John is an economist turned Yoga teacher in Little Rock, Arkansas, where he receives private students and maintains an active Yoga therapy practice. He often lectures on Yoga and Yoga therapy for allopathic institutions and co-taught the survey course on Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the University of Arkansas Medical School for two years. John has served on the boards of several non-profit organizations, including the Ecumenical Buddhist Society of Little Rock. He has additional and most helpful experience non-profit management and organizational development.

John has traveled widely on the Yoga path, having practiced in several meditative and âsana-based traditions over three decades. In recent years, however, he has focused on digging a deep well in the teaching lineage often known as Viniyoga. John holds teacher and therapist diplomas from the American Viniyoga Institute in Hawaii, headed by Gary Kraftsow, and a teaching certification from A. G. Mohan of Chennai, India. He has been teaching almost full time since 1997. John also has made extended visits to Findhorn in Scotland and Auroville in India where he found inspiration in their ecumenical and entrepreneurial efforts to integrate spiritual, environmental, economic, and social values.

Many of you may recognize John from his articles and reviews in the International Journal of Yoga Therapy and Yoga Studies, several of which have a policy perspective. This is not surprising given his background in economics, finance, and public policy. In recent years he has brought that perspective to bear on Yoga and integrative medicine. One of his evolving interests is the sound integration of Yoga with allopathic and complementary and alternatives therapies, while at the same time preserving the classical personal growth, spiritual support, and personal relationship foundations of Yoga.

John holds a M.A. in economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, His M. B. A is from Millsaps College in Jackson, MS, with a concentration in Finance. John did his undergraduate work in liberal arts and economics at the University of Texas-Austin.

Letter from the Director

Based in San Francisco, Kelly is dedicated to integrating the Yoga tradition with contemporary medicine and psychology. She earned her Ph.D. in psychology and humanistic medicine at Stanford University, where she completed research in the Stanford Psychophysiology Laboratory. She continues to study and practice Buddhist meditation, vinyasa Yoga, restorative Yoga, and Thai Yoga therapy.

Kelly teaches Yoga and meditation at Stanford University, where she is also a health educator for the Stanford Prevention and Research Center and a consultant for the Stanford Center for Teaching and Learning. She is the anatomy and physiology trainer for the Avalon Yoga Center teacher training program in Palo Alto, CA.

Kelly's editing and writing background includes a B.S. in Communication from Boston University, and professional experience as a web site editor, news editor, academic/scientific editor, and freelance writer. She also directs Open Mind Open Body, an online community and resource center for Yoga students and teachers (http://www.openmindbody.com).

She brings to this position a strong understanding of both research and application, and looks forward to serving the community of Yoga professionals and practitioners.

Jesse began practicing Yoga & meditation at the age of 14 and has been engrossed with Yoga & the Yogic life-style ever since.   In 1990, she went to Kripalu Institute for the Seva program; which deepened her interest & study in Yoga & meditation.  Jesse completed the 1,000 hour Massage Therapy program at The Desert Institute of Healing Arts in 1994, and has been working in the field of body-work since then.  In 2000, Jesse completed the Yoga Teacher training program at the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts in Tempe, Arizona. She considers herself blessed to have 2 Gurus in her life...her two young sons who bestow upon her the blessings of courage, wonder & enlightenment daily. Currently Jesse considers her practice to be Bhakti by nature and hopes to one day complete her training as an Ayurvedic Practitioner.  Jesse came to the International Association of Yoga Therapists in January, 2006 doing volunteer work as Seva. She has, since then, happily become part of the staff as Membership Services.

Jean Stojkov, Webmaster

Jean is the programmer / webmaster of the IAYT web site.

She holds a B.S. in Mathematics and did some graduate work for her M.S. in computer science.  She happily welcomed Daughters #1, #2 and #3 and ended her formal studies.

She appreciates and relies on the healing power of Yoga and exercise.  In her spare time, she explores the "whys" and the reasons in the evolution of mathematics.  Cooking, gardening and reading science fiction are high on her list of fun things to do.