Smiling Molly Masaoka, founder of Yoga Centered, woman in pink top with hands in prayer position, surrounded by lush plants and flowers, in front of a decorative wooden table with candles.

  • Owner of Yoga Centered, ERYT-500

    Perceptive and wildly passionate, Molly applies a level of determination and delight to her yoga instruction that’s truly one of a kind. Her approach is focused and intense; a union of effort and surrender that she believes is key to unlocking one’s deepest level of awareness and joy. While the core of Molly’s teaching is alignment-based flow and restorative yoga, there is a deep level of therapeutic guidance that governs all she offers—from her public classes, workshops, and private sessions to her ongoing teacher training programs. Ultimately Molly considers herself a student of life. She is constantly drawing inspiration from the world around her, the natural world and her son, Reef. Her hope is to inspire others to share the practices of yoga that have so positively impacted her life.

A woman with long brown hair smiling, wearing a maroon top, standing against a white background.

  • Lauren is a dynamic and experienced teacher of both fitness and yoga. Her barre classes will challenge your physical body and mind to new heights, while her yoga classes will have you melting into a puddle of ooey-gooey bliss.

    She grew up in Michigan and studied Developmental Psychology at DePaul University in Chicago. While there, she also began her academic and physical study of yoga. After practicing for 5 years, she completed her 200 hour teacher training in the styles of Ashtanga and Yin. In 2015, she traveled to Indonesia and completed her 500 hour teacher training in the Classical Hatha Yoga style and Tantric Traditions with Zuna Yoga. Her teaching passions include not only the physical asana practice but also meditation, yogic breathing or pranayama, and yoga nidra. Come join her on the mat and truly connect to your mind, body, and spirit.

Smiling person with shoulder-length hair, wearing a sleeveless top, with a tattoo on the left arm, standing in front of a white background.

  • A brilliant sequencer, a master of her craft and drawing from her experience as an athletic trainer and yogi, in Amy’s class expect to sweat, laugh a little, and learn more about the body you have and the life you live in it. Amy came to yoga through a workplace wellness program and never looked back. She very quickly saw the many ways that yoga could help the high school students she works with as a certified athletic trainer in her primary occupation and jumped headfirst into teacher training. After introducing yoga to a variety of high school sports teams, she realized how much she enjoyed teaching yoga philosophies and practices to groups that maybe normally wouldn’t seek out yoga on their own, like football players, “at risk” populations and the occasional weekend warriors. One of her favorite things about yoga is how the physical practice of yoga uses your body as a tool to teach you lessons about life, emotions and how strong you can be when you look inside.

Smiling woman with black hair in a ponytail against a white background

  • Colleen’s classes will safely guide you through an all levels asana practice, breath awareness & deep relaxation. Colleen strives to create an environment where all students can connect with their innermost self and strengthen their mind-body awareness.

    After beginning a regular yoga practice to increase her own overall health, Colleen realized she would like to share the joy & knowledge of the 8 limbs of yoga with others. Colleen completed her 300 hour Yoga Teacher Training at Amrita Yoga and Wellness in Philadelphia where she taught heated vinyasa and yin. Colleen has also taught at Rancho Margot, a sustainable eco-lodge in the rainforest of Costa Rica. A realtor by day, a yogini by night, Colleen “gets it” and hopes yoga will bring a little more ease to your daily life, where it really counts.

Smiling person with glasses against a light background

  • Having lived with scoliosis most of her life, Catherine was well versed in the therapeutic aspects of the physical practice. "A spinal surgeon told me I would be fused from my head to tail." Through yoga, she has experienced pain relief, as have many people with back, hip and neck injuries. Catherine's slow, therapeutic style class provides a counter balance to our frenzied "go until you drop" society.

    Formerly a dancer, Catherine found yoga in 1993 as a holistic approach to pain relief. Realizing the importance of a daily physical practice for her health, she decided to teach. Beginning in 1997, Catherine studied Iyengar in Santa Monica, CA, and later Anusara in Hollywood, CA. She is generous with her knowledge and has a palpable passion for teaching. She provides the space to go slow and concentrate on each nuance and slight sensation. We highly recommend Catherine's classes for anyone dealing with an injury or limited mobility issues.

Smiling woman with hair in bun outdoors surrounded by plants.

  • Gloria Baraquio is the Lead Teacher and Director of Shivakali Yoga School. She and Serge Bandura founded Shivakali in 2015 and have taught over 20 yoga teacher trainings in California, Hawaii, Costa Rica, and Bali. Gloria began teaching yoga in Hilo in 2006 and left in 2010 to teach around the world. She returned to the Big Island in 2020, and she is so happy to serve her home community again.

Woman in a red tank top holding a dumbbell under a wooden roof structure, smiling.

  • Dilafruz, originally from Kazakhstan, journeyed from a career in finance to a life dedicated to yoga and wellbeing. She completed her 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training at Yogshala Samadhi in Almaty, Kazakhstan, specializing in traditional Hatha yoga, Yin yoga, and Pranayama. Dilafruz truly believes in the power of yoga to enhance body and mind health. And live your life authentically.

  • Shannon believes that through focused attention on body and breath we become more adept at listening to what we need in the moment… honing in on the individual subtleties of our bodies and habits. She hopes to create an environment where students can learn how to be more present.

    She was certified at YogaWorks in Costa Mesa, CA in early 2010 while pregnant with her first child. Her classes are focused heavily on alignment and breath.

Person outdoors in a natural setting, wearing a white tank top and blue jeans, with tattoos on their arm, smiling while kneeling on the ground.

  • Heather has been training and certifying yoga teachers in East Hawaii for over a decade. She founded Balancing Monkey Yoga Center, Warrior Won School of Yoga, and most recently co-founded All Bodies Rise Yoga. She invites participants to dig deep into their personal relationship to self, to other, and to practice before taking the seat as a teacher. She ordained as a Buddhist Chaplain with Roshi Joan Halifax in 2014 and weaves the dharma into her teaching. She holds a Masters Degree in Social Work with an emphasis on parental bereavement. She currently works full time as a Spiritual Counselor at Hospice of Hilo. Her primary practices are parenting and surfing.

Woman smiling and wearing a straw hat with colorful earrings, standing by bamboo in a lush garden.

  • Meet Erin Sakakibara on the mat for a transformative journey of breath and movement. As a mother of four daughters and a proud grandmother to a beautiful granddaughter, I understand the importance of nurturing both the body and mind and the importance of self-care. My love for yoga extends beyond the physical practice, embracing its profound mental and emotional rewards. Having split my time between the serene landscapes of Hawaii and the vibrant energy of Japan, my teachings draw from this rich cultural background I’ve had the privilege to experience.

    Since 2012, I've been honing my skills and deepening my practice at Yoga Centered and completed a 200 hour teacher training under Molly’s skillful guidance in December of 2023. Please join me at YC to explore the transformative power of yoga, and let's create a harmonious balance between strength, flexibility, and inner peace together. Namaste!

Woman practicing yoga pose with interlocked hands and foot behind head, curly hair, indoor setting with plants.

  • Kassie Wylde 500RYT. Kassie began exploring yoga in her late teens. Just a few years later, she started to deepen and expand that exploration in response to her experience with chronic pain. Since then, the yogic practice of acknowledging discomfort as both a guide and a teacher has transformed her to her core. After nearly a decade of delving into a personal practice, Kassie took a 200 hour Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training with Adrea Robles and Dave Robles of Liberation Yoga and Wellness Center followed by a 300 hour Advanced YTT with Johanna Bell of Illumina Yoga in the lineage of Sri Dharma Mittra. She also trained with Biff Mithoefer in the art of yin yoga and apprenticed with Adrea Robles in the craft of teaching Restorative Yoga.

    Kassie grounds her personal practice and teaching approach in the intentional release of self-judgment, the practice of self-compassion, the art of learning from discomfort, and the belief that yoga is a practice for any body, any mind, any soul. She encourages students to lovingly accept and work with their minds and bodies as they are in the present moment. In her classes she strives to create a container where people can be honest, vulnerable, and gentle with themselves, explore their edges, laugh with one another, and tap into a deep sense of community.

Person with tattoos smiling in a spacious room with wooden flooring and plants.

  • Meet Jesse, a teacher whose enthusiasm is just infectious! She received her 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training certification from Yoga Centered in December 2023. Since then, she has gone on to be certified in ButiMovement, and, at the end of 2024, Human Reformer Pilates. This is a method of Pilates that uses props to create traditional reformer exercises, helping students harness the potential of their own bodies. Join Jesse in the studio for yoga, Buti, or Pilates and experience what all her students are buzzing about. Jesse is here to help you feel strong, centered, and amazing in your body!

Woman sitting on sandy beach at sunset with ocean waves and people in the background.

  • Lucy has been a devoted student of yoga for over twelve years and continues to embody its wisdom through her daily practices and rituals. In 2024, she completed her 200 YTT through East+West Yoga School in Bali, Indonesia. As a teacher, she strives to honor the ancient tradition of both yoga and pilates, bringing deep reverence into each class she leads.

    Lucy cultivates intentional spaces for healing and self-reflection for her students to feel safe and empowered to arrive as they are. Her teaching weaves together movement and meditation. Her flows will take you through a journey of self, opening the heart and mind to all that is meant to be. Lucy wishes to co-create a container of surrender, curiosity, and unconditional love as her students slow to listen to the innate wisdom of their bodies. Though she teaches, Lucy remains forever a student - open to growth, learning, and evolution in every form. With immense gratitude, she shares the sacred teachings of yoga and hopes to continue being a light and love for all those walking this path of life.

A woman practicing yoga on a stand-up paddleboard on calm water with a city skyline and cloudy sky in the background.

  • Trisha's love for yoga began in 2020, and her journey quickly blossomed into a deep passion for both the practice and its transformative power. After dedicating herself to the study and discipline of yoga, she became a certified yoga teacher in 2023, completing her teacher training in both Guam and Indonesia. Trisha also holds certifications in Stand-up Paddleboard Yoga and Alchemy Crystal Sound Bowl Healing, expanding her skillset to bring a diverse and holistic approach to her teachings.

    Raised on the beautiful island of Guam as a military brat, Trisha’s life has been one of travel, adventure, and cultural exploration. After many years of moving around the world, she and her family have now planted roots in Hilo, Hawaii, where she continues her journey of self-discovery and mindfulness.

    When she isn’t on the mat, Trisha can be found at the beach, either above or below the water, as a certified Master Scuba Diver. Her love for the ocean mirrors her approach to yoga—deep, fluid, and expansive.

    A proud military veteran and mother of two, Trisha’s mission is to share the journey of mindfulness, peace, and connection that yoga offers. She welcomes all levels of practitioners, inviting each person to discover their own path on the mat. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced yogi, Trisha’s classes offer a space for growth, healing, and community.