Training yoga teachers to serve the cancer community.
Our Global Teachers
CPF Around the World
Antonis Krastoudis, CPF in Greece
Antonis graduated from CPF oncology training on June 14, 2026
With over 16 years of personal yoga practice and more than 7 years of teaching experience, Antonis is dedicated to using yoga as a supportive tool for health, well-being, and quality of life. He is a certified 200-hour Hatha Yoga Teacher and owns a certification in Yoga for cancer care.
To further strengthen his expertise, he completed the Christina Phipps Foundation (CPF) Oncology Yoga Certificate, expanding his knowledge in evidence-informed yoga for people affected by cancer.
Yoga for Cancer in Greece
As the founder of Ροή Ζωής | Yoga for Cancer Care Greece, his mission is to make specialized oncology yoga accessible across Greece through collaborations with hospitals, healthcare professionals, and community organizations, offering safe, compassionate, and inclusive programs that support people throughout their cancer journey.
Learn more about Antonis and his outstanding work in Greece here: https://roizoisfoundation.org/
Thia Naidoo, CPF in South Africa
Thia Naidoo graduated from CPF Oncology Yoga training at the Mayo Clinic In Jacksonville, FL on August 25, 2024.
Thia is a CPF teacher in South Africa.
In her words:
Since graduation, I am happy to say that I’ve been teaching a weekly 60min chair class at my local government hospital. I began in December 2024 and we have continued ever since! We meet every Tuesday at 9:30 and average around 10 -15 people a class now.
I designed a 6 week program, as we see a new cycle of patients about every 6 weeks.
Each cycle of patients are different, some are very enthusiastic and eager to participate and some groups need more mindfulness and social support. It’s been a really incredible experience to further my own learning to design classes to meet the needs of the patients. We might be a small group but it’s made such an impact in the lives’ of the patients.
Ligia Melo graduated from CPF training June 14, 2026.
Quito, Ecuador
My name is Ligia Melo, and I live in Quito, Ecuador. I am a Natha Yoga teacher, entrepreneur, and fitness center manager. My journey into yoga began many years ago through a practice focused primarily on meditation, self-awareness, and inner growth, while I was developing my professional career in banking and business management.
My academic background includes an MBA, a Personal Coaching certification, and several diploma programs in Finance, Marketing, and Human Resources. However, after leaving the corporate world in 2019 to pursue entrepreneurship, my perspective on life began to change profoundly.
In April 2021, I started my studies at the Natha Yoga School in Argentina, where I completed more than 360 hours of theoretical and practical training over two years. In June 2024, after successfully completing my examinations and final projects, I received my certification as a Natha Yoga Teacher, earning qualifications as a Senior Natha Yoga Teacher, Senior Natha Yoga Teacher with Pedagogical Orientation, Natha Yoga Teacher Trainer, and Master Natha Yoga Trainer.
Since then, I have been teaching yoga classes while continuing my studies. In April 2025, I resumed advanced training at the same school, where I am currently pursuing higher-level studies. I am also in the process of applying for further training in Meditation and Mantra Yoga.
In addition to teaching, I manage Upgrade Fitness Center in Quito, where I offer yoga classes as part of a holistic approach to health and well-being. Through this work, I had the opportunity to participate in a project supporting cancer patients at SOLCA Hospital in collaboration with the University of Michigan and Universidad San Francisco de Quito. A business partner invited my son and I to contribute to this initiative, which became a deeply meaningful experience.
Oncology Yoga
This experience inspired me to explore the field of therapeutic and oncology-focused yoga. As I continue studying therapeutic yoga through my school, I believe the training offered by the Christina Phipps Foundation is a wonderful opportunity to complement my education and strengthen my service, allowing me to better support individuals facing health challenges and improve their quality of life through yoga.
Sophie Kerver, CPF in Great Britian
Sophie Kerver graduated from CPF Oncology Yoga training April 13, 2025. Sophie is a clinical speaker, who has just relocated to The Isle of Wight, Great Britian. Sophie was working in clinical care as a Charge Anesthesia Technician at Trinity Health, Michigan. She partnered with another local nonprofit (CSC) and THAA to bring CPF to the Cancer Center for weekly, Free Gentle Yoga for Cancer classes.
As an Anesthesia Technician, Sophie encounters patients of all kinds receiving anesthetic care - helping to provide airway maintenance, invasive procedures for peri-operative monitoring and nerve blocks, and repair machinery used in any part of the anesthesia process.
She has not set up classes in Great Britian yet but plans to once settled.
In her words:
I began my yoga journey at the age of 10, and have been a diligent student of yoga ever since. Through my teen years I explored Kundalini and Yin yoga, and various practices that cultivated my awareness of the subtle bodies. In my late teens and early 20’s, I fell in love with slow-flow and have utilized it in a variety of capacities to meet the needs of my private clients and teach open-level group classes. In February of 2025, I launched a health initiative that offers free weekly yoga to all the employees of Trinity Health in both Washtenaw and Livingston Counties in Michigan. I completed my YTT300, and have been accepted to begin classes to become an I-AYT in the Fall of 2025.
As a full-time clinical employee, I assist doctors in the surgical intervention for cancer patients and aid certain patients in palliative care measures. Prior to being involved with the surgical side of patient care, I did in-home care for terminally ill patients of all kinds, and helping improve my clients quality of life is my number one priority!
My overall goal within the Yogic World is to always facilitate a “Yoga for Every Body” approach. I’ve seen first hand how impactful Yoga can be in a healthcare setting, and being able to facilitate a mind-body-soul connection regardless of where a client is in their physical manifestation (while helping improve their physical health!) is the greatest gift I aim to impart on those I teach.
The Christina Phipps Foundation is a very important resource for me on a personal level, as every member on both sides of my family has been challenged with a cancer diagnosis. As a first generation immigrant to the United States, I had to take a largely hands-off approach to caring for my loved ones. Through CPF, I have been given the greatest gift and opportunity to be educated and trained on how to take a largely hands-on approach to guiding those who have or have had to struggle with their own cancer journey.
