Meet the Arkaya Team

Our Team

Arkaya was founded by Yogacharini Maitreyi, who comes from South India and has been teaching decolonized, full-spectrum Yoga and Tantra since 1997. Our team consists of an eclectic group of practitioners and teachers who have different skills. They are all united in wanting to build harmony within and without. Our core team is involved in the vision and unfolding of Arkaya. As we work on ourselves, we find many positive shifts within and in our lives and consequently we are able to hold space for the community, Arkaya and its unfolding. We also have a variety of guest teachers from India’s various allied life sciences. These guest teachers support the Online Arkaya Awareness Teacher Training as well as some other programs and classes.

There are many Arkaya teachers available around the world for various trainings and classes, as well as counselling, coaching and healing work. If you would like to connect with an Arkaya teacher, please email us at infoarkaya@gmail.com

Yogacharini Maitreyi

FOUNDER

Yogacharini Maitreyi is a practical Mystic & the founder of Arkaya. She has taught various people from children to CEOs across the world since 1997. She brings a calm & lightness to the teachings & encourages people to tap into play. She was given many titles in her home country, India, like Yoga Chemmal (expert), Yoga Shiromani (Gem) and Yoga Acharini (Life Guide). She has over 100 published articles in international news dailies and journals.

To read Yogacharin Maitreyi’s full profile, please click on the link below.

Ross McKeachie

COMMUNITY DIRECTOR & ASSISTANT TEACHER TRAINER

Ross has been apprenticing with Yogacharini Maitreyi since 2015. He assists Maitreyi in the majority of her teaching work, both online and in-person. He also leads men’s circles, workshops and group trainings. Ross hosts Branches of Wisdom (The Banyen Books video and audio podcast) and is a multifaceted writer / poet with a background in comedy & performing arts. He offers Integrative Coaching, Healing & Yoga Therapy sessions to clients worldwide. Ross lives on the Sunshine Coast in British Columbia, Canada.

Paul James

CO-TRUSTEE OF ARKAYA FOUNDATION, INDIA

Paul is the founder of PSCS, an Industrial Relations consultant and Business associate. He has done A Pre-doctoral degree (M.Phil.) in Social Work specializing in H.R. from the Madras School of Social Work and his Doctorate studies in Training Need Analysis and his passion is Organizational Development. He consults for top companies and conducts employee satisfaction surveys. PJ has handled a wide variety of responsibilities in his career spanning nearly three decades and has been a vital member of Arkaya Foundation, India since its inception.

Guest Teachers

Neeraja Aptikar

CLASSICAL INDIAN MUSIC TEACHER

Neeraja Aptikar is a Hindustani Vocalist, a performer, and a teacher. She is trained in the Gwalior Style & the Kirana Gharana Stylesunder well-known Gurus: Sangeet Ratna Pandit Shivaji Rao Bharati & Prof. Jayashree Ranade in Pune, India. She is trained in Classical, Semi Classical and Light Music in many languages and has been Performing and teaching music for decades for many years in India, the US, and Canada. She is the recipient of many awards and has collaborated with Canadian Musicians on 11 albums in World Music.

Anand David Embry

BHAKTI / KIRTAN TEACHER

Anand David Embry has a Bachelor of Music in flute and is a Certified Clinical Musician. For over 30 years he has investigated our relationship with sound, listening and music. With humour, devotion and sincerity embedded in his playing, he facilitates a deep sense of peace and stillness enveloping the listener in a nurturing environment. Classes, performances and workshops take a person into deep listening providing psycho-acoustic and spiritual development through sacred chant. He joyfully works in conscious cooperation with the evolutionary processes of human growth and healing.

Rupa Gopinath

CLASSICAL INDIAN DANCE TEACHER

Mrs. Rupa Gopinath is a classical Indian dancer from Bangalore India. She is a disciple of Kalaimamani Guru Sri Mahalingam Pillai of Rajarajeswari Bharatha Natya Kala Mandir Mumbai. She has given various dance performances, workshops, and lecture demonstrations in India, Canada, United Kingdom, and United States. She choreographed and performed for the Winter Olympics held in Vancouver. She was on the Cultural Programming and Technical Committee for Namaste Canada 2016. She has served on boards of several cultural organizations and is interested in dances and music from all different cultures and countries. She is an avid promoter of classical music and dance in youth. She is an auditioned All India Radio Artist from Bangalore. She has organized several cultural programs to support different charitable organizations'. She has recently started writing in an magazine on classical arts. She is at present serving on the board of Vancouver Tagore Society as the Vice President and the Director of Mihika Arts education and Medical Foundation

ANUJA CHINDARKAR, BAMS

AYURVEDA TEACHER

Anuja completed her degree in Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery in India. Anuja furthered her qualifications in India by completing a Post Graduate Proficiency diploma in Panchakarma and practiced in various Ayurvedic clinics and hospitals in India as a Registered Medical Officer. She believes that Ayurveda, being the oldest holistic science known to humankind, holds the key to a truly harmonious life. Anuja also teaches Ayurveda: Mind/Body Healing and Body Metabolism at the Institute of Holistic Nutrition’s Vancouver Campus. Besides Ayurveda, her other interests include Medical Acupuncture and Acupressure- Foot reflexology.

BHAVANI ANAND

JYOTISH TEACHER (VEDIC ASTROLOGY)

Bhavani Anand (aka Anna) is a fellow chartered accountant by profession. His journey in the field of astrology started at the age of 9 under his master, the late Sri Karumari Dasa who was a poet. He was a student of a Sri Pamban Swamigal, a siddha of the Bala Varga (muruga) lineage. Anna then further expanded his knowledge in vedic astrology by pursuing courses with Visti Larsen, Vic Di Cara, Gurumurthy Iyer, KRS, Pothuvudai Moorthy, GK and the list goes on. It has been more than three decades of learning and the process is still going on. Shradavan labathe gnanam: "The one who is focussed derives knowledge as the fruit." He has presided over many astrological conferences and is well known in social networking circles for his spot on mundane predictions. As of now he is pursuing his research in Medical Astrology. He also has an interest in learning foreign languages.