Kate Holcombe is the founder of Healing Yoga Foundation, a non-profit centre based in San Francisco, dedicated to bringing the Viniyoga teachings of T Krishnamacharya and TKV Desikachar.

In 1991, as a student with Colgate University’s Study Abroad Program in India, Kate Holcombe was studying social work in the southern city of Chennai when she was hit by a motorcycle while crossing the street. Mary Louise Skelton (Mary Lou)—co-director of Colgate’s program—had been a long-time student of renowned yoga master T.K.V. Desikachar and brought Kate to him for rehabilitation and healing.

Kate Holcombe is the founder of Healing Yoga Foundation, a non-profit centre based in San Francisco, dedicated to bringing the Viniyoga teachings of T Krishnamacharya and TKV Desikachar.

In 1991, as a student with Colgate University’s Study Abroad Program in India, Kate Holcombe was studying social work in the southern city of Chennai when she was hit by a motorcycle while crossing the street. Mary Louise Skelton (Mary Lou)—co-director of Colgate’s program—had been a long-time student of renowned yoga master T.K.V. Desikachar and brought Kate to him for rehabilitation and healing.

Carmen Martinez has been practising yoga for many years now and lives in El Salvador. She has been linked to the Viniyoga tradition since the beginning of her yoga studies. Most of her teachers were related in some way with T Krishnamacharya and TVK Desikachar. She met Dr. Kausthub Desikachar in 2015, through her yoga therapy teacher Grazia Suffriti and now is one of his students.

Katri Kaldaru has been practising yoga for many years now and lives in Rakvere Estonia. She first came into the Viniyoga tradition in 2011. She has completed her Vedic Chant Teacher Training and Viniyoga Therapist Training with Menaka Desikachar and Kausthub Desikachar.

Sarah Ryan has been practising yoga for many decades. She has also held various positions at the British Wheel of Yoga (BWY) and has been instrumental in being part of the development of education standards at BWY. She has also been a BWY Diploma Course Tutor, training BWY teachers.

In the 1990s she discovered the Viniyoga® tradition of Krishnamacharya, and started to study with her first teacher.

Victoria Smith is a Psychotherapist and Viniyoga teacher based in Wellington, New Zealand. She began her journey in Viniyoga over a decade ago with her first teacher Anna Sandle, before embarking on her teaching training with her current mentor Ruth Diggins.

Birgitte Skovgaard is a Physiotherapist since January 2000, and practices in Denmark. She specialises in treatment for both adults and children and has helped many in improving their welling through both Physiotherapy and Yoga Therapy.

Evita du Bois, began her Yoga Journey many years ago persuaded by her sister. She originally began practising Ashtanga-yoga and eventually started immersing herself in the practice, philosophy and way of life. She first completed her Ashtanga Training in 2010 and started teaching.

Thomas Dubrunquez, has been practising VINIYOGA® since 1999, following the tradition of TKV DESIKACHAR and T. KRISHNAMACHARYA. He received his teaching diploma from Frans MOORS in Liège, which allowed him to be recognised by the Belgian Yoga Federation (FBHY), ADEPS and the European Yoga Union.

Anita Claney, MS, is a Viniyoga® therapist working in private practice and, since 2009, has worked in the inpatient Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) program at the Southern Arizona Veteran's Administration Health Care System's (SAVHCS) main hospital. She works with the psychological team to provide yoga therapy as a complementary healing modality for veterans and active duty military undergoing intensive treatment for PTSD.

Vidhi Sadana is a Clinical yoga therapist; mentor for yoga therapy training in Viniyoga® tradition.

She is Complementary and Natural Health Council Profession Specific Board member for Yoga Therapy and Yoga Researcher in the NHS. She has authored articles in yoga and patient group magazines. She supported Central Middlesex Hospital (CMH) rheumatology patient group with patient driven audits and held first in UK pilot study of Yoga Therapy (Viniyoga Therapy). She has published abstracts in EULAR, Innovations in Medicine Conference for Royal College of Physicians and International Congress on Integrative Medicine and Health, Baltimore.
She is also on the mind-body medicine sub-committee supported by the Royal College of Medicine (RSM).

Katja Ujčič is a body, mind and spirit researcher. Her programs are based on ancient knowledge from yoga philosophy, subconscious symbolism, Carl G. Jung psychology and modern psychology. She is specialized in working with gifted individuals and people within creative and innovative fields. She has been practising yoga for a long time and also became a yoga teacher. In 2019 she finished the 3-year-long Viniyoga® Therapy program with her mentor Dr Kausthub Desikachar in Brussels.

In this interview she discusses her experience with Viniyoga® and art Therapy.