Namaskara!
I am Anjali Rao.

My pronouns are she/her. I am a teacher, intersectional health advocate, space holder and seeker deeply interested in sharing the ancient wisdom of yoga in service to the challenges of the times.

My name, Anjali, means divine offering in Sanskrit. Yoga is a sacred offering from my ancestors, a gift that is an honor to share with those who are dedicated to individual and collective transformation.

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Anjali offers critical insight into the Yoga stories and histories that have been obscured by Brahminism, heteropatriarchy and colonization . She brings a multi disciplinary approach, integrating yoga philosophy and history, with storytelling, imagery and poetry. 

She is an Indian American immigrant, a cancer survivor and believes that a dedicated practice of yoga in all its expansiveness can alchemize and heal the world by creating ripples of change within and around us. 

 

She is an aspiring writer, the host of The Love of Yoga podcast, President of the Board of Directors of Accessible Yoga, an international non profit organization dedicated to sharing the teachings and benefits of yoga with those who have been marginalized.

  • Starting Oct 6: Lighting Up the Path (BIPOC only)

    A Critical Insight into Yoga, Religion and Caste. Yoga as a system of teachings and practices are embedded in a political-cultural context. This eight hour course demystifies the intersections between Yoga and religions, offering insight into significant developments that shaped Yoga. We dive into the history of caste and ethno-nationalism, and understand how it continues to manifest in Yoga.

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  • Bhagavad Gita: The Sacred Song

    In this workshop, we explore this timeless conversation between Arjuna and Krishna set dramatically on a battlefield has inspired multitudes from all faiths, from all realms of life, from spiritual aspirants to political activists.

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  • Call of the Ancients

    This deep dive is an integration of Yoga philosophy and history. The art of storytelling from yoga’s rich oral tradition is powerful medicine for the modern times. Stories in indigenous epistemologies are disruptive and sustaining; share salient truths about our lives and are decolonization theory in action. Some stories inspire us with accounts of those who rose up to challenge power and privilege, defying kings and husbands, disrupting imperialist empires and casteist oppression.

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Five Fun Facts

  • Two full cups of chai in terracotta mugs

    Chai.

    Chai is much more than a drink for most of us. Its an emotion, a memory, a "time" in a day. My mom, like most Indian moms, taught me to make Chai. Chai is an elixir, a comma, a pause, a ritual, shared amongst friends and family, it’s even better.

  • Anjali in a Sari jumping up in the air.

    Classical Indian Dancer.

    Learning the ancient classical Indian dance form, Odissi in the summer program from Nrityagram, a dance village on the outskirts of Bangalore.

    I am a life-long student of dance, and have learned Bharatnatyam and Kathak as a child. Both these dance forms inform and inspire my work and life now in a myriad ways.

  • Anjali in blue jenas and a white puffer jacket by the beach.

    Ocean.

    Ocean is a haven and a respite; a nod to my coastal Karnataka, India roots and I go there every chance I get.

  • A box with a variety of different chocolates

    Dark Chocolate.

    I have to eat some dark chocolate everyday.

  • Photo od Anjali speaking to a Zoom screen. Behind Anjali, is a wall of books.

    Reading books.

    I read about 5 books simultaneously, the library and indie bookstores are my favorite places in the whole wide world.

See upcoming workshops.