Resume

Private Chef |Yoga | Ayurveda

 lois@yogawithlois.com

Experience

2009–Present

Private Yoga Instructor, Ayurveda Counselor, Ayurveda Personal Chef

Private Ayurveda Chef providing lunch and dinners that are healthy, fresh and organic. Meals and food-based cleanse diets are prepared ayurvedically to meet the health requirements of the client. Private yoga instruction to couples/individuals who are new to yoga, seeking weight loss or rehabilitation of injuries. Ayurveda counseling to eradicate physical and emotional health problems (i.e., chronic pain and imbalances, auto-immune, weight issues, eating disorders, stress, relationship problems etc.).

2014–Present

Ayurveda Wellness Coach

For individuals: Concierge holistic wellness services that integrate the principles of ayurveda and yoga. I integrate holistic practices (diet, detox, meditation, yoga) to support individuals with cancer, diabetes and chronic illnesses. Always encouraging, I keep clients focused on positive changes. For companies: Onsite meditation and beginner yoga classes (not sweaty so you don’t need to shower) as well as off-site team-building retreats.

2014–2016

Ayurveda Educator

Santa Monica College Adult Continuing Education Division

I taught an Introduction to Ayurveda course (two 3-hour classes) in October and January. Using proprietary PowerPoint presentations, the classes had a flowing structure with interactive lectures and experiential exercises; they were fun and are designed for people who had no background in ayurveda or yoga. Basic ayurveda diet and lifestyle principles (and how to apply them) were taught. Upon completion of the course, students were able to:  identify their constitution (or dosha) and how to bring balance through diet and lifestyle choices; understand how to improve digestion of food; recognize energetic imbalances (manifesting as “undiagnosable symptoms”) that can be potential precursors to disease; apply their knowledge of ayurveda to help with relationships, being healthier and achieving their life goals.

2014– 2016

Ayurveda Educator

Goda Yoga (Culver City); Omkar108 (Culver City); Sivananda Yoga (Marina del Rey)

Prepared content and taught ayurveda segment for Goda Yoga Teacher training course; taught ayurveda seminars and workshops with cooking demonstrations including handouts/recipes.

2013–2015

Author:  The Essential Ayurvedic Cookbook. Not just for vegetarians or yogis, the book is designed to meet the needs of mainstream western society. It moves beyond curries and includes recipes designed for a discriminating palate while addressing dietary needs for: non-vegetarian, vegetarian, gluten-free, soy-free and dairy-free individuals. Written for individuals with busy lifestyles, the approach is flexible, fun and easy. Time-saving make-ahead suggestions, organized charts, and ingredient lists you can find at your local grocer, make it easy to whip up delicious, healthy meals on a regular basis.

It is endorsed by the certifying boards of ayurveda in the U.S. (AAPNA and NAAMA). The Deepak Chopra Center and several ayurveda colleges are retailers.

2010–2011

Group Yoga Instructor

Santa Monica Yoga Studio

Taught Nancy Goodstein’s asthanga morning mysore class one day a week (and whenever she needed a break). The teaching approach was flexible and non-dogmatic with modifications to accommodate the needs of newer and (mature) students who had longstanding health concerns. Taught an evening slow-flow class, with an emphasis on alignment and meditation two nights a week. On call to fill in as a substitute as needed.

2006

Group Yoga Instructor

Assistant to Richard Freeman, Boulder, CO, Sunday morning Level I Class.  In June 2006, assistant to Richard Freeman at Upaya Zen Center Ashtanga weekend workshop/all levels class.             

2001–2004

Ayurveda Wellness Coach & Director of Court Street Yoga,

Private clientele for yoga and weight-loss coach in Portsmouth, NH. Created a cleanse diet based on ayurveda principles that resulted in weight loss of 8-10 pounds per month.

Publications, Philosophy, Activities

• Author: Eat Well, Be Well: Ayurveda Cooking for Healthy Living, ©2013; The Essential Ayurvedic Cookbook, Robert Rose Publishers, Inc., Fall 2015
• Confidentiality – I respect and honor the confidential nature of the teacher/client relationship.
• Honesty & respect – I believe in the law of actions/karma and honesty with compassion.
• Ayurveda Solo Sabbatical – I spent two years on sabbatical studying yoga, ayurveda and Buddhism in India (Mysore, Pune, Dharamshala, Gujarat, Delhi, Kerala); New Zealand; Australia.

Education

Ashtanga and Iyengar Yoga Training (this is not a comprehensive list)

Jan 23, 2010                       Aadil Palkhivala Back bending & Neck/Shoulders/Wrists Workshop (6 hrs), Ventura, CA

Apr 20-27, 2009                Richard Freeman’s Advanced Teacher’s Intensive Yoga Taravali/Nadanusandhana (50hrs)

Oct 20 – 31, 2008              Richard Freeman’s Advanced Teacher’s Intensive–Bhagavad Gita(100 hrs)

Nov 1 – 17, 2007                Richard Freeman’s Advanced Teacher’s Intensive–Procrustean Bed (60 hrs)

Nov 6 – 17, 2006                Richard Freeman’s Advanced Teacher’s Intensive–Bhagavad Gita  (85 hrs)

Oct 27 – Nov 11, 2003      Richard Freeman’s Advanced Teacher Training-Kena Upanishad (102 hrs)

Feb 2003                            Tim Miller, Ashtanga Yoga Center, Tulum, MX (30 hours)

May 6 – May 30, 2002    Richard Freeman’s Yoga Teacher Training (83 hrs)

Feb – Apr 2002                 Pattabhi Jois/Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute, Mysore, India

Sep 1 – 22, 2001                Pattabhi Jois, New York City at the Puck Building

Feb 2001                             Aadil Palkhivala and Richard Freeman, yoga immersion (30 hours), The Big Island, HI 

Ayurveda

Nov-Dec 2012                     Dr. Vasant Lad, BAM&S, MASc — Gurukulum Program, Pune, India            (118 hours)

Jul 13-19, 2012                   Radhe Pfau, The Science of Joytisha (38 hours)

Jun 15-21, 2012                  Dr. Vasant Lad, BAM&S, MASc Ayurvedic Institute, NM — Pulse Practicum (38 hours)

May 4-6, 2012                     Dr. Vasant Lad, Ayurvedic Institute, NM — Ayurvedic Herbology (12 hours)

Oct 2011 – Jun 2012        Ayurvedic Institute, NM — Ayurvedic Studies Program Level 1   (700 hours)

Oct 8-10, 2010                    Suraj McNamara/Friends of Ayurveda, Santa Monica College, CA – Joytish & Ayurveda

Jun 18-24, 2010                  Dr. Vasant Lad, BAM&S, MASc Ayurvedic Institute, NM — Marma Chikitsā  (38 hours)

Jun 11-17, 2010                  Dr. Vasant Lad, BAM&S, MASc Ayurvedic Institute, NM — Pulse Practicum (38 hours)

May 2017                           Dr. Jayagopal, Athreya Ayurvedic Integrative Health, CA — Pulse Practicum
(16 hours)

Buddhism

Oct 18-20, 2013                 H.H. Dalai Lama, Heart Sutra, Sutra of Recollection of 3 Jewels, Bodhisattva Way of Life, NYC

Jul 1-8, 2013                         Robert Thurman/Richard Freeman Yoga and the Vajra Body, Menla Mtn, Phoenicia NY

Mar 22-May 31, 2013     Guest Resident at Chenrezig Institute of Buddhist Studies, Eudlo, Australia

Oct. 1-4, 2012                      H.H. Dalai Lama, Atisha’s Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment, Dharamsala, India

Sep 25 -26, 2009             H.H. Dalai Lama Dharma Teaching/Four Noble Truths

2005 – 2006                         Meditation retreats with Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche, Mangala Shri Bhuti, Colorado                                 

Jul 29 – Aug 1, 2006         PHOWA Meditation Retreat with Anyen Rinpoche, Mt. Evans Center, Colorado

Sep, 2006                                H.H. Dalai Lama, weekend Dharma lecture in NYC

Jul 6 – 10, 2005                   Sesshin Meditation at Hakubai Temple, Boulder, Colorado

Sep, 2004                                Sharon Salzberg Weekend Meditation Retreat at Upaya Zen Center