Our Teachers

Yoga Acharya Tej ( E-RYT 500)
NS Director US, India and Mexico

Yoga Acharya Tej was born and raised in India and has compiled the authentic teachings of yoga as practised in India. He has served on the Advisory Committee of Yoga Alliance for Best Practices of Schools
Acharya Tej formed the Namah Shivaya Yoga Teacher Training in 2008 and the School has Graduated more than 500 students in the US and Mexico. Tej has been studying and practising yoga for more than 25 years and received his training with the Sivananda Yoga tradition in Rishikesh and Uttarkashi in the Himalayas in India.

 

Melissa Satya Saraswati ( E-RYT 200, RYT-500 )
School Director, Westminster Colorado

Melissa  is the Lead Trainer for the Namah Shivaya  200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training courses in Westminster , Colorado. Melissa has been a long-time student of Master Ashtanga instructor, Andrew Eppler.  Renowned teachers such as David Swenson, David Williams, Danny Paradise, Annie Pace, Dharma Mittra, and David Life have also been influential to her practice.  Melissa balances her practice between the disciplined tradition of Sri K. Pattabi Jois and mindful ahimsa. She is drawn to the deeper aspects of yoga and is grateful for her two girls, who give her wonderful opportunities to fully explore this realm.  She strives to live from her heart and draws from both the yogic traditions as well as the Buddhist traditions, teaching her girls the benefits of each.  She has recently helped form a non-profit Buddhist meditation center in Fort Worth. She graduating from high school at the American School of Paris, she attended University of North Texas, getting her BA in French, minoring in English. In addition to yoga, she is drawn to other natural healing techniques, gardening and playing the flute.

 

Evelyn Van Antwerp ( E-RYT 200, RYT -500)
School Director & Trainer Dallas Teacher Training

Evelyn started practicing yoga many years ago because of its benefits for the back and neck difficulties she was experiencing, and soon discovered that the benefits were far greater than just addressing my physical well-being. For Evelyn, yoga has become an avenue for self-knowledge, self-love, awareness and physical well-being. Since Evelyn had been in education teaching students and adults for fifteen years, becoming a certified yoga instructor was the perfect choice for her. She  received her 200-hour  and 500 Hour Yoga Alliance Certification through Namah Shivaya Yoga. Since yoga is very much a personal experience and one based on levels of ability, her endeavor is to teach to the needs of individual students by modifying poses. Her classes are designed for both newcomers and seasoned practitioners. Each class focuses on proper alignment and breathing techniques, with an emphasis on core body strength. Her goal as an instructor is for all of her students to experience the full benefits of  yoga.

Scott Murphy ( E-RYT 200, RYT 500, NS Master Teacher ) brings more than 1,000 hours of training and more than 1,000 hours of teaching experience.His yoga studies began in September 1991, when he was seeking a more holistic approach to ending  medical issues.  His early years were spent under the study of Myna Moon, a long-time follower of Swami Sivananda. As his practice increased over the decades, his medical symptoms diminished.  He iearned his 200 hour yoga teacher training and later both a 500 hour and a 1,000 Master Teacher Training from Namah Shivaya in Dallas. For 14 years, he was an adult and child religious education instructor for the First Unitarian Church of Dallas, teaching the younger and the older about varying philosophies from around the globe. It was during this time, he also spent seven years with AIDS Services Of Dallas caring for those battling AIDS and an equal number of years seeking homes for special-needs dogs for Straydogs, Inc., a no-kill shelter in Gun Barrel City, Texas. Scott has a lengthy history of volunteerism in the Dallas community, including  time on the Boards of Directors for local charities like ARTS For People and Ekoankar Foundation . He continues to bring accessible and affordable yoga to the Mesquite community and also teaches for the City of Mesquite, Texas. When he’s not teaching yoga, Scott fights heart disease and stroke for the American Heart Association.

 Erin Brandao ( E-RYT 200. RYT 500)
Lead Trainer Dallas Teacher Training
started taking yoga classes in college almost fifteen years ago and loved it, but it wasn’t until after graduating and pursuing jobs in finance that were not fulfilling that she decided to turn her passion into a career. She was certified to teach adults through the Namah Shivaya 200 hour teacher training program in 2011, received additional training to teach children through Yogees by Taylor Yoss in 2012, and recently completed the Namah Shivaya program to become a 500 hour Registered Yoga Teacher. She truly believes in the power of yoga and meditation to heal and grow, both physically and mentally, and she is excited to bring yoga to a wide cross-section of the community.  In her classes you will move your body and flex your mind in a flow or vinyasa style with a focus on energy centers and intention as you build strength, increase flexibility, and cultivate relaxation. Erin graduated high school from St. Joseph’s Academy and college from Louisiana State University, both in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She volunteers for various charitable organizations including Paws in the City, Phoenix House, and Readers to Leaders.

 

 

 

 

 

Thom Allen ( E-RYT 500)
Teacher Trainer, Dallas Teacher Training

Thom is a Psychotherapist and yoga teacher. He has been sharing his passion for yoga wellness for more than 25 years. Students enjoy his unique style that is mentally stimulating, physically exhilarating and spiritually inspiring. His experience ranges from restorative therapeutics and meditation to power yoga flow. Thom works with a variety of populations ranging from those with terminal illnesses and their caregivers to corporate executives and professional athletes.