With over 24 years as a professional facilitator and  35 years as a Bharatanatyam dancer, Ajay offers a unique approach to learning through deep understanding of one’s own somatic wisdom. He has facilitated over 450 programs for more than 15,000 participants and Ajay’s expertise encompasses designing and delivering competency-based leadership programs, high-performance teams, and change management initiatives for individuals and organizations. As a performing artist he has toured India, UK and the USA for performances. An accredited ICF-PCC Coach, Ajay’s clients include CEOs and senior leaders in India and the US, focusing on self-awareness and impactful leadership. Ajay’s academic credentials include a Master of Arts in Global Leadership from Royal Roads University, Canada.

Furthermore, leveraging his deep insights from Natya Shastra, the Ramayana, and bodywork, Ajay offers a distinctive coaching in relationship enhancement. For over five years, he has helped individuals and couples gain profound self-understanding, identify relationship patterns, and foster deeper connections.

Dr. Suryanarayana Nanda is a distinguished scholar with a lifelong commitment to the study of Vedic texts and Classical Sanskrit literature. He holds a Ph.D. in Sanskrit from Utkal University, Bhubaneswar, as well as an M.A. and M.Phil. from Delhi University. Additionally, he earned his Sahityācārya degree from S. Jagannatha Sanskrit Visvavidyalaya, Puri.

Dr. Nanda has had an illustrious academic career, including serving as an Assistant Professor of Sanskrit at St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University. He also spent a decade as an Acharya (traditional teacher) of Vedic texts and philosophy at a renowned Gurukul in New Delhi. In addition to his teaching roles, Dr. Nanda has had a significant impact on media, having worked for over ten years as a Sanskrit broadcaster with All India Radio and Doordarshan in Delhi.

A passionate advocate for the promotion of Sanskrit as a spoken language, Dr. Nanda volunteered as a full-time Pracharaka for over 13 years, contributing to the preservation and growth of Sanskrit in modern society. He has authored numerous publications, including more than 30 articles in Sanskrit, Hindi, and English, and served as the editor of Arsha Jyotih, a respected monthly Sanskrit magazine.

Since 2012, Dr. Nanda has been serving as an Acharya at the Vedic Culture Center, Arya Samaj Greater Houston, where he continues to inspire and educate others in the teachings of Vedic culture and Sanskrit.

Founder of the California College of Ayurveda

Dr. Marc Halpern, D.C., MAS. (Ayurvedacharya) has played an important role in the development of Ayurvedic medicine in the West. He is considered to be a preeminent practitioner and teacher of Ayurveda in the United States and continues to develop the programs at the College. He is one of the few Westerners ever recognized in both the United States and in India as an authority on the subject of Ayurveda, and was awarded the All India Award for Best Ayurvedic Physician. A pillar in the development of the profession in the United States, he is the co-founder of the National Ayurvedic Medical Association for which he served as Chairman of the National Committee on Ayurvedic Education. He is also a co-founder of the California Association of Ayurvedic Medicine and the National Council on Ayurvedic Education. He started his career as a Doctor of Chiropractic in 1987 when he graduated from Palmer West Chiropractic College. His journey to understand the cause of suffering and to heal himself led him to the field of Ayurvedic Medicine in 1991 when he completed a post-graduate certification program in holistic medicine through New York Chiropractic College. This program introduced him to Ayurveda. At that time, there were only a handful of individuals in the United States knowledgeable in Ayurveda.

Dr. Marc sought out Dr. David Frawley as a teacher and began a journey deeper into the Vedic sciences. Dr. Frawley introduced him to several teachers from India, most notably Dr. Subhash Ranade. Dr. Halpern sponsored Dr. Ranade to come to the US and to stay at his home. During his visits, Dr. Halpern was given copies of the classical texts. Studying these texts and observing his teacher treating patients helped shape how Dr. Halpern would eventually train other practitioners. Realizing that there needed to be a formal profession for Ayurvedic Medicine in the United States, Dr. Halpern dedicated himself to building this profession, and has been following this mission for more than 20 years. He has authored two important textbooks in the field of Ayurvedic Medicine as well as the popular book, Healing Your Life: Lessons on the Path of Ayurveda and the audio recording, Yoga Nidra and Self Healing. He has published articles in almost every major journal and magazine of Yoga or Ayurveda, and in 2005 was interviewed by Mike Wallace on CBS’s 60 Minutes. Dr. Halpern’s own remarkable story of personal healing was featured in the national magazine Spirituality and Health. He has been quoted in many major newspapers, including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times and The Miami Herald. In addition to his work with the California College of Ayurveda, Dr. Halpern is a certified yoga instructor and a regular teacher of Ayurveda at International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers worldwide.

Dr. Dilip Amin is the founder of InterfaithShaadi.org and HinduSpeakers.org and serves as the Director of the Peninsula Multifaith Coalition in the San Francisco Bay Area. A Dharma Ambassador and former Advisory Committee member of the Hindu American Foundation, Dr. Amin is also a jail chaplain and a columnist at Patheos. Over the past 18 years, Dr. Amin has guided over 1,200 young adults in navigating interfaith relationships, sharing his insights through four published books, including Interfaith Marriage—Share & Respect with Equality (Mount Meru), Hindu-Muslim Shaadi—Samasyayen Aur Samadhan (in Hindi, Garuda), Hindu-Muslim Marriage: Difficulties and Reconciliations (Garuda), and Hindu Vivaha Samskara, which he co-authored.

Dr. Amin holds a Ph.D. in Pharmacology and has dedicated over 42 years to research in medicine, securing six patents and publishing 23 scientific papers.  Born in Gujarat, India, and currently residing in the U.S., he has traveled to over 40 countries, gaining a rich understanding of diverse cultures and religions. He previously served as President of Plymouth Balvihar in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and founded the Balvihar at Sanatan Mandir in San Bruno, California. He has been happily married for 45 years and is the proud father of two American-born children.

You can read his recent articles on Patheos: Patheos Blog
Website: InterfaithShaadi.org
YouTube: Interfaith Shaadi Videos
LinkedIn: Dilip Amin
Twitter: @IFShaadi

Vaidya Vandana Baranwal is a doctor of Ayurveda specializing in Women’s health. She holds an MD in Ayurvedic Prasuti Tantra and Stree Roga (PTSR) from the Faculty of Ayurveda, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University. Before moving to the USA, she was a Professor at SDM College of Ayurveda, Karnataka. With almost 30 years of experience and a decade-long practice in the USA, she has founded Ayurvedatri LLC – Women Wellness Solutions to promote holistic approaches of Ayurveda for women’s health and well-being. 

A native of Varanasi, her deep understanding of Vedic traditions, Yoga, and Astrology enriches her holistic healing approach. She has co-authored two books on women’s health- Stree Roga Vimarsha and Prasuti Tantra Sandirshini. Additionally, she is a staff editor for the Ayurveda Journal of Health (AJH) published by the University of Massachusetts. 

Currently based in Plain City, Ohio, she is the Founder and President of the Ayurveda Association of Ohio (501 c 3). She teaches Ayurveda at the Integrative Health Center, Wexner Medical Center, Ohio State University, and various Ayurveda schools and colleges across the globe. She has been honored with the Charaka Award for excellence in teaching.

Her passion and love for Ayurveda fuels her vision for the development and growth of Ayurveda in the Western world. This includes creating and implementing high-quality education and training programs and practicing various aspects of Ayurveda for optimal health and well-being. She believes that embracing the holistic and scientific principles of Ayurveda can help cultivate vitality, balance, and well-being at every life stage.

You can find Vaidya Vandana Baranwal –

• Website- https://www.ayurvedatri.com/
• linkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prof-vandana-baranwal
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ayurvedatri/

Sahana Singh is an author and commentator based in Ithaca, NY in the United States. Having a professional background in environmental engineering, she brings a unique perspective to her writing, with her grasp of diverse subjects such as Indian history, water management, and education. Her first book “The Educational Heritage of Ancient India – How an Ecosystem of Learning was Laid to Waste” has been appreciated for awakening Indians to the role played by India in spreading knowledge around the world. The book has garnered acclaim for its compelling narrative, awakening readers to the profound impact of India’s intellectual legacy.

Building on the success of her first book, Sahana’s second work, “Revisiting the Educational Heritage of India,” published by Vitasta, offers a deeper exploration into India’s distinctive ecosystem of learning. In this work, she meticulously unravels the layers of India’s knowledge-centric society, connecting it with the major academic disciplines pursued today.

Sahana Singh’s work enables a deeper understanding of India’s cultural and educational roots. It helps to cultivate an appreciation for the historical forces that continue to shape our contemporary world.

An alumnus of Delhi Technological University, Sahana made a career shift to writing after moving to Singapore. She worked as Editor of Asian Water Magazine for many years. Sahana’s articles have been published in Reader’s Digest, Washington Post, Discovery Channel Asia, Asian Water Magazine, Swarajya, IndiaFacts and other publications. Sahana is on the board of many nonprofit organizations related to history, heritage, education, and restoration of Samskara. She is passionate about travelling and connecting the dots across different societies, civilizations and disciplines.

Dr. Suryanarayana Nanda has devoted his life to studying Vedic texts and Classical Sanskrit literature. He holds a Ph.D. in Sanskrit from Utkal University in Bhubaneswar, as well as an M.A. and M.Phil. from Delhi University, and Sahityācārya from S. Jagannatha Sanskrit Visvavidyalaya, Puri.

Previously, he served as an Assistant Professor of Sanskrit at St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University. He also worked for a decade as an Acharya (traditional teacher) of Vedic texts and philosophy at a GURUKUL in New Delhi.
Additionally, Dr. Nanda spent over a decade as a TV and radio broadcaster, delivering news in Sanskrit for both All India Radio and Door Darshan in Delhi. He also worked as a full-time Pracharaka (volunteer) for more than 13 years, promoting Sanskrit as a spoken language.
Dr. Nanda has authored numerous publications, including more than 30 articles in Sanskrit, Hindi, and English. He was also the editor of Arsha Jyotih, a monthly Sanskrit magazine.
Currently, Dr. Nanda is an Acharya at Vedic Culture Center, Arya Samaj Greater Houston since 2012.

Dr. Aparna Bapat is a distinguished Ayurveda Practitioner, Educator, and Entrepreneur, having worked in the U.S. for the past 25 years.

Dr. Bapat earned her BAMS degree (Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery) from Pune University in India in 1990. After her internship in 1992, she joined Ayushakti in Mumbai, where she honed her skills in Ayurvedic Pulse reading and Panchakarma treatments under Dr. Naram. In 1995, she spent six months at Atmasantulana Village with Dr. Tambay, broadening her experience with a diverse patient base from around the globe.

Between 1995 and 1998, she served as an Ayurveda consultant and Professor at Ayurveda College UK, working across Europe in countries such as Holland, Belgium, Germany, Austria, and England.

In 1998, during a visit to New York, Dr. Bapat accepted a position at the Ayurved Center, Ayurveda Cafe in NYC, and the Himalayan Institute, where she served as an Ayurveda consultant and educator until 2016.

She has been instrumental in establishing numerous Ayurveda centers and colleges in the U.S., including Sai Ayurveda College in Florida. She is also a faculty member at Ananda Ayurveda Academy and Sampoorna Ayurveda College.

In 2006, she founded Ayurspirit LLC to introduce authentic Ayurveda formulations to the U.S. market. That same year, she established the Ayurspirit Ayurveda Institute, offering independent courses and training in Ayurveda and life skills.

Dr. Bapat has served on the NAMA Board for nine years and is currently the President of the Ayurveda Association of Florida (AAF) and the International Council for Ayurveda Accreditation (ICAA). She is a founding member of the American Association of Ayurvedic Professionals (AAAP) and a Board Director and founding member of the National Consortium of Ayurveda Medicine (NCAM).

Dr. Bapat is deeply engaged in Ayurveda education and serves on the faculty of several Ayurvedic colleges. She is a beloved mentor to many students who have studied under her and have become successful practitioners and educators themselves.

Dr. Bapat is at the forefront of the initiative to legalize Ayurveda in Florida, working with the AAF, the National Health Freedom Coalition, and local Florida politicians.

Grounded in spirituality, Dr. Bapat has helped heal thousands with her expertise in pulse reading, herbal remedies, Panchakarma, nutrition, cooking, and lifestyle counseling, all based on Ayurvedic and Yogic principles.

Dr. Bapat’s practice is located in Citrus Hills and Brooksville, Florida.

Ms. Mansi Sharma specialized in the subjects of Psychology, Economics and Public Administration during her graduation. She has two Post-Graduate Degrees, one in English Literature and Cultural Studies, second in Gandhian and Peace Studies. She also holds a Professional degree in Law. Meritorious throughout her academic career, Mansi Sharma is a Gold-Medalist in Gandhian and Peace Studies. She obtained third rank in University in Master of Arts in English Literature and Cultural Studies.

During her Law School Days, she was awarded as best all-rounder student of the year. She stood first in a National Eligibity Test on Gandhian, Buddhist and Jain philosophy and was awarded Junior Research Fellowship. Currently, she is a Senior Research Fellow and faculty on Socio-Political thought of Mahatma Gandhi in Panjab University India, where she is also pursuing her Doctorate in Philosophy. Mansi is a Certified as well as Accredited International Mediator and Lawyer.

An incredible speaker of international repute, she works as a resource person on Nonviolent Communication with Gandhi Smriti Darshan Samiti, New Delhi. She is Legal head and Board member for Global Peace Let’s Talk International, U.K. Also, she is a faculty and associate member of Three C’s Met Mediators, Nigeria. Ms. Sharma also works as a life coach and motivational speaker.