About Dr. Raj Balkaran

Lynn Gifford is an E-RYT, YACEP, Yoga of 12-Step Recovery (Y12SR) Leadership Trainer and Yoga of 12-Step Recovery (Y12SR) space-holder offering weekly meetings each Sunday.

Melanie has dedicated her life and work to transforming what it means to live with stress, trauma, PTSD, and an eating disorder. Melanie guides her students on their own journey to reclaiming their authentic selves through embodied living.

Jill Bolte Taylor is a neuroanatomist and the New York Times best-selling author of My Stroke of Insight, a book telling the story of what she learned when she had a severe stroke in 1996.

Claudia Cavazza has been teaching yoga to veterans and first responders for years. She has shared the practice of yoga with veterans with the hope that in doing so they might not experience the suffering that her grandparents and family endured.

Julia Dillon is an editor for a foundational 12-step organization, Y12SR leader, and an RYT-500 with the New England School of Integrative Yoga. Julia has taught in studio, outpatient rehab, hospital, corporate and private settings.

David Swenson is recognized as one of the world's foremost practitioners and teachers of Asthanga Yoga. In this short interview, David shares his experience of the impact a yoga mat can have—how it challenge and inspire, and even change lives.

When her best friend passed away, Mariah struggled with walking and moving. After yoga helped her to regain independence, she created Yoga for CP to show others with Cerebral Palsy and disability that they too can practice yoga.

Arianna Aron, Founder of Mudgies Yoga LLC, is a Give Back Yoga supporter & mat grant recipient. Here, Arianna shares what the power of a yoga mat means to her and talks about her experience of fundraising for Give Back Yoga.

After nineteen years of teaching languages in secondary and post-secondary schools, Susie was ready for a change. Now, she serves as the Program Director for Prison Yoga Project-Alabama. This is her story.

Lucilda Dassardo-Cooper discusses the barriers to traditional yoga spaces for people of color, the health disparities and inequities in medical care, and how she created Project Breath in response.

As she listened to a conversation about violence in schools in 2004, Dee Marie had an idea: teach ahimsa in schools. But her plan was trickier than anticipated to implement. Dee Marie shares how the story unfolded.

Arnab Bishnu Chowdhury shares the inspiration behind his multi-modality training program, 'Know Your Rhythm,' details of an ongoing healing project for Covid healthcare workers in India, and his thoughts on the future of yoga therapy.

Mark Stefanowksi, Founder of Full Throttle Yoga, has been supporting Give Back Yoga for a decade. In this short interview, he shares what is it about Give Back Yoga and its programs that he feels is essential.

In 2019, Gina Barrett found herself called to serve at the U.S.-Mexico border. Guided by earlier work in Central America and Jamaica as an expert in international administration, Gina founded the Casa de Paz SLV.

Susie Rokosch turned to yoga as a desperate attempt to manage chronic pain and health complications from a car accident. Now, she works with Yoga 4 Change to share the therapeutic effects of the practice with others.

Executive Director of Yoga Service Council, Rajni Tripathi, shares what it means to be in the line of service, the relationship between the helper and the enabler, and why service has nothing to with you.

Mary Lynn Fitton, Founder of The Art of Yoga Project, shares what motivates her to do this work, how yoga can heal and empower youth in the justice system, and how science and art can work together.