Teachers
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Swami Divyananda MaE-RYT 500Swami Divyananda Ma, E-RYT 500, has had a wealth of experience teaching Integral Yogaaround the world since 1973. She has taught at corporations, universities, the CommonwealthCancer Center, and for the Dr. Dean Ornish Reversing Heart Disease programs. She has alsoserved as one of Integral Yoga’s Basic Hatha teacher trainers.Swami Divyananda Ma took monastic vows in 1975 from the great saint and yogi, Sri SwamiSatchidananda. Over the years she has served as the director of the Integral Yoga Institutes inLos Angeles, San Francisco, and as Ashram Manager at Yogaville. She also served for ten yearsas the director of the Integral Yoga Institute in Coimbatore, India; this immersion into the SouthIndian culture has given depth to her understanding and practice of Yoga.Now an itinerant monk, Swami Divyananda is constantly “on the road.” She leads the annualSacred India Tours to sacred sites in India in addition to international Yoga retreats and trainings.Learn more at sacredindiatours.org.
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Swami RamanandaE-RYT 500, C-IAYT
Swami Ramananda is the Executive Director of the Integral Yoga Institute in San Francisco and a greatly respected senior teacher in the Integral Yoga tradition, who has been practicing Yoga for over 45 years. Ramananda offers practical methods of integrating the timeless teachings and practices of Yoga into daily life, and transforming the painful aspects of human experience into steps toward realizing one’s full potential. He leads beginner, intermediate and advanced level Yoga teacher training programs in San Francisco, and offers a variety of programs in many locations in the United States, Europe, and South America. Ramananda co-developed the Stress Management Teacher Training program with Swami Vidyananda, has trained many teachers to bring Yoga into corporate, hospital, and medical settings, and has taught mind/body wellness programs in many locations. He is a certified Yoga therapist and founding board member of the Yoga Alliance, a national registry that supports and promotes yoga teachers as professionals. He is a co-founder of The Spiritual Action Initiative (SAI) which brings together individuals committed to working for social justice for all beings and for the care and healing of our natural world. His warmth, wisdom, and sense of humor have endeared him to many.
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Swami VidyanandaE-RYT 500, C-IAYTSwami Vidyananda began practicing Yoga in 1969 and has been teaching Integral Yoga® and training Yoga teachers since 1973. She became a swami (monastic) in 1983. She has taught and trained Yoga and Stress Management teachers throughout the US and Canada, as well as Australia, Europe, and India.
She presently lives at Satchidananda Ashram–Yogaville, VA, where she teaches all branches of Integral Yoga, including Hatha, Raja, and Jnana Yoga, meditation, and yogic lifestyle. She continues to travel widely, training Yoga teachers and offering workshops on meditation, stress management, Yoga and the emotions, and mid-life meaning.
Before becoming a Yoga teacher, Vidyananda worked as a broadcast news producer and reporter. Since 1983, she has produced and edited dozens of Yoga videos and audio recordings for Integral Yoga including the best-selling Yoga with a Master with Swami Satchidananda. Vidyananda herself is featured in audios and videos, including Yoga for Stress Management, Hatha Yoga for the Emotions, and Deep Relaxation and Guided Imagery for Healing.
Over the years, Vidyananda has taught Yoga for many different populations, from college students to corporate managers, and children with Down syndrome. She has taught Yoga in therapeutic programs such as the Smith Center Cancer Retreats and Yoga for persons with eating disorders. She co-developed the Integral Yoga Stress Management Teacher Training. She trained as a hospital chaplain and is a certified Yoga Therapist. Vidyananda founded the Integral Yoga Teachers Association (IYTA), and currently serves as chairperson for the Integral Yoga Teacher’s Council.
Swami Vidyananda served as director of the Montreal Integral Yoga Institute. For many years she traveled with Sri Swami Satchidananda, serving as his French translator. She taught and translated at the European Yoga Union Conference in Zinal, Switzerland, for ten years.
Vidyananda’s wisdom and heartfelt enthusiasm have made her one of Integral Yoga’s most widely traveled teachers. She has a practical approach to Yoga and spirituality, making it real for everyday life.
See more at swamividyananda.com
