Archives: Speaker

Akanksha Damini Joshi is a meditation facilitator, a writer, storyteller and an award winning filmmaker. She pulls in multi dimensional experiences from her documentary filmmaking to design meditation sessions. Her filmmaking oeuvre ranges from social and ecological conflicts to spiritual traditions. Akanksha draws her inspiration from the philosophical basis of Natya Shastra, moulding it with digital technology to create immersive experiences for contemporary seekers. During the pandemic she has been tapping her skills as a filmmaker to live stream state of the art meditations sessions online. More on her @ DaminiJosh.in

Srivatsa Ramaswami is the longest standing student of the legendary Shri T. Krishnamacharya, outside of Krishnamacharya's immediate family.

He has been teaching for more than 25 years in India Kalakshetra (for 20 years, and recognized as an Institution of National Importance by the Govt. of India), Ramachandra Medical University, Yoga Brotherhood, etc.

He has taught workshops and Teacher Training programs in the US at the Esalen Institute, Loyola Marymount University, YogaWorks, the Himalayan Institute, the Chicago Yoga Center, and many others. He is a certified teacher with the Yoga Alliance at the E-RYT-500 (500 hour) level, the highest certification level offered.

I qualified as a yoga teacher with the Irish Yoga Association in 1995. My practice has evolved continuously through my studies with teachers such as Sama Fabian, Yogacharya Venkatesh and Hema, Sraddhalu Ranade, Dr. Vinayachandra, Dr Anuradha Choudry, Aloka Marti (ATB) - to name just a few and through contact with all my students. I have been fortunate enough to Tutor on the IYA Yoga Teacher Training Course and to have been involved with the European Union of Yoga for many years. My aspiration is to continuously honour the authenticity of the yoga tradition.

Sri. Sajan Sankaran

Sajan was introduced to Indic knowledge systems through the Chinmaya Mission in his childhood, and his journey on the path of yoga has been deepened since 2004 through HH Sri Sri Ravi Shankar & the Art of Living Foundation. He is also a trained yoga instructor from the S-VYASA Yoga University. While doing his B.Tech from IIT Bombay, he discovered a deep connection with the Dhrupad music tradition, which seemed to be a direct application of the principles of Yoga. He felt an urge to learn it in detail, & to his good fortune, he was accepted as a full time disciple of renowned Dhrupad Gurus - the Gundecha Brothers. He spent the larger part of 8 years as a resident student of their Bhopal Gurukul. He now performs and teaches Dhrupad actively, and works on various other artistic and academic projects. While Sajan continues his Dhrupad training through regular visits to the Gurukul, he started ‘Svara Yog’ to formally bring his two core areas of interest (Dhrupad and Yoga) onto a common ground, deepen his own engagement with it, and also share it with others.

Smt. Tara Kini

Tara Kini is an independent consultant in Education and Music and works with several reputed institutions in Bangalore, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi and Ahmedabad, developing curriculum, and training teachers and trainers. Tara is an advisor to the Shankar Mahadevan Music Academy.

Tara has trained intensively in Hindustani classical music, from the late Shri Narayan Rao Patwardhan, Smt. Mira Khirwadkar Deshpande, and the late Pandit Rama Rao V. Naik. She is currently training in Khayal from Smt Lalith J Rao, and in Dhrupad from Padmashree Gundecha Brothers.

Tara is the founder director of a music collective called Sunaad that has presented over eighty shows that demystify classical music.

Rev. Lama Jacquelyn Zoe DeBray

Writer, Counselor, Professor, Contemplative. For many of the last 25, since participating in the traditional Tibetan 3-year retreat, I've spend praying and meditating in solitary retreat. For a few years, some years past, I was director of KTTG, a Tibetan Buddhist organization in Crestone, CO.

Rev. Chak Ngodup Tsering Burkhar

Chak Ngodup Tsering Burkhar was born in 1953 to a nomadic family near Mount Kailash in Western Tibet. In 1959 he escaped to Nepal with his parents and brother and from there went to Dharamsala, India in 1967. After his basic education in Buddhist teachings and English language, he has served as Translator to His Holiness the 16th Gyalwang Karmapa and other prominent Tibetan Buddhist Lineage Gurus for more than 45 years. He has traveled all over the world as a translator as well as participated in many dialogues and discussions on Buddhist teachings and practice.

Yogacharya Dr. Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani is Director of the Centre for Yoga Therapy Education and Research (CYTER), and Professor of Yoga therapy at the Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth University, Pondicherry (www.sbvu.ac.in).

He is also Chairman of the International Centre for Yoga Education and Research at Ananda Ashram, Pondicherry, India (www.icyer.com) and Yoganjali Natyalayam, the premier institute of Yoga and Carnatic Music and Bharatanatyam in Pondicherry (www.rishiculture.in). He is son and successor of the internationally acclaimed Yoga team of Yogamaharishi Dr. Swami Gitananda Giri Guru Maharaj and Yogacharini Kalaimamani Ammaji, Smt Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani.

He is a Gold Medallist in Medical Studies (MBBS) with postgraduate diplomas in both Family Health (PGDFH) as well as Yoga (PGDY) and the Advanced Diploma in Yoga under his illustrious parents in 1991-93. A Fellow of the Indian Academy of Yoga, he has authored 19 DVDs and 23 books on Yoga as well as published more than two hundred papers, compilations and abstracts on Yoga and Yoga research in National and International Journals. His literary works have more than1450 Citations, with an with an h-Index of 24 and an i10-Index of 48.. In addition, he is a Classical Indian Vocalist, Percussionist, Music Composer and Choreographer of Indian Classical Dance.

He is an Honorary International Advisor to the International Association of Yoga Therapists (www.iayt.org), the Australasian Association of Yoga Therapists (www.yogatherapy.org.au), the World Yoga Foundation (www.worldyogafoundation.in) and Gitananda Yoga Associations worldwide (www.rishiculture.in).

Acharya Mangalananda is an American direct disciple of the great 20th Century woman Saint, Sri Anandamayi Ma (1896-1982) and an appointed Acharya (Teacher of her lineage) of Ma Sharanam Ashrams in India and the US. He has been associated with India since 1973 when he traveled during '73 and '74 with Ma, receiving mantra diksha directly from her, and since has lived with several great disciples of her lineage. He was sent by Swami Bhaskarananda ji (Ma's principle disciple) to help start a school in her Ashram in Omkareshwar, Central India in 2001, where he lived and taught for twelve years. For many years, he was sent by the ashram to tour Europe and the US, presenting kirtan concerts and classes. He currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area in the US, where he continues his sadhana and seva for Ma.

Smt. Nilima Bhat: Founder-Director Shakti Leadership Nilima Bhat is a leader in the fields of Personal Mastery, Leadership, Gender Equality and Wellbeing. Coauthor of two books, Shakti Leadership and My Cancer Is Me, she is the Founder of the global Shakti Fellowship Program for women changemakers.

Sri. Vijay Bhat: Founder, Cancer Awakens and Director, Roots & Wings Vijay serves as a trusted advisor to CEO’s who face the turbulence of a ‘volatile-uncertain-complex-ambiguous’ (VUCA) world. He has pioneered cancer coaching in India with the vision “Many millions must survive; one million must thrive”.

Ms. Barkat Françoise

French woman of 63, living in Morocco since 13 years after living in the French west Indies. Have been a nurse during 25 years, exploring holistic fields of healing like Shiatsu, Reiki , Naturopathy, and being certified on that . From west indies , begin the journey on the path og Yoga 27 years ago. Have first be certified YTT 200 in 2008, by Rahi Santhanam in Bangalore. Since that moment, have understood that Yoga philosophy is so valuable for everybody, that am trying to share here what am continuasly learning from Indian culture, specially Yoga and Ayurveda. Many travels across India, alone, put me in touch to the deeper dimension of Yoga. Am now exploring the dimension of producing our own organic food, and being as much as possible in tune with Mother Earth....

Smt. Rahila Sujatha Santhanam 

Rahila Sujatha Santhanam (Rahi) ji is a Psychologist and a practising Yoga-therapist and a Wellness-consultant by profession. She took her first steps in yoga at the age of 16 from the Vivekananda Kendra, Kanyakumari. Went on to do her pre doctorate research work and her teacher training from the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram under the guidance of Sri Desikachar. In her capacity as a psychologist and yoga-therapist, she has worked with creating therapy modalities for differently abled children. Has focused on working with women, sportspeople, dancers and in the Army milieu. Rahi ji travels extensively and is involved in training yoga teachers at home and abroad through talks, workshops and YTTs. She is also involved in bringing people together through being an integral part of eco- spiritual tourism.

Leigh is the founder of Living Yoga with Leigh, which leads retreats, teacher trainings and immersions in Singapore and around the world. She has been teaching Yoga for almost 10 years, and along the way, learned to understand and, more importantly, respect anatomical differences. Because of that, she believes in creating safe spaces that empower practitioners to step into their intuitive wisdom and practise according to their inner alignment — asanas that look right on the outside may not necessarily feel so within. Having been healed by an Ayurvedic doctor when she was a sickly child, Leigh is deeply influenced by the teachings of Ayurveda, as well as by her ongoing studies with Nitya Mohan, whose father A.G. Mohan is a long-time student of revered Ayurvedic healer and yoga master Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya. Her classes are embodied, intuitive and poetic, and a reflection of her life on and off the mat. She sees life to be the greatest teacher, with every moment serving as an opportunity to connect to our highest selves, and to live with intention, compassion and integrity.

Patricia Meyer came into contact with yoga during her first pregnancy, thanks to the wonderful books by the French doctor F. Leboyer. After following training courses, studying and practising with Masters from different traditions and schools, she has been sharing her experience – still in evolution - teaching hatha yoga to little groups of students for almost thirty years now, referring mainly to the teachings of Śri Śri Śri Satchidananda, known as “the Silent Yogi of Madras”, and his disciple, W. Tirak Ruta. She studied with Dr. M.V. Bhole and more recently with Chandra Klee, a pupil of the Masters Śri T. Krishnamacharya and Śri T.K.V. Desikachar, taking a particular interest in the curative approach of yoga. In 1999 in San Felice, just outside Milan, she founded Yoga Shankara, a meeting space devoted to the study, sharing and spread of yoga, hosting seminars on philosophy, mantras, psychology of yoga, meditation, Ayurveda and the classical art and culture of India, led by excellent teachers, including Lama Ringu Tulku Rinpoche, Dr. Anuradha Choudry and Dr. Vinayachandra Banavaty.

Dr. Bhaswati Bhattacharya is a Harvard-educated, licensed and board-certified MD physician trained in family medicine and preventive medicine, dividing her time between Manhattan, Paris, and Benaras. She is also a senior Fulbright Scholar, an awarded educator, best-selling author, and published scientist trained in pharmacology (UPenn) & neuroscience (Columbia Univ), public health (Harvard Univ), community medicine (Mt.Sinai-NYU), nutrition (Columbia Univ-IIN), and Ayurveda. Since 2003, she serves as Clinical Asst Professor in the Dept of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York. Her work at The DINacharya Institute brings the wisdom and science of authentic ancient medicines such as Ayurveda back to the hands and hearts of the people. She completed a mid-career PhD in ancient Indian chemistry, Ayurvedic pharmaceutics, and pharmacology (Rasa Shastra & Bhaisajya Kalpana) from the prestigious Banaras Hindu University in India, focusing her award-winning PhD thesis on poly-herbal-mineral formulations for diabetes. She was selected as a 2018-2023 Fulbright Specialist in Public Health, specializing in Integrative Medicine and and continues studying with authentic wisemen. The Discovery Channel documentary Healers: Journey into Ayurveda features her work. Her book Everyday Ayurveda is a national bestseller published by Penguin Random House.

Auroshikha is an upcoming author, a wellness consultant and an artist pursuing Performing Arts from NYU Tisch.

Dr. Mala Kapadia, Professor, Resident Mentor and Director, Centre for Well-being & Wellness at Rashtram School of Public Leadership. My academic and career have been around Psychology, Human Resources, Yoga and Ayurveda. I have authored a book on Emotional Intelligence with Indic perspective and taught courses at Executive MBA globally. Currently working on a book on Bhartiya Manasa Shastra. Education Psychology has been an area of research.

Sujata Ameya is a relationship therapist and self-actualization coach, who enables individuals to awaken to their own truth, goodness and beauty, in relationships that seem challenging. Sujata is the author of “When the Beloved Calls”, a book of poems. based on her personal experience. Sujata has an M.Phil. in Clinical Psychology from the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, and has maintained a private practice in Hyderabad, India for 30 years. Using transpersonal and integrative therapies, Sujata has helped over 14000 clients to ‘work with conflict as a catalyst for self-discovery’, and to ‘journey through heartbreak as a path to self-actualization’. Having trained abroad in Past-life Therapy, Kinesiology, Hypnotherapy and Heal Your Life, Sujata seamlessly blends modern western psychology with ancient eastern wisdom. She is gifted in the art of connecting dots & people, and teaching complex concepts through experiential activities.