Achala Woollacott has been practicing the Siddha Yoga teachings since 1976 and since 1981 has been a Siddha Yoga meditation teacher. She is a writer for the Siddha Yoga path website and a speaker in Siddha Yoga teaching and learning events.

Achala recently retired from the University of Oregon, where for thirty-five years she was a professor of neuroscience and taught courses in rehabilitation and alternative and complementary medicine, as well as hatha yoga. She holds a PhD in neuroscience from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Achala has authored books and numerous articles on neuroscience, including the connection between neuroscience and consciousness. She lives in Sedona, Arizona, with her husband, Paul Hawkwood.