Hi, we are Shama & Vikas Rana!
We are delighted to welcome you to Samsara, our sanctuary for yoga, meditation, and holistic wellness, a place for transformation and self-discovery
Our values & mission
At Samsara the Yoga Studio, we believe in nurturing the mind, body and soul. We founded Samsara as not just a yoga studio but a sanctuary where ancient practices meet modern needs to create a space for healing, growth, and transformation.
Our mission is to empower individuals with the tools for balanced living through yoga, pranayama, meditation, functional nutrition, detoxification and other alternative holistic healing modalities. We create personalized wellness plans tailored to each individual. We are committed to inclusivity, authenticity, and creating a supportive community.
Shama’s Journey
My journey on the spiritual path, together with my husband Vikas, has been one of profound transformation, healing, and purpose.
For over 30 years, meditation, yoga, and various holistic healing therapies have been my guiding lights. They have helped me navigate life’s highs and lows, reach higher states of consciousness, and share these gifts with others.
I graduated in Chemical Engineering from IIT Mumbai. However, losing my parents early in life, along with a deep curiosity about life, death, nirvana, moksha, and the purpose of existence, shifted my path. I instinctively knew that spirituality held the answers I sought, and I found strength and guidance in profound spiritual texts like the Ashtavakra Gita, the Upanishads, and books on energy healing and the esoteric.
Yoga, meditation, and energy healing techniques soon became my anchors. They not only helped me regain balance but also provided inner strength, clarity, and invaluable insights that continue to guide me every day.
Meditation-A Lifelong Practice
For the past three decades, I’ve dedicated myself to the practice of meditation, reaching deeper states of awareness that have profoundly transformed how I see the world.
Teaching meditation to students across the globe over these years has been immensely fulfilling. It brings me great joy to see others find stillness, inner strength, and connect with their true selves.
Delving into Functional Nutrition
Years later, the persistent health issues of my son taught me an important lesson: healing requires more than just addressing symptoms; it involves understanding the root causes.
This realization led me to explore and study blood markers, assess the extent of disease, and delve into functional nutrition. I focused on the effects of both macronutrients and micronutrients, as well as ayurvedic herbs and adaptogens on the physical body.
I witnessed the benefits of oral and IV nutrition therapies, along with cellular detoxification therapies, in correcting the gut microbiome and improving both the physical and mental well-being of my son and other family members.
All of this inspired me to educate, coach, and empower others to reset their health, which has further shaped my teaching approach.
Helping Others Thrive
Walking the spiritual path is the primary goal of my life. A journey of self-discovery, a way to create balance in chaos. My goal is to help you find strength, healing, and clarity—not just on the mat but in every aspect of life. I invite you to join me on this journey.
Teaching Philosophy and Indian Wisdom
At Samsara, I integrate Indian philosophy, Samkhya, Patanjali’s traditional Ashtanga Yoga, and traditional Hatha Yoga into my teaching. These ancient wisdom traditions offer profound tools for living, especially in today’s turbulent and fast-changing world.
As a teacher, I focus on guiding yoga practitioners and aspiring teachers to:
Vikas’s Journey
My journey has taken me from IIT Bombay to the demanding world of corporate leadership, and to the quiet depth of inner exploration. Along the way, I’ve faced challenges that reshaped my perspective and inspired me to help others discover the power of meditation and self-awareness.
Overcoming Leadership Challenges
After completing my studies at IIT Mumbai, I embarked on a corporate career in project management across the Middle East and Africa. By my mid-20s, I was managing teams older and more experienced than me in high-pressure environments.
Balancing international teams, corporate politics, and multi-million-dollar projects came with significant stress.
From Doubts to Clarity
The turning point came when I found myself grappling with self-doubt and severe anxiety while managing some particularly challenging projects in the Middle-East and West Africa.
Thankfully, I had been exposed to meditation as a child, and in my darkest moments, I turned to it again. What I experienced was profound; meditation and the resulting clarity of my inward journey not only eased my anxiety but also improved my relationships, decision-making, and overall effectiveness on the job and in life.
A Life-Altering Challenge
Just as I thought I had conquered life’s challenges, a storm hit my family. My eldest son faced a severe mental health crisis at 18. It was a moment that turned our world upside down. I decided to leave my successful corporate career and return to India to support my family.
Deep-dive into Wellness
Shama and I sought and learnt holistic ways to help our son heal. We explored functional nutrition and wellness practices, as conventional treatments offered limited solutions as these ignored the root causes.
We even completed Fellowships in Nutritional and Environmental Medicine (FINEM). It was an incredibly difficult period, but it strengthened our bond as a family, intensified my experiential learning, and deepened my commitment to helping others.
A Journey of Inner Exploration
My interest in meditation, which began at age nine, became a lifelong passion. Over the years, I’ve immersed myself in Advaita Vedanta, the works of Indian and global thinkers, including Osho, J. Krishnamurti, Ramana Maharshi, Ramakrishna Paramahansa and Carl Jung. Their teachings, combined with decades of personal practice and witnessing, have shaped my experiential understanding of consciousness, mindfulness, and human behaviour.
Teaching to Empower Others
At Samsara, I share what I’ve learned, through programs like Meditation and Mind Training, and the Essence of the Bhagavad Gita, the Upanishads. My focus is on helping others align their external pursuits with inner harmony.
Whether you’re a beginner looking for peace of mind or a seasoned practitioner seeking deeper understanding, my approach emphasizes practical insights and real-world application.
Join Us to Learn How to Live Fearlessly in a Stressful World
I believe that meditation and self-awareness are powerful tools to free ourselves from fear and self-imposed limitations. Through the wisdom of ancient teachings and modern insights, I hope to guide others toward living fearlessly, no matter how turbulent life becomes.
I invite you to join us on an inward journey.