Meet Our Teachers

Alchemystic is proud to showcase the talent and wisdom of teachers who embody our values. These folks have dedicated their dharma to sevā (service to others), social justice praxis, and sharing their ancestral medicine with the community. These teacher bios allow you to get a deeper glimpse into who these facilitators are, and provides ways to connect 1-1 with them and their work.

Sunaina (they/them)

Sunaina Rangnekar (they/them) is an infinite, multi-dimensional energy incarnated into this material form. They immigrated from India to the unceded ancestral homelands of the Ute, Cheyenne, and Arapahoe Nations- now colonized as Denver, Colorado. Their yoga practice is deeply rooted in Hinduism and Bhakti. They follow the lineage and teachings of their ancestors and Sri Paramahamsa Vishwananda. Sunaina uses neurodivergent superpowers to create a more community-centered world that focuses on individual healing by embracing our unique truth. They believe that the answer is already within us when choosing self-love, accountability, and awareness. With their unique lens to the yogic path, Sunaina creates spaces to reclaim yoga, decolonize minds, and abolish oppressive systems that affect us at an energetic and societal level. You can find them on instagram at @su9nah.

Instagram: @su9nah

Christine Siu Abernathy (they/she/he)

Christine Siu Abernathy 

magical + queer + southern 

Christine is born of diaspora and nourished from the teachings of abolitionist visionaries. Their teachers include Yogacharya Bharath Shetty who studied directly with Padma Vibhushan B.K.S. Iyengar and Ti Harmony who studied Kripalu. Christine has also studied trauma-sensitive yoga with The Center for Trauma and Embodiment, kundalini yoga for marginalized youth with YOGA for Youth, and Sankhya philosophy and prānāyāma with Prasad Ragnekar.

They see healing as a critical component of justice work and use yoga as a tool for accessing abundance, inner wisdom, and power inside all of us. They teach yoga as an energetic practice to support the overall vitality of mind, body, and soul. Their own journey has illuminated yoga as a lifelong practice to transform their life and deepen their connection with others.

They specialize in working with youth, elders, and bodies of varying sizes and abilities. They love supporting their queer/trans and BIPOC fam through yoga as well as people experiencing chronic pain, burnout, insecurities, anger, and low mood. If you have any questions or just want to say hi, drop them a line at @house.of.chi on instagram.

Instagram: @house.of.qi

Nandani Devi (they/dem)

Nandani is a neurodivergent queer Indo-Caribbean/West Indian New Yorker activist, artist, writer and intuitive counselor. They use digital content, art, writing, community-making and healing containers to support growth, transformation, empowerment and embodied Divinity in integration with social justice. They focus on inner child healing through shadow work and anchoring a better connection with Divine Guides.

Nandani is a descendant south asian indentured diaspora into the Caribbean. They come from lineages of Hindu Shaivites, Vaishnavs, & coolie daayin (indentured witches) Muslim and Christian ancestors/family. Through ancestral healing they were able to restore lost lineages and practices, some among them were sacred dance, community-building, divination, Amman devotion and herbalism. Later they were initiated Kundalini Kriya Yogini under Siddhanath Yogiraj’s Babaji lineage, Omorisha under tutelage of Chief Iyanifa Osun Femi of Osun’s Golden Harvest Temple, certified Reiki Master + Teacher and Shakti devotee and  healing practitioner. They are a theosophist who has studied different occult (with leanings towards The Golden Dawn and Paganism) and spiritual techniques from many cultures (tarot, scrying, western astrology, numerology etc) with a focus on the diasporas into the Caribbean and Indigenous Americas.

Nandani is a social justice activist working through spiritual and creative means to decolonize wellness and advocate for the lives of the most marginalized. They are passionate about west indian visibility!, queer and trans rights as well as helping south asian diasporas to unpack and stop the harm-cycles of casteism and anti-Blackness. They challenge the erasure of their intersections and advocate for solidarity, body diversity and action towards divine embodiment and courageous shadow/inner child work!

As an artist and content creator, Nandani works with an array of mediums including, but not limited to, experimental sound, spellwork, trance-poetry and channeled messages, drag, dance, experimental short film and mixed media visual art.

Instagram: @thewestindianwitch
Website:www.Nandanidevi.com
Bookingwww.calendly.com/shakta

Tasnim (she/her)

Tasnim Islam (she/her) radiates warmth as an LGBTQIA+ training specialist and youth educator who is also committed to a lifetime of holistic healing. With deep roots in South Asian culture and as a queer woman of color, she has been on a journey deep into the world of holistic healing practices, motivated by her desire to combat the impact of trauma, oppression, and life’s adversities. She has walked the path of healing, navigating the persistent presence of chronic pain—arising from the burdens of stress, depression, and anxiety. Unsatisfied with the limitations of Western medicine and pharmaceuticals, she embarked on a transformative quest, finding solace in practices such as breathwork, traditional yoga, bodywork, and meditation. She immersed herself in the teachings of renowned breathwork practitioners in the city of New York, harnessing their wisdom to enrich her personal practices. These profound modalities have seamlessly become a part of her spiritual journey, harmonizing with her Islamic background and the rich spectrum of Bangladeshi cultures and traditions. Furthermore, she has integrated these teachings with Bangladesh’s deep-rooted connection to the land and water, forging a powerful synergy that continues to shape and elevate her path.

Tasnim strives to empower her QTBIPOC communities with the knowledge and transformative potential of mind-body connection and holistic healing methods. With a heart overflowing with compassion and radiant energy, Tasnim invites others to discover the transformative pathways to holistic healing alongside her.

Instagram: @tasnimislamatx
Mehndi-Henna Work: @mehndi.henna.nyc

denise (they/them)

denise (they/them) is a Malaysian Chinese immigrant, somatic trauma resolution practitioner, erotic movement arts facilitator and energy healer.

Their work bridges nervous system intelligence, the ancestral wisdom of their taoist lineage, and their personal practice of tantra to support healing and growth in feeling more pleasure, intimacy and belonging.

They believe that the experience of our bodies in relationship to ourselves and one another is the ground in which liberation and transformation takes place. They are an advocate for the embodiment of erotic power and abolition feminism, and they identify as transmasculine nonbinary on the autism spectrum.

Instagram: @denisehuiming
Website: denisehuiming.com
Booking: denisehuiming.as.me

Hasha (she/her)

Hasha Daswani is an Indian immigrant currently living in the homeland of the Council of Three Fires: the Ojibwe, Odawa and Potawatomi nations, colonially known as Chicago, IL. Her ancestral lineage is Hindu Sindhi, Gujarati, Burmese, and Muslim. She is a Sagittarius sun, Cancer moon, and Gemini ascendant according to Vedic astrology. If you follow numerology at all, she is a life path 9, and it very much aligns! Hasha spent a year and a half teaching yoga full time before beginning her current community role as a caseworker in a mental health non profit. She was born in Mumbai India, and her ancestry informs her yoga practice. Like many others, she grew up feeling left out and frankly, scared of colonized yoga spaces in the west, and in turn feels blessed to have received her training in her hometown and learn the true traditions and authentic meaning of yoga. She then attended Yoga Teacher Training at Kaivalyadham Institute, a 200 year old school, under the lineage of Swami Kuvalyananda. Her biggest take aways from the learnings in teacher training were the yamas and niyamas, social and ethical guidelines. The true practice of yoga sent her on a path of ego death, shadow work, deep unlearning and healing of her traumas. Yoga taught her to love all the parts of herself she was taught to hate. While the work will always continue, Hasha felt ready and called to share this path with the community. She felt called to create and support inclusive spaces for folks who seek real yoga and don’t identify with western yogic spaces.

Hasha teaches (and learns) very intuitively and gently. She adopts a trauma informed method in all spaces because creating safety is her top priority. Although she was trained in traditional Hatha yoga, she teaches a blend of asana practices which are mainly restorative.
Her classes include asana, pranayama, dhyana, yogic philosophy, the sutras, and more. As a
Cancer moon, she usually will try to align the practice of the day with the astrological sign of the moon as well. To her, being a yoga teacher means more than leading you through a series of poses and breathwork, it also means gently supporting you and loving you while you understand the deepest parts of yourself. One thing she has learned through this practice is how to get comfortable with constant death and rebirth. Our journeys are all vastly different, but she is grateful to have a glimpse into this part of yours.

Yoga work: @agni_wellness
Personal IG: @hashaxsumair

Sheetal (she/her)

Sheetal (she/her) believes that yoga should be accessible to all individuals. Her introduction to yoga started from childhood when she learnt pranayama from her grandparents.

Sheetal was drawn to teaching due to lack of diversity and accessibility in mainstream yoga spaces. She believes that yoga spaces should foster community and prioritize inclusivity.

Her teachings focus on increasing connection to ourselves through breath work, slower movement and increasing our inner intuition through learning to listen to our bodies. Her facilitation aims to create a nurturing space where we can honor our limits and embrace personal growth.

Sheetal is additionally a mental health therapist who specializes in serving the BIPOC, LGBTQ+ and marginalized individuals. Although yoga can be a powerful practice for our mental health, her offerings are not meant to be a replacement for therapy.

Instagram: @yogawsheetal

Nena (she/her/ella)

Maria Elena (Nena) Terrazas (she/her/ella) is a queer Chicana artist and restorative justice practioner who believes in revolution through collective healing. Restorative justice commonly uses circle to hold intentional conversations with community members to build community, address harm, and collectively define a path forward. Circle creates space for people to come in as their authentic self and connect with others through the stories we share. Circle originates from Indigenous and First Nations wisdom. Circle reminds us that we live in a reciprocal relationship with each other embodying the Nguni proverb of ubuntu, “umuntu, ngumuntu, ngabantu” “I am because we are, we are because I am”. We do not exist in isolation but in community with all life around us, the elements, the cosmos, and the earth.

Nena’s practice centers around holding meaningful and intentional space for people to be heard, seen, acknowledged, and embraced for their journey, their gifts, and their resilience. It is informed by her life experiences, the wisdom of those who came before her, the love of her community members, the elements, and the teachers she has met along the way. There is wisdom inside each of us and ways of knowing that our ancestors, our communities, and our natural environment share to continue to guide us in our path. She believes that these pieces of wisdom and ways of knowing are baked into the stories we share with one another.

Instagram: @nenaterrazass

Priyanda Nadanasabesan (she/they)

Priyanha Nadanasabesan (she/they) is a Sri Lankan American community death doula based in a part of Lenapehoking, also known as Brooklyn, NY. Their practice expands collective approaches to end of life care at the intersection of healthcare systems and spiritual well-being. Her current work includes creating containers for grief and death such as community altars, grief support sessions, death cafes, and creative processing workshops. Priyanha’s work centers collective liberation values with an understanding of the systemic violence that impacts end of life experiences for People of the Global Majority. Her mission is to create non-judgmental, safe, and empowering spaces to explore death and loss. De stigmatizing conversations around death and dying allows more room for authentic discussions about how we want to structure our lives and communities. Priyanha is also an interdisciplinary artist who uses multiple mediums to express abstract self- portraits of her inner (outer) world. Her main artist themes include re-imagining the first- generation experience, cycles of death and rebirth, grief as transformation, metaphysical workings to affirm one’s wholeness and dark humor to soften our shadow work. Priyanha is community made and community empowerment is central to all of her end of life offerings and artistic creations.

Site: https://priyanha.com/
Offerings: https://priyanha.com/offerings/
Instagram: @prinada14

Leanna (she/her)

Leanna (she/her) guides mindful yoga and meditation sessions centering the lived experiences of queer folks and minorities. She believes that the healing arts should be accessible to all and conducted with respect.

As a non-hyperflexible, lesbian, brown person, she found that spaces often didn’t have room for her. Because of this, she sees the importance in having her clinch experience the powerful difference of practicing where they are seen in their precious identities and treated with softness. She believes in the importance of bringing the healing practices of yoga and meditation to people to whom they have been denied.

The focus of her teaching is a mindful awareness of the connection between body and breath. She offers you an invitation to welcome rest, curiosity and awareness, as we embark on this journey together.

Site: unapologeticyoga.com /
Instagram: @unapologeticyoga

Dirish (he/him)

I’m Dirish Shaktidas, I am a multidisciplinary artist, teacher, writer and mentor with a heart loving passion for yoga, dance, meditation hailing from the vibrant city of London, UK. Growing up in a Hindu household I have been strongly influenced with the prayers, mantras and cultural celebration. My Indian roots trace back to the tropical islands of Mauritius. I honour my late uncle who was a yogi for 50 years and bestowed his blessing onto me. My practice has been a strong connection with the energetics and inspiration of yoga, from the styles of Kundalini, Yin, Shakti, Tantra and Buddhism. My teaching style is a heart centred elevating experience that gives you the support and autonomy to play to your edges, finding balance and peace of mind.

I am the founder of Euphoria- Yoga & Dance Training and Trailblazers Business coaching. Over the last decade I have unleashed countless students and clients to find their own unique path to liberation and leadership. I am passionate to activate you to create and embrace freedom and self-expression by helping you to unlock your highest potential. I’ve globe-trotted to learn from extraordinary teachers and masters across the planet. What emerged is an exquisite fusion of practices, combined with the mystique of the chakras, astrology and integrative quantum medicine. It’s the secret sauce to keeping your spirit blazing.

Through this fiery alchemy, I’ve harnessed the power of the chakra system, both in life and business, unlocking torrents of clarity, unshakable stability, monumental growth, and quantum leaps. My work has graced prestigious stages like Selfridges, WeWork, The Shard, and Wanderlust TV. Stay tuned as my new book entitled: Chakrasize your Life- 7 steps to dancing your inner wisdom will hit the shelves this year! 🔥✨

Website: https://www.dirish.com/
Booking: Calendly/dirish19
Instagram: @dirish_shaktidas

Atlas (they/them)

Atlas Tan (they/them) is a spiritual care provider, healing space facilitator, meditation instructor, and educator on topics like grief, death, and contemplative practices. They identify as transgender, nonbinary, neurodivergent, third cultural kid, and someone living with chronic pain.

They were raised Christian Protestant and have been actively practicing from lineages of Tibetan Buddhism, Theravada Buddhism, Healing Justice, ancestral practices rooted in their Indonesian and Chinese identities, and disruptive mystics.

They are here to help make spiritual care more accessible to those recovering from religious trauma and build communities of learners that challenge traditional systems of knowledge transmission.

Current special interests:

Queering spiritual lineages, community-led practices for death/dying care, energetic hygiene in crisis work, spiritual practices that include sexuality and erotic desires, martial arts as a coregulative practice, hunting as a meditation of giving death, tracking as a way to attuning to the land’s stories, neurodivergence and equine relationality

Instagram: @slipperyfloor

Tiger (they/he)

Tiger Rahman (they/he) is a Black, queer, transmasculine yoga practitioner, researcher, and organizational strategist. They started their formal yoga practice in 2014 after a series of shoulder and neck injuries and completed their 500 HR yoga teacher certification training in 2020. They continue to study Vedanta through Swami Parasarathy’s texts and lectures. Tiger’s teaching and practice stems from the need for each individual to live their own lives fully to grow as spiritual beings.

Tiger is also a Senior Director for Community-Based Action Research at City Year, a national service organization that partners with schools to provide academic support, mentorship, and enrichment programs to students in underserved communities. Tiger has a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership and Learning from George Washington University, where their studies focused on addressing the breakdown of knowledge and learning that happens within groups and organizations.

Tiger’s work in yoga and organizational development is informed by their belief in the critical value of individuals’ embodied awareness, values alignment, discernment, and ability to set aside the ego to work towards the greater goals of the community. Tiger’s classes are designed to create a safe and inclusive space for queer, trans, and BIPOC students to explore their own embodiment, deepen their understanding of yogic philosophy, and build community with others who are on a similar journey.

Website: www.liveyourown.life
Instagram: @liveyourown.life

Savannah (she/her)

Hi! I’m Savannah, a guide to a more fulfilled life through throwin’ that ass in a healing circle!

I am the Chief Twerk Whisperer at Throw That Ass Healing Studio and I assist folx in connecting with the power of creativity and desire through connecting to the wisdom of their bodies. Using a combination of somatic, spiritual, and energetic practices I guide folx to tap into ancestral guidance. Twerking is an ancestral technology that allows the body to release energy in the hips and lower back, as well the Root and Sacral Chakra. Releasing and moving that energy allows us to connect with creativity and desire, which allows us to expand our idea of what is possible for us individually, and for our Communities.

As someone who resides at the intersection of multiple marginalized identities, I recognize that the fight for our collective freedom includes freeing ourselves from internalized violence.
My practice is centered in consent, trauma informed care, and compassion. I uplift and celebrate the experiences of the PGM (People of the Global Majority), LGBTQIA+ folx, and Femme identified folx.

Certified Twerk Technician
Usui Reiki Mxtress
Intuitive Channel

Come #throwthatassinahealingcircle with me!
Instagram: @tta_healing_studio

李道玲 Camelia Dao-Ling (they/she)

李道玲 Camelia Dao-Ling [they/she] is passionately engaged in an artistic practice of ancestral healing as community care. In diasporas shaped by US militarism in Asia, Portuguese settler colonialism, and narratives of yellow peril, they are exploring the shapes and textures of displacement and (be)longing. 李道玲 Camellia reclaims qigong, Daoism, and Chinese medicine across language barriers and in defiance of cultural appropriation, while working for educational equity and housing justice with various organizations. They study at Yo San University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the College of Tao, and the International Taoist Meditation Institute. They are an apetebi Ifa and initiated ìyáloriṣa in the Adesanya Awoyade lineage of Ode Remo under the tutelage of Oluwo Falokun Fasegun Ogunkeye and Iya Fayomi Osundoyin Egbeyemi, priests of Ile Orunmila Afedefeyo. In 2020, they published Listen to the Ancestors: Wisdom of Ebomi Cici. This is the first book in English by 82-year-old Candomblé priestess Ebomi Cici, directing all royalties and author credit to the elder. In July 2023, they published their newest book Elemental Healing: A 5-Element Path for Ancestor Connection, Balanced Energy, and an Aligned Life with Union Square & Co.

Website: https://www.epigeneticalchemy.com
IG:@epigeneticalchemy @_wholesoul
FB: https://www.facebook.com/epigeneticalchemy
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/epigeneticalchemy

Leena (she/her)

Leena (she/her) is a queer diasporic Indian born and brought up in Hong Kong. She is a practicing holistic counsellor, mentor and meditation therapist.
Growing up in a traditional, multi-faith home, she is well-versed in the questioning and exploration of identity, the varied roles we play and how it impacts our sense of self and self-worth. Her own journey has led to much curiosity and inquiry around inter- and intrapersonal relationships.

She believes in the transformative power of nature and community as well as the infinite wisdom contained in spiritual literature and practices. They are vital in shaping the way in which we challenge our beliefs and our privilege. Leena relies on these teachings when facilitating meditations and group sharing sessions.

In her counselling work, she sits with clients to explore ways in which they can become more aligned with their physical bodies and their spiritual self. She seeks to support them in navigating complex emotions through a combination of talk therapy, somatic exploration and meditation.
Leena will be facilitating and holding space for folks to explore loneliness as a lived experience and as a concept.

I am not active on social media, it’s a complicated space for me, but I can still be reached on instagram:
IG:@leena.chatlani

Mikaela de la Myco (she/they)

Mikaela de la Myco comes from a blended ancestry. Her peoples come from the hills of southern italy, the caribbean and the deserts and mountains of mexico.

In her everyday life, she is a mother, an entheogen educator, a womb care practitioner and acts as a community ceremony facilitator in occupied Kumeyaay & Luiseno territory, also known as San Diego, CA.

She passionately serves all people in ancestral healing ways with special focus in serving creatives, families, bleeding people, folks within the birthing continuum and people navigating conscious contraception.

Mikaela organizes quarterly ceremonies so people can journey through the dark amenta to uncover ancestral messages, rewrite trauma wounds and make meaning with mushroom and other earth medicines.

Her platform, Mama de la Myco is a creative space at the intersection of medicine woman, psychedelic mother and sacred hoe. Mikaela de la Myco has made the commitment to rematriate entheogens, do ma’at always and prove to the world that psychedelics are for families.

IG:@mamadelamyco

Zīyaṭ (ze/zem/zers or mix of pronouns)

Zīyaṭ (ze/zem/zers [pronounced like they with a z] or mix of pronouns) is a Tamil-Kannadiga, disabled, autistic, Reiki II attuned, multidisciplinary yogi, philosopher, and creator-storyteller. Ze love to contemplate the social justice of yoga and its interplay with the meaning of life, and roots his practice in quantum mechanics, his neuroscience degree, and his gratitude for Indigenous traditional knowledge. She mixes active and restful restorative practices across Bhakti, Karma, Jñāna, and Rajayoga, and is excited to share space with you on our collective journey toward Samādhi.

IG:@ziyatayokumusic

Namasté! My name is Vuzmal Meesha Sharma (they/she) and I am a Kashmiri and Punjabi activist, yoga teacher, artist, disruptor, spiritual seeker, and community organizer. I have dedicated my life to ancestral healing work and queering the healing justice space. I believe communal care, abolitionist praxis, and land back are paths to co-creating a paradigm shift on Earth towards more justice and peace for all. It is an honor to be a steward of the Alchemystic Studio Collective.

Yoga is my way of life. Regardless of whether or not I am physically teaching the practice, I bring my ancestry and knowledge of this tradition everywhere I go.

Meesha standing on a cliff wrapped around by a Pride flad
Here is a bit about the journey that led to the inception of Alchemystic Studio. I was raised by my elders to know our ancestral practices, pujas, cuisine, clothing, and culture. I was the first born outside of South Asia, so I have always served as a bridge between worlds. To this day I believe my ancestors are the ones guiding my journey.

I graduated from UMASS Amherst in 2013 with a Bachelor in Arts degree that I designed myself. I called my degree Writing with a focus on Social Change. My thesis reflected on all of the classes I took in Global Comparative Literature, Women’s Studies, Comp Lit of the Indian Ocean, African-American studies, contemporary slavery, media and propaganda, and creative writing. I proposed that they all weaved together to create my understanding of how oppression and art have coincided throughout history, and how we can use creativity and ancient wisdom to liberate humanity in the future. I also have a minor in biology, and am interested in how spirituality and science can come together to deepen the potential of healing modalities.

After graduating I got my 200 hour yoga teacher training certificate from Corepower San Diego. Although this studio did not provide the true spiritual teachings of yoga that I was seeking, it did give me comprehensive knowledge on anatomy and proper cueing strategies. I continue my education through taking courses and classes led by other South Asian peers and leaders, learning from and sitting with elder wisdom keepers, personal research and svādhyāya, and daily sādhanā. I am now E-RYT certified, meaning I have taught over 1000 hours of yoga, which is a true honor. My teaching style is trauma-informed, nurturing, focused on pranic healing, in devotion to Earth and ancestors, and led by love. Yoga is my way of life, and I saw first hand how integral indigenous healing modalities are in social justice spaces as a manager at international environmental non-profit GreenPeace. I was able to lead a successful and joyful team by applying yoga tools to my management style in order to address and avoid the deep burnout that can occur in folks who do this important work. I am so thankful to the QTIBIPOC teachers that feel called to share their medicine and practice with our community through Alchemystic Studio. Seeing how many folks are bravely sitting in the seat of teacher and culture bearer, who stand for gentle disruption and curious seeking, gives me hope for the future of our communities. There are so many paths of yoga, spirituality, and healing, and they all lead to the same destination: Oneness. Thank you for joining in the dharma of Alchemystic Studio: abolitionist activism guiding us to co-weave a more just and equitable future, and queer re-indigenized yoga bringing us healing and grounding as we walk this path together. 🙏🏽

“I have had the true honor to know Meesha as a passionate activist, a mindful and supportive yogi, and an amazing friend! We bonded over our love for yoga and our drive to protect our earth and the people who live here while working for GreenPeace. Whenever the cause or campaign we were working on would start to feel too big to take on Meesha was always there to help bring things into perspective. In order to reset and shift her mindset through yoga, she would often pop into a handstand, allowing her heart to rise above her head. Meesha leads and speaks from her heart and this is powerful. I am so excited to share this safe space and see Alchemystic Studio grow!”

Lexi Rueff (she/her)

“My love and admiration on a personal level which I call friendship and sisterhood has grown over the years since I first met Meesha in a yoga class she instructed at Tripower. I felt in my most comfortable yoga zone, the original Indian tradition rather than a too westernized version. Her light, smile, choice of music, Mantras, adjustments, and fabulous sequence made this experience one of my best memories. Often I recall it to give me strength when my own practice or teaching becomes a challenge due to exhaustion. Her passion for yoga reminds me of my own passion for Bhakti 💙And her added beauty and sensuality makes the practice an absolutely unique experience. 💙🙏🏼📿✨”

Jay Bhakti Devidasi (she/her)