About Bhavani
Bhavani Lorraine Nelson offers experiential workshops throughout the world from her base at Kripalu Center in Stockbridge, MA, with which she has been aligned as a program director since 1988.
Bhavani teaches meditation and mindfulness, yogic tools to transform stress, and the power of the voice, including sounding, singing, chanting, sound healing, and public speaking.
She has conducted inspirational seminars, sounding experiences, and vocal coaching in educational, medical, corporate, and religious settings.
Since the 1960s, Bhavani has been a professional singer/songwriter in the folk idiom, performing in concerts and clubs in major cities in the US, Europe, Mexico, Japan, and Iceland. Her heart-opening performances soothe and inspire audiences of all ages.
She discovered Sanskrit chanting through Ram Das in 1970 and has since practiced and led both Sanskrit and ecumenical chanting worship services in churches and other venues.
Bhavani has produced several albums of songs, chants, and sounding experiences, as well as instruction on meditation.
Early in life Bhavani discovered a longing to experience the truth church ministers spoke about, leading her to study meditation and spiritual philosophy.
Her spiritual teachers include Dr. Kenneth G. Mills, Yogi Amrit Desai, Sharon Salzberg, Joseph Goldstein, Sylvia Boorstein, Ruth Dennison, Namadeva Acharya (Thomas Ashley-Farrand), and Russill Paul.
Other studies have included voice, vocal pedagogy, theater, television, and opera production in Florida, Wisconsin, Arizona, Maryland, and New York City.
Former career experiences include developing and teaching mathematics programs on television for the state of Maryland, publishing a bilingual newspaper in Nogales, AZ, providing PR and administration for arts organizations in Tucson, AZ, and working as a classical radio announcer at an NPR station in Tucson and at WNCN in New York City.
Bhavani has twice served as President of the Southern Berkshire Toastmasters in Great Barrington, MA and as Area Governor for Area E-1 of Toastmasters International.
In 2011 she achieved the Distinguished Toastmaster designation, the highest in the Toastmasters program.
Bhavani is also a professional-level Kripalu Yoga teacher.