About Us

Anita’s journey is one of relentless determination, profound resilience, and healing through heartbreak. Each chapter of her life has shaped her into the human being she is today, an embodiment of perseverance, love, resilience, and purpose. From the moment she boarded a flight at 16, leaving her family behind to pursue the dream of becoming a neurosurgeon, Anita’s path was anything but linear. The sacrifices made by her parents, alongside her relentless belief in herself, carried her through moments of doubt, fear, and uncertainty.

A pivotal turning point came when she arrived in the U.S. alone and her host family welcomed her as one of their own and selflessly supported her education and her family without hesitation. Years later, Anita graduated from college, with her sister and parents proudly watching. This act of kindness laid the foundation for Anita’s life, teaching the power of compassion, selflessness, trust, and human connection, as it was also already laid by the acts of her own parents.  

Despite her dedication, the journey to medical school was filled with obstacles, leading her to question her purpose. When life took an unexpected turn, she met the love of her life and shifted her focus to supporting her husband’s medical career and raising their daughter. The dream of becoming a neurosurgeon lingered, but its loss felt like the loss of a piece of her soul.

Anita’s final attempt to pursue medicine led her to a Physician Assistant program at St. Francis. Gaining acceptance was a moment of hope, reigniting her strength and belief in herself. But life quickly intervened.

During her first semester, her father’s health declined due to kidney failure. Torn between her studies and caregiving, Anita made the extraordinary decision to donate her kidney to save his life. Despite her parents’ resistance, she convinced them it was safe.  After taking a year off to help her family, Anita returned to St. Francis, excelling academically, only to face another devastating blow: her sister was diagnosed with a rare cancer.

Amid the chaos, one day a close friend said to her, “Maybe this isn’t your path.” Accepting that her lifelong dream of becoming a neurosurgeon, and now a physician assistant, was no longer her purpose shattered her. She left school, consumed by darkness, and devoted the next years to supporting her family during her sister’s cancer battle.

Anita was torn, dividing her time between her sister’s family and her parents in New Jersey and her life in Pennsylvania. Bearing the weight of it all, trying to provide emotional and physical support to parents, sister, her nieces, brother-in-law, daughter and husband, the burden became too much to carry.

During this very scary time for her father and sister, Anita’s journey led her back to the world of yoga. Yoga became her anchor. A local teacher, who she admired and inspired, encouraged her to pursue certification, and despite the challenges of her sister’s illness, Anita seized the opportunity. Traveling to Ohio for training felt as brave as leaving her country at 16 - it was a leap of faith.

Over ten days of intense practice, Anita discovered her natural ability to teach. Every pose and sequence came effortlessly, and she realized this was her path. While she wasn’t a neurosurgeon, yoga captivated her mind in a similar way. She became fascinated by the connection between yoga and the nervous system, channeling her passion for the human body into this new purpose.

Anita had found a way to heal, teach, and inspire, fulfilling her desire to help others, just in a way she had never imagined.

Teaching yoga became Anita’s sanctuary . . . the only moments where she was fully present, her attention undistracted by her sister’s cancer or the weight of her responsibilities. It came effortlessly, as though she wasn’t even trying, sequences flowed intuitively, inspired by her students and their needs. Her deep connection to her community and her students grounded her in a way nothing else could.

But life once again demanded a painful choice. Leaving a community that meant so much to her was necessary, though heartbreaking.  Just over two months later, Anita faced another devastating loss. 

The sudden loss of her father in July 2021, just four days before her birthday, shattered her and left her family paralyzed with grief. His constant, silent support had always been a source of strength, inspiring her to create her own space and make an impact. Six months after his passing, she reconnected with yoga, and in child’s pose for over six hours, she released her grief through tears. In that moment, everything seemed to both fall apart and come together as she rediscovered herself, one breath at a time.

The spring after her father's passing brought a profound transformation. For the first time in over 15 years, Anita heard the birds singing at dawn. It wasn’t the world that had changed, but herself. Her senses awakened, allowing her to notice the beauty she had once overlooked in her pursuit of medicine and family. She realized how narrowly focused she had been, chasing a dream in medicine so intensely that she had lost touch with everything else. Her father’s death devastated her, but it also sparked a painful yet profound awakening, making her more attuned to the beauty, opportunities, and possibilities that had always been around her.

Amid her grief, clarity emerged. Anita realized her true purpose wasn’t tied to the medical career she had once pursued. Guided by her father’s encouragement to create her own space, she found a path of healing and growth through mindfulness and movement. This journey led to the creation of Arya Yoga Studio, with "Arya" symbolizing authenticity, courage, strength, purpose, and human connection . . . a tribute to her family, her father’s belief in her, and the life she was now ready to embrace.

Amidst the chaos of losing her father and her yoga journey and certification, her sister's first unsuccessful stem cell transplant, where Anita had been the donor, a miracle emerged: her sister was in remission and eligible for a second transplant in May 2023. Anita stood by her side, becoming her unwavering caregiver during a grueling month-long stay at a cancer facility near Sloan Kettering Memorial Hospital. 

As her sister’s body was ravaged by the physical, emotional, and mental toll of the transplant, the weight of it all nearly crushed Anita. Yet, she knew she had to find the strength and resilience to hold her sister up, no matter the cost. The sight of her sister's fragile, emaciated body and shallow breath was almost unbearable. It was a pivotal moment when Anita realized her sister wasn’t just breathing, she was surviving on a bare minimum of air, her breath so shallow, letting her body shake and taking her life slowly away. In that instant, Anita offered her a glimpse of her yoga practice through meditation, breath awareness, and gentle restorative yoga. The encouragement and presence she brought to her sister reignited her spirit, helping her tap into a strength she didn't know she had. This fueled her recovery, cutting her hospital stay by two months.

This profound experience led Anita to complete her Yoga4Cancer certification, a journey that deepened her purpose and calling. Now, with the knowledge and compassion she’s gained, Anita is eager to share this gift with her community and all those in need, knowing the power of healing through mindfulness, breath, and movement.

Opening Arya Yoga Studio was no easy task. The search for the perfect space, delays, and setbacks tested Anita’s patience and resilience. But when the opportunity for an old historic church reemerged, she knew it was the right place. The building’s transformation mirrored her own journey, full of challenges but filled with purpose. The timing, though difficult, felt guided by her father’s presence, offering silent support.

Arya Yoga Studio’s grand opening took place on her father’s name day, St. John the Baptist, marking a new chapter for Anita, a rebirth that honors her journey, her family’s love, resilience, strength, connection, and the official birth of Arya Yoga Studio.

When unexpected challenges later led to the closing of that space, it became another turning point. One that tested her in entirely new ways.

What made it even more profound was the timing.

The decision to close the studio fell on the anniversary of her father’s passing.

Not planned. Not expected. But deeply felt.

In a way that could not be explained, it brought a sense of connection, of guidance, of something greater at play. A reminder that beginnings and endings are often more connected than we realize. That even the hardest transitions can carry meaning, direction, and purpose.

And through it all, her community showed up.

In just over a month, with the support of her family, friends and her team and the strength of her community, Arya found a new home.

That experience changed her.

It reminded her that a space is never just walls. It is the people within it. The connection. The shared energy. The willingness to show up again and again, even in uncertainty.

Arya is not a place. It is a living, evolving community.

Today, at the heart of Arya Yoga Studio is a space for learning to navigate life’s waves through personal connection and community. It’s a place where every breath, every movement, carries the legacy of love, resilience, and purpose, a tribute to Anita’s transformative journey and the profound influence her father continues to have on her life and work

Anita continues to lead with an open heart, grounded in everything she has lived, lost, and rebuilt.

She understands now more than ever that confusion is necessary to reach clarity. That life’s unexpected turns can lead us exactly where we are meant to be, if we are willing to stay open.

Her journey is still unfolding.

And she is eager to see where it will take her next!

As Oscar Wilde said, "To live is the rarest thing on earth. Most people exist, that is all."