Salt Spring Centre of Yoga Staff

Salt Spring Centre of Yoga

Centre Committee

Alan Shankar Martin, PhD, Centre Director

Shankar is Professor Emeritus in the School of Human Kinetics at the University of BC and holds degrees from Leeds University and UBC, a PhD in Kinesiology from SFU, and an Honorary Master Herbalist degree from the Dominion Herbal College. He completed the Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training in 1973. A founding member of Dharma Sara and a long-time student of Baba Hari Dass, Shankar teaches yoga philosophy and meditation.

Penny Janaki Polden, RN. CYT

Janaki has been practicing classical Yoga and meditation as taught by Baba Hari Dass for over 30 years. She completed her first Yoga Teacher Training in 1973 at the Sivananda Yoga Centre in Grass Valley, California and the 200 hour Yoga Alliance certified Yoga Teacher Training at SSCY in 2003. One of the founding members of the Centre, Janaki currently teaches pranayama and meditation for ongoing classes and retreats at SSCY.

Sharada Filkow, BFA, Teaching Certificate

Sharada has been a student of classical Ashtanga Yoga since 1975, completing YTT at Mount Madonna Center in 1982. She is one of the founding members of the Salt Spring Centre of Yoga, where she has lived for many years. Sharada is a longtime teacher. Having taught at the Salt Spring Cente School for many years, she now teaches yoga philosophy and history of yoga at YTT and other Centre programs. Her other passion is Nonviolent Communication, which she practices and teaches.