Susan Marrufo

MA, E-RYT 500

Left the United States and a job in advertising in 2008 to travel internationally and experience life beyond the confines of her cultural conditioning. She received her first 500-hr yoga certification in Thailand in 2009, where she began her studies of the classical yogic scriptures and delved deeply into esoteric tantric philosophy.

After years of teaching month-long tantric based courses on the banks of the Ganges in India and the Pacific coastal towns of Mexico, Susan returned to the US to begin a residential internship with the Kripalu School of Yoga. She taught in and project managed several Kripalu yoga teacher trainings as well as received her 2nd 500-hr teacher training certification from the Kripalu School of Yoga in 2013.

She since split her time between India, Thailand and the US, facilitating group courses in the inquiry of yoga, meditation, intimacy and shadow work before moving to Los Angeles in 2016 to open Samarasa Center - an online and in-person community of dedicated seekers.

Keith McGuinnes

MA, E-RYT 500

Keith is known for his heartfelt and fiery leadership style. His passions are intimacy, human connection, and the exploration of mind and consciousness. These passions have guided Keith around the world, synthesizing his background in business and technology with eastern wisdom and mystical traditions. Investing nearly fifteen years of practice into the Zen Buddhist, Tantric Shaivist, Classical Yoga, and Sacred Sexuality traditions, Keith is an authority on remaining grounded in wisdom, presence, and service without sacrificing the joy of daily life.

Keith has influenced thousands of students worldwide, through yoga, meditation, and facilitating communication, masculinity, and holistic healing workshops. Keith holds two 500-hr Yoga Certifications, is an Authentic Relating Facilitator, Accelerated Evolution Coach, and Yoga Therapist. He healed himself from a stage III cancer diagnosis in 2020 and is involved in the nonprofit organization RealnessProject.org, fostering and empowering human connections for incarcerated people.
He currently resides in Boulder, Colorado.

Donna Otten

My healing journey truly began in 2001 after a debilitating head-on collision. I found Pilates to help me rehabilitate my body. It was such a powerful healing modality for me that I became certified to teach Pilates in 2013. I felt reconnected with my body for the first time in years. In 2017, after a few more years of continued emotional and physical issues, I sought professional help for dealing with past sexual trauma. I was diagnosed with PTSD and multiple autoimmune disease which led me to meditation and yoga. I became certified to teach meditation under the guidance of Tibetan Buddhist teacher David Nichtern at Samarasa in 2018.

My YSD journey started in 2019. Every word in the title of this course made me uncomfortable - which was a sure sign that it was something I needed in my life! Plus, I felt comfortable and safe with Susan. If it wasn’t now… when? I dove right in and have never looked back. It felt like every experience I had in life was leading me to that first Yoga, Sex + Death course. It changed everything for me. I started to feel less attached and restrained by my experiences. I realized that those moments didn’t define me. I started to let go of beliefs, identities, and shame. It’s changed my relationship with my partner in ways I could’t even imagine. It has changed my relationship with “self”. I am forever grateful for this work. I believe in this practice so much that I am now working towards my certification to become a YSD Facilitator so that I can share this gift and safely guide others through this transformational process.

Lucy Wilson

Lucy discovered a love for movement and a sense of awe for the human body while taking a dance class in middle school and has been on a journey to dive more deeply ever since. Throughout high school and as a dance major in college, she studied a wide array of movement modalities and went on to pursue a career as a professional dancer. Her career gave her the opportunity to perform around the United States, and participate in residencies in cities around the world including London, Tel Aviv, Xian, and more.

Throughout her studies, Lucy was introduced to yoga as a way to stay healthy – physically and mentally – and her practice has carried through every difficult transition of her adult life. After completing her 200-hour yoga certification in 2015, she went on to continue her studies with internationally recognized teachers, including Judith Lasater, Leslie Kaminoff, Gary Kraftsow, and Donna Farhi. Upon moving to Los Angeles, she began teaching at Samarasa, where she also served as the General Manager.

She first took Yoga, Sex + Death™ in January of 2020 and has gone back again and again since. She has watched it improve all of the relationships in her life, especially the one she has with myself. Every time, she has come out the other side with a deeper understanding of who she is and what she has to offer in this world. She is currently pursuing her YSD Facilitator certification, and specializes in helping her students heal through restorative yoga, relaxation techniques, mindfulness, self-inquiry and intuitive movement practices.