Acharya Mangalananda

Acharya Mangalananda began his spiritual life in 1972, when he met Sri Swami Satchidananda and was inspired to follow the path of Yoga. He received initiation from Swamiji and lived in an Integral Yoga Ashram in Austin, Texas. He was able to spend several retreats with Swamiji and trained as a Yoga teacher under his…

Amir Vahab

Amir Vahab, honored as both a peacemaker and virtuoso, is one of New York’s most celebrated and distinguished composers and vocalists of Sufi and folk music. Weaving fiery instrumentals and songs of the historic lands of the Middle East and Central Asia, his work transcends political boundaries while maintaining traditional and mystical sensibilities. His music…

Amrita Sandra McLanahan, M.D.

Dr. McLanahan is a graduate with high honors from Swarthmore College, and she has an M.D. from Wayne University and a family practice specialty from the University of Massachusetts. For 20 years, she served as director of stress management for Dr. Dean Ornish’s research, using Yoga and lifestyle changes to reverse heart disease and cancer.…

Amy Daya Eberhardt

Daya, also known as Amy Eberhardt, MPH, LMT, blends compassion and expertise in her yoga teachings. With a multifaceted background as an Integral Yoga teacher, reiki practitioner, retired massage therapist and hospital integrative health specialist, and Duke-trained health & wellbeing coach, and astrologer, Daya draws upon more than 20 years of health and wellness experience.…

Amy Wheeler, Ph.D., C-IAYT

Amy is the Founder and Director of Optimal State Programs, which provides both Yoga and Yoga Therapy Training Programs. She is a Professor of Kinesiology at California State University, San Bernardino for 20+ years. Amy’s degrees include a B.A. and M.A. in Health Promotion and a Ph.D. in Education and Psychology. Amy has traveled to…

Anandi Deborah Absler, Ph.D., MSW

IY Teacher, Ph.D., Research & Evaluation Consultant Anandi’s involvement with Integral Yoga commenced in 2000. Since that time, she has participated in courses and programs within Australia and the USA and has been an active member of the organizing committees of the Victorian Integral Yoga Association (VIYA) and Integral Yoga Centre Melbourne (IYCM). It has…

Andrew Holecek

Andrew is an author and spiritual teacher who offers talks, online courses, and workshops in the United States and abroad. As a long-time student of Buddhism, he completed the traditional three-year Buddhist meditation retreat and frequently presents this tradition from a contemporary perspective – blending the ancient wisdom of the East with modern knowledge from…

Anna Neiman Passalacqua

Anna Neiman Passalacqua has been working with eating disorders, weight loss, and body image populations for 11 years in private practice and through Peaceful Weight Loss™ and Being at Peace with Food retreats and seminars. She is the co-author of At Home With Peaceful Weight Loss and is the main teacher of Transformation, a 9-month…

Aramati Akke Hulburt, E-RYT 500

Aramati Akke Hulburt, E-RYT 500, has been teaching Yoga for over 30 years. She also works as a Structural Yoga Therapist and Massage Therapist at her own studio. Teaching students ranging from teens to seniors has given Aramati a deep understanding of movement potential. She is an anatomy geek and loves to share her enthusiasm…

Arjun Verma

Arjun K. Verma is an Indian-American sitarist and composer. Beginning with his father, Roop Verma, and continuing with the legendary Ali Akbar Khan and his son Alam Khan, Arjun’s meticulous training has imbued him with a rich musicality that encompasses both the profound majesty and the exhilaration of North Indian classical music. Hailed by the…

Aruna Patki, BAMS, LMBT, NCBTMB, RYT 200

Aruna began her studies in Ayurveda at an early age and earned a Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (B.A.M.S.), at the Ayurvedic Government College of Ayurveda at Swami Rama Nand University, Maharashtra State, India. She continued her postgraduate studies in Panchakarma, an Ayurveda course of study, from Tilak College of Ayurveda at Pune University,…

Asangan Binstock

Asangan Binstock and his wife Karuna have been students of Swami Satchidananda for 50 years and served in various roles to further the teachings of Integral Yoga. Recently retired, the Binstocks built a house and art studio in Yogaville. In the future, they plan to donate some of Asangan’s spectacular sculptures to further beautify the…

Assisting Faculty

Avi Gordon

Avi Gordon is the director of the Integral Yoga Teachers Association, a global organization of over 10,000 yoga teachers, and is host of the Integral Yoga podcast. Avi teaches yoga and meditation and has also written a novel, A Light in the Tunnel, which is a story that imagines a better future. He’s been a…

Barbara Prema Brown, E-RYT 500

After a career spent as an accountant on Wall Street, Barbara Prema is now an E-RYT 500 certified Yoga Teacher. Her belief is that life should be lived to the fullest at every age. Barbara’s passion is Yoga and sharing all the techniques to gain strength, vitality, flexibility, and deepest happiness through Yoga. Barbara Prema…

Beth Frackleton, RN, BSN, CHWC, M.Ed.

Beth is a chronic health coach, wellcoaches certified health, wellness coach, triathlete, and fitness trainer. She is part of the WorkMed team for employee health at the University of Virginia. See more at medicalcenter.virginia.edu

Bharata Wingham, E-RYT 200, CLYT

Bharata Wingham, E-RYT 200, CLYT, is a longtime student of A Course in Miracles, having studied and worked with it daily since 1980. For thirteen years, he produced and hosted a television program, A Course in Miracles Study Group, which was distributed in the US and abroad. While conducting numerous programs and workshops, he authored…

Bhavani Marcia Miller, E-RYT 500

has been teaching Yoga for over 40 years. She has taught all levels and types of students, from new beginners to Yoga teachers, and everyone in between. In 2001 Marcia was one of the founders/owners of Yoga on High where she co-directs the 200- and the 300-hour Hatha Teacher Training Program and is the lead…

Biff Mithoefer, E-RYT 500

Biff teaches Yin Yoga throughout the US and internationally. He is the author of The Yin Yoga Kit, coauthor of The Therapeutic Yoga Kit, and a founder-director of the Jamste Sponsorship Program for the support of Tibetan refugee children. He is an E-RYT 500 Yoga Alliance registered teacher and has trained and taught extensively with Don…

Bill Geoghegan

Bill Geoghegan is a photographer and video producer who served as the marketing manager at Satchidananda Ashram from 2014–2021. His responsibilities included creating and managing ad campaigns for social media, email marketing, and photography. He currently serves in the Ashram’s A/V department creating video content for program promotions and recording video classes for its streaming…

Bob Butera, Ph.D., M.Div.

Bob is director of The YogaLife Institute in Devon, PA, and trains Yoga Therapists and Yoga Teachers. He publishes Yoga Living magazine in the Philadelphia area. His Ph.D. in Yoga from The California Institute of Integral Studies (1997) and training at The Yoga Institute, Mumbai, India (1989) certified him as a Yoga therapist. Bob has a Masters…

Boris Bhagavan Pisman, LMHC

Boris Bhagavan Pisman is a New York State Licensed Mental Health Counselor. Prior to opening his private practice, he worked for over nine years as a therapist at White Plains Hospital, Westchester, NY. He was featured on NBC’s Today Show. Boris has over twenty years of Yoga teaching experience. He is on the Board of…

Br. Stefan Andre Waligur, PhD

Br. Stefan Andre Waligur, PhD, is also known as Macushla, an Irish term of endearment meaning “heartbeat of the Beloved”. Living in Ireland for six years and now in the United States, Stefan is a contemplative, musician/composer and leader of new chant and kirtan. He is an Oblate member of the Benedictine Community called Shantivanam…

Brad Ellsworth of Druminyasa®

As featured by The Washington Times, CBS, and Washington’s WTOP news, Brad Ellsworth of Druminyasa® (Love Shine Play festival, Wanderlust) has been playing drums and percussion for over 25 years. Brad is a yoga teacher and founded Druminyasa by connecting his love for rhythm, drums and movement. Here’s what people are saying…. “Live drumming carried…

Brandt Bhanu Passalacqua

Brandt Passalacqua is the creator of Breathing Deeply Yoga Therapy and Peaceful Weight Loss™ through Yoga. He has been enjoying Yoga and the healing arts since 2002 after overcoming obesity and a life-threatening autoimmune illness. His personal journey serves as an inspiration to countless others and informs his compassionate, humorous, and down-to-earth teaching style. His…

Brie Burbank, E-RYT-200, CMT, LE

Brie Burbank is a seasoned practitioner and educator in the realms of yoga, massage, and healing. She firmly believes in cultivating a movement practice of both bliss and nourishment. With a career spanning over two decades as a massage therapist and a decade-long commitment to movement instruction since 2009, she brings a wealth of experience…

Carroll Ann Friedmann, E-RYT 500

Prashanti (Carroll Ann) has been a Yoga teacher since 2007 and is studying to become an Integral Yoga Minister. She has graduate degrees in religion from Princeton Seminary and the University of Virginia. She teaches Raja Yoga and religion classes at the University of Virginia and in the Charlottesville community. Her “regular job” is serving…

Caryna Wong, RYT 200, B.S.

Caryna has worked and studied with Dr. Fishman for over 6 years. Her 15 years in IT manifests itself in her analytical and structured approach to helping students progress through their practice. She utilizes various types of Yoga in order to help achieve results, including Hatha, Vinyasa, Aerial, and Restorative.

Cathy Woods

A longtime yogini, horsewoman, author, yoga teacher, international retreat leader, creator of Body, Mind, EquineTM, and a pioneer in focusing on equestrian wellness and mindfulness in horsemanship Cathy aims to impart a practical approach to authentic yoga and mindful horsemanship, making it accessible to everyone regardless of what that looks like for the individual. She’s…

Chandra/Jo Sgammato

Chandra/Jo Sgammato served for more than two decades in numerous capacities at the Integral Yoga Institute of New York, where she obtained her first teacher training certification in 1998. A former book publishing executive and bestselling author, she is an enthusiastic student of the history of Swami Satchidananda and Integral Yoga. The creator of the…

Chandrika Shrobe

Chandrika Shrobe is a certified Integral Yoga Level I, Prenatal and Special Child Yoga instructor. Born into the New York Integral Yoga Institute family, Chandrika has, unsurprisingly, ended up teaching at IYI. She is the daughter of the Zen master Wu Kwang (Richard Shankar Shrobe), who was the first head of Teacher Training at Integral…

Chitra Kate McDevitt, RYT 500, C-IAYT

Chitra began teaching Integral Yoga in 2003 and managed her studio, Cat Cow Yoga, in Pennsylvania from 2007–2009. She teaches Restorative Yoga twice a week at the nonprofit Common Ground Healing Arts in Charlottesville, VA, where she also has a private practice. She also specializes in Yoga of Recovery, a combination of Ayurveda, Yoga philosophy,…

Chitra Sukhu

Chitra is an experienced Yoga teacher, registered with The Yoga Alliance at the E-RYT 500 level. She holds a Diploma in Ayurvedic Sciences from Kerala Ayurveda and a BS degree in Spiritual Science. Chitra has committed her Life in diligent Service (Seva) to enhance the Lives of so many Others. Her Cause is, “To Enrich,…

Chris McCooey, M.A.

Chris was introduced to Yoga practice and philosophy as a teen. Pursuing it through his undergraduate degree in religious studies, he first became certified as a Yoga teacher in 2009 at the University of Hyderabad. While pursuing his master’s degree at Naropa University, he received requests to share Yoga with children. Chris sought out Kidding…

Christie Lenée

Christie is the 2017 International Fingerstyle Guitar Champion and a captivating performer with a devoted following among instrumental, folk-pop and rock band audiences. Combining guitar mastery, contemporary singer/songwriter and a passion for storytelling, she thrives on bringing people together through the language of music. Christie’s unique guitar work and profound instrumental compositions are well described…

Cinmayi Cynthia Moore, RDN, CDE, FAND, M.S.

Cinmayi (Cynthia) has a diverse wellness background in Western and integrative health disciplines. Cynthia is a Duke-trained Integrative Health Coach, Integral Yoga instructor, Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist and Diabetes Educator. She’s been a speaker for spas and resorts, communities, scientific and Fortune 500 companies, and has served as faculty for undergraduate and medical education. Cynthia’s passion for…

Dana A. Smith, E-RYT 500, CLC

Dana A. Smith is the founder and owner of Spiritual Essence Yoga and the creative visionary behind the international YES! Yoga Has Curves movement. She is a wife, mother, certified yoga instructor, author, yoga teacher trainer, master life coach and holistic health practitioner. For almost 20 years, she has been a pioneer for inclusive yoga in the…

Daniel Hickman, E-RYT 500, YACEP

Daniel is a mind-body educator with over 30 years experience. He has worked for over 11 years in the Military Advanced Training Center (MATC) at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) in Bethesda, Maryland. He teaches meditation and adaptive yogic practices for those affected by warfare, severe trauma, and other maladies. He is…

Daniel Scruggs

Daniel Scruggs is a world traveling musician, yogi and educator who shares interactive cultural enrichment programs that feature traditional rhythms and over 200 rare musical instruments from around the world. Daniel has performed, studied and facilitated workshops throughout the USA and abroad for over twenty years, with Montessori schools and educators throughout the USA, &…

David Deva Barrett, Esq.

David Barrett is an attorney licensed in the state of New York and practicing law with an emphasis on wills and trusts, family law, and business law. In the late 1960s he had the pleasure of representing many famous musicians including James Brown, The Four Seasons, The Rolling Stones, Donovan, and many more. In the…

David J McKay

David McKay entered a Zen Buddhist monastery at the age of twenty-nine and spent the next eighteen years training there in silence. Over time he became a skilled facilitator and counselor, offering retreats and workshops at the monastery and across the country. David left the monastery in the fall of 2014 to further explore life…

David Newman "Durga Das"

David Newman is a renowned sacred mantra artist, singer-songwriter, and author and inspirational teacher. David has released numerous acclaimed world music albums, including the #1 iTunes World Music bestseller Love is Awake on which he collaborated with members of Paul Simon’s band. In addition to his mastery of the ancient yogic mantra practice known as…

Debora Nitya Jackson, E-RYT 500

Debora Nitya found inspiration and tools for conscious evolution in Yoga and Ayurveda. She has been practicing and sharing the teachings ever since with people from all walks of life. Debora has over a decade of teaching experience and has taught the therapeutic applications of Yoga and meditation in a number of diverse settings, including…

Dhāraṇī Diana Díaz

Dhāraṇī is a 500-hour Yoga teacher passionately dedicated to serving marginalized communities. She is a published author specializing in personal essays, memoirs, and creative nonfiction and conducts Yoga-writing workshops and retreats throughout the United States. By combining the grounding and spirituality of Yoga with the discipline and self-reflection of writing, she teaches participants to embrace…

Dianne Bondy, E-RYT 500

Dianne is a celebrated Yoga teacher, social justice activist, and leading voice of the Yoga For All movement. Her inclusive view of Yoga asana and philosophy inspires and empowers thousands of followers around the world regardless of their shape, size, ethnicity, or level of ability. She applies over 1000 hours of training to help her…

Dianne Rashmi Galliano, M.S., C-IAYT, E-RYT 500

Rashmi Galliano has been teaching at one of the world’s most prominent Yoga organizations, the New York Integral Yoga Institute, since 2006. She is a lead Yoga teacher trainer at IYINY and student advisor and mentor for the Integral Yoga Therapy training program. Dianne specializes in Yoga for Stress Management, Yoga for Bone Health, Yoga…

Dilip Sarkar, M.D., FACS, CAP, C-IAYT

Dilip Sarkar is a retired vascular surgeon turned Yoga acharya, certified Yoga Therapist, and certified Ayurvedic Yoga Therapist. He retired as an associate professor of surgery at Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, Virginia, and now teaches Yoga Therapy and Ayurvedic Yoga Therapy both nationally and internationally to healthcare providers, with a focus on integrating yogic…

Dr. Alice Kerby, DPT, SEP, Resiliency Coach

Dr. Alice Kerby specializes in Somatic Experiencing Trauma Therapy and Resiliency Coaching. She holds a clinical doctorate in physical therapy and is an expert in movement and working with the nervous system and body to unwind past patterns of trauma and chronic stress.

Dr. Edwin Bryant, Ph.D

Edwin Bryant received his Ph.D in Indic languages and Cultures from Columbia University, where his thesis culminated in his first book: The Quest for the Origins of Vedic Culture (Oxford University Press, 2001). He taught Hinduism at Harvard University for three years and is presently the professor of Hinduism at Rutgers University where he teaches…

Dr. John Murphy IV, DO

Dr. John Murphy, IV, is an osteopathic family physician practicing in Dayton, Ohio. John completed his undergraduate degree at Case Western University, his medical degree at Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, and his residency in family medicine at Grandview Hospital. During the next twelve years, he worked in private practice, taught anatomy and pathophysiology to…

Dr. Marc Rosenbaum, Psy.D.

Dr. Marc Rosenbaum has been pursuing his vision of making social and emotional learning an integral part of education since 1992. In addition to his international work, his Self-Mastery programs have been presented to more than 4000 New York City parents, teachers and students. Dr. Rosenbaum holds an advanced degree in Applied Psychology and is…

Dr. Michael Muktan Sullivan, D.C., D.Ay.

Dr. Michael Sullivan, D.C., D.Ay., founder and director of Riverview Spa, is a diplomate of Ayurvedic medicine from the International Ayurvedic Institute, He has studied and worked at the Ayurvedic Hospital in Coimbatore, South India and completed advanced studies in Ayurveda in Pune, India. He has been a chiropractor and a Yoga teacher for over…

Dr. Shirley Telles, Ph.D., M.Phil.

Dr. Shirley Telles has a degree in conventional medicine (MBBS) and an M.Phil. and Ph.D. in neurophysiology. Both her M.Phil. and Ph.D. theses focused on the effects of Yoga practice. Dr. Telles received a Fulbright fellowship in 1998 and in 2007 she received an award from the Indian Council of Medical Research Center for Advanced Research…

Durga Leela, E-RYT 500

Durga Leela is a person in long-term recovery, a certified Ayurveda Practitioner, yoga teacher and yoga therapist (IAYT certified) and author of “Yoga of Recovery: Integrating Yoga and Ayurveda with Modern Recovery Tools for Addiction” published in 2022. She is certified as a Peer Recovery Support Specialist and has shared Yoga as a Recovery Pathway…

Eben Alexander III, M.D.and Karen Newell 

After decades as a physician and teacher at Harvard Medical School and elsewhere, renowned academic neurosurgeon Dr. Eben Alexander thought he knew how the brain, mind, and consciousness worked. A transcendental near-death experience (NDE) during a week-long coma from an inexplicable brain infection changed all of that – completely. Since his NDE, Dr. Alexander has…

Ellynne Skove, LCAT, NCC, BC-DMT, BCPP, E-RYT, M.A.

Ellynne is a licensed movement therapist focusing in pre- and perinatal psychology and health. She has worked for over 30 years with babies, children, and adults in birth trauma healing work and preventative work to help families establish strong foundations in body, mind, and spirit. Her background includes extensive study of infant developmental movement with…

Eric Archer

Eric is a multi-instrumentalist, visual artist, and poet drawing inspiration from nature and its bounty. He has performed throughout the United States and Europe and is happy to call the Hudson Valley of New York his home. Eric collaborates regularly with Prema Mayi and Radharani during their workshops and frequently accompanies Biff Mithoefer on his…

Erich Schiffmann

Erich Schiffmann developed his own approach to Yoga through a lifetime of dedicated study. He is world-renowned for his approach, and travels extensively to hold workshops, retreats, lectures, and teacher trainings. He is the author of Yoga: The Spirit and Practice of Moving into Stillness and is featured on the award-winning DVD Yoga Mind &…

Erin Lila Singh, RYT 500

Erin is a Yoga teacher and educator specializing in Yoga for teens. Her passion lies in making the ancient practice and philosophy of Yoga accessible, fun and transformative for teens. She is the Founder and Executive Director of RISE Yoga for Youth, a San Francisco Bay Area non-profit that brings Yoga and wellness programming to…

Errol Ishwara Cowan, Ph.D.

Errol Ishwara Cowan, Ph.D., was initiated by Swami Satchidananda in 1970 and was one of his first students in California. Ishwara was co-founder of Integral Yoga Institute (IYI) California Inc, San Francisco IYI, Yogaville West, and Yogaville–Santa Barbara. “Ish” formerly served as a Yoga instructor and speaker, one of the first Integral Yoga ministers, Integral…

Evelyn Beck

Evelyn (“Evi”) Torton Beck has been dancing all her life, but when she found Sacred Circle Dance three decades ago, she knew she had come home to her spiritual practice. Evi has studied dance with a wide variety of teachers, including the founders of sacred dance at Findhorn in Scotland. She has wide experience teaching…

Faith Hunter, E-RYT 500

Faith is a Yoga teacher and lifestylist, sprinkled with a dash of Louisiana charm. Faith began her life-long love affair with Yoga in the early 90s as a way to cope as her beloved brother Michael was dying from a complication related to AIDS. Through meditation and mindfulness, Faith was able to release her fears…

Gabriella Barnstone, C-IAYT, RYT 500

Gabriella Barnstone is a certified Yoga therapist and has been working at Manhattan Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation under the guidance of Dr. Loren Fishman since 2015. Her teaching is largely influenced by her studies with Judith Lasater, Carrie Owerko, and Jonathan Fitzgordon. Gabriella has taught courses with Dr. Fishman on Yoga for Back Pain, Yoga for…

Gail Parker, E-RYT 500, C-IAYT, Ph.D.

Gail is a psychologist and a certified Yoga therapist. She is a faculty member in the Beaumont School of Yoga Therapy in the Department of Integrative Medicine at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan, where she teaches mind/body strategies for reducing stress and healing emotional trauma to aspiring Yoga therapists. Dr. Parker is a…

Gary Kraftsow, M.A., E-RYT 500, C-IAYT

Gary Kraftsow is the founder, director, and senior teacher of the American Viniyoga Institute. He is the author of Yoga for Wellness and Yoga for Transformation as well as the educational DVD series: Viniyoga Therapy for Low Back, Sacrum and Hips; Viniyoga Therapy for Upper Back, Neck and Shoulders; Viniyoga Therapy for Anxiety; and Viniyoga Therapy for Depression. He began…

Gaura Vani

Gaura Vani is a multi-disciplinary artist—fluent in music, film, and visual arts. He is best known for his mantra music performances. Gaura Vani’s events are unifying and transporting—a mix of participatory rhythm and song, story and dance. He has traveled in Africa, the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Australia performing both as a solo artist and…

Giselle Mari, E-RYT 500, C-IAYT, YACEP

Giselle’s introduction to Yoga in the early 90’s was a natural progression from her gymnastics/dance background, her passion for music, and her childhood; she was raised by a bohemian flamenco dancer. Today all of these influence her style and approach to teaching and to life. An E-RYT 500 and YACEP, Giselle flavors her classes with…

Gita Catherine Brown, RYT 500

Gita began teaching kids using the Yoga for the Special Child method in 2006. She teaches private and group classes at South Shore Conservatory (SSC) and in public schools, day habilitation programs, autism resource groups, and after-school programs throughout the South Shore. Gita is training with Sonia Sumar to become a Yoga for the Special…

Gita Kali Natarajan, RYT 500

When Gita chants you can feel the devotion through her voice and heart. She chants as much as she can in and around DC, MD, and VA, and occasionally tours abroad. She started chanting when it became an integral part of her work with children with special needs and hasn’t been able to stop. She never had a…

Govind Das

Govind Das is a California-based Bhakti Yogi and Kirtan singer and his spiritual name suggests “servant of the divine”. He is the co-director and owner of Bhakti Yoga Shala in Santa Monica, CA. Govind Das’s commitment to Bhakti Yoga and the ideals of love, service, and devotion is the essence which is reflected and transmitted…

Hannah Levin, NAMA, E-RYT, YACEP

Hannah Elizabeth Levin is the founder of Heartfelt Wellbeing LLC. She is an Ayurveda Practitioner (NAMA), yoga teacher (E-RYT, YACEP), and potter who also holds a masters degree in teaching. Her own healing path through chronic allergies, anxiety, sleep struggles, digestive issues, and chronic hip pain led her to the healing found in yoga and…

Haris “Harini” Lender, E-RYT 200, RYT 500, RCYT, YACEP

Haris “Harini” is the founder of Kidding Around Yoga, a certified Integral Yoga teacher at the 500-hour level and is also certified in Prenatal, Raja, Children’s Yoga, and Stress Management. In 2020, Harini retired from Kidding Around Yoga and now lives full-time in Yogaville. During her 11 years of running Camp Yogaville, Haris wrote songs and…

Harmanjot Kaur

HARMANJOT began practicing, studying and teaching Kundalini yoga in 2008 when she met her teacher Guru Jagat. She worked side by side with Guru Jagat until her passing in August 2021. During this time, Harmanjot was instrumental to opening and growing the three RA MA Institutes (Los Angeles, New York City, Palma de Mallorca), and…

HawaH Kasat

Hawah Kasat (HawaH) is an author, poet, educator, community organizer, nonprofit leader, and yogi. Since childhood, Hawah has been studying movement, meditation, and philosophy. With a lineage that traces back to India, his life was split between schooling in New Jersey and Washington, DC while spending long summers in Mumbai. From birth, Hawah has been…

Heike Amma Farkas

Heike Amma Farkas is a certified Integral Yoga Teacher since 1993 and an Integral Teacher Trainer in Germany since 2002. She is also the author of Partner Yoga, published in German, soon being released in Spanish. As the head of the Integral Yoga Centre in Augsburg, Germany, she’s been teaching children and adults with great…

Hersha Chellaram, E-RYT 200, RPYT, and RCYT

Hersha Harilela Chellaram (she/her) is an award-winning Yoga therapist, teacher trainer, and nonprofit leader, pioneering inclusivity and well-being in Hong Kong. She has over 20 years of experience teaching Yoga to a wide range of ages and abilities in both studio and community settings. She is the founder and executive director of YAMA Foundation, a…

Hope Mell, RYT 500, ATT

Hope’s passion and purpose are helping people find freedom in their bodies—freedom of movement and movement without pain. She found Integral Yoga® in 1967 and began her studies with Sri Swami Satchidananda. She was certified to teach Integral Yoga Hatha in 1974. Marjorie Barstow came into Hope’s life in 1979, who taught her The Alexander…

HuDost

The music of HuDost, the Sufi kirtan, neo-folk, world rock ensemble from Montreal and KY, weaves a seamless tapestry of sound that renders tears and laughter in listeners, cultivating the nameless longing that abides within all our hearts and invokes total celebration. HuDost’s core musicians are Moksha Sommer and Jemal Wade Hines. Having toured the US, Canada, and…

Iana Sundari Malcolm, E-RYT 500

Iana Sundari Malcolm was raised by her Yoga loving parents, between New York City and Yogaville. In her early 20’s Iana left a successful career in Public Relations to follow her passion for all things Wellness. Since then she has traveled the world teaching Hatha Yoga, Yoga for the Special Child, Prenatal Yoga, Post Labor…

Integral Yoga Senior Staff

Ishwara Aref

Ishwara Ehab Aref was born in Cairo, Egypt, and worked as a professional dancer for 16 years at the Cairo Opera House. He moved to New York in 2000 and was introduced to the Integral Yoga sangha in 2004. In 2006 he attended a meditation workshop at Integral Yoga Institute New York that changed his…

Jacy Sundlie, TRE Trainer, LSW, CCA

Jacy has been involved with TRE since 2008. She has been a certification trainer since 2010 and helped develop the first TRE certification program. As a licensed social worker, registered Yoga instructor, massage therapist, life coach, and reiki master, Jacy draws on all of these modalities to enhance TRE trainings. Her passion for TRE integrates…

Jai Uttal

Jai Uttal, a Grammy-nominated sacred music composer, recording artist, multi-instrumentalist, and ecstatic vocalist, combines influences from India with influences from American rock and jazz, creating a stimulating and exotic multi-cultural fusion that is truly world spirit music. Having traveled extensively in India, where he met many beautiful saints and singers, Bhakti Yoga became his personal…

James Knight, E-RYT 200, CHSE

James has been an Integrative Therapist for over 25 years. He is a Yoga teacher (E-RYT 200) and Certified Hanna Somatic Educator (CHSE). From his combined experience as a lifelong yogi, intuitive bodyworker, psychotherapist, and movement educator, James created a method of Yoga that integrates what he discovered to be the most progressive, life-enhancing techniques…

James Kovalenko

James Kovalenko is a certified Integral Yoga Hatha and Raja Yoga teacher. He lived and served in Yogaville for four years in Shakticom and tech/av departments. He was a key player during the pandemic when the ashram made the transition from in-person programs to online offerings as well as the production of iytv.online. He loves…

Jan Brown

The Rev. Jan Brown is Founder/Executive Director of SpiritWorks Foundation Center for the Soul. An ordained Deacon in the Episcopal Church and Archdeacon of the Diocese of Southern Virginia, she serves at Bruton Parish Church in Williamsburg, VA. Jan is a graduate of the College of William and Mary with a BA in Psychology, is…

Jana Long, E-RYT 500, C-IAYT

Jana is a certified yoga teacher and therapist, meditation facilitator and Ayurvedic lifestyle consultant who specializes in the therapeutic application of yoga and meditation for seniors and the management of cancer and other acute and chronic conditions. She is director of Power of One Yoga Center, a community-based studio in Baltimore, MD, and the co-founder…

Janardhana Clemons

Janardhana Clemons is a certified Integral Yoga teacher in all 6 branches of Yoga. In his later years, he studied and practiced Jnana Yoga. Janardhana began his service with Integral Yoga in 1973. He helped build, manage, and staff health food stores and ran an Integral Yoga Institute for two years while teaching Hatha, Raja,…

Jane Stelboum, RYT 500, E-RYT 200, Certified Brain Longevity Specialist

Jane is a marketing/advertising executive, Hatha yoga teacher trainer, and Certified Brain Longevity Specialist. She founded Sarasvate (sar-as-vah-te´) in 2012 in honor of her mother Sarah, whom she lost to Alzheimer’s in 2011. Sarasvate’s mission is to prevent memory-related diseases like Alzheimer’s and help those already impacted maintain a high quality of life as long as…

Jasiatic Anderson

Jasiatic is a world-traveled photographer, vegan chef, food justice advocate and homeschooling mother of three teenagers. Jasiatic has lived a plant-based lifestyle for the better part of 20 years. After earning a degree in Africana Studies from The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, she began working in and out of health food stores and…

Jayadeva Mandelkorn E-RYT 500

Jayadeva E-RYT 500, founder of Integral Yoga Institute Princeton and TGR Yoga – The Great Remembering, began teaching Yoga in January 1969 while studying at Stanford University. He is a senior disciple of sage Swami Satchidananda with whom he studied and lived with at Yogaville before becoming Manager of the New York Integral Yoga Institute.…

Jayadevi Hollon, E-RYT 500, YACEP

Jayadevi Hollon teaches beginner through advanced Integral Yoga practices and holds additional certifications in instructing Meditation, as well as Accessible, Restorative, and Yin Yoga. She received her academic education in Asian studies at New York University and Nanjing University, where she was blessed with the opportunity to travel extensively through China exploring Eastern philosophy and…

Joan Borysenko, Ph.D.

Joan Borysenko, Ph.D. is a world-renowned expert in the mind-body connection. A licensed psychologist and a Harvard-trained cell biologist, Joan synthesizes cutting-edge science with deep humanity. A New York Times bestselling author of 17 books and numerous audio programs for meditation and stress management, Joan’s work has appeared in The Washington Post, The Wall Street…

Joann Lutz, MSW, LICSW, E-RYT, C-IAYT

Joann is an experienced, certified Integral Yoga® teacher and a certified Yoga and Ayurvedic Yoga therapist. She is also a licensed independent clinical social worker. For the past six years, Joann has traveled internationally to universities, conferences, hospitals, ashrams, and Yoga centers to train Yoga and mental health professionals on bringing nervous-system informed, trauma-sensitive Yoga…

John Jackson

John has been practicing meditation for over 40 years, from pranayama to Tibetan dzogchen. During his studies and explorations he has traveled on pilgrimages around the world, spent lengthy periods of time in retreat at monasteries in Nepal and India, and made pilgrimage to the most sacred mountain of Tibet, Mt. Kailash. Over the past 25…

John Schlorholtz, E-RYT 500

John Schlorholtz is a principal Yoga instructor at the Harvard University Center for Wellness. He has worked with older adults extensively, both in individual therapy and in a variety of group settings. John was born and raised in Pakistan, has traveled through much of India, and has led a number of trips to the Caribbean…

John Schumacher, CIYT, C-IAYT

John believes that it is important to explore and learn the actions and effects of Yoga through our own diligent, consistent practice. In 1979, he established Unity Woods Yoga Center outside Washington, DC. He became known for his clear, precise style and his engaging sense of humor. Yoga Journal described John as “one of 25…

Jonathan Goldman and Andi Goldman, LPC, M.A.

Jonathan is an international authority on sound healing and a pioneer in the field of harmonics. He has worked with masters of sound from both scientific and spiritual traditions and has been empowered by the Chant Master of the Dalai Lama’s Drepung Loseling Monastery to teach Tibetan Overtone Chanting. Jonathan is author of Healing Sounds: The…

Julia Kupke

Julia works internationally leading group trainings, workshops, and retreats as well as individual sessions on the topics of mindfulness, Strala, Yin Yoga, inner work, and personal development. She offers these programs with the goal of giving people opportunities to get to know themselves better. She likes to design spaces and journeys in which people connect…

Julie Lusk, E-RYT 500, M.Ed.

Julie Lusk specializes in balancing and strengthening the body-mind-spirit connection through Yoga, meditation, constructive relaxation, and guided imagery as an international author, recording artist, and workshop leader. Julie is the author of Yoga Nidra for Complete Relaxation and Stress Relief, Yoga Meditations, two volumes of 30 Scripts for Relaxation, Imagery, and Inner Healing, and Desktop Yoga®.…

Kambiz Naficy

Kambiz spent fifteen years studying with grandmasters of Yoga in India. He is now an international master of breathing meditation and an expert in life transformation through the cleansing of subconscious beliefs. He founded The Joy of Life Organization in 2001, and since he has transformed the lives of more than ten thousand people in…

Kansas Carradine

Kansas Carradine, has been a prominent figure in the Equestrian Industry, from rodeo arenas to Hollywood stunts and circus performances for over 30 years. Evolving into an ethical horsemanship clinician and influential speaker, she maintains an unwavering commitment to the highest animal ethics standards. Notably featured in publications like Sports Illustrated and Cowboys & Indians…

Karen Newell 

Karen  is Co-founder, Sacred Acoustics. As an innovator in the emerging field of brainwave entrainment audio meditation, Karen empowers others in their journeys of self-discovery. Using Sacred Acoustics recordings, she teaches how to enter and engage your own consciousness in order to connect to inner guidance, achieve inspiration, improve wellness and develop intuition. Her lifelong…

Karuna Kreps

Karuna Kreps met Swami Satchidananda in 1967. Initiated by him, she taught classes of all levels at the Integral Yoga Institute in New York from 1968 to 1982. She traveled with Swami Satchidananda, staffed Yoga retreats, and lived in the Integral Yoga Institute. In 1986, she was awarded the title of Guru Tattwa Ratnam, or…

Katchie Ananda, E-RYT 500

Katchie is an international Yoga and Dharma teacher whose life’s work has been to explore the practices of yoga and dharma and share their path to freedom with others. She has well over 10,000 teaching hours, spanning 25 years as a full-time practitioner and trainer and she has developed numerous approaches to wisdom in body,…

Kate Bharati Thuss

Kate Bharati Thuss is the founder of Sthira Sukham Yoga, a traditional school of Hatha Yoga located in Northern Virginia. After nearly 20 years of practice, and a decade of teaching, Kate credits the practices of Yoga for shaping and saving her life. While navigating life through the lens of anxiety and depression, she learned not only how…

Katie Silcox

Katie is the author of the New York Times best-selling book, Healthy, Happy, Sexy: Ayurveda Wisdom for Modern Women. She is also an internationally-recognized Yoga teacher, Ayurvedic practitioner, writer, and inspirer of hearts and minds. She is renowned for her depth of study, her ability to present the complexities of Yoga’s ancient wisdom in a…

Kelley Nicole Palmer, E-RYT 200

Kelley is a writer, wellness advocate, and community organizer committed to using the philosophies of Yoga to cultivate peace for herself and others. Her dedication to a path of mindful wellness and self-realization fuels her work and propels her to share it with others through her writing, events, and teaching opportunities. She remains focused on…

Kiesha Battles, E-RYT 500

Kiesha is a full-time Yoga teacher who began practicing Yoga in 2000. Over the past seven years, Kiesha has created Yoga programs, lead Yoga retreats, managed the daily operations of a Yoga studio, and was recently appointed as Co-Director of the Yoga Retreat for Women of Color at Kripalu Retreat Center. Known to many as…

Krishna Das

Krishna Das has been called Yoga’s “rock star,” layering traditional kirtan with instantly accessible melodies and modern instrumentation. With a remarkably soulful voice that touches the deepest chord in even the most casual listener, Krishna Das—known to friends, family, and fans simply as KD—has taken the call-and-response chanting out of Yoga centers and into concert…

Krissy Coggins

Krissy, a Certified Positive Discipline Educator and mom of two amazing little girls, is passionate about positive parent-child relationships. She has long believed that children deserve our intentional nurturing in a way that best supports them even when they present us with challenges. It is with this belief that Krissy made the decision to get…

Lakshmi Sutter, C-IAYT, Ph.D. E-RYT 500, YACEP

Lakshmi serves as director of the Integral Yoga Therapy program. Lakshmi previously served in the Integral Yoga Academy at Yogaville as Academy Director, as Integral Yoga Teachers Association Director, and as Teacher Training Planning and Development Director. She is a trainer of Integral Yoga Hatha Yoga at the basic and intermediate levels, and she enthusiastically shares…

Lauren Sacks, E-RYT 200, RPYT

Lauren is passionate about supporting women throughout the journey of motherhood, and is a firm believer in the power and possibility that Yoga can create in women’s lives. In addition to her weekly prenatal Yoga classes, Lauren also teaches alignment Yoga, leads workshops and prenatal teacher trainings throughout North Carolina and the East Coast, and…

Leslie Howard E-RYT 500, C-IAYT

Leslie Howard is an Oakland-based yoga teacher, specializing in all things pelvic. She leads workshops and trainings worldwide and has written a book about the female pelvis, Pelvic Liberation. She is a regular presenter for the Yoga Journal conferences and a regular contributor to Yoga Journal magazine. Her own struggles with healing her hips and…

Lila Shakti Mayi

Lila Shakti Mayi received her B.A. and M.A. in Sanskrit from the University of Virginia. She has studied sacred Sanskrit literature for over a decade, and recently contributed heavily to an award-winning publication entitled Bhagavad Gītā Concordance: A Comprehensive Word Reference with English and Sanskrit Indexes by Dr. Graham Schweig (Columbia University Press, 2024). Her…

Lisa Jakub

Lisa is an author, Kripalu Yoga teacher, and retired actor who has more than forty film and television credits to her name, including Mrs. Doubtfire and Independence Day. At the age of twenty-two, Lisa retired from her eighteen-year acting career in search of a life that felt more authentic to her. She has found a…

Lisa Santoshi Castro, MSW, MBA, LCSW, RYT 200, CCTP

Santoshi is a licensed clinical social worker with a Master’s in business administration in healthcare. She has worked in the field of mental health and substance abuse treatment for 20 years. Santoshi is also an RYT 200 and a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional. In addition to her private practice, she is currently the executive director…

Liz Larson, MA, MS, RYT 200

Liz Larson, MA, MS, RYT 200, is a precise and intuitive yoga teacher. She is passionate about using yoga to improve health, arguably our most valuable resource. Liz has studied and worked with Dr. Fishman for ten years, holds all of the certifications offered by The Fishman Method, and is the study administrator for Dr.…

Loren M. Fishman, M.D., B.Phil. (Oxon.)

Dr. Fishman is Medical Director of Manhattan Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in New York City, author of twelve books, and more than 100 academic articles, and a world-recognized pioneer in the use of Yoga in medical conditions, and the treatment of lower back pain and piriformis syndrome. He spent three years in India before going to…

Louis Mahadev Carlino, E-RYT 500, M.A., LPC

Louis Mahadev Carlino, E-RYT 500, M.A., LPC, is a certified Integral Yoga® teacher with over 1000 hours of training. From 2001 through 2006, Mahadev lived at Satchidananda Ashram–Yogaville, where he led teacher trainings at all levels. In 2009, he earned a Masters’ Degree in Somatic Counseling Psychotherapy from Naropa University in Boulder, CO. He has…

M. Mala Cunningham, Ph.D., C-IAYT

Mala Cunningham is a counseling psychologist and certified Yoga therapist in Charlottesville, VA. She is an assistant professor at the University of Virginia (UVA) School of Nursing where she teaches courses in Foundations of Medical Yoga for Health Professionals. Dr. Cunningham is also the co-director of Medical Yoga at UVA where she has developed and…

Madhavan Mark Wolz, RYT 500, C-IAYT

Madhavan has been teaching Yoga and meditation for 16 years, with a concentration on therapeutic benefits and everyday applications. He also teaches and practices astrology, with an emphasis on using our charts to reflect on ourselves. Mark is particularly fond of teaching workshops because he finds participants learn better when they are actively engaged. He…

Madhuri Fiona Flynn, E-RYT 500

Madhuri has been teaching Yoga since 1997 and has trained hundreds of Yoga teachers internationally over the past nineteen years.   A dedicated yogini, she found and fell in love with Yoga on her arrival in San Francisco from London in 1995. She was a resident at the San Francisco Integral Yoga Institute for 16 years,…

Madhuri Lavender

Madhuri’s love of anatomy began in 1971 when she took Anatomy and Kinesiology at the University of Utah as a dance major. That is also when she was first introduced to Yoga and fell in love with how it created joy in her body and mind. Her initial formal studies began with Iyengar-style Hatha Yoga.…

Manju Joshi, M.A., E-RYT 500, YACEP, C-IAYT, MCO-Osteo, HHC

Manju Joshi, M.A., E-RYT 500, YACEP, C-IAYT, MCO-Osteo, HHC, is the co-founder and research director of Gurukul Yoga Holistic Center (GYHC), a science of living institution and registered Yoga school (RYS 200/300) as well as an IAYT APD provider and former supporting member school of IAYT (International Association of Yoga Therapy). She has served communities…

Marc Morozumi, E-RYT 500, CMT

Marc Morozumi, E-RYT 500, CMT, Integral Yoga Lead Teacher Trainer, began practicing Ashtanga Yoga in 2001 while a full-time modern dancer with Joe Goode Performance Group in SF, CA. Due to injury, Marc retired from his dance career in 2004 and entered the events industry for a 12-year career. In 2007, he was able to…

Margabandhu Martarano, E-RYT 500, B.A.

Margabandhu has served as director of the New Jersey Integral Yoga® Institute for 50 years. Margabandhu is a senior certified Integral Yoga instructor, proficient in all aspects of Yoga. He has a B.A. in education, is a master herbalist, and is certified in therapeutic acupressure massage and reflexology. Margabandhu is also the director of the Well…

Maria Alfaro, E-RYT, Neurogenic Yoga Trainer and TRE Certification Trainer

Maria Alfaro is a native Italian who lives in California. She has taught Yoga since 1997, and she is also a Tension and Trauma Releasing Exercises® (TRE) trainer. Maria leads workshops and trainings nationally and internationally. She is one of two Neurogenic Yoga lead instructors.  See more at NeurogenicYoga.com  and  TREcalifornia.com

Maria Malati Gelabert, Ph.D., RYT 200

Maria Malati Gelabert is a chemist and Yoga teacher, with certifications from Integral Yoga with Satya Greenstone (2010), restorative Yoga with Judith Lasater (2011) and Yoga Nidra with Julie Lusk (2023). In her creative nonfiction writing, she explores scientific connections between mindfulness and thermodynamics, folding chemistry into Yoga and wellness. Of specific interest is chaos,…

Marni Sclaroff, E-RYT 500, MAT

Marni is a celebrated Yoga teacher with over twenty years of experience in the healing arts. She leads workshops, retreats, mentoring programs, and teacher trainings throughout the US and abroad. She is also a writer and speaker on the transformative power of living Yoga and the healing work of anchoring the heart in the soul. She…

Marsha T. Danzig E-RYT 200, C-IAYT, M.Ed.

Marsha is a 30-year veteran in Yoga studies with over 40 years living as a below-knee amputee. As president of Yoga For Amputees®, she has developed a unique approach to body and spirit conditioning which greatly enhances well-being for the lives of amputees worldwide. Marsha has been featured in such magazines as Good Housekeeping, Yoga…

Mary Veal, E-RYT 500

Mary is a Yoga for Arthritis Certified Instructor and specializes in working with students that have chronic conditions or injuries. Mary is the office manager (O.M.) of Kula Yoga Shala, a donation-based Yoga studio in Jupiter, FL. She obtained her 200-hour certification in Hatha Yoga from Kula Yoga Shala and her 500-hour certification in Anusara.…

Maya Bamford, E-RYT 500

Maya is a teacher who shares her enthusiasm for traditional Yoga within her classes. She has been practicing since 2003 and has been teaching since 2010. Her passion for Yoga has enabled her to consistently study and attend trainings to further her knowledge. She is certified in Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced Integral Hatha Yoga, Raja…

Maya Breuer, E-RYT 500

Celebrated as one of America’s distinguished Black Yogis by Black Enterprise Magazine, Maya is a preeminent Yoga instructor and practitioner, author, community activist, and consultant with a career spanning over three decades. She is the co-founder of the Black Yoga Teachers Alliance. She is also founder and director of the Santosha School of Yoga where she…

Mazin Jamal

Mazin Jamal is the founder of Holistic Underground, a leadership and organizational development agency for social movements and businesses. He honed his craft working with leaders and teams around the world, from Malaysia, Ghana, and Sudan to the urban heart of the San Francisco Bay Area. From capacity building and strategic planning to communicating across…

Meenakshi Angel Honig, E-RYT 500

Meenakshi Angel is dedicated to peace and loving kindness. She has studied with the highly revered and deeply loved Yoga master Sri Swami Satchidananda since the age of sixteen. Meenakshi Angel is an internationally acclaimed certified Integral Yoga Instructor and teacher trainer with over forty years of teaching experience. She served as the premier Mind,…

Meera Ellen Mangum, E-RYT 200, B.S.

Meera was raised in Yogaville and attended the Yogaville Vidyalayam school, Tandem Friends School, and Charlottesville High School. She completed her 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training at the Integral Yoga institute in Coimbatore, India and is also certified as a Kidding Around Yoga (KAY) teacher. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University and…

Meera Patricia Kerr

Meera has been associated with Integral Yoga since she began taking classes at the Danbury Center in 1973, where she had the opportunity to meet Sri Gurudev and sing for him.  She took teacher training in 1978 and soon began teaching at the New York IYI, where she was working on her first album, Water…

Melissa Anne Bhudevi

Melissa Anne Bhudevi started her healing journey with Yoga after a head injury in 2018. Yoga allowed her to heal her brain and integrate years of trauma from a career in disaster management. Regular Yoga practice and Yoga philosophy studies have brought about a deep connection with Self and Spirit and strengthened her relationship with…

Mia Velez

Mia Velez entered the Integral Yoga Sangha in 2016 through the kitchen by helping to cook Thursday community lunches and silent retreat meals. In 2018 she certified as an Integral Yoga teacher to learn more of the IYI approach and be part of the lineage. Mia is a disciple of the Moy Yat Ving Tsun…

Michael Lee, E-RYT 500, C-IAYT, Dip.Soc.Sci, Dip.T., M.A.

Michael is a master educator with 50 years of teaching experience. He founded Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy in 1985 after many years of deep Yoga practice and work in the areas of personal growth and transformation. Michael is the author of two books: Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy—Bridge from Body to Soul and Turn Stress Into…

Michael Lerner

Michael Lerner is the co-founder of Commonweal in Bolinas, California. His principal work at Commonweal is with the Cancer Help Program, Healing Circles, Beyond Conventional Cancer Therapies, the Collaborative on Health and the Environment, and The New School at Commonweal. He was the recipient of a MacArthur Prize Fellowship for contributions to public health in…

Michael Rhadeya Plasha, E-RYT 500, RPYT

Michael Rhadeya Plasha has been practicing mindfulness for many years. He began teaching meditation at the Kensho Meditation Center in Erie. He has studied and practiced with the following yoga and meditation masters: Swami Chidvilasananda, Swami Satchidananda, Roshi Phillip Kapleau, Roshi John Daido Lori, the Venerable Henepola Gunaratana, Swami Dayananda, Dr. David Frawley and T.K.V.…

Mimi Rieger, E-RYT

Mimi has been practicing Yoga since 1998 and has been teaching for over fifteen years. Her physical journey began with ballet at the age of four, progressed with martial arts and Yoga in her twenties, and continues to the present day. Mimi is passionate about her wellness exploration and her teaching encourages others to seek…

Mitra Dema, B.Sc., Dip.Ed., Grad. Dip. Arts

Mitra Dema has been teaching Integral Yoga since 2000 after discovering Yoga for himself and experiencing its benefits. He felt it was too good not to share. At its essence, Mitra sees Yoga as giving us a set of tools that we can use to get more out of life, to be better, and do…

Mitra Somerville, RYT 500

Mitra Somerville has lived and trained in Integral Yoga communities in Australia, New York, and Yogaville, VA. He is a trainer for the 200-hour Integral Yoga Teacher Training and a Meditation, Raja Yoga, Stress Management, and Hatha Yoga Teacher. While in Hawaii he opened a Yoga studio and published a book, Treasure Within You. His…

Montina Sraddha Cole, JD

Montina Sraddha Cole has been practicing Integral Yoga since 2003, and is certified to teach Hatha Yoga, Raja Yoga, Meditation, and Stress Management. She is a student and teacher of applying the ancient wisdom of Yoga to modern day challenges. She is an attorney and the Founder and Principal of Jai Green Consulting LLC, which…

Morganne Ashlie, M.S., LAc

With an emphasis on their practical applications, Morganne has been blending insights and practices from Taoist, Buddhist, and Shamanic traditions in classes and workshops for three decades. Morganne graduated from Southwest Acupuncture College in Santa Fe, with a degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Having had private practices in Santa Fe and Chapel Hill, she moved…

Mukta Kaur Khalsa, Ph.D.

Mukta Kaur Khalsa is the director of SuperHealth and personally trained with Yogi Bhajan for thirty years. She was the director of a specialized hospital in Tucson, AZ, that was rated in the top 10% of all programs in the United States by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. She is the author…

Nalanie Harilela Chellaram

Nalanie Harilela Chellaram is a modern spiritual teacher—a true soul doctor dedicated to selfless service. She travels the world to spread a message of wisdom, compassion, and love based on the philosophy of Yoga. Nalanie attended university in the United States where she studied philosophy, psychology, and fine arts. Later, in 1986, she became a…

Narada Williams

Exploration of the mind, self-inquiry, and a search for deeper spiritual meaning set Narada Williams on a journey that led him to Yoga. His pursuit of teacher training brought him to Satchidananda Ashram-Yogaville in 2014, where he completed his 200-hour Integral Yoga training with Satya Greenstone. He taught Hatha Yoga classes in Radford, VA, while…

Narayani Noelle Whittington, E-RYT 500

Narayani is a dedicated and passionate Yoga instructor, musician, Bhakti Yoga student, Thai Yoga practitioner, and senior trainer of the Kunga Yoga School. Noelle began teaching full-time in 2006 following completion of the 200-hour teacher training program at the Nosara Yoga Institute in Costa Rica. Later, she completed a host of other trainings and certifications,…

Natalia Madhuri Christophe, RYT 500

Madhuri é professora e formadora de Integral Yoga graduada no Integral Yoga 200-hrs Teacher Training (TT) em 2015. Desde então, cursou o Accessible Yoga Training também em 2015, Intermediate TT em 2016, Meditação e Pranayama TT em 2017, e Raja Yoga TT em 2019. Assim adquiriu o diploma de 500 horas de treinamento em Yoga…

Nataraj Langdon, RYT 200

Nataraj, RYT 200, has devoted the past 6 years to self-inquiry, contemplative prayer, and immersive study of sacred scriptures. His most cherished and intimate relationships reside with the Mandukya Upanishad, the Katha Upanishad, the Bhagavad Gita, the Gospel of Thomas, A Course in Miracles, I Am That (Nisargadatta Maharaj), the Ashtavakra Gita, the Christian Bible…

Nick Gonnering

Nick Gonnering is a 12-string inspirational folk artist from the Asheville, NC area. His music is a reflection of his yogic journey through life and it centers around the heart, transformation, and clarity. After traveling the National Parks for the centennial out of a 1977 motorhome in 2016, Nick decided to truly pursue his passion…

Nirmala Habib, M.B.A., B.A.

Nirmala Habib is a seasoned marketer with over 20 years of experience marketing to multicultural audiences, specializing in the USA Hispanic market. Nirmala has held mid-level management positions at several entertainment companies including Showtime Networks, MTV Networks (both Viacom), Univision Communications and a mid-size advertising agency. These roles involved developing and implementing marketing strategies and…

Nitika Achalam, RYT

Nitika earned her first 200-hour certification through Yogaville in 2000 and is a graduate of the Living Yoga Training Program. She is certified to teach Yoga for arthritis and chronic pain, therapeutic Yoga, trauma-informed Yoga, and much more. For the past 3 years, Nitika has served as the executive director of Project Yoga Richmond, a…

Nitya and Ninad

Nitya and Ninad are partners in life, and for the last sixteen years they have had the good fortune of sharing music that is a door to the divine, silence, and mystery of life. Their approach to mantra singing and Bhakti Yoga is natural and transports those who participate at their events to the heart of meditation and…

Nitya Griffith, E-RYT 200, CRYT

Nitya, the founder of Nitya Living™, has been an Integral Yoga teacher since 2005. She offers creative children’s Yoga programs with asanas, meditation, mindfulness practices, and breathing practices through storytelling and original songs. Nitya has published the Yoga with Nitya Kid’s Yoga DVD; the Satchidananda Ashram–Yogaville Coloring Book: A Child’s Journey into Yoga; Yoga with Nitya Cookbook:…

Ora Gibson Richards

Ora is an inspirational and motivational speaker, a professional, wellness, and self-development coach, and a cross-cultural communication and community advocate. Born in Liberia, West Africa, Ora was educated in Liberia, England, and France. Following the start of the Liberian civil war in 1990, Ora and her husband spent 5 years volunteering to establish the Buduburum…

Oyámie Kali Ma’at, RYT 500

Oyámie Kali Ma’at is a trauma-informed Somatic Movement Facilitator, Sensual Embodiment Coach, Spiritual Yoga Teacher and a Performer. She believes the wisdom of the body can lead to profound discoveries. Born and raised in West Africa, Oyámie Kali Ma’at spent most of her childhood in community gatherings of musicians, drummers, dancers, and storytellers. Listening and…

Padme

Padme received her spiritual name “in the lotus” during her sacred training in meditation, mantra, and yoga in the Himalayas near Uttarkashi in India at the Sivananda Kutir. After this remembering, Padme took a Quantum Leap, leaving the office cubicle life to manifest transformational freedom. Padme is certified as a Sivananda yoga teacher and currently…

Paola Parvathi Faini

In 1995 Parvathi met her spiritual master Sri Swami Satchidananda at the Yogaville Ashram in Virginia, USA, where she trained as an Integral Yoga teacher and where she lived for some time. Since then she has been offering her service in various training courses regularly. In 1999 she opened a Yoga center in Milan with…

Paradiso and Rasamayi

Paradiso and Rasamayi are internationally renowned musicians and 3-time Album of the Year award winners. Their audiences have frequently reported experiences of deep meditation, visions of their guides, life purpose, and past lives, as well as profound healing during their performances. They have been identified as the #1 Independent World Music band in the world,…

Parashakti Husson

Parashakti has been teaching Hatha Yoga at Yogaville since completing her training here in May 2022. After suffering chronic health issues through childhood and college, she left engineering school to focus on her health and wellbeing. Through the practices of Hatha and Kirtan, Parashakti was led into a much more loving relationship with the body…

Pastor Paul

Reverend Paul Wilson was ordained as a Baptist Minister at the age of 18. Pastor Paul graduated from Virginia Union University and has his Masters’s in Divinity degree. He has pastored Virginia churches since 1972 and he is currently pastor of Unity Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Buckingham, VA. Before that, Pastor Paul was Pastor of…

Paul Olko, ND, Dipl. CH, MST

Paul is a naturopath, herbalist and Asian bodywork therapist. He has been associated with the Ni Family Traditional practices since 1989, and travels to Los Angeles each year to advance his own practice. He is certified by the Chi Health Institute of the College of Tao in the Ni family’s Eighteen-Step Harmony-Style Tai Chi and…

Prahaladan Philip Mandelkorn

Prahaladan (Phillip), a former U.S. Navy Seal Team Platoon Commander, Time Magazine Correspondent and Sen. Robert Kennedy’s speechwriter, served later as Director of Teacher Training at Satchidananda Ashram and collaborated with Sri Swami Satchidananda on the books To Know Your Self and The Living Gita. He also collaborated with Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shelomi on the book…

Prashant V. Joshi, M.A. M.Phil., E-RYT 500, YACEP, C-IAYT

Prashant V. Joshi, M.A. M.Phil., E-RYT 500, YACEP, C-IAYT, is an electrical engineer, computer scientist, Yoga teacher, therapist, and technology/management leader who has served in the US for over the past 25 years. Prashant has introduced yogic leadership principles to the academic and corporate world at all levels of management. He has brought Yoga to…

Prema Mayi

Prema Mayi has been practicing Bhakti Yoga for over 40 years. While living in ashrams, she studied the arts and philosophies of the Vedas under the guidance of S. Bhaktivedanta Narayan Maharaja. Prema offers her students an opportunity to discover natural inner wealth through the exploration of their own voices. She travels around the world…

Presenters TBA

Presenters TBA

Raama Das, E-RYT 500, C-IAYT, YACEP

Raama Das is a former director of the Integral Yoga® Teachers Association and has been instructing Integral Yoga since 2009. He is a lead trainer for the Integral Yoga 200-hour TT at Yogaville and co-presents both the 200 and 500-hour Yoga Alliance programs at Heal Me Institute in Fredericksburg. Raama recently received certification as a Yoga Therapist…

Rachel Raji Jenson, RYT-500

Rachel Jensen is a Licensed Massage Therapist, certified Health Couch through Duke University, 200 and 300 HR certified Integral Hatha Yoga Teacher, and is currently pursuing her certification in Somatic Experiencing- a body-based approach to dealing with trauma created by Peter Levine. A Licensed Massage Therapist for 18 years, Rachel is passionate about finding the…

Ram Bhakt, E-RYT 500

Ram Bhakt is a Yoga teacher and entrepreneur. He founded Long Beach School of Yoga in 2012. He is known for using technology to share his gifts and inspiring his teacher trainees to find their unique place in the current Yoga marketplace. His mission is to share the healing power of Yoga to as many…

Ram Wiener, E-RYT 500

Ram Wiener is one of the foremost administrators and teachers at Yogaville. He is the President of Integral Yoga Natural Foods, and served as Vice President of Satchidananda Ashram for over 30 years. He is a 200 hour Integral Yoga Teacher Trainer. Ram is a native of Central America. He has organized many successful and…

Ramakrishna Sackett

Ramakrishna began studying Yoga and Eastern religions in 1967. In 1970, he joined the Integral Yoga® Institute (IYI) of San Francisco as a founding member. As an Integral Yoga (IY) teacher and community service director of the IYI, he taught the community in high schools, colleges, half-way houses, detention centers, on wilderness outings, and on…

Ranjani Bayne, RYT 200

Ranjani has teaching Integral Yoga since 2010. She combines her educational background and joy of movement to help promote health, well-being, happiness, and peace for all her students. She especially enjoys using props and modifications to assist students and create accessibility for all bodies. She teaches Integral Yoga Level 1, Mixed Level Integral Yoga, Restorative Yoga,…

Ranjani Tutia, E-RYT 200

Ranjani Tutia, E-RYT 200, first started out at the Integral Yoga Institute of NYC as a Karma Yogi in 1999 where she served for two years in the kitchen. In 2002, she completed a 200-hr. Yoga Teacher Training and after graduating from the Ashram Yogi Farm-to-Table program in 2020 at Satchidananda Ashram-Yogaville was hired to serve there…

Renata Sumar Gaertner (MahaJyoti) C-IAYT, E-RYT 500, E-RCYT, YACEP

Renata began practicing Yoga with her mother, Sonia Sumar, at three years of age. While still a child, Renata participated in many Yoga courses and conventions with her mother. At twelve years old, she completed her first Hatha Yoga teacher training program through Brazil’s Federal University at Minas Gerais (UFMG). At fifteen years old, she…

Rev. Bharati Gardino

Rev. Bharati Gardino became a student of Swami Satchidananda in the 1960s. In 1986, she and her husband, Joe, moved to Satchidananda Ashram–Yogaville, where they created and managed the organic garden. She’s also served in the IYTA and the Credit Union and currently serves in Archives, the Prison Project, the IY Magazine, and teaches Hatha…

Rev. Bruce Shankar Fern

Reverend Bruce Shankar Fern, M.Ed, IYM, CH was given the Sanskrit name Shankar directly by his Guru, Sri Swami Satchidananda and is one of Swami Satchidananda’s senior disciples and a teacher having taught all aspects of Yoga to many hundreds of students in the US and Canada. Shankar practices deep spiritualty while actively living in…

Rev. Devaja Ciccolella, RYT 500, IYM

Rev. Devajahad a successful career as an electrical engineer and computer systems engineer. He also was involved in Emergency Response (EMS, Industrial Fire and Rescue) for over twenty years. He was introduced to Integral Yoga in 2001 and became a Yoga teacher in 2003. He now teaches Hatha Yoga, Raja Yoga, and Stress Management. In 2011…

Rev. Dhyani Simonini

Rev. Dhyani Simonini is a longtime devotee of Sri Swami Satchidananda. She became an Integral Yoga Minister in 1990. She retired from Buckingham County High School, where she taught English, drama, and speech for 31 years and was instrumental in establishing the operation of a student-owned touring theatre company that specialized in public service tours.…

Rev. Dr. Viviana Collazo, E-RYT 500, CPYT

Viviana has been teaching Hatha Yoga, meditation, Ayurveda, Metaphysics, Reiki, and other energy balancing methods since 2000. She lives in the Central Florida area and serves as a Yoga/Meditation teacher and spiritual counselor. Her passion is working with pregnant women; from private lessons to hospital settings, and she has been working as a Prenatal Yoga…

Rev. Fletcher Harper

Fletcher Harper, an Episcopal priest, is Executive Director of GreenFaith, an interfaith environmental organization that works with diverse faith communities internationally.  An award-winning spiritual writer and widely-recognized preacher on the environment, he has developed a range of innovative programs to make GreenFaith an international leader in the religious-environmental movement. A graduate of Princeton University and…

Rev. Jacob Felder, E-RYT 500, B.S.A.

Reverend Jacob Felder, has been actively practicing Yoga since 1969, lived at Satchidananda Ashram–Yogaville during the early 80’s, and has been teaching Yoga since 1985. His teaching ranges from gentle Yoga to intermediate and advanced practices. Jacob choreographed a 60 pose partner Yoga flow and produced the DVD, Yoga Two-gether™, authored Gentle Yoga with Yogi Jacob™…

Rev. Jaganath Carrera, E-RYT 500

Sri Guruji Reverend Jaganath is the founder and spiritual head of Yoga Life Society and its first Yoga Life Center in Woodland Park, NJ. He is a direct disciple of world-renowned Yoga master and leader in the ecumenical movement, Sri Swami Satchidananda, the founder and spiritual guide for the Integral Yoga Institutes and Satchidananda Ashrams…

Rev. Kamala Itzel Hayward

Rev. Kamala Hayward (she/her) is a compassionate and fierce advocate for love. After serving as a public policy lawyer for 13 years, Itzel left her legal career and founded Attuned Living, a mindfulness and wellness organization that helps individuals heal the sense of separation they feel from others—or even from themselves. Her unique work—based on…

Rev. Kumari de Sachy

Rev. Kumari de Sachy has been practicing Integral Yoga since 1980 and teaching Integral Yoga Hatha since 1981. She moved to the Ashram in 1986 and was ordained as an Integral Yoga minister in 1995. She has taught Hatha Yoga, Yoga philosophy, and meditation in colleges and universities, in Yoga centers, and has served in…

Rev. Lakshmi Barsel, Ph.D.

Rev. Lakshmi is a senior Integral Yoga teacher. She has taught Raja Yoga, meditation, and scripture classes on the Bhagavad Gita and the Thirukkural. She has a Ph.D. in linguistic anthropology and presently serves as the director of the Satchidananda Prison Project. She also co-facilitates an ongoing weekly Yoga Sutra study group with her husband Rev.…

Rev. Lílā Lucy Nelson, MS, E-RYT 500, YACEP

Rev. Lílā Lucy Nelson, MS, E-RYT 500, YACEP (she/her), is an ordained interfaith minister, interspiritual counselor, and a teacher trainer at Integral Yoga Institute. She is a certified teacher in Integral Yoga Hatha Levels I and II, Meditation, Stress Management, Raja Yoga, Gentle and Chair Yoga, Yin Yoga, Restorative Yoga, and Trauma-Informed Yoga. She believes…

Rev. Manjula Spears, CYT, E-RYT 500

Rev. Manjula Spears is an Integral Yoga minister, and a certified Yoga therapist, E-RYT 500, with twenty-eight years of teaching experience. She has created Yoga therapy programs for various institutions in Athens and throughout the US; including the Athens Regional Mind/Body Institute, The Loran Smith Center at Piedmont Athens Regional and the Smith Center in Washington…

Rev. Paraman Barsel

Reverend Paraman Barsel has been a disciple of Sri Swami Satchidananda since 1970. He has served as president of Yogaville West, the Washington D.C. IYI, New York IYI, and Yogaville East in Connecticut and has served on the Board of Trustees and Spiritual Life Board at Satchidananda Ashram-Yogaville, Virginia, and was co-coordinator of the LOTUS…

Rev. Prakasha Shakti Capen, E-RYT 500

Reverend Prakasha Shakti left behind her career in broadcasting when she realized her real passion—to serve by teaching Yoga. Over the years, she was director of the Integral Yoga Institutes in Washington, DC, Boston, and San Francisco. As editor-in-chief of Integral Yoga Publications, she worked directly with Sri Swami Satchidananda. In San Francisco, she served…

Rev. Premajyothi Devi, IYM, E-RYT 500

Rev. Premajyothi Devi, IYM, E-RYT 500, has been teaching many aspects of Integral Yoga for over twenty years, training new Integral Yoga teachers for over five years, and has been managing the Integral Yoga Institute of New Jersey under its director, Margabandhu Martarano, for over ten years. During her twenty year tenure, she has studied…

Rev. Sadasiva (Kurt) Schroeder, IYM, E-RYT 500, MDiv

Sadasiva Kurt Schroeder got involved in Yoga in the mid-1990’s and began his training at the Integral Yoga Institute of San Francisco where he taught for many years. He has led 200-hour and Intermediate Integral Yoga Teacher Trainings, both in San Francisco and Yogaville. Sadasiva completed his Master of Divinity studies at Naropa University in…

Rev. Sharon Shanthi Behl

Rev. Sharon Shanthi Behl, MA, LPC, E-RYT 500, IYM is a retired Trauma and Grief Counselor who began practicing Yoga in the mid-1970s and began her Yoga teaching career at Colorado’s Lutheran Medical Center in 1995. She is certified in Integrative Yoga Therapy and credentialed as an Intermediate Level and Raja Integral Yoga Teacher. Rev.…

Reverend Bhagavan Metro

Reverend Bhagavan Metro has been a devotee of Sri Swami Satchidananda since 1973 and has lived at Satchidananda Ashram–Yogaville, Virginia since 1981. Reverend Bhagavan is a certified Integral Yoga instructor and was ordained as a minister of Integral Yoga in 1980. He has served as a member of the Integral Yoga Ministry Board for over…

Reverend Jan M. Brown, MSc, B.A.

Reverend Jan is the Executive Director of SpiritWorks Foundation Center for the Soul, a recovery community organization with locations in Williamsburg and Warrenton, Virginia. She is an ordained Deacon in the Episcopal Church, presently serving at Bruton Parish Church in Williamsburg, VA. She graduated from the College of William and Mary with a B.A. in Psychology,…

Reverend Sam Rudra Swartz, IYM, E-RYT 200, RCYT, YACEP

Reverend Rudra was introduced to Integral Yoga and the teachings of Sri Swami Satchidananda in 2001. Since that time, he has been active in the Integral Yoga organization, living at Yogaville and the Integral Yoga Institute of New York. He recently completed Accessible Yoga Teacher Training offered through Integral Yoga Institute in San Francisco. Rudra…

Revs. Bhagavan and Bhavani Metro

Reverends Bhagavan and Bhavani have been devotees of Sri Gurudev Swami Satchidananda since 1974. They moved from their home in Colorado to Satchidananda Ashram–Yogaville East, Connecticut in 1979 to be close to Sri Gurudev and the Integral Yoga sangha and to enroll their children in the Vidyalayam school.   In 1980 they moved their family…

Richard Miller

Richard is the author of Yoga Nidra: A Meditative Practice for Deep Relaxation and Healing, is a psychologist and contemporary teacher of nondualism whose teachings emphasize spiritual awakening and psychological integration. Richard is co-founder of the International Association of Yoga Therapy, the founding president and CEO of the Integrative Restoration Institute, a founding board member…

Rickie Simpson, Ph.D., APRN-CNS, E-RYT 200, C-IAYT

Rickie Simpson, Ph.D., APRN-CNS, C-IAYT, BCPCC, E-RYT 200, LFYP-2/Mentor, is a board-certified Psychiatric-Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist specializing in individual, couples, group, and family therapy. She integrates complementary methodologies and techniques to offer a highly personalized, faith-consistent approach tailored to each client. Dr. Simpson is certified as a Yoga therapist, a Coherence Therapist, an Imago Relationship…

Robin Carnes, E-RYT 500, C-IAYT, MBA

Robin is well recognized as a pioneer and innovator in the field of mind-body therapies for trauma and related conditions. Her work has been featured in The Washington Post, Woman’s Day Magazine, Yoga Journal, Army Magazine, The Huffington Post, Defense.gov, and Yoga International. She presents regularly at conferences and lectured at the National Defense University.…

Rosana Azar

Rosana, artist and educator, brings an infectious passion for creativity, art, and life to her work. In 1991, she immigrated to the US from Argentina with her family and continues her international career as a renowned painter. Her work has been exhibited in Paris, Berlin, Bucharest, Prague, and New York.  Rosana has presented many workshops…

Rose Kress, E-RYT 500, C-IAYT, LFYP-2, YACEP

Rose,began practicing Yoga in 1994 and has been teaching Yoga since 2004, focusing on the therapeutic aspects of Yoga—for the body, mind, and soul. Rose teaches classes and workshops throughout the Tucson, AZ, area and has been blessed to teach at The Crossings in Austin, TX, at Yogaville in Buckingham, VA, at Kripalu in Lenox,…

Rowan Raghavan Cobelli, E-RYT 500

Rowan Raghavan has been teaching Yoga full-time for 18 years and has over 20,000 hours of teaching experience. He has completed Integral Yoga teacher training at the Advanced level and has received additional training in Stress Management and Raja Yoga. Through exploration and the guidance of inspirational teachers, Raghavan integrates Yoga philosophy into the actual…

Roy Rodriguez, E-RYT 200

Roy Rodriguez, E-RYT 200, graduated from the LYT program in August of 2018 and went on to serve the Ashram as a Farm Yogi for the year. At the end of his year, he decided he was ready to take the Basic Teacher Training which he successfully graduated in November. In his previous life, Roy…

Saci Murphy, E-RYT 500

Saci Murphy, E-RYT 500, Saci has been teaching all levels and branches of Integral Yoga since 2009. Previously, she enjoyed an eclectic career as a professional dancer, teacher, and choreographer for 25 years. She owned and operated a successful performing arts center and ballet company and developed a software company that pioneered interactive multimedia and…

Saeeda Hafiz, RYT 500

Saeeda Hafiz is a Yoga teacher, author, and wellness expert with certifications from the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers and the Natural Gourmet Institute. She is also a graduate of Temple University. As a holistic health educator with the San Francisco Unified School District, she focuses on sharing her knowledge of physical and mental wellness with…

Sampada Desai, M.A., LPC, NCC, E-RYT 500, CLL/CLTT

Licensed Professional Counselor and Experienced Yoga Teacher Sam is a licensed professional counselor with over thirty years of clinical experience in various settings such as a health organization, schools, universities, and a mental health agency. She is the founder of Desai Counseling and Yoga and the proud developer of a 2-day Choose Laughter certification program.…

Sandra Susheela Gilbert, BA, C-IAYT, E-RYT 500

Sandra Susheela Gilbert, BA, C-IAYT, E-RYT 500 is the director and senior mentor for YCat: Yoga Therapy in Cancer and Chronic Illness. She is a highly recognized Integral Yoga teacher holding advanced training certificates in Stress Management, Integrative and Mind/body therapies and Patient Navigation. Sandra was a Yoga teacher, stress management educator and group support…

Sarah Jane Kennedy

With a rich background spanning two decades leading yoga workshops, trainings and retreats, Sarah Jane LMT, ERYT 500, a Transformational Guide and Spiritual Advisor, has passionately delved into the wisdoms rooted in ancient traditions. Her expertise spans Christian Sacraments, Jewish Sefirot, and Yoga’s Chakra Philosophy, seamlessly applied to the Transformational Model of Pastoral Care to…

Sari Heidenreich

Sari Heidenreich has served as North American Regional Coordinator for United Religions Initiative since October 2017. The United Religions Initiative is dedicated to bridging the differences between people of all beliefs in order to create community and solve local and global challenges. Sari brings with her a background of cross-cultural living and working. She spent…

Satya Greenstone, E-RYT 500, C-IAYT

Satya Greenstone has been a student of Sri Swami Satchidananda since 1971. She has shared the teachings of Integral Yoga® in many diverse settings with students of all ages and backgrounds and combines a natural, practical, down-to-earth approach to Yoga with a gentle humor. Since 1999 she has been a primary teacher for the 200-hour…

Satyam Penn, Ph.D.

Satyam Penn is a seminarian in the Integral Yoga Ministry and has studied Integral Yoga since 1985. He teaches and conducts research on Sanskrit and the history of Yoga and Vedanta philosophy. He teaches Sanskrit and Hindu theology at Satchidananda Ashram–Yogaville and other Yoga centers. He is also a Professor at the University of Toronto,…

Sayan Ghosh

Sayan Ghosh is a professional Hindustani classical musician, and an expert in sitar and Surbahar (bass sitar). He represents the Etawah-Imdadkhani gharana (School of Music). The gharana is the most famous for its long time contribution in Sitar and Surbahar. He has taken his art and music across the nation and globally. He holds an…

Seán Johnson & The Wild Lotus Band

“The much-beloved band evoke, conjure and celebrate that universally felt yet impossible-to-define essence that lies at the heart of all things, what Bob Marley once called ‘a natural mystic, flowing through the air.’ ” – Alan di Perna (Rolling Stone, Creem, Billboard) Seán Johnson & The Wild Lotus Band merge conscious lyrics, sacred chants from…

Sean Johnson, E-RYT 500

Seán is a Yoga teacher, teacher trainer, and musician who teaches at conferences and retreat centers internationally including Yoga Journal, Kripalu, Bhakti Fest, and The German Yoga Conference. He is the founder of Wild Lotus Yoga in his beloved hometown dubbed “New Orleans’ Home for Heart-Centered Yoga,” and Soul School, an interdisciplinary online Yoga teacher…

Senior Staff

Senior Staff

Senior YCat Intern Teachers

Senior YCat Teachers

Siva Buechner, RYT 500, B.A.

Siva currently serves in the Office of Spiritual Development at Satchidananda Ashram–Yogaville and leads sessions in Hatha Yoga, Yoga Nidra, and guided meditation. Prior to being at the Ashram, Siva studied at Wake Forest University, finishing with a double major in Economics and English. Shortly thereafter, he embraced the example of Mahatma Gandhi and embarked…

Siva Fiske

Award-winning singer, songwriter, author, producer, filmmaker, and Interfaith Minister, Stephen Longfellow Fiske (Siva) is a senior disciple of Swami Satchidananda. He has served in the capacity as Creativity Coach for numerous individuals and workshops. He has performed and presented widely across the country and overseas.  Stephen is the author of The Art of Peace (New…

Sivakami Sonia Sumar, E-RYT 500, CRYT, C-IAYT

Sonia Sumar (Sivakami) is internationally known for her pioneering work using Yoga therapy with special children. Her innovative techniques and methods have been improving the lives of children with special needs for over 40 years. She owned and directed Yoga centers in Brazil and Chicago, where she has achieved remarkable results working with children and adults. She currently travels…

Smt. Padmarani Rasiah Cantu

Padmarani, who hails from a distinguished family from Jaffna, Sri Lanka, combines versatility with an international reputation as a dancer and teacher par excellence. She studied with the distinguished Master Teachers Padmasri Adyar K. Lakshman and Padma Bhushan Sri and Smt. Dhananjayan of Chennai, India.  Padmarani has performed extensively in many other countries and in…

Snehan Born

Snehan Born e-RYT500, has four decades of experience with yoga. He resides at the Integral Yoga Institute of San Francisco, where he teaches yoga classes and is a lead teacher trainer. Snehan is certified in all levels of Integral Yoga Hatha and has received additional certifications in Pranayama, Meditation, Raja Yoga and Stress Management from…

Sosie Hublitz

Sosie is a Chef, nutritionist and restaurateur, experienced in the development and teaching recovery diet recipies and programs for those with the desire to take their body to new levels of balance, including weigh management, medical challenges and overall health maintenance, focusing on individuals and lifestyles, integrating healing properties of food as medicine. Sosie’s approach to…

Special Guest Brad Ellsworth of Druminyasa®

As featured by The Washington Times, CBS, and Washington’s WTOP news, Brad Ellsworth of Druminyasa has been playing drums and percussion for over twenty-five years. Based in Richmond, Brad is a Yoga practitioner and teacher who founded Druminyasa by connecting his love for rhythm, drums, and movement.

Special Guests

Śrī Stephanie Weyman, RYT 500, B.A.

Śrī (she/her) is an RYT 500 teacher and an alumna of NYU Tisch School of the Arts. She has certifications in Hatha I & II, Adaptive, Accessible, Therapeutic I & II, and Yin Yoga. She integrates breathing practices, chanting, mantra, singing bowls, aromatherapy, and awareness of prana (vital energy) into her classes. Śrī has a…

Stacey Kennealy

Stacey directs the GreenFaith Certification Program, and also helps religious groups develop sustainable consumption practices. She wrote Repairing Eden, GreenFaith’s sustainable food guide, co-authored a food audit with the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, and has written many other environmental guides and toolkits. She has completed training with the Cloud Institute for Sustainability Education,…

Stacy Kamala Waltman, E-RYT 500

Stacy Kamala Waltman is a credentialed Yoga Therapist, Yoga Nidra master, minister, and seasoned yogi with over thirty-five years of experience as a student of Swami Satchidananda’s Integral Yoga.  Kamala first met Swami Satchidananda at the age of 17 and immediately began studying under his wing. The name Kamala was given to her by Swami Satchidananda…

Steffany Moonaz, E-RYT 500, C-IAYT, Ph.D.

Steffany is a Yoga therapist and researcher specializing in rheumatic diseases. She currently serves as director of Clinical and Academic Research at the Maryland University of Integrative Health. She received her 200-hour Yoga teacher training at Satchidananda Ashram–Yogaville in 2003 and her 500-hour training from Yama Therapeutics. Steffany spent seven years at Johns Hopkins University,…

Steven Weiss, RYT 500, M.S., D.C., C-IAYT

Steven is a holistic chiropractor, nutritionist, and Yoga therapist. He teaches internationally, offering workshops and Yoga teacher trainings in anatomy, alignment principles, Yoga therapeutics, and nutrition. Steven’s twenty-year history with Yogaville includes being part of the Living Yoga Training (LYT) program and teaching numerous workshops. For twenty-four years, he has been on the Yoga faculty…

Sudevi Linda Kramer, LMT, E-RYT 500, M.A.

Sudevi Linda Kramer is a highly sought-after certified Vedic Conservatory teacher of Vedic Style Thai-Yoga Bodywork. She is a certified teacher in Integral Yoga and Jivamukti Yoga, a Pranic Healer and Reiki Master, and a licensed massage therapist. She studies in various parts of Thailand and leads annual Study Tours. Sudevi also holds a Master’s…

Sumati Chiemi Tomori, RYT 500, E-RYT 200

Sumati Chiemi Tomori was born in Hiroshima, Japan and moved to New York to work in planning and navigating domestic and international trips for 30 years for several major Asian companies. While in New York, she experienced the benefits of Yoga through classes she took at the Integral Yoga Institute of New York. So inspired…

Sundar Balasubramanian, Ph.D., C-IAYT

Dr. Sundar Balasubramanian is a cell biology researcher from the Department of Radiation Oncology at the Medical University of South Carolina, USA, and is a Yoga researcher specializing in breathing exercises. He is the founder & CEO of PranaScience Institute and the Yoga specialist at the MUSC Health & Wellness Institute. Sundar is the chair…

Susan Carol Stone, Ph.D.

Dr. Susan Carol Stone has practiced mindfulness for thirty years. She teaches Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) at the University of Virginia and is a teacher with the Insight Meditation Community of Charlottesville. A graduate of the Community Dharma Leader Program at Spirit Rock Meditation Center (CA), she leads mindfulness retreats and workshops, mentors in an…

Susan Turnage, RN, CYN, RYT 500

Susan is a clinical nurse that has more than four decades of experience in pediatric oncology, pediatric head injury, corrections, home health, and case management. She teaches ten weekly therapeutic Yoga classes in her community in Central Virginia. She has presented Yoga Nursing programs at major nursing universities and at the Kripalu Center for Yoga…

Suzan Saraswati Colón, RYT 200

Suzan Colón is the author of Yoga Mind: Journey Beyond the Physical: 30 Days to Enhance Your Practice and Revolutionize Your Life from the Inside Out (Scribner) and other books. Suzan is an Integral Yoga Institute NY teacher and has been following the IYI path of Yoga for 30 years. Always interested in active meditation,…

Swami Asokananda, E-RYT 500

Swami Asokananda, a monk since 1975, is one of Integral Yoga’s® (IY) foremost teachers—known for his warmth, intelligence, and good humor. His teaching comes out of his own practice and experience while absorbing the wisdom of his Guru, Sri Swami Satchidananda. While he enjoys sharing the practical wisdom of yogic philosophy (especially the great Indian…

Swami Chidananda

Swami Chidananda is a monastic and a longtime disciple of Sri Swami Satchidananda and has managed the finances for Integral Yoga’s ashrams, institutes, and teaching centers for decades. He teaches Hatha Yoga and leads study groups on Yoga and Buddhist teachings and philosophy. Swami Chidananda also conducts spiritual pilgrimages to India and Nepal.

Swami Divyananda Ma, E-RYT 500

Swami Divyananda Ma is a Senior Monk who took monastic vows from Swami Satchidananda in 1975, and continues to teach around the world, including serving as Director of the IYI in Coimbatore, India for ten years. She is a 200 hour, Intermediate, Meditation, and Raja Yoga Teacher Trainer.

Swami Gurucharanananda "Mataji"

Swami Gurucharanananda, lovingly called Mataji, is a senior sannyasi (monk) and disciple of Gurudev, Sri Swami Satchidanandaji Maharaj. She lives at Yogaville and serves on the Sannyas Board. Mataji is a guided meditation leader and Hatha Yoga teacher, an inspiring speaker, Integral Yoga® mentor, and private retreat guide. She loves to offer pujas (worship service),…

Swami Hamsananda

Swami Hamsananda is a senior disciple and sannyasin of Swami Satchidananda since 1975. She compiled The Golden Present, one of the most known books of Gurudev’s teachings. Swami Hamsananda is currently living and serving at Satchidananda Ashram–Yogaville where she often shares her humor and wisdom in inspirational and spiritual talks. Her advice to all is…

Swami Jyotirmayananda

Swami Jyotirmayananda has served at Satchidananda Ashram–Yogaville in various capacities since 1983. Under the guidance of Sri Swami Satchidananda, she designed and installed displays in the LOTUS All Faiths Hall and Display Hall, Guru Bhavan, and Sivananda Hall Saints and Sages Galleries. She served as a vice president in Ashram’s administration for 10 years and…

Swami Karunananda, E-RYT 500

Swami Karunananda has had 50 years’ experience teaching all aspects of Yoga. She designed and conducts teacher training programs in Raja Yoga and in Meditation. She served as president of Satchidananda Ashram in California and in Virginia, and as director of the San Francisco and Santa Barbara Integral Yoga Institutes. She compiled and edited The…

Swami Murugananda

Swami Murugananda is a senior sannyasi (monastic) and has been a disciple of Sri Swami Satchidananda since 1966. He has served in all the Integral Yoga Institutes and Ashrams of California, New York City, Connecticut, and Virginia since 1982. He has served in various capacities as an advanced Yoga teacher, counselor, gardener, farmer, chef, bookstore…

Swami Priyaananda, E-RYT 500

Swami Priyaananda is a senior disciple of Swami Satchidananda with thirty years of experience in the practice of Integral Yoga. She served in the Integral Yoga Health Services division and the Distribution Department at Satchidananda Ashram in Connecticut, as well as Executive Secretary and Coordinator of the Living Yoga Training program at the Ashram in Virginia.…

Swami Ramananda, E-RYT 500, C-IAYT

Swami Ramananda is the Executive Director of the Integral Yoga Institute in San Francisco and a greatly respected senior teacher in the Integral Yoga tradition who has been practicing Yoga for over 40 years. Ramananda offers practical methods of integrating the timeless teachings and practices of Yoga into daily life and transforming the painful aspects of…

Swami Sarvaananda, Ph.D.

Swami Sarvaananda has lived at Satchidananda Ashram–Yogaville since 1980. She worked with the Yogaville Vidyalayam (children’s school) and with community service projects. She is a Board Certified Chaplain (BCC) and she serves on national committees since retiring from local hospital and hospice service. At Yogaville she serves on the Board of Trustees and the Sannyas Board,…

Swami Suddhananda

Swami Suddhananda was a professional counselor, before becoming a Swami, and she now serves in the spiritual support capacity. She brings a depth of training, knowledge, and experience to her present service. Born with a disability, Swami Suddhananda has developed a Hatha Yoga practice to fit her body’s abilities. Swami Suddhananda is also active in…

Swami Vidyananda

Swami Vidyananda, a revered spiritual teacher from South Africa has lived at Ananda Kutir Ashrama since 1999. With a deep-rooted understanding of Yoga and Vedanta, Swami Vidyananda has devoted his life to guiding others on the path of self-discovery and spiritual evolution. Ananda Kutir Ashrama was established by Mother Yogeshwari and Swami Parvathiananda, disciples of…

Swami Vidyananda, E-RYT 500, C-IAYT

Swami Vidyananda began practicing Yoga in 1969 and has been teaching Integral Yoga® and training Yoga teachers since 1973. She became a swami (monastic) in 1983. She has taught and trained Yoga and Stress Management teachers throughout the US and Canada, as well as Australia, Europe, and India. She presently lives at Satchidananda Ashram–Yogaville, VA,…

Tangela London-Henderson

Tangela London-Henderson lives in Memphis, TN, with her husband and children. She is a recent graduate of Integral Yoga Institute San Francisco (IYISF) BIPOC 200-hour Integral Yoga teacher training and teaches a Hatha Level 1 community class at Glenview Community Center in Memphis. Tangela loves to create an inclusive, diverse, and supportive environment where all…

Tara (Becky) Eschenroeder, E-RYT 500, RCYT, YACEP

TARA (BECKY) ESCHENROEDER(SHE/HER)— A 500 HOUR E-RYT, RCYT, YACEP, CERTIFIED COACH, AND SELF-PUBLISHED AUTHOR —IS AN ACCOMPLISHED YOGI WHO WAS VOTED AS ONE OF THE TOP THREE YOGA INSTRUCTORS BY RICHMOND MAGAZINE With some teachers, the lessons are planned. They are practiced. They are rehearsed. And they are perfected to a tee. But Tara Eschenroeder…

Three Isha Merians, RYT 200

Three Isha Merians, RYT 200, is an attorney and activist originally from Woodstock, New York, and currently based in Brooklyn. A longtime co-conspirator in the fight against white supremacy, Three brings her background in organizing, psychology, gender studies, and Yoga and meditation practices to her work as an activist. Three has traveled the world doing…

Tim Feldmann

Tim Feldmann is the director of Miami Life Center, the Yoga shala (Yoga studio) he founded with his wife Kino MacGregor and Matt Tashjian. He was set on the Yoga path by his first teacher, Lino Miele, and is authorized to teach directly by the founder of the Ashtanga Yoga Method, Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, and…

Tom Spector, Ph.D.

Tom began meditating while in graduate school at Yale University in 1968. He realized he had low self-esteem, lots of anger, and was flunking out of an intense, specialized program. Meditation helped him immensely. He began to understand complicated concepts with new clarity and started healing his personal issues. Tom rapidly became a star student,…

Trace Sahaja Bonner, E-RYT 500

Trace Sahaja is the founder/director of Holy Cow Yoga Center, where she’s served for over 20 years. She began her practice over 25 years ago. Her teaching style has evolved to incorporate various Hatha practices, her primary teacher is Sri Swami Satchidananda. Over the last 20 years, Trace Sahaja has not only directed a vibrant Yoga center,…

Vera Oyé Yaa-Anna

Vera Oyé Yaa-Anna, Storyteller/Nutrition Educator, affectionately known as Auntie Oyé, is a Liberian-born acclaimed master storyteller who transports her audience to West Africa through “imaginary” interactive storytelling. She is the Executive Director of Oyé Palaver Hut, an established cultural arts organization that integrates storytelling performance with culinary art to focus on physical and emotional wellness.…

Visvambhar "Vish" Sheth

Visvambhar “Vish”  is the lead singer of the internationally acclaimed group ‘The Mayapuris’, a headlining kirtan group that has rocked stages from India to Florida, Australia to South Africa. Starting from before the age of 5, Vish has spent his life leading kirtans in the ISKCON (Vaisnava) tradition. He is a multi-instrumentalist and a master…

Vivekan John Ferguson

John Ferguson served over 20 years in the United States Marine Corp. During his military career he served two tours in Iraq and another in Afghanistan. Upon his retirement, he and his family moved to Winchester where he began training as a surgical technician. Part of his training included a PE class where he discovered…

Wanda Knapik

Wanda Knapik is a permaculture designer and educator who has worked on organic and biodynamic farms in the U.S. and Europe. She is passionate about inspiring people of all ages to connect with nature and grow their own food. She is the owner of My Local Garden, creating backyard and community gardens of organic vegetables,…

Yogini Kaliji

Yogini Kaliji is internationally renowned as a yogini and founder of TriYoga®. Traveling extensively, she has taught TriYoga on a daily basis for over forty years. An excellent orator with deep insight, humor, and giving practical applications, Kaliji has presented 48 keynote addresses at Yoga conferences and other venues worldwide and has been featured widely…

Zac Parker, RYT 500

Zac Parker has been teaching Yoga since 2014. His teaching is a natural extension of his own practice. He approaches his teaching with a balanced blend of light-hearted ease and focused awareness on the subtle sensations of Yoga practice. Zac currently serves at Satchidananda Ashram–Yogaville, as well as regularly teaching a variety of Yoga classes.

Zenzile Pearson, MPH

Zenzile is a passionate advocate for racial equity and social justice. With over 6 years of experience in the field, she brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her work as a lecturer on topics of medical racism, diversity and inclusion, self-awareness, and cultural identity. Zenzile holds a Master of Public Health degree in…