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 Rev. Sundari Jensen met her spiritual teacher, Yogacharya O’Brian, in March of 1992, was initiated into Kriya Yoga in 1999, and ordained in 2002. She is a Senior Kriya Yoga Teacher and serves as CSE’s Executive Director & Board President. As Provost of Meru Institute, Rev. Sundari oversees the training & preparation of CSE teachers and leaders. In addition, Rev. Sundari is a certified Hatha Yoga teacher, Vedic Counselor, and IAYT certified Yoga Therapist. | | 200.jpg?mw=119&mh=160&sh=a9aff) Rev. Devin Kent Sodt (Atma) met his guru, Yogacharya O'Brian, in the Fall of 2001. He was initiated into Kriya Yoga in 2003 & ordained in 2009. He is a Senior Kriya Teacher, an Associate Minister, Meru Institute faculty member, and a certified Vedic Counselor. He has been teaching meditation and spiritual growth practices since 2005 and started instructing hatha yoga in 2007—completing his 500-hour hatha yoga teacher training in 2010. |
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 Rev. Elena Kanti Fritchle was initiated into Kriya Yoga in 2002 and ordained in 2007. She is an Associate Minister and directs the Youth and Family Ministry, overseeing CSE Youth Spiritual Education, Teen Rite of Passage program, and annual Youth Summer Yoga Camp. Rev. Fritchle also serves as part of our Community Care Ministry offering Vedic Counseling, Spiritual Direction, officiating Sacred Ceremonies, and is a certified Hatha Yoga teacher. | |  Rev. Marcella Shanti Macartney was initiated into Kriya Yoga by her spiritual teacher, Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian, in 2002 and ordained in 2006. She serves as part of our CSE Community Care Ministry, offering spiritual direction, care for the ill and dying, and officiating sacred ceremonies. |
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 Rev. Paula Vandana Whang-Ramos was initiated into Kriya Yoga in 2007 and ordained in 2012. She is a CSE Associate Minister and is the Spiritual Director of CSE's Blue Lotus Meditation & Yoga Center. She is a Meru Institute faculty member and teaches meditation & Tai Chi/Qi Gong. She also offers Vedic Counseling, Spiritual Direction, and officiates Sacred Ceremonies. She is a psychologist with a private practice in Gilroy. | |  Rev. Claire Hayes was initiated into Kriya Yoga in 2009 and ordained in 2019. She is a graduate of Meru Institute and completed her 200hr Yoga Teacher Training certification program in 2015. Claire oversees the Seva Residential Training Program, leads the Morning Sadhana team, teaches meditation and hatha yoga, offers Vedic Counseling, and serves as Treasurer on the CSE Board of Director.
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 Rev. Ann Sarasvati Hayes was initiated into Kriya Yoga in 2000 and ordained in 2007. She is a CSE Associate Minister, Meditation Teacher, and Meru Institute faculty member. Rev. Hayes and her husband, Rev. Jeff Collins, lead a Kriya Yoga Meditation Group in Santa Rosa, CA. She is a retired Registered Nurse and serves as a Hospice volunteer. | |  Rev. Jeff Collins was initiated into Kriya Yoga in 2000 and ordained in 2007. He is a CSE Associate Minister, Meru Institute graduate, Meditation Teacher, and Men's Ministry Leader. Jeff and his wife, Rev. Hayes, lead the Santa Rosa Kriya Yoga Meditation Group. He is an Information Technology Director for Health Metrics Systems.
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 Rev. Priya Friday-Pabros was initiated into Kriya Yoga by her spiritual teacher, Yogacharya O’Brian, in 2002 and ordained as a CSE minister in 2005. She completed her Master of Divinity Degree from Meru Institute in 2004 with a focus on Music Ministry. She leads Meditate & Thrive, a CSE Meditation Group in Lake County, California. | | ?mw=119&mh=160) Rev. Dr. Laurel Prema Trujillo was initiated into Kriya Yoga in 2003 and ordained in 2014. She is Producer and Host of The Yoga Hour, a Unity Online Radio program. Rev. Trujillo is a medical doctor who formerly worked at a multi-specialty medical group with a focus on Quality Improvement. |
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?mw=119&mh=160) Rev. Nita Shankari Kenyon was initiated into Kriya Yoga in 2011 at Awakening Kriya Yoga Meditation Center. She was ordained in 2016 and is currently the Spiritual Director at Awakening in Los Osos, CA. She is a Meditation Teacher and serves on the Board of Directors at Awakening. She is an Adult Education Coordinator and Website Coordinator. | |  Rev. Julie Hitchcock was initiated into Kriya Yoga in 2011 and is minister at Awakening Kriya Yoga Meditation Center. Rev. Julie supports the teachings of Kriya Yoga at Awakening and serves on their Board of Directors. She shares her wisdom and insight with families in a variety of ways on the California central coast and beyond.. |
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 Rev. Tara Fukuda was initiated into Kriya Yoga in 2004 and ordained in 2009. She is a Meru Institute graduate and Meditation Teacher. Tara is the Controller at Charities Housing Development Corporation, a member of the California Society of CPAs, and the Guadalupe River Park and Gardens previous treasurer and current member. | |  Rev. Joy-Ellen Laksmi Lipsky was initiated into Kriya Yoga in 2001 and ordained in 2012. She is a graduate of Meru Institute. Lakshmi is the Secretary/Board Member of the Silicon Valley Interreligious Council (SiVIC), a member of the Partner Cities Group, and an Advisor at San Jose State University for the Campus Unitarian Universalists and The Listening Post at SJSU. |
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?mw=119&mh=160) Rev. Christine Kamala Sodt was initiated into Kriya Yoga in 2003 and ordained in 2009. She is a Meru Institute graduate, Meditation teacher, and teaches classes for adults and families, including the Teen Rite of Passage. Kamala is a Social Worker supporting at risk youth in Santa Clara County. She is an early childhood education specialist and part time college instructor teaching child development. | |  Rev. Molly Hamsa Burke was initiated into Kriya Yoga in 2011 and serves as a minister at Awakening Kriya Yoga Meditation Center in Los Osos, CA. She teaches meditation classes in Avila Beach, and offers Spiritual Direction. |
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CSE MINISTRY INTERNS | | |
 Irma Lovic was initiated into Kriya Yoga by her spiritual teacher, Yogacharya O’Brian, in 2015. She serves on CSE Staff as assistant to Yogacharya, CSE Press & Tree of Life Welcome Center Manager. Irma is a graduate from Meru Institute, a certified Vedic Counselor, Meditation teacher, and completed her 200-hr hatha yoga teacher training program. Irma enjoys supporting others in feeling healthy, energized and inspired by living a yogic lifestyle. | | ?mw=119) Crystal Mukti-Devi Lanier was initiated into Kriya Yoga in 2011 and graduated from Meru Institute in 2018. She serves as CSE's Meditation Coordinator, leads Morning Sadhana, and teaches meditation at CSE, online, and at other venues in the Bay Area. Mukti Devi also serves on the Community Care Ministry Team and offers Vedic Counseling. She leads Sunday service chanting, sings in the One Voice Choir, and is involved with Kirtan at CSE. |
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 Daniel Sanjay Duarte is a RYT-200 hatha yoga teacher and a CSE certified meditation instructor. He completed yoga teacher training through Yoga Bharati at CSE and also through the Breathe for Change Yoga Training in San Francisco. Daniel has been studying closely with Yogacharya O’Brian since 2014, and he graduated from Meru Institute with an M.Div in Yoga Studies in 2018. | |  Kathy Devi McFadden was initiated into Kriya Yoga by Yogacharya O’Brian in 2008. She received both her 200-hour Yoga Teacher certificate and Meditation Teacher certificate in 2011 and earned her M.Div. at CSE’s Meru Institute the following year, where she now serves as Dean of Students. Devi is a certified Vedic Counselor. Her intention is to support practitioners of all levels, in nourishing body, mind, & soul through yoga, meditation, & Vedic Counseling. |
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 Zachiah Viveka Murray has been a community member at CSE since 2003. She is a graduate from the Meru Institute class of 2012, teaches meditation classes, the assistant teacher in the Teen Rite of Passage program. Professionally, she is a Registered Landscape Architect, Certified Massage Therapist and Active Release Practitioner, and is the author of Mindfulness in the Garden: Zen Tools for Digging in the Dirt. | |  Erin Bhavani Edwards was initiated into Kriya Yoga in 2012, and graduated from Meru Institute in 2016. Erin serves in program development for Carry the Vision (CTV). She is a certified meditation teacher and teaches peace education to elementary students in Arizona where she lives with her husband Ryan and her two children Ayla and Austin. |
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 Paula Puja Chacon was initiated into Kriya Yoga in 2011 and graduated from Meru Institute in 2016. She serves CSE's One Voice Choir director, and provides leadership in chanting and music for worship services. Puja is a certified meditation teacher, and volunteers with the CSE's Youth Spiritual Education providing musical and performance experiences for children. She is a therapeutic music teacher, and an experienced classroom music teacher. | |  Genie Palmer, PhD. was initiated into Kriya Yoga in 2013. Genie earned her Master of Divinity degree at Meru Institute, where she now serves on faculty. She is a certified meditation teacher. Genie previously held the position of Executive Core Faculty at Sofia University where she served as Director of the Writing & Research Center and Dissertation Director. She is also a retired RN, having worked in the medical field for over 30 years.
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 Brahmi Usha Sharma was initiated into Kriya Yoga in 2017. She is a Meru Institute student, serving as a certified teacher of meditation and as a Vedic Counseling Intern. Trained in India and the United States, Brahmi is also a certified hatha yoga instructor since 2006. Author and poet, she facilitates poetic medicine as a tool for wellness, supporting souls in opening the heart’s voice. | | ?mw=119&mh=160) Kashi Tina Petrigni, M.Div., was initiated into Kriya Yoga in 2011 and graduated from Meru Institute in 2018. She serves as a Morning Sadhana Puja Leader, and teaches meditation at CSE, online, and at other venues in the Bay Area. Kashi is a Vedic Counseling Intern.
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