Dr.Hansaji Jayadeva Yogendra
Yoga Guru Smt. Hansaji (Director - The Yoga Institute) - an exemplary yogi and a scholar transforming millions of lives worldwide.
Dr. Hansaji Jayadeva Yogendra is currently the Director of The Yoga Institute, Mumbai, the world’s oldest organised Yoga center. She is also the President of International Board of Yoga and Senior Vice President Indian Yoga Association (IYA).
She is the leading face of householder Yoga and has conducted over 100,000 theoretical and practical sessions of Yoga till date. Her significant contributions in areas like Yoga education, research, experiential learning, standardisation of Yoga practices have been widely recognised.
Born on 8 October 1947 to Yogic Jain parents of Indore, Hansaji’s life is an epitome of Yoga. Smt Hansaji right from her childhood days exhibited extraordinary inclination towards Yoga. Early childhood days were spent in quiet meditative contemplation and reciting verses from Bhagavad Gita that astounded her friends and family. A strong foundation based on Gandhian principles shaped her beliefs. She was a science graduate. Then she when on to complete her Yoga teacher training course at The Yoga Institute as well as a law degree from the Government Law College, Mumbai. When she married Dr. Jayadeva Yogendra (President of The Yoga Institute,) it was a turning point in Hansaji’s life.
She brought about key revolutionary changes in the Institute. Her emphasis on spreading Yoga education especially for women led to the expansion of the Ladies Wing, more special classes for women, Pregnancy, Ante-natal and Postnatal camps, and the Menopause Women’s Camp. She learnt and taught yoga at a time when women were not considered a part of the Yoga fraternity.
She is well-known for her oratory skills and is popular amongst the national and international Yoga fraternity. Her capacity to engage the audience using real life incidences to convey Yoga Philosophy is remarkable. She gives her talks in English, Hindi, Marathi and Gujarati. Under her astute guidance, The Yoga Institute (TYI) became the first AYUSH certified yoga teacher training school in India. Also she was former Chairperson of THE YOGA CERTIFICATION COMMITTEE-AYUSH.
SMT HANSAJI chaired the advisory board committee for 3 consecutive years viz- 2015, 2016 and 2017 to give her expertise to celebrate the International Day of Yoga worldwide.
A former Member of Steering as well as the Technical Committee for Quality Council of India (AYUSH), Smt. Hansaji’s invaluable contribution led to a standardisation of Yoga practices as well yoga education protocol throughout the country.