Alanna
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 sound, meditation, 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. In 2007, she produced her newest album, Shine. This inspirational and eclectic album features several of Australia's prominent jazz musicians. Shine includes 2 songs in Sanskrit for your energetic body, and the rest of the groovy tracks are in english to ignite the soul.

Since July of 2005, Alanna has produced a yoga podcast called "Yoga Jam with the JivaDiva". The success of the Yoga Jam podcast has given Alanna a worldwide audience of over one million listeners. She currently produces 2 other podcasts - one that features live recordings of her dynamic classes and one that features lectures designed to inspire yoga instructors.

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, the JivaDiva, has been featured on Lime.com and Body + Soul Magazine.

 

Dave Stringer
The Los Angeles Times has declared the experience of chanting with Dave Stringer to be “a departure from ancient kirtan. Stringer’s performance shaped the experience into a far more compelling musical encounter.” Kirtan (pronounced keer-tahn) originated in India, and is currently experiencing a worldwide renaissance as a participatory live music experience.

Stringer's sound marries the transcendent mysticism of traditional Indian instruments with the exuberant, groove-oriented sensibility of American gospel, and he is regarded as one of the most gifted singers in the genre. Stringer, who is also an accomplished composer and multi-instrumentalist, has a special ability to bring people together and inspire them to sing. His work intends to create a modern and participatory theatrical experience out of the ancient traditions of kirtan and yoga, open to a multiplicity of interpretations, and accessible to all.

Initially trained as a visual artist, filmmaker and jazz musician, Stringer had his formative experiences with chanting when film editing work brought him to the Siddha Yoga ashram in Ganeshpuri, India in 1990. A subsequent period of residence at the ashram laid the foundation for his continuing study of the ideas, practices and music of yoga.

Since 2000, Stringer and a diverse ensemble of accompanying musicians have toured North America and Europe tirelessly, developing new venues for music, and expanding the audience for kirtan. He has introduced chanting for the first time to many seemingly unlikely cities, and through his consistent touring, has been instrumental in the development of a number of thriving local kirtan communities. He has also served as a volunteer teaching meditation and chanting to inmates at a number of correctional facilities in the United States.

An articulate and engaging public speaker, he probes the dilemmas of the spirit with a wry and unorthodox sense of humor. Stringer frequently works in tandem with internationally celebrated yoga teachers, creating music for workshops led by John Friend, Shiva Rea, and Gurmukh, among others. Of particular note has been his friendship and collaboration with yoga teacher Saul David Raye, with whom he has created a number of recordings.

Based in Los Angeles, Stringer has produced varied recordings with other celebrated World musicians including Azam Ali, Vas, Axiom of Choice, Rasa, Suzanne Teng, Shaman's Dream and the Open Door Orchestra. Chant artists Donna Delory, Suzanne Sterling, and Girish went on to launch their own careers in the genre after spending time in Stringer's performing and recording ensembles. His voice also appears on numerous soundtracks, including the blockbuster film Matrix Revolutions and the video game Myst. The CDs he has produced under his own name, "Brink", "Japa", "Mala" and "Divas " Devas", are heard in yoga studios throughout the world.