Meet Meg

Person in a red sweatshirt lying on a fallen tree in a forest.

Megan McCarver, M.A., C-IAYT, E-RYT500, IYA co-founded Santa Monica Yoga Studio in 1993, the same year she earned her Marriage, Family, and Child Counseling M.A. degree from Phillips University, Encino, CA. 

Megan’s yoga journey is grounded in the Krishnamacharya lineage and is inspired by the Gitananda parampara. She holds numerous certifications from YogaWorks, Loyola Marymount University’s Yoga Therapy Rx Program, and most recently, the Yoga: Step-by-Step program by Yogamaharishi Dr. Swami Gitananda Giri, led by Dr. Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani. Her practice is elevated from Ayurvedic principles and lifestyle by Arun Deva, Dr. Sangeeta Biagi, her mentor, and Buddhist traditions from Jack Kornfield and the Mahayana Lineage.

Megan created and led Yoga Therapy at the Orange County Pain and Wellness Center (2011-2014) and assisted with Loyola Marymount's Yoga Therapy Rx program at Venice Family Clinic (2012). She has been a featured SYTAR Morning Presenter (2015, 2017), published in Somatics Magazine (2019-2020), and authored a six-week yoga series for the India Times (1999). 

Today, Megan offers private yoga therapy sessions in South Orange County and online, leads transformative yoga retreats, and cultivates meaningful mentorship relationships. She also co-directs and is a faculty member of AlcheMe Yoga Therapy School and Be the Change Yoga.

Megan offers an inspiring mentorship series named YES! for Yoga Therapists, 500-hour Yoga Teachers, and Health Care Providers.

Thank you for visiting my site! I wish to acknowledge my teachers, family, friends, and ancestors who have brought us together right here and right now. My spiritual lineages and biological communities who have richly nourished me and my community. And Earth, the land we all stand on, our interrelationships of joy and suffering, peace and kindness and the unlimited universal possibilities. See you on the path!

A yoga instructor assists a woman in a downward-facing dog pose on a yoga mat.
A woman in a maroon hoodie sitting on a large fallen tree trunk with two golden retrievers. They are outdoors, surrounded by trees and natural scenery.

Testimonials

  • Megan’s temperament is perfect for a Yoga Therapist. She is insightful, compassionate, and radiant, plus she has years of extensive yogic knowledge. I have private sessions with her, and she has the uncanny ability to understand what I need, body and mind, on any given day. I highly recommend Megan.

    CK

  • I met Megan in 2020, when I was a Mentor in the online Yoga Step by Step Team 52 online training guided by Puduvai Kalaimamani Yogacharya Dr. Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani. Over the years our relationship has grown and matured and I can continue to praise Megan as a sadhaka who is committed to gaining self-awareness through the study and practice of yoga. As a passionate teacher, she is also an enthusiastic student, always ready to put in her best effort to overcome the cultural, linguistic and conceptual challenges that the Yoga Darshan (the traditional philosophy of yoga) presents to all of us who were not born in India. She has committed to serve as a bridge between the teachings and anyone she comes into contact with. To share the path in a teacher-student relationship has been my greatest honor and I rejoice in the knowledge that her offerings bring joy, solace, and inspiration to others.

    Yoga Thilagam Dr. Sangeeta Laura Biagi, Ph.D.

    Director, Gitananda Nada Yoga International Sangha

    Visiting Guest Faculty, Institute of Salutogenesis and Complementary Medicine, SBV, India

  • Consider joining the weekly Zoom meeting guided by Megan McCarver to enjoy and benefit from the practice of Mindful Meditation. Individually and collectively with other attendees calm yourself by relaxing your body, focus on a single positive thought and enjoy the present moment.

    D.F.

  • Megan is a very experienced and supportive group leader. She creates a meditative experience that is beneficial for beginners as well as for people who practice meditation regularly. We enjoy and appreciate her meditation sessions.

    RC and LC

  • I highly recommend Meg & Tess sangha, mentorship with YES!, to anyone in the wellness and healthcare fields looking for mentorship that goes beyond the surface. Their experience, wisdom, and heartfelt support will be invaluable in your journey to becoming the best version of yourself

    Heidi Crocker, EdD, DC, C-IAYT

  • Tuesday's meditation class with Megan is a calm place in my day. A place of relaxation and ease where I can experience well-being that stays with me throughout the rest of my day.

    MO

  • Magical and beautiful, a beautiful retreat in nature with movement, stillness, amazing food, and peace. Megan is so kind and warm and wonderful. She is always at ease and that helps you feel the same. Thank you for the peace, love, and quiet.

    CD

  • I’ve known Megan for over 20 years. She is not only a dear friend but also a gifted and trusted teacher, healer, and advocate for well-being. Her compassion, depth of experience, and unwavering commitment to community health have supported my growth emotionally, physically, and creatively.

    MG