Sanjeev Bhanot
From a small desert town called Dungargarh in Rajasthan to the alpine slopes of Switzerland, it has been a long but beautiful journey for Sanjeev Bhanot, Founder, Yogalife Foundation. Today, Sanjeev facilitates progressive yogic wisdom through dynamic asanas, pranayamas, lectures and reflective actions.
As a little boy, Sanjeev frequent interactions with the mystics of Dungargarh introduced him to yoga at the tender age of five. Sanjeev has been spreading the magic of yoga throughout the world for almost 16 years now. In 1990, Sanjeev Kumar Bhanot Profile earned a degree in Biology and Chemistry (BSc) and learned traditional Naturopathy in Delhi. Since 1992, Sanjeev has worked as a professional yoga trainer/therapist.
The pleasant aura that surrounds him is testimony to years of practice devoted to understanding physiology and psychology of the human body. His knowledge of the human anatomy gives him an edge while teaching yoga asana. Sanjeev's yoga transforms the way you look at life, making you more positive, healthy and totally empowered. Sanjeev is working in Switzerland, India, USA, UK, Italy, France and Germany. He has been working with international organizations like the UN, World Bank, UNHCR, the World Meteorological Organization, Proctor & Gamble, Nokia/Siemens, Microsoft and Deutsche Bank.
Today, he is presenting yoga sessions on Indian national television and he is running the YogaLife studio in Delhi. He is the principle designer of special programmes, such as couples yoga, facial yoga, kids yoga, sports yoga and corporate yoga. He is also the lead designer and implementer of the regular YogaLife teachers training programme.
Poonam Stecher Sharma
Poonam started in 1996 with formal training as a yoga and meditation teacher first with the Yogalife Foundation and then with the Bihar School of Yoga. She is following a yoga tradition which combines ancient wisdom and modern science. Since 2001, she has been teaching yoga professionally in India and in Switzerland. She has taught in many international organizations and corporations such as the World Metrological Organization, UNHCR, IFRC ,WHO, Webster University and Proctor & Gamble, Geneva.
Poonam brings a calm clarity to her yoga classes. With her gentle coaching, she heightens an inner awareness to listen to oneself. She understands the needs of the students and is able to encourage a person to go to the highest level of his or her ability, often far beyond any expectation. Poonam teaches yoga to her students in a natural and friendly way that it is a real pleasure. Her classes enable the development of yogic skills for all levels. She helps the students to connect positively with their body, spirituality & the world.
She is committed to practice yoga as a lifelong endeavor, and she wishes to share it with as many people as possible.
Manoj Sharma
Manoj was born into a lineage and heritage of health, Yoga and spiritual teachers. He was privileged to grow up in the right settings, which paved the way for his Yoga journey. It is difficult to say when exactly the formal introduction with Yoga took place but a few childhood pictures reveal his natural inclination at an early age. He grew up listening to Bhagavad-Gita and breathing the Hindu and Yoga philosophy. His formal education of anatomy, biochemistry and physiology contributed to his deep understanding of the physical aspect of Yoga.
Manoj has the natural ability to connect with people through his intuitive psychological understanding, sense of humor and his communication skills. He is an inspiring teacher and his students simply love him.
Bihar School of Yoga, Sivananda Vedanta Ashram and YogaLife Foundation are a few of the places where he got his formal Yoga education and earned his titles as Yoga Shirimani and Yoga Acharya.
Manoj dedicated a few years in innovating and developing Yoga products like nasal wash pots and eye wash cups in order to revive the forgotten and distinct practices of Yoga and Shatkarma. Since 2004, Manoj started teaching Yoga and he is continuing his journey of Yoga under the flagship of Yogalife Belgium and YogaLife Foundation India.
Manoj currently lives in Belgium.
Savira Vohra Gupta
With the union of both the East and the West, Savira E-RYT began to help her students explore their own journey of yoga on the mat. In her own words, "I began to teach from the heart and respecting the journey each individual takes. I wanted to balance my inner world with that of my external world." To merge the two worlds into Oneness. She is certified from White Lotus Foundation in Santa Barbara, USA (200Hrs) and with Yogalife in India (200Hrs).
Her gentle voice grounds her students, encourages them to explore the possibilities that exist within each of their poses. Her understanding of the anatomy and the fact that each body differs from another is what makes her teaching authentic and individual. Savira gentle nudges her students to explore or deepen their practice with safety. She will take you through a variety of styles like Vinyasa, Gentle, Power or Yin Yoga. She can be gentle as a lamb or as firm as an ox! Savira focuses on combining Breath and Movement to bring harmony and balance of the Mind, Body and Spirit.
A yoga practioner for over 12 years and teaching for over 7years. Savira has traveled extensively learning and teaching from many. She has developed an understanding of the many cultures and taking the practice of yoga off the mat.
To know more about her please visit her website www.yogasavy.com
Alison
Alison is of Chinese-English descent and was born and brought up in Thailand. Her education and work life has allowed her to live around the world, and her multi-ethnic and cultural background gives her an innate sense of respect & consideration for others which transfers into her teachings. She came relatively late to yoga, taking it up in her 30's as a way to "get fit without working too hard." She was hooked after her first yoga class without really understanding why. It was only several years later that she realised the effect her practice was having on her - not only was she physically stronger & more open, but she also calmer, more compassionate and aware of the energies within and around her.
While living in Beijing, Alison was encouraged by her teachers to take her first 200hr TTC and so her true yoga adventure began. She has 5 years of teaching experience from Beijing and India. In 2011 she took Yogalife's 200hr TTC in Goa and in 2012 joined the Yogalife team as a teacher. Her teaching style is an eclectic blend of Hatha Vinyasa and various elements of other styles of yoga she has studied and enjoyed, creating fun, sometimes dynamic, sometimes quiet & deep asana classes. Alison believes that life is too short to be taken too seriously and often infuses humour into her classes, while at the same time keeping a strong focus on the breath, safety & alignment in postures, as well as being aware of, and allowing for, each student’s individual capabilities. Her wish for her students is that they become more familiar & comfortable with their bodies so that through the practice of yoga they can start to connect with their inner selves and begin on their own voyages to transformation.
As a complement to her yoga practice, Alison is also a long-time practitioner of Thai Traditional Massage, a recent student of Pranic Healing and speaks several languages unfluently.
To know more about her please visit her website www.yogasavy.com
Anne Macnabb
Anne Macnabb has been a professional in the Geneva fitness community for the past twelve years. She has certiifications in Personal Training, Coaching and Nutrition.
She is trained in Hatha Yoga from Yogalife in Geneva and recently completed Level I Teachers Training from the Baptiste Power Yoga Institute. She also has training in massage therapy which she uses regularly in her classes. She is very interested in specific needs of individuals and specializes in exercises for the back. With a Bachelor's Degree in Communications, she has a strong background in inter-personal relationships and sharing information.
Tripta Bhanot
Tripta is a experienced and senior yoga teacher. She was one of the pioneering yoga teachers in Delhi and has been active for the last 22 years. Mrs Tripta Bhanot started her learning of meditation with Pandit Ravishankar. She worked with Guru Shisya Parampara for several years. Her keenness to learn more about yoga and Naturopathy inspired her to Yogalife Team Members become a Naturotherapist. She is also trained in Siddha Samadhi Yoga. In July 1995, she went to Bihar School of Yoga and was initiated by HH Swami Niranjanananda.
When Reiki was introduced in Delhi, she could not stop herself to become a Reiki Master. She continued Reiki training under many Masters.
She has conducted sessions for UNDP, FORD Foundation for the last 15 years, she has conducted sessions for UNDP, Ford Foundation UNHCR, KFW in Frankfurt, Fock Shock Schule, GTZ Group Germany, Lawyers Collective in Berlin and New Delhi, Yoga Schule in Berlin, National Thermal Power Corporation, Doordarshan in New Delhi, UNHCR, UNAIDS in Uganda, World Bank and many famous personalities like C.K. Birla, K.K. Modi, Priya Paul, etc.
Thomas S. Stecher Sharma
Thomas S. Stecher Sharma is a trained and certified Swiss-Naturopath TEN (Traditional european naturopathie) and a Persuiader of Ayurveda Medicine under the Guidance of Dr. Hans H. Rhyner, imnternational rewnond Ayurvedic Doctor and teacher. Thomas's main focus is on stressrelated Diseases(Burnout Syndrom ), womens and childrens health.
Besides the therapeutic tools like nutriton, herbal - and orthomolecular medicin, as an experienced and attentive listener, he incoorperates complemantery medical- , as well as modern scientific thinking in its therapeutic considerations. Always with the intention to jointly support the healing process on an individual basis and practically-oriented solutions.
In 2001, Thomas had decided to leave his successful sales activity and to be trained in the field of complementary medicine. After leaving his place of work and before he went to a formal five-year course where he learned the basics of medicine and traditional European Naturopathy, he toured parts of India and Nepal, where, inspired by the teachings of Yoga and Ayurveda, the foundation stone for his professional and personal future was set.
Thomas lives and works with his family in Zurich, Switzerland. Besides the practice, he leads trainings, workshops and retreats on topics such as burnout prevention, recovery in daily life, etc. in Switzerland and abroad.
Patrick De Vlesschauwer
Patrick is psychologist with a focus on emotions and health. He works for many years with people who are affectively very vulnerable using the model of The Psychology of Interdependence. In 2009 his lifework De Ultieme Uitdaging (The Ultimate Challenge) was published by Ankh-Hermes in The Netherlands. A book about his search for the healthy mind as the source of the life that is universal and sustainable worth living. His book was inspired by the Mind and Life Institute. A center for dialogue between the two great empirical traditions of East and West. In the summer of 2010 Mind and Life Institute started a Center for Investigating the Healthy Mind - the main theme of his book. The book received good reviews and was in 2010 selected by the Vlaamse Coaches (The Flemish Coaches).
Recently he is finishing his new manuscript De Parel van Gandhi (The Pearl of Gandhi). A book about the inner journey into the deep message of yoga. He will translate the manuscript also in English. In 2008 he studied one year at The Graduate Institute of New York in Consciousness Studies. This Institute works in cooperation with The Global Shift University of Ervin Laszlo.
At this moment he wants to combine his lifelong experience in psychology and Yoga into Yoga Psychology Therapy. He is convinced that the ancient tools and insights of Yoga are a very powerful complement to the young scientific insights of the psychology tradition. His dream is contributing to a healthy, emotional balanced, clear minded, openhearted society through the message of Yoga.
Els Verheije
In 2000 Els studied Natural health therapy and graduated in 2005. During this period, tai chi-qi gong trainings inspired her fully. Consciously connected and motivated out of the mindfulnesstrainings in 2005, she developed 'Mindful Movements' to embody sensations of breath (qi gong), yoga movements and awareness (mindfulness meditation). While teaching yoga for many years, she took a professional Nia-dance training course in 2007. The Teachers training course of Yogalife in Goa 2010 refined all her teachings by including the yoga philosophy and psychology to her daily routine.Els started her education as an artist/actrice, works for many years with people with disabilities and changed her attention by exploring the amazing temple of the body in many ways. One consistency in her life is learning by spiritual experiences of the body and the awareness of emotions of life, the interactions with nature and people, the power of movements, self enquiry through vipassana, meditation and the inspiration of many 'culture creative's, teachers and books.As a professional health therapist she supports you to clean and heal the body based on naturopathy, yoga, your personality and temperament.She created a three-week 'positive yoga program' in 2010 for a rejuvenating retreat. This program offers new possibilities, new perspectives to sustain a healthy emotional state of mind/body. This program was conducted in Bali and will be offered again in South Africa and India in the near future.
