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Shobana Pillai

Director, Amrita Yoga® | Assistant Professor, School of Spiritual & Cultural Studies, Amritapuri | Head, Department of Yoga, Amritapuri Campus

Qualification: MBA, Pursuing PhD (Faculty of Interdisciplinary Studies)

yogashobha@am.amrita.edu
ORCID ID
Google Scholar Profile
Research Interest: Yoga Therapy and Mind–Body Practices, Meditation and Bhāvanā (Yogic Contemplative Processes), Cognition and Multisensory Integration in Yogic Contexts, Yogic Psychology and Inner Well-Being, Yoga Education and Pedagogy Across Age Groups, Integrated Holistic Health

Bio Publications FDP / Workshops Invited Talks Membership Awards Conferences
Bio

Brahmacharini Shobha (Ms. Shobana Pillai) serves as the Director of Amrita Yoga, Mata Amritanandamayi Math, and Assistant Professor in the School of Spiritual and Cultural Studies, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Amritapuri. She has over 29 years of experience in teaching yoga, meditation, and mind–body practices to students across India and around the world.

She began her yoga journey at the age of five under the guidance of Swami Vijnanananda, a disciple of Swami Sivananda. Inspired by Satguru Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi (Amma), she dedicated her life to sharing yoga as a means for inner growth and compassionate living.

Under Amma’s direct guidance, Shobha formulated and developed the Amrita Yoga® system, which emphasizes “awareness with heart-centered intention.” She has trained 375+ volunteer teachers, designed curricula for Amrita Vidyalayam schools, and created programs for rural communities, women’s empowerment, orphanages, and rehabilitation initiatives in prisons and police departments.

Shobha has taught over 145,000 students globally, leading retreats, workshops, and classes across the USA, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and India. She has been invited to teach at Dublin City University, University College Dublin, the New Zealand Parliament, University of New South Wales, and the Omega Institute.

She serves as Joint Secretary of the Indian Yoga Association (2022–2026) and has held expert roles with the UGC and MHRD. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham.

Education

  • 1998: Masters’ in Business Administration
    Maharishi University of Management, Fairfield, IOWA, USA
Publications

Conference Paper

Year : 2025

Long-Term Practice of IAM-35 Is Associated with Enhanced Mindfulness and Reduced Perceived Stress: A Cross-Sectional Study

Cite this Research Publication : Shobana Pillai, "Long-Term Practice of IAM-35 Is Associated with Enhanced Mindfulness and Reduced Perceived Stress: A Cross-Sectional Study," International Conference on Sustainable & Resilient Futures: Bridging Science, Policy, and Practice (ICSRF 2025), 29th August to 1st September 2025, Amritapuri Campus, Kerala, India.

Year : 2018

Bhavana Shakti – Theoretical Reflections and Methodological Tools around Women, Energy and Ecology

Cite this Research Publication : Shobana Pillai, "Bhavana Shakti – Theoretical Reflections and Methodological Tools around Women, Energy, and Ecology," International Conference on Ecology & Culture, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Kerala State, India, December 2018

Year : 2009

Green Solutions for Global Dilemmas: Management Innovations of an International NGO

Cite this Research Publication : Shobana Pillai, "Green Solutions for Global Dilemmas: Management Innovations of an International NGO," International Conference on Green Management in a Warming World: Challenges and Opportunities, SCMS, Cochin, Kerala State, India, March 2009

Journal Article

Year : 2025

Defining Bhāvanā through the PAL framework: grounded theory insights from long-term IAM®-35 practitioners

Cite this Research Publication : Shobana Pillai, Hemaa Manimaran, Glenn B. Mannheim, Maneesha Vinodini Ramesh, Defining Bhāvanā through the PAL framework: grounded theory insights from long-term IAM®-35 practitioners, Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Springer Nature, 2025, https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-05783-y

Publisher : Springer Nature

Year : 2020

Computational analysis of cortical EEG biosignals and neural dynamics underlying an integrated mind-body relaxation technique

Cite this Research Publication : Rakhi Radhamani, Nijin Nizar, Dhanush Kumar, Gayathri Suresh Pillai, Lakshmi Swapna Prasad, Sreehari Sudheer Jitha, Midhun Krishna Vannathi Kuniyil, Abhijith Anil Sekhar, Vaishnav Satheesh Kumar, Shobhana Pillai, Shyam Diwakar, Computational analysis of cortical EEG biosignals and neural dynamics underlying an integrated mind-body relaxation technique, Procedia Computer Science, Elsevier BV, 2020, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2020.04.035

Publisher : Elsevier BV

FDP / Workshops
  • Workshop on Qualitative Data and Analysis Methods, Dept. of Biostatistics, AIMS Kochi (2014)
  • Webinar: How to Write a Research Paper for an International Journal – Springer Nature (2021)
  • Online Training: Become a Smart Researcher – Springer Nature (ONOS) (2025)
  • Webinar: Role of Artificial Intelligence in Scientific Writing – Springer Nature (ONOS) (2025)
Invited Talks
  • Talks at Dublin City University & University College Dublin on Mindfulness and Yoga (2020)
  • Kids Yoga sessions at John Scottus School, Dublin (2020)
  • Yoga Session at New Zealand Parliament, Wellington (2019)
  • Yoga Workshop at University of New South Wales, Sydney (2019)
  • Main teacher at 25th Yogafest International Conference, Australia (2019)
  • Workshops at Omega Institute for Holistic Studies, New York (2018)
  • Sessions at Santo Domingo Senior Center & Early Childhood Learning Center, New Mexico (2018)
  • 2-day yoga workshop for H. Princess Märtha Louise of Norway (2018)
  • Guest Speaker in Norway for International Day of Yoga (2017)
  • Numerous yoga awareness sessions in Amrita Vidyalayam schools across India
Membership
  • Joint Secretary, Indian Yoga Association (2022–2026)
  • Key member of the coordination team for the Civil 20 India 2023 Working Group on Integrated Holistic Health – Mind, Body & Environment. Contributed to the development and submission of the policy brief presented to G20 nations on 29 July 2023.
  • Expert Member, Inter University Center for Yogic Sciences (UGC) (2018)
  • Expert Committee Member, Yoga Education in Universities, MHRD (2016)
  • Institutional Representative, Indian Yoga Association
  • Life Member, Indian Yoga Association
  • Lifetime Registered Yoga Teacher, Yoga Alliance International (YAI)
Awards
  • Bharath Vibhuti Award, GOAL, Delhi (2016) 
  • Indian Glory Award, FAME India (2015) 
  • Rashtra Vibhushan Award, FACE, Delhi (2015) 
  • Third Place – Combination Competition & Forward Bending Competition, All India Yogasana Championship (2016)
  • Ambassadors’ Club Award, American Express TRS, Asia-Pacific (2000–2001)
Conferences
  • National Conference on Global Financial Crisis & Indian Economy, ASAS Kochi (2009)
  • International Conference on Ecology & Culture, Amritapuri (2018)
  • International Conference on Sustainable & Resilient Futures: Bridging Science, Policy, and Practice (ICSRF 2025) held from 29th August to 1st September 2025 at Amritapuri Campus, Kerala, India.
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