Teachers - Chula Vista Yoga Center

Our Instructors

Maria Eckley

Maria began practicing yoga in early 2000s at Chula Vista Yoga Center, where she quickly developed a deep appreciation for the transformative power of the practice and the supportive community it fostered. In 2009, she completed her first yoga teacher training at the CVYC studio.

Several years later, while sharing her dream of opening a yoga studio with her teacher, she received unexpected news: he was preparing to move abroad and was looking for someone to continue the legacy of Chula Vista Yoga Center. Maria embraced the opportunity and became the studio’s owner, a role she has held with dedication ever since.

Since taking ownership, Maria has remained committed to preserving the traditions and teachings that inspired the studio’s foundation while creating a welcoming space for students of all backgrounds. She continues to deepen her studies in yoga, meditation, pranayama, and Ayurveda, the sister science of yoga.

Today, Maria teaches from a place of experience, compassion, and lifelong learning, helping students cultivate strength, balance, self-awareness, and a deeper connection to themselves both on and off the mat.

Susie Prestidge

Susie is an experienced yoga teacher based in San Diego whose classes range from deeply restorative practices to strong and dynamic vinyasa flows. Her teaching blends intelligent alignment, breathwork, yoga philosophy, and practical tools that help students bring the benefits of yoga beyond the mat and into daily life.

With a focus on mindful movement and conscious living, Susie encourages students to cultivate greater awareness, resilience, and balance in an increasingly fast-paced world. Her classes offer opportunities for both physical growth and personal reflection, creating a practice that supports the whole person—body, mind, and spirit.

Off the mat, Susie has worked as a labor and delivery nurse for more than twenty years, bringing a compassionate and nurturing presence to her teaching. Her experience supporting others through life’s transformative moments has deeply influenced her approach to yoga and wellness.

As Susie often shares:

“Our yoga practice is so much more than the asanas. It is a collection of tools that supports and helps us navigate life and consistently allows us to thrive as human beings.”

Through her classes, Susie hopes to help students discover those tools and develop practices that support them both on and off the mat.

Saira Estrada

Saira began her yoga journey at Chula Vista Yoga Center in 2011, where she later completed her RYT-200 teacher training. What started as a personal exploration soon became a lifelong path of self-discovery, healing, and growth.

Seeking a fresh perspective and a deeper connection with herself, Saira committed to a 30-day consecutive yoga challenge. Through that experience, she noticed a profound shift in her mind, body, and spirit—an awakening that she describes as truly life-changing. The practice cultivated a greater sense of balance, self-love, and fulfillment, inspiring her to continue exploring the teachings of yoga both on and off the mat.

Inspired by her teachers and her own experiences, Saira encourages students to develop a personal practice that feels authentic, sustainable, and joyful. Her classes emphasize self-awareness, mindfulness, and the understanding that yoga is a lifelong journey rather than a destination.

Saira continues to deepen her studies in Rocket yoga while integrating the principles of yoga into everyday life, embracing the belief that no matter how much we learn, the teacher is always a student.

Stephanie Martin

Stephanie Martin is a devoted yoga teacher from San Diego, California. She began her practice at Chula Vista Yoga Center in 2011, where she was deeply inspired by the teachers and the supportive community. Motivated by the positive impact yoga had on her life, she later pursued her 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training to share these practices with others.

With a background in Psychology, Stephanie developed a strong interest in the brain’s resilience and neuroplasticity. Through her own experience, she witnessed how yoga and meditation can help reduce stress and anxiety while supporting healthier patterns of thinking and behavior.

Stephanie is certified in Trauma-Informed Yoga and Yin Yoga. Her classes focus on mindful movement, conscious breathing, and cultivating awareness of the body’s sensations. She enjoys creating a supportive space where students can reconnect with themselves through an integrative practice that combines dynamic movement, breathwork, and a long, nourishing Savasana.

Athena Castruita

Athena was born and raised in San Diego, CA, where she began her yoga journey in 2014. What started as a physical practice quickly became a path of healing, self-acceptance, and present-moment awareness. Through consistent practice, she experienced the deeper mental, emotional, and spiritual benefits of yoga and fell in love with the transformation it offers.

She completed her 200-hour Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training in 2019 and has since taught at multiple locations. Athena is also certified in Restorative Yoga, Yoga Wall, Dharma Yoga Wheel, Yin Yoga Wheel, and Rocket Yoga, and continues to deepen her studies as both a student and teacher.

Athena is passionate about helping others feel good in their bodies, encouraging self-care, and guiding students toward their own sense of purpose and Dharma. She currently teaches in Chula Vista and online.

Outside of yoga, she enjoys hiking, swimming, biking, camping, and traveling.

“Yoga is more than a workout—it’s a connection to my true self, through breath, awareness, and self-love.”

Moises Buhain

Moises Buhain is a proud member of the South Bay community and has been part of the Chula Vista Yoga Center family since its early years. A dedicated practitioner and teacher, he has shared yoga with students at studios throughout the West Coast, bringing a spirit of curiosity, connection, and continuous growth to every class he teaches.

Moises believes that yoga is a lifelong journey of compassionate and incremental growth. His classes combine breath awareness, mindful movement, and accessible instruction, creating an environment where students can challenge themselves while still finding joy in the practice. Known for his warm and engaging teaching style, he encourages students to explore yoga with both intention and a sense of playfulness.

Whether guiding a dynamic flow or introducing foundational concepts, Moises emphasizes the importance of connecting movement with breath and cultivating awareness both on and off the mat.

When he’s not teaching or practicing yoga, Moises enjoys spending time outdoors with his wife, their three children, and their beloved French Bulldog, Luna. His love for family, community, and nature shines through in the welcoming and supportive energy he brings to every class.

Henry Valecillos

Henry Valecillos began his journey in yoga and bodywork in Caracas, Venezuela in 2001, studying therapeutic massage, shiatsu, and reflexology. His passion for healing led him to continue his training internationally.

He later moved to Honolulu, Hawaii, where he became a Licensed Massage Therapist in 2005 after graduating from the Hawaii Massage Academy. During this time he studied several bodywork modalities including Lomi Lomi, deep tissue therapy, medical massage, and Thai massage. In 2006, he completed his first Yoga Teacher Training at Open Space Yoga in Hawaii.

Henry continued his studies in India, completing the Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training in Madurai, and later trained in Ayurvedic Yoga Massage in Goa. He also studied Thai Yoga Massage in Thailand and has been teaching yoga and bodywork internationally since 2011.

Henry teaches Vinyasa Yoga, Slow Flow, Thai Yoga Massage, and specialized workshops focused on flexibility, inversions, and yoga philosophy.

Yerson Borrero

Yerson brings more than 12 years of experience to his teaching, offering a practice rooted in tradition, community, and personal transformation. His yoga journey began in Venezuela, where he completed his initial teacher training, and continued through years of study, teaching, and leadership throughout Latin America.

A significant part of Yerson’s path included co-owning and operating a yoga studio in Tijuana, Mexico, for six years. Through this experience, he developed a deep appreciation for creating supportive communities and sharing the teachings of yoga in an accessible and meaningful way.

Yerson has led Yoga Teacher Trainings, workshops, retreats, and AcroYoga classes, and specializes in Vinyasa, Restorative, and Yin Yoga. His classes blend mindful movement, breath awareness, and yogic philosophy, inviting students to explore both the physical and deeper spiritual dimensions of the practice.

Known for his compassionate, patient, and adaptable teaching style, Yerson creates a welcoming environment where students of all levels can grow with confidence. His intention is to help students cultivate greater balance, inner peace, and connection while discovering the transformative power of yoga both on and off the mat.

Ashley Disharoon

Ashley has been sharing the practice of yoga with both adults and children since earning her teaching certification in 2010 at Chula Vista Yoga Center. A dedicated member of the studio community since beginning her own practice in 2008, Ashley credits yoga with helping her navigate life’s challenges and transforming difficult experiences into opportunities for growth, healing, and connection.

Many students know Ashley not only as a teacher but also as a devoted mother. Throughout the years, she often taught classes with her children close by, even carrying them on her back as babies. This reflects the heart of her teaching style—creating an inclusive, welcoming space where everyone feels supported, seen, and encouraged in their practice.

A Chula Vista native, Ashley has also spent time living and learning in Costa Rica, experiences that further deepened her appreciation for mindful living, community, and connection to nature. She has a passion for yoga, animals, cacao, and holistic wellness.

Ashley teaches from a place of gratitude, joy, and service. She is honored to share the teachings of yoga while continuing to honor her teachers, lineage, faith, and community through every class she offers.

Mira Portens

With more than three decades of teaching experience, Mira has witnessed the evolution of yoga firsthand while continuously expanding and deepening her own practice. She began her teaching journey in Bikram Yoga and, over the years, has explored and studied a wide range of yoga traditions and styles, bringing a rich depth of knowledge and experience to her classes.

Today, she shares the practice of Yin Yoga, offering students an opportunity to slow down, turn inward, and cultivate balance in both body and mind. Her classes encourage mindfulness, patience, and self-awareness while creating space for deep release and restoration.

Known for her compassionate presence and thoughtful guidance, Mira welcomes students of all levels and believes that yoga is a lifelong path of learning, growth, and transformation. Her decades of experience allow her to skillfully support students wherever they are in their practice, helping them discover greater ease, resilience, and connection both on and off the mat.