Pathways to the Madhya, the Source of Bliss

About Gita Sen

Gita began following the Siddha Yoga path in 1984 after participating in a satsang at the Siddha Yoga Ashram in Manhattan. She serves as a Siddha Yoga meditation teacher for Pilgrimage to the Heart retreats and Muktananda Dhyana Saptahs. Gita served as a Trustee for PRASAD Chikitsa from 2003 to 2005. She also offered seva as a member of the steering committee for the Siddha Yoga Meditation Center in Bangalore, India.

Gita holds a master's degree in economics from the University of Delhi and a PhD in economics from Stanford University. She is the director of a research center for public health in Bangalore, and an adjunct professor of global health and population at Harvard University. Gita currently lives in Bangalore with her husband.

About Ashish Vyas

Ashish began practicing the Siddha Yoga teachings in 1995 at the Siddha Yoga Meditation Center in Indore, Madhyapradesh, India. He currently offers seva full-time as an executive manager of Chitshakti Trust, the Siddha Yoga Bookstore in India, located in Thane, Maharashtra, India. He also offers seva as the Finance Coordinator and as a musician at the Siddha Yoga Meditation Center in Thane.

Professionally, Ashish has worked in the field of business management. He earned a bachelor of science in electronics and a master’s degree in computers and management from Devi Ahilya University in Indore. Ashish lives in Thane with his wife and son.

About Shalini Davies

Shalini Davies lives in Melbourne, Australia, and began practicing Siddha Yoga in 1983. She and her husband Doug have four children, and the Siddha Yoga practices and teachings are central to their family life. A school teacher by training, Shalini worked for several years in indigenous communities teaching English as a second language. Shalini now is a freelance writer for Australian newspapers and websites.

Shalini has been teaching in Siddha Yoga courses, retreats, and Shaktipat Intensives throughout Australia and in India for nineteen years. Currently she offers seva in several capacities, including as a writer, a speaker, and a teacher for the Pilgrimage to the Heart Retreat in Gurudev Siddha Peeth, India. She is known for her warmth and her steadfast love of the Siddha Yoga teachings. As a Siddha Yoga meditation teacher, Shalini has an extraordinary ability to listen actively, fully engaging with students.

About Shakti Butler

Shakti Butler began following the Siddha Yoga path after participating in a Shaktipat Intensive in 1987 in Oakland, California. Shakti serves as a Siddha Yoga meditation teacher at the Siddha Yoga Ashram in Oakland, teaching in satsangs and Muktananda Dhyana Saptah: A Siddha Meditation Event. She also serves as a visiting sevite in the SYDA Foundation Live Events Department.

Shakti holds a PhD in transformative learning and change and is the founder and president of World Trust Educational Services, a nonprofit social justice organization. She lives in Oakland with her husband, Shiva, and their daughter, son-in-law, and four grandchildren.

About José Seade

José Seade began following the Siddha Yoga path after participating in a Shaktipat Intensive in 1986, and he has been a Siddha Yoga meditation teacher since 1997. José has served as a visiting sevite at
Gurudev Siddha Peeth for the past twenty years in the Halls, Food Services and Accomodations Departments. José has also offered seva in many capacities in Mexico, including as the manager of the Siddha Yoga Ashram in Mexico from 1992 to 1993, and as a manager for Gurumayi’s Teaching Visit to Mexico in 1997.

José has a PhD in mathematics from Oxford University. He is a professor of mathematics and Director of the Institute of Mathematics of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). He lives in Mexico City with his wife, Teresa Rubio.

About Vasundhara Tyler

Vasundhara Tyler participated in her first Siddha Yoga retreat in 1974 in La Honda, California, and she has been practicing the Siddha Yoga teachings since that time. She currently offers seva from home with the SYDA Foundation Content Department. She has previously offered seva in a number of areas at the Siddha Yoga Meditation Center in Portland, Oregon, including as a member of the Steering Committee. From 2006 to 2015, Vasundhara hosted a Siddha Yoga chanting and meditation group in her home.

Vasundhara is a retired clinical psychologist and has a PhD from the University of Nevada, in Reno. She lives in Corbett, Oregon with her husband, Tukaram, and has two sons and one granddaughter.

About Aldo Colella Garofalo

Aldo Colella Garofalo began following the Siddha Yoga path in 1988, after attending a satsang in the Siddha Yoga Meditation Center in Naples, Italy. Currently, he works as a business consultant in Milan, giving trainings in communication, leadership, and marketing. Since 1990 Aldo has offered seva as a Siddha Yoga meditation teacher in Siddha Yoga Shaktipat Intensives, Sadhana Retreats, courses, and satsangs. Known for his lightheartedness and enthusiasm, Aldo brings to his teaching a keen interest in people and years of professional coaching experience.

About Theresa Perez

Theresa Perez was introduced to the Siddha Yoga path by a friend in 1998 when she was fifteen years old and has been a dedicated student ever since. She has a deep love of the practice of meditation, and began offering seva as a Siddha Yoga Meditation Teacher in 2008.

Theresa also serves as a Project Manager in the Content Department, offering seva from home and as a visiting sevite. She was a staff member in the SYDA Foundation from 2011 to 2014, during which time she served as the head of the Content Department.

Theresa earned a Bachelor of Music in Contemporary Writing and Production from the Berklee College of Music and a Masters Degree from the Rome Business School. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, and works as a consultant and creative director for arts & cultural organizations.