Instructors - Garden of Yoga

Stefan Storace

ERYT, was born and raised in Los Angeles and received his first Dan Black Belt from 9th Dan Grandmaster Dennis Ichikawa T.O./Westlake Karate in 1981 and started teaching at age 12. He was introduced to Bryan Kest and started practicing yoga regularly which led to the launch of Live Yoga Productions. He was formally trained and received his first yoga certification from the White Lotus Foundation with Ganga White and Tracy Rich in Santa Barbara. A 10-day Vipassana meditation course followed to deepen the cultivation of Sthira the steadiness, motionless, gentleness, and softness in our yoga practice.

Completed teacher trainings have included Erich Schiffmann, Matthew Cohn and Cheri Clampett. Yoga workshops have included Paul Grilley, Natasha Rizopoulos, Matt Schwartz, Desire Rumbaugh and Patricia Sullivan.Advanced Teacher Trainings with current teacher Yogarupa Rod Stryker include: Advanced Para Yoga Master Training Program

1. Yoga Sutras: Light on Self-Mastery
2. Vinyasa Krama: The Energetics of Sequencing
3. Yoga Marma: Principles of Teaching Hands-On Adjustment
4. Yoga Marma: Principles of Enlighted Practice
5. Tantra Shakti: The Power and Radiant Soul of Yoga
6. Kosha: Unleashing the Science of Soul

Stefan began his yoga journey more than 20 years ago when a fellow musician friend brought him to his first Yoga class. Physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally the yoga practice and lifestyle transformed his life from the inside out. His goal has been to heal, inspire, and teach yoga to anyone and everyone interested in this dynamic practice. Stefan is a professional musician and has worked and recorded with several Grammy award winning artists. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of Santa Barbara. He has a tremendous love for the ocean and is an avid surfer and member of the Surfrider Foundation.

Diana Storace

As a Southern California native Diana Storace knows how challenging it can be to find space, solitude and peace in this wacky, crazy, busy city. Where can one go within? Because of these challenges, she places extra emphasis in her classes to create a place of refuge, a sanctuary where one has the opportunity to leave all distractions at the door and focus on one thing: The BREATH!

First introduced to yoga while taking Ballet and Modern dance classes, Diana’s love of movement and dance discipline helped guide her flow and focus on breath and alignment. Her quest for healing after 3 surgeries led her back to yoga after college directly to Kundalini yoga where she studied philosophy, mantras, meditations, breath work, and exercises with Yogi Bhajan and Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa. Since then she has studied a variety of styles with many different and amazing teachers who have all been influential.

Diana received her teacher’s training from Erich Schiffmann and continues her education through workshops and advanced training, such as pregnancy yoga with Gurmukh. Most recently she has been studying pranayama, tantra, bandha, asana, and philosophy in depth with Rod Stryker of Para Yoga. While her teaching style is always evolving and growing, one thing will always remain a constant – she is always teaching from the heart.

Advanced Para Yoga Master Training Program

In addition to yoga, Diana has been studying Eastern philosophy/religion, and herbal medicine since college. She loves to read, dance, has a passion for music, her two cats (named Shifty and Felix), and her husband Stefan Storace.