Maya Breuer, who lives in Providence, R.I., is a traditional yogini and teacher of yoga. She first observed the healing benefits of yoga while studying in the Indian village of Khayavroahan in 1994. Since then, she has promoted the wellness benefits of the practice and lifestyle with an emphasis on reaching people of color.

Maya is founder of the National Yoga Retreat for Women of Color, held bi-annually at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in Lenox, Ma. She also created the Santosha School of Yoga in Warwick, R.I., an institute that offers teacher training opportunities for minorities to become certified yoga teachers. In addition, she co-created this year Roots, Rhythm and Soul: A Black Yoga Gathering at the Omega Institute for Holistic Studies in Rhinebeck, N.Y.

A member of the Board of Trustees of the Kripalu Center, Maya is also a member of the International Association of Black Yoga Teachers; an affiliate instructor of the International Yoga College; a member of the International Association of Yoga Therapists and of the National Yoga Alliance.

She is also a featured author in Stephen Cope’s, “Will Yoga and Meditation Really Change,” published by Bantam books. A recipient of the Trailblazer Award from the International Association of Black Yoga Teachers 2006, Maya has completed her first book “Soul Yoga.” The book, to be published soon, speaks to how women of color can blend ancestral traditions and eastern practices to create a healing and encourage spiritual growth.

Maya was a focus of a recent National Public Radio report. Click here to listen to this feature.