Assistant Manager

Ashley is a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) 500 Hour with Yoga Alliance, specializing in Vinyasa Flow. Movement has been an integral part of her life since she began dancing at the age of 10. Growing up as a competitive dancer, she trained in many styles of dance, specializing in contemporary, tap, and jazz. Ashley attended San Diego State University, completing her degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing in 2014, while also serving as Captain for the nationally ranked SDSU Dance Team. In 2015, she began dancing for the San Diego Enforcers Dance Team and served as director and coach from 2017 to 2019, fundraising for United Cerebral Palsy of San Diego County and supporting the San Diego community.

In 2016, Ashley began her yoga journey and found her love of yoga and a safe space to express her emotions through asanas, breath, and meditation. With Ashley’s extensive background in dance, yoga has been the perfect complement to her dance training, allowing her to translate much of her knowledge of the body and movements to her yoga teaching. In 2021, she completed the 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) through San Diego Miramar College (SDMC) with a focus on Vinyasa and Hatha Flow. In 2022, she completed the 300-hour YTT at SDMC to deepen her understanding of self as a teacher and continue her yoga education.

You can find Ashley teaching Vinyasa flow, Hatha flow, Yin yoga, Restorative yoga, intuitive dance, contemporary dance, jazz-funk, line-dancing, heels, and cardio hip-hop at local studios and private settings in the San Diego area. In her spare time, she enjoys stand-up paddle boarding, boogie boarding, dancing, and making candles for her business, Ash & Embers Candles.

What brought you to yoga? About 27 years ago I met a guy who just radiated. I asked him what he was doing. Besides eating mostly raw organic fruits and vegetables, he practiced yoga. I was inspired to try both. Haven’t looked back since.

How do you spend your free time? I really enjoy any type of athletic endeavor. Ultimate Frizbee and trail running are currently at the top of the list.

Danielle began practicing Yoga Asana at the age of 15 as a need for centering and grounding became a theme of her teenage years. She completed her 200 hour YTT at age 17 with Kellie Livingstone as her mentor. She then attended the University of California Santa Cruz, graduating, in three years in 2018, with a Bachelor of Arts in Feminist Studies with a concentration in Culture, Power, and Representation.

Upon finishing her degree, she became a Certified Therapeutic Body Worker by completing the National Holistic Institute’s 800 hour Massage therapy Program and is currently embarking in her 300 hour YTT at the Soul of Yoga in Encinitas, CA with the intention to practice Yoga Therapy and Therapeutic Body Worker throughout the rest of her life. She is drawn to these practice by her intuition as well as her love for attempting to understand the human body, mind and spirit. Her most consistent intention in life is to hold space for herself and others in a compassionate and nurturing way to facilitate moving inward to cultivate space for healing and transformation.

Like so many others, Yoga has lifted me out of a dark place in my life and has shown me how to lead life with a brighter perspective.

I’ve been so turned on by my practice, I have been inspired to share Yoga with others. So, in 2020, I completed my 200 Hour Teacher Training in San Diego, plus a 14 Hour Pranayama Teacher Training.

I love Yoga because there’s no end to the journey. There is so much room for growth in many, perhaps infinite, directions. I love learning. A wise friend of mine said, “Everyday is a school day.”

Along with my love of Yoga, I have a passion for the outdoors. I am a two-time cross-country backpacker, having hiked about 5,000 miles. I thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2013 and fell deep in love, so I did it again and thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail in 2018.

After that, my husband and I traveled overseas and abroad. Then in 2019, we converted a 2010 Chevy Box Truck into a tiny home on wheels. For almost 4 years, we’ve visited more than half of the US by foot and vehicle and it’s been a wild ride in the best possible way.

Both Yoga and the outdoors remind me of my connection to the entire cosmos, universe or source. They offer me the opportunity to be aware of myself, my environment and my place in it.  As a result, I move inward to observe myself and how I interact with the world around me. I have to go outside to move in! I love practicing Yoga outside and since 2018 have practiced mostly outside. It keeps me connected to the elements and reminds me that those same elements reside within me.

Studio Manager

Internationally raised, Jenny von Weisenborn has lived and traveled around the world. Her yoga journey began in 2011 and she pursued her 200-hour teacher training in 2019. Her practice has evolved through the years, expanding her mind and heart to the well-being union of mental, physical, and emotional benefits. Through yoga, she discovers steadiness and self-awareness. Jenny has been part of the Pilgrimage family since 2019 and is grateful to be involved with this special community.

As your guide, Jenny’s intention is to empower you to connect with yourself through conscious self-care and awareness of the interconnectedness of your mind, body, and breath. Encouraging mindfulness and relaxation, she offers slower, restful yoga practices and has completed additional specialized training in Pranayama, Yin, and Restorative Yoga. Consistent elements in her class include grounding, breathwork, mindful movement, nourishing rest, and guided meditation.

A lifelong learner, Jenny holds a B.A. in Biogeography and an M.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies focusing on Children's Literature and Wildlife Conservation. Always curious, her other interests include self-enrichment books and podcasts, movies, creative projects, the natural world, camping, and travel adventures.

General Manager

Linda began working at the front desk and teaching at Pilgrimage of the Heart in 2008 and has since enjoyed learning all aspects of running a yoga studio! She is proud of our heart-centered community that has grown over the years. She gets a sense of satisfaction when she witnesses students come out of yoga classes, calm, serene, and smiling. In her current role as General Manager, Linda takes pride in supporting the team of staff and teachers in doing what they love most: teaching and offering yoga to our community. 

Linda discovered yoga while training for her black belt in martial arts. Yoga quickly became something much more than a compliment to her martial arts practice. She went on to become a certified yoga teacher in 2000, from the Kripalu Institute in western Massachusetts. Linda moved to San Diego from New York in 2008 with her partner John and their loyal dogs Trinity and Sage. In her free time, Linda enjoys reading, cooking up healthy recipes in her home, enjoying movies on the sofa with her family, and enjoying nature's beauty while hiking.

Studio Founder

Sujantra was born in San Francisco in 1962 and moved to San Diego in 1980 to attend UCSD. He is the founder and owner of the Pilgrimage of the Heart Yoga Studio, which he opened in 2006.

Sujantra first became interested in hatha yoga as a young boy and used his practice of asanas (the yoga postures) and pranayama (breathing techniques) as a stepping stone into the “inner aspects” of yoga: concentration, meditation, and contemplation.

In 1980, Sujantra began studying meditation with spiritual teacher Sri Chinmoy. He has taught meditation for over 40 years in over 20 different countries and has authored several books on eastern philosophy, success motivation, and meditation. Two of his books were used by major universities to teach wellness, stress reduction, and comparative religion.

Sujantra believes it is important to demystify meditation and to offer the complete yoga experience by teaching all eight aspects of yoga and exploring the relevance of this ancient art in our modern lives. While he has taught Yoga for Children and Yoga I, Sujantra currently leads meditation classes, workshops, and training for the community. He encourages students to practice both at home and at the studio.

Sujantra is an ACE certified Group Fitness Instructor.

Sujantra's publications are available on Amazon and in our studio retail boutique. They include:

• 7 Secrets to Super-Health
• Paths are Many, Truth is One: Exploring the Unity of All Religions
• Learn to Meditate
• Strategies for Success: An Outline for Personal Growth
• Focus – Relax – Peace (60 min. CD)
• Learn to Teach Meditation and Mindfulness
• Teaching Mindfulness to Children: A Practical Guide for Parents, Teachers, and Care Givers