the online portal for the offerings of
Madhurai Sumhara
Madhurai Sumhara
ABOUT ME
More About Me
I'm a Priestess of the Goddess, a yoga and meditation teacher, an artist, and a visionary.
I am here to bring joy, authenticity, Divine connection, alignment, and harmony to the world, and hopefully, to your life!
To get to know me better and work with me more closely, join my upcoming online program, Radiant Me!
Ever since I was a child, I have passionately believed in building a peaceful world. I took part in youth peace trainings and joined PeaceJam, an international youth peace organization. It was at one of their conferences that I learned about human trafficking, and my whole life changed. I was hit by a deep sense of knowing my purpose and dharma in this lifetime is to end human trafficking and help create a world in which such atrocities cannot exist. I believe that this requires a dedicated effort to live and uphold a world of radical compassionate awareness.
Since that day, I have spent my life working to empower and liberate people around the world, starting from within. As my spiritual practice and experiences have deepened through the years of doing this work, my perspective has been expanded to see the healing within all humans that is needed if we are to truly live in harmony and respect with one another. I have begun to understand that yoga and meditation, mindfulness tools, illuminating conversations, deep connections, travel and adventure, and prioritizing solitary time with Self are all powerful conduits to the healing within that is required if we are to create peace outside of ourselves. I passionately offer my services as a facilitator of your own inner journey, in service to the world.
Hi, I'm Madhurai...
introducing Madhurai Sumhara..
Two years ago I was blessed to receive
a new name, Madhurai Sumhara.
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The name Madhurai, a name of the Holy Mother who embodies pure sweetness, love, and beauty, was given to me by my beloved teacher Devaji,
while in India at the feet of holy mountain Arunachala.
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The name Sumhara, a name of power, was channeled and given to me by my teacher Priestess Graell.
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I am deeply honored to carry these names, and feel so blessed
every day to have both of these amazing teachers in my life.
somatic healing
Ishvara Pranidhana: Surrender to Divine Will
I have spent the past few years traveling the world, guided by Spirit and honoring my own inner knowledge and intuition. Allowing myself to be guided to where I am meant to be to live in service to and harmony with others.
I grew up as a dancer, passionately in love with the feeling of freedom and lightness as I swirl through a room. The ability to move my body and express my emotions physically became an intrinsic part of my Being. As I got older, that love of movement expanded to include a yoga asana practice. I now blend a combination of yoga, dance, and alternative movement styles to create a wholistic movement experience that is healing to the mind, body, and Spirit.
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I was blessed to be brought to yoga for the first time by my father when I was just 12. I had no idea what I was getting myself into! From a simple desire for increased flexibility emerged a deepening of my connection with my inner voice and Self, and ultimately, with Source. A new and loving relationship with my Self and All blossomed from within. Before long, I was head over heels in the world of yoga and spirituality, learning everything I could about consciousness and dedicating more and more time daily to my practice.
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In college, I lived in a Mindful Living community. Here I was given the opportunity to begin teaching community yoga and meditation classes for the university. After a few years, I began to feel a tug within my soul, a desire growing in me to travel to India and dive deeper. Upon graduating college, I began traveling the world, and before long I was arriving in South India where I studied yoga and ayurveda, and earned my 200-hour Yoga Certification. I have now been teaching yoga for six years and practicing for 12.
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My passions come together in the form of trauma-healing yoga and community building. I have studied modalities of trauma-informed yoga so as to truly create a safe space for all who attend my classes, and to do this powerful work of cleansing and healing from past traumas. During my time in Northern Virginia, I had the opportunity to guide trauma-informed yoga sessions with survivors of sex trafficking in the Washington DC area. This experience truly opened my eyes and affirmed how powerfully healing and transformative this practice can be. I now incorporate trauma-healing modalities into all practices that I facilitate, and I hope that this style will serve you in your Highest transformational good!
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Qualifications & Certifications
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Priestess of The Goddess Temple of Ashland; Priestess College Fall 2020
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Akshi Yogashala RYT 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Certification
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Bachelor's of Arts: Conflict Analysis and Resolution: Justice and Healing - George Mason University
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Founder, Program Coordinator of Freedom Connection: Against Human Trafficking
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(GMU student organization working to empower the community to combat human trafficking)
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Ambassador of Hope - Shared Hope International​​
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Certified in Arts-Based Community Peacebuilding - Mindanao Peacebuilding Institute 2013
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Certified in Interfaith Community Peacebuilding - Mindanao Peacebuilding Institute 2013
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Trauma Informed Yoga Instructor & Victim Advocate