Resident Yoga Teachers at AyurYoga Eco-Ashram
Krishna Chaitanya
Founder – Director, Yoga Alliance E-RYT 500
Krishna Chaitanya is a simple Yoga Teacher who thinks of himself as an eternal student in awe of the ocean of yoga wisdom. His special expertise is in the field of traditional Hatha Yoga, Meditation, Philosophy and Psychology of Yoga-Vedanta. Since the age of 18, Krishna lived for more than 12 years in some of the best yoga ashrams in India – such as Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Monastery (Calcutta), Bihar School of Yoga (Munger), Himalayan Tradition of Swami Rama (Rishikesh) and Sivananda Ashram (Kerala).
Though very much rooted in the traditional spirituality, Krishna has been social rebel and original thinker who don’t want to be brainwashed by books, teachers, or spiritual traditions. Naturally the result is, a roller coaster life in search of Unknown – which took him to various teachers and traditions in many parts of the world. After being a spiritual vagabond for year, Krishna founded this ashram with the hope that India needs a place for modern yogis to practice ‘simple’ yoga in Mother Nature, without any cultural and spiritual exaggerations overemphasized in most of the ashrams in India run by Gurus/cults.
Krishna will be teaching Yoga Philosophy, Yoga Anatomy and Teaching Methodology in our Yoga Teacher Training Retreats. He teaches Yoga and Pranayama sessions to Advanced students who are comfortable with 3 hour sessions. He is also being regularly invited by other retreats/ashrams around the world to teach and share his 20+ years of life dedicated to practice and teaching yoga.
Swami Prabodh Chaitanya
Meditation and Yoga Sutras
Swami Prabodh Chaitanya is a Yoga-Vedanta Scholar who also holds a Masters Degree in English literature, besides his traditional studies in Sanskrit under his teacher H.H Swami Bodhananda Saraswathi of the Chinmaya Mission. He also took his Bramacharya initiation from H.H Swami Chinmayanandaji, the founder of Chinmaya Mission.
After his initiation, Prabodh Chaithanya furthered his studies of the Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita and Brahmasutras under the guidance of H.H Swami Dayananada Saraswathi of Arsha Vidya Gurukulam. Since completing his traditional studies in Yoga and Vedanta under these great teachers, Prabodhji lived and taught in Rishikesh and Varanasi for several Years.
Prabodhji will be teaching Meditation and Yoga Sutras in our Yoga Teachers Training courses in India. He is also a Sanskrit expert and teaches Philosophy classes for Ayurveda and Yoga Retreats in India.
Abin Sur
Yoga Philosophy and Practice
Abin was drawn into yoga in his early years because of its spiritual roots, metaphysics and the higher esoteric dimensions. His spiritual quest also led him to get initiated into one of the most respected Raja Yoga traditions, Kriya Yoga of Sri Shyamacharan Lahiri lineage.
After graduating in Commerce, Abin had a checkered career that included teaching math for the GRE/GMAT exams and processing excellence and analytics. However, his passion for yoga made him take up teaching yoga full time. Apart from teaching in studios, he has also conducted stress management workshops for leading Indian corporate houses such as Cognizant, TCS, L&T, etc.
As an experienced philosophy teacher, Abin completed 200 hours Yoga Teacher Training at AyurYoga Eco-Ashram, from which he expanded his knowledge of asanas and anatomy. Inspired by his experience in the ashram, he decided to stay and offer his expertise with the opportunity to learn and practice more.
Abin offers classes on yoga philosophy and psychology, as well as sessions on asanas, pranayama, and meditation.
Ruchi Phool
Yoga Therapy Teacher
Ruchi is a Yoga Therapist, Teacher, Wellness Coach and has conducted yoga therapy, workshops, retreats and events across India. She holds a Diploma in Yoga Vidya from Bharatiya Vidya Bhawan, 200 Hours Yoga Teacher Training from Medical Yoga and S-VYASA, Heartfulness Yoga Teacher Certification, Diploma in Naturopathy and Yoga from the All India Nature Cure Federation, Laughter Yoga Teacher certification from the International Laughter Yoga University and is currently pursuing MSc (Yoga) from the S-VYASA University, Bangalore. She has been a speaker at the WEF Summit (2019), WellnessIndiaExpo (2018), Air India (2017) and various corporate and youth events. Ruchi designed Yoga based therapeutic programs for the international app 9zest. A support team member of MindSpecialists, she Ideated, scripted and anchored the Yoga and Wellness module for their mental health video series. Having a corporate background in Information Technology and entrepreneurship, Ruchi mentors and champions various women related initiatives.
Her pursuit of spirituality started at a fairly young age exposing her to Vipassana, MCKS Yog Vidya and Mindfulness. She has been a Heartfulness meditation practitioner as well as a volunteer for more than a decade.
Ruchi teaches Yoga asana and pranayama classes, as well as meditation to Ayurveda guests and Yoga Retreat students. She also gives private consultations for Ayurveda guests for yoga therapy needs. Ruchi also teaches yoga workshops to Beginners and Intensive Retreat students.
Shobha Bontrapal S.
Yoga Teacher, Reiki Consultant, Marma Therapist
Shobha Bontrapal is a 500 RYT certified Yoga teacher as well as Marma and Ayurveda Therapist with advanced training and extensive experienced in Dubai. She has been in service for many years to help people realize the potential of yoga for maintaining a sound body and mind. Shobha is the bridge between Ayurveda and Yoga departments at the ashram. She has been teaching Ashtanga and Hatha practices to students from Europe, Korea and Middle East as well as yoga for women and children. She believes in creating a non-judgmental and light-hearted environment to optimize learning.
Shobha teaches Yoga asana and pranayama classes to Yoga Teacher Training and Yoga Retreat students, as well as offers Reiki and Thai Massage at AyurYoga Eco-Ashram. Shobha also oversees the care of Ayurveda guests, ensuring that they are supported throughout their stay.
Dr. Ashwathy Nair
Ayurveda Doctor & Teacher
Dr. Ashwathy was born and raised in Kerala, where Ayurveda is deeply rooted. Ashwathy grew up watching her orthodox grandmother making medicinal herbs and decoctions to treat all kinds of ailments. At the age of 12 she met Doctor Gangadharan Vaidyar who became her mentor and ignited her fascination with Ayurveda as a career.
Dr. Ashwathy obtained her five year degree in Ayurvedic Medicine (BAMS) from Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Science, Bangalore in 2014. Since then, she worked with well known Ayurveda hospitals such as Kairali Ayurveda in Faridabad (Haryana) and Santhome Ayurveda Arogya Kendra at Sindhudur (Maharashtra). Besides the regular consulting and overseeing Panchakarma Detox therapies, Dr. Ashwathy is also experienced in treating spinal disorders, arthritis, digestive disorders, obesity, stress, skin disorders, and PCOD.
As the lead Ayurveda doctor at AyurYoga Eco-Ashram, Dr. Ashwathy offers detailed Dosha diagnosis and creates treatment plans with herbal therapies and oral medication, besides suggesting lifestyle changes to follow up after leaving the ashram. Ashwathy’s ability to listen and understand the challenges of daily life with compassion makes her one of the busiest people in the ashram.
Besides teaching the Introduction to Ayurveda in our Yoga Teacher Trainings and Yoga Retreats, Dr. Ashwathy is also available for one-to-one consultations for yoga students too.
Lillie Jewell
Marketing & Communications
Lillie is a gentle and compassionate soul from USA. She took up yoga for self discovery while studying biology at University of Wisconsin. After working in the healthcare field she came to India in search of a holistic system for well-being. In 2013 she was part of the very first training organized at this ashram. She fell in love not only with yoga but the very concept of this unique ashram. Since then she stayed back in India to help with this ashram and eventually fell in love and married Krishna, the founder of the ashram.
Lillie helps many other students from the West like her, to come and have an authentic experience of yoga, meditation, and Ayurveda in India. She is the bridge between the traditional teachers of the ashram and the western clients. Lillie also teaches Pre-Natal yoga and Hatha yoga classes occasionally. She is an artist who loves painting and creating gardens and natural spaces.
Guest Faculty
Dr. Neel Venugopal
Ayurveda Doctor and Teacher
Dr. Neel was born in the Thrissur district of Kerala, India, in a village called Chavakkad to an aristocratic father with values and ethics. He expressed and developed interest in Ayurveda since childhood, watching his father and his associates using Ayurvedic oil called Thailam during their martial arts (Kalari) practice in Vallabhatta Kalarisangham.
He obtained the medical practitioners degree- BAMS (Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery) from Kannur University Kerala. Dr. Neel has also done post graduation in yoga. Upon graduating, he served as a Physician in various specialized departments, including sports medicine, as a member of the Common Wealth Games Medical Team.
He also has expertise in providing and managing direct patient care for physical examination, evaluations, diagnoses, and treatments. Dr Neel is an expert in Ayurvedic pulse diagnosis and Marma Therapy, as well as medicine manufacturing. He has conducted many seminars, workshops and consultations around the world to share his in-depth knowledge in Ayurveda and Marma Therapy.
Chandrika
Yoga and Meditation Teacher
Chandrika found her practice early on in life, with a natural inclination toward meditation and mindfulness. Over the course of eight years she explored various yoga traditions, such as Vanda Scarevelli and Kashmir Shaivism, as well as completing her Yoga Teacher Training with Sivananda in Kerala, and Krishnamacharya Mandiram in Chennai.
Her main inspiration draws from the Krishnamacharya Tradition, which specializes in individualized classes integrating breath work and chanting with movement, with its base rooted in the ancient philosophy of Patanjali’s yoga sutras.
Chandrika shares the depth of her own practice which links the power of the ever-deepening breath to movement that in turn increases the awareness of the mind and body. Her mindful and conscious nature reflect through her teachings, creating an integrated healing for all levels.
Swami Turya Chaitanya
Meditation and Yoga Sutras
Swami Turya Chaitanya is a disciple of Swami Dayananada Saraswathi of Arsha Vidya Gurukula, a famous traditional teacher of Vedanta. Swamiji has been teaching Vedanta and Sanskrit for the past 25 years in and around Kerala, particularly at Cochin, where his Ashram is located. Hundreds of spiritual aspirants have benefited by the inspiring talks of Swami, and are capable of seeing the correct meanings of ambiguous phrases of Vedic texts, especially the Vedanta portion called Upanishads. His teaching is simple and a person who is not exposed to the spiritual side of thinking will get an opening in to the profound vision of ancient Vedic sages.
Other Assisting Teachers /Interns
Some students stay immediately after the yoga teacher training course or come back to help us with assisting yoga classes and taking care of the students in our retreats. We are thankful to all these students for sharing their time and energy in making these retreats a beautiful experience for the new students.
All our main faculty is professionally qualified and is experienced in teaching International Students, in English, for at least five years, besides their years of practice in their traditional ashram backgrounds.