Michael Gannon, The Yoga Dealer
In the late 90s, the practice of yoga lured Michael Gannon away from chaotic deal making in the American advertising and music industry. He subsequently spent 10 years studying in India with Sri K. Pattabhi Jois (1915 - 2009) learning the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd series of the traditional Ashtanga Vinyasa system. Authorized directly by Jois in 2001 to teach, Gannon has taught in over 50 countries on five continents.
Having trained over 500 teachers worldwide in Ashtanga and Power Vinyasa Yoga, his unique teaching style makes the transformational powers of yoga accessible to all with the desire to learn.
Gannon additionally uses a broad range of meditation and breathing practices to guide people in transcending their self perceived limitations.
Taking on the playful moniker long ago, “The Yoga Dealer”, he founded the Yoga Dealer Brand in 2005. His live teachings have been extended over the years via many DVDs, the first ever Ashtanga Yoga App on iPhone/Android, and the online video platform yogadealer.com/practiceonline. His first book, Ashtanga Yoga Made Simple — A Practice For All Levels, was published in 2018.
On his home beach in Mexico, Gannon designed, built, and directs one of the most beautiful yoga schools on the planet, Yogaloft Playa del Carmen. When he’s not traveling, it is here that he spends time at the feet of his three most powerful gurus — his daughter and two sons.
Ellen de Jonge
Originally from Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Ellen moved to Playa del Carmen, Mexico in 2001. In Playa del Carmen is where she did her first Yoga practice and right away felt that this was her life changing moment. She embraced the practice and science of Yoga daily and became an E-RYT with the Yoga alliance and has been, and still is, studying with many great teachers. As they say; always the student.
Ellen's uniquely designed Vinyasa Flow has become highly popular, drawing students from around the world to Playa Del Carmen, Mexico, where Ellen is based. Renowned in her field for her strength and helping her students to find their own strength Ellen will challenge you in class, but not without a special focus on safety, alignment, breath and meditation. Bringing into the practice that Yoga is not only asana but a great journey to take and if you let it a way of life.
Having trained with teachers such as Baron Baptiste, Erich Schiffman, Dharma Mitra and Bryan Kest. Ellen now continues her studies with Para Yoga founder Rod Stryker who, amongst other things works in finding “ supreme accomplishment” both in yoga practice and in life.
Susana MacDonald
Susana started on the path 17 years ago. Her first introduction to yoga was a Bikram Yoga class and fell in love immediately with the practice. Her path took her to get her first certification in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in Hot Yoga Flow in 2003. She has also studied under Yogi Nasser, in Petra Yoga. Her love for the practice took Susana to different cities and study with various teachers in different styles including Edward Clark, and Bryan Kest. In 2012 Susana moved to Playa del Carmen Mexico and started practicing under the tutelage of Michael Gannon at Yogaloft when the school opened. She is a certified GPVY instructor. Her love and passion for power yoga reflects in her flow giving students a deep and strong practice.
Michael had his first yoga touch in 2017, in Zurich, Switzerland. After a few years of climbing in the Swiss Alps and a growing interest in meditation, he realized his long-cherished dream in the same year and moved to Playa del Carmen. This was followed by teacher trainings with Ellen de Jonge to deepen the Vinyasa Krama Practice and Michael Gannon to get a step closer to the Ashtanga world. From the very beginning, Yogaloft has been Miguelito's daily body laboratory. Surrounded by inspiring personalities like Susana Mac Donald, an oasis to deepen one's practice and a gem of friendships and like-minded people. His motto: Don't be fanatical about your yoga style, be open to any direction.
Born in Santiago, Chile, Álvaro's love for yoga started as a way to deal with lower back pains from office work. Slowly for more than three years practicing very basic Hatha from the living room guided by a yoga video game. In 2017 moved to Cancún and tried his first guided classes, Kundalini yoga, and then Bikram, and everything changed, inspired to practice as much as possible. Opening the body and mind to enjoy vinyasa, Ashtanga, aeroyoga, restorative and yin. Finally, moving to Playa del Carmen by the end of 2018. Enrolled at yogaloft and dedicated everyday to inmerse in all the styles available at the shala. Huge fan of the strong yang practices like Gannon power vinyasa, Ashtanga, Rocket and Dharma, it's with yin yoga where he balances his energy and feels comfortable sharing his practice and knowledge. Completed two teacher trainings with Sarah Davidian on yin yoga, has been teaching yin since 2020.