LYZ

I believe in NFC because yoga should be accessible to everyone. It can have a profound impact on a single person as well as the community as a whole. NFC reaching out to the underserved is just what this world needs. I believe in being the change you wish to see in the world and want to do my part to help heal and share love to all

LISA

CRYSTAL UYENO

E-RYT 200, certified Pilates Instructor

Board Member

Crystal’s journey with yoga began in 2014, after a long battle with anxiety and depression. Through yoga she’s found the ability to breath, relax, and move toward inner peace. Crystal’s pivotal struggle lead her to become a yoga instructor so that she might help others understand and reap the therapeutic benefits of yoga as well.

Because she feels that her primary purpose in this life is to help others by sharing what she is most passionate about, Crystal joined NFC. As a member of NFC, she encourages others to take the tools they have learned on the mat into their daily lives and gives back to the community at large through NFC’s fundraising endeavors.

In addition to working with NFC, Crystal is a wife, mother, and a Lululemon ambassador.

Donald Turnmire

Board Member

Donald wants to spread the practice of vulnerability to the Central Valley and the world. In everything he does, he hopes to effect positive change in the lives of the people he touches.

In Donald’s life, yoga and meditation allow him to feel compassion, self-acceptance, love, and profound calm. He strongly believes that yoga has the power to change people. In his words, “They begin to feel connected, not just to themselves, but to the people around them.”

He is a member of NFC because the partnership between social action and yoga inspires him. Along with his work with NFC, Donald is a mental health professional working toward his LMFT.

PHAVEN WILLIAMS

Board Member

Phaven has a deep commitment to helping those in need, especially at-risk youth. In her yoga practice, Phaven continually learns about balance in life and herself. Moreover, she is present daily, mentally and physically, without personal judgment.

Through her observations of her father’s work in communities locally and globally, Phaven has witnessed the benefits of social action first hand.

Her involvement with NFC allows Phaven to act on her belief in the benefits of yoga for every human and to express compassion through the act of charitable giving. In addition to her involvement with NFC, Phaven is a wife and mother to four children.

Michelle Gonzales-Amely

Secretary

Michelle is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist who works with children ages 0-8 and their families. She sees first hand the impact of trauma and adverse life events for not only the children but also their caregivers. A large part of her job involves assisting families in coping and healing from their experiences. Michelle appreciates that Namaste for Compassion is an organization focused on the healing of people through yoga.

“I feel the more people in our community who have access to a healing modality like yoga, the better. I have always seen value in yoga as a way to help people heal. NFC is really the answer to the question I have been asking myself for many years. How can I help? Yoga has provided me with love and self-acceptance.”

Michelle feels humbled to be a part of this team of heart-centered people and to be able to assist people in the community. In her spare time, Michelle enjoys time in nature with her husband and pets.