I have worked in health care most of my life first as a registered nurse and recently a retired registered pharmacist.  In the 1990’s I became interested in relationships with horses, alternative healing modalities, spiritual practices and yoga.  

I became a certified yoga instructor in 2012.  I had an opportunity to teach and also became a co-owner at Yoga West Community in Grand Junction which closed its doors 2019.  I now teach at Orange Door Community Wellness.  My classes focus on each student of where they are at!  In yoga you will become more aware of your breath and the inner workings of your body.  Circulating this vital energy promotes a happier and healthier you.

I recently completed an intensive two year program, Equine Gestalt Coaching Method, in 2020.  This a healing journey that partners with horses to bring about awareness of one’s perspectives and limiting beliefs.  It helps one explore what actions one can make today to make a better tomorrow.

I share a five acre property with my three horses. We provide workshops and equine gestalt coaching by appointments.  Trail riding is my therapy to reconnect with nature, spirit and myself.

The Gestalt Therapy Program and yoga provides spiritual and personal growth thus creating more of a life that supports my values and that is my wish for all.  My goal is having work that truly serves and helps individuals along their journey.

I found my way into yoga in 2014 after being diagnosed with a spinal condition that could eventually put me in a wheelchair.  As an active equestrian and outdoor enthusiast, I began searching for natural ways to help myself.  I found yoga.  Yoga has helped heal not only my body, but also been a balm for my mental wellness.  Yoga becomes not just an exercise but a way of being and living fully.

In 2018, I took my yoga teacher training and have been in love with teaching yoga ever since.  As a professional involved in teaching and in developing a variety of therapeutic programs over the years, my passion has always been to help build wellness in the members of my community.  I love building bridges of connection with and between people.  Yoga is a beautiful practice for both self-empowerment and building connection.

Having been involved for years with people with physical, mental or social challenges, and I love that yoga can be adapted to suit wherever a person is in their journey to wellness.  I love teaching a variety of yoga and focus on adaptive, restorative and gentle class that are inclusive and supportive for every body.  I also love to teach in a way that helps people slow down, relax, release their stresses and come back into their best selves.  I believe that everyone can be their own best healer and I love helping guide them in that process!

My journey with yoga began in the late 1990s when I took a yoga class as my physical education credit in college. After that my practice lapsed and I didn't pick it up again until the early 2000s when I found myself in over my head with life and not enough self-care. I found a local studio that was hosting a challenge with free classes for a month and this re-connected me to my practice again. I grew with my practice, found balance in life again, tamed my anxiety and embarked on a new journey to share, teach and more fully live. 

Kristi moved to the Grand Valley in 2012 for a new job and new life. Graduating from CMU in 2015, she started her own social media marketing business as well as continuing to do office management and bookkeeping for different companies.

Then she was introduced to yoga and hot yoga. It was an immediate love affair for Kristi. From there, Kristi joined the Academy of Yoga for her first Hatha Yoga 200-hour training and certificate.

Immediately following, she started another 200-hour training in the Baptiste methodology. She has taught at Fruita Yoga, Thrive Fruita, Fruita Rec Center, the Climbing Gym, and Orange Door Yoga.

Because of life’s occurrences, she has melted the methodologies into her own brand of strength and awareness yoga. Using faith, asking self-awareness questions, and physically doing yoga and breathing to relieve grief, addiction and life are the tools she hopes to share in her classes.

Tarna has a Masters of Science degree in Ayurveda and Integrative Health from MIU. She also has her RYT500, having studied under Shannon Paige taking the trauma informed yoga teacher training at Earth Yoga Colorado. She is passionate about helping her clients achieve optimal health and wellbeing by enlivening their own immunity through ayurvedic practices, including but not limited to diet, lifestyle and herbal education.  

Forever grateful, yoga has changed my life. I fell in love with yoga in 2011 and the way it made me feel. I am a RYT200 and completed my training at Shambhava Shoshoni Yoga Retreat in 2019 where I completed the study in asanas, pranayama, meditation, teaching methods, yogic philosophy, anatomy and sanskrit. The mission of my classes are to share my love for yoga, meditation, and healing. Guiding students to slow down, promote self love, gratitude and to live life in the present moment. Namaste  

I am a registered nurse working in healthcare for the past 25+ years while dabbling in yoga and the healing arts even longer. I recently obtained my Avita Yoga Teacher Certification and my Nurse Coach Certification helping me to really join these two often dualistic scopes of practice.  The goal for me in all my work is to see the person in front of me, as well as myself, as Whole and not defined by perceived limitations, disease or lack.  I believe that we are our own best experts and are guided by a deep inner knowing, however, oftentimes this knowledge gets buried in the shadows and veils of life. My practice is to use Avita Yoga and its beautiful shapes and moving meditation to gently reveal and then undo the blockages to that inner wisdom resulting in perfect peace and healing. I love that Avita yoga truly joins us to our own healing and best of all it is a practice for every body for a lifetime. 

Nora is a Grand Valley native who is very involved in her community as well as the yoga, arts and recovery communities. She is a mother, a grandmother, a youth mentor and very active in outdoor activities. She has been teaching kids yoga for close to 7 years and has been teaching adult yoga since she received her 200 RYT four years ago. Nora is currently working towards attaining her 500 RYT as well as 20 hours of continuing education credits in yoga for addiction recovery work. When she is not teaching or practicing yoga, she enjoys being in nature, spending time with her family and fur babies, and helping out at the local art center. She also is employed as a medical technician at Hilltop. She is currently teaching yoga for recovery at Orange Door Community Wellness.  

As a life-long science educator, I have had the honor of helping many wonderful students discover the awesome intricacies of the universe. Since retiring from teaching, yoga has been a life-enhancing practice for me, bringing a sense of peace in my mind and healing for my body. In 2018, I was fortunate to find an amazing group of women with whom I became a Yoga Alliance certified yoga instructor.

These awesome ladies created The Orange Door Community Yoga studio, and I am now delighted to share the healing power of yoga with others here. My mission as a yoga instructor is to help each participant to explore the many advantages of incorporating a regular yoga practice in their lives, to find the peace of mind and well-being that yoga brings.

I began at an early age wanting to support people in their fitness, health, and spiritual goals. I began my career in health and fitness, which led into body work as a massage therapist and Reiki master. I was introduced to hospice work and decided to attend Colorado State University in my late 40’s where I earned a bachelor’s degree in social work. I returned to the Valley, and I have been working as a grief counselor ever since. I found that yoga and mindfulness practices allowed me to stay grounded and present for my work. I discovered Avita Yoga in 2021, which combined my love for teaching, yoga, and mindfulness. Avita Yoga has uncovered hidden trauma that I was carrying and has given me an opportunity to heal on levels I couldn’t have imagined. I am thrilled to bring Avita Yoga to the Grand Valley and be a part of creating community for healing.

I began my yoga journey in 2003 when I went to a class at my university gym, longing for something to help my mental health and what I now know as disconnection from my body. Ten years later, I started a more regular yoga asana practice to assist in my sobriety journey. I have studied yoga philosophy for the last decade, honoring and respecting the Hindu culture. I greatly support every human getting to know their own nervous system. Yoga, for me, is not about exercise. It is about embodiment and spiritually coming home to ourselves. In 2017, I took the next step and began my 200-hour yoga teacher training at Urban Breath in St. Louis, MO. I teach yoga asana from a trauma-informed, therapeutic lens. My classes are nourishing, gentle, and restorative.  My training includes yin, vinyasa, vagal toning, Jyotish, somatic experiencing, and yoga for 12-step recovery (Y12SR). In addition to yoga, I enjoy nature, hiking, art journaling, poetry, pets, cooking, and depth psychology. I recently moved to Grand Junction, CO, with my husband and child, and I am eager to be part of Orange Door Community Wellness! 

Maksim is a multifaceted healer, encompassing roles as a Yoga Therapist, sound healer, meditation teacher, and ayurvedic counselor. With certifications in Trauma Resilience & Recovery and spiritual counseling, Maksim offers a holistic approach to wellness. His mission is to support, inspire, and guide individuals on their path to their utmost potential.

Drawing from three years of immersive monastic living at a Californian ashram, Maksim's understanding of the art and science of yoga is deeply rooted in Yogananda’s teachings. His experience is vast, ranging from teaching yoga at retreat centers, addiction recovery camps, hospitals, and studios to guiding meditation sessions in retreat, medical, and university settings.

A champion for community wellness, since 2020 Maksim has dedicated his skills to aiding veterans' healing journeys at the VA Medical Center. Through mind-body techniques, he aspires for a future filled with higher consciousness in all beings and the flourishing of healthy communities.

Maksim enjoys nature very much, often spending days in the wilderness hiking, swimming, and camping.

Maya Kraushaar has a passion for creating opportunities within the Grand Valley to help unite and uplift. Maya offers accessible/chair yoga for those who are new to yoga or with mobility issues as a way to nurture the mind, body, spirit connection. She has completed her 200-hour registered yoga teacher training and has been practicing yoga her entire adult life. She believes that this healing practice will have a positive impact for those who participate.