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Nayaswami Sagar

Nayaswami 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.

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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.

Shanthala Ashwath

Shanthala as a warm, welcoming presence for newcomers. She has many talents in tech, project management, music, and dance. She grew up in a traditional Indian household and completed graduate studies in management in the U.S. Successful in Silicon Valley, she left her tech career to devote full time to spiritual pursuits and serving on staff at Ananda. She is a certified meditation teacher, and also gifted with children of all ages, helping to guide our family programs.

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) 

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.

Jyothi Satyanarayan

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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.

Hazemach

Hazemach has taught at Living Wisdom High School since 2019, in the subjects of personal development, mathematics, literature, and physics. He is a life-long yogi, a world-level competitor in Karate, and a graduate of Living Wisdom School. Hazemach’s love of wisdom shines through in his teaching as he explains concepts with clarity and joy. His dedication to truth makes his classes nuanced and impactful. Hazemach is always expanding his horizons through continued study, self-reflection, and meditation.

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