Meet our Boca Raton Yoga Teachers
Yoga South provides challenging, invigorating yoga classes lead by compassionate and kind instructors.
Yoga South Lead Instructors
James Kigar
Founder of Yoga South
Group Classes & Private Instruction
James began his yogic journey over twenty years ago while he was searching for an activity to deepen his martial arts training. Several years later, he took his first Ashtanga class taught by Dominic Corigliano, in San Diego. It wasn’t long until he found his place in this new discipline. He brings the movement skills of the martial arts, with his healing experience and anatomical knowledge as a neuromuscular therapist to present yoga to others.
Whether adjusting a student in a pose or giving a healing massage, one can feel the intent and presence in his touch. He is committed to developing himself to serve as a bridge for others to reconnect to their natural strength, stability and joy. James’ energy and presence are extraordinary and immensely strong, yet deeply compassionate.
Judy Weaver
C-IAYT, ERYT 500, YACEP
Group Classes & Private Instruction
Director of Yoga South’s Teacher Training Program in Boca Raton, Florida and is the founder and Director of Education for Connected Warriors, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit charity. Judy believes that the practice of yoga teaches you to be present in chaos and peace.
Judy is a certified yoga therapist and yoga teacher – she is known as a “teacher’s teacher”. Her innovative methods using her many years of multi-discipline modalities empower her students and clients to health and wellness.
The leading Boca Raton Yoga Community for over 20 years
Find out why Yoga South is the premier independently-owned yoga studio and community in Palm Beach County.
Experienced Yoga Professionals
Gerry Shaouy Gibson
Group Classes & Private Instruction
Gerry has been practicing Yoga for almost 20 years. She took her Ashtanga teacher training with David Swenson in 1996 and has studied with many other inspiring teachers as well. Gerry’s classes are filled with warmth and encouragement. She continues studying under the guidance of her first teacher, James Kigar.
Marjorie Hacker
Group Classes & Private Instruction
Breath, dristi and conscious movement with awareness are her mantras. Marjorie’s yoga journey started back in 1999 when she was first introduced to Hatha yoga. As her passion for yoga developed, the attraction to the physical challenge of Vinyasa, and then Ashtanga, yoga grew. She loved its ability to strengthen, balance and focus both her body and her mind.
As a Breast Cancer Survivor, Marjorie found yoga was a way to open her heart, release pressure, and deal with all the stresses and uncertainty of experiencing cancer. After trauma, any kind of trauma, your body is different, and understanding this helped Marjorie discover her love of Iyengar yoga. She loves the postural alignment and especially loves the use of a good block or strap to deepen your practice. Marjorie’s classes blend Vinyasa, Iyengar and Ashtanga yoga styles, synchronizing breath and movement. Marjorie is a Yoga Alliance Certified Vinyasa teacher who graduated from Yoga South and trained under James Kigar and Judy Weaver. Marjorie continues her yoga education under the guidance of Judy Weaver and Colleen Galhager.
Elizabeth Daigle Scheer
Group Classes & Private Instruction
Elizabeth’s love of yoga began in 2009 when she realized it was possible to have an amazing workout without stressing her body, as she had done for many years via weightlifting and competitive running. The next year, in 2010, she completed her RYT-200 yoga certification. Elizabeth (or “E”) has been a licensed massage therapist since 1997, traveled to Thailand for Thai Massage training in 2000, and has been a reiki practitioner since 2008. E’s intention is to bring her bodywork experience and related knowledge to her students in the form of precise cueing and hands-on assists to fine tune each pose.
Elizabeth’s classes are both playful and challenging, help to build strength while releasing resistance and encourage each student to always honor his/her unique body. Expect fun music, alignment cues that come straight from her personal practice and yummy hands on assists. E believes this practice of yoga helps to connect us to our internal guidance system; when we feel connected internally, we live more authentic lives, which allows us to experience true happiness.
Ryan Perna
Group Classes & Private Instruction
Former pro golfer and instructor turned yogi, received his 200hr certification through Yoga South. After a major knee injury, Ryan took his first yoga class at Yoga South six years ago and immediately became inspired by the physical practice and mental focused he experienced. Ryan now devotes his energy into yoga. Ryan inspires others through challenging yet playful classes and workshops. He brings his experience as a patient instructor and love for practicing yoga into his classes. He enables yogis of all levels to access power and peace of body, mind and spirit both on and off the mat.
Adam Feingold
Group Classes & Private Instruction
Adam is a certified yoga instructor that has developed a teaching style through his background in Ashtanga, Sivananda and Vinyasa flow yoga. He has studied martial-arts, wrestling, and weight training for many years. The combination of various skills and techniques that Adam has learned have allowed him to embrace the mental, physical, and spiritual attributes from such diverse activities. His classes focus on pranayama, postures, strength conditioning, and inspiration for all levels of practice.
Amanda White
Group Classes & Private Instruction
Amanda teaches a physical and challenging practice that connects the body to the breath, mind, and spirit. She encourages her students to get quiet enough so they may go inward to examine their own thoughts. She believes each of our individual worlds is created by every one of our thoughts. If we can change and improve our thoughts to more loving, forgiving, and nurturing thoughts than our body and mind will reap the benefits. Amanda incorporates her spiritual experience into each session by challenging her student’s habits on the mat, which then reflect to the lives they live off the mat.
Marisa Silverman
Group Classes & Private Instruction
Yoga is a lifestyle. For the past 14 years I have been in the fitness industry by being a Personal Trainer and Fitness Instructor. Always love to help my clients motivate and feel great sometimes was challenging especially if they had injuries and I felt stuck.
Lauren Shawcross
Group Classes & Private Instruction
Coming from a background of ballet and taekwondo, Lauren started practicing yoga in 2011 and immediately fell in love with it. She started teaching yoga in 2012 and currently practices vinyasa and Ashtanga yoga, thanks to her teachers James Kigar, Judy Weaver, and Ana Guerra. She works at the non-profit Peaceful Mind Peaceful Life that promotes mindfulness and meditation.
Karrie Musa
Group Classes & Private Instruction
I am an E-RYT 200 Yoga Alliance certified instructor. I started yoga as a means to become more flexible coming from a track and field background over 13 years ago. After receiving my yoga certification from Yoga South over 3 years ago I started teaching Vinyasa and Yin yoga. I believe that yoga is for everyone! I try to make everyone feel welcome and try to adapt my classes to meet the needs of every student.