The Instructors

Joni Carlo, M.A., C.S.S.E

Joni D. Carlo, M.A.,C.S.S.E.,  a San Francisco native, is the founder and owner of the Sacred Body Project.   She is an educator, motivational speaker, group facilitator, relationship and intimacy coach, former philosophy adjunct professor with Boise State University,  communication faculty at the College of Western Idaho  and occasional volunteer speech and debate coach.    Joni just recently received her Somatic Sex Education certification from the Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Sexuality in San Francisco, CA.    In addition to maintaining her career teaching and coaching with the College of Western Idaho, Joni facilitates and teaches a variety of courses and workshops at the Sacred Body Project including:  women's support and empowerment groups, tantra workshops for both women and couples,  gender studies courses focusing on alternative approaches to sexuality,  sacred intimacy and sexual awareness embodiment and mindfulness workshops  and  a sensual movement class.  

In addition to her academic background, Joni has an extensive background in shamanism,  tantra, yoga, is active in dance and is currently investigating trauma release methodologies.   All of this plus an intuitive knowing of transmutation of negative energy she brings to her courses.

Lack of intimacy in relationships is often a result of negative messages received about the body and sexuality.   Joni promotes a sex-positive atmosphere where sexual wounding, shame and false beliefs about the body are explored in a safe space where men and women are invited to recognize alternate ways to think about sexuality, intimacy and their bodies.  It is Joni’s mission to educate the public about the magnificence of the human body by teaching people how to reconnect with, be present with, fall in love with and feel into and through their physical bodies.     The body as a vehicle through which powerful healing and transformation occurs is emphasized in all of the services offered through the Sacred Body Project. 

Cinda Robbins~Yoga Instructor

Through my entire life I have always been drawn to alternative spiritual practices as the dogma of traditional Western religions have never resonated with me.  I discovered yoga in my early twenties but it was not until I was in my mid thirties that my real journey toward awakening began.   I was at the end of my eight year marriage to a Frenchman in which, I felt trapped, insecure and was sexually numbed.   Going through divorce was terrifying, and it was only in returning to yoga that I began to find peace and strength.   I also found, in my meditations, that I was not alone.  I found I had many guides always by my side.  I listened to the truth in that and found the strength to change my life.   After the divorce, I tried working at a straight job but found the negative energy and sexual harassment to be unbearable.   It felt no better than my unhappy marriage, so I decided to use my sexual energy to my advantage.   I started dancing at a gentleman’s club.   I found it very empowering for me to take my sexuality into my own hands and be in control of it.   This is where I truly learned to love and honor the goddess within me.

Shortly after this, I came across a Kriya Tantra Yoga class.  It was there, in Tantra, that I found the key to my healing of mind, body and spirit.   I attended everything that they were offering, including weekly classes, workshops, puja’s, ecstatic breath/trama release and private sessions.  

I had amazing teachers in Rundy Duphiney (Devotional Tantra) and Lisa Citore (Magdalene Woman).Both studied Ipsalu Tantra Yoga under Bodhi Avinasha.  Around this same time I met Naader Shagagi (Yoga Kingdom Sanctuary) in Pasadena California.   He was former president of the Southern California Yoga Teachers Association and a disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda and it was under his instruction that I became a certified Hatha Yoga Instructor in 2004.

All of my mentors were practitioners of the Kriya’s and I knew that that was the path for me and my spiritual journey.

I met my husband at our 20 year class reunion here back in Idaho, our hearts connected instantly.  A year and a half later we moved back to Idaho to be with his kids and care for our mothers. I’ve been teaching some hatha yoga through the years and my yoga teaching has always been strongly based on the breath.  I believe in working on the asanas in a slow gentle flow—holding poses long enough to stay present and connected always with the breath. 

I’ve practiced Hatha, Raja, Kundalini and Kriya-based Tantra yoga, and found inner love, healing, self realization, health, strength and peace through my yoga practice.

I have to say that my tantra practice has always been the most powerful of all for me. In tantra I’ve found bliss and connection to the light.  It has taken me from darkness, and taught me to heal it and transmute it into light.  For me tantra is the vehicle to self realization and connection with source.     

I believe we are presently in a beautiful shift of awakening and it seems the universe has been hitting me over the head, telling me that its time to share my knowledge of tantra with others.   

Michelle Weert, Photographer

I have been taking photos since a camera was placed in my hand as a child.  Whether I was in front of it  or behind the scenes, I was always trying to capture the perfect moment between friends and family and to capture the beauty of the scenery I was surrounded by.

Growing up in just outside Portland, Oregon, gave me the opportunity to attend acting and modeling schools in the city. When I was just 6 years old I graduated from my  first modeling school and found my young self working runway fashion shows in pajamas. As I grew older I started to understand the art of capturing people and places in their truest forms. My mother was running to the store to develop my 5 rolls of film about every other week. I had boxes filled with the good, the bad and the ugly photographs that I loved despite all of their flaws,   I showed them off proudly.

When I was 11 years old I attended ABC Acting and Modeling School. Though I loved walking down the runway, I was very short.  I was told that I would only be able to pull off kid fashion shows.. My body stopped growing taller.   I began to develop womanly curves that no believable child would have. During that time I was given the chance to model for the Oregon Museum of Science Industry.  I was featured in their fall brochure. Though the camera loved me and I walked like a pro, I believed that I was not the right fit for showing myself off due to my womanly curves and smallness of stature. I turned to acting and let my camera collect dust.

It wasn't until I moved to Idaho that I became willing to take photos again.  In my junior year of high school, I met my hero and photography teacher:   Mr. Nichols. He reopened my love of photography. It became my goal to show, through the lens of the camera, the beauty that I see in the world   With time I also made it back in front of the camera through the help of many local photographers and models. Dan Aller from Dan Aller's Photography showed me that I was beautiful and sexy with all of my womanly curves and increased weight.

In the summer of 2012 I decided that I needed to follow my heart and work as a photographer.   Not knowing where to start, I felt lost. I didn't really want to be a wedding or family portrait photographer specialist and I didn't want to shoot model photography due to my past experience with teachers that made me feel bad about my body.  Serendipitously I discovered Boudoir photography where women, normal women, like me, were showing off their bodies and curves with pride and joy. I realized I wanted to give that to women. I wanted to show them how they are gorgeous women of the goddess and that no matter their body types, we are all sex kittens!    

I like to capture people in their true natural state.   I use black and white film and  I don't like to edit my photographs unless it is absolutely necessary.  I believe that everyone is beautiful and that if the photograph is bad it's because I did not do my job to make the model comfortable.  I truly enjoy reviewing photos with women and hearing them say, “I can't believe that's me!”