About Me
Hey, hi, hello! I'm Emily. I'm a Hawaii-based yoga instructor and practitioner, located on the North Shore of Oahu. My life has been transformed and elevated in every way through the practice and teachings of yoga. Extra special thank you to my main teachers: Janet Stone, Stephanie Snyder, Diana Oppenheim, Suzy Nece, Anna Hughes, Schuyler Grant, and my mom Pamela Meersand.
I grew up in Manhattan Beach, California, and began regularly practicing yoga at a young age with my mom who was an avid yogi. Many of my friends and students know that my mom suddenly passed away from heart disease when I was 18. Practicing yoga and meditation was a way for me to connect to my mom both spiritually and mentally, and while doing so I felt the positive healing effects it had on my body, mind, and soul.
I moved to San Francisco in 2011 for my job in the tech industry, and that's where I fell in love with Vinyasa yoga and the San Francisco yoga community. Shortly after moving to SF, I decided to take my practice a bit deeper and became a certified yoga instructor, and am now E-RYT 200 through the Yoga Alliance. Back in San Francisco, I taught public classes at The Assembly, yogabeachSF, Yoga Flow, Lovestory Yoga, and Equinox Market Street in San Francisco. I also founded the Health & Wellness initiative at Yelp, where I taught yoga and educated employees on living a healthy lifestyle. I have completed the following trainings:
Yoga Alliance Power Yoga Teacher Training: 200 Hours
Janet Stone Sadhana Immersion: 50 Hours
Janet Stone Assisting & Adjusting: 25 Hours
Yin Energetics Training: 40 Hours
Yoga Garden Restorative Training: 25 Hours
Stephanie Snyder Advanced Assists & Sequencing: 20 Hours
Stephanie Snyder Bhakti Immersion: Ganesha Module: 20 Hours
Sculpt Teacher Training: 50 Hours
Intermediate Power Vinyasa Teacher Training
BASI Pilates Certification
Aromatherapy & Essential Oil Studies
My yoga practice and teaching style is derived from yoga classes all over the world. I have have studied yoga in Bali, and have led surf and yoga retreats from Mexico to Sri Lanka. I am passionate about sharing my love of a well-rounded and balanced yoga practice through my teachings of both powerful, sweaty vinyasa classes and grounding, soothing restorative classes. My vinyasa classes incorporate breath, music, and flow to help you reach your peak posture. I teach group classes, private classes, corporate yoga classes, workshops, and absolutely love hosting retreats.
Along with retreats, I have also offer in person classes every Wednesday and Sunday at the Den in Haleiwa, online virtual classes, as well as free Youtube on-demand classes. I hope to see you in a studio sometime in the near future!
Off my mat, you will likely find me surfing, cooking plant-based meals, spending time with my family, or doing something active. I am also passionate about investing in real estate. My life has been inspired in every way by yoga and I hope to share that with each of my students. Come join me on my yoga journey - I hope to see you in class!
