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Venture Well Yoga
Meet our Yoga Teachers

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Jessy Raspiller

Founder

I'm the lady behind this Wild community + more or less the one that keeps the wheels on the bus while all these wonderful humans make it go round. They're the ones who's hearts ripple out my visions for creating yoga and a community for everyBody.

I'd love for you to get to know our incredible team of teachers through my eyes and why I feel like each of them plays a vital role in what makes Yoga in the Wild extra special.

You can meet me more on our About Page

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Heather Perry

Founding Teacher

Scheduling & Events Manager

Heather has been with us since the beginning. She was there as I taught some of the first outdoor classes to my close friends which is where I began to find my voice as a teacher.  Heather dove in head first with me as my vision for an outdoor Yoga Studio began to take shape.  Heather has been teaching Sunday Soul, nearly every week for the over 7 years.  She is a pillar of this community and she has sparked 100s if not 1000s of students to grow in their practice and become teachers themselves.

 

Heather  manages our day-to-day activities including scheduling, managing staff and community connection.  Chat with Heather on the app if you need help with anything at all!

Fun Fact: Heather and I met as neighbors and she's the one that shared with me the training that I did my first yoga certification in... which essentially gave me the inspiration to play yoga outdoors.

Learn more about Heather and what she is currently studying and sharing in the community on our blog.

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Melissa Kelly

Teacher

I met Melissa nearly 7 years ago when she attended her first VPUY class.  Back in the day when our Winter Home looked like a former restaurant location, that Ventura Harbor so kindly loaned out to us affordably for our evening classes.

 

Melissa quickly dove into our Community.  You can even find some of her old Blog posts that she contributed to our page.  She has a knack for knowing a lot about a lot of things, but I find her knowledge on Holistic living and her most fantastic. We spent 10 days in Japan together recently and I witness her devour book after book and suddenly I understood her source of knowledge from an incredible new level.

She joined the teacher training that we hosted in 2017 and has been teaching with us ever since.

 

Get to know the more intimate side of Melissa when we feature her in our blog.

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Emily Dixon

Teacher

Emily joined our yoga community as a new student to yoga.  She dove in head first and it's been an honor to witness her evolution over the years.

She has reminded me time and again the importance of this community remaining accessible for all.  Life can change quickly and it's important to still have access to the pieces that ground you.

As Emily's life has shifted its focus, it's been amazing to watch her thrive.  She officially graduated her 200 hours in the Fall of 2019, but we saw something in her before that and created a space for her to sub with us to continue to SPARK that fire she has within her. 

She officially has taken on now two full time class with and we cannot wait for you to get to see everything we see in her.

Get to know Emily more on our Blog

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Lauren Prendergast

Teacher

I met Lauren at the beginning of 2020. We both felt when we met, that we were supposed to know each other and grow in this life's work together.  Her passions mirror mine, supporting individuals to shift through the power of yoga, specifically when it comes to healing traumas.  She continues to deepen her knowledge of yoga both on and off the mat with an on going study that she weaves into her teaching.

She is the Yin to Cam's (below) Yang and together they make a dynamic duo. This beautiful couple offer a special blended class on Saturdays mornings.

Get to know the depths of her and her offerings

as we feature her on our blog.

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Laura Bepko

Teacher

Laura joined our team as we were opening up our indoor home in Downtown Ventura in the Fall of 2016. I'll never forget the first time I met her.  She came in to audition for us, and I had accidently smoked us out of the space with Palo Santo.  Laura was a champ and breathed through the situation and wowed us with all she had to offer.

Laura's background is in Physical Therapy combined with her endless motivation  for self study, adds an incredible edge to her teaching. I've never left her class, without feeling like I'd learned something extraordinary about our body, mind or spirit.  Her passions and expertise blend together in this incredible dance as she teaches.

Learn more about Laura on our blog

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Cam Prendergast

Teacher

I met Cam also in 2020 when he DJ'd for a live yoga class.  YES! my mind screamed. I've been searching for someone with a passion for yoga that knows how to create a high vibration that only music can evoke.  Cam and I are constantly on a quest together to bring musical vibrations into the fabric of our community.  His dynamic strong classes blend seamlessly with his Wife, Lauren's (above) gentle classes. These two have something special in store for you on Saturday mornings.

Get to know Cam a bit more  on our blog

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Susan Brennan

Teacher

We are so excited to introduce Susan to our weekly class schedule.  I met Susan while we were moonlighting classes indoors during the winter of 21'-22'.  

Susan has a lovely energetic spirit and has jumped into the community with so much passion, we can't help but soak it in.. I know you will love her style.

Learn more about Susan on our blog.

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Alison Perks

Teacher

Alison is such a welcoming force to the Venture Well Community. She brings with her years of teaching not only traditional yoga classes but is most well recognized around the Ventura community for the countless mamas shes' supported in her prenatal yoga classes.  We're thrilled to have her supportive teaching style infused in our weekly Restorative class.  

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Madeline Nathaus

Donation Teacher

Madeline joins our teaching team as a long time student within our community. S he completed her 200 hour teacher training in 2021 and will be offering Donation Based classes as she continues to grow and expand her teaching skillls and connection to her own auth

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Susie Longwell

Teacher

Susie brings decades of practice and 10+ years of teaching to the Venture Well Community.  She blends the roots of the ancient teachings of yoga and a very creative approach to her flow classes.  We are so thrilled to have Susie on our weekly schedule, and we know you will love her style.

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Liz Little

Sub

Liz has been a long time member of the Venture Well community since we were Ventura Pop Up Yoga.  I see Liz as a dynamic leader of alignment yoga within our community.  Whether you are beginning in your practice or what a refresher on correct alignment, you will learn much from Liz. We all adore her energetic attitude and all of the amazing projects she infuses into the greater Ventura Yoga community.  Liz offers an array of workshops and practices throughout Ventura. We feel so lucky to have her on our team.  

 

Find out more about Liz and all she has to offer here

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