Meet Your Facilitators
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Richard Masla, CAP (Founder & Ayurvedic Practitioner)
Richard Masla founded the Ayurveda Health Retreat in 2001 and is a dedicated Yoga teacher and Ayurvedic educator. Since opening its doors, he has helped thousands of people seeking healthy living with knowledge from the Ayurveda. He began his Yoga and Ayurveda studies at age 17 and traveled to India at 20 with his spiritual teacher Swami Prabhupada. He studied Ayurveda with Dr. Vasant Lad at the Ayurvedic Institute in New Mexico and has traveled to India over 40 times. In 1994 he graduated Clayton College with a degree, Doctor of Naturopathy.
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Dhyana & Syama Masla (Owners & Creative Directors)
They are sisters raised on the path of Bhakti Yoga who grew up around their family's Ayurvedic retreat center and visiting the rich and diverse culture of India almost every year. They knew there was something magical about their parents' ways, though they didn’t know that living and sharing Yoga and Ayurveda would also become their life's work.
From their early twenties they have been leading retreats and trainings around the world. After receiving their degree in Traditional Eastern Arts at Naropa University, they moved to New York and spent almost a decade living and serving at The Bhakti Center: a yoga cultural center in New York City. They directed two yoga studios in the east village of Manhattan where they taught in person trainings on Yoga & Ayurveda to hundreds of students each year.
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Vira Tansey (Marma Therapist & Sustainability Director)
Vira Tansey is Richard's son in law. He was born in a family of dedicated Yoga Practitioners and has trained and lived with masters of Ayurveda, Yoga, and Conscious Living throughout his life. He lived and learned with masters (Dr. Madhusudhana Ray & Damian Hagglund) of Ayurveda & Marma Therapy (Ayurveda's body pressure point healing system) and went on to practice throughout the world conducting over 5000 treatments, consultations. He serves as an Ayurvedic Coach, Trauma Counselor, Healer, Community builder and Educator. He and his wife Dhyana Masla have led retreats and trainings around the world since 2011, dedicated to supporting people to experience transformative healing and learn how to live the lives they are meant to live.
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Omkar (Omi) Czenstochouski, CAP (Ayurvedic Practitioner)
Omkar (Omi) is an Ayurvedic Practitioner, specializing in health consultations and ayurvedic cooking. He has studied under Dr. Jayarajan K. of Kerala Ayurveda Academy and Vishnu Dass of Blue Lotus Ayurveda. He is also a Certified Yoga Teacher through the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health. In India he immersed himself in the study of traditional Vedic culture, receiving his Bhakti Sastri degree in philosophy and spiritual literature. He is offering consultations, customizing Panchakarma protocols, and creating specialized formulations used during treatments. He also offers online consultations in English and Spanish.
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Emily Snyder (General Manager)
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Dan Taylor (General Manager)
After completing his undergraduate degree, Dan (DK) lived as a monk in the bhakti-yoga tradition for two years, dedicating himself to spiritual practice, study, and service. He loves helping facilitate clients to experience the transformative power of Ayurveda, having experienced it himself. He is passionate about all forms of health and their interconnectedness — physical, mental, relational, and spiritual. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling.
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Melissa Baker (Assistant manager)
Melissa Baker embodies yoga in her daily life and on the mat. She is a multi-passionate Certified Health Education Specialist, Digital Wellness Coach, Author, and Yoga Teacher who lives in Gainesville, FL. Melissa has been working at the retreat teaching yoga for eight plus years. In addition, she is a writer for the yoga site 3HO and author of the book, "Conscious Adulting: In the Digital Age." Melissa has background in managing teams of up to 80 people in the wellness setting, and loves helping individuals integrate ancient wisdom for the modern day. In 2010 Melissa Baker's life changed when she had scoliosis surgery, where two titanium rods were placed to align her spine. She is passionate about teaching individuals how to create a life in alignment with their True Self and harmony with their outer technology.
Meet your healers
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Our team of experienced massage therapists are here to meet you as you are, lovingly hold you, and empower you on your journey toward wholistic wellness!