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Nothing is more important than loving the people you work with.
To learn why we love them so much, click on their photo to read their biography.
Crew Love Is True Love
Tara
Owner. Stylist. Yoga/BellyDance
Instructor
Alix
Buti Yoga Instructor
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Ann
Bellydance Instructor
Anna
Lip Blushing
Annette
Dreadlock Alchemist
Barrett
Yoga Instructor
Elena
Yoga
Instructor/Mama/Jewelry Maker
Sonia
Yoga
Instructor/ Oracle Reader
Jazz
Kundalini Yoga Instructor/ Sound Bather
Lindsay
Fibroplasma
Shannon
Yoga Instructor/
Breathworker
Tara
Tara Murphy is the owner and mama bear of Estrella Collective, hailing from Long Island, New York, living and loving in Santa Cruz, CA since early 2014. She has a love of hip hop that started at the age of 11 when she purchased her first cassette tape, the Beastie Boys “License to Ill”. Her love of yoga began the very first day she stepped onto a mat and has been a revolutionary journey ever since. And her love of hair styling began when she decided her Barbies needed haircuts.
Tara has extensive leadership, sales, and entrepreneurial experience, with 22+ years of hands-on experience in the beauty and service industry , as well as owning and operating Want Good Hair? on Long Island, New York for nearly seven years, prior to relocating to Santa Cruz. Miss Murphy has been practicing Yoga for over 13 years, teaching for 8, in New York, Australia and most currently, Santa Cruz, California.
Her credentials with Yoga include an advanced 500 hour certification , Buti yoga and Buti DEEP certification , well as numerous and extensive workshops, trainings and classes. Tara is also an accomplished professional Bellydancer, her credentials are teacher, performer, choreographer, costume designer and creative director of The Kali, a Tribal Fusion dance troupe based out of NYC. Miss Murphy has graduated from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition in May 2018, and she has been actively seeing clients and building her Holistic Health Coaching business.
In addition to slingin' hair 3 days a week at Estrella Collective, Tara teaches yoga and bellydance classes, makes client’s smiles sparkle with Tooth Gems and helps clients help themselves with Holistic Health Coaching.
Her past yoga employment in Santa Cruz has included instructing all levels classes at Toadal Fitness, taught the probation officers at the Juvenile Detention Center, a heated Hatha Flow class at Village Yoga Santa Cruz and Wu-Tang Yoga once a month at Dogpatch Dance & Yoga in San Francisco. Tara has lead Wu Tang Yoga Workshops in NYC and SC, working diligently to bridge the gap between yoga and hip hop. her most recent endeavor is albeit the most important one; she has joined forces with Urban Yoga Foundation, a cause dedicated to teaching folks in urban areas healthy life skills , utilizing the teach mindfulness and yoga. 100% of the profits of each WTY class will go directly to them.
Tara believes the “off-the-mat” training is what's most beneficial and she knows nothing compares to living the yoga in daily life. Tara's Flow classes are uplifting, open, humorous and her grounded, realistic approach engages students on many levels, as they leave feeling supported, encouraged and aligned, and hopefully laughing.
When Tara decided to become an instructor, she realized her purpose almost immediately; to bring yoga to those who wouldn't necessarily go out and seek it. Yoga is a special, life-altering gift that needs to be shared, perhaps in more places than just yoga studios.
Elena
I believe that cultivating a joyful existence comes from a compassionate connection to the self. This compassion flows from inside out, connecting individuals to communities, and spreading joy through the world. Yoga offers this connection to self through it’s dynamic ability to challenge and nurture the body while holding a mirror to our life’s physical tendencies and emotional patterns. It is this dynamic relationship of sthira sukham that I offer to students. With a 500-hr YA certification and a background in Hatha and Vinyasa Flow, Forrest Yoga, and Gentle Yoga, my classes are strong and rhythmic, they balance intensity and lightness, and encourage the practitioner to turn their awareness inward to strengthen their bodymind connection. Through an advanced knowledge of functional anatomy and yoga alignment principles I offer creative yet safe asana sequencing with deliberate guidance and fluid communication. With over 7 years of teaching experience in public, corporate, and private environments, adapting my instruction to fit an individuals needs according to experience, injury, or intention is fundamental and echos my belief in cultivating self awareness and compassion on the yoga mat and in everyday life.
Sonia
Music was my introduction to the arts which naturally led to my love of dance and whole-body wellbeing.
As a teenager, I discovered a passion for physical fitness. In my first aerobics class, I was instantly hooked, blending music and fitness together. This was the catalyst that has driven me to explore and discover the many ways I can connect to mind, body, and spirit.
In 2008, I decided to experience dance on a whole new level and registered for ballet and modern at Monterey Peninsula College. After taking a couple of semesters, I wanted to improve my balance, flexibility, and stamina. A dear friend of mine suggested I give yoga a whirl. Following my bliss led me to the world of yoga and its beautiful kinship with dance. Being in the moment, connecting and moving with breath, letting go of the ego, and opening up to a higher consciousness has enhanced my ability, not only in dance, but in life itself.
This experience gave me the desire to dive deeper into my yoga practice. In 2016, I completed my 200 hour intensive yoga teacher training, rooted in Hatha Yoga, at The Yoga Center of Carmel. I’m also registered with Yoga Alliance. In 2017, I received my certification for Buti Yoga at Body In Motion Pilates Studio.
As a teacher I hope to be a guiding light for students on their yoga path, opening an awareness and connection to body, breath, and mind; help them tap into their inner power, the love and wisdom they carry within.
“Yoga is like music. The rhythm of the body, the melody of the mind and the harmony of the soul, creates the symphony of life.” ~ BKS Iyengar
Ann
“Dance is the universal art, the common joy of expression.” Ishmael Reed, Mumbo Jumbo: A Novel. Dance as an expression of art in its multitudes of styles has always been a part of Ann’s life. From taking ballet and hip hop in college, to the dance school that was the San Fransisco Bay Area underground "Rave" scene, to finally discovering the world of Fusion Belly Dance from a picture of Rachel Brice, the founder of Datura Style Belly Dance, and falling madly in love with this form of art. Since then Ann has taken several workshops with Rachel Brice and has studied with many teachers such as Mardi Love, Kami Liddle, Amy Sigil, Olivia Kissel, Sharon Kihara amongst others, including her dear friend and former troupe director Faelan Shiva. The current incarnation of her dance journey is being a member of Estrella Collective.
Jazz
Jazz has been practicing yoga for 17yrs, a certified Kundalini Yoga Instructor (Level 1 & 2) since 2013 [Rishikesh, India], and acquired energy healing certifications such as Usui Reiki 1, 2 & Master, Karuna Reiki, Quantum Touch, since 2008. Her journey of spirituality and growth have intertwined with music from a very young age and now continues through many outlets including Sound Baths, Bhakti/Devotional, Medicine Music, R&B/NeoSoul/HipHop. Bask in the soothing frequencies Jazz channels while Singing, playing Crystal Singing Bowls, Gong, Guitar, Harp, Harmonium, & Live Looping.
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Jazz fuses her love of music across genres of soul, neo-soul, R&B, devotional mantra music, and medicine music making a whole new flavor of her own. Her voice channels the depths invoking a meditative experience while her soundscape of instruments keeps the ear longing for more. She sings in many different languages including Gurmukhi, Sanskrit, Spanish, Quechua, and Portuguese. Some instruments she likes to play include piano, guitar, Celtic lever harp, looper, kalimba, harmonium, Crystal singing bowls & gong. She currently resides in Santa Cruz sharing sound in yoga classes, sound baths, meditations, and ceremony.
Anna
Born and raised in Santa Cruz. Growing up in an artist commune, she has always been drawn to and surrounded by beauty and the artistic creative process.
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Prior to lip blushing, for the past 8 years, she has run an online vintage clothing shop curating unique garments from the past. So in one way or another, beauty and fashion have always been a part of her life.
Anna studied under a successful and talented mentor, Yvon Doan, and is trained in both lip blushing and #lipneutralization. She is always striving to expand her knowledge and keep up with the latest techniques. One of her biggest priorities is making clients feel comfortable and welcomed and leave feeling even more beautiful and confident.
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She is thrilled to be a part of Estrella Collective and the surrounding #community. ✨
Lindsay
from country living, raised in the hills around a small private school, to living in the hustle and bustle of coastal california college life, to travelling all across the globe, to settling down with my family of 3; my journey has had its peaks and valley’s but it has brought endless lessons and adventure. my most recent lesson regards skincare and the value we are allowed to hold by taking care of our aging. my most recent adventure entails helping people realize their power by helping them reach their skin goals.
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Self care for me, looked like exercise, meditation, and then I started experimenting with laser skincare treatments and botox. I tried Thermage which is excruciatingly painful and not very effective, in my experience. Botox is fun but it is expensive and I can’t help but dislike the idea of putting toxins into my body. (But let’s be honest, botox is pretty effective and addicting!) Then I found fibroblast plasma treatments through an Instagram account (@fibroplasmabeauty) and followed this account all through the pandemic. I saved up some money and finally pulled the trigger only to fall in love with the entire process from my technician to my results and now to my post-treatment journey of becoming Fibroblast Plasma certified and bringing this amazing technology to all of you!
Shannon has always been a seeker. Inspired by a fundamental love of the human body and how it functions she has devoted her professional career to helping and supporting others along in their journey of growth and healing.
Underlying all of her work is Shannon’s desire to create community. Her mission is to provide supportive spaces for students to come together to deepen their connection to themselves and to one-another. Though she started her career with a degree in Kinesiology, and went on to offer private massage therapy for over 20 years, Shannon’s first-hand experience with a unique breath-work technique called Transformational Breath®, has motivated her to more broadly share this modality for its profound and positive effects on her students and clients. As a yoga teacher, certified Transformational Breath® Facilitator and Group Leader, Shannon now weaves this life-changing awareness of breath into her private sessions and group classes.
Shannon
Barrett
Dance and movement have been a part of Barrett’s life since she was a little girl spending hours at her dance studio, using movement and music to work through emotions. She was first introduced to yoga as a high school student when she chose yoga as an elective, and she continued to practice from then on. She completed her 200-hour teacher training in 2018 hoping to deepen her understanding of the practice and to learn more about the history of yoga.
As a dedicated nurse, her journey continues with a heart committed to caring for others. With the grace of a dancer and the compassion of a healer, she has woven a path that embraces both science and art. Two beautiful daughters have been her inspiration and drive, reminding her daily of the profound impact of nurturing souls.
Her dance, both in hospitals and on the floor, is a testament to her belief in the power of movement. Just as the body finds rhythm in dance, healing too follows a rhythm, guided by the delicate dance of breath and pulse. Through every interaction, she strives to restore harmony, not just in bodies, but in spirits as well.