Meet The Teachers
We offer the most experienced team and highest teacher to student ratio of any other yoga teacher training.
We offer the most experienced team and highest teacher to student ratio of any other yoga teacher training.
Our teaching faculty not only have decades of experience as yoga students and as yoga teachers, but also as teacher training facilitators. We have certified over a thousand yoga teachers at Vikasa and one of the most significant factors that sets a Vikasa training apart from the plethora of other global trainings available is our teacher faculty.
Our teaching faculty have decades of experience, both as yoga students and as yoga teachers, but also as teacher training facilitators. We have certified over a thousand yoga teachers at Vikasa and one of the most significant factors that sets a Vikasa training apart from the plethora of other global trainings available is our teacher faculty.
Each senior Vikasa teacher has trained in a diverse range of yoga styles and methodologies. They are exceptional yoga teachers in their own right, yet will always consider themselves students of yoga, always on a quest to further their own education, and dedicating themselves to their own self practice and personal evolution.
You will feel supported both on and off your yoga mat.
In any given training, students are supported by our core team of senior teachers, as well as guest Vikasa teachers. Every morning yoga practice in our training programs is led by a senior teacher and supported by 3-4 teachers who offer modifications and adjustments throughout the three hour class.
Our teaching staff don’t teach on other trainings. They don’t live aboard and fly in for the month. They live on the island, they practice and teach every week in our public and retreat classes, they are certified by Vikasa, and they live the Vikasa lifestyle and philosophy.
We pay our teaching faculty more than any other yoga teacher training academy because they are the strongest pillar of our Vikasa training programs. Our high student return rate is not only a reflection of the Vikasa location and the quality of the Vikasa experience, but a desire to continue training and learning from our passionate teaching team.
Kosta Miachin
Founder & Lead Yoga Teacher
Kosta’s journey into yoga has taken him to the far reaches of the world, from remote Himalayan ashrams, to his initiation by a master monk in a sacred Sak-Yant ceremony in Thailand. Kosta has undergone extensive training and was certified with five different schools: Yoga 23, Sivananda Yoga, Mysore Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, Andiappan Yoga and Universal Yoga and maintains close ties to many other yoga schools around the world. The vision for Vikasa Yoga was born upon realization that the deeper dimension of yoga is a spiritual journey and a conscious evolution of the individual. Seeing this as the ultimate human endeavor, he committed his life to supporting others on this path and has been teaching yoga for over 20 years now.
Mikey Lazano
Yoga Teacher, Methodology & Anatomy
Mikey has an encyclopaedic knowledge of all things yoga with particular specialisations in intelligent sequencing, yoga anatomy and efficient movement. He draws on aspects of his former profession as a personal trainer in his practices and teachings – focussing on balancing strength and flexibility with an overarching emphasis on safety. As well as having a broad and deep knowledge of yoga practices and history (having completed a number of trainings with Vikasa and Universal Yoga), he also has a passion for teaching and a talent for making complex concepts accessible to all.
Michael Murray
Yoga Teacher & Group Dynamics
While initially drawn to the physical aspects of yoga, Michael remains stimulated by the interplay between the physical practice and the more spiritual, inner-journey that can be opened up by the physical practice. In pursuit of this interplay, Michael teaches correct alignment and intuitive movement and also facilitates discussions and lectures on emotional intelligence and personal development.
Niki Lundberg
Yoga Teacher & Emotional Intelligence
Niki believes that yoga can be life-changing, both on an individual and a collective level. And so her teaching, which she sees as her vocation, is focussed on tapping into yoga’s transformative capacity and providing a means for her students to embark on journeys of self-discovery. She has a background in psychology and an unwavering belief in the importance of combining the physical aspects of yoga with the often neglected spiritual aspects.
Alexey Vyazovov
Yoga Philosophy & Meditation Teacher
A truly passionate and dedicated yogi, Alex began his journey into Yoga over 20 years ago and committed to realizing the essence of yoga beyond the physical practice. He apprenticed with a Yoga master and remained fully immersed in a wide range of yogic practices for several years. Alex later received spiritual initiation and started to share the knowledge of self-realized yogis along with his own experience and insights received during his apprenticeship and years of daily study and meditations. Alex is a yoga philosophy specialist and teaches the philosophy module of this training.
Daniel Rama
Master Guest Teachers
Rama’s journey speaks of overcoming crippling injuries through the science of self-improvement. He has a background in kinesiology and added authenticity to his yoga practice by living for years in a classical hatha yoga ashram. Rama has made it his purpose sharing the power of yoga, movement and mindfulness. He leads international workshops, retreats and yoga teacher trainings. His deep understanding of anatomy and functionality of the human body allows students to quickly advance their practice and discover a whole new range of mobility and motion.
Shakti Sarah Bonsall
Master Guest Teachers
Shakti began her movement journey with yoga almost 15 years ago and quickly cultivated a deep curiosity about optimizing the human body. She understands that movement contains within it the worlds of yoga, hand balancing, meditation, flexibility, dance, strength, martial arts, and so much more. Through this play of modalities, Shakti offers students a taste of what it’s like to move and exist in a way that is not only limitlessly freeing, but pain free. She is committed to deepening her studies, expanding her mindset, and demonstrating to others why they might like to do the same.
Demi Chanriya
Yoga Teacher and Group Dynamics
Demi Chanriya is a Vikasa 500 hr Registered Yoga Teacher. She sees yoga as a pathway of homecoming that welcomes all facets of the human experience. Drawing from classical Tantra, Demi encourages yogins to weave spiritual sadhana with material elements in a way that dissolves duality and cultivates a sense of refuge within self. She views movement (on the mat and through the world) as a dance within which all aspects of life (and death) entwine together.
Grant Latimer
Yoga Teacher and Group Dynamics
Grant is a resident yoga teacher at Vikasa and part of the Yoga Teacher Training faculty. He embodies a love for yoga that has spanned over 20 years. This love was explored first through mantra meditation and later through asana, pranayama, dynamic mediations and sound healing. He completed his RYT500 with Vikasa and has spent the last several years living and teaching in Bali, China, and Thailand. Grant’s passion is to share his knowledge to ignite development and growth in others.
Ann Thongtod
Assistant Yoga Teacher
Ann is a resident yoga teacher at Vikasa and also an assistant on our 200hr trainings. Ann’s classes are steeped in the traditions of yoga, concerned with consecration and ritual, but with a strong focus on physicality. She guides students into advanced and complicated poses in a joyful and loving way, holding space for practitioners of all levels of practice and backgrounds. She pays particular attention to each individual’s capacity and provides bespoke guidance that allows each person to find their own way and progress at their own pace.
Jovan Tevin
Yoga Teacher
Jovan’s mantra is “Self discipline is an act of self love,” and when we move with a meditative mindset, unconditional self love is built. With over 500 hours of dedicated teacher training, Jovan invites the practitioner to experience their internal space for what it is, by combining self inquiry with physically demanding sequencing and a subtle integration of the chakras. Jovan’s teaching style is precise yet accommodating to all, inspiring students to mindfully find their edge and discover what is possible through breath, awareness and trust. Jovan is a true space holder, a teacher that guides you on a deep and insightful journey into both the tangible and intangible elements of yoga.
Mark Labib
Yoga Teacher
Marc’s keen passion for teaching is largely due to the amount of time he has spent at Vikasa since 2019. From his very first teacher training, he knew Vikasa was home, so eventually – he happily returned to stay. Marc’s nature is humble, genuine and engaging and this is reflected in his unique teaching style. A relaxed yet attentive practitioner, Marc’s classes encourage a focus on alignment to ensure a safe and beneficial practice for all. This is particularly helpful for those relatively new to their yoga journey. Marc will guide you through your practice offering moments for reflection, inviting you to find strength whilst honouring the process of surrender, and inspiring a few welcome smiles along the way.
“A good teacher can never be fixed in a routine. Each moment requires a sensitive mind that is constantly changing and constantly adapting. A teacher must never impose his student to fit his favourite pattern. Instead, he exposes his student’s vulnerability so they may explore internally. A teacher is never a giver of truth, he is a pointer to the truth that each student must find for himself.”
-Bruce Lee
Practice at Vikasa
Whether you want to join us for a month and train to become a certified yoga teacher, or embark on a shorter retreat journey, there are several ways you can learn and evolve your practice with our Vikasa teachers in Koh Samui.
Embarking on a yoga teacher training program offers you the most powerful and immersive way to train and learn with our Vikasa teaching faculty. Not only do you have unlimited access to our team for the duration of the YTT onsite, our team continues to offer feedback, advice and coaching beyond the training to help you truly meet your potential as a teacher. The teachers will become more than your mentors, they will become friends, colleagues and an ongoing support system for you as you continue your teaching journey and your personal evolution.
Each of our Signature Vikasa Retreats are led by one of our Senior teachers. These are 7 day group retreats and each one has its own unique theme or focus. Choose from Balance, Escape, Evolve, Silent, Thrive or Move. These retreats are offered only twice per year on set dates and are an intimate way to train with our senior teachers outside of a full YTT program. If you join us for a Vikation you have unlimited access to our Vikasa classes in the white sala. Many of our senior teachers are on the weekly teaching schedule, as well as guest facilitators.
Personal Programs offer you the chance to work in a one on one capacity with our Vikasa teaching team. These are 7 day programs that allow you to take your yoga practice and your wellbeing to much greater heights with the support of our team of experts. Begin, Recharge, Vitox and Deepen have been designed for those seeking a truly immersive experience where you can set and meet goals, contributing to positive change and evolution far beyond your time at Vikasa. Discover the power of working in a private setting with sessions designed to support your needs.
Classes in the white sala are open to the public with our weekly yoga class schedule. Classes are suited to all levels and the teaching team will offer modifications allowing you to practice at your own pace. Classes include our signature Vikasa Complete two hour morning class, plus Flow, Align, Chill and Sound classes every week. Whether you are staying at Vikasa or visiting Koh Samui, private classes with our teaching team can also be easily organized. This is a powerful way to deepen your practice physically, and also master deeper techniques in meditation and pranayama.
