Faculty

JULIA ABRAMOVA, C-IAYT, ERYT500 (AYURVEDA MENTOR)

As an executive, Julia always looked to find inner balance and peace. Thus began her yoga journey in 2007. Drawing upon a synthesis of Jivamukti and the Bihar schools of yoga she became a certified yoga teacher in 2012 through Shiva Shanti Yoga School.

Soon after beginning her yoga teaching career, Julia realized that there was a need to work with students on a more individual basis in order to help them find peace and balance within their bodies. This desire to help led to further studies in: prenatal yoga, The Kaivalya Yoga Method and Prema Yoga Therapeutics program. Julia graduated from an advanced 300 hour training at Pure Yoga as well as established herself as a Certified Yoga Therapist (C-IAYT) through the International Association of Yoga Therapists.

Julia’s passion for learning natural healing practices brought her to Kerala Ayurveda Academy where she completed Ayurvedic Wellness Counselor program towards completion of their Ayurvedic Wellness Practitioner program.

Along with learning about the inner workings of the mind/body/spirit connection through Yoga and Ayurveda, she always had a strong connection with energy healing. She would go on to become a Reiki Master in the Usui lineage, and a certified Sound Healing Practitioner through the Atma Buti Sound and Vibrational School.

Julia strongly believes that we are all capable of healing ourselves. Through her dedication to her students and a holistic approach Julia serves as a catalyst that ignites the healing fire within.

To learn more visit www.jyotiyogahealing.com.

MARY ARANAS, C-IAYT, ERYT500 (APPLIED DOWN-REGULATING TECHNIQUES, MENTOR

Mary began her yoga journey in 1997 while she was an actress and a brand new mom. She earned her 500-hour certification in 2002 under Yogiraj Alan Finger and his senior teachers in the ISHTA “Integrated Science of Hatha, Tantra, and Ayurveda” tradition that emphasizes the individual, ishta practice of each student. Immediately Mary began to teach full-time, with a private clientele that comprised the bulk of her workload, while also teaching classes at Yoga Zone, Be Yoga, NYHRC, Yogaworks, ISHTA Center, and other studios and corporations.

Mary joined the Pure Yoga teaching staff in 2009 and has taught Restorative, Vinyasa, Yin/Yang, Slow Flow Meditation, Pure Zen Flow, and AcroYoga at Pure. She guest teaches seasonally for Pure’s 200-Hour Teacher Training, and serves on Pure Yoga’s Professional Mentorship Program. From 2010 to 2012 Mary was senior Restorative Trainer for YogaFit Training Systems. Mary conducts Mother Mary Restorative Teacher Trainings and Yoga Nidra Teacher Trainings at Pure Yoga in New York. She also teaches Thai Yoga bodywork and AcroYoga – in privates, classes, workshops, retreats and festivals globally. Mary is one of fewer than 80 AcroYoga International certified Immersion teachers worldwide.

Certifications: C-IAYT, E-RYT 500, Reiki I + II, Thai Yoga I & II, ULC Interfaith Minister, YogaSlackers, AcroYoga Level 2, and AcroYoga Immersion Teacher.

www.maryaranas.com

BASAK GUNAYDIN, C-IAYT, E-RYT, YACEP (PRANAYAMA, MEDITATION, MENTOR)

Basak Gunaydin is a Turkish American, Yoga Therapist, Textile Engineer and Life Coach, providing an integral wellness experience based on yogic tradition and modern therapeutic techniques. She helps create fulfillment, happiness, empowerment, inspiration. Basak, through her yoga practice, found balance of being a hard working woman on top of a Corporate ladder while keeping an open heart and love for all. She has been teaching yoga, meditation, pranayama, vedic numerology, since 2013 and became a full time teacher, leaving her 25 years Corporate career in 2020 after her pilgrimage in India. She is currently writing a book on “How to thrive in the Corporate world, based on Yogic principles.” She is a Co-Author of "Resilience Through Yoga and Meditation."

JILL MILLER, C-IAYT, ERYT (MENTOR)

Jill Miller is the co-founder of Tune Up Fitness Worldwide and creator of the self-care fitness formats Yoga Tune Up® and The Roll Model® Method. With more than 30 years of study in anatomy and movement, she is a pioneer in forging relevant links between the worlds of fitness, yoga, massage, athletics, and pain management. Jill is known as the Teacher’s Teacher, and has trained thousands of movement educators, clinicians, and manual therapists to incorporate her paradigm-shifting self-care fitness programming into athletic and medical facility programs internationally. As the creator of some of the world’s best mobility tools, she has crafted original programs for Equinox, Golf Digest, 24 Hour Fitness, YogaWorks, and numerous professional sports teams. She and her team of 500+ teachers help you to live better in your body with an emphasis on proprioception, mobility, breath mechanics, and recovery.

Jill has presented at conferences and symposia worldwide in the fields of fitness, fascia, pain, athletic performance, yoga therapy and mental health. She has the rare ability to translate complex physiological and biomechanical information into accessible, relevant moves that help her students transform pain, dysfunction, and injury into robust fitness. Jill is a former anatomy columnist for Yoga Journal Magazine and has been featured in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Shape, Men’s Journal, Good Housekeeping, Women’s Health, Yoga Journal, and Self and on the TODAY, Good Morning America, and the Oprah Winfrey Network.

She is the creator of dozens of programs, including collaborations with Tom Myers, Katy Bowman, Kelly Starrett, DPT and Jen Esquer DPT. She is the author of the internationally bestselling book The Roll Model: A Step by Step Guide to Erase Pain, Improve Mobility, and Live Better in Your Body and her newest book, Body by Breath: The Science and Practice of Physical and Emotional Resilience. Jill is also a contributing author on the topic of self-myofascial release in the medical textbook Fascia, Function and Medical Applications. She lives in Los Angeles, CA, with her husband and two children.

For more information visit https://www.tuneupfitness.com/jill-miller-schedule

TINA PAUL, MS, C-IAYT, ERYT500 (YOGA FOR ONCOLOGY, MENTOR)

Tina completed a master of science in yoga therapy at the Maryland University of Integrative Health.  She shares the tools of therapeutic yoga, breathing techniques, and mindfulness with individual clients, university programs and organizations including Manhattan Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center where she works with patients undergoing cancer treatment, recovering from cancer and their caregivers. She is the co-founder of Embodied Workplace, a consultancy focused on bringing creative mindfulness programs to organizations. Embodied Workplace's community yoga event with the NYPD was featured on PBS Newshour, check out the video clip here.  Visit www.yogawithtina.com for further information.

DANA SLAMP, C-IAYT, ERYT500 (FOUNDER, PROGRAM DIRECTOR)

Dana began teaching yoga in 2005, offering vinyasa classes known for their spirit, strength, and safety across New York City.  She joined the senior staff at Pure Yoga in 2008, expanding her teaching to therapeutic classes, as well as teaching in Pure's 200 hour Teacher Training and Professional Mentorship Program. In 2010, she served as Managing Teacher at Pure West, and co created the 300 hour advanced teacher training programs at Yoga Vida and Ora Yoga. 

Despite her love of classes, Dana saw the great need for one-on-one, specialized therapeutic teaching in the tradition of "yoga chikitsa" - "yoga medicine." Dana completed over 1100 hours of yoga, Ayurveda, meditation, and yoga therapy training with Dr. Marc Halpern, Leslie Kaminoff, Dr. Loren Fishman, Guru Dharam, and Yogi Charu - becoming one of the first certified yoga therapists in the US.

In 2012, Dana founded Prema Yoga Institute, New York's premiere yoga therapy school.  PYI offers a radical collaboration  with wellness and health professionals devoted to yoga’s benefits - bridging the gaps between yoga and healthcare and academia and yoga.  PYI prepares wellness professionals to provide yoga and mindfulness to diverse populations - regardless of any injuries or limitations present. 

Dana continues to teach internationally, contributes to teacher trainings, and has presented at the Telluride Yoga Festival, Wanderlust in the City, and several times at the Yoga Journal Conference. Her meditations and yoga classes are featured on YogaAnytime.com and the Equinox+ App.  She has been honored to consult on research projects and wellness programs for clinics, doctor's offices, condominiums, and corporations, and is a contributing writer at Yoga Journal. Dana currently practices in New York City in private practice, at Pure Yoga, and with Manhattan Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. (Danaslamp.com)

BRITTANY SIMONE ANDERSON, E-RYT500, YOGA THERAPIST CANDIDATE (DEI PROGRAMS MANAGER AND GUEST FACULTY)

Brittany is a wellness educator and yoga therapist candidate with a specialty in cancer care, PTSD and race-based traumatic stress (RBTS). Brittany uses therapeutic sound, meditation, therapeutic yoga, and expansive breath techniques to alleviate symptoms associated with disrupted psychological or physiological states. She is a DEI educator and program manager at Prema Yoga Institute and co-host of The Werk Podcast; a safe space to support the decolonization of health, wellness and spiritual spaces. Brittany believes that well-being is our birth right, and as such, it is our responsibility to take an active role in our own wellness. Brittany is a Lululemon Legacy Ambassador and world traveler.

VIBHUTI ARYA, PHARMD, MPH (GUEST TEACHER: SYSTEMIC RACISM IN HEALTH CARE / YOGA AND THE OPIOID CRISIS)

Dr. Arya is an Associate Clinical Professor at St. John's University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and serves as Clinical Advisor to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. In her role, she works to integrate pharmacists into public health initiatives, particularly among high-risk, medically underserved areas in NYC, and advises on legislation pertinent to pharmacy practice and access to care. Dr. Arya engages her students to examine public health programs and policies through the lens of equity, applying social justice principles and frameworks to help reduce inequities in care.​ She recently gave a TEDx talk on structural racism.

EDWIN BRYANT, PHD (GUEST TEACHER: ON DEMAND - THE YOGA SUTRAS)

Edwin Bryant received his Ph.D in Indic languages and Cultures from Columbia University. He taught Hinduism at Harvard University for three years, and is presently the professor of Hinduism at Rutgers University where he teaches courses on Hindu philosophy and religion. He has received numerous awards and fellowships, published six books and authored a number of articles on Vedic history, yoga, and the Krishna tradition. In addition to his academic work for the scholarly community, Edwin's Penguin World Classics translation of the Srimad Bhagavata Purana, the traditional source for the story of Krishna's incarnation, is both for Indology specialists as well as students and those interested in Hinduism from the general reading public and the yoga community. As a personal practitioner of yoga for 35 years, a number of them spent in India studying with traditional teachers, where he returns yearly, Edwin strives to combine academic scholarship and rigor with sensitivity towards traditional knowledge systems. In addition to his academic course load, Edwin currently teaches workshops on the Yoga Sutras, Bhagavad Gita, and Hindu Philosophy at yoga studios and teacher training courses throughout the country. His translation of and commentary on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (North Point Press, a division of Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2009) is specifically dedicated to contributing to the growing body of literature on yoga by providing insights from the major pre-modern commentaries on the text with a view to grounding the teachings in their traditional context.

JESSICA CAPLAN, E-RYT200, CERTIFIED INTEGRATIVE SOUND PRACTITIONER (GUEST TEACHER: SOUND YOGA THERAPY)

Jessica is a certified sound therapy practitioner, vocalist and yoga teacher. A yoga teacher since 2006, having graduated from Pure Yoga Hong Kong’s first teacher training, Jessica’s twin loves -- music and the healing arts -- organically merged several years ago. She completed the year-long, 290-hour sound therapy practitioner training at the Open Center’s Sound and Music Institute, studying with experts in the field, including John Beaulieu, Silvia Nakkach, and Pat Moffit Cook. She has since guided soundbaths, crafted meditative soundscapes for yoga classes and events, and led workshops, retreats and trainings in voice and sound healing. Jessica is particularly passionate about providing students both in group and one-on-one sessions an integrative, loving approach to connecting with the voice, and through that, with oneself. She is a Reiki practitioner and Restorative yoga teacher, and continues her studies of yoga, sound healing, Native traditions, shamanic practices, and classical North Indian music.  Jessica is also the co-creatrix of SoundMind (www.soundmind.space), an audio meditation series combining meditation with therapeutic sound, released in the fall of 2016.   www.jessicacaplanyoga.com

LISA FRANCES, PHD, C-IAYT, ACC (CURRICULUM ADVISOR: GUEST TEACHER: RESEARCH, PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE)

Dr. Frances currently serves as Medical Professor of Molecular Cellular and Biomedical Sciences at CUNY School of Medicine, and is a graduate of PYI's 500 hour Advanced Yoga Certification at Pure Yoga.  Dr. Frances brings more than 20 years of leadership in academic medicine with a substantial record of accomplishment and research funding from the National Institutes of Health. She formerly served as a member of the National General Medical Advisory Council. More recently, Dr. Frances has been recognized for her research on alcohol and substance abuse prevention. Lisa Frances received her Ph.D. in Microbiology & Immunology from the Weill Cornell University Graduate School of Medical Sciences where she was honored as Alumna of the Year in 2016.

ALISON CRAMER, ERYT500 (GUEST TEACHER: AYURVEDA)

Ali has been teaching yoga since 2003 and is the author of Modern Ayurveda: Rituals, Recipes & Remedies for Balance. She has studied Ayurveda extensively with Bri. Maya Tuwari, Dr. Robert Svoboda, and continues to study with Dr. Vassant Lad. Ali served as the Director of the Laughing Lotus Ayurveda Program from 2012-2019, when she co-created Soulful Solutions - an online donation-based education community.  

Ali has taught workshops, retreats, and trainings all over the world - and her classes can be found anywhere/anytime on Yogaanytime.com.  In 2013, she was honored to lead the very first 200-hour yoga teacher training in the Sudan, where she also worked with therapists at refugee relief centers and in schools throughout Khartoum.

Ali believes that Ayurveda and Yoga should be inclusive and accessible for all. She is continually inspired by how these Practices bring people together and create community around collective and personal health.

RENEE HARRISTON, YOGA THERAPY CANDIDATE, RYT500   (GUEST TEACHER: YIN FOR AGING BODIES)

Renee Harriston is a therapeutic yoga teacher and student at Prema Yoga Institute. She holds certifications in Advanced Mental Health: Trauma and Addiction and DAO Yin Yoga: Functional Alignment and Sequencing Module. She is a Prema Breath Coach, a yoga therapist candidate & has been teaching yin yoga and therapeutic yoga to aging students for over 3 years.

BERET KIRKEBY, C-IAYT, LMT, RMT, ERYT500  (GUEST TEACHER: PAIN MANAGEMENT, THERAPEUTIC CONSENT)

Beret Kirkeby is thrilled to join the Prema Yoga team as a guest. She is a 500 hour yoga teacher, an RRCA certified running coach, a personal trainer, and a NCBTM Continuing Education Provider. In addition to her original college degree, she also holds a dual license in massage for NY State and one for Ontario, Canada, which has a slightingly different scope of practice than the traditional state-side massage.

Her primary education was in Ontario's regulated Provencal Massage health-care program, manual therapy and includes on and off table exercises in its curriculum. Therapists graduating from this program are focused on rehabilitation and hospital-based care.  She has completed residencies in an AIDS hospice as well as in a Parkinson's clinic as part of this training. Post-graduation, she worked with severe injuries from motor vehicle accidents, workman's compensation, and prenatal injury and recovery. When in NY, she operates within the NY state scope of practice.

More recently she spent a year living in Thailand and Bali, where she began her yoga journey and studied Thai massage. She currently owns and operates a massage clinic here in New York City that focuses on science-based manual therapy, medical massage, TMD intra-oral care and Post-Mastectomy support. Besides her skills in massage and yoga, she is also a paid certified scuba diver and an avid runner. She has previously taught anatomy, pathology, orthopedic assessment, medical consent and pain science since 2011.

JACOB KYLE, MSC, MA, ERYT500 (EMBODIED PHILOSOPHY)

Jacob is a yoga asana teacher, writer and philosophy educator. Jacob holds two Masters Degrees in Philosophy: an MSc in Political Philosophy from the London School of Economics and Political Science (2007), and an MA in the History of Philosophy from the New School for Social Research (2013). While living in London, he studied Freudian and Lacanian psychoanalysis at the Centre for Freudian Analysis and Research. Jacob's ongoing studies in Western and Eastern philosophies have included study of the Yoga Sutras with Edwin Bryant, studies in Tantrik philosophy with Christopher Wallis, and a course in the history of Yoga and Tantra at New York University.  In 2015, Jacob was initiated into Neelakhanta Meditation and has since then been enrolled in Blue Throat Yoga programs under the tutelage of esteemed Kashmir Shaivism scholar Paul Muller-Ortega, studying the texts and practices of the Trika Kula lineage of Kashmir Shaivism.  To augment his yoga teaching practice, he has completed over seven hundred hours of training and workshops with master teachers Nevine Michaan, Kelly Morris, David Regelin, Schuyler Grant, Tias Little, Gabriel Halpern, Zach Dacuk & Leslie Kaminoff. 

During his years on the academic path, Jacob became disillusioned with abstruse armchair theorizing, as the possibility of implementing deep change in his life and the lives of others appeared remote while in an academic context. It was out of this struggle with academic philosophy that Jacob started teaching yoga and studying more deeply the practice-oriented philosophies of the East. In 2015, he founded Embodied Philosophy, LLC, an online educational platform that is committed to the dissemination of embodied philosophy, philosophy not of the mere intellect, but an integrated, non-dualistic living wisdom. His dream is to contribute to a sea change in how we approach philosophy, not as an abstract discipline out of touch with experience, but as recipes for embodiment. By implementing these often ancient practices in our modern lives, we can change our bodies and minds out of self-destructive habits of thinking and acting. 

MICHELLE LEPP, C-IAYT (GUEST TEACHER: PYI YOGA AND CANCER CARE)

Michelle is a certified yoga therapist with a focus on cancer care. She has always enjoyed moving her body, but not until she stumbled upon the practice of yoga did she cultivate a deeper connection between mind, body, and breath. Unsatisfied with her career in fashion, her yoga practice became a source of creativity and freedom. Michelle began her journey into teaching by earning her RYT 200 with Pure Yoga in 2016 and earning her certification a sa Certified Yoga Therapist (C-IAYT) through Prema Yoga Institute in 2020. In addition to working in yoga Michelle is also certified as a NASM personal trainer with a multitude of additional trainings in pre and postnatal care.

Michelle became interested in yoga therapy through her own experience with lymphoma. During her treatment she continued practicing yoga as a tool to keep her grounded. From the outset of her career in yoga therapy, her passion has been offering yoga to others who have also been touched by cancer. In addition to her C-IAYT, Michelle has taken additional trainings with Tari Prinster in her Yoga 4 Cancer program. She has taught privately as well as at Bellevue Hospital and Lennox Hill Hospital. 

ROBERT LINDSEY, M.A. (GUEST TEACHER: PHILOSOPHY)

Robert Lindsey is an Adjunct at Rutgers University where he co-teaches the winter session study abroad course in Hinduism. He has given numerous guest lectures at Rutgers on topics such as Bhagavad Gita, Bhagavata Purana, Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, Mahabharata, and Hinduism and the Afterlife. Robert is the Director of Yoga Philosophy and History at Yoga Vida NYC, where he teaches in teacher training programs and workshops. He has a BA in Politics from Princeton University and did post baccalaureate study at Rutgers University and the Jiva Institute in Vrindavan, India. He has a MA in South Asian Religious Studies from Columbia University, where he also studied Sanskrit. He also studied Sanskrit at the American Institute of Indian Studies in Pune, India.

ERICA MATHER, M.A., C-IAYT, ERYT500, HHC, REIKI MASTER (GUEST TEACHER: YOGA FOR MIGRAINES, DEVELOPING PERSONAL PROTOCOLS)

Erica is a natural-born teacher, who began instructing at age 17 and studies pedagogy through education, learning, and leadership. She cares most about her students' freedom--financial, spiritual, intellectual, emotional, and physical--and to compliment each concern has founded a number of programs to support this mission. The Adore Your Body system supports feeling free in the body; The Yoga Clinic educates students, teachers, and health professionals about empowered self-care; and, the Five Pillars 90-Day Accountability Program helps yoga teachers learn the fundamentals of business.

Erica is a Forrest Yoga Guardian, hand-picked by Ana Forrest to become one of a handful of senior teachers in the Forrest Yoga tribe. She found Forrest Yoga at the very beginning of her yoga studies and began practicing to treat her adult-onset migraine headaches. Her area of interest is how Forrest Yoga promotes healing of the body and spirit along a spectrum—from the very sick to the “well.” She has a flourishing private practice in New York City working therapeutically in a number of capacities helping the injured, ill, and aging gain confidence and trust in their bodies. Erica is currently working on her first book (New Harbinger, 2019) collating her knowledge about improving the relationship with the body as a spiritual pursuit. 

MICHELLE BRIKS PROSPER, MS, RDE, RYT500, AYURVEDIC WELLNESS CENTER (GUEST TEACHER: AYURVEDA)

Michelle is Yoga Director of the Saw Mill Health Club in Mount Kisco, NY, where she also leads and founded the Ohra Yoga and Wellness institute, a 200/300 hour Registered Yoga School with Yoga Alliance. Michelle has 12+ years of experience teaching yoga and has received extensive training and certifications in Vinyasa and Prana flow styles, Anatomy and Ayurvedic Yoga therapy.

She received a BS in dietetics from Queens College (Magna Sum Laude) in 2002 and an MS in Nutrition & Exercise Science from CUNY Queens in 2004. Her nutritional knowledge was complemented by further in-depth study of Ayurveda with California College of Ayurveda under the leadership of Dr. Mark Halpern (100 hours AYT) and the year-long Ayurvedic wellness counselor (AYC) program from Kerala Ayurveda Academy. She has practiced as a registered dietitian, and currently practices a holistic nutritional approach with her clients. With proper guidance she encourages her clients to become proactive about their health and wellness. Michelle is passionate about empowering others to increase their strength and grace and get inspired through the practice and teachings of yoga. She is moved by witnessing her students and teacher trainees’ growth and transformation as they embrace wellness and connect deeper with their inner light.

LOIS RAMONDETTA, MD, C-IAYT (GUEST TEACHER: YOGA AND CANCER CARE)

Dr. Lois Ramondetta is a full Professor at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine where she provides surgical, and chemotherapy directed patient care as well as resident and fellow training for all types of gynecologic cancers. She also specializes in minimally invasive laparoscopic surgeries. Dr. Ramondetta has a joint appointment in the Department of Palliative, Rehabilitation, & Integrative Medicine. She has co-authored over 160 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters. Her research interests include cancer prevention, HPV vaccination, yoga therapy, clinical trials, supportive care, and the effect of psychological coping style and stress on cancer and quality of life. To better care for patients, she became boarded in Hospice and Palliative Care in 2010 and a Diplomate of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine in 2020. Uniting these interests, she initiated clinical trials targeting the adrenergic pathway, yoga and stress responses in gynecologic cancer patients. Importantly, she incorporates stress reduction/lifestyle wellness techniques into her patient’s lives. Dr. Ramondetta, a 500hr RYS certified Yoga Teacher and CI-IAYT, is exploring new methods to further enhance her lifestyle focused and patient-centered holistic practice.

PRATIBHA SHAH, BAMS, MD, MPH (GUEST TEACHER: AYURVEDA)

Pratibha Shah, is an internationally renowned Ayurveda expert. Intensely trained in Traditional Health Sciences (Ayurveda, Energy healing) as well as Public Health, Pratibha Shah distils Eastern wisdom with an understanding of Western principles, for the best care of her clients. A strong sense of compassion and empathy, intent listening skills, in-depth thorough assessments and well contemplated individualized Master Wellness plans are a hallmark of her 30 years of practice. Client-centric Compassionate Care defines her best!

Her pioneering initiatives in the field of Ayurveda, have brought her to attention at the White House, the Department of Health and Human Services, as well as the Consulate General of India, NYC. For her work, she was also nominated in the Top 20 Women of the Year, for the year 2014. She is the Founder, President of two non-profits - Council for Ayurveda Research and Wholistic Health Alliance. She currently consults out of her office in Danvers and at Well Life Medical, a state of the art Integrative Medicine clinic near Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Before moving to the US, Shah was a Chief Medical Officer with the AYUSH ministry in India.

www.MyAyurved.org

AMANBIR SINGH, LMT, LAC, ERYT500, BSE, MSTOM (GUEST TEACHER: ACUPRESSURE, NADIS AND MERIDIANS, YOGA THERAPY)

Amanbir is a yoga teacher and licensed acupuncturist based in New York City. Known for his sense of humor, music, and extensive knowledge of the healing field, he offers a direct and fun approach to the healing dynamics of yoga. He has been teaching for 13 years and holds Level 2 status at the Kundalini Research Institute. Additionally, he has completed 300 hours of yoga therapy training with I-SKY, an IAYT Member School, and teaches in its modules.

Amanbir currently shares his in-depth understanding of energetic and physical anatomy in trainings worldwide. He serves as one of the lead teachers and directors of Golden Bridge Yoga trainings around the world. He teaches at many major yoga festivals including Sat Nam Fest, Wanderlust, Yoga Journal conference, and Kripalu.

He has produced three music albums: “Akal Groove” and "African Soul and Jaap," that capture his modern embrace of the ancient sound current of mantras. He holds a Masters of Science in Traditional Oriental Medicine and a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from the Cooper Union.

ANITA VASAN, RYT500 (ADMISSIONS MANAGER)

Anita understood the transformative power of yoga while searching for peace and calm amongst the hustle and bustle of NYC life and working in the theater industry. Having experienced deep rooted stress and anxiety, she discovered that the simple practice of staying present provided immediate relief. She then discovered the practice of silent meditation and invested in the exploration of yogic practices. She also spent time studying and understanding the Yoga Sutras to reconnect with the fundamental roots of the practice, and understand the procedural elements of the practice. 

Growing up in a family of doctors, healing the mind and body was an innate part of her upbringing, and diving deeper into the practice of yoga teaching felt like her calling. 

Anita started her yoga teaching studies at Pure Yoga where she did her first 200 hour teacher training. Her studies furthered with Yogi Charu in his Level 1 & 2 meditation teacher training, and then again through his 200 hour Hatha course abroad in India. Her vinyasa studies continued with the Kaivalya Method and then later with Srivastava Ramaswami, in Vinyasa Krama (as passed down from Krishnamacharia). From there she furthered her studies with Ramaswami  in the Yoga Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita. Anita has  gone through the Yoga Therapy RX certification at LMU and also completed a 500 hour training through Modo Yoga. Anita has been fortunate enough to spend time at the Sivananda Ashrams around the world and in that time, she has completed a restorative yoga training course and started to study with Hasu Patel, her Hindustani music teacher. Together they connect the yoga sutras to traditional Hindustani scales which she shares in her classes. Anita has also spent time in silent retreats at Vipassana centers around the world. Anita has 2000+ hours of training and has now been teaching for over a decade. 

Anita's goal as a yoga teacher is to connect and honor the incredible roots of the practice to modern day yoga. She created a Yoga Sutra program for teachers to deepen their knowledge and currently teaches it at Modo Yoga LA where she also teaches asana classes. Anita also founded a program called Breathe Flow Meditate, a practice centered around Yoga Nidra.

It is through the study of yoga and meditation that Anita has experienced a powerful shift in her daily life. This transformation has filled her with a deep passion to share this powerful practice, and to honor its' lineage through her teachings. 

STEPHANIE ANNE ERVIN VITOLO, ERYT500 (GUEST TEACHER: ADDRESSING WRIST PATHOLOGIES)

Stephanie is a yoga teacher in New York. She has been a certified yoga instructor since 2009. She received her initial training at YogaWorks at the 200 hour level and continued on to the Professional 300 program in 2010. The YogaWorks methodology infuses the movement of the Ashtanga lineage with the precision of the Iyengar System. Stephanie has also been certified in Restorative and therapeutic yoga through the guidance of Jillian Pransky and Mary Aranas C-IAYT, and is a graduate of Prema Yoga Institute's Therapeutics Essentials. She continues to take classes and workshops to expand her knowledge and understanding of Yoga. She has been teaching therapeutic yoga privately since 2011 and has offered several workshops in New York City.

Stephanie currently teaches classes and privately at Pure Yoga, Yoga Works in New York City. She is a senior member of the faculty at Pure Yoga and a member of the teacher training department at Yoga Works. She teaches with intelligence in sequencing that is steeped in alignment and therapeutic principles. Her generosity and fun approach to teaching is unique and all her own. She approaches each student as an individual and creates space for students to explore and experience themselves in their bodies, their breath and ultimately, their spirits.  Stephanie has been a guest teacher with PYI for 4 years.

DR. KAVITHA CHINNAIYAN (GUEST TEACHER: NON-DUAL TANTRA)

is a Cardiologist and Associate Professor of Medicine at Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine in Royal Oak, MI. She has studied with various teachers including Advaita Vedanta through the Chinmaya Mission, the Direct Path with Greg Goode in the lineage of Sri Atmananda Krishna Menon, Sri Vidya Sadhana with Sri Chaitanyananda and Sri Sivapremananda, Tantra and Ayurveda with Dr. Sumit Kesarkar, and Kashmir Shaivism with Paul Muller-Ortega. Her workshops, courses and writings on meditation, Yoga, Tantra, Ayurveda and non-duality strive to bring these time-honored traditions to modern living in practical ways. She is the author of The Heart of Wellness (Llewellyn Publications, January 2018), which brings together Yoga, Vedanta and Ayurveda to change the paradigm of health and wellness, and Shakti Rising (New Harbinger Publications, October 2017), which is a fresh exploration of the ten great goddesses of cosmic wisdom known as the Dasha Mahavidya. Shakti Rising won the Nautilus Gold Award for Best Books of 2017. Visit kavithamd.com for more information.

VANI P GANDHI, MD (CLINICAL ADVISOR, GUEST TEACHER, INFECTIOUS DISEASES)

Dr. Gandhi is Director of Integrative Medicine at the Spencer Cox Center for Health at Mount Sinai St. Luke’s and Mount Sinai Roosevelt Hospitals. She directs a weight loss program for patients with HIV and obesity. She teaches nutrition and stress management to patients and staff at Mount Sinai St. Luke’s Hospital. She is involved in training of Infectious Diseases fellows, medical residents and medical students at the Spencer Cox Center for Health.

Dr. Gandhi provides primary care for patients at the Morningside clinic of the Institute for Advanced Medicine at Mount Sinai St. Luke’s Hospital. She specializes in the integrative treatment of chronic illnesses such as HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C, obesity, diabetes mellitus, and irritable bowel syndrome.  Dr. Gandhi is an integrative medicine specialist trained at the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine and offers Integrative Medicine consultation for all patients at the Mount Sinai St. Luke’s and Mount Sinai Roosevelt Hospital sites. Most insurances are accepted.

ELIZABETH GOTTSCHALK, RN RYT200 (BREATH TECHNIQUES, BREATH COACH MENTOR)

Elizabeth Gottschalk is a registered nurse, certified pilates teacher, a qualified yoga and meditation teacher. She has over 500 hours of training in yoga. Raised in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Elizabeth grew up performing dance and playing competitive basketball until she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of Rheumatoid Arthritis at the age of 17. She became quite disconnected from and ashamed of her body. 10 years later Elizabeth moved to New York City as cardiothoracic intensive care unit nurse. In 2012, Elizabeth discovered the healing powers of yoga while taking hot vinyasa classes with Dana Slamp at Pure Yoga. Elizabeth began to feel free in her body again - creating the shapes of the yoga asanas and performing meditation liberated her mind and the focus on pranayama (breath) in yoga aligned her with the present moment. 

In 2014, Elizabeth received her 200-hr RYT at Pure Yoga in New York City under the guidance of Kay Kay Clivio and Yogi Charu.  She is honored to have been mentored by her teacher, Rebecca Hajek at Yoga Vida in New York City. While at Yoga Vida, Elizabeth  completed advanced trainings in Restorative Yoga with Abby Paloma, Ally Bogard, and Jessica Caplan and Advanced Vinyasa Sequencing and Advanced Assists with Dana Slamp and Kajuan Douglas. In 2017, Elizabeth received her Pilates Method Alliance Mat Certification at Equinox fitness in New York City.  In 2020, Elizabeth completed 200 hours of advanced meditation teacher training with Yogi Charu through the Bhakti Center in New York City. Elizabeth has her Bachelor's of Science in Nursing from Duke University (2008) and her Bachelor's of Arts in Economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2003). In the fall of 2020, Elizabeth will continue her education, studying for a Masters in Healthcare Administration through the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's School of Public Health. She currently resides in the small town of Bynum, North Carolina with her boyfriend, his two small children, and is a yoga teacher at Red Room Hot Yoga in Chapel Hill. 

As a nurse, Elizabeth’s background in human anatomy, disease intervention and emotional intelligence guide her instruction. Her own joy for physical experience, her personal struggle with an autoimmune joint disease, and her nursing career influence her ability to teach students with empathy and grace.

JAN ORLAND-GO, RN, ERYT500 (BREATH COACH MENTOR)

Jan takes a personal and individualized approach to teaching yoga, influenced by his own experience as practitioner of Vinyasa and Ashtanga Yoga.

He is a Three Sisters Yoga 300 Hour alumnus (2014) and 200 Hour alumnus (2013). In addition, he has 100 hours of Advanced Anatomy Training, 85 hours of Pre/Post Natal Yoga Teacher Training and 25 hours Restorative Yoga Teacher Training.

As a registered nurse, Jan works as the Nurse Manager at Rogosin Institute Dialysis West Side. Jan manages the outpatient dialysis facility, which provides hemodialysis treatment. Jan incorporates his medical and yoga training in order to help his patients maintain a positive outlook and reduce anxiety during treatment. As Nurse Manager, Jan leads his staff by focusing on Yama's first teaching, which is Ahimsa (non-harming). 

Jan integrates his training and learning as both a yoga teacher and a registered nurse to assist yoga practitioners and patients alike in their common health-centered goals.

Jan is also a co-founder and co-trainer with partner Angela Rauscher of Shiva Shakti School of Yoga 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training. 

The basis of his teaching philosophy is that yoga can benefit all body-types: if you can breathe, you can benefit from yoga. 

When you join Jan’s class, you can expect an experience of breath and alignment-based exploration of familiar asana while exploring challenging and often untapped asana.

Always committed to being intuitive, compassionate and non-judgmental the cornerstone of Jan's practice is a joyful exploration into challenging and new asana with modifications for all.