The Team
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Tejal (she/they)
Hi! I’m a first-generation Indian American yoga teacher, writer, podcaster, and community organizer. I advocate for yoga through a social justice lens and educate and empower individuals and groups around the world to do the same. I accomplish this with the Tejal Yoga online studio, the abcdyogi global community, and the Yoga is Dead Podcast.
I teach two practices a week - Slow Poses and Meditation both focused on the Philosophy of the Yoga Sutra, I offer 1-1 mentoring to yoga teachers, and I offer continuing education for yoga seekers. Reserve your class here.
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Gauree (she/her/hers)
Hi I’m Gauree!
I'm a queer South Asian mobilizer and educator for immigrant communities. My study and practice of yoga philosophy informs my work which sits at the intersection of systems change, community building, and self-compassion and realization.
I work with community-based organizations to develop in-language yoga programs for South Asian immigrant women here in NYC.
To sustain my work, I sell chai in the park! And offer yoga classes and workshops to friends, family, and neighbors.
I teach meditation and asana classes at Tejal Yoga.
@gauree__p | @hotchailady -
Harpinder (she/her/hers)
I am a yoga teacher, mindfulness educator, and community builder currently living on Tongva Land. My practice is rooted in my spiritual background of Sikhism and Buddhism and ancestral roots in Panjab, India. I have been working with women of color 1:1 on reclaiming their power & intuition to be free through yoga asana, meditation, pranayama, and spiritual connection since 2018. I have over 800 hours of yogic training within the traditions of Raja, Vinyasa, Kundalini, and Prenatal Yoga from respected teachers across the globe. As the co-founder of the Womxn of Color Summit, I actively work to decolonize wellness by creating community and providing accessibility to healing spaces for BIPOC. My work sits at the intersection between social justice and healing.
I lead the meditation for all beings class on Mondays at 10 am EST. Reserve your class here.
@harpindermannyoga
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Manoj (he/his/him)
Manoj is an experienced Hatha, vinyasa, kundalini and Yin Yoga teacher, sound practitioner and ayurvedic therapist based in Birmingham. With over 700 hours of training experience, he is passionate about making yoga accessible to all people, especially those who feel yoga is not for them. He has worked across many studios, locations, festivals and in the office environment over the last 5 years which has allowed him to understand people's needs and expectations of yoga practice, and help them form a positive relationship with the mind and body.
While honouring his culture and heritage, yoga has become his life, allowing him to continue to support those he comes in contact with to live to their full potential and aid transformation. Manoj creates classes that help bring balance and harmony, especially to those who have never stepped on the mat before.
I teach sun salutations and meditation on Thursdays and extended classes, fundraisers and workshops on TYO. Reserve your class here.
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Melissa (she/they)
I am an Indian-American yoga therapist who skillfully adapts yoga and Ayurveda to the individual. I believe that yoga doesn't need to be stripped of its culture and history in order for it to be palatable and beneficial to others. I am deeply interested in the intersection of yoga and social justice, and work to make feeling well accessible to all, but especially those who are often left out of the wellness conversation.
I offer group and individual yoga therapy sessions as well as mentorships, as well as an online library subscription for those who want to practice anytime, anywhere.
I offer a monthly pranayama classes that focuses on the therapeutic applications for breathing practices. Reserve your class here.
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Meera (she/her/hers)
I am a yoga lifestyle coach & educator (500 RYT) that creates tailored lifestyles for individuals taking into account all aspects of life - physical, emotional, social, work and spiritual.
My journey into yoga began as a child when her grandma taught her pranayama and Ayurveda in Chandigarh. Motivated by passing down the transformative practice of yoga as a lifestyle, I teach at yoga studios, conducts workshops and teacher training, and helps clients 1:1. I have my bachelors in science, am 500 RYT, and have training in trauma-informed yoga, Ayurveda and Pranayama.
I teach the Pranayama & Breath Control practice at Tejal Yoga. Reserve your class here.
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Indie (she/her/hers)
I am a Yoga and meditation guide, Ayurvedic Lifestyle consultant and Therapist and Holistic Facialist. My work is informed by sharing from the roots of Yoga and Ayurveda to our lives now. I also create spaces for people of the global majority to be seen, heard and to rest. I believe that self care and collective care are inherently linked and share with this in mind.
I offer a variety of practices beyond asana including Pranayama, mantra, meditation, marmas and mudras. Whilst also running my own Holistic clinic practice supporting people through nutrition, herbs, lifestyle and bodywork.
I guide a weekly, 30min Meditation class for BIPOC to help us contemplate, reflect, find inspiration and rest. Reserve your class here.
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Trishna (she/her/hers)
I am a South Asian yoga practitioner and lifelong learner of yoga. I believe the integration of your mind, body, and breath is a powerful practice that allows for self-discovery and awareness both on and off the mat. Even as the world evolves, I am committed to sharing yoga from a place of authenticity that embodies the roots of where yoga came from.
Understanding where ancient yogic practices came from allow a better understanding of the original intent of these practices. I believe that when you understand this intention, you will see that the possibilities for growth and transformation through the path of yoga are limitless. I offer public classes at yoga studios in my MI area and also share some of my offerings on YouTube.
I teach All Beings Meditation and Pranayama & Breath Control at Tejal Yoga. Reserve your class here.
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Abha (she/her/hers)
I’m a neuroscientist by profession and a life-long spiritual seeker since my childhood in Nepal. My scientific research focuses on understanding the interactions between the brain, body and vagus nerve in fear, stress @neurobreathe and energy metabolism. I am passionate about understanding and sharing historical, scientific and spiritual aspects of Yoga practice.
I teach the weekly Satsang, which is a gathering for spiritual discourse on the Science and Spirituality of yoga. Reserve your class here.
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Aisha (she/her/hers)
For nearly a decade, I’ve been teaching inclusive and Body Positive Yoga, applying my values of curiosity and joyfulness to every class and making a judgement free and welcoming environment for my students. I have taught everyone from gym goers, university students, busy professionals and Yoga teachers.
With over a dozen certifications, I am a 500hr registered Yoga teacher, a Mental Health First Aider and a specialist in Yoga Therapy for Anxiety. I believe wholeheartedly that Yoga is for everybody, and have taught on many Yoga teacher trainings about diversity and inclusivity, as well as removing diet culture from Yoga and Wellness spaces.
I teach Body-Positive Yoga at Tejal Yoga. Reserve your class here.
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Maisha (she/her/hers)
Sitting in a Yoga Teacher Training course in Toronto is when I realized just how much overlap there was between my Bangladeshi upbringing and this practice. Through learning more about Sanskrit, I understand my own family's language better. Through Yogic philosophy, I understand my own family's traditions better.
When I realized that this is what's actually meant to be taught in Yoga class, I dedicated most areas of my life to sharing the practice in a way that feels truly well rounded and rooted in culture and intention.
I teach meditation and asana classes at Tejal Yoga. Reserve your class here.
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Ria (she/her/hers)
Hello! My name is Ria and I am a yoga asana and pranayama teacher, mutual aid organizer, and writer based on Massachusett and Pawtucket land. I am a Bengali-American originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico.
In my teaching, I strive to share the gifts of these powerful healing practices in a decolonial, non-hierarchical manner. I am most passionate about therapeutic yoga for trauma, and while training as a yoga therapist, I hope to create an environment in group classes that empowers individuals to modify the practice to listen to their own bodies and fulfill their own needs.
I teach Embodied Reflections yoga practice at Tejal Yoga. Reserve your class here.
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Rabia (she/her/hers)
I am an Ayurvedic Practitioner, Researcher, Yoga Therapist, and an Eastern Healing Advocate. But these are just titles. Above all else, I’m simply a human being who is deeply passionate about demystifying and decolonizing easern healing modalities. What really does that mean? My mission is simple. I want to bring yoga and ayurveda to the masses in a way that honors the roots of eastern healing while amplifying South Asian voices.
I teach the All Beings Meditation and facilitate the Summer Book Club for The Beauty of Your Face by Sahar Mustafah, Jul-Aug 2024 at Tejal Yoga. Reserve your class here.
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alison hood (she/they)
Hi friends! I’m alison.
I am a white, gender-exploring human. I’m a sibling, partner, parent, poet, yoga instructor, facilitator, creative, justice seeker, student, lover of food, music, and life. I am on stolen Susquehannock land, colonized as Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
As a student and facilitator of yoga I offer space to expand the containers of our “heart space and head space”; to tap into individual and collective empowerment, justice, and care.
At Tejal Yoga, I manage the On-Demand video library and ensure high quality video content for our members. It’s my honor to create the monthly themes assets to showcase the Tejal Yoga teachers’ creativity and curation.
@preach2birds