Our Teachers
Welcome to Trinidad Heart Center's team of experienced and compassionate yoga teachers. Our teachers are dedicated to creating a safe and supportive space for you to explore your practice and connect with your inner self. Each of our teachers brings a unique perspective and skill set to our studio, and we are excited to share their wisdom with you.
Chuck Vanderpool
Founder
Chuck is an intuitive facilitator, healer, and nature guide. A lifelong practitioner of Tae Kwon Do and meditation, he credits this practice with maintaining health and flexibility, and expanding his mind body connection.
After several injuries, Chuck found healing in the gentle practices of yoga and massage. Seeking to share his experiences, he now facilitates classes with an emphasis in self love and connection with the subtle energies of the body, and offers private massage sessions catered to individual clients. Walking the path of Tantra, Chuck lives life with presence and gratitude, weaving love and sacredness into community.
Nature has always been his greatest teacher. That deep connection is what brought Chuck from his birthplace on the Jersey Shore to Humboldt County. He also works as a tree climbing facilitator and nature guide, and aids the scientific community in research and cone collection.
Monique Riofrio
Aerial Yoga & Kundalini Facilitator
Monique Riofrio, a seasoned YACEP, RYT 500, E-RYT 200, and RYS 200, invites you to embark on a transformative journey through the ancient practices of yoga and the exhilarating art of aerial movement.
Monique's passion for aerial yoga ignited in 2014 when she first experienced the thrill of being upside down, a sensation that resonated deeply within her soul. Already immersed in her yoga journey since 2012, Monique's dedication to her practice blossomed as she delved into the realms of Himalayan Kundalini and Vinyasa, seeking profound self-healing and inner peace.
Her journey reached new heights during her aerial yoga teacher training in 2019, where she seamlessly integrated her extensive knowledge of yogic philosophy and breathwork techniques with the art of aerial movement. Through her guidance, students are invited to explore the union of breath, voice, and body, unlocking the potential for deep release, anxiety reduction, and cellular-level healing.
Monique's own transformative path, catalyzed by her departure from alcohol and substances, fuels her mission to empower others on their own healing journeys. Her holistic approach emphasizes the brain-body connection, dismantling past conditionings, and cultivating trust in the innate wisdom of the body.
Join us as we elevate our practice, connect with our inner selves, and soar to new heights of well-being and self-discovery under Monique's expert guidance. Welcome to a space where healing begins from within, one breath, one pose, one flight at a time.