A life-long obsession
with sound has guided Alanna in the direction of music
and vibration. Through the teachings of yoga, she has
found a home for her spirit within the pulsations of
the heart. She was born with a hearing impairment, but
was taught from an early age that this is neither a
setback or a difference. Instead, it is a way to thrive
and shine. And so she has, by becoming a vocalist, a
teacher, a musician, a writer, and a lover of music,
sound, meditation, inspiration and vibration.
Her teachers are Sharon Gannon and David Life, the
creators of Jivamukti Yoga. Sanskrit scholar, Manorama,
has graced Alanna with a deeper knowledge of how sound
profoundly affects us on an energetic and cellular
level. Her practice has also been heavily infused with
the love-filled influence of Shri Dharma Mittra, a
teacher who revealed the true, devotional nature of
asana practice. As an Advanced Certified Jivamukti
Instructor, she fills her classes with Nada (sound),
Bhakti (devotion) and Shraddha (faith). Her classes
feature an unyielding spirit for bringing yoga off the
mat and into the world. Her face forward, charismatic
style are the perfect platform for classes that are
masterful, artistic, and always feature an element of
mystery.
While on her world tour, she has lead kirtans
(devotional singing concerts) and has also performed
with Dave Stringer, who has been a musical inspiration
to Alanna. Recently, in Sydney, Australia, Alanna had
the opportunity to write, create and produce her newest
album, Shine. This inspirational and eclectic
album has been described by her friends as 'eclectic
lounge pop that you would want to listen to on a
coastal drive'. It features several of Australia's
prominent jazz musician and other Australian talent.
Shine includes 2 songs in Sanskrit for your
energetic body, and the rest of the groovy tracks
are in english to ignite the soul.
Alanna also produces a yoga podcast called "Yoga Jam
with the JivaDiva". The success of the JivaDiva Yoga
Jam podcast has given Alanna a worldwide audience of
nearly one million listeners. Every week, people tune
in to receive the vibrations and teachings of yoga from
Alanna. The podcasts feature a variety of formats and
include Alanna's own music in the background. Alanna,
the JivaDiva has been featured on Lime.com and Body +
Soul Magazine.
She teaches at the Yoga Journal Conferences, and is on
staff with the Omega Institute. Her article about loving mantras
was published in the
October 2007 issue of Yoga Journal. In the February
2008 issue of Yoga Journal, she was named as one of
Jivamukti Yoga's "Who's Who," and in the March 2008
issue, she was profiled as one of the next
generation of yoga teachers shaping yoga's future
(see the article).
Alanna's believes that faith (shraddha) can accomplish
anything, and that belief has, over and over again,
allowed her to achieve the seemingly impossible.