Bhavani Lee was raised in an ashram environment and exposed to yoga and meditation practices as well as great masters of music and dance early on. She studied classical Indian dance, flamenco, contemporary dance and martial arts and trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in NYC and with Pt. Birju Maharaj and Pt. Satya Narayana Charka, renowned Indian dance masters. More recently, Bhavani has worked in choreography and performance for fashion shows, in film and theater, including as a principal dancer in the worldwide production of Cirque du Soleil's Dralion.

Tracy Verma has been a yoga practitioner for 40 years and is a student of Indian culture and music, with much inspiration from her late husband, Acharya Roop Verma, and Pandit Sharda Sahai (tabla). Her spiritual and yogic training was from Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati and Dr. Edith Epstein. She also has a background in Western music. She founded the Catskill Choral Society Girl Choir, sings with the Catskill Choral Society, and teaches yoga at Hartwick College and the Atma Lotus Center in Oneonta, NY.

Arjun Verma, sitarist, began performing at the age of seven. He is a student of his father Acharya Roop Verma and of Maestro Ali Akbar Khan, with whom he studied for eight years. Arjun has performed in the U.S., Europe and India, including at the United Nations in Geneva, Prague Castle in the Czech Republic and the Fillmore in San Francisco. He teaches Sitar and North Indian classical music at the Ali Akbar College of Music in California and at the East-West School of Music at Ananda Ashram.

Shri Radha met her Guru Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati in 1977 and received intensive training from him until his passing in 1993. She was his secretary and assistant, traveling with him and serving as his main interpreter during the final ten years of his life. She lives at Ananda Ashram where she is a life-term trustee of the Baba Bhagavandas Publication Trust and a trustee of the International Schools of East-West Unity (Gurukula). Since 2004, she has regularly spent time in India, furthering her spiritual education and practice with Amma Sri Karunamayi.

Elias Lopez is an environmentalist at heart who combines his love for nature with his love for yoga. Born and raised in Mexico, he enjoys bringing inspiration from his roots to his yoga practice. He infuses his classes with music and with careful attention to alignment through breath and heart, and views yoga as a journey to live well and love fully. Elias is honored to study with John Friend, Jim Bernaert, Ellen Salltonstall and Jackie Prete. He loves to create a fun, safe and sacred place where students are empowered to achieve their full potential.

Christina Wypijewska is a 500-hour trained yoga teacher offering balanced vinyasa flow classes with emphasis on breath, alignment and awareness. Her teaching philosophy is rooted in the wisdom of the ancient scriptures. A graduate of Yale University and Vassar College, with a background in public health, she completed her advanced certification at Laughing Lotus Yoga Center in NYC, including a 100-hour training in Ayurveda and Healing.

Gabrielle Ambika Washburn was born at Ananda Ashram. She completed her 200-hour yoga teacher training at Ananda Ashram, focusing on the classical eight limbs of Yoga in an immersion grounded in daily meditation, Sanskrit and study of the Yoga Sutras. Guided by the teachings of her Guru Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati and by Sri Krishnamacharya of the Mysore tradition, Gabrielle offers challenging Vinyasa flow classes based in Ashtanga, incorporating principles of alignment, sequencing and flow with awareness of the breath and meditation.

David (Yogananda) Hollander, 500 RYT, has been teaching yoga since 1994 and Mysore style Ashtanga Yoga since 2005. He helped to develop Teacher Training programs at New York Yoga, Yoga Sutra and Pure Yoga in NYC. Currently he runs the East Side Mysore Club. David has studied with Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, B.N.S Iyengar (of Mysore), Manju Jois and Nancy Gilgoff and is certified by David Williams and the Mysore Mandala in India. He directed Yoga Teacher Trainings at Ananda Ashram from 2009 to 2020.

George Bailin (Mahamuni) is an English professor, poet and published author. An original founding member of the Yoga Society of New York and Ananda Ashram both, he is a long-time student and disciple of Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati. He has written and published numerous articles about him in his monthly publications as well as a book titled Sage of Ananda.

Born to dancers Stephen and Susan Kotansky, violinist Jesse Kotansky grew up immersed in Balkan and Middle Eastern music. At age two he was given his first violin and had numerous opportunities to study and perform with master musicians from an early age. Jesse has bridged many worlds of music as a professional recording artist and performer with Aerosmith, David Bowie, Billy Gibbons, Teddy Thompson, Merita Halili, Raif Hyseni, J. Mascis and Ivan Milev.