Our Instructors,
Our Hearts
SHARON NIRYCE MURRIGUEZ
500 HOUR ERYT WITH THE YOGA ALLIANCE, BOARD CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER WITH THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SPORTS MEDICINE
Sharon has been teaching yoga, fitness + mindfulness classes in the San Francisco Bay Area since 2008 and loves blending these modalities in vigorous well balanced vinyasa yoga classes that incorporate a combination of breath, physical exertion, equanimity and meditation to serve the needs of your body, mind and soul. Sharon also enjoys practicing and teaching the gentler modalities of restorative yoga, pranayama (breath work), yoga nidra (yogic sleep), meditation and sound baths.
She has led more than 15 yoga teacher trainings and has served as a mentor for yoga teachers as they find their path to teaching. Sharon is an American from New York who spent most of her adult life living in the San Francisco Bay Area. She moved to Sicily at the end of 2019 to explore a new way of living and culture. Since moving to Catania, and after venues reopened from pandemic closures, she spent a year as the Yoga Director at a Vegan Hotel in the Dolomites – located in a breathtaking World UNESCO Heritage Site in Alto Adige, one of Italy’s northern most regions, designing and leading yoga classes where she had the opportunity to meet students from all around the world and share the practice of yoga. She currently teaches public and private yoga, movement + meditation classes in Sicily and she hosts a yoga podcast called Peace, Planks + Prana – a Yoga Podcast dedicated to the yoga experience and ALL things social, spiritual + spicy.
She loves how sharing the gift of yoga naturally builds community. In particular, she is drawn to crafting and hosting full immersive experiences for all levels of yogis and humans who are interested in combining a culturally immersive travel and/or retreat experience with the practices of yoga, meditation, mindfulness and self discovery. These experiences include international weeklong retreats (her favorite events to guide), long weekend get-aways or daylong workshops and community events that bridge yoga + mindfulness practices with the culture, nature and community that surrounds us all.
She aims to create a safe space that encourages students to get into their body in order to calm their systems with movement-based yoga practices, pranayama, meditation, and other mindfulness techniques.
SAM BUTARBUTAR
OMOTESENKE SCHOOL OF MATCHA, TEA PROFESSIONAL CERTIFIED BY THE CHINESE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE
Sam started his culinary journey early as a self-taught cook. He graduated UC Berkeley with a degree in science but quickly realized that his love was food, a love that stemmed from his mom’s kitchen and upbringing in Indonesia. Working his way in kitchens from San Luis Obispo to San Francisco, he landed a position in the now two Michelin-starred Lazy Bear, where he was one of the first few founding cooks
After working in kitchens for years, he ultimately decided to pursue a career in baking and started Sam’s Patisserie out of his home kitchen in Berkeley, CA. It was then that he created the Mochi Muffin, that his journey took off - being named the “Mochi Muffin Man” By The San Francisco Chronicle in 2015. He then co-founded Third Culture Bakery with his partner and quickly grew to 6 locations across two states in 3 years.
With a bakery that highlighted his upbringing as a Third Culture Kid, Sam also fell in love with tea & the art of tea ceremonies. He is is now a certified tea expert and a member of the Omotesenke (表千家) school of matcha ceremonies in Kyoto, Japan.
JOHN LUNA-SPARKS
LICENSED ACUPUNCTURIST, BOARD CERTIFIED DIPLOMATE,
LICENSED CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKER
John helps people lead pain-free, active lives and seeks to change the public’s reliance on opioids and other drugs by spreading the word about safe, effective natural interventions like acupuncture and Tai Chi that work.
After suffering a debilitating neck injury over 10 years ago that left him bedridden for four months, his true recovery began one year later when a friend suggested acupuncture and Tai Chi. He was able to come off several pain medications and an antidepressant and canceled a major scheduled cervical fusion procedure - avoiding surgery altogether..
Inspired by his recovery, John later became a licensed acupuncturist and herbalist. He specializes in sports acupuncture, mental health, and women’s health. He twice completed the intensive Acupuncture Sports Medicine Apprenticeship Program with Dr. Whitfield Reaves, the pioneer of sports acupuncture in North America. John currently serves as one of Dr. Reaves’ teaching assistants. John is passionate about helping others take charge of their healthcare, as he did, with options that target the root cause of the pain and minimize the use of drugs and surgery.
CHEF JASON & SEQUOIA
CHEZ PANISSE, RIVER CAFE ALUM + PREVIOUSLY OF SEQUOIA DINER, OAKLAND
Influenced by her Barcelona roots, owner Sequoia Del Hoyo opened the doors of TAROCCO, a namesake daytime restaurant, as a space for folks to gather in the European style- over a glass of wine, a casual bite or an afternoon coffee as a response to the need of healthy, feel-good-food.
After 10+ years of restaurant ownership in the Bay Area, Sequoia brought in her life partner, Chef Jason Botterill, (Chez Panisse + River Cafe alum). Driven by their shared passion for the convivial nature of dining in Barcelona, the two decided to narrow the focus to this beautiful micro-region of the Mediterranean. Together they designed a unique lunch bar concept, based on their experiences at tapas restaurants.
Today Sequoia and Jason’s cooking and vision is more than just a daily cafe. It is an event space celebrating all the milestones of life including beginnings and ends. It is a space for co-creation and collaboration. A place to take in the simple pleasures of daily life, with those who matter the most. And they are excited to share their carefully crafted foods with their community in Berkeley and beyond.