Trina Altman, E-RYT 500, is an Integrated Yoga Tune Up® teacher trainer, STOTT PILATES® certified instructor, and a graduate of YOGAspirit Studio's 500-Hour Yoga Therapy Program. While at Brown University, Trina took a Kripalu yoga class which ignited her passion for the practice. She teaches weekly Yoga Tune Up® and Pilates Tune Up™ classes throughout Los Angeles, and trains yoga teachers in anatomy and in Yoga Tune Up® across the country. She is an Rx Series teacher trainer for Equinox, is on the faculty of Kripalu, one of the nation's premiere yoga institutions, and is a regular presenter at yoga and fitness conferences such as ECA, Yoga Alliance, SYTAR and many others. Trina's teaching fosters body cognition and self-discovery, firmly grounded in anatomical awareness. She builds bridges between the mystical and the pragmatic, and specializes in helping others to access their body’s tissues and their heart’s purpose. www.trinaaltman.com ... Presenter's Sessions

Susi Amendola is the National Director of Stress Management for the prestigious Dean Ornish Program for Reversing Heart Disease Without Drugs or Surgery in hospital sites around the country. For the past 20 years her work with the Ornish team has inspired and informed her teaching. She is a certified Yoga instructor through the Himalayan Institute and holds an ERYT 500 with Yoga Alliance. She is also a member of IAYT (International Association of Yoga Therapists).

As part of her early training and introduction to Yoga, she lived as a resident of the Himalayan Institute where she served as the Director of the Institute’s Ayurvedic kitchen.  Later she founded the Omaha Yoga & Bodywork Center one of the first Yoga centers in the Heartland, where she currently teaches classes, trains teachers and directs programs. For the past 25 years she has been training teachers and now offers both 200 and 500 hour teacher certification programs. Susi is a skilled yoga therapist whose heart centered approach to teaching blends Ayurvedic principles with her knowledge of Hatha and Raja Yoga.

She has developed yoga-based Stress Management programs for schools, businesses, and hospitals throughout the country and has traveled and lectured extensively.

Her CD EMBRACE THE HEART OF YOGA can be found on itunes. ... Presenter's Sessions

Lilith Bailey-Kroll, MFA, E-RYT 500, After completing her MFA at Carnegie Mellon University, Lilith Bailey-Kroll found her calling creating new possibilities to support health and wellness through yoga. By incorporating innovative business techniques, Lilith discovered the necessity for a network of partnerships that assist in spreading the message Yoga Is My Health Insurance.

Nearly a decade later, Lilith is sharing her skill set to help other yoga teachers establish their presence in the community as well as linking them together at an international level to activate global recognition towards yoga therapy. ... Presenter's Sessions

Leigh Blashki is the director of the Australian Institute of Yoga Therapy, the President of Yoga Australia, a member of the Council of Advisors for both IAYT and AAYT and part of the IAYT Accreditation Committee. He was instrumental in establishing competency standards for yoga therapy in Australia and brought that experience to the IAYT educational standards committee.

With influence from a number of traditions and teachers, including Sri Yogendra, Swami Gitananda, A.G. Mohan, Donna Farhi and Richard Miller, Leigh has taught yoga for 37 years and practiced Yoga therapy for 23 years. He is a sought-after presenter internationally and has presented on yoga therapy in India, the US, Sri Lanka and Australia in recent years. ... Presenter's Sessions

Chase Bossart, M.A., E-RYT 500, is Co-Director of Yoga as Therapy North America (YATNA) and a long time, private student of Mr. TKV Desikachar. An exceptionally clear communicator with extensive experience in the therapeutic application of yoga, Chase travels frequently to present workshops and trainings on a wide range of yoga and yoga therapy topics. Chase also regularly develops yoga interventions for scientific research and formerly served as the Director of Therapy and Education at the Healing Yoga Foundation in San Francisco. ... Presenter's Sessions

Julie Carmen, MA is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Associate Director of Mental Health at Loyola Marymount University Yoga Therapy Rx where she teaches Assessment and Treatment Planning for Anxiety and Depression. From 2001-2003, she designed and implemented the Yoga Therapy and Drama Therapy departments of Passages Dual Diagnosis Residential Treatment Center and was the yoga therapist at Monte Nido Eating Disorder Center for four years. She taught a popular community class at Exhale for twelve years and designed the Yoga for Hormones protocol for Suzanne Somers who she\’s been teaching privately since 2002. Julie wrote monthly feature articles for LA Yoga Magazine. The Board of Behavioral Sciences approved Julie as a provider of Continued Education for anyone licensed as LMFT, LCSW, LEP in California.

Julie holds a BS from State University of New York in Theater and Choreography and a MA in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University, Los Angeles. Her yoga teacher training was with Maty Ezraty and Lisa Walford in 1999, followed by an apprenticeship with Jasmine Lieb and Advanced Yoga Therapy Certification with Larry Payne, PhD in 2002. Julie worked as a drama therapist at Ray Gordon's Cell Block Theater in New York City. Julie also danced on Broadway, choreographed Off Broadway and starred in dozens of Hollywood films. www.yogatalks.com ... Presenter's Sessions

Jnani Chapman, RN, CMT, E-RYT 500, is the yoga therapist for the integrative medicine center at the University of California Medical Center in San Francisco. A yoga teacher since 1975 (Integral Yoga under Swami Satchidananda), Jnani offers certification training in medical yoga, adapting practices for people with people with cancer and chronic illness, (see Yogaville.org). Former executive director of IAYT (1995-1998), Jnani is senior staff for Commonweal and the Smith Farm Center\’s residential, yoga-based retreats for people with cancer. Jnani taught yoga for the UCSF/CPMC Breast Cancer Complementary Support Program (1997-2001) and worked for Dr. Dean Ornish\'s Program for Reversing Heart Disease (1986-1999). She is a holistic nurse educator who also teaches and practices massage and acupressure for symptom relief in medical settings. ... Presenter's Sessions

Madoka Onizuka Chase, MA,is the International Coordinator of the Japan Yoga Therapy Society (JYTS) and a Certified Yoga Therapist. Madoka began meditation in 1997 as means to maintain mental health as a human rights activist. She began teaching yoga in 2005 in Tokyo and was certified by the Japan Yoga Therapy Society as a yoga therapist in 2010. With extensive experience in both yoga and Zen, she teaches meditation in Tokyo and Kyoto, and provides private yoga therapy lessons. ... Presenter's Sessions

Lorenzo Cohen, PhD is Professor and Director of the Integrative Medicine Program at the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas and Distinguished Clinical Professor, Fudan University Cancer Hospital, Shanghai, China. Dr. Cohen is a founding member and on the executive committee of the international Society for Integrative Oncology (SIO). Dr. Cohen is currently conducting clinical trials examining the biobehavioral effects of psychosocial interventions aimed at reducing the negative aspects of cancer treatment and improving quality of life (e.g., meditation, stress management, emotional writing, Hatha yoga, Tibetan yoga, Tai chi/Qigong, music therapy). He is interested in examining different types of complementary programs that can be easily incorporated into conventional treatment to decrease the psychophysiological sequelae associated with treatment. His research simultaneously assesses psychological, behavioral and physiological factors in an attempt to better understand the cancer process. ... Presenter's Sessions

Clare Collins, RN, PhD, F.A.A.N., CYT, E-RYT 500, is a Yoga Therapist in East Lansing, Michigan, Coordinator for the American Viniyoga Institute (AVI) Viniyoga Therapist Training and Professor Emeritus of Nursing at Michigan State University. She completed a Master’s Degree in Mental Health Nursing at Yale University, Ph.D in Counseling at University of Michigan and a post-doctoral research fellowship in geriatric mental health at NIMH. She has completed extensive studies in yoga and Yoga Therapy. ... Presenter's Sessions

Nydia Tijerina Darby, MS, PT ERYT-200, RYT 500, offers a unique service that melds traditional western physical therapy practice with traditional eastern Hatha yoga practice. The result is an adventure called Nydia’s Yoga Therapy that is geared towards treating the “whole” person- mind, body & spirit. This practice is presented to the community via Nydia’s Yoga Therapy studio in San Antonio, Texas. Nydia acts as an ambassador for yoga in the medical community and facilitates the continuing education of medical and yoga professionals. She mentors and trains her team of yoga instructors and participates in yoga research so that the healing and transformational approach that is Nydia’s Yoga Therapy can positively impact as many lives as possible. ... Presenter's Sessions

Nischala Joy Devi is a masterful and compassionate teacher. For many years she has been highly respected as an international advocate for her innovative way of expressing Yoga and its subtle uses for spiritual growth and complete healing. Educated by masters in India and worldwide, she was a monastic disciple of Sri Swami Satchidanandaji for over 20 years. Developing the Yoga portion of the landmark research in pioneering Yoga for life threatening diseases, Dean Ornish Program for Reversing Heart Disease and Commonweal Cancer Help Program, culminated in the creation of her Yoga of the Heart® certification course for teachers and health professionals. She serves on the Advisory Council for the International Association of Yoga Therapists. Nischala Joy Devi is the author of several CDs and books, including The Healing Path of Yoga and The Secret Power of Yoga, A Woman’s Guide to the Heart and Spirit of the Yoga Sutras and the award winning audio book of The Secret Power of Yoga. Nischala Devi’s teachings reflect a heart-centered perspective of spirituality and scripture. ... Presenter's Sessions

Staffan Elgelid, PT, GCFT, PhD, is Associate Professor of Physical Therapy at Nazareth College. At Nazareth College he teaches health and wellness and is the director of the college’s health and wellness programs. He has presented on a multitude of topics both nationally and internationally. He is also a Feldenkrais Practitioner and has been active in the Feldenkrais and Somatic Education community both at a national and international level. Staffan was elected to the IAYT board of directors in May, 2013 and now serves as the board liaison to the IAYT Accreditation Committee. Previously he was on the Accreditation Committee as well as the IAYT Advisory Council. Staffan has published several articles in IAYT publications and holds a yoga therapy certification from YogaLife Institute. ... Presenter's Sessions

Ellen Fein, LCSW, E-RYT 500, works with individuals and groups to co-create healing practices that are drawn from the ancient traditions of yoga as well as contemporary mind-body medicine. She teaches, mentors and coaches those who want to deepen their own professional work as yoga or health care professions. She has specific training in oncology, pain management, end-of-life care and chronic conditions. Ellen is Senior Faculty with the Center for Mind-Body Medicine and Visiting Faculty with the American Viniyoga Institute. For more about Ellen, please visit: http://www.breathe2change.com. For Yoga Practices and Stories of Yoga for Healing visit: http://www.youtube.com/user/Breathe2Change ... Presenter's Sessions

Lisa Galiza E-RYT200, CYT, POLY, is a student of her brother Larry Payne Ph.D., founder of Samata International Yoga and Health Institute and founding director of Yoga therapy Rx and Prime of Life Yoga programs at Loyola Marymount University. She completed the Prime of Life Yoga training program as well as advanced training in Yoga therapy.

She is the founder of Bee Cave Yoga and has taught yoga for over 10 years in the Austin area both group and private classes. Lisa attended CSULB and has a BA in Foods and Nutrition. She recently completed the Wellcoach program. Lisa is featured in Yoga for Dummies and Prime of Life Yoga DVD series. Most recently she was appointed Southwest director of Prime of Life Yoga. ... Presenter's Sessions

Maria Eugenia Garré, MEd, ERYT 500, is a dedicated, life-long student, teacher and practitioner of both Yoga and Ayurveda.  Bringing together 20+ years of academic and graduate study in Biology/Biomedical Sciences, Philosophy, Ayurveda and Yoga, Maria offers on-line classes, teacher training and transformative retreats throughout the world.  Currently, Maria serves as the Ayuryoga Manager and Lead Instructor at the Ayurvedic Institute, is a Senior Teacher Trainer for Shiva Rea's Samudra School for Living Yoga and travels as a guest lecturer and presenter.  For a full bio visit www.mariagarre.com. ... Presenter's Sessions

Janice Gates is founder of Somatic Yoga Therapy Programs, which focus on the psychological and spiritual dimensions of yoga. She has been working as a yoga therapist in both private practice and clinical settings for over 20 years. Early on, Janice established a yoga therapy program at the offices of renowned Chiropractor, Dr. Steven Katz in Mill Valley, California, and later owned and directed a thriving Mindful Yoga Center for 14 years in Marin County, CA. She served on the faculty of the Yoga Research and Education Center and currently trains and mentors yoga teachers and health care practitioners in how to integrate the incredibly sophisticated tools of yoga into their work with others. Janice is past president of the board of directors of IAYT and has written widely on yoga, yoga therapy and meditation. She is author of the pioneering book, Yogini, the Power of Women in Yoga, and her articles have been published in Yoga Journal, the International Journal of Yoga Therapists and many other publications. Janice teaches at The Yoga Garden in San Anselmo, CA, Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Marin County and leads in-depth trainings and retreats. ... Presenter's Sessions

Jay Gupta, RPh, is a registered pharmacist and yoga therapist whose quest for learning and sharing has taken him to over 15 countries. He is also the co-founder of RxRelax, LLC and YogaCaps, Inc., an all-volunteer 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization. RxRelax combines his background to focus on making therapeutic lifestyle change easy. YogaCaps brings free therapeutic yoga experience to those with chronic physical and mental health conditions at 7 hospitals and community centers. Recognized by the pharmacist community for "Excellence in Innovation", Gupta lectures regularly on yoga and health-related topics for hospital, healthcare and corporate audiences. ... Presenter's Sessions

Kate Holcombe began her Yoga education in 1991 as a student of T.K.V. Desikachar in Chennai, India and continues to study with him regularly for extended periods of intensive, one-on-one study.  Kate has over 20 years of experience working with individuals facing a broad range of health concerns and illnesses. She is the founder and director of the non-profit Healing Yoga Foundation in San Francisco and a Contributing Editor for Yoga Journal magazine. ... Presenter's Sessions

Lynn Hughes, D.O., RYT-500. A board certified psychiatrist, Dr. Hughes has practiced in a variety of different settings including Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Michigan State University, outpatient rural and urban mental health clinics, geriatric inpatient care, and at Group Health in Washington State. Yoga has become an integral part of her treatment of patients as well as training of medical students and family practice residents. Dr. Hughes’s unique approach weaves Eastern and Western psychological and developmental models, neuroscience and western medicine into seamless practices of breath, mindful awareness, movement, and psychoeducation. Lynn oversees the psycho-emotional component of The Essential Yoga Therapy program. Her teachings clarify how, through the lens of yoga, the brain, mind, and personality are shaped by our world and shape our perception of the world allowing for evolving self-knowledge and embodied growth. She specializes in designing yoga practices to address mood, anxiety, trauma, and disorders of chronic stress. ... Presenter's Sessions

Peggy Kelly Lucky to have found Iyengar's Light on Yoga before she turned 20, Peggy has continued to study the Iyengar method wherever she lived since (Massachusetts, Canada, Texas, India, Mexico). She was one of the original board members of the Iyengar Yoga National Association of the US in 1990, and continues to serve the associations in both the US and Mexico as an assessor in the education process.

Her Ayurveda studies were inspired by Geeta Iyengar's teaching in Pune, India. In the late 90's Peggy found Swamini Maya Ma (formerly Bri. Maya Tiwari) and studied with her at the Wise Earth School in North Carolina. She has also studied with David Frawley, and in 2005 completed the course with the American Institute of Ayurveda, leading to her certification as a practitioner (CAP). In 2012 her book Physical Poetry: Uniting Yoga and Ayurveda was published by Durga Press in Austin. She maintains a practice of Ayurveda and teaches Iyengar Yoga in Austin, Texas, but will relocate to Xico, Veracruz, Mexico in 2015. ... Presenter's Sessions

Gary Kraftsow, MA, E-RYT 500, has been a pioneer in the transmission of yoga for over 30 years. His study of yoga began with T.K.V. Desikachar in 1974. He received a Viniyoga Special Diploma while completing academic studies in philosophy, psychology and religion. Kraftsow authored Yoga for Wellness and Yoga for Transformation and four Viniyoga Therapy DVDs. He developed yoga therapy interventions for NIH studies and a stress reduction intervention for the Aetna Mind-Body Pilot. ... Presenter's Sessions

Suhas G. Kshirsagar, BAMS, MD (Ayurveda, India), is a world-renown Ayurvedic physician & Educator from India born of a traditional Rig-Vedic family. He holds a M.D. in Ayurvedic Medicine, with a Gold Medal from the prestigious Pune University in India. He is an accomplished Ayurvedic physician, who has traveled worldwide popularizing Ayurvedic Medicine, setting up clinics, training health professionals and has provided Ayurvedic consultations for thousands of his patients. He is an internationally acclaimed motivational speaker, experienced Clinician, researcher & an insightful Medical Astrologer, who adds tremendous value to his clients and students alike.

Dr. Suhas travels extensively around the world teaching Yoga, Ayurveda and Vedanta, designing courses and curriculums, consulting with high-profile health and wellness corporations, and sharing the stage with other pioneering figures such as Drs. Deepak Chopra, Andrew Weil, Tony Robbins and Wayne Dyer. He is currently the Director of "Ayurvedic Healing" an Integrative Wellness Clinic in Santa Cruz, California. ... Presenter's Sessions

Chyrs Kub, PT, ERYT-500, Chrys Kub received her Masters in Physical Therapy from the University of Southern California. She has over 25 years of clinical experience in neurological rehabilitation and pediatrics and has spent the past 15 years integrating yoga therapy into her practice. She educates yoga teachers and medical professionals throughout the US and the world in yoga therapy applications. Chrys is owner and operator of BalancedBody Yoga Therapy and is Program Director for Holistic Yoga Teacher Trainings /Yoga Therapy School ... Presenter's Sessions

Vasant Lad, BAMS, MASc, received the degree of Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (B.A.M.S.) from the University of Pune in Pune, India in 1968 and a Master of Ayurvedic Science (M.A.Sc.) from Tilak Ayurved Mahavidyalaya in Pune in 1980. For 3 years he served as Medical Director of the Ayurveda Hospital in Pune. He also held the position of Professor of Clinical Medicine at the Pune University College of Ayurvedic Medicine where he was an instructor for more than a decade. In 1984, he founded and began as Director of The Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Dr. Lad is the author of many books and articles and is respected throughout the world for his knowledge of Ayurveda. ... Presenter's Sessions

Judith Hanson Lasater, PT, PhD, has taught yoga since 1971. She holds a doctorate in East-West psychology and is a physical therapist. Judith is president of the California Yoga Teachers Association, and serves on the advisory boards of Yoga Journal and the Yoga Research and Education Center. Her yoga training includes study with B. K. S. Iyengar in India and the United States. She teaches ongoing yoga classes and trains yoga teachers in kinesiology, yoga therapeutics, and the Yoga Sutra in the San Francisco Bay Area. Judith also gives workshops throughout the United States, and has taught in Canada, England, France, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Peru, and Russia. She is the author of six books: A Year of Living Your Yoga, Yoga Abs, Yoga for Pregnancy, 30 Essential Yoga Poses, Living Your Yoga and Relax and Renew. ... Presenter's Sessions

Michael Lerner, PhD, is president and co-founder of Commonweal in Bolinas, California. Founded in 1976, Commonweal has program interests in health, the environment and education.

Commonweal’s focus is on healing and resilience. Signature programs include the Commonweal Cancer Help Program, an internationally recognized support program for cancer patients; the Institute for the Study of Health and Illness, offering “Healer’s Art” programs in 70 medical schools; the Collaborative on Health and the Environment, engaging 4000 partners in environmental health science dialogue; and The New School at Commonweal, offering free live conversations and podcasts with thought leaders of our time.

A Harvard graduate with a doctorate from Yale, Lerner left teaching at Yale to found Full Circle, a residential center for at-risk children in Bolinas in 1972. He founded Commonweal in 1976. He received a MacArthur Prize Fellowship for contributions to public health in 1983.

Lerner is the author of Choices in Healing: Integrating the Best of Conventional and Complementary Approaches to Cancer. The Commonweal Cancer Help Program was the subject of an hour-long documentary, “Wounded Healers,” part of Bill Moyers prize-winning PBS series, “Healing and the Mind.”

Lerner is also president of the Jennifer Altman Foundation and the Barbara Smith Fund. He is co-founder and president emeritus of Smith Center for Healing and the Arts in Washington, D.C. He is past chair of the Consultative Group on Biodiversity, co-founder and chair emeritus of the Health and Environmental Funders Network, and serves on the boards of Global Greengrants in Boulder and the Wildflowers Institute in San Francisco. ... Presenter's Sessions

Charles MacInerney Charles MacInerney has been practicing Yoga for 40 years and offering Yoga Therapy for 25 years. He designed and implemented two hospital based Cardiac Yoga rehabilitation programs and has been both opening and closing Keynote speaker at Cardiac Rehabilitation Conferences. Charles taught yoga at a children's shelter and been Key-note speaker at both Child Protective Services and Adult Protective & Regulatory Services conferences. He partnered with a Travis County Judge to assess the benefits of Pranayama for at-risk-youth and presented at the Southwest Yoga Conference on Yoga For At-Risk-Youth. Other conferences he has presented at include the International Conference on Yoga for Positive Health, and the National Wellness Conferences from 1992-1998. Charles is cofounder and a director of the Texas Yoga Retreat & Yoga Therapy Conference, and the Living Yoga 200 hr Teacher Training Program.

website: www.yogateacher.com ... Presenter's Sessions

Pooja Maddela, BNYS, PGDYN, DipPhty, Dip Ayu Lifestyle Management, E-RYT 500, was the recipient of “Tutor of the year 2010 NZ” (NZAPEP) for excellence in teaching and facilitating Yoga Philosophy and Practice in tertiary education, the “Yogini Award” (AAPNA), and the “National Women Excellence Award 2009” (INDIA) for her contribution to the field of Yoga. She works as Assistant Head of the Yoga Faculty at Wellpark College in New Zealand. Her expertise in the traditional practice of Yoga has transformed the personal journey, of numerous students in their academic and professional development. Dr Pooja earned bachelor and post-graduate degrees in Naturopathy and Yogic Sciences from India. She also holds a Diploma in Physiotherapy and Ayurveda Lifestyle management. E-RYT 500. ... Presenter's Sessions

Sridhar Maddela, BNYS, DipPhty, PGDipYN, MHSc, ERYT 500, is the Head of Medical Sciences and Yoga Faculties at Wellpark College of Natural Therapies, Auckland, New Zealand. He is instrumental in developing and successfully delivering New Zealand Qualification Authority (NZQA) recognised government-funded yoga and yoga therapy qualifications. He graduated with a Masters in Health Sciences from the University of Auckland. His research titled “Psyche of Parkinson\’s Disease: A Yoga Perspective” has established correlations between mind-body associations. His ability to integrate orthodox and yogic sciences makes him a unique lecturer and a motivating clinical superintendent. He is a peer reviewer for Light on Ayurveda Journal. ... Presenter's Sessions

Lee Majewski is a Yoga Therapist at Kaivalyadhama Yoga Institute, Lonavla, India. Lee is an honorary associate creating and teaching therapy programs for cancer survivors and chronic disease at Kaivalyadham Yoga Institute, the world’s oldest Yoga research center. Other current research projects include co-operation with University Health Network and Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto, York University in Toronto and McGill University in Montreal Canada. Her own journey through breast cancer brought home the value of ancient yogic methods and techniques to facilitate self-empowerment and healing. She works individually or with groups to raise people’s awareness so that they experience their own healing power. www.lamaconsulting.com. ... Presenter's Sessions

Richard C. Miller, PhD is a clinical psychologist, and the founding president of the Integrative Restoration Institute (IRI), co-founder of The International Association of Yoga Therapy (IAYT), a founding member and past president of the Institute for Spirituality and Psychology, and author of Yoga Nidra: A Meditative Practice for Deep Relaxation and Healing. He is one of this generation’s leading teachers of nondual wisdom, and leads retreats and trainings internationally. Richard serves as a research consultant studying the iRest Yoga Nidra protocol that he’s developed, researching its efficacy on health, healing and well-being with diverse populations including active-duty servicemembers, veterans, college students, children, the homeless, with issues such as PTSD, sleep disorders, chemical dependency, chronic pain, and traumatic brain injury. Richard is currently writing a book, The iRest Program for Healing PTSD (New Harbinger, 2014). www.irest.us ... Presenter's Sessions

Larry Payne, PhD, is the founding president of IAYT and co-author of Yoga for Dummies, Yoga Rx, and The Business of Teaching Yoga, and is featured in the Yoga Therapy Rx DVD series. The Los Angeles Timothyes named Payne "one of America's most respected Yoga teachers." He is also co-founder of the Yoga curriculum at the UCLA School of Medicine, and director of the Yoga Therapy Rx certification program at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. ... Presenter's Sessions

Neil Pearson, PT, MSc(RHBS), BA-BPHE, CYT, RYT500, is a physical therapist, yoga therapist and Clinical Assistant Professor. His passion is pain care. He travels extensively, facilitating in pain management programs, leading retreats, and teaching within yoga therapist training programs. His Pain Care Yoga programs integrate yoga with western practices and practitioners. Neil is an engaging speaker, making the complex simple, providing experiences to integrate knowledge, and challenging us to think more about what we think, and about how we practice. ... Presenter's Sessions

Heather Reed, BA, CYT, is co-author of Sustainable Wellness:  An Integrative Approach to Transform Your Mind, Body, and Spirit, has been on faculty of YCat Yoga Therapy on and off since her YCat graduation in 1998. In 1996, Esther Myers Yoga Teacher Training awarded Heather a 600 hour Experienced Teacher Certification. In 1997, Heather designed and developed Yoga classes for The Wellness Community in Atlanta, Georgia, where she taught until 2004. Heather was the Yoga teacher and residential retreat facilitator for Many Streams Healing Systems, Inc., in Rome, Georgia from 2002 to 2007.  Since 2008 she is the Yoga teacher and co-facilitator for the Residential Retreat Program for Cancer Navigators of Rome, Georgia.  Heather also teaches privately in Austin, Texas, where she lives with her husband and son. ... Presenter's Sessions

Robin Rothenberg, E-RYT 500, CYTh is an internationally respected yoga therapist, program director for Essential Yoga Therapy and heavily involved in yoga research. She works in two major hospitals in the Seattle area as well as a rehab clinic, focusing exclusively on yoga therapy for chronic pain and illness. Robin writes the Mentor\’s Corner for Yoga Therapy Today and is on the Accreditation Committee for IAYT. She is the author of The Essential Low Back Program: Relieve Pain and Restore Health and the CD, Soothing the Spirit: Yoga Nidra for Anxious Minds. ... Presenter's Sessions

Dilip Sarkar, MD, FACS, D. Ayur, of Norfolk, Virginia, is a retired vascular surgeon, now teaching classes in Yoga therapy, Ayurvedic wellness and Integrative Medicine, combining his forty years of experience in conventional medicine with his knowledge of Ayurveda and Yoga. Dr. Sarkar is a Fellow of the American Association of Integrative Medicine (AAIM) and retired as an Associate Professor of Surgery at Eastern Virginia Medical School and Chairman of the Department of Surgery and Chief of Staff at Portsmouth General Hospital. He is also a Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner and Yoga teacher. Dr. Sarkar now serves on several healthcare boards including the American Heart Association where he is Chair of the AHA "My Life Check" Program, He is a Life Member of the National Ayurvedic Medical Association (NAMA) and serves as a member of the Yoga Standards Subcommittee. Currently he is Executive Director, School of Integrative Medicine, Taksha University in Virginia. ... Presenter's Sessions

Matthew Taylor, PT, PhD, ERYT-500, has 32 years as a leader in integrative rehabilitation and his practice has been featured in national publications for both patient care delivery and administrative design. His cash-based business is a futuristic approach fusing orthopedic rehabilitation, Yoga therapy and modern transformation learning theory. He is past president of the board of directors of IAYT, chair of the business development CIC’s, and teaches nationally of business development for Yoga therapists. ... Presenter's Sessions

Susan Taylor, PhD, is renowned for teaching practical ways to integrate western medicine with natural healing traditions specializing in holistic therapies for the mind. Taylor is also the founder of the Meditation Specialist Competency Training a nationally acclaimed skills building competency program awarded by the ANCC. Dr. Taylor has authored several best-selling publications including The Vital Energy Program, and The Healing Power of Meditation CD series, appeared in The American Journal of Physiology and many national magazines. She holds a PhD in Nutritional Biochemistry from Case Western Reserve Medical School, an MS in Human Nutrition with Columbia Medical School and educational director at the Center for Meditation Science. She has been practicing and teaching for over 35 years. Her website is: www.drsusantaylor.com. ... Presenter's Sessions

Susan Steiger Tebb, PhD, LSW, RYT, Professor, School of Social Work Saint Louis University has centered her research around family caregiving. As a social worker for more than forty-five years she has worked with diverse family configurations and lately her research , knowledge and skill training has taken her into bringing yoga into the healing process. She is a LifeForce Yoga Practitioner Level Two, holds a Certificate of Completion in Therapeutic Yoga for Seniors from Duke Integrative Medicine and currently is working on her 500 yoga teacher training at the Himalayan Institute. She has offered a number of presentations and workshops on incorporating yoga into health/mental health care. ... Presenter's Sessions

Richard Usatine, MD, is a full Professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine and Assistant Director of Medical Humanities Education at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. He received his MD from Columbia University and completed his family medicine residency at UCLA Medical Center. He is a co-author of Yoga Rx, four medical textbooks and over one hundred articles. He co-founded the first Yoga in Medicine course in a US medical school with Larry Payne in the 1990’s. Dr. Usatine is the year 2000 recipient of a National Humanism in Medicine Award from the Association of American Medical Colleges. Since 2000, he has been chosen yearly by his peers to be included in The Best Doctors in America. He has won numerous teaching awards and loves teaching medical students to become compassionate doctors. Dr. Usatine practices Yoga daily and teaches about the health benefits of Yoga to many types of audiences. ... Presenter's Sessions

Amy Weintraub, ERYT-500, MFA, LFYP As director of the LifeForce Yoga Healing Institute, Amy trains yoga and mental health professionals internationally. She is the author of Yoga for Depression and Yoga Skills for Therapists: Effective Practices for Mood Management and evidence-based audiovisual materials for mood management. She is involved in research on the effects of yoga on mood, and publishes a bimonthly research newsletter on yoga and mental health. The LifeForce Yoga protocol is used by health care providers worldwide. ... Presenter's Sessions

Amy Wheeler, PhD, is a Professor of Kinesiology at California State University, San Bernardino for 16 years. Amy\'s degrees include a B.A. and M.A. in Health Promotion and a Ph.D. in Education and Psychology.  Amy has extensive Yoga training in the Krishnamacharya Tradition and was certified as a Yoga Teacher, a Yoga Teacher Trainer and Yoga Therapist. She teaches Yoga Therapy at the Loyola Marymount Yoga Rx Program.  She is currently involved in several Yoga Therapy research projects pertaining to: Metabolic Syndrome, Kidney Dialysis, Colon and Rectal Cancer, and Ovarian and Uterine Cancer with researchers at Vanderbilt University.  Amy is helping to set standards for Yoga Therapist in organizations such as NAMA (National Ayurvedic Medical Association). Amy is a Co-Founder and Co-Director of YATNA (Yoga as Therapy, North America).  Amy also founded the Healing Yoga Institute in 2007 and continues to train yoga teachers at the 200, 300 and 500-hour levels. Amy recently joined the Board of Directors for the International Association of Yoga Therapist (IAYT). ... Presenter's Sessions