*Vaidya Ashlesha Raut
Director
B.A.M.S.(India), M.D. Ayurveda (India)
N.C. (Nutritional Consultant)
HHP (Holistic Health Practitioner)
RAS (Registered Ayurvedic Specialist)
BCIM – Board Certified in Integrative Medicine,
(American Association of Integrative Medicine)
Vaidya Raut is passionate about teaching and promoting Ayurveda and is an Ayurveda faculty at many colleges in North America. She has been presented by the North America award of “Charaka” in recognition of her excellence in Ayurvedic teaching in 2012. She is a ‘Second degree Reiki healer’. Vaidya Raut was also awarded a prestigious ‘Shiromani Award’ by Indian Board of Alternative Medicines for her contributions towards the integrative medicine in the industry. Vaidya Raut is an integrative Ayurvedic practitioner, Nutritional consultant and a holistic health educator. She is a third generation Vaidya who is classically trained in Ayurveda from Mumbai University, India. She earned the distinctive honor and a gold medal for her post graduate dissertation work. She has been practicing Ayurveda for more than a decade and has been an integral part of the Ayurveda healing community with a mission towards providing a Holistic Path for Wellness and Optimal Health through Ayurveda and integrative medicine.
Vaidya Raut has been an authorized teaching faculty for CPR/AED for Professional Rescuers and lay responders and First Aid training programs at the American Red Cross Heartland Chapter in IL, USA and has won recognitions for her voluntary contributions on community health and safety at the American Red Cross. She has conducted a large number of workshops, authored publications, participated in talk shows, and presented research papers in the field of Ayurveda.
She holds a position as a “Secretary” of AAPNA (Association of Ayurvedic Practitioners of North America) and also an Executive committee member AAPNA. She is a Life time member of NIMA (National Integrated Medical Association-India), founder and core member at CAC (Counsel for Ayurveda Credentialing) and holds many advisory positions in various Ayurveda holistic health organizations. She is a Director of Ayurveda at Main Street Yoga, Bloomington and founding Director of Ayurveda for Healing and is actively involved in practicing and promoting Ayurveda in the country.
*Vaidya = Ayurvedic Doctor
Debra Risberg
Professional Level Kripalu Yoga teacher 500 hr., MFA, Yoga Therapist.
Debra is a former Stress Management Specialist for the Dr. Dean Ornish Program. She has been practicing Yoga for over 16 years and currently teaching the Yoga therapy and Moderate Yoga classes at the studio for the past 12 years. She has devoted much of her work and time toward helping people in chronic pain and has taught several workshops (Yoga for Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain) for yoga teachers at Kripalu Center in Stockbridge, MA.
She also practices Anusara Yoga and gives private sessions of yoga therapy.
Debra works in collaboration with Dr. Ashlesha Raut providing yoga, breathing and meditation training to her clients.
Debra is also working for the Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery as a Yoga and Stress Management Teacher. She was a former student of Manohar Harkare (Kakaji) beloved yoga master of Nagpur, India where she learned the deep restorative practice of Yoga Nidra. She has also studied Yoga Nidra with Richard Miller and has had training with many of today’s top yoga teachers.
Jeffrey Shoaf
Ayurvedic Therapist and Massagist
Jeff received his National Certification for Therapeutic Massage and BodyWork in 2004, after completing a comprehensive 675 hour training at the North Carolina School of Natural Healing.
Jeff has been trained on various Ayurvedic Massage Therapies such as Shiromassage, Abhayanga, Marma point massage etc.
The primary areas of focus are deep tissue massage, neuromuscular, myofascial release, and Ayurvedic therapies. Jeff is also an avid student and certified teacher of Hatha yoga. He has also created a new integrative therapy “body-unwinding”, which works, unlike traditional treatments, with meditation, breath-work, and integrative body therapies, that the client and therapist explore in silence. This intensely focused work releases long held restrictions in the superficial and deeper fascia and structural connective tissues. It is, therefore both gentle and deep, a rare combination not found in most massage practices.
Matthew J. Donovan – RYT, Author, Musician
Matthew Donovan is a certified Yoga teacher specializing in restorative, yin, prenatal, and therapeutic yoga. Currently, pursuing an education in integrative medicine, Ayurveda, non-violent communication, and yoga therapy. Matthew is an author, editor for thehealist.com, theTattooedBuddha.com, and one of tumblrs most visited health site alternative-health.tumblr.com. Matthew facilitates talking circles with the practice of non-violent communication, focusing on emotional awareness and fostering deep communication with ourselves/others through honesty, consciousness and vulnerability. He is a master gardener, activist, and a nationally recognized musician.