Kate Reddy
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Kate Reddy, also known as Keli Lalita, did her first Surya Namaskars at the Vivekananda Vedanta Vihar, an ashram in the foothills of the Catskills, at age 7. She would ride her bike up a long hill for flute lessons there and became intrigued by the devotees of Sri Rama Krishna. Some of her earliest and fondest childhood memories are of spending time alone in the hallway of the ashram looking at pictures of Krishna, Shiva and Ganesh. She loved to read the Mahabharat comic books, which she received as a gift from a family friend who often traveled to India in the late 1970's.
Keli moved into an ashram at age 19 while studying at the New School for Social Research in NYC. It was there that she began her Vedic studies. She traveled to India in 1992 for the first time where she spent three months visiting Holy Places and delving deeply into meditation, chanting and study. She received diksha initiation into the line of Gaudiya Vainavism, and the name Keli Lalita from her Guru, His Holiness Romapada Swami, in 1996.
Keli Lalita is the founder of Karuna Shakti Center for Yoga and Meditation. She has lead and assisted retreats both here in the US and most recently in India. She is one of the co-founders of Mantralogy, a record label which is dedicated to bring Sacred Music to the masses. Her yoga teaching is profoundly influenced by Shiva Rea, Srila Prabhupada, Desikachar, Krishnamacharya, Gerhard Schmid,(our modern thread to the Ancient Martial Art of Kalari), and all of the modern Kirtan players who have so graced this earth with their presence: Jai Uttal, Steve Gorn, John de Kadt and last but certainly not least Gaura Vani and crew. Her teaching is also deeply inspired by her practice of Bhakti yoga, by the poetry of Hafiz and Mirabai and Bhaktivinode Thakur and by her belief all beings are Divine that remembering this one fact is the goal of human life! Jai Sri Radhey Shyam! She lives in Stuyvesant Falls with her husband, and three children.
TJ Macchiaroli
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TJ earned his 200-hour Yoga Teacher's Certification from the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, and his 500-hour Yoga Teachers Certification from Sri Dharma Mittra at the Dharma Yoga Center in NYC. He has a deep interest in Bhakti Yoga (the Yoga of devotion), and he and his wife Melinda have journeyed to India where they studied yoga and visited many holy places. TJ's classes cultivate concentration and a meditative mood in the classical style of Hatha Yoga as taught by Sri Dharma Mittra. He has dedicated himself to share with others the wisdom and knowledge he has received from his teachers. TJ leads Dharma Yoga: Shiva Namaskar Vinyasa Tuesdays 6:30 - 8:00 pm.
For more information please contact tmacchi@gmail.com
Bob Bradford
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Bob is earning his 200-hour Yoga Teacher's Certification from the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health. He has studied yoga with Kate Reddy (Keli Lalita) for the past four and a half years, and attended Vinyasa teacher training with her teacher, Shiva Rea.
His meditation practice is guided by his guru Paramahansa Yogananda. Bob became his student in the summer of 2008, and received his spiritual baptism or "diksha" and became his disciple in October of 2009.
Bob practices Raja Yoga, which is the traditional yoga described by Patanjali in the "Yoga Sutras". This is a seated meditation practice, which uses breathing exercises (pranayama) as a path to deep meditative states and superconsciousness.
Bob leads Raja Meditation on Sunday's from 9:30 - 11:00am. For more information please contact goodhopefarms@hotmail.com.
Gerhard Schmid
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Gerhard is a certified as an "Ashan" (one of the most senior western instructors) in the lineage of C. M. Sherif Gurukkal, Kerala Kalarippyat Academy in Kannur, Kerala and teaches at his own studio in Hamburg, Germany as well in various places around the world. Gerhard has completed ten years of the traditional 12-year-"gurukkula"-education and is one of the very few Westerners who have been trained and given permission to teach in the three different styles of Kalarippayat, as well as offer treatment and therapies through Kalari Chikitsa (healing).
His inspiring classes are deeply rooted in his fundamental knowledge, his descriptive approach, his love to share what he was granted to discover and his great sense of humor. His ability to lead each student according to his/her individual potential makes every class an experience of growth and joy - for beginners and advanced practitioners alike.
Born in southern Germany and raised in Toronto/Canada, Gerhard has lived in Ireland, France and Germany. Teaching and continuously learning Kalari, Gerhard is now based in Hamburg, Germany.
Keri Walsh, RYT
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Keri is a local resident of Albany, New York and working towards a Master's Degree in Applied Nutrition. Devoted to yoga for over 6 years. Yoga has provided equanimity between her body & mind enabling her to balance an active, busy lifestyle. She completed her 200-hour Vinyasa YTT at Frog Lotus in Costa Rica and is registered with Yoga Alliance. Yoga is a discipline, where we constantly have to work at increasing self-control and awareness. Keri truly believes in the healing and transformative ability of yoga and is so grateful for the opportunity to share this passion of hers with others. She brings compassion, joy, fluidity and challenge to her teaching.
