Laura Nohealai Emiko Toyofuku-Aki

Co-Lead

Place I call home: O'ahu

Laura Nohealani Emiko Toyofuku-Aki (E-RYT500, YACEP, Katonah Yoga Certified Teacher, Barre Certified, Certified Personal Trainer)

Laura had a 12-year career in retail sales management with Victoria's Secret and in 2017 she left it behind to pursue her passion for helping others. She currently sits on the Board for International Center for Advocates Against Discrimination (ICAAD) utilizing her skills in development to impact international human rights law and disrupt systemic discrimination. Laura is a graduate of Boston University with a Bachelors's in International Relations.

Since her first yoga class, she has been a dedicated practitioner learning from numerous lineages of yoga, across the world. In 2015, Laura received her 200hr Vinyasa yoga certification at Laughing Lotus NY. Shortly after, Laura was certified by Liberation Prison Yoga to teach a trauma-conscious yoga and meditation practice for incarcerated adults, going on to teach the transgender ward at Riker’s Island and Manhattan Detention Complex in NYC. During this time, Laura apprenticed with Lineage Project and taught movement and mindfulness to incarcerated and at-risk youth in the NYC area. Laura has also completed her 200hr hatha yoga certification at Katonah Yoga NY and her 300hr YTT candidate with Susanna Barkataki and Ignite Yoga and Wellness Institute.

Laura is passionate about movement and meditation as an entry point for collective and individual healing. She is currently working with private clients and studios teaching decolonization, trauma-informed movement and meditation, and practicing on Native land. Laura teaches community classes focused on resilience for Native young people in Hawai’i and at Pine Ridge Reservation (South Dakota). Laura also teaches incarcerated women and mothers in Hawai’i. Her teaching is designed to be accessible for everyone with a focus on BIPOC folx and amplifying BIPOC stories, teachings, and voices.

Jo Qina'au

Co-Creator

Module Teaching: Yoga Through an ʻŌiwi Lens, Prāṇāyāma, Dhyana, Āsana, Kuleana

Place I call home: O'ahu

Jo 'Okika Shigeko Qina'au, PhD, MA, E-YT750 (she/they)

Aloha mai, y’all, I’m Jo, born and raised in ‘Ewa Beach on O‘ahu. Yoga has gifted me so much over the years – tools for transmuting trauma, reciprocal communities, regulatory skills for when colonial systems feel like they’re crushing my soul (lol, but seriously), and some very profound experiences of clarity.

My classes offer space for playful curiosity, nourishing pilina (connection), befriending our practice (and ourselves), kindling the fires of tapas, and developing compassionate wisdom.

It was 2006 when I started teaching trauma-informed Yoga, mostly in marginalized spaces in the U.S., Asia, Middle East, and Europe. For eight years I focused on healing and spirituality, a sojourn which took me to India to be initiated into the Sivananda lineage and to Thailand to deepen my Buddhist meditation practice. Contemplative practice and my passion for equity work then converged in Brooklyn where I served as co-owner of a collective community health center in Brooklyn, the trailblazing Third Root. At the height of this journey, I took an 8-year hiatus from teaching for money, removing myself from the commodification of my spiritual practice, and actively contributing to decolonizing Yoga. After Laura reached out several years ago about the PKY vision, I felt a deep kuleana to contribute to this work toward liberation, through Yoga, in my homelands. Something I’d been dreaming of for years.

When I’m not teaching Yoga, I’m providing clinical therapy for those affected by Maui fires through Hui Hoʻomalu, researching Yoga and mindfulness at the UCSF Osher center, finding ways to collaborate with da hui at the 🌿 Pilina Center for Wellbeing 🌿, and dreaming of my future dog! 

Sona Desai Buchanan

Module Teaching: Yoga History & Philosophy / Ayurveda

Place I call home: As a military family, we have learned to love many places, to give our best to the stewards of these homelands, and to remember that our home is found in the container we build.

Sona Desai Buchanan B.A., E-RYT 500, RCYT, YACEP (she/her)

Aloha kākou! My name is Sona, meaning “gold, brilliant” in Sanskrit. While my roots are in Gujarat, India, I was born in Australia and raised in Raleigh, NC. I am a devoted mother, teacher, and a lifelong student of what it means to be human.  For more than 17 years, yoga has been the foundation of my work—guiding me across communities and conversations about growth, reverence, resilience and the integration of mind, body, energy and breath. Along the way, motherhood, travel, and exploring nature have become natural extensions of that inquiry, offering different ways to observe, learn and engage with the world. My young life emphasized the concept that everything is sacred - chanting mantras during morning puja, yogic texts as bedtime stories and the daily Āyurvedic rituals that inform the rhythms of the day. That along with my background in Anthropology and Psychology continues to shape how I teach. I’m fascinated by the rituals, stories, and traditions that connect us, and by the subtle ways practice influences how we relate to ourselves and others.  My intention is not simply to teach yoga, but to ignite a spark in each student that fuels a deeper mindfulness and lifelong exploration. With 5,000+ teaching hours and almost a decade of developing and leading teacher trainings, I am inspired to create spaces that encourage presence, inclusivity, and meaningful transformation. I am honored to be on this journey of liberation with YOU and for the collective — WE. Currently I call NC (Siouan land) home with my husband, daughters and dog. 

You can find out more about me here.

Kilty Inafuku

Module Teaching: Hands on Adjustment

Place I call home: O'ahu

Hello there! My name is KILTY, and I’m a yoga practitioner and educator. ​​I grew up in Kaneohe, Hawaii but didn't appreciate yoga until I moved to Los Angeles, where I studied for my B.S. in Civil & Environmental Engineering at UCLA. I found that yoga was a great outlet and offered a reprieve from the stress of school. But I didn't know why. I simply knew that I felt better and that I needed to keep it in my life. During my time in Los Angeles, I completed my Yoga Alliance 200HR teacher training under Jay Co, purely out of curiosity and wanting to keep yoga in my life. When I returned home to Oahu after college in 2011, I took on a staff engineering position with a local geotechnical company. I held that role for a year and didn’t love it. So, I quit. I’m very proud of that choice now, but it was far from an easy decision. I felt a self-imposed pressure to do what I thought others wanted me to do and what I thought appeared to be “acceptable.” Maybe you know the feeling?

When I started looking for other jobs with my degree, I continued to use the tools of yoga beyond the physical movements—mindfulness and awareness. I started to see the postures as a way to practice using these tools.

Now, here I am as a yoga educator, simply sharing what I’ve learned. In my classes, you can expect a physical challenge. Ultimately, my goal is to foster a community of individuals who think critically and are empowered to be themselves, and therefore teach others to do the same. My hope is that your experience and our time together will create a lasting impact and reinforcing perspective that ignites you to take action in your life outside of the asana practice. And, ultimately, this connects us back to the roots of yoga, which I want to highlight as a practice that comes from India and has been grossly misappropriated and cherrypicked. Part of ethically and actively engaging in the practice is to learn about its history, to learn from teachers who have cultural lineage and connection to it, to learn from our own embodied experiences, and to give back and share with others.

https://www.kiltyyoga.com/

Shannon Kaneshige

Module Teaching: Making Yoga Accessible to All Bodies

Shannon Kaneshige, MA, E-RYT 500 (they/them) is a fat, queer, non-binary yoga teacher, body liberation mentor, and sociologist. They have been practicing yoga for over 30 years and have over 3,000 teachering hours. Their work centers accessible yoga, community care, and the belief that healing and liberation are collective processes, not individual achievements.

Rooted in anti-oppressive practice and shaped by lived experience, Shannon creates spaces where fat, disabled, neurodivergent, and queer folks can reconnect with their bodies on their own terms. Their teaching weavestogether embodied practice and social theory, helping students notice not just what’s happening on the mat but also how systemic forces like fatphobia, ableism, and white supremacy shape our internalized stories, nervous systems, and access to care. Shannon offers yoga classes, mentorship, and teacher education grounded in equity, rest, and radical self-trust. Shannon is the founder of Fringe(ish), a virtual space for softness, resistance, and reclaiming what’s been stolen by systems that tell us to shrink. They live on Anishinabewaki ᐊᓂᔑᓈᐯᐗᑭ, Wendake-Nionwentsïo, Ho-de-no-saunee-ga (Haudenosaunee), Mississauga, and Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation land in what is colonially known as Toronto with their partner and child.

Find them at www.fringeish.com.

Stephanie Keiko Kong

Module Teaching: Sanskrit

Stephanie is a 5th generation descendant of Japanese and Chinese settlers to Hawai‘i—born and raised in Wahiawā on O‘ahu island, eldest sibling, youngest dumpling-maker of the family. In their daily work, Stephanie is a public speaking and digital marketing strategy coach whose expertise spans over 22 years in teaching, radio, yoga, theatre, and curriculum design. Her praxis centers BIPOC, femme, and queer thought-leaders, exemplified in her popular educational content across social platforms as ponyponytail.

Specializing in Sanskrit mantra and creative yogāsana sequencing, Stephanie has trained yoga teachers in Hawaiʻi and internationally—including India, Australia, Japan, Sweden, and more. Outside the yoga studio, you might recognize Stephanie’s voice from Hawaiʻi Public Radio and onstage with the Hawai'i Shakespeare Festival. Stephanie is currently settled with their partner Joel and dog Toaster, in Tongva territory, Long Beach, California.

Jonelle Lewis

Module Teaching: Yoga and Entrepreneurship

Jonelle is a yoga teacher, practitioner, mentor & teacher trainer. She is trained in Ashtanga, Hatha, Vinyasa, Yin/Restorative Qi Gong & Meditation/Mindfulness.

She’s obsessed with movement and spiritual studies which makes her an eternal student. Jonelle practices yoga as part of her path to awakening, healing & liberation; she invites her students to do the same.  She teaches yoga as an anti-oppression, pro-unity & social justice practice.

You can practice with her online  through Apple’s global platform Fitness+ or in person at  Empowered Yoga Studio in Los Angeles.  She is also one of the co-founders of a 300 hour advanced teacher training, Radical Darshan.

Jonelle is part of the movement to make yoga and wellness equitable, diverse, & anti-racist. She believes 'Yoga is for EVERYBODY'

IG: jonelleyoga

Oneika Mays

Module Teaching: Teaching and Disrupting with Love (Meditation)

Oneika Mays, she/her, LMT, E-RYT, is a multi-hyphenate facilitator who leads with joy, passion, and wisdom. She is a grounded leader with lived experience that centers on mindfulness and transformation. As a Black, queer feminist she brings a poignant lens to building a world that is more compassionate and understanding. With deep roots and knowledge in Buddhist and yogic teachings, Oneika delivers practical application and authentic connection through her facilitation skills. With openness and vulnerability, she facilitates the space to talk about change and embrace every part of ourselves.

Oneika has been practicing yoga for more than 20 years, and guiding yoga and meditation for more than a decade. Since then, she has used her knowledge to support social justice nonprofits and historically excluded communities. She served as the Mindfulness Coach at Rikers Island Correctional Facility for 4 years and is currently a teacher for Yoga International, an inclusive and accessible online studio with classes designed for every level of practice.

Oneika’s ability to take big ideas and distill them down into understandable and relatable learnings allows her to show up as a conduit for transformation. She is your teacher, your auntie, your friend, and an intuitive soul here for the work of personal and collective liberation. From mindfulness and movement classes to keynote addresses and board meetings, Oneika consistently delivers a practical application of transformative practices at the intersection of joy and disruption.

Book Oneika as your next wellness speaker, yoga teacher trainer, or retreat guide at: www.OneikaMays.com. Join her movement to tap into joy and change the world by connecting with her on Instagram at @OneikaMays.

Suma Metla

Module Teaching: Anatomy

Originally from Lakeland Florida, Suma has been practicing yoga and Bharatnatyam (Indian classical dance) since she was a young child. She grew up in a Hindu household which emphasized the importance of pranayama and the teachings of yoga. Over the years, she’s been able to share her culture and her love of dance through performances with Disney World, Cirque du Soleil, and many other events. Currently, Suma is a yoga teacher, pediatric physical therapist, and infant massage coach. She is deeply dedicated to supporting infants and children with special needs in the Hawaii community. You can also find her treating children and educating families through her practice, Three Little Ducks. Suma believes that yoga can be for anyone, anybody, and any age!

Personal IG: @suma_metla

Tiger Rahman

Module Teaching: Yoga Philosophy, Cycles of Socialization and Liberation

Tiger Abdur-Rahman (they/he) is a COVID-realist, Black, queer, transmasculine design researcher, civic innovator, and student of yoga. They earned a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership and Learning which inspired them to deepen their study of yoga. They began teaching yoga in 2019, completed their 500 hours of yoga teacher training in 2020 and have been studying Vedanta philosophy in depth since 2021. Tiger has previously collaborated on organizing and teaching at three international yoga retreats, workshops, and serialized asana instruction, interweaving their knowledge of philosophy, astrology and ayurveda to support learners’ journeys. Their karma yoga practice has recently brought them into full-time disaster recovery work in St. Louis, supporting the design of an ecosystem of supports for residents impacted by an EF-3 tornado in 2025. Tiger’s offerings focus on personalizing the multiple pathways of yoga through media, movement, reflection, and dialogue to allow students to explore how yoga’s teachings go beyond asana to create a foundation for an authentic and fulfilling life.

Follow Tiger @liveyourown.life on Instagram or check out their writing and class offerings at www.liveyourown.life.

Sunaina Madhav Dasi 

Module Teaching: Bhakti

Place I call home: the soul’s true home is the eternal, blissful union with the Divine—beyond birth, death, and forgetting.

Sunaina Madhav Dasi (they/them/she) is a multidimensional being walking the sacred path of yoga, devotion, and liberation. Born in Bangalore, India and now rooted on the ancestral lands of the Arapaho, Cheyenne, and Ute Nations (colonized as Denver, CO), Sunaina brings a lived wisdom shaped by their mixed Indo-Aryan and Dravidian ancestry, and their native Tamil tongue.

As a Bhakta initiated into the Hari Bhakta Sampradaya by Sri Paramahamsa Vishwananda, their practice is deeply grounded in Hinduism, Bhakti Yoga, and social justice. Sunaina has mentored over 1,000+ yoga students—predominantly BIPOC—guiding them on the journey toward 200- and 300-hour yoga teacher certifications with integrity and cultural reverence.

Their work centers on somatic dance coaching, ancestral healing, and decolonizing yoga spaces through the lens of a neurodivergent, trauma-informed, and heart-led practitioner. They believe liberation begins with self-awareness and that the body holds the wisdom needed to come home to truth.

Through 9A Yoga and 9Ai—an intuitive AI-integrated guide blending ancestral Tamil philosophies with modern mindfulness—Sunaina co-creates spaces to reclaim traditional practices, restore cultural memory, and abolish energetic and systemic oppression.

Outside their healing work, Sunaina thrives in the realms of modeling, photography, dance, and creative direction.

Book sessions in yoga, Bhakti, or somatic dance coaching, or inquire about mentorship: 🌐 9a.network | 📧 9anetwork@gmail.com | Instagram: @su9nah