YOGA VEDA FACULTY

BRITTANY WOODARD, B.A., E-RYT 500, AHC
Dean of Education

KARTA PURKH SINGH KHALSA, A.D., D.N.-C., R.H.
Ayurvedic Herbology, Panchakarma, & Chikitsa Teacher
Karta Purkh Singh Khalsa, “KP” , Yogaraj (Ayurveda), A.D., D.N.-C, R.H., has over 50 years of experience in holistic medicine, and is one of the foremost natural healing experts in North America. Khalsa is President Emeritus of the American Herbalists Guild, director emeritus of the National Ayurvedic Medical Association, and is a respected teacher, writer and lecturer.

DR. RESMI V. RAJAGOPAL, BAMS, MS (Ayurveda Gynec) PGDYN
Panchakarma
in Ayurvedic Gynecology & Pregnancy Care. She has presented scientific papers in national and international seminars and published research papers in renowned journls and has a diploma in Yoga & Naturopathy. She is experienced in clinical, surgical, para surgical and emergency practices and specializes in treating women with hormonal problems and infertility issues. Dr. Resmi is an Ayurvedic Docrtor from Kerala, India. She received her Bachelor’s degree from Pankajakasthuri Ayurveda Medical College and her Master’s degree from Jamnagar college

Dr. Abdurahaman Poilan, BSc, BAMS, MD, PGDG & C
Ayurvedic Lead Teacher
Hailing from a 180 yrs old Ayurvedic family and having an experience of 34 yrs in Ayurveda, Dr. Poilan graduated from a well known Ayurvedic university in India, V.P.S.V. Ayurvedic college in Kottaka, Kerala. He also holds a post graduate diploma in Guidance and Counseling.
Dr. Poilan has visited more than 19 countries, conducting Ayurvedic seminars, workshops and consulations. He runs the PVA Ayurvedic Hospital in Kerala, India, a multi-specialty Ayurvedic nursing home, providing rejuvenation therapy, purification therapy, and treatment for various ailments such as joint pain, ulcers, infertility, etc. He also conducts Ayurvedic and yoga trainings, specializing in Ayurvedic massage and panchakarma therapy.

Dr. Shreejan Sita, C-IAYT, AHC
Chikitsa Instructor
Maa Shreejan Sita, MSc, AYT, ERYT, Doctoral Candidate Integrated Medicine is an Ayurvedic Yoga Therapist with 30+ years experience who studied at Chakrapani Ayurveda Institute in Jaipur, India and Paramanand Institute of Yoga Therapy in Indore, India. She completed her Ayurveda Health Consultant diploma with Bodhananda Vedic Institute in Kalamazoo, Michigan where her practice is now situated. She completed her Master’s Degree in the Science of Creativity and Change at State University of New York, and went on to study self-actualization through India’s traditions of yoga, taught to children as personality development. Having cured herself of epilepsy with meditation, she developed a practice focusing on neurological disorders, achieving break through therapies for victims of peripheral neuropathy. Maa Shree founded the Shridevi Wellness Center on the campus of Shri Jasnath Asan (ashram) in Rajasthan, India, a 500-year-old healing institution serving indigenous populations in and around the Thar Desert. She has taught Ayurveda and Yoga Therapy philosophies at several well established institutions, including delivering a course in Yoga Psychology at SVYSA in Bangalore, India (Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana). Maa Shree’s third book Yogecology: Spirit in the Soil, about the need for a return to Nisarga Chikitsa (Nature Therapy), endorsed by the president of India, comes out in late 2021.

Dr. Scott Roos, Ed.D., AP
Sanskrit & Yogic Studies Teacher
Dr. Scott Roos, Ed.D., “Teacher Scott” studied Ayurveda at both the Wellpark College of Natural Therapies in New Zealand and the Ayurvedic Institute in New Mexico with Dr. Vasant Lad. His experience in Jyotish comes from years of study with master Jyotishi Hart DeFouw. Dr. Scott completed his 500 Viniyoga teacher training with Gary Kraftsow in the Vinyoga tradition of Krishnamacharya. In addition to studying Sanskrit at the Ayurvedic Institute and at the Vedic Vidya Institute, Teacher Scott studied upper division Sanskrit at UC Berkeley for two years. He also studied Yoga Sutras and Yoga Philosophy with Hart DeFouw, Gary Kraftsow, Chase Bossart, and Srivatsa Ramaswami. Teacher Scott has been practicing Yoga, Ayurveda, & Jyotisha and has been teaching these subjects along with Sanskrit and Yoga Philosophy for over 19 years.

KATE O'DONNELL, CAP, KPJAYI Authorized Level 2
Ayurvedic Nutrition
Kate O’Donnell is the author of three Ayurvedic Cookbooks, including The Everyday Ayurveda Guide to Self-Care, The Everyday Ayurveda Cookbook: A Seasonal Guide to Eating and Living Well and Everyday Ayurvedic Cooking for a Calm, Clear Mind: 100 Sattvic Recipes. She is a nationally certified Ayurvedic Practitioner and the founder of the Ayurvedic Living Institute. An authorized Ashtanga yoga instructor, she teaches yoga in Boston and Portland, Maine, and still travels to India annually for study.

Terra Raffael, Cap
Women's Health Teacher
Terra Rafael is a positive and inspirational holistic women’s health practitioner, writer, and instructor on women’s health, focused on helping women find balance and guiding practitioners to creatively utilize effective tools for women’s health. Terra Rafael is a Registered Midwife and attended births for over 20 years. After studying several years with various Ayurvedic teachers, she graduated from Alandi Ayurvedic Gurukula as a Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner. Terra now writes and continues her individual work with women through her practice, WiseWomanhood – Holistic Women’s Health and Writings.

Sacred Window Studies
Postnatal Ayurveda
The Center for Sacred Window Studies was born out of the commitment to bring further into the world the teachings of Ayurveda and Postpartum Care. They recognize a real need for parents and babies to reconnect to these ancient concepts, which can address common difficulties postpartum.Each team member from the Center for Sacred Window Studies came to this work through contact and study with the late Ysha Oakes, who founded the original Sacred Window School. Her wisdom and heart informed so many, and we honor her work and her memory.

Kaya Mindlin, CYT, AWP
Ayurvedic Nutrition Teacher
An IAYT accredited Yoga Therapist, Ayurvedic Practitioner and Teachers’ Teacher, she’s logged over 10,000 hours credentialed study and work in Vedic therapies – Restorative Yoga Therapy, Clinical Ayurveda, Yoga and Ayurveda for Pregnancy and Postpartum, Vedic Psychology and Counseling, Vedanta Philosophy, and Vedic Astrology.
She has cultivated SRY {Spinal Release Yoga} – a healing yoga that relaxes deep muscle tension and resolves the root of emotional and physical pain.
She works with groups, individuals and teachers in her yoga therapy center in Northern California, where she lives with her husband, a Vedic Astrologer, and their son. Learn more at yogawithkaya.com

Amy Uma Thompson BA. AP, LMBT, CAPPD.
Prenatal & Natal Teacher
Uma Thompson is a Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner, Pancha Karma Clinician and Ayurvedic Postpartum Doula. She is also a Licensed Massage Therapist and Certified Yoga Instructor and Herbalist. She has been practicing holistic health care for almost two decades.

Marek Sawicki, B.A. CAP., C-IAYT, LMBT, E-RYT 500
Subtle Body Anatomy, Art of Assessment, Clinical Internship
Marek Sawicki is a professional instructor and a highly trained and experienced clinician in the fields of Ayurvedic Medicine, Yoga Therapy and Medical/Orthopedic Massage with over two decades of experience in his successful private practice Living Alchemy. Healthcare and in college/private school venues.
His comprehensive education includes being a graduate of The Ayurvedic Institute of Albuquerque, N.M. under the guidance of Dr. Vasant Lad. This training is reinforced with two years of clinical internship under Dr. Alakananda Devi of Alandi Ayurvedic Gurukula specializing in Internal Herbal Medicine, Clinical Pancha Karma, Digestive Disorders, Parasitology, Women/Men’s Health, and Chronic Pain Management.

Christine Devlin Eck, AP
Birth & Beyond
Christine is the Director Sacred Window Center and one of its Instructors. She has a background as an Ayurvedic Practitioner, Educator, Group Facilitator and Birth and Postpartum Doula. She is also a busy mother of 4 boys, most of whom have been brought into the world using the principles we teach. She describes Ayurvedic Postpartum Care as truly powerful and transformative, and the missing link in modern postpartum care.

Julia Fishman, AP
Birth & Beyond
Julia is an educator, an entrepreneur, an intuitive visionary, an Ayurvedic Practitioner, Ayurvedic Postpartum Doula, yoga teacher and an active Avatar Master. She loves to make learning of profound wisdoms fun, accessible, easy to digest and applicable to life. Guided by a commitment to pragmatically improving the world, Julia spends the majority of her time traveling around the country and facilitating consciousness training courses for people and families from all walks of life and from all over the world.

Ashlee Wilkin, CAP, CMT
Birth & Beyond
Ashlee has been fascinated and inspired by birth, babies, and pregnant mama bellies since she was a little girl. Growing up, she witnessed the birth miracle of baby animals many times at her mom’s Veterinary hospital. This and other life experiences planted the seed for her life-long interest in birth work. She is passionate about transforming our cultural perspective on pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and parenting by bringing back ancient wisdom for the modern family. Ashlee currently has a thriving practice, working with midwives in Northern California to provide Ayurvedic prenatal and postpartum care.

Charlotte Senseney-Sternkind, CAPA, LMT, MTI
Birth & Beyond
Charlotte was led to this work by Spirit as she came up with a business name during meditation. The teacher who trained her called one day and said she had been informally calling her students Ayurdoulas. That is how her deeper journey as a postpartum doula began after years of being a birth doula and prenatal massage therapist. She fully believes in supporting the mama and her experience of growing, birthing and nurturing life on this earth.

RAINE BECKETT
Community Concierge
Raine is all about balanced, holistic health and wellness. She started her journey into natural medicine more than 20 years ago when she realized how disconnected we as the human race have become from our true nature and our place in the universe. Qualifying as a Reiki Master, incorporating Usui and Tibetan Reiki in 2011 was just the start of her quest to discover TRUE healing through Ayurveda and yoga. Rain facilitates Ayurvedic trainings, retreats and yoga and meditation workshops throughout India and South Africa.

Andy Betancourt
Founder & Director
Andy Betancourt is a Behavioral Expert, Personal Development Coach, Performance Coach and an expert in Classical teachings and Vedic philosophies. Andy’s role as a “Vedic educator” revives Vedic knowledge in an interdisciplinary approach for the modern age. He regards himself as a translator to demystify and empower people to use Vedic systems to aid in their greater Self-realization.
Co-founder and Director of Yoga Veda Institute Andy works with associated organizations throughout the world. He encourages a deeper study of the Vedic teachings in all forms and branches and is interdisciplinary in approach.

Jacquelyn Rae, C IAYT, AP
Admissions & Compliance
Jacky Rae is a certified Ayurvedic Practitioner and Certified Clinical Yoga Therapist. She specializes in Ayurvedic yoga therapy, Ayurvedic cleansing & nutrition and is the co-founder and acting director of Yoga Veda Institute.
As an expert in both Ayurveda and Clinical Yoga Therapy, the importance of creating a comprehensive curriculum that not only combined these two often distinct fields of study but integrated them seamlessly was the vision behind Yoga Veda Institute.
Jacky serves her community through a holistic approach to yoga education offering a broad-based scope of advanced training that far exceeds any current standards.
Now Accepting New Students
Whether you're passionate about holistic wellness, seeking to deepen your knowledge of Ayurvedic medicine, or aspire to make a positive impact in global communities, our comprehensive programs offer a unique blend of ancient wisdom and modern application. Join us on this journey of self-discovery and professional growth as we strive to promote the holistic well-being of individuals and communities worldwide. Enroll today and embark on a fulfilling path to becoming an Ayurvedic Health Counselor or Practitioner.