Molly Masaoka
OWNER OF YOGA CENTERED, ERYT 500
Molly Masaoka has been a dedicated yoga practitioner and instructor for over two decades. Since discovering yoga in 2000, Molly has been on a transformative journey, evolving from student to teacher and studio owner. She has owned Yoga Centered Studio on the Big Island of Hawaii since 2011, where she continues to cultivate a thriving community of yogis. In 2013, Molly began leading Yoga Teacher Trainings, sharing her expertise in alignment-based flow, restorative yoga, and therapeutic yoga with students worldwide.
Molly’s teaching style is characterized by a unique blend of intensity, creativity, compassion, and humor. She believes in the balance of effort and surrender as the key to unlocking a deeper awareness of one’s true nature. Her classes, workshops, and teacher trainings are grounded in a biomechanically safe alignment framework, emphasizing both physical precision and personal inquiry.
A defining moment in Molly’s journey came when she sustained a serious spinal injury during a surfing accident. Through dedication to her yoga practice, she was able to heal herself, developing a profound therapeutic relationship with yoga. This personal experience informs her teaching, allowing her to guide others in using yoga as a tool for healing and recovery.
Throughout her career, Molly has studied with some of the most renowned yoga instructors, including her primary teachers Chuck Miller, Maty Ezraty, Annie Carpenter, and Don Stapelton from Nosara Yoga Institute. She credits these mentors for shaping her teaching style, from intentional alignment and sequencing to encouraging self-inquiry and unity in practice.
As a teacher, Molly views the yoga mat as a microcosm for life. She encourages her students to drop the need for perfection and embrace the present moment, discovering acceptance in both their practice and themselves. Her approach goes beyond the physical postures, offering a holistic and therapeutic experience that inspires personal transformation.
Molly continues to lead retreats, teacher trainings, and workshops worldwide, bringing her passion for yoga, personal growth, and community to all her offerings. She is also deeply inspired by her family—her partner Chelson, and her three children, Bailey, Reef, and Paisley—who continually teach her about presence, surrender, and the unexpected joys of life.
Ultimately, the yoga mat is a microcosm for who you are. It’s not about how good you are at handstands or how flexible you are, it’s about how you approach life. Yoga reveals this and so much more. It’s about discovering who you are—in spite of the pose—and finding acceptance right then and there in that very moment. I hope to meet you there soon. Thank you for letting me share space with you. You’re awesome, and you’re doing a great job. Let’s keep growing together.
Namaste
xoxo
Molly
“Molly’s teaching style is a beautiful dance between sthira-sukham, steadiness and ease. Molly is a dedicated practitioner whose teaching reveals her depth of experience and her intelligence, warmth and genuine devotion to Yoga and to her students.”
-Annie Carpenter
“Molly is living her dharma by teaching and sharing yoga in her community. We should have a lot of gratitude for her courage. Yoga Centered is beautiful place to teach and practice.”
-Sianna Sherman
Kind words from Molly's students...
"Molly has a presence that can't be ignored. Her fiery passion captivates a room whether she's teaching a flow class or a restorative practice. Clear and precise she maintains a mindful alignment throughout all of her teachings." -Justin G.
"Molly is a wonderful instructor. She demonstrates when needed but can also get you into a pose with her detailed language. Molly knows when and where to make adjustments without making you feel like you're doing every pose incorrectly. She is wonderful with alignment cues to prevent pain or injury but still brings fun to the class. I loved learning so much from her." -Autumn G.
“I just received my Teacher Training with Molly. She is hands down one the best yoga teachers that I have ever had. I live in Manhattan and have been practicing for years. Molly focus is alignment and safety. Her sequencing is the best I have ever seen. She is a perfect combination of loving, caring, encouraging and tough. I have been forever changed from my Teacher Training. She gave me the tools and the confidence to get out and start teaching. If I lived closer I would be at her studio daily. So the next best thing…I downloaded her online classes. I will be taking future trainings with Molly.”-Susan Grosso
