The Science of Yoga Initiative Members

 

Initiative Chair, Bija Bennett

Author, President, BijaB, Yoga Therapist, United States

Bija Bennett is an internationally respected author, speaker and business leader whose practice focuses on the tenets of mind-body health. Her innovative teachings are derived from ancient yoga traditions as a form of preventive and integrative medicine that fosters healing. She has developed pioneering programs for Fortune 500 companies and written four influential books on health, healing and personal growth. Under her holistic wellness brand, YogaAway LLC, she has provided programs, products and consulting services to major hospitality brands worldwide. Currently, she is partnering with global corporations on a project that merges healthcare, hospitality and wellness for a major medical center.

Vice-Chair, Leah Nduati

CEO, Certified Yoga Instructor, Founder of Yoga Experiences Africa

Leah Nduati is the Founder of Yoga Experiences Africa and a certified yoga instructor. Yoga Experiences Africa democratizes access to holistic wellness in Africa through an AI-driven discovery & booking portal for yoga and wellness. Leah was declared winner of the 2023 Shark Tank of wellness at the Global Wellness Summit and has built a community of yoga teachers from 22 African countries that it empowers through access to a wider client base, community events and connections to career building opportunities. Leah has recently joined the GWI community as Vice-Chair of Yoga Therapy initiative. Leah spends her time between Africa and the U.S building Yoga Experiences Africa. She has extensive experience Entrepreneurship and venture building in Africa with companies such as Ogilvy and Mather, GrowthAfrica and Sand Technologies.

Jennifer Cohen

Holistic Mental Health Practitioner and Relationship Wellness Expert, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Yoga Therapist, United States

Jennifer Cohen, LMFT runs a successful Holistic Mental Health practice based in Southern California. As a lifelong student of yoga, religious studies, and human behavior, she has built her business on incorporating all these modalities into a wellness practice that meets the needs of a large variety of individuals and couples. Having worked in the holistic mental health field for over 20 years, Jennifer combines Western Psychology and Eastern Philosophy as both a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Yoga Therapist. She brings a unique and highly effective approach to treating the mind, body, spirit, as well as relationships, and provides specialized workshops on the therapeutic use of yogic techniques to improve overall wellness.

Gary Kraftsow

Director and Senior Teacher, American Viniyoga Institute (AVI®); United States

Gary Kraftsow has been a pioneer in the transmission of yoga for health, healing and personal transformation for over 40 years. He began his study of yoga in India with T.K.V. Desikachar in 1974. He is the Director and Senior Teacher of the American Viniyoga Institute (AVI®), the author of two books published by Penguin: Yoga for Wellness and Yoga for Transformation, and author of four educational DVD’s: Viniyoga Therapy for Low Back, Sacrum and Hips; and Viniyoga Therapy for Upper Back, Neck and Shoulders; Viniyoga Therapy for Depression; and Viniyoga Therapy for Anxiety. He has also produced several online workshops: Pranayama Unlocked, Meditation Unlocked, Yoga Therapy for Depression, Yoga Therapy for Better Sleep, Yoga Therapy for Anxiety, and Āsana Unlocked.

Stephen Marks

Yoga Teacher, Attorney, United Kingdom

Stephen Marks is an internationally known yoga teacher, attorney, and entrepreneur who has been practicing yoga for over 20 years and has taught all over the world. His credentials as a teacher include his teacher training with the Shamanic school of yoga in the rainforests of Costa Rica and his qualification in Yoga Nidra. He has worked with Google, BDO, Knight Frank and international law and accountancy firms as well as the UK government. He is a regular speaker at conferences on sleep, welltech and healthy buildings and writes often for the wellness press. Stephen has also worked with hotels including Lanserhof and the Ace hotel and has recently devised sleep programs for the Palm Retreat Hotel in Dubai.

Dr. Ganesh Mohan

Advisor, International Association of Yoga Therapists; Australian Association of Yoga Therapists, SE Asia/Singapore

Dr. Ganesh Mohan is the son of A. G. Mohan and Indra Mohan, practicing yoga from childhood, and one of the closest links to the legendary yogi Krishnamacharya’s teaching in the world now. Dr. Mohan is trained in both modern medicine and Ayurveda. His work focuses on the application of self-care for health and well-being in chronic health conditions and lifestyle diseases. Dr. Mohan is the developer of the Svastha Yoga Therapy Program running in numerous locations in the US, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong etc. with hundreds of yoga teachers enrolled. Dr. Mohan also guides yoga teacher training programs in multiple locations. He is an advisor to the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT) in the US, and the Australian Association of Yoga Therapists (AAYT). He is the co-author of several books such as Yoga Therapy, Krishnamacharya: His Life and Teachings, Yoga Reminder: Lightened Reflections, and co-translator of the ancient Sanskrit text, Yoga Yajnavalkya.

Felicia Tomasko

President, Bliss Network LLC, United States

Felicia Tomasko combines decades of study in the traditional philosophies of Yoga, Yoga Therapy and Ayurveda with experience in modern Western biomedicine as a registered nurse. As an entrepreneur, she is the president of Bliss Network, LLC, a boutique independent media company who publishes LA YOGA Magazine with a home base in Los Angeles. Felicia is on faculty at Loyola Marymount University in the Yoga Therapy RX and Yoga Studies programs. Her interest in the modern-day application of these stress-relieving and resilience techniques has taken her throughout the world and her passion for integrating ethical business practices with cutting-edge scientific wellness informs her work.