Claire Gladstein

Claire was born in Dallas, Texas, but left the US as a baby with her Hippie parents to travel Europe with other like-minded people, helping establish and living in communes throughout Europe, such as Christania in Denmark. Her father, a musician, supported the family by playing guitar and singing in Venues throughout Western Europe, often including Claire and her 7 brothers and sisters in the performances. In her travels Claire was exposed to and participated in various forms of yoga practices. These practices focused mostly on music and meditation as way to calm and focus the mind, spiritual and physical healing, and as an alternative to drugs.

At the age of 14 Claire moved to Japan to study and work as a model. There she began to be more influenced by Eastern Philosophy and studied Ikebana, a form of Flower Arranging that included the study of Japanese philosophers, breathing techniques, yoga asanas and meditation. During her years in Japan she also volunteered as a youth counselor, often including teaching yoga and meditation classes at youth centers and retreats throughout Asia and Australia. In 2001 she moved back to the US and began to study Yoga with various teachers around Arizona and California, inlcuding Christy Burnette, Astara Robinson, Michele Dante, Eric Walrabenstein and Sumit Banerjee.

As a dedicated Yogi, Claire's strength is her grasp of the fundamentals, compassion for pain, and understanding of human challenges. She is most influenced by Anusara Yoga, where the guiding principals of alignment, community, and moving from and into the heart provide a foundation for every class. Her classes are a safe space for students to move deeper into their bodies, desires, and even minds using a mixture of creative sequencing, verbal and physical adjustments, and life affirming themes.