Board of Directors

Vaidya Ashlesha Raut has been practicing Ayurveda for more than 15 years. She is a faculty member at many colleges in the US and has always been very passionate about teaching and promoting Ayurveda and standardizing Ayurveda education in North America. She has been presented the North America award of "Charaka" in recognition of her excellence in Ayurvedic teaching. She has been an integral part of the Ayurveda healing community with a mission toward providing a holistic path and education for wellness and optimal health through Ayurveda and integrative medicine. 

Vaidya Komal Swadas is an Ayurvedic physician with 20 years of extensive experience in the field of Ayurveda. She is a public health professional focused on preventative interventions, especially in seniors. She serves as a liaison between conventional and natural medicine, a true integrative practitioner. She has a deep interest in Ayurveda research, and she strives to find the most effective and unbiased treatments for her patients.

Paula has been a graphic designer since 1993, and she is co-owner of a specialty printing, prototype, and service company. She spent her childhood feeling at home in nature and has always tried to listen to her intuition. She has recently reclaimed that intention by living her purpose with the help of Ayurveda, creating a supportive environment, cultivating awareness of beauty through the five senses, and harmonizing with nature.

Beverly is the fifth generation to care for her family farm in Missouri. Her interests in vital living, wellness, and nature emerged at an early age. Beverly and her husband own and operate a catering company specializing in Ayurvedically sound foods that both satisfy and thrill the palate. Beverly has a varied background—she has taught elementary and intermediate music and band; has worked in banking for 10 years; has worked as an Emergency Medical Technician; directs musical theater; and has certifications in accounting, bank compliance, and bank auditing. Beverly currently has a law practice in Tarkio, Missouri, that focuses on business organizations, estate planning, real estate litigation and drafting, probate matters, banking, and civil litigation. In her spare time, she is learning Sanskrit, plays piano, and travels and camps with her husband and their 3 dogs.

Vaidya Sana Shaikh is a licensed Ayurveda Practitioner of Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM) and Maharashtra Council of Indian Medicine (MCIM). She is an experienced practitioner in Ayurveda and allopathic medicine and is an expert in panchakarma therapies. She is actively involved with the American Association of Ayurvedic Professionals and the Association of Ayurvedic Professionals of North America, and she teaches Ayurveda at Ananda Ayurveda Academy.

Vaidya Swati Mhaske, Doctor of Ayurvedic Medicine, is the founder of HemaVeda Ayurveda
based in Crystal Lake, IL. She received her BAMS with honors in Ayurveda detox therapies and her Master of Clinical Research and Pharmaceutical from India. She has more than 17 years of hands-on experience in numerous Ayurveda modalities. Swati specializes in
treating ailments of the digestive and the autoimmune system, and those of the hormonal system in women. At HemaVeda Ayurveda, Swati offers one-on-one consultations to guide clients to the Ayurvedic journey of health and happiness. She offers panchakarma plans to her clients to help them achieve their health goals in the comfort of their homes. Swati is the mother of two beautiful children, a Vedic astrologer, and author.

Chef Paul is a longtime advocate of healthy, holistic, wholesome foods. He graduated in 1988 from the California Culinary Academy in his hometown, San Francisco, and his experiences with vibrational foods, farm to table, and organic initiatives continue to shape his culinary journey and lifestyle. Currently, Paul resides in Tarkio, Missouri, with his wife, Beverly Jones, where they provide catering services through “Chef Paul Presents.” They work together to provide Ayurvedic consultations and help people who are looking to heal themselves and their communities through nutrition and lifestyle. Paul provides individualized food consultations and recipe development based on doshic constitutions.

Curious and passionate about learning, Laurie began studying yoga 22 years ago and has been teaching for more than 18.  Yoga led her to begin studying Ayurveda in 2010, and her enthusiasm for learning and sharing Ayurveda with others continues on! She has taught in the Himalayan Institute's certified Ayurveda Yoga Specialist program, and she offers special classes online and as a part of yoga teacher training programs.  Laurie's degree in social work is an extension of her service-oriented heart.

Peggy found her way to Ayurveda through yoga, in advanced-level yoga teacher training that used an Ayurvedic approach to individualize yoga teaching. A scientist by training, Peggy found that Ayurveda filled gaps in Western biomedicine, bridged the physical to the spiritual practices of yoga, and provided an accessible and actionable lens for understanding health. This spark led to extensive personal study of Ayurveda and, eventually, to formal training in a NAMA-accredited program. In her full-time job, Peggy works at an academic health sciences university, helping biomedical researchers communicate their work. In what passes for spare time, she teaches Ayurveda, yoga, and meditation as acts of service to help others learn to attain and maintain the fullest expression of life.

Sara Ladd is a yoga teacher specializing in making ashtanga yoga accessible to everyone, especially the elderly and people managing chronic pain or disease. She lives on a biodynamic, permaculture homestead and holds certifications as a Master Gardener; organic grower; birth, postpartum, and end-of-life doula; and Thai yoga bodywork. She studies Ayurveda at the Bodhananda Vedic Institute, Ananda Ayurveda Academy, and the Siddha- Vetha Center. Sara is an activist for equity, civil rights, and preservation of the environment.