our body. Emphasis is placed on breathing (pranayama and anapana techniques). Classes are joyful, light hearted and with good flow. Learn more about Yoav at wisdombodyhawaii.com.
- • Zen meditation practitioner since 2006.
- • Acupuncture and Chinese medicine student in Israel 2009-2011.
- • B.A degree focused on consciousness and mind-body medicine from Evergreen state college, 2013.
- • Certified Yoga teacher from 200-hour training program at "Living Spirit Yoga" (led by Nathan Hayes) in Olympia Washington at 2011. (Kripalu, vinyasa and yin yoga traditions)
- • Zhi neng qi gong level 1 and 2 at Kokolulu farm and cancer retreat center in Hawi, Hawaii 2012-2017.
Yoga classes include oriental wisdom from Chinese medicine tradition, Yoga asana sequences, fascial stretching and effective range of motion exercises. Classes build strength and promote length for proper integrity of our body. Emphasis is placed on breathing (pranayama and anapana techniques). Classes are joyful, light hearted and with good flow. Learn more about Yoav at wisdombodyhawaii.com.
Photo Credit: Anabel Lapierre
Mahina Lee, yoga teacher
Mahina is passionate about embodying ancient healing modalities and integrating them with current body-mind healing and awareness studies. She is building a bridge between folk and traditional ways of knowing and healing and bringing them alive into a world that desperately needs to remember how to slow down and reconnect with love and to the wisdom within. Mahina has been practicing restorative yoga and meditation since 2008. In 2015, Mahina became certified as a Yoga Therapist with Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy. Learn more about Mahina at MahinaLee.com.
Mahina is passionate about embodying ancient healing modalities and integrating them with current body-mind healing and awareness studies. She is building a bridge between folk and traditional ways of knowing and healing and bringing them alive into a world that desperately needs to remember how to slow down and reconnect with love and to the wisdom within. Mahina has been practicing restorative yoga and meditation since 2008. In 2015, Mahina became certified as a Yoga Therapist with Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy. Learn more about Mahina at MahinaLee.com.
Maya Parish, yoga teacher
Maya holds 200-hour Yoga Alliance certifications in both Hatha Yoga and Integrative Yoga Therapy and is an E-RYT, having taught over 1,000 hours of yoga to adults. Maya received her Yoga Ed certification in July 2016 and is on maternity leave entering the 2019-20 school year. Maya designs and leads private yoga sessions with Hawaii Island residents and visitors alike and teaches weekly group classes along the Kohala coast at Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Mauna Lani Fitness Center, and Maya Parish Yoga Studio in Hawi, North Kohala.You can learn more about Maya at her website: http://www.mayaparish.com.
Maya holds 200-hour Yoga Alliance certifications in both Hatha Yoga and Integrative Yoga Therapy and is an E-RYT, having taught over 1,000 hours of yoga to adults. Maya received her Yoga Ed certification in July 2016 and is on maternity leave entering the 2019-20 school year. Maya designs and leads private yoga sessions with Hawaii Island residents and visitors alike and teaches weekly group classes along the Kohala coast at Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Mauna Lani Fitness Center, and Maya Parish Yoga Studio in Hawi, North Kohala.You can learn more about Maya at her website: http://www.mayaparish.com.
Alexandra Kazimir, yoga teacher
Alexandra's passion lays in bringing a lightness of heart and playfulness to teaching - whether that’s through mindful movement and yoga, meditation, or her work with the gifts of the Earth - doTERRA essential oils. She deeply believe these tools are here to serve and empower us - to encourage us to go within, to listen deeply, and to trust the guidance of our own hearts. Learn more about Alexandra at AlexandraKazimir.com.
Alexandra's passion lays in bringing a lightness of heart and playfulness to teaching - whether that’s through mindful movement and yoga, meditation, or her work with the gifts of the Earth - doTERRA essential oils. She deeply believe these tools are here to serve and empower us - to encourage us to go within, to listen deeply, and to trust the guidance of our own hearts. Learn more about Alexandra at AlexandraKazimir.com.
Chelsea Morriss, yoga teacher
Chelsea is a certified Yoga Ed. teacher and brings much wisdom and experience with children, having received her MA in Elementary Education. She is also a health and wellness coach and the owner of Waimea Yoga.
Chelsea is a certified Yoga Ed. teacher and brings much wisdom and experience with children, having received her MA in Elementary Education. She is also a health and wellness coach and the owner of Waimea Yoga.
Our Community
North Kohala, located at the end of the road on the northernmost tip of the Big Island of Hawaii, is large in land area (133 square miles) and small in population (6,038 residents in 1751 households in 2000, currently 6,425 and 2,301 respectively).
We are isolated (the nearest town is 21 miles away with minimal public transportation access), rural and agricultural (98% of our land is zoned for agricultural use), and, like most Hawaiian communities, we are a blend of seven diverse ethnic cultures: Hawaiian, Japanese, Filipino, Puerto Rican, Chinese, Portuguese, and Caucasians. We are the old sugar cane communities, where people are friendly and nature is bountiful. We are hard-working people with children who need extra care and attention. Many of our students live in multi-generational households where the adults face long commute times as they struggle to hold down multiple jobs in order to make a living. Thus many children are necessarily being raised by grandparents or other family members. What sets North Kohala apart from other similar, island communities is that our residents are actively involved in making Kohala a great place to live. Over 92 volunteer groups, who are fiscally-sponsored by the locally-based North Kohala Community Resource Center work every day to provide services and programs to all ages and all facets of our community. Keiki Yoga Kohala is proud to be one of their sponsored programs. |
Our Curriculum
Keiki Yoga Kohala is based on Yoga Ed.: an educational program that combines a science-based exploration of the body, mind and self with the exercise system of yoga to support and enhance social emotional learning, wellness and personal responsibility.
Yoga Ed. serves to help children be learning ready, physically fit, aware of self and others and confident. The practice of yoga (defined here as a methodology for integrating movement and breath to strengthen, align and balance the body, focus the mind and soothe and recharge the nervous system) is informed by a study of the body’s systems, the mind-body interface and the impact and consequences of one’s behavior choices with a focus on the five benchmarks of social emotional learning: self-awareness; self management; relationship skills; social awareness; positive decision making. Students will learn how to move gracefully, breathe smoothly and deeply and sustain their focus and concentration, developing strength, flexibility, balance, mental clarity and emotional stability. Yoga Ed. presents this program as an effective and measurable methodology to achieve lifetime physical and mental health. To learn more about Yoga Ed. please check out their website. |