Our Teachers
Abby Yang
Also knowns as Guqian Yang. Abby is a teacher for Taoist Kungfu/Taiji practice and Chinese Calligraphy. Born into a family of Chinese teachers and Traditional Chinese Medicine doctors, Abby developed an interest in Chinese Culture at a very young age. Working as a lawyer both in China and US, Abby always find time and opportunity to share Chinese culture with others. While she learned Chinese calligraphy in primary school, Abby returned to the practice in recent years. With the aim to bridging the culture gap between East and West, Abby found Mandarin Yogi focusing on Chinese wellness culture.
Abby completed her 200-hour Yoga Teacher training in 2018.
Robert B. Bernhards
Bob began studying Chinese painting and calligraphy in 1991 under Professor I-Hsiung Ju in Lexington, Virginia. From his teacher of twenty years he learned about the relationship between painting and calligraphy as well as the philosophical and historical roots of those unique art forms. Other learning experiences took Bob from Rockville, MD to Beijing, China. Over the past 30 years, Bob has taught Chinese painting to thousands of students. Teaching environments include long associations with Chinese Weekend Schools, Montessori Schools, and the Confucius Institute where Bob teaches a weekly painting class. Bob’s mission is “to teach Chinese traditional painting and writing techniques for the purpose of improving understanding between people of Eastern and Western cultures, and to improve the quality of life of individual students. “
Yi Su
Yi (Eva) Su is a professional Chinese calligrapher, holding memberships in both the China Calligraphers Association and the North America Chinese Calligraphy Association. With over two decades of dedicated practice that began in her childhood, she has garnered numerous awards and her work has been featured in exhibitions throughout her artistic journey . A descendant of Su Shi (1037–1101) — the renowned poet, scholar, and calligrapher of the Song dynasty — Yi carries forward this artistic legacy. While proficient in multiple calligraphic styles, she is particularly drawn to small standard script (小楷) and large cursive script (大草), through which she expresses her deepest artistic passion and unique creative vision. She now devotes herself to teaching calligraphy and creating original artworks.
Alana Sugar
Alana is a Certified Nutritionist with 36 years of experience as a dietary consultant. Currently, her practice is in Northern Virginia. She writes blogs, teaches cooking classes, seminars/webinars, and develops recipes for companies. Her practice is structured around a natural approach to healthy eating, focusing on a diet based on whole and minimally-processed foods as a necessary part of good health for life. She has an extensive client list including Whole Foods Market, The American Institute for Cancer Research, CIGNA HealthCare, Washington DC-area hospitals, The City of Alexandria, Arlington County, the Smithsonian Institute, NASA, the City of Rockville, MD, George Mason University, Federal Patent & Trade Office, the United States Department of Agriculture, and other Federal agencies. She has been a go-to “healthy food and cooking” resource for local news channels since 1996. All of Alana's classes and consultations are centered around the importance of choosing delicious, nutritious, colorful foods and recipes featuring whole, real, natural ingredients.
Jing
Chef Jing Liu was born and raised in Guangdong, China, where dim sum is part of the rhythm of everyday life. After moving to the UK as a teenager, she earned her Master’s degree at the University of Manchester Business School and began an early career in the financial consulting and forensic investigation field, working for a well-known international organization, and later for a Big 4 firm in Washington, D.C. Motivated by a lifelong passion for food and wellness, Jing eventually moved to Paris to train at Le Cordon Bleu, where she earned the Grand Diplôme in French Cuisine and Pastry. Today, she is a multidisciplinary chef whose work bridges savory cuisine, pastry, and dim sum, drawing on classical technique, cultural storytelling, and an exploratory approach to craft. Jing curates tasting events, teaches cooking and dim sum classes, and collaborates with platforms such as Chinese Street Market, Rice Market, and tea and beverage partners. She also offers seasonal plant-based pastries in small-batch pre-orders. Her food preserves tradition, sparks curiosity, and invites people to feel cared for through thoughtful, modern Asian cuisine.