My experience with Yes+ was fabulous. I met amazing people, I learned that everyone is very different and felt more comfortable with myself from that knowledge.
Below is some information about a few of the more than sixty teachers and hundreds of volunteers working on YES+ in the United States, with thousands more working across the world.
Mark Ball
Mark Ball has been a Senior Instructional Designer for Google for the last six years. He designs learning experiences for a wide range of learners. Distinct groups served have included engineering managers, data center technicians, new hires and interns. Currently attending USF's MS in Organization Development program, he seeks to create change solutions that go beyond a limited in-class training remediation. By considering incentives, motivations and other systemic performance effectors he seeks to create more effective solutions. Mark has also been instrumental in bringing the Art of Living YES+ program to Google employees. Through practical breathing and meditation techniques this program has provided Googlers with effective tools for improving their effectiveness, resilience and innovation.
Natalie Kaharick
Natalie holds a Bachelor's Degree in Art History and is an alumna of the Semester-at-Sea program. While she loves art, her favorite creative pursuit is cooking delicious vegetarian food. She is also an avid reader, news junkie, and photographer. Natalie currently works for the Art of Living Foundation in Washington, DC, specializing in teaching stress management, social responsibility and service leadership to young professionals and university students. She also serves as the Art of Living Foundation's National YES+ Service Projects Coordinator.
Natalie says... "I first took the Art of Living course when I was in college. I really didn't know anything about it, but I had been going through a rough time and really liked yoga so I thought I'd give it a chance. The impact it made on me was tremendous. After completing the course, I was so happy. I felt as though years of stress and tension had been removed from my body and mind; I was smiling all the time. My thoughts were clearer, my retention increased, and I quickly became passionate about getting all my friends and classmates to take the course as well. "
Annelies Richmond
Annelies Richmond is an international teacher and teacher trainer of stress management, leadership, yoga and human values programs for the Art of Living Foundation. Before teaching for the Art of Living Foundation, Ms. Richmond danced professionally for 15 years, spending the last half of her career with the Metropolitan Opera in NYC.
Ms. Richmond has been teaching Art of Living Programs in New York City for the past 10 years, and has been invited to teach specialized groups varying from psychiatrists to university students, public school teachers to lawyers, from patients with severe depression to public school suspendees. She has been a guest speaker and teacher at Columbia University, Cornell University, University of Pennsylvania, Texas A&M, Barnard College, City College of New York, Baruch College, Pratt University, the United Nations, and at the U.S. Department of Education. Currently she is integrating the Art of Living university program (YES!+) into college and university curriculums, which has begun in several universities in the USA.
Clarke Weatherspoon
Clarke Weatherspoon is a graduate of Phillips Exeter Academy and holds degrees in History and Black Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara. He also earned Academic All-American and Big-West Scholar Athlete honors as a member of the UCSB Men's Water Polo Team. Clarke went on to coach for the Santa Barbara Water Polo Foundation, Marin Water Polo Club and currently serves as a head coach at the Stanford Water Polo Foundation. Clarke also served as a member of USA Water Polo National Development Team coaching staff from 2003-2005. Clarke resides in San Francisco, California and teaches youth empowerment and meditation workshops to urban youth. Clarke is a native of Exeter, New Hampshire and teaches History, Comparative Religion and facilitates the Meditation Club at The Urban School of San Francisco.
Clarke says... "Teaching the YES+ Course is one of the most enjoyable things I do. As a college student, I often wondered how to make myself more effective and centered. I often got some sense of this from sports, but I rarely encountered peers with similar interests or developed skills. YES+ Plus provides me with the opportunity to feel strong and effective. Understanding that yoga, meditation and breathing exercises can make anyone- an All- American athlete, a musician, a student or a prisoner- more capable and willing to serve the world. The more I practice the techniques taught in this course, the more I see my own abilities and connection to other people grow. At the end of the day, the more connected to people we can become, the more we understand the need for peace and persistence in every community and in every heart."
Debanti Sengupta
Debanti Sengupta is a current Ph.D. candidate in Chemistry at Stanford University as well as a long-term practitioner of yoga and meditation. A certified yoga, breathwork and meditation instructor, she has taught stress-management and self-development workshops for Stanford students, staff and faculty across campus as well at other colleges (Amherst College, San Jose State, Foothill) and locally through the Art of Living Foundation, a United-Nations chartered NGO. A 2009 recipient of Stanford University's James H. Lyonsaward for service, and Stanford's 2009-10 Wellness Room Director, Debanti is committed to student and faculty well-being on campuses.
Karishma Anand
Karishma is a graduate from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania and went to Delhi University for her undergraduate course work in business. As a strategic management conslutant, Karishma works with fortune 500 clients to improve business profitability. When she is not working, Karishma loves to run outdoors. Karishma currently resides in the east bay in California and volunteers to teach the YES+ workshop to students and young professionals.
Karishma says..." I was first introduced to these breathing & meditation techniques in 2002. Integrating these techniques into my life is the best thing I ever did for myself. It helps me stay focused at work, relax and switch off when I want to, be happy and most importantly live and enjoy life to the fullest. Infact these techniques have improved the quality of my life more than any other activity or routine."