About Chaya~Sharon Heller
Chaya~Sharon Heller, BA, IYT, AYC, LMT, E-RYT-500 and Sr. Kripalu Teacher, is the founder and director of The Chaya for Life Center, an Ayurvedic, Massage, Yoga and Healing Arts Studio. With over 25 years of experience as a Holistic Health Educator, Performing Artist and Spiritual Teacher specializing in Ayurvedic Medicine, Yoga Therapy, Nutrition, Massage, and Panchakarma, Chaya works with groups and individuals to facilitate transformational health and well-being. She leads Panchakarma and purifying respite, wellness retreats, and transformational and educational yoga programs at Kripalu Center, Omega Institute, Canyon Ranch, The Ayurveda Health Retreat, and Integrative Yoga Therapy, and is the onsite Ayurvedic Practitioner at the Amrit Yoga and Ayurveda Institute.
Chaya holds a BA in Food and Nutrition from Queen’s College and is a former dietitian at St. Vincent’s Hospital in NYC. She has certifications from The Kripalu School of Ayurveda, Professional Level Yoga, Holistic Health Education, Panchakarma Therapy, and Massage and Bodywork, and is a Licensed Massage Therapist, with advanced education at Jiva Ayurvedic Institute, Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram, and Integrative Yoga Therapy. She has studied with world-renowned educators in her field, including Doctors Vasant Lad and Pratap Chohan, and has been guided by spiritual teachers Swami Kripalu, Satya Nara(i)yana Das, Amrit Desai and Mickey Singer.
Chaya is the author of “Yoga of Action: Holistic Lifestyle and Adaptive Yoga for People with Multiple Sclerosis and Similar Conditions”, and has been featured in "Kripalu Yoga: A Guide to Practice On and Off the Mat” and Yoga International Magazine.
Her mission is to educate and empower people through the healing power of Ayurveda, Yoga, and Massage, and to enable them to reach their highest potential by unlocking their healing capabilities through a life of harmony, balance, and an enlivening of the human spirit.