Faculty

Rolf Sovik, PsyD

President / Spiritual Director

President and Spiritual Director of the Himalayan Institute and a clinical psychologist in private practice, Rolf Sovik has studied yoga in the United States, India, and Nepal. He holds degrees in
philosophy, music, Eastern studies, and clinical psychology. Co-director of the Himalayan Institute of Buffalo, NY he began his practice of yoga in 1972, and was initiated as a pandit in the Himalayan tradition in 1987. He is the author of Moving Inward, co-author of the award-winning Yoga: Mastering the Basics, and a columnist for Yoga International magazine.

Sandra Anderson

Co-author of the award-winning Yoga: Mastering the Basics and a senior editor for Yoga International magazine, Sandra Anderson’s work draws on her studies of traditional yoga texts and her extensive visits to India, where she conducts an annual yoga teacher training program. Sandra holds a degree in geology and began her studies in yoga while working in the environmental protection field. Initiated into the Himalayan tradition in 1988, she lives at HI and teaches all aspects of yoga.

Greg Capitolo

Greg Capitolo began practicing hatha yoga and meditation in 1994. He studied with several experienced yoga teachers while working in accounting, finance, and IT. After completing the Himalayan Institute’s teacher training program in 2005, Greg began teaching yoga classes at corporations such as Oracle and Sybase. In 2006, Greg took residence at HI where he currently serves as the Director of Finance and Information.

Mary Cardinal

A yoga teacher and educator specializing in therapeutic yoga, Mary Cardinal serves as the yoga therapy coordinator for the Total Health Center at the Himalayan Institute’s headquarters in Honesdale, Pennsylvania. She is the former coordinator of the Himalayan Institute Teachers Association and holds degrees and certification in both traditional and Montessori education.

Carrie E. Demers, MD

Medical Director

Board-certified in internal medicine, Carrie Demers, MD, is a holistic physician who blends modern medicine with traditional approaches to health. After receiving her medical degree from the University of Cincinnati, Dr. Demers went on to study massage, homeopathy, nutrition, herbal medicine, yoga, and ayurveda. She has been the Director of the Himalayan Institute Total Health Center for the last 12 years. Widely recognized for her expertise, Dr. Demers has been interviewed by numerous magazines and newspapers and lectures nationally on holistic health and ayurveda. She is a frequent contributor to Yoga International magazine.

Shari Friedrichsen

Shari Friedrichsen has been teaching yoga for over three decades. She is a key facilitator at the teacher training programs at Santa Monica Yoga and the Himalayan Institute. Shari has studied asana and meditation with respected teachers like Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, Amma Sri Karunamayi, B.K.S. Iyengar, and Judith Lasater. As a subtle anatomy expert, her unique style integrates the breath, proper alignment, and visualizations to draw the student deep into the inner experience of each posture.

Sarah Goddard

Sarah Goddard has been on a personal journey of healing and spiritual growth for over 15 years. She has taught yoga since 2002 in corporate, studio, and clinical settings. Originally drawn to yoga practice to relieve chronic stress and illness, Sarah has not only regained her health, but has discovered a spiritual dimension of life she finds rich and inspiring. Sarah serves on the teaching faculty of the Himalayan Institute and is the Professional Education Manager at their headquarters, where she has lived in residence since 2004. She holds a Masters Degree in Materials Engineering from the University of Delaware, and completed an eight-year engineering career with W.L. Gore and Associates, prior to joining the Institute.

Steve Harris

A long-time practitioner of yoga and meditation, Steve Harris has been studying with the Himalayan Institute since 1985. A computer programmer with degrees from Rutgers and Syracuse Universities, he worked for major corporations for more than 12 years and credits yoga with providing balance in the hectic world of corporate America. He is one of the senior faculty in residence and the Information Technologies Director at the Himalayan Institute in Honesdale, PA.

Michelle Head, DC

Dr. Michelle Head is a chiropractor and certified applied kinesiologist at the Himalayan Institute Total Health Center. She has a holistic philosophy of health care and evaluates the structural, chemical, and mental aspects of health utilizing manual muscle testing. She earned her Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Palmer College in Davenport, Iowa. Dr. Head lectures on stress management, workplace ergonomics, and headache prevention.

Patrick Klein, R.Ph.

Patrick Klein lives at the Himalayan Institute, where he teaches holistic health and homeopathy. He earned a pharmacy degree from North Dakota State University and a master’s degree from the University of Minnesota. He has worked in the field of natural medicine for the past 20 years and currently operates Wellspring Homeopathic Pharmacy at the Institute’s headquarters in Honesdale, PA.

Karina Ayn Mirsky

A certified teacher of Rod Stryker’s ParaYoga, Karina Ayn Mirsky is the director of Sangha Yoga in Kalamazoo, MI. She draws on her experience as a performance artist, massage therapist, and cancer survivor to convey yoga as a therapeutic science and catalyst for personal transformation. Karina was featured in the March 2008 issue of Yoga Journal as one of 21 teachers under the age of 40 who are shaping the future of yoga in America.

Kathy (K.O.) Ornish

Kathy Ornish is a certified yoga therapist and teacher through Gary Kraftsow’s American Viniyoga Institute (AVI), a certified ParaYoga teacher, and has studied in the Iyengar and Himalayan Institute traditions. She is a consultant at the Preventative Medicine Research Institute in California and is a program assistant in the Foundations for Yoga Therapy program at AVI. K.O. has a yoga therapy practice and teaches group classes in East Lansing, Michigan.

Irene (Aradhana) Petryszak

A senior editor of Yoga International magazine, Irene Petryszak served as the Chairman of the Himalayan Institute from 1996 to 2008. She holds a master’s degree in Eastern studies and has studied and practiced yoga for 30 years in the United States and India under the guidance of Swami Rama and Pandit Rajmani Tigunait. She teaches meditation and yoga philosophy at HI.

D.C. Rao, PhD

D.C. Rao, PhD, has an extensive background in the Sanskrit scriptures and texts of the yoga tradition. He has a PhD in economics from the University of Pennsylvania and retired in 1995 from the World Bank to pursue his study of the yogic spiritual tradition with the Himalayan Institute. Dr. Rao has traveled widely throughout the world, is a Trustee at the Chinmaya Mission, Washington DC, and a Board Member of Interfaith Conference. He teaches yoga philosophy for the Himalayan Institute Teachers’ Training program.

Rod Stryker

Founder of ParaYoga®, Rod Stryker is widely recognized as one of the country’s leading authorities on the ancient traditions of yoga, tantra, and meditation. Rod’s teaching weaves together his depth of understanding, experience, and ability to make the ancient teachings and practices accessible to students of all levels. Rod has trained teachers for over 25 years and leads retreats, workshops, and trainings worldwide. He lives in the mountains of Colorado with his wife and four children.

Kathryn
Templeton

Kathryn 
Templeton
 has
 devoted 
her 
life 
to 
the 
health 
of
 others.
 A 
psychotherapist
 for 
more 
than
 20
 years, 
Kathryn
 is 
a 
Master
 Teacher
 in 
the 
field 
of 
Drama 
Therapy
 and 
continues 
to
 work 
both 
clinically
 and 
as
 an
educator
 specializing 
in 
the 
treatment 
of 
individuals
 with
 complex
 trauma.
 As
 an
 E‐500
RYT
 and
 NAMA‐registered
 Ayurvedic
 practitioner, 
Kathryn
 has 
worked
 to 
develop
 specialized
 treatments 
integrating 
the 
principles 
of
 yoga 
and
 Ayurveda
 with 
clinical 
therapeutic
 techniques. 
Kathryn 
is
 an 
Adjunct
 Professor
 of
 Human 
Development
 and 
General 
Psychology
 in 
the 
Connecticut 
Community 
College
 system.
 She 
holds
 memberships 
with
 the 
International 
Association 
of 
Yoga 
Therapists,
 the
 National
 Association
 of
 Drama
 Therapists
 and
 the
 National
 Ayurvedic 
Medical 
Association. kathryntempleton.com

Ishan Tigunait

Son of Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, Ishan Tigunait received his first spiritual lessons from Swami Rama. He earned a degree in computer engineering and worked for IBM before returning to the Institute to lead the Energy Farming initiative which provides sustainable rural empowerment for communities in developing countries. Ishan now serves as Director of Strategic Development for the Himalayan Institute and spearheads the expansion of the Institute’s humanitarian projects around the world.

Deborah Willoughby

The founding editor of Yoga International magazine, Deborah Willoughby holds a master’s degree in English literature from the University of Virginia. After a career in Washington, DC, as a writer and editor, she turned her attention full-time to the study and practice of yoga. She has studied with Swami Rama and Pandit Rajmani Tigunait in both the United States and India and served as President of the Himalayan Institute from 1994 to 2008. She currently teaches meditation, yoga philosophy, and Vedanta at the Honesdale campus.

Lawrence (Virat) Xavier

Virat Xavier has studied and taught raja yoga for more than 35 years. He holds a master’s degree in educational counseling. He was born in China, raised in Japan, and educated in the United States. In 1973, he was initiated by Swami Rama with whom he studied in the US, India, and Nepal, where he managed the Hansda Ashram. He served as the Director of the Himalayan Institute branch centers in New York City; Buffalo, NY; Glenview, IL; and Cameroon, West Africa. He now lives and teaches at the Himalayan Institute in Honesdale, PA, where he works with the Global Humanitarian Projects.