A serious ballet student since the age of three and an accomplished visual artist holding an MFA in painting and printmaking from Tulane University, Alvina embarked on a deep exploration of yoga as a way to deal with the onset of systematic lupus. Her many teachers include Swami Veda Bharati (formerly Dr. Arya) of the Himalayan Institue in India, Swami Satchidananda, and Dyanyogi Madhusana, as well as extraordinary ballet teachers who approached their rigorous discipline with the clarity and compassion of yoga. Alvina interweaves these multiple factes with almost thirty years of teaching experience to create her unique style: rooted in the classical tradition of Hatha Yoga yet fluid and open to the complex challenges facing diverse individuals.