Aryavan is Director of Living Wisdom School (pre K-8) in Palo Alto. He and his wife, Ishani, come here from India where they shared EFL principles with the schools there. What became known as the EFL Inspired Schools program was based in two KG-12 schools in Gurugram, where over one hundred teachers are now practicing EFL’s child-centered approach with over two thousand students.
Hailey Anderson
Hailey serves full time at Ananda Valley Farm, growing and sharing produce, making herbal products, and helping to facilitate community participation events at the farm (You can learn more by visiting www.anandavalleyfarm.net). She is a gifted yoga teacher with over a decade of experience guiding yoga and meditation classes in various settings.
Pooja Bhakta (Copley)
Pooja Bhakta (Copley) is long time devotee and Kriya yogi, and a certified teacher of Yoga and meditation. She grew up in Kolkata, India and later moved to the United stated to pursue a career in hi-tech. She lived and served at the Ananda Center of Laurelwood, Gaston, Oregon from 2011 to 2018. Before moving to the Ananda community here, she lived at the Ananda community in Portland. She is warm and personable, and always willing to help and serve in numerous ways both at the Ananda temple and the community.
Brahmachari Sagar
Brahmachari Sagar resides in the Ananda Monastery located at Ananda Village in Northern California. Born into a family of kriya-yogis, Sagar read Paramhansa Yogananda’s Autobiography of a Yogi at a young age, an influence that culminated in his decision to serve Yogananda’s mission through Ananda.
Sagar led Ananda’s work in Mumbai for about five years and has served Ananda’s work in India and the US as a teacher and counselor to students and as a meditation and stress-relief workshop facilitator for corporates.
Sagar currently serves in Ananda’s Online Ministry. He is one of the principal instructors for the Ananda Course in Meditation and has helped create several online offerings. Prior to commencing his life of service at Ananda, Sagar was a graduate student with full scholarship at Boston University and holds advanced degrees in Engineering.
Eric Munro
Eric, a retired high-tech executive, has been a member of Ananda for over 25 years. He has served at the Living Wisdom School and as a farmer at Ananda Valley Farm. Through an inner revelation he was led to a practice of loving God while walking. Currently he looks to share this and has written a book on it titled “Love Breathing Walking Meditation,” which is available at the Ananda Sangha.
Nayaswami Shanti
Nayaswami Shanti is a lifelong devotee and is now a co spiritual director here at Ananda Palo Alto. She teaches, counsels and still maintains a practice of medicine through her coaching practice of “Transformational Medicine.” Her talks are rich with stories from her life as a physician and her many years on the path. With her warmth and wisdom, she is a much-loved counselor and teacher. Shanti’s talks online.
Shanti Rubenstone, Kriyacharya
Loving, enthusiastic, energy personified — Shanti is an Ananda minister and life-long devotee, and a Stanford trained physician. Her talks are rich with stories from her life as a physician and her many years on the path. She supports staff and volunteers, and is responsible for the day-to-day management of Ananda Palo Alto. With her warmth and wisdom, she is a much-loved counselor and teacher. Shanti’s talks online.
Saiganesh Sairaman
Saiganesh is an Ananda minister and one of the co-managers of Ananda Palo Alto. He is a deeply thoughtful, clear speaker, and connects easily with people. He has a passion for sharing the teachings of Kriya yoga and meditation. A world citizen, he grew up in a traditional Hindu family in India and was trained as an Indian Classical musician. He is a former tech manager in the silicon valley, and applies his tech acumen to many Ananda projects.
Brahmacharini Lakshmi
Lakshmi is an Ananda minister and one of the co-managers of Ananda Palo Alto. She also serves as an English teacher and a mediator at a local high school, dedicated to merging mindfulness and academics in a professional setting. She is a thoughtful and delightfully engaging teacher at Ananda, as well. Lakshmi serves Ananda Palo Alto in many ways, with a rare gift for organizing major projects with ease.
Asha Nayaswami
Asha’s talks and online classes are a spiritual lifeline for thousands over the past 45 years. She has a gift for deep spiritual clarity, and the ability to offer it in a way that reaches the mind and the heart. She is author of Swami Kriyananda: Lightbearer: The Life and Legacy of a Disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda, Ask Asha, and other books, and has appeared in the film Finding Happiness. Asha’s YouTube Channel • All of Asha’s talks (audio and video)
Kshama Kellogg
Kshama is a long-time teacher in Living Wisdom School, and herself a former student. This deep immersion in the experience and ideals gives her a unique sensitivity to the needs of students. She is a gifted mentor/coach to young people. She is also a skilled yoga and meditation instructor, athlete, singer, and actor.
Suryani Nelson
Suryani has been dancing since she discovered how to stand on one leg. Professional dancer, stunt woman, and voice actor, she fell in love with hot yoga. After a time she began to ask herself, is there more to this practice that goes beyond the physical level? No sooner had she asked the question did she find herself at Ananda with a wholistic spiritual approach to life. Now a certified yoga instructor and meditation teacher, she serves as a part of the sangha with enthusiasm and joy.
Keshava Betts
Keshava is a teacher at the Living wisdom high school in Palo Alto. He is a lifelong performing artist—cellist, vocal soloist and actor. Unusually, he is also a lifelong student of Yogananda’s teachings, immersed since birth at Ananda Village. Keshava also has a deep love of astrology and has studied with Vedic astrologer, Drupada MacDonald. As a teacher, astrologer, and musician, Keshava aims to share the transformative vibration of wisdom and joy in everything he does.
Janice Fairlee
Jyothi Satyanarayan
Jyothi has been teaching yoga for over four years at various locations including India Community Center, Santa Clara County Parks, Full Circle Farm, Waldorf School of the Peninsula, as well as private classes. Her aim is to be a facilitator and create opportunities for students to tune into their higher potential. Practicing and teaching yoga has helped her find the joy within herself, and has given her purpose to lead a meaningful life.
Yudhisthira (Doug) Andrews
Yudhisthira Doug Andrews E-RYT 500, YACEP
Yudhisthira’s classes are popular, interweaving the physical practice of Hatha Yoga with the teachings of Raja Yoga. He has nearly 30 years’ experience in the teaching and practice of Ananda Yoga, including many years of working with those in recovery from substance abuse. Yudhisthira is certified with Yoga Alliance as an E-RYT 500 and with Yoga Alliance as a Continuing Education Provider (YACEP). He is an Ananda Certified Yoga Therapist with decades of experience working with clients individually and in groups. He has extensive knowledge and experience with whole food, plant-based diets, and exercise.
Adriana Buenaventura
E-RYT 500, Certified Ananda Yoga Therapist, Nutrition Coach, Life Coach.
Adriana's lifelong passion for health and wellness led her into a journey that now includes supporting her clients reach optimum health, calm anxiety and find joy and purpose in their lives.
She is an internationally certified Yoga Therapist and an Ananda Meditation Instructor. She is inspired to teach and lead retreats in English and Spanish so that her clients can also learn to cope with anxiety, stress and both physical and emotional pain that are often roadblocks to a happier, healthier and more fulfilling life. As a certified Nutrition Coach and Fitness professional, Adriana incorporates her love of health and exercise not only training for half marathons, but inspiring her clients to live the life of their dreams.
Adriana Buenaventura
Adriana es Yoga Terapeuta certificada y practicante de ayurveda. Después de varios años de práctica continua incorporando la meditación y el yoga en su vida diaria, Adriana sintió el llamado de compartir con otros. Su propia experiencia de transformación le dio el incentivo para compartir y dar el mensaje de que la práctica regular de estas enseñanzas tiene el potencial de transformar nuestras vidas y ayudarnos a encontrar la felicidad duradera.