Full bio of Speakers of International Yoga Day 2025 | Upcoming Events | Events

Hawaii's 7th Annual International Yoga Day

Sunday, June 22, 2025, 9am-11am HST

Biographies of the Speakers

	Dr Raj Kumar Dr. Raj Kumar is the Founder of Gandhi International Institute for Peace (GIIP) in Hawaii. He is also the President of the Indian-American Friendship Council (Hawaii Chapter). GIIP initiated House Bill, HB 349 into the Hawaii Legislature to recognize “June 21 each year as International Yoga Day in Hawaii”, which was signed into Act 102 (Hawaii Revised statue 8-31 2019) by former Governor of Hawaii, Hon. David Y. Ige on June 21, 2019. Dr. Kumar is a certified Yoga teacher and wellness counselor. He has authored numerous books. He has contributed several articles on faith, peace, nonviolence and health in Hawaii’s leading newspapers between 2005-2018.
	Chief Guest Rajesh Adlakha, Deputy Consul General from SanFrancisco Mr. Rakesh Adlakha, Deputy Consul General at the Consulate General of India in San Francisco, is an officer of the Indian Foreign Service. He has vast experience of working in various capacities both at the Headquarters of the Ministry of External Affairs of India as well as in Indian Diplomatic Missions abroad. Mr. Adlakha joined his duties at the Consulate General of India in San Francisco in January 2023. Previously, he was Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of India, Muscat, Oman. He has also served in Indian Diplomatic Missions in France, Sri Lanka and Malaysia as well as India’s Delegation to United Nations in New York. At the Consulate General of India, San Francisco Mr. Adlakha is responsible for community, cultural as well as political affairs. Mr. Adlakha is a graduate from Delhi University. He likes reading and listening to music. His family consists of his wife and two sons.
	GUEST OF HONOR Senator Mike Gabbard is a former high school English teacher, community college instructor, guidance counselor and Dean. He’s also a former tennis pro, restaurant owner, musician and recording artist. He served on the Honolulu City Council from 2003-2005 and was elected in 2006 to represent West O'ahu in the State Senate. He has served as the Senate Agriculture & Environment Committee Chair since 2017. In 2014, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously declared June 21 as the International Day of Yoga. In 2019, the GANDHI INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR PEACE worked with Hawai‘i State Legislature to designate June 21 as "International Yoga Day" in Hawai‘i. Senator Gabbard was instrumental in Hawai‘i becoming the first state in the nation to officially recognize “International Yoga Day.”
	SPIRITUAL CHANTING by Vedajna Vedajna is a 50-year student of Vedic Culture and Hare Krishna movement. He is also Founder and President of Krishna Books which has printed and distributed over 15 million books on the science of self-realization authored by Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Proactive vegetarian since 1970 founding several restaurants and now managing Creative Cuisine a plant-based catering service. Founder of Share Bliss! a movement designed to resolve conflicts through self-introspection.
	Janani Lakshmanan and Elizabeth Mager Aloha Natyam began in January 2023 with the serendipitous convergence of several Bharatanatyam (South Indian classical dance) dancers, on the island of Oʻahu. The name “Aloha Natyam" is meant to represent a deep reverence for ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (the Hawaiian language) while paying homage to the Indic and Dravidian languages that underly the stories we tell. Since its inception, Aloha Natyam has performed at several venues around the island of Oahu, Hawaii. Our network spans beginners to professionally-trained performers and teachers, keiki (children) to kūpuna (elders). Our group is inspired by the kuleana of Hawaiian cultural practitioners, as well as the dharma of Indian progenitors, to humbly contribute toward preserving our traditions and heritage.
	Michele Santos Having spent her childhood living in Brazil, Sun Yoga founder Michele Santos found a special connection to Hawaii at the age of eighteen while attending Hawaii Pacific University. The light and warmth of the islands spoke to Michele and guided her to make Hawaii her home. She took her first teacher training through Bikram Yoga in 2007 and soon realized that yoga was her true passion finding great joy in fostering connections with her fellow practitioners. In 2012 Michele fulfilled her dream and founded a Hot Yoga studio; Sun Yoga is her labor of love, a calling from her heart, a unique practice that helps others fulfill their desire to feel happy and fit, experience peace, personal growth and heal within. Throughout the years of practice and many certifications & trainings, she discovered that yoga is much more than a physical practice for health and wellness. Yoga is a way of living. It is a gentle reminder that helps us to let go of the suffering that comes from living in the past, or the anxiety about the future. Yoga is the art being, living the magical present moment. For Michele yoga is love- a path of much aloha!
	Amber Ricci She has studied and taught her brand of Inner Fire Yoga for Everybody a fusion of Kundalini, Hatha, Qi Gong and Pilates), guided sound healing and meditation, ecstatic movement, belly dance, creative song writing , SELF TANTRA and for Committed Couples Tantra here in Hawaii and Internationally in 28 countries with Inner Fire Yoga and Adventure Retreats for 24 years now. Amber feels her beloved guru Dr. Freddy Weaver (SP) has passed a torch so to speak for her to continue his teachings of Selfness, cosmic consciousness and self-study through the Chakras. Amber enjoys holding yearly Fundraisers for the Hawaii Animal Sanctuary, sharing ways to express authentically through the path of love, raising a son to be kind and compassionate, and traveling to exotic lands bringing her dear friends and family with her to explore / open and connect with themselves on deeper levels of consciousness. The next Inner Fire Retreat to Sri Lanka this December. Ambers is “going first” by stepping fully and courageously in her power to witness without judgment, to love without fear and to have awareness of her ego mind trying to keep her in her illusion.
	Matthew S. LoPresti, Ph.D. Matthew S. LoPresti, Ph.D. is Professor of Philosophy & Humanities at Hawaii Pacific University where he chaired the Asian and Pacific Studies program. He recently published his book Religious Pluralism: Towards a Comparative Metaphysics of Religion and has presented his research at professional philosophy and public policy conferences from India and China to Austria, Poland, and most recently Rome. His academic research interests are in cross-cultural philosophy of religion and public philosophy. Dr. LoPresti studied Sanskrit and Yoga Philosophy in India and the US, lived in Buddhist monetary in India where he taught Buddhist Philosophy and regularly teaches courses on Yoga Philosophy, meditation, and South Asian philosophies. Dr. LoPresti served three terms in the Hawaii State Legislature where he chaired the committee on Veterans, Military and International Affairs, and Culture and the Arts where he introduced the legislation that became the blueprint for the official Hawaii-Goa Sister State relationship. The first of its kind official sister state relationship between a United States’ state and an Indian province.
	Cliff DeVries Cliff DeVries is a teacher of the Transcendental Meditation technique. Extensive research has been done on the TM technique showing that it improves all aspects of life including mental potential, health, interpersonal relationships and world Peace. Cliff started TM for his own personal evolution and growth but this has grown into helping society develop its latent potential. He has a Ph.D. in World Peace from Maharishi European research university in Vlodrop Holland. The TM Organization is sponsoring a demonstration of world peace with 10,000 advanced TM meditators attending a course in December. We believe in the idea of non-violence to bring about a peaceful world as Mahatma Gandhi did. Published research shows that if a very small % of the people of the world are at peace with themselves, then world peace is inevitable.
	Nilanjan Sarker Nilanjan Sarker grew up in India then moved to the USA after college, lived for more than 2 decades in San Francisco Bay Area since early 1990s and afterwards in Jan 2019, he relocated to Honolulu, Hawaii. He learnt Indian Classical Music for a few years but primarily perform as well as teach singing, semi-classical kirtans/bhajans/ghazals as well as contemporary Bollywood songs. He also plays and teach Indian style Harmonium (Keyboard). He also has yoga teacher certification from India and learnt and practiced various lineages of Buddhist and Vedic techniques of meditation, and holistic wellness. He has also composed a number of fusion songs and hosted musical or dance sessions and sound production and monitoring for others.
	Leticia Sharp Born into a strong lineage of diverse healers, Leticia Sharp began her healing training in 1997. While studying with Masters globally, she has gained nearly 3 decades of training and experience. Having created several healing spaces since 2000 and currently sharing offerings at Pono Living Healing Sanctuary in Hawai’i Kai, Leticia is skilled in numerous techniques ranging from Reiki Yoga Sound Massage Herbalism Meditation and Shamanic techniques Immersing herself in the learning of this path for the majority of her adult life she finds joy in connecting with other-like-hearted beings and nature. Leticia invites you to ignite the unique light within and find healing in your life.
	Closing Remarks by Harendra Pannalal, P.E. Closing Remarks by Harendra Pannalal, P.E. who is the President of GIIP. All ancestors of his wife and him were born and raised as Jains. His family has lived in Honolulu for over fifty years. He is a retired mechanical engineer in construction industry. He is on the board of All Believers Network. He is president and vice president of two large condominium boards in Honolulu.