Team Leader Swami Mahesh
His educational qualifications are a Bachelor’s in Engineering in 1992, and a Master’s in Yoga Philosophy (Gold medalist) in 1998. He worked as a lecturer of Yoga Philosophy for seven years, teaching various philosophical and practical aspects of Yoga and Tantra at the under-graduate and postgraduate levels, and guiding students with their papers and thesis work. His special field of interest and teachings are in the advanced aspects of Yoga and Tantra, related to Prana, Nadi, Chakra, Kundalini, Meditation and Kashmir Shaivism. He is adept at teaching Hatha Yoga, Raja Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, and always provides a beautiful synthesis of Yoga.
Through his experiential understanding combined with the study of classical texts of Yoga and Tantra, and a rational approach to ancient spiritual wisdom he is able to present some of the most advanced and esoteric knowledge in down to earth style. His articulate and engaging teaching technique in an open caring environment creates an effective learning of Yoga and spiritual life. His lectures are very popular and well received due to his scientific and holistic approach, friendly attitude and personal interaction. He continues to guide aspirants all over the world into the art and science of Yoga.
Jaya/Julie Boyse
“Yoga was my guiding light along my journey from burnout to balance and continues to light my path of peace and happiness” Julie (Jaya)
Julie Boyse (Jaya) has been trained in the Sivananda lineage through Sivananda Vedanta Camp in Montreal, Canada, and SIYA International with Swami Mahesh in Bangalore, India. She is a registered yoga teacher through both the Yoga Alliance and Canadian Yoga Alliance as a E-RYT 450.
She has been practicing yoga since 2009 and was introduced to Swami Satyananda’s yoga tradition in 2011 through her teacher Lalitadevi of Little Mango Tree, she really made a deep connection to yoga in 2014 after having experienced a nervous breakdown, yoga is what she believes saved her life.
Jaya is a spiritual seeker and loves learning and after travelling to Iceland, Costa Rica and India with Swami Mahesh she gained a deeper knowledge of yoga and conducting yoga retreats, she knew she wanted to share what she has learned along her journey to others
She travels to India regularly to deepen her study, understanding and experiences in Classical Yoga from the roots and original source of Yoga.
She lives in Niagara, Canada teaching chair yoga in senior care facilities, along with Classical Hatha Yoga classes, Ayurveda classes, Yoga Nidra, Mantra Chanting, Kirtan and Learn to Meditate classes. She also runs day retreats, gathers groups to travel to India for Yoga and Ayurveda Retreats and co-teaches Yoga Teacher Training courses. You can learn more about Jaya at www.journey2balance.com
Dr. Anil Gupta
M.B.B.S, M.S., PHACO Fellow Sankara Nethralaya, PhD in Vedic Science & Psycho Neurobics, Director & Consultant EYE Surgeon SGV EYE Hospital and Director Positive Health Zone.
Ananta/Reeta Sahoo
(PG Diploma Yogic Studies)
has a Bachelor’s degrees in Arts and PG Diploma in Computer Application and pursued her year-long PG Diploma studies in Yoga at Bihar Yoga Bharati and learnt the fundamentals of Yoga Philosophy, Yoga Psychology and Applied Yogic Science to create a strong foundation for herself.
Ananta has been teaching Yoga since 2003 and mainly focuses on yoga for women’s complete health, empowering women towards vibrant health and joyful living, by designing specific modules for individual needs. With her punctuality, discipline and sense of humor Ananta is always happy to share the gifts of yoga with all. She teaches at her yoga studio in Rourkela, Odisha, India
Ritambhara/Ritu Kapur
OTR/L RYT – 200
has her Masters in Occupational Therapy and was exposed to Yoga at an early age in India and completed her first Yoga teacher training in 2009. She left her job as a Rehab Director in 2017 to follow her passion of yoga full-time and to focus on her yoga studio in the suburbs of Boston.
She opened her space to offer yoga as a holistic and mindful practice. Her therapeutic yoga classes have been well received by many students with a history of injuries and people who were intimidated with the work-out culture of yoga.
She loves hiking and has trekked to the Everest base camp in Nepal, and around Mt, Kailash in Tibet. She considers herself a perpetual student and continues her studies in yoga, Eastern philosophy, Indian Classical Music and Vedic chanting. Her spiritual name given to her by her Guru, Swami Mahesh means intellect or knowledge that contains the truth in itself.
Ritu lives in the Boston area with her family and mainly teaches online these days.
Ananya/Andrea Sachetti
Yoga Therapist, Yoga Teacher
“Yoga, and sharing this gift with others, has been among the greatest gifts of my life, and at the heart of my own healing journey.” – Andrea Sachetti
Andrea Sacchetti is a Yoga Therapist certified by the International Association of Yoga Therapists (C-IAYT), and a registered yoga teacher with Yoga Alliance at the highest level (E-RYT 500),and is a provider of continuing education to registered Yoga Teachers (YACEP).
Since 2005 she has been adapting Yoga for individual students and specific populations, with safety, wellness and healing as the highest priorities. In addition to offering Yoga Therapy sessions and group yoga and meditation classes, she designs and provides advanced training for yoga teachers. She taught yoga for a number of years in various Cancer Wellness programs, and to incarcerated boys and girls through the New Jersey Juvenile Justice Commission. Among her specializations are auto-immune challenges, chronic pain, anxiety, and bone density.
Andrea began her formal training in 2004 with Jaime Stover Schmitt, EdD; and is grateful to have been able to deepen her knowledge and experience with other extraordinary teachers including: Sri Srivatsa Ramaswami; Timothy McCall, MD; Sri Rama Ramanathan; Swami Veda Bharati; and Swami Maheshananda Saraswati. Andrea’s Comprehensive Yoga Therapy training was with Yoga Life Institute. In 2017, she spent three weeks in Bangalore, India, at the I-AIM Ayurvedic Center on a Yoga and Ayurveda Intensive. In 2019 she traveled with her honored teacher Swami Mahesh in Nepal and Tibet on a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash in the Himalayas. Also in 2019, she was able to study and immerse herself for some days at Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama in Rishikesh, India, the ashram founded and led by Swami Veda Bharati until his passing in 2015. In addition to the yoga training, Andrea obtained her BA in Religion, magna cum laude, from Duke University.
Based in Princeton, New Jersey, USA, Andrea can be reached at YogaCalling@gmail.com
Margie Hunter
Yoga Teacher, Mentor
“Yoga gave me back the health and the life I thought I had lost, gifting me with a profound awareness of the importance of “Being in Stillness”. -Margie Hunter
Margie received a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Political Science and Telecommunications. A combination of subjects which she intended to apply in producing documentaries. But life had other plans for her.
In 1999, Margie was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. among many other symptoms, she lost all sense of balance and depth perception. That part of her brain had been damaged. At a loss on what to do, Yoga found its way to her, making her stronger than before the diagnosis. She has been able to regain her balance and depth perception and eliminate all the other disabling symptoms that had been caused by MS through her yoga practice and lifestyle changes, the guidance of her revered guru, Bhupendra Soneji, she has been studying Raja yoga for the past 22 years in the traditional of Swami Satyananda Saraswati. He has guided her on classic yoga, yogic philosophy, and application of therapeutic practices as a student, as well as a teacher.
Swami Maheshananda came into her life as a shining light in 2011 to further enhance her practice. Later she would travel with him to Nepal, experience the life changing parikrama in Mt. Kailash, Tibet in 2013 and Ayurvedic retreat at the IAIM Centre in Bengaluru, India in 2019. She dove deeply into her practice as she felt herself heal and came to the realization that her dharma was to share that possibility of healing with others. MS was the gift that brought yoga and her purpose to her in a very mindful and loving way.
Margie continues to be a student and has been teaching for the past 14 years. She holds yoga classes on the beach and streamed on Zoom.us in Huntington Beach, California USA. She mentors others on a weekly basis to address concerns with chronic disease such as MS. She manages weekend and day retreats and holds conferences on Yoga and it’s healing power. Her approach to healing is through bringing the nervous system into a balanced state, creating homeostasis through breath/pranayama, asana and stillness of meditation, thus giving the body the space to repair. No matter what name is given to a dis-ease, the body needs to be brought back to ease and balance to heal.
Yoga is the perfect process for that. She is the author of “Transcending MS”, written to reach those whom she hasn’t been able to reach in person.
Margie can be reached through: TranscendingMS.com
Gangamurti/Kaberi Das
Kaberi Das (Sn.Gangamurti) is a yoga trainer based in Kolkata, India. She founded and established Shivam Yoga Centre in Kolkata in 1998. She joined the NIS certification program (conducted at Sports Authority of India), under the guidance of Swami Mahesh and successfully completed it. After that, she pursued her course in Yoga from Bihar School of Yoga, Munger. In Kolkata, she conducts several yoga programs and workshops regularly.
She believes that Yoga and Ayurveda work great together and can establish a perfect balance between mind, body and soul. Her visit to IAIM, Bangalore with Swami Mahesh has made her experience several positivities in mind, body and health using Ayurvedic science and she continues to visit IAIM to gain more experience and knowledge in Ayurveda and how to integrate it with Yoga.
Under her guidance, Shivam Yoga Centre had organized free Yoga Camps and Workshops for 5 days in 32 locations such as Belur Math (Kolkata), Adyapeeth (Kolkata), Sports Authority of India, Government schools, hospitals, police stations and prisons, Non-Governmental Organizations for the handicapped, underprivileged zones and many more locations.
She has travelled to many places in India to teach and conduct yoga workshops, as well as to learn the root concepts of Yogic Healing. She has participated in the challenging pilgrimage of Kailash Manasarovar Yatra twice with Swami Mahesh and completed the Parikrama around the holy Mt.Kailash in 2009 and 2011. She continues her Goodwill mission to spread the light, establishing a balance between the mind, body and soul, and rejuvenating people with the holistic science and power of Yoga.