Alyssa is more than a yoga teacher. She is that rare combination of heart, intelligence, and inspiration. Not only has Alyssa improved the health of my body, but she has also helped me come into a better relationship with my body. I highly recommend Alyssa and https://www.bodyofsound.com/ read more

You know when you meet someone and you can just feel your energy totally connect to their's?! That's how I felt when I met Alyssa in a dance class over a year ago! Since then, I have felt drawn to connect, create & play with her! She is such a powerhouse of creativity and offers so much to her students, co-creators & friends! I have participated in 3 of the LadyBOS performance series. This is a 5 week series that gathers a group of women, all ages & backgrounds, to empower each other through music & movement. Alyssa guides the group through the experience of creating a performance piece and encourages their input and ideas! I have gained so much from being a part of this experience and I highly encourage you to join the next round of LadyBOS! My most recent experience with Alyssa was at her Body of Sound - Yoga & Music Retreat! I spent a weekend at a gorgeous yurt camp in Santa Cruz with the most amazing group of artists and musicians all thanks to Alyssa! We practiced yoga, played drums & other percussion instruments, enjoyed the hot tub, ate delicious food & made great memories! I wish I could do it every weekend! I hope you consider all Alyssa has to offer- you'll never look back! read more

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Alyssa DeCaro is a great yoga teacher: full stop. She combines dance, movement and yoga into a powerful form of exercise -- both of the spiritual and physical dimensions. I am a 60-year-old male and I came to Alyssa after breaking my kneecap in a fall. She's already improved my balance and given me hope that I will be returning to the basketball court one day. read more

Tremendously skilled and gifted. Alyssa is an experienced facilitator and intuitive healer who has my utmost trust. She has incredible skills in teaching yoga/movement, facilitating transformation with sound and music, and giving hands-on bodywork. Alyssa really knows how to listen to what the body needs - regardless of what we do, it's always a potent healing session. Most of all, she is remarkably present and authentic. She's a special blend of rooted wisdom and pure magic! read more

I contacted Alyssa on a day of what I can only describe as pain and despair. I am 33 and to feel so much pain sitting down felt both hopeless and embarrassing. That day, I really needed help after a long plane ride, and she paid me a visit. My doctor recommended yoga, but I was in no condition to just go straight up to a one-size-fit-all yoga course. What Alyssa offered was a personable experience tailored to my needs. She arrived and helped me to the yoga mat. She assessed what I need and what I'm capable of doing. Gave me a lot of good information and exercises without overwhelming me. She is so knowledgeable about the body it seems she knows what it needs all the time. On top of that, she's a kind and caring person that makes yoga feel like a warm and pleasant hug, contrary to what I was expecting: going to an intimidating class with flexible and beautiful people while feeling sorry that I can't match up. The session was a mix of massage and simple exercises that relieved a lot of pain right away. Unlike a regular massage, I walked away with practical exercises I can do to start improving my body (what I can do while sitting and walking.) Instead of just getting short-term relief, I learned of the source of my pain. It was 1000 times more helpful than my regular chiropractor. I'm happy to report I'm steadily recovering back to my original capacity. If you choose health, it's definitely worth seeing Alyssa! read more

I've been studying yoga for years with several teachers. Each teacher have their own unique style and teaching and that's something I really appreciate. For me almost everything is about balance and that is what i love the most at Alyssa classes. She's dedicated to this art form and offer guidance and wisdom with every class. her classes can be challenging but yet not too fast and not too pushy as we can find more and more this days. I always leave feeling much better than when I walked. THANK YOU!! read more

If you're looking for an amazing body experience, go see Alyssa. She really GETS the whole body-mind connection and knows how to move your energy and physical body into places that will feel, well... amazing. I love Alyssa's yoga classes. They are full of light, humor and inspiration, and what could be better than that?! She gently coaxes (without pushing) the body to it's edge, just what the metaphysical doctor ordered. Seriously. It's like going on a hour and a half retreat, right here in the city. I haven't yet tried her dance classes, but I'll bet, based on other experiences, that they are powerful and positive. Alyssa is a bright light not to be missed! read more

Alyssa is a very in-tune massage therapist. She knew exactly where to go on my body and how much pressure to use. I felt extremely satisfied and relaxed afterwards. I felt very comfortable with her and thought she was extremely professional. I am definitely a return customer! read more

I did Alyssa's "A Day Out of Time" Daylong retreat yesterday and it was phenomenal! Every detail was so thoughtfully planned and allowed for time to truly melt away. We were so cared for and nourished. Alyssa is a gifted yoga teacher who leads a strength-building practice and allows for you to listen to what your own body needs. We had a more vigorous practice in the morning and a deep, restorative session in the afternoon. The musical accompaniment by Rasa was gorgeous and inspiring. In between sessions, we were fed delicious home-cooked vegetarian food for lunch and had time to rest, hike or soak. I can't speak highly enough about Alyssa and the care she took for each and every participant. I wish I lived in the East Bay so that I could study with her regularly! read more

I've been attending Alyssa's yoga classes regularly for a couple of years now and have a hard time going to any other yoga classes at this point (and I have tried dozens of other instructors). She is such a wonderful, well-rounded instructor. Alyssa guides you through poses a little slower than some other teachers so that you have time to find proper alignment in each asana, but somehow she manages to fit in more "stuff" than a lot of other classes I've gone to. She always incorporates core work which is extremely important and I find that a lot of yoga classes lack. She also offers a lot of options for modifications which accommodates all-level yogis from beginner to advanced, and tight to flexible. She is a very compassionate instructor and really takes her time before class to get to know every student. If new students come in she takes the time to get to know their needs and history (injuries, etc.) and also makes sure to touch base with regular students to see how they are doing. I use yoga as a moving meditation and the reason Alyssa's class works so well for me is because it is so mindful. I have heard this term thrown around a lot but never has it been more true than in her class. During class Alyssa is very motivating and inspiring in a gentle way and has a way of really guiding you through your own personal experience. That said, the physical aspect of her classes is not so gentle (although you can modify to make that way if you want!). Alyssa's class encourages a very strong, sweaty practice that leaves you feeling like you've really "worked out." I've never been to another class like it - strong asana, mindful guidance, beautiful adjustments, and live music on Fridays! It took me years to get my husband to do yoga with me and since he tried Alyssa's class he attends yoga with me at least once a week or more. We moved to Alameda and still make the trek to Berkeley multiple times a week for her class because nothing else compares to it. I strongly suggest you take her class whether you are new to yoga or well-practiced! read more

I recently attended a Body of Sound dance class with Alyssa, and let me tell you - it blew my mind - yes a dance class that blew my mind. First of all, she seamlessly combined various styles of dance, yet in a way that was easy to follow, fluid, and opened up the whole range of motion in the body. She also showed us a sequence that involved rhythmic clapping and stepping in a way that challenged the mind and body just enough to play with its comfort zones. She knew how to find that perfect balance. As a musician, I was stimulated in ways I hadn't anticipated, and it left me wanting more. She gave me a great cardio work out, and brought things down with some gentle stretching. One last aspect is that I see where she is taking to the work to create more interaction amongst class participants DURING the dance - and I'm excited to follow her trajectory as it unfolds. As a teacher, she is humble yet solid and confident, backed by many years of teaching, and has created this very unique offering which I feel stimulates us on levels that are primal to our biology - our sensorimotor rhythmic coordination. She's also a great yoga teacher, but that can be for another review! read more

I have loved going to Alyssa's yoga classes for the last few years. Alyssa encourages her students to connect to their inner selves and listen to their intuition, and this has been so supportive for me in deepening my personal practice. Her classes have been a safe haven for me that I return to again and again. I just went on her Yoga & Music retreat in the Santa Cruz mountains, which was a perfect blend of reflection and celebration. I felt held by the space that she created, and she supported an exploration of drumming that I have been longing to experiment with. The balance between yoga, dance, and creating music was beautifully done. I look forward to participating in more of Alyssa's work because she continues to support my growth. I recommend her teaching and events to anyone who wants to deepen their connection to their heart and their body. read more

I am relatively new to yoga, and in my first year I have had the pleasure of trying several different instructors and styles. Alyssa class has been the most positive experience of them all. Her knowledge and teaching skills guide me through a seamless workout, which brings both mental and physical understanding to my practice. She is intuitive and sensitive to my individual needs as well as the class as a whole. It is always a pleasure to go to Alyssa's class and I always feel spiritually and physically in a better place when I leave. read more

I have been taking classes from Alyssa at Yoga Tree Telegraph and also Planet Granite. She has been very generous with her time, helping me with tight hamstrings and a compressed SI joint from a rock climbing injury. I've been doing yoga for years, and I not only appreciate her focus on alignment, but she also brings attention to breath and other subtle energies. Her style is responsive, and teaches with a fresh and easy interpretation of hatha yoga. Highly recommended. read more

Playing in the studio with Alyssa is a real gift, and the joy she finds in her work is contagious. A natural healer, she creates a safe and nurturing space to explore all the possibilities of sound and movement, and through our sessions I learned to trust a deep fullness and potential for expression and resonance. I am so grateful to have met Alyssa and for our time together spent in playful creativity, listening and offering deeply. read more

Doing yoga with Alyssa is inspiring and fun. I seem to do so much more with her, and so much better than I would by myself. Also, her massages are thorough, sensitive, powerful; everything you want in a bodywork session. She and her partner can also give tandem massages--what better Valentines' Day gift than a massage for your sweetie DURING a massage for yourself? read more

I have been working with Alyssa for several years and cannot speak highly enough about her. She and I train once a week, using many yoga poses which keeps me limber and flexible. I also get body work from her each week and find her extremely talented and strong, intuitively knowing what areas need work and how aggressive to be. She is a joy to work with! I feel blessed to know her. read more

Alyssa taught the first class I attended at yoga tree, when I was needing to rehabilitate my hips from a year of sitting at a desk with the bad habit of crossing my knees. She came to me and asked what I needed from class - and I might not have asked otherwise! I've taken loads of classes with her since and am happy to report that my hips are back to their prior levels of strength and flexibility. Aside from being a fantastic and deeply caring yoga teacher, she's also just super warm and personable. read more

Alyssa is a world-class yoga teacher. I have studied from some of the best teachers in the world at different conferences, and I would hands-down choose Alyssa's class over almost any of those teachers. Why? Because Alyssa has a truly unique style that I've never encountered anywhere else. Her wording is impeccable, everything she says goes in smoothly and inspires us to go deeper into our own body and experience. But she also totally kicks our butts with a thorough workout, gives the space to feel the heart and the way we want to move, plays great music, invites us to make sound as part of our practice, and her adjustments are out of this world. My favorite class of hers is her Friday class because she has live music and she really impresses me when she drums and teaches class at the same time! Truly an A+ experience that has me coming back and back and back for more. read more

Alyssa is absolutely one of my favorite yoga teachers. I look forward to her class at Planet Granite every week where I feel equally challenged, restored, and supported by her amazing teaching method. She is a huge part of the reason why I continue to enjoy yoga! read more