English Instructors

completed his Yoga Teacher training course and Advanced Yoga Teacher Training course at Sivananda Ashram in Neyyar Dam, Kerala, attaining the title Yoga-Acharya. Afterwards he lived and taught yoga in Sivananda Ashram both in Kerala and the Himalayas for 1 1/2 years. Furthermore he completed a seven month full-time diploma course/ practice in yoga therapy (Yoga Therapy Instructors Course) at Prasanthi kutir, Bangalore with 'A' grade. In his teaching he easily recognizes both weak and strong areas in his students physicality and accordingly can suggest different asanas or variations depending on the individual. He is also the tutor in 'Nagelil' Ayurveda Medical College in Idukki district, Kerala and focuses on bringing the different aspects of yoga together in his teaching.

Yoga practitioner since 1988. Yoga teacher and course leader, numerous further training courses in Europe, India and Canada. International yoga teacher trainer. He was also a Swami for 14 years (2000-2014) and has deep yoga practice in all 4 yoga paths. He has been with Yoga Vidya since 2020.

combines intensive practice, years of discipleship with well-known teachers and a thorough knowledge of the scriptures. He has a very humorous and a very clear way of guiding you to your inner truth. Formerly Swami Chandra Shekarananda, he was a disciple of Swami Vishnudevananda from 1968-84. During his stay at the Sivananda Ashram in Rishikesh, Swami Brahmananda, a senior monk and teacher, introduced him there with a special intensity to the formal teachings of the Upanishads and Sankara Advaita or classical nonduality.

The knowledge was deepened for the next 25 years through the inspiration of Swami Dayananda, the world-famous Advaita teacher. During this time, Chandra earned a master's degree at Columbia University, which enabled him to become an associate professor of Hinduism and Eastern religions at Hunter College in New York City. Chandra's understanding has most recently been influenced by Swami Satchidanandendra, one of the most important Advaita thinkers for generations, through his only direct Western disciple, Ira Shepetin. For the past 15 years Chandra has taught Advaita in the Yoga Vidya advanced yoga teacher trainings. He now lives in New York with his wife of 20 years and his son.

grew up in the many Sivananda Ashrams. Her parents, Yogi Hari and Leela Mata, joined the Sivananda Yoga Organization when she was three years old. Since then Chitra has practiced yoga and meditation daily. She is an experienced yoga teacher, registered with the Yoga Alliance at the E-RYT 500 level, and has a Diploma in Ayurvedic Sciences from Kerala Ayurveda. She is also an accomplished Indian classical dancer in the ancient style of Bharata Natyam. Chitra has “birthed” the organization, New Age Kids, Inc. – helping children to establish a sense of self from an early age. She has twelve guided meditation CD’s to her name; some have been used in school curriculums. She has authored an acclaimed children’s book, “Elven Rhyme – Journey through Time”, as well as the playwright “To My Amazement.”

As the daughter of Leela Mata and Yogi Hari, Darshanie grew up in the Sivananda ashrams of Swami Vishnu-devananda. Because of this she has been in contact with yoga and meditation since childhood. At age 14, she completed the yoga teacher training course and was the youngest yoga teacher of the time. She always felt strongly attracted to Krishna and the divine aspect of joy, love and lightness.

Darshanie is a professional psychic. She has been gifted since childhood with psychic abilities. Her special gift of clairvoyance comes from past lives and spiritual work. Darshanie brings subtle levels of awareness into her teachings, which allow you to experience previous lifetimes.  Through her insights she has helped many people find healing and clarity. Her main areas of focus are past life traumas, relationships and spiritual development. She is very active and successful in seminars and discussions about clairvoyance and past life regressions.

M.S. (Ayurveda) Shalya, Banaras Hindu University, B.A.M.S., P.D.C.R., Dip.Yoga. Teaches and consults at various national and international institutions. He is trained in both traditional Ayurveda and western medicine. He is a master of Ayurveda Marma therapy and pulse diagnosis. Dr. Mishra is the founder-director of the Kewalya Nature Care Society, which is working for the propagation and development of Ayurveda, Yoga and other natural sciences.

is a disciple of Swami Satyananda Saraswati, founder of the Bihar School of Yoga. Nalini has many facets of experience. Currently she runs TORCH, an NGO working with street children and HIV/AIDS patients in New Delhi. She is a psychologist whose past experience includes teaching therapeutic yoga at schools and hospitals. Dr.Nalini Sahay has great charisma and will inspire you with her clear instructions, practical idealism and insight.

massage therapist, experienced yoga teacher, and director of the Sananda Yoga Center in Madrid. She has studied many yoga systems, including Sivananda, Iyengar, Ashtanga and Bikram, as well as other systems of physical exercise (Feldenkrais, Pilates, Alexander technique). Her knowledge of human anatomy is extensive. Her teaching style is clear and exact, yet light-hearted. She challenges  students; after her lessons your body will feel as though you have been re-born.

is a student of the ancient Indian Philosophical - Spiritual tradition of Non Dual Vedanta.
For over 50 years he has studied with eminent Western and Eastern scholars of the subject. He was the first Western disciple of the popular Swami Dayanandaji and the only Western disciple of the famous Swami Satchidanandendraji.  He has presented numerous talks at international academic conferences and has published in various journals both in India and the west as well as editing and translating from the original Sanskrit books on the Gita and Sri Shankarachaya.

is a qualified Sivananda Yoga Vedanta teacher with various further teacher training courses at Yoga Vidya, including meditation, breath work, yoga nidra and mantra yoga. Kaivalya lived in England for many years, where following her B.A. (Hons) in English Literature and M.A. in Cultural and Media Studies she worked in publishing for ten years. In 2013 she joined Yoga Vidya Bad Meinberg to dedicate herself more fully to practicing and teaching yoga. Kaivalya supports Yoga Vidya’s publishing department and teaches with much joy and clarity.

Yoga teacher and Yoga Acharya (SYVC, 2002, 2003), Yin-yoga-teacher (BYV 2016), Master of German philology, MBA. Katrin is a long-time student and translator of James Swartz and Swami Tattvarupananda as well as a teacher and translator in international yoga teacher trainings. Her special passion is the path of self-knowledge (Advaita Vedanta). She takes up the challenge of transferring the wisdom of the scriptures into our daily lives so that we can approach our tasks with enthusiasm and dedication. This makes her yoga classes a deep experience.

is a retired professor of philosophy and religion who resides currently in Germany and continues to research and write about comparative religion, mysticism, spirituality, and contemplative metaphysics. He advocates for religious pluralism and has a Ph.D. from Harvard University, where he was a fellow at the Center for the Study of World Religions. Rose has authored several books. He practices yoga and meditation, drawing inspiration from various religious and spiritual traditions such as Upanishads, Yoga Sutras, Buddhism, Vedānta, and mystical Christianity. He also teaches yoga philosophy in yoga-teacher training programs in the USA.

is a dynamic and inspiring yoga teacher from India deeply rooted in the tradition of Swami Sivananda with over two decades of experience practicing and training yoga teachers worldwide. Mani combines Eastern philosophy with modern psychology and integrates traditional yogic wisdom with practical, everyday examples, making these ancient teachings accessible and relevant to today's practitioners. His teaching inspires people to develop a deeper connection to themselves and the world. He has led yoga centers in New Delhi, Tokyo and Bangkok and traveled extensively to lead workshops and classes in North America and Asia, and today guides seekers worldwide. In 2016, Mani co-founded Yoga Vana, a growing yoga learning community in India.

born and brought up in India in the Yogic way of life, surrounded by Sanskrit, Mantras and sacred texts and music. He grew up to be a Nada Yogi, Sanskrit expert, Yoga philosopher and Kirtan artist. Ram travels around the world bringing healing music, Mantras and Yoga philosophy to seekers everywhere. So far, 20 CDs and one DVD of his works have been released. His online video course about the origin and evolution of Yoga - Deepen Your Knowledge of Yoga and How It Transforms You - is very popular for its depth and breadth of presentation. He has been featured in print, broadcast on radio and TV, and made appearances at many events such as the Toronto Yoga Conference (Canada) and World Yoga Festival (UK). For more about him, please visit aksharayoga.com.

 Ramashakti has practiced yoga and meditation since childhood, is a yoga teacher in the Federation of Yoga Vidya Teachers (BYV), yoga therapist, trainer for endurance sports, running and marathon trainer, musician and nurse with 20 years of interdisciplinary professional experience.

Director and Head of Training at the Sananda Yoga Center Madrid. Founder of the Yoga Teachers Association AIPYS. He is a graduate psychologist and a direct disciple of Swami Vishnu-devananda. For 17 years he led the Sivananda yoga ashram in Canada and in the Bahamas. During his 30 years of yoga practice, he trained thousands of students.

is the founder of Yoga Vidya. He knows wonderfully how to transmit profound wisdom humorously.

His special ability is to movitate Yoga aspirants to practise intensely, to see a higher meaning in daily experiences and to bring more energy and heart into everyday life. Sukadev Bretz is the author of 10 books, among them commentaries on Yoga Sutra and Bhagavad Gita. He is quite active spreading Yoga via the internet in Yoga Videos and Podcasts in English and German.

Sukadev had spiritual experiences from childhood on. As a youngster he was fascinated by the possibilities of the human mind and started with regular Meditation as a teenager. He spent a few times several months in intense meditation and Pranayama.

In 1992 Sukadev founded Yoga Vidya, now one of the leading Yoga movements in Europe. Yoga Vidya has 4 major Ashrams, nearly 100 Yoga centres and 25.000 yoga teachers. Today he lives in Germany, in Horn-Bad Meinberg.

Get inspiration and energy from this dynamic spiritual teacher.

is a Kriya Yogi who has lived in the Indian Himalayas since 1991. He was a monk in Self-Realization Fellowship, founded by Paramahansa Yogananda in California, from 1987 to 1991, then joined Sivananda Ashram(The Divine Life Society), Rishikesh and took final vows in 1999 as a Swami from H.H. Swami Chidananda Saraswati, successor of Swami Sivananda. He was a personal assistant to Swami Chidananda, and Yogacharya at the Divine Life Society from 1991 to 2003. His Kriya Yoga Guru, who authorized him to give Kriya Yoga Initiation, is a Himalayan Kriya Yogi, Swami Jnanananda Giri, who walked to India in 1952 after reading Autobiography of a Yogi, was a Swami in Yogananda’s India organization (Yogoda Satsang Society), but finally retired to seclusion in the Himalayas.

Swami Bodhichitananda primarily teaches Kriya Yoga of Babaji, Sivananda’s Integral Yoga and Evolutionary Spirituality. He is founder of the Himalayan Hermitage, an eco-friendly spiritual retreat, 25 km from Rishikesh in India. His 35 years of yoga experience gives him much inner knowledge that he shares in a simple and joyful way with all students.

grew up in the tradition of Anandamayi Ma and lives a mixture of science, asceticism and love: as a gifted singer, he touches the hearts of many people with deep devotion. He has academic degrees in philosophy and the interpretation of the Upanishads and is an expert in naturopathy and Vedic astrology. In India, he runs an ashram school for destitute children, which he funds by touring Europe and America every year, teaching Swakriya Yoga techniques: they purify body, mind and intellect and remind us of love and unity - the feeling of being much more than just a body.

was born and raised in Kerala, South India. After his school education he joined the Sivagiri Sree Narayana Math in Kerala where he received a traditional seven year education in Sanskrit, Vedanta, the Yoga Sutras, the Gita, tantric pujas and rituals. While he was still very young he took his monastic vows. Later Swamiji also received his Yoga Teacher Training and  Advanced Yoga Teacher Training certificates through the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center. During his years at the Sivananda Ashram in Neyyar Dam, he gave countless Hatha Yoga and Vedic chanting classes. Many of his friends remember him with love as the priest of the ashram temples who performed all the daily rituals for which he was responsible for more than 10 years. In 2011, Swamiji left the Sivananda organization and has since then been teacher, pujari, and co-leading manager of the Sivananda Yoga Vidya Peetham Trusts.

is a senior disciple of Swami Vishnu-devananda and has a teaching style that inspires you to want to practice. She teaches yoga and meditation world-wide, and is the author of a number of books including "Yoga Mind and Body", "Teach Yourself Yoga", "Chakra Meditation" and "The Power of Breath". With a great love of India, she also leads frequent pilgrimages.

lives in the Yasodhara Ashram in Canada, founded by Swami Sivananda Radha. She first met Swami Radha in 1988 and was deeply moved by her experience. She has been living and teaching yoga at the Ashram and in Europe ever since. Swami Sukhananda was formerly an adviser to governments on sustainability, environmental and organizational issues. She is a historian whose articles about Swami Radha’s work have appeared in British and North American yoga magazines. She enjoys the beauty of the Ashram and is continually inspired by yoga and by witnessing its transformative effects.

an indian monk, experienced in Sanskrit and Vedanta, teaches through the traditional ways of storytelling in which he masterfully conveys the hidden truth. He shares his knowledge at the Sivananda Yoga Vidya Peetham in India, Yoga Vidya Germany and in spiritual centers in France, Denmark, the Czech Republic, Portugal, Japan, Thailand and Russia. At the age of 18, having already studied with eminent masters he joined the Narayana Ashrama Tapovanam in Thrissur where he studied Vedanta under the guidance of Swami Bhoomananda Thirtha. Afterwards he went to the Himalayas and underwent rigorous spiritual practices with some masters living there. During this time, meeting Sri Swami Dayananda Saraswati, the renowned traditional teacher of Vedanta, was the most important event in his life. After studying the Prasthanatraya, i.e. the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita and the Brahmasutras with the commentary of Adi Sankaracharya, Swamiji mastered the scriptures and the traditional teaching method of Swami Dayananda Saraswati who initiated him into the traditional Sanyasa order in 2003. In 2006 Swami Dayananda Saraswati handed over the management of the Janaka Janani Kripa Gurukulam to Swami Tattvarupananda. A institute where children from socially weak or underprivileged families are given shelter, food and clothing as well as traditional and academic education.

as a direct disciple of Swami Chidananda he has lived in the guru-disciple relationship with Swami Chidananda since the age of 7. This has given him the rare opportunity to share in the life of one of the greatest saints of our time and to learn from his humility, devotion and sadhana. He founded Swami Chidananda Sevashram, a social-spiritual organisation dedicated to the life and teachings of Gurudev Swami Chidananda. Since the death of his master, Swami Yatidharmananda has travelled worldwide to spread the teachings of Ayurveda and Vedanta. As a popular speaker, in 2015 he was given the opportunity to speak to the Parliament of the World's Religions in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. Swami Yatidharmananda is a very practical and closely to life Swami who communicates the spiritual teachings in a catchy way and his enthusiastic Kirtan chants touch your soul.

yoga teacher (BYV), experienced instructor for Yoga teachers, Yoga Vidya Acharya, Meditation teacher (BYVG), Systemic Counselor (BYVG). Attracted to knowledge from a young age he studied Business Adminstration. He was inspired by systems theory. Long time university lecturer. Author of books. Studied for several years with James Swartz, the well known teacher of traditional Vedanta.