I offer deep reverence and gratitude to all my teachers and the lineage traditions of yoga and ayurveda. I have had the great privilege to study with too many teachers (all over the world) to mention here. I am grateful to them all. My current mentors are Sharon Gannon, Elena Brower and Kaya Mindlin. I have been devoted to the teachers acknowledged below for decades.
Sharon Gannon and
David Life
The gurus and founders of the Jivamukti Yoga method are Sharon Gannon and David Life. They met in 1983 in New York City and in 1984 created Jivamukti Yoga. Sharon and David have illuminated the deeper, esoteric truths of yoga, linked them to present-day culture and lifestyle, and encouraged practitioners to let go of what they think they know and embrace the path to liberation in this lifetime. Through the innovations of Jivamukti Yoga, Sharon and David have brought the ancient teachings alive, going to the root of their wisdom and making it relevant to the contemporary world. They are pioneers in teaching yoga as spiritual activism/activation, demonstrating that yoga is a living tradition, a complete system for accessing the lasting happiness that is available to all beings. They incorporate their profound talents and experiences as artists, performers and musicians into their teaching styles, making their teachings compelling, exciting and empowering. I have been a devotee of Sharon and David’s for over 20 years now and am deeply grateful to them for being in my life. Sharon and David’s book ‘Jivamukti Yoga’ is the best book I know of for truly understanding what yoga is all about.
Maya Tiwari (formerly Mother Maya)
A spiritual pioneer, Maya Tiwari serves humanity by awakening the spirit of ahimsa, or harmony, in every person whose life she touches. For thirty years, she has put this ability to inspire and create change in human behavior and understanding to work through education, outreach, and service to humankind. Maya established the Wise Earth School of Ayurveda in 1981, with the vision of restoring the long lost Inner Medicine principles and practices of Ayurveda, known as Sadhana. I have trained extensively with Maya in both the USA and here in Australia. I am blessed to call Maya my teacher and filled with humility and gratitude that she is in my life. Maya served for two decades as a Vedic monk, belonging to India’s prestigious Veda Vyasa lineage. In 2010, Maya made the radical decision to renounce her monastic title Her Holiness, Sri Swami Mayatitananda. This decision was made to, as she puts it, ‘walk a simpler and more accessible life in service of the populations in need,’ which she continues to do to this day. Maya has written several books. My favourites are ‘Women’s Power to Heal’ and ‘The Path of Practice’.
Simon Low
Simon was one of my first yoga teachers, and the teacher who encouraged me both to teach and to open my own studio (Samadhi Yoga). When I got married in 2007 it was Simon that walked me down the aisle. Thank you for being in my life Simon, I love you dearly! Simon has been teaching yoga for over 30 years and has developed a unique and personal teaching style, keeping classes diverse, focused and fun. He has a special interest in Yin and Yang yoga.
My very first yoga teacher was Donald Cartwright. You can read about him and his wife who were great teachers to me here.
