Lindley Folkerson

500 Hour Certified


​MORGAN is passionate about creating space where students can cultivate personal power through the challenge of asana. She believes in asana as a physical vehicle for transformation of mind and spirit. Originally drawn to yoga to reduce stress and to get a physical “workout,” she understands the many doors that can open the path to the larger Yoga.  From her first class at a gym she sensed there was more to it than just the physical, and her path continues to lead her to what that “more” truly is; towards the essence of both yoga and her Self.

Morgan uses alignment-based classes (both flow and form) to draw attention to habits and tendencies in a self-discovery process. Student empowerment surfaces through the cultivation of this awareness.  Each student is invited to challenge his/her own edge in the safety of Morgan’s guidance.  In carefully crafted classes, students are guided into challenging physical postures but asked to journey inward to look at their own reactions, tap into their strength, and become present. She believes each class is an offering of her knowledge and experience in an effort to invoke a process of transformation in students.

After 5 years of steady practice, she embarked on the Be Shri Yoga teacher training program (Greenwich, CT) where she received her 200hr certification.  Several years later, in the spring of 2015, she attended a workshop that set her on a path that would change the way she both practices and teaches.  After her first weekend workshop with Christina Sell, she became determined to continue to study with her.  Morgan credits Christina for her shift to clearer and more targeted teachings, both on and off the mat.   She completed the 300hr Alchemy of Flow and Form Advanced Teacher Training Program at the San Marcos School of Yoga with Christina Sell and Gioconda Parker.  Morgan is also the lead teacher of the Surya Yoga Teacher Training Program (both 200 hour and 300 hour) where she shares her passion for teaching with teacher trainees. In 2019 she also began to host yoga retreats and this has fueled a new passion to combine both yoga and travel.

Morgan spent 16 years in the northeast but returned to her hometown of El Paso in the fall of 2013 to open Surya Yoga. She holds a BFA in theater arts and a Masters degree in education. She spent several years acting in NYC and seven years teaching fourth grade in Connecticut. Her life has led her to share her voice in many different capacities, and she is grateful to be able to help expand the yoga community in her hometown.  Morgan is an animal lover at heart and can be found spending free time with her three dogs or rescuing cats.
  
  

ALMA Moreno's interest in yoga was piqued in 2022 when she discovered Surya Yoga's 200-hour teacher training program. Completing the training ignited her passion for both the practice itself and its underlying philosophy. Alma's teaching style seamlessly integrates alignment-based yoga, gentle flow, and restorative yoga. She not only takes pride in crafting purposeful classes that blend anatomy and philosophy but also prioritizes creating a safe space for her students to delve deep within themselves, encouraging them to find comfort and growth both physically and mentally.


Her dedication to continuous learning is evident through her ongoing professional training and consistent personal yoga practice. Currently, she is preparing to embark on a 300-hour Yoga Teacher Training with Morgan Mazza, supplementing her education with online yoga courses and research-based articles to nurture her inquisitive nature.


Alma holds a Bachelor's degree in Bilingual Education and a Master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction. Beyond her professional pursuits, she cherishes her roles as an introverted individual, a nurturing mother to three young adults, a daughter-in-law and a Labrador, a devoted wife, and an enthusiast of life's indulgent pleasures, particularly chocolate and cheese. During her leisure time, she finds solace in outdoor walks and embraces the enriching experiences of travel.

LINDLEY was first introduced to yoga during a ballet summer intensive when she was 14. She was an irregular practitioner throughout college and post-graduate training but after moving to El Paso she found her yoga home at Surya. She has completed her 200-hour YTT with Morgan and will embark on her 300-hour YTT journey fall of 2022.

Lindley has always been in awe of the human body- so much so that she chose a career as an ER physician. Her yoga practice has helped deepen her knowledge of the physical body as well as the mind/body connection. She is passionate to share this with her students through mindful alignment-based poses and flow work. 

When not in the studio or at work she can be found travelling the globe with her husband or at home with her 2 cats, Bella and Hemingway.

Kandy Aboud (Tattwamayi)
RYT® 500


MARISOL is an experienced and passionate yoga instructor with a deep love for wellness and health that has been with her since childhood. Growing up in Mexico, she started studying dance at the age of five, which led her to pursue a degree in nutrition in Mexico City and further her dance studies in Minneapolis.

Her journey with yoga began 20 years ago, and she has been committed to the practice ever since. After becoming a mom, she embraced the opportunity to deepen her knowledge by completing two 200-hour Yoga Teacher Trainings (YTTs)—one in Mexico and another in Chicago—as well as a 50-hour Yin Yoga training.

She is particularly passionate about power yoga, where she enjoys integrating inversions and arm balances. Her approach is to guide the mind into action, always aligning with the rhythm of your own breath.

Susan Jaffee
E-RYT® 500

YACEP®


KANDY Aboud (Tattwamayi) received her 200 hour yoga teacher training in Integrative Yoga Therapy in 2005 and her 500 hour Yoga Teacher Training through YAMA (Yoga, Ayurveda and Meditation Arts) Therapeutics in 2010 in Baltimore,  MD. She also completed an Ayurvedic Wellness Coaching Certificate in 2011.  


She has been practicing yoga for 20 years and made her first trip to India to the Sivananda Ashram in Rikhia Peeth with other yoga teachers in October 2010 for a Chakra Sadhana Retreat . In 2013 she went back to Mother India for the World Yoga Convention in Munger at the Bihar Yoga Bharati and back to Rikhia for a Prana Vidya Retreat. She received Mantra Diksha in 2010 and received her spiritual name of Tattwamayi from Sw. Satyasangananda Saraswati at that time. She received herJignasu Sannyasa (spiritual seeker) from Sw. Niranjanananda Saraswati in 2013 and her Karma Sannyasa in 2016 from Sw. Satyasangananda. She last returned to India to Sivananda Ashram in 2019. She also was trained in Restorative Yoga and Yoga Nidra in 2018 at Anahata Ashram in Golden Bay, New Zealand with Karma Karuna Saraswati.


Kandy is a retired Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner. She brings a spiritual quality to her yoga classes, incorporating pranayama, mudras,  chakras, and meditation in the Satyananda Yogic tradition of India.   

Alma Moreno

200 Hour Certified


Our Instructors


Debbi Trejo

RYT®200, 500 Hour Certified




SUSAN, a devoted practitioner and student, is known for her integrated alignment based yoga teachings. Her classes combine elements of the practice including asana, pranayama and meditation. Her enthusiastic instruction is precise, educational and is infused with practical ideas for bringing the yoga practice into everyday living. She encourages students to discover their own unique qualities by becoming more curious and awake in their lives.

Susan is an E-RYT® 500 teacher who began her journey in the tradition of Iyengar yoga with Carol Carnes Johnson, the yoga pioneer in El Paso. She then discovered Anusara® yoga and became certified as Anusara-Inspired®. She is also certified as a Wisdom Warrior™ teacher—yoga for practitioners over 50 who want to continue a dynamic practice. She has studied extensively with Desiree Rumbaugh and Andrew Rivin. Through the years she has trained with Tiffany Wood, Bea Doyle, Martin Kirk, Ellen Saltonstall, Jill Miller, Sianna Sherman and Elena Brower.

 Susan is a licensed Speech Language Pathologist with a master’s degree in that field. She and her family can be found cooking, hiking and traveling together.

Julie Prilliman

RYT®200


Marisol Castaño

200 Hour Certified


Surya Yoga boasts some of the most experienced and widely trained yoga instructors in the El Paso region.  Come experience quality instruction in a safe and supportive environment.


All of our instructors have gone through teacher training programs recognized by the Yoga Alliance.

CASANDRA has been devotional Yoga practitioner and meditator since 2000. "Together…we move and connect with our breath, embracing moments of silence and stillness, all in reverence to the quiet guidance of sādhanā. Yoga is a practice of truth, of remembrance. We tap into the heart and melt into the source… It’s my absolute honor to serve you on the mat."


CERTIFICATIONS:

  • 300-hour YTT, Radiantly Alive, May 2013, Bali, Indonesia
  • 100-hour Next Generation Yoga, December 2013, Mazatlán, México
  • 300-hour YTT Radiantly Alive, November 2014, Bali, Indonesia 
  • 200-hour YIN Yoga TT Radiantly Alive, December 2014, Bali, Indonesia
  • 100-hour Ashtanga TT Ashtanga Yoga Center with Tim Miller, July 2016, Encinitas California
  • Vipassana Meditation 10 day course, August 2017, Dharmsala, India 
  • 200-hour YTT High Vibe Yoga, February 2018, Bali, Indonesia
  • 65-hrs YIN Yoga TT Yinspiration, April 2019, Hongkong, China
  • 35-hrs Qigong training Forest Rock Taiji & Qigong School, November 2019, Bali, Indonesia
  • Wim Hof Method training with Wim Hof Wim Hof Method Center, July 2021, Stroe, Netherlands
  • Ashtanga Yoga workshop with Kino McGregor Ashtanga Yoga Paris, August 2021, Paris, France
  • 50-hr YIN training Soma Chandra, December 2023, Bali, Indonesia.


Additionally, she continues to travel extensively in order to expand her knowledge by training with other world class teachers. Including Edward Clark, Damien De Bastier, Alanna Kaivalya, Deborah Williamson, Sebastien Pucelle, and Tias & Surya Little.


She holds a B.A. of Communication Advertising, a Master in Brand Management from Polimoda in Florence, Italy and speaks four fluent languages.


“Yoga has helped me achieve a healthy balance and quality of life by aligning my goals to my purpose, seeking congruence in everything I do on and off the mat. I am grateful to be able to share my experience with the world. Yoga has enriched my life, I could not do without it.”


Other things she couldn't do without: Music, traveling, hiking, time in nature, family & friends, animals, pizza and chocolate. Cas is a person who’s and old soul and young at heart at the same time, rebellious and a free spirit. Shine on!


…come find YOU.

 

Georgina Rodriguez

200 Hour Certified


GEORGINA first stepped on the yoga mat in 2017 and couldn’t even reach her own toes. She was looking for the physical benefits of a yoga practice and found more- a deep awareness of her spirit, mind and soul. It was love at first practice, so she promised herself a lifelong commitment to exploration of her Self through yoga.

As her personal practice progressed, she naturally gravitated towards an alignment-based asana practice. Understanding the mechanics of the human body is something Georgina is very interested in. This is what led her to complete the 200hr yoga teacher training at Surya Yoga with Morgan Mazza. Through her training she discovered that she enjoys teaching Form style classes where she can take time to understand the student’s bodies and therefore expand her own knowledge of the asana. Additionally, she finds joy in teaching slower paced Flow classes and Yin yoga.

As in instructor, she encourages students to bring awareness to their bodies and to the subtle aspects that accompany a yoga posture such as the breath, thoughts and emotions. Finding balance between acceptance of the Self as is, while working on areas that can be improved, is her yoga philosophy. She also believes life isn’t meant to be taken too seriously so you can expect to have a fun time and a good laugh in her class.

She holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Geology.  Besides yoga, Georgina loves: good food (and cooking it!) especially desserts, quality time with family and friends, a warm cup of tea and life-changing books. And yes, she can finally reach her toes.

​

Morgan Mazza

Owner

E-RYT® 500

YACEP®


Adriana Garcia

RYT® 500


DEBBI's yoga journey began in 2011 when her then teenage daughter wanted to attend a class and pressed Debbi to join her so as not to go alone. Little did Debbi know that would turn into a passion and a never-ending quest to learn more. Her passion grew from the initial challenge of the physical poses to understanding the marriage of movement with breath to the strength and steadiness she discovered in herself. She has drawn on these resources to face life’s challenges from a more rooted and peaceful place. These are the resources she strives to bring to her classes; challenging but meaningful movement with breath to build strength and confidence, health and wellbeing.

Debbi has not stopped practicing since she began. In December of 2016, Debbi stepped into Surya Yoga and knew it was a special place. At Surya, surrounded by amazing teachers and practitioners, Debbi’s practice grew stronger and took on an even deeper meaning in her life. In October 2018 she completed the 200HR Yoga Teacher Training under Morgan Mazza and in 2019 completed the 300HR Yoga Teacher Training. She is also certified as a Level 1 Warriors At Ease yoga teacher and has completed Restorative Yoga teacher training.

Debbi is a proud mother of three and a US Army Veteran. She holds a BA in Spanish and Military Science from University of Texas at El Pas and an MA in Logistics Management from Webster University. Debbi is a certified Life and Performance Coach.

ADRIANA began practicing yoga about 7 years ago, but feels that she didn't really begin to understand it until recently. She is now extremely passionate about the overall mind, body, and spiritual connection that yoga brings in practice and philosophy. For Adriana, yoga is place where she can go to find herself in the midst of chaos related to daily life. She hopes to give the same sense of connection and pace in her classes, as well as an understanding of the asana practice and alignment.

In her own practice, Adriana finds most joy in that connection of the self to the self, and an overall acceptance and appreciation of life and living in the moment. She hopes to do this through her classes that offer challenges to push personal limits, both physically and mentally, while helping others know to live yoga both on and off the mat. Adriana completed her 200 hour yoga teacher training led by Morgan Mazza at Surya Yoga Studio in October of 2018, and will continue to commit to learning more about yoga in the 300 hour teaching training in 2019 at Surya.

Adriana holds a Master's degree in Education (Curriculum and Instruction), and is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst who provides therapy based on applied behavior analysis to children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. She is a proud mom to a pitbull mix and a small kitten. She loves traveling, music, art, animals, and yoga!

JULIE began a consistent yoga practice in 2017 in an effort to promote her health and longevity. It did not take long for her to appreciate the mental and physical balance that yoga brought to her life. Upon retirement from a career in education, she enrolled in Yoga Teacher Training at Surya Yoga Studio and completed her certification in 2022.

Julie has a Bachelor’s Degree from Texas Tech University and a Master’s Degree from the University of North Texas. She has a passion for volunteer service and continues to give back to the community as a Sustaining Member of the Junior League of El Paso. In her free time, Julie enjoys travel, reading, and spending time with her family and friends.


Casandra Salas-Porras

500 Hr Certified