At Yoga Gives Back, we are deeply honored to present the YGB Leadership Awards to extraordinary leaders in the yoga community of Los Angeles and around the world—visionaries who have made the wisdom of yoga their life’s mission.
These remarkable individuals embody the essence of Seva—selfless service—and remind us that yoga is not only a personal journey, but also a global movement of compassion and empowerment. We are the beneficiaries of their leadership, and it is with profound gratitude that we celebrate their lifelong contributions.
This year, we proudly honor YGB Advisor, Nischala Joy Devi, an internationally respected yoga teacher, healer, and spiritual pioneer whose work continues to expand the boundaries of what yoga can mean in our modern world.
Nischala joined YGB’s annual Seva Trip to India earlier this year with her husband Bhaskar Deva, visiting all the programs in Karnataka and West Bengal and continues to support all YGB’s initiatives wholeheartedly.
A Life Devoted to Yoga and Healing
For decades, Nischala Joy Devi has been revered as a guiding light in the yoga community—known for her unique ability to integrate the ancient teachings of yoga with the compassionate wisdom of the heart she is highly respected as an international advocate for her innovative way of expressing Yoga and its subtle uses for spiritual growth and complete healing.
Trained by highly respected yoga masters in the U.S., India, and around the world, she was initiated into the Paramahansa Saraswathi Order of Sannyasa and spent many years as a monastic disciple. Nischala started teaching yoga in the 70’s and worked with Indra Devi, a pioneer of yoga in the West, co-leading workshops in the 80’s.
Originally trained in Western medicine, Nischala’s groundbreaking work has united the science of healing with the spirituality of yoga. She helped develop the yoga component of Dr. Dean Ornish’s Program for Reversing Heart Disease and co-founded the award-winning Commonwealh Cancer Help Program, pioneering yoga’s integration into modern healthcare.
Building upon her extensive experience, Nischala created Yoga of the Heart®, a training and certification program designed for yoga teachers and health professionals to adapt yoga practices for those living with heart disease, cancer, and other life-threatening conditions. Her approach embodies the deep compassion and inclusivity that lies at the very core of yoga philosophy.
Author, Teacher, and Feminine Voice of the Yoga Tradition
A prolific teacher and author, Nischala Joy Devi has written and recorded numerous courses, teachings, and books that continue to inspire yogis around the world. Her influential works include The Namaste Effect: Expressing Universal Love through the Chakras and The Secret Power of Yoga, a woman’s guide to the heart and spirit of the Yoga Sutras—restoring the feminine wisdom often lost in translation.
Through her ongoing podcast series, A Woman’s Gita: Bhagavad Gita by & for Western Women, co-hosted with Kamala Rose, a YGB Ambassador and academic, Nischala continues to illuminate how yoga can be lived and experienced through love, inclusivity, and deep spiritual insight.
A Legacy of Compassion and Transformation
At Yoga Gives Back, we believe that yoga has the power to create real change in the world—and leaders like Nischala Joy Devi show us how. Her teachings invite us to live from the heart, to heal from within, and to uplift others through love in action.
We will present this YGB Leadership Award to Nischala Joy Devi with heartfelt appreciation for her enduring contributions to yoga, wellness, and the empowerment of all beings at Yoga Gives Back 18th Annual Global Gala. This year’s theme is Unity in Action. Please join us with your friends and community as we come together to give back.
