Poonam Gupta, M.Phil, ERYT 500, Ayurvedic Practitioner

Center Director and Faculty

Poonam grew up in India with yogic training at home where her father taught her the essence of yogic philosophy. Her childhood was filled with aspiring stories of yogis from the scriptures. She not only learned the paths of yoga, kriya and asana but she also learnt how to immerse oneself in devotional singing of bhajan & kirtan. As a young child she sat with her father in meditation for hours, visited spiritual teachers and read from many spiritual texts.

Poonam holds a Masters of Philosophy degree from University of Delhi, India. She received her formal yoga training in India and US and has over 5000 hours of teaching experience. She has studied with teachers from many different traditions and has developed her own unique style. Poonam’s yoga classes are comprised of the eight limbs of yogic philosophy along with hatha yoga which can be both challenging and therapeutic depending on the recipient.  Ayurvedic principles and pranayama are key elements of her teaching as she guides her students through a practice. In her classes, students find a rich blend of warmth, humor, wisdom and intelligence.

Poonam teaches several yoga classes at the College of Dupage, conducts yoga teacher trainings at many locations and enjoys cooking, singing, writing and gardening. Her love for the healing powers of the plant world has lead her to study Ayurvedic herbology. She lives in Illinois but frequently visits India to study and learn.