Yoga - Meditation - Peer mentoring
Namaste!
I have more than 20 years of training and experience working in healing and spiritual practices, which contribute to my current work as a yoga and meditation teacher, holistic mind-body-spirit coach and hospital chaplain.
My journey in healing and spiritual practices was a natural progression after growing up in India where I was taught from an early age to incorporate yoga, mindfulness, and meditation into my daily routines. After my own youthful physical and emotional struggles, I realized that my path could be to support others in their healing journey by utilizing these tools.
In 2001, I advanced my learning by training with Master Kamal Srinivas (one of only eight living yoga masters), completing Duke University’s Yoga Therapy program and earning a two-year mindfulness meditation certification with Dr. Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield in partnership with UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center.
While continuing to teach, I also began studying spirituality. I completed Buddhist Chaplaincy training, and am currently completing the formalities towards a Masters degree in Divinity. These allow me to fully connect healing modalities for the mind, the body, and the spirit in order to better serve my clients. I currently serve as part-time chaplain at UT Southwestern Medical Center.
I continue to combine the best of modern training with ancient wisdom. After living in three countries including India, Hong Kong and the US, I’m sensitive to cultural and circumstantial needs and welcome the opportunity to work with clients of all backgrounds, abilities and spiritual traditions.
Meet Anna Johns
Nakshathra-Dhooli
E-RYT 500, IMTA CMT-P
Certifications and specialized training
Classical Yoga, Pranayama Breathing and Ayurveda training: Indian Master Kama Srinivas
Therapeutic Yoga for Seniors Professional Training:
Duke University, Integrative Medicine Campus
Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification program: taught by Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach; certification by the Awareness Training Institute and UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center
Advanced Yoga Certification: Kripalu Center, Massachusetts; CorePower Yoga
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction: Insight Meditation Community of Washington, DC
My wish is for all beings to be happy and healthy - and my work is to help contribute to that ideal.
Chaplaincy Residency at UT Southwestern Medical Center
Mindful Self-Compassion Training: Dr. Kristin Neff and Dr. Chris Germer
Yin Yoga & Myofascial Release Certification: Jo Phee
The Year of Living Mindfully
(2 years): Taught by Jonathan Foust
Buddhist Chaplaincy Training at Sati Center
E-RYT 500 Hour Certified Yoga Teacher from CorePower Yoga
Certified Grief Educator from David Kessler Grief Certification
Certified Life Coach from Texas A&M & International Association of Professional Coaches
RTS Bereavement Training from Gundersen Health System
Nonviolent Communication Training with Oren Jay Sofer
I grew up in India doing yoga in school on the pebble-covered ground under the scorching morning sun but never knew it was yoga. India being a secular country, in our school it was called "exercise"; this is probably due to yoga's origin in the Hindu tradition. All of us, including Christian and Muslim students, did the "exercise" which had no stigma and didn't offend anyone’s religious beliefs. This was before America popularized yoga and India "took yoga back". Yoga was not something ordinary people did, it was more of a spiritual practice. There were no yoga studios, Lululemon outfits or mats.
I saw a yoga mat for the first time in an American-owned gym in Hong Kong, when an Indian yoga master came to offer yoga classes. I was hooked right away and I signed up for the yoga teacher training he offered. That was over 20 years ago. I still stay connected with Master Kamal and occasionally do one-on-one practice with him.
It is a truly joyful privilege and I don't feel it's a job. I love connecting with people before and after practice, getting to know them, what's going on in their lives and in their practice.
Many of my friends were made through my yoga classes; my private clients are now friends. I feel like I know their family and their pets and they know mine.
"Spiritual care is being with someone and witnessing their pain." These words were shared with me by the husband of a dying cancer patient I’d been visiting and they struck a deep chord. In our yoga practice, we often talk about being present—about bringing awareness to each moment, no matter how challenging it may be.
Yoga teaches us to be present with our emotions and physical sensations, and to find stillness amidst turmoil. Just as I witness my students’ journeys on the mat, I see this same concept mirrored in the lives of those navigating serious illness or emotional hardship. Whether on the mat or in daily life, the act of sitting with discomfort and not rushing to fix it is a profound practice of compassion and presence.
This is what I strive to bring to my teaching—a space where you can feel seen, heard, and supported, no matter where you are in your personal journey. It’s in these moments of connection that true healing begins, for you and for me.
My mentor, Jonathan Foust and my teacher, Gil Fronsdal, are my two role models. When you are in their presence, they are so present, they make you feel that you alone exist at that moment.
I was convinced I would never be a meditator. I spent many a Saturday afternoon during my training with Master Kamal in a basement with a bustling street above us in Hong Kong's Wan Chai district in the early 2000s. I was sitting in perfect padmasana (lotus pose) with my eyes dutifully shut, doing a lot of thinking, for months. Post training, on my own, with the microwave timer (pre-iPhone) for five minutes was torturous boredom. Not until I started studying Buddhist philosophy seriously, was I able to learn to concentrate and to begin the process of yogas citta vritti nirodhah, "stilling of the fluctuations of the mind”, as described by the great sage Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras.
Working with young people and adults in yoga and meditation requires different approaches, and I particularly enjoy working with young people for the energy and joy they bring to the practice. Their natural curiosity allows me to create dynamic, playful sessions that keep them engaged. With higher energy levels, younger participants benefit from movement-based practices like animal poses and dance-like flows, which help them channel that energy while focusing on bodily awareness and stability. Sessions are typically shorter, with imaginative themes—such as becoming a tree or flying like a bird—to make the practice fun and relatable. Meditation for young people centers on emotional regulation and mindfulness, helping them cope with the stress of school, relationships and growing up. It’s fulfilling to see them build lifelong tools for self-awareness and resilience through yoga and meditation.
In contrast, adults often deal with chronic physical issues, so their practices tend to focus on mindfulness, stretching and strength with awareness. These sessions are slower-paced, allowing more time for alignment, breath-work and deep relaxation. Yoga for adults becomes a tool for managing stress, pain, and mental health, while meditation techniques focus on stress relief, pain management, and improving sleep. It's rewarding to help adults find relief from physical discomfort and emotional stress while guiding them toward a deeper sense of mindfulness and well-being.
Overall, while the needs of young people and adults are different, both groups benefit from tailored practices that promote physical and emotional balance. I find working with young people especially gratifying, as I can help them develop both joy and resilience through yoga and meditation.
I know I will continue to learn, practice and grow as long as I can breathe and move. My daily meditation practice sustains me. My annual week/two week long silent meditation retreats continue to help me heal my childhood traumas. I also have enough books on Indian philosophy that I might not be able to read all of them in this lifetime, so I hope to come back and be born in a place where these teachings are available.
I have three four-legged friends: Hank the min pin dog who always stays with me in my yoga room, my quiet companion during my yoga sessions. The cats: Karumpan (meaning the black one in Malayalam, my mother tongue) and his litter mate, who is buff color and has a French style, so we named him Pippin. Karumpan often comes into the yoga room while I am leading classes, seeking affection.
Q & A with Anna
Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness with David Treleaven
Meditation for Transformational Yoga Teaching from Kripalu Yoga Center
G.R.A.C.E.: Training in Cultivating Compassion-based Interactions with Joan Halifax
Mindful of Race Training with Ruth King
1000+ hours of additional yoga training certifications
Masters in Divinity (current)
The Spirit Rock Community Dharma Leaders program 2025-27