Level 1—Ayurvedic Wellness Counselor Program

Teri Adolfo, MTCM, LAc, CAP

Teri Adolfo holds a Masters in Traditional Chinese Medicine from the Northwest Institute of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NIAOM), and is also a Licensed Acupuncturist and Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner. She has worked in clinics specializing in women’s health, detoxification, drug rehabilitation, mental health, and chronic fatigue/fibromyalgia. She is currently the Clinic Director at the Kerala Ayurveda Clinic, Seattle.

Dr. Vaijayanti (Jay) Apte, BAMS, MS

Dr. Apte is the Director of Kerala Ayurveda Academy. She holds an integrated BAMS degree in Ayurvedic and Allopathic (conventional) medicine from the University of Poona, India (1973), and an MS degree in Biomedical Sciences (Pharmacology) from the University of North Texas (1991). Dr. Apte has more than 30 years of experience in Ayurvedic practices and teaching. In 1997, she founded the Ayurveda Institute of America to offer the best quality education in the United States. Now, the Ayurveda Institute has merged into Kerala Ayurveda Academy. She is a past president of the CAAM and is on the NAMA board of directors.

Dr. Rucha Kelkar, BAMS

Dr. Rucha Kelkar is the director of “Ayurbliss,TM”—Ayurveda Wellness for Mind, Body and Spiritual Health, based in Orange County, CA. She is a dedicated and classically trained Ayurvedic practitioner, educator and lecturer. She has taught many workshops on Ayurveda, conducted seminars and has been a speaker at the NAMA Conference on multiple occasions. She has also written articles on Ayurveda for various magazines. Rucha received her graduate degree in Ayurveda from the University of Pune, India.

Dr. Manisha Kshirsagar, BAMS, LMT, DYA

Dr. Manisha Kshirsagar graduated from Pune University, India with a Bachelors degree in Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery. She is also trained at the Indian College of Naturopathy and qualified as a Yoga Instructor from the renowned Kaivalyadham University in India. Dr. Manisha has been teaching at Kauai Ayurveda academy and other institutes for more than 10 years. She specializes in women and infant health, skin care and natural beauty treatments. She offers regular workshops on Ayurvedic Cooking and nutrition.

Dr. Suhas Kshirsagar, BAMS, MD (Ayurveda)

Dr. Suhas Kshirsagar is the Executive Director of Kerala Ayurveda, Inc. as well as an accomplished Ayurvedic doctor with varied background and experience. He was a research associate with the Indian Ayurvedic pharmaceutical company Ayurveda Rasashala, a Chairperson of the Department of Medicine at the Maharshi College of Vedic Medicine in Albuquerque from1999 to 2001, and a medical director and an assistant professor of Maharshi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa from 2001 to 2002. He has published research articles and offered lectures, Radio and TV talks in many countries. He has extensive clinical experience in Ayurvedic therapies and Panchakarma all over the world and has helped thousands of people.

Mamta Landerman, CAS, PKS

Mamta Landerman is a Clinical Ayurveda and Panchakarma Specialist. She is the Founding President of CAAM (The California Association of Ayurvedic Medicine) and served on the Board for five years. She produced three Ayurveda International Symposii at U.C. Berkeley, bringing together—some for the first time—the various lineages of Ayurveda in the U.S. to sow seeds for the future vision of the Ayurvedic profession in this country. Many joint ventures in Ayurveda across the U.S. have sprouted as a result of these conferences. She also founded Deva Center for Ayurveda and Panchakarma in California. A clairvoyant and mother of two grown sons, she is a native of India and has been practicing and teaching transformational work for the last 26 years across the US. She has also had her own Natural Foods Company, growing organic herbs and creating award winning natural foods products.

Dr. Yashashree (Yash) Mannur, BAMS

Dr. Yash Mannur is an Ayurvedic Doctor who graduated from Poona University in 1996. She also has a degree in Sanskrit. Yash had topped the class in many Ayurvedic subjects. She is an expert in Panchakarma and had her own private practice before coming to the US. She was instrumental in the success of the former Ayurveda Institute of America founded by Dr. Jay Apte. Dr. Mannur is very caring and popular among students. She is an expert in Ayurvedic cooking and offers classes for students and lay people.

Dr. Anjali Paranjpe, BAMS, MD (Ayurveda)

Dr. Anjali Paranjpe a gold medal-winning Ayurvedic Doctor from Poona. She received her BAMS degree in 1984 and MD in Ayurveda in 1987. She also holds a diploma in Yoga. She was a Professor and Dean of the Ayurvedic College near Poona. She has conducted many workshops in Ayurveda and Yoga in India and the US. She has offered lectures on All India Radio and TV on Ayurveda and Yoga. Anjali specializes in Swasthavritta and was a recognized teacher for post graduate students.

Yatrika Shah-Rais, MS, DAS

Dr. Yatrika Shah-Rais is a practitioner of the predictive art of Vedic astrology who has studied under the guidance of Chakrapani Ullal, Ernst Wilhelm, Robert Koch, and lunar astrology expert Chandra Shankar. She has been a student and practitioner of Hinduism for a number of years and follows the teachings of her Satguru, the late Subramuniyaswami, one of the most important teachers of Vedic studies. She is a certified practitioner of Ayurveda and is also involved in the field of music as a concert presenter and radio host.

Dr. Sunita Tarkunde, BAMS, MD (Ayurveda)

Dr. Sunita Tarkunde is an accomplished Ayurvedic Practitioner, Abhyanga masseuse and Yoga Instructor. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Ayurveda from the prestigious Pune University in India and practiced Ayurveda at Krishna General Hospital and Bhawasar Ayurvedic Hospital in India before immigrating to the U.S. in 1999. She is currently working on her doctorate in Ayurveda and is a staff and faculty member at the former Ayurvedic Institute of America (now Kerala Ayurveda Academy). Sunita’s hallmark is her gentle, thorough way of working with clients to maintain or regain full, vibrant, radiant health of body, mind and spirit.

Mas Vidal, BA

Mas Vidal is a director of the Dancing Shiva Yoga and Ayurveda institute in Los Angeles. He studied under the tutelage of Ayurveda’s pioneer in the west, Dr. David Frawley at the American Institute of Vedic Studies. He was a competitive athlete and achieved great merits in sports as Mr. Florida at the age of nineteen. Mas was attracted to Philosophy and Yoga in 1990 and began practicing and teaching yoga. As a teacher and speaker, Mas continues the expansion of Vedic Yoga throughout US. He also conducts classes and lectures at conferences for Yoga Journal Magazine.