Deepak Chopra, M.D.
Co-Founder of the Chopra Center
Deepak Chopra is a world-renowned authority in the field of mind-body healing, a best-selling author, and the founder of the Chopra Center for Wellbeing. A global force in the field of human empowerment, Dr. Chopra is the prolific author of more than fifty-five books, including fourteen bestsellers on mind-body health, quantum mechanics, spirituality, and peace. His most recent books include The Happiness Prescription; Reinventing the Body,Resurrecting the Soul; and The Soul of Leadership. Read a free excerpt from The Soul of Leadership here.
Dr. Chopra will participate in the Seduction of Spirit and Journey into Healing portions of the training.
Teresa Long
Director of Chopra Center University, Senior Teacher Trainer, and Vedic Master
Teresa Long is the Director of Chopra Center University. She oversees all of the Chopra Center's teacher trainings and certification courses and is the worldwide liaison to our global network of more than 1,500 certified instructors. Teresa is the daily touch point along their journey to become certified instructors, and her nurturing team is their support system once they have been certified.
As a Vedic Master and certified Ayurvedic consultant who has completed every teacher training the Chopra Center offers, Teresa's wisdom, gentle spirit, and guiding support helps students on the Teachers Path successfully complete their certifications so that they can share the knowledge of yoga, Ayurveda, and meditation in their communities.
With her extensive background in holistic nutrition, Teresa loves to teach cooking classes to Chopra Center guests and students in her community. She also hosts several classes and meditation groups to parents and children in the San Diego area.
Claire Diab
Chopra Center Master Educator and Vedic Master
Claire Diab is an International Yoga Therapist, health & wellness expert, and inspirational speaker who has been teaching throughout the world for more than twenty-five years. She has co-developed the Chopra Center's Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga Teacher Training courses with co-founders, Drs. Deepak Chopra and David Simon.
Claire is the founder of the American Yoga Academy in West Orange, New Jersey, and a professor of Asian Studies at Seton Hall University. She has taught fitness and wellness programs to the Navy Seals as well as to the firefighters of New York City and New Jersey. She continues to write a bi-monthly column about yoga for Firelife.com, which is the largest website community for firefighters around the world. Claire has recently been chosen as the Executive and Professional Woman of the Year for 2012 by the National Association of Professional Women.
She makes health and wellness fun and practical, teaching people powerful yet simple techniques to add into their daily lives. Claire’s special ability to teach the many techniques of yoga, meditation, mind/body medicine, and Ayurveda has helped thousands of people lie healthier and more peaceful lives.
Claire has written many yoga manuals and workbooks on health and wellness, and she has produced, directed, and starred in seven yoga DVDs: Yoga for Weight Loss; Yoga for Firefighters and Athletes; Zen and Yoga; Creative Yoga; Breathe, Move, Meditate; Sun Moon Series; and Sun Salutations for Everyone (with Chair Yoga).
Danielle Mika Nagel
Studio Director, Chopra Yoga Center Vancouver
Danielle Nagel is a certified yoga teacher with over a decade of teaching experience in the U.S. and Canada. She completed her initial Yoga Alliance Teacher Training under the guidance of certified teachers in the styles of Ashtanga, Anusara and Iyengar. She is certified in all three programs from the Chopra Center of Wellbeing in Carlsbad, CA, including Primordial Sound Meditation, Perfect Health Ayurvedic Lifestyle Program and the Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga.
Danielle is honoured to be a part of the first Chopra Yoga Center in Vancouver, BC. Prior to CYC, she has helped manage yoga, health and wellness studios and develop specialty programs. She is delighted to develop programs such as Chopra Yoga's signature Yoga Barre class and the Chopra Yoga Hot Hatha Series. "I was 19 years old when a good friend of mine sent me Deepak's book, the Seven Spiritual Laws of Success. His books and teachings have been a big influence in my life, especially during the more difficult times. To now be a part of the opening of the first center, is truly a blessing."
Danielle is originally from Los Angeles and moved to Vancouver in 2009. In addition to yoga, she has taught vocal, dance and fitness classes in California, Hawaii and Washington and is certified by the American Counsel on Exercise as a Group Fitness Instructor. She was trained in Cechetti ballet in Los Angeles and was also certified in Mat Pilates. She is currently an Ambassador for Lululemon Athletica Robson and has been featured on international and regional television shows, commercials and radio broadcasts.
Prior to her yoga career, she performed professionally in Broadway shows (Cats, Miss Saigon, Beauty and Beast and The Hunchback of Notre Dame) for six years in Germany.
Roger Gabriel (Raghavanand)
Master Educator of Vedanta
According to the Nadi Jyotishees, Roger spent his last life living in Kerala in South India. But, as a result of certain misguided deeds, it became necessary for him to reincarnate, this time in England, where he spent his formative years. In an attempt to rectify his accumulated karmic debts, he decided on a more service-to-humanity lifestyle, this time around.
Roger first learned meditation in the early 70’s, which instantly became his passion and he soon trained to be a meditation teacher with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
In the early 1980s, Roger began studying Ayurveda the ancient Indian system of healthcare. While helping to establish centers for Ayurveda and meditation in the US he met and become friends with Deepak Chopra. Over the next 18 years, Roger assisted Deepak with numerous seminars and workshops, taught over ten thousand people on all continents to meditate and trained hundreds to be teachers of meditation and Ayurveda.
Roger has met and studied with great teachers in India and the West. In 2006, Roger was very fortunate to be initiated by both Sai Maa Lakshmi Devi and His Holiness Satuwa Baba Maharaji in Varanasi, India. Receiving his spiritual name of Raghavanand, he became part of both the Shiva and Vishnu lineages of the Vedic traditions.
Roger has traveled extensively in India, and offers seminars and workshops to share his experiences and the knowledge he has gathered over the years. As time permits, he involves himself with charity programs in India and takes like-minded seekers on tours to some of his favorite pilgrimage sites there. When not traveling, he lives in Boulder, Colorado.
Certification Program Manager at Chopra Center University and Vedic Master
For the past four years, Trista Thorp has apprenticed under Dr. David Simon, co-facilitating the Healing the Heart workshop at the Chopra Center for Wellbeing. In addition, she is one of the master meditation instructors at the Chopra Center for Wellbeing where she teaches weekly classes on Higher States of Consciousness.
Trista's passion and commitment to meditation is also evident in her work around her community where she offers free group meditations on a weekly basis and ongoing meditation trainings.
Edie Flaiz
Vedic Master
Edie is a Chopra Center educator, assisting Chopra Center guests on their journey to balance using ancient, timeless techniques. She is passionate about guiding guests toward the experiences of peace of mind, increased energy, conscious choice making, increased productivity and joy in their lives.
As a Chopra Center Certified Vedic Master Educator since 2007, she has been joyfully guiding guests in the Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga, with an open heart and a bit of laughter.
Brent Cesare
Certified Instructor of Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga
Brent Cesare lectures regularly at the Yoga Teacher Trainings on Anatomy and Physiology and is also a Lead Educator at the Chopra Center for Wellbeing, where he teaches weekly classes. In addition to his work at the Center, Brent is also a Doctor of Physical Therapy. He is owner and director of Zenergy Physical Therapy, a healing studio integrates many mind-body techniques such as yoga therapy, meditation, and Ayurveda bodywork.
In addition to the above experts, our Teacher Training Faculty will lead portions of the curriculum, so students can benefit from a wide range of expert skills, approaches, and techniques.
