Sandy Walters

Sandy Walters is a yoga and meditation teacher, educator and health and wellness guide based in Anchorage, Alaska. She is the owner of Namaste North Yoga, which opened in downtown Anchorage in May 2012. She grew up in Sri Lanka, surrounded by many spiritual practices, and says this gave her a chance to see life beyond the human story.

Namaste North began after Sandy survived a near-death car accident. While she was in India in a meditation practice, it became clear to her what she needed to do next. She set out to hold a space where anyone can practice yoga and learn to breathe, feel, slow down, release and be. The name comes from the idea that life in the North can seem distant from everything, and that its extreme seasons shape our energy and moods.

Her teaching draws on asana, breath, mantra, meditation and the study of yogic texts. She describes yoga as a mirror that lets us look at ourselves without self-judgment, and she hopes it helps people find "ease and grounded presence" in daily life. She names her teachers as Monica Devine in Alaska, the gurus at Yoga Vidya Gurukul in Nasik, Yoga & Meditation in Rishikesh, Sienna Sherman and Dr. Frawley.

Sandy holds two 200-hour and a 500-hour yoga training certification, along with certifications in Functional Diagnostic Nutrition, fascial release, Vedic counseling and yoga and grief. She has nearly 5,000 hours of teaching experience. She leads the studio's 200-hour Mandala Yoga Teacher Training and offers private yoga, health coaching and retreats. The studio also offers classes in person and online, along with YouTube videos. According to the studio, she is currently pursuing yoga therapy training in clinical settings and a master's in occupational therapy.