Angel Papadakis

FOUNDER

Angel is a 200 hour E-RYT & Registered Children's Yoga Teacher (RCYT) with Yoga Alliance and has been teaching movement in a studio environment for over two decades. She holds her BA from the University of Southern California and her JD from Pepperdine University School of Law. After practicing law for a little over 6 years in Long Beach, San Francisco and Los Angeles as a civil litigator, Angel returned to her work in studio as a choreographer and instructor. She directed student productions and taught as an adjunct professor at the USC School of Dramatic Arts and the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance, authoring core curriculum for the latter. She has trained yoga students at Corepower yoga where she received her yoga certification. Angel is passionate about sharing the gift of yoga with her community and founded Kefi Yoga to provide a place to do just that.

Imari Meyer

PRINCIPAL INSTRUCTOR

Starting her yoga journey in August of 2014, Imari originally came to yoga as a form of exercise and flexibility training. After taking her first class at a local yoga studio, she immediately fell in love with the meditative quality yoga harnesses, as well as the mind-body connection it gives the practitioner.

Imari completed her 200 hour Power Yoga training in April of 2015 and is an experienced registered yoga teacher (E-RYT) with Yoga Alliance. She is well-versed in multiple styles of yoga and body mechanics to best serve her students. Imari has led many teacher trainings to facilitate practitioners’ growth and is enrolled in programs for continued education to offer up-to-date yoga asana technique, cueing, hands-on assists, and injury management/prevention. 

Visit her on instagram @imarimeyer to stay connected and be a part of her mission to ignite others' souls as a gateway to freedom!

Joseph Reyes

Principal instructor

Joseph is a radiant light sharing his gift of yoga wisdom and genuine passion for the practice creating a consistently transformative experience on the mat. His talents have been fine tuned by a strong drive within to heal himself wholly and in turn help others heal. 

Joseph found yoga in 2014 after dealing with knee issues and discomfort due to wear and tear from playing basketball for decades. He experienced immediate physical healing as well as a strengthening of his mental state inside asanas and mindful breath. 

He was so touched by the power of yoga that he began a sacred teacher’s training journey curious to learn more for his personal gain as well as how to lead others toward healing. This inward journey also led Joseph to Soka Gakkai International where he practiced Buddhism and a return to Buddha nature.  

Joseph now holds a 500 RYT certification and blissfully spends his days guiding our Kefi community on their mat and spreading yoga knowledge to young basketball players. For more connection with Joseph you may follow him on Instagram @joseph_brian_reyes. 

Mayu Halgren

PRINCIPAL INSTRUCTOR

Mayu grew up in Japan and visited the U.S. in 2002. Her yoga journey started in 2005 while she was a college student. She became a yoga teacher in 2007, and since then has taken a variety of additional trainings including Hatha, Vinyasa, Pilates and Kids yoga.

Mayu has a perpetual passion for yoga and continues studying, embracing the roll of the eternal student. Her goal when teaching yoga is to make everyone happy and healthy. Through her classes she provides a bit of fun as well as inspiring students not to judge their own inflexibility or compare themselves with others.

Mayu is certified in Bikram, Hatha, Power Yoga, Vinyasa, Hot Pilates, and Kids Yoga.

07’ Bikram Yoga teacher training

11’ Novo Core training

12’ Corepower 200hr training and also Corepower extensions program

16’ Tamal Dodge 200hr Training (vinyasa)

18’ Zooga level 1/2 Kids yoga Training

18’ Equinox Pilates Mat training

19’ Tamal Dodge 300hr Advanced Training

19’ Acro Yoga foundation Course

She has taught yoga classes throughout the South Bay and Long Beach area since 2007, including Novo Yoga in Redondo and Virgin Galactic for their employees.

Connect with Mayu on Instagram @yogahorse93.

Andrea Morales

principal INSTRUCTOR

Andrea embarked on her teaching journey in early 2016. She dedicated many hours towards her yoga studies and fell in love with the uplifting energy of being a part of the yoga community.

She completed multiple certifications in Power Vinyasa, Hot Yoga, and Yoga Sculpt and was inspired by the way this shaped her life. Over the years she has learned to balance and integrate her practice off her mat and is grateful for the way in which yoga has provided guiding principles in her life.

Andrea’s flow sequences are rooted in vinyasa, linking movement with breath. Her teaching incorporates concepts from chakra theory, nervous system regulation and working with the innate ability of the body. She loves to infuse her classes with positive energy and beautiful music. Her intention as a yoga teacher is to create a safe space of practice that honors the unique yoga journey of her students and to share inspiration and love for this practice.

Roxy Sudario

Principal INSTRUCTOR

Roxy has been practicing yoga since she was 18 years old. She connected so deeply with this healing art form that she aspired to lead others. In 2018 Roxy received her 200hr Teacher Training certification and began teaching right away; children, heated power yoga, yin, and (her absolute favorite) sculpt! Roxy is known around the studio for her contagious optimism and expanding our KEFI culture! You may soak up more @roxysud.

Anthony Brown

INSTRUCTOR

Anthony has been on his recent journey with Yoga for 5 years. While he originally practiced Kundalini Yoga in early 2002, he became dedicated to vinyasa and Yin flow as a way to relieve stress and stay positive while navigating through a personal challenge in 2015. “Yoga has really played a significant part of my life. The ability to focus on my practice first thing every morning has allowed my to take charge of my day, clear my mind and become a whole person.”

Anthony was certified through Corepower teaching program and he practices with teachers from various studios to continue his study. Also he has deepened his practice by participating in yoga retreats to Italy and Greece and he continues to discover ways to interweave yoga with his other interests (travel, music and golf). From time to time, Anthony may be offering special live music in Savasana to share his inspiration and appreciation of guitar.

Anthony has served for 11 years as CFO of the renowned Aquarium of the
Pacific. He has facilitated the organization in offering special classes to
the public regarding certain exhibits, he navigated the financial
challenges of the pandemic, and continues to serve the community through his excellent leadership.

Carla Orpilla

principal iNSTRUCTOR

Carla was born and raised in the South Bay and loves to share her passion for movement with others. As a former weightlifter and swimmer, she fell in love with hot yoga in 2017 because of its intensity and the awareness she felt for her body and its movements. Excited to dive deeper into her practice, Carla completed her 200 hour YTT along with Yoga Sculpt training in 2018, and quickly began teaching Vinyasa and Sculpt at CorePower Yoga.

Carla’s favorite class to teach is Yoga Sculpt, and she hopes to energize her Sculpt classes through mindful movement, conscious breathing, and upbeat music. Her goal is to inspire and motivate her students, with options and modifications for all levels, so that everyone can feel successful and strong.

Carla’s Vinyasa classes combine the fluidity of breath-to-movement with strengthening and stretching postures. Her goal is to cultivate a safe space for practitioners to slow down, draw attention inwards, and learn something new each class.