EL Program Leaders
Arya Cheng
Arya Cheng E-RYT-200 & RYT-500, is a gifted yoga and meditation teacher and wonderful kirtan (spiritual chanting) leader. She is passionate about sharing yoga as a tool for managing stress, transformation and healing in body, mind and soul. Her journey as a yogi started at age 14 when she attended Ananda’s Living With Spirit Program […]
Nayaswami Krishna Das LoCicero
A knowledgeable and gifted meditation teacher, Nayaswami Krishna Das shares his passion for meditation with dynamic enthusiasm. Over the last three decades he has taught thousands of people, from all over the world, how to meditate. In a down-to-earth and humorous way, Krishna Das gives you the tools to create a regular, daily meditation practice. […]
David Seybert
Warm hearted, with a delightful sense of humor, David is a certified Ananda Yoga and Ananda Meditation teacher and a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT 200) with the Yoga Alliance. He also teaches taiji and qigong. He lives at Ananda Village and is part of The Expanding Light Retreat team. He holds a B.A. degree in […]
Devalila Veenhof
Devalila, an Ananda Lightbearer and Kriyacharya, is Director of Ananda Kriya Sangha for North and South America. She has been practicing and sharing Paramhansa Yogananda’s teachings for over 20 years. She served as Director of Online with Ananda for nearly 10 years, where she developed and taught online courses. Devalila’s great joy and gifts are […]
Taking Kriya for the First Time, Kriyaban Retreat, Taking Kriya for the First Time,
Bhawani Isaacson
Bhawani is an E-RYT 200-hour certified Ananda Yoga Instructor, Ananda certified Meditation Teacher, and a long-time meditator. Inspired by yoga since the age of 18, Bhawani’s creative, playful approach makes her classes fun, as well as a relaxing and centering experience. She is passionate about helping people live in a balanced way and reach their […]
Nayaswami Sagar
Nayaswami Sagar serves in Ananda’s Online Ministry teaching classes on meditation, karma and reincarnation, the yogic teachings of Jesus, and more. He has hosted pilgrimages for Indian devotees in India and co-hosted the Yogananda pilgrimage to Los Angeles. Sagar is joyful, highly creative, and has a delightfully spontaneous sense of humor and enthusiasm for life […]
A Christmas of Inner Awakening, A Christmas of Inner Awakening,
Darshana Moore
Darshana, E-RYT 500 and C-IAYT, became interested in meditation and found the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda and Swami Kriyananda in 2009. Since then, she has been applying them in her own life and sharing them with others. Darshana has been a certified Ananda Yoga and Meditation instructor since 2012. She is an Ananda Yoga therapist […]
Nayaswami Krishna Das
Nayaswami Krishna Das books and manages the many guest groups that The Expanding Light hosts, leads pilgrimage trips to holy places in India and the U.S., teaches weekend retreats, and gives spiritual counseling to guests. He came to Ananda in 1978 and immediately found his home and purpose in life at Ananda. An exceptionally knowledgeable […]
A Christmas of Inner Awakening, A Christmas of Inner Awakening, New Year's Retreat,
Dhananjaya Denholm
Dhananjaya serves as co-leader for the Ananda Karma Yoga Program. Guests and staff alike feel the friendship that he naturally shares with all. His warm smile and twinkly eyes give you a hint of his fun-loving sense of humor. Dhananjaya has a passion for the yogic teachings and is happy for the opportunity to share […]
Aramati Kuita
Joining Ananda in 2018, Aramati’s first job with a community experience program, called ‘Building with Spirit,” set the precedence for eventually joining the Karma Yoga staff where she now serves as co-leader. She excels in working with people, along with having first-rate organizational skills, both of which are needed for her role as co-manager. Aramati’s […]
Janaka Keller
Janaka has been practicing Yogic Meditation for nearly a decade and has dedicated his life to the study of Yogic Philosophy and introspection. After seeing the dramatic positive transformation in his consciousness, Janaka determined that he would share what he had learned with as many people as possible! At the age of 24 he took […]
Anjali Kirsch-Burke
Anjali Kirsch-Burke, RYT-200, brings enthusiasm, heart, and dedication to everything she does. With a strong background in both business and service, she combines practical know-how with a sincere love for yoga and spiritual living. Energetic and detail-oriented, Anjali approaches each project with creativity and commitment. She’s been part of Ananda since 2015, first in the […]