Holistic Mentorship

“Hansa Devi has her heart in nature and deep silence. She lives a conscious, sustainable and simple life in Ridgway, Colorado, with her beloved husband Jyoti and two huskies, Satya and Sage.

She serves the greater community by showing up for others in a myriad of ways. She founded the VICHARA initiative to serve beings who want to turn the gaze inward. She offers yoga, meditation and philosophy sessions – as ongoing classes, private and group sessions, immersions and workshops – as well as individual counseling and mentorship.

Through all of her offerings, she is supporting the sangha by exploring the sacred, the raw and the real — from the perspective of non-duality and through the lens of Advaita Vedanta, Kashmir Shaivism, Buddhism, and many other wisdom traditions.

Her deep dive into a daily asana practice started in the Sivananda lineage, then the Satyananda lineage, which eventually lead her to the Ashtanga Yoga method. She has participated in numerous Vipassana 10-day silent retreats and hosted vedanta retreats in the lineage of Swami Dayananda Saraswati. She has nurtured a steady sadhana for decades and has been teaching in Ridgway since 2010. 

Hansa’s academic background is in public health (Karolinska Institute, Sweden) and nutrition (Uppsala University, Sweden), as well as marketing and communications, which led her to move to India in 2008. While living in India, she was part of the core founding team of ACCESS Health International – a global think tank tackling some of our current times most urgent health related challenges and opportunities.

She is currently running the nonprofit that is stewarding The International Flag of Planet Earth, with the mission to spread awareness about the interconnectedness of all of life on this planet. The flag is a symbol that holds the message that we need to take care of the planet and each other.”

Everyone has their challenges in life, which in certain ways define how we relate to life and how we choose to live. I grew up in Sweden with two younger siblings and parents that divorced when I was twelve. I had to grow up very fast, as my mom’s addictive tendencies grew into full blown addictions of alcoholism, gambling, etc. She was suicidal and very manipulative. I rarely talk about this, but I know that it has greatly shaped who I am today. 

My mom was a deeply sensitive self-employed workaholic who didn’t seem to ever find balance, which turned into a bunch of different types of tools to numb herself. All of this has of course shaped my constant exploration of wellbeing – on all levels of being. She was in many ways an important role model of what not to do, and for that I am deeply grateful.

As a youngster, I quickly realized that mindfulness tools and practices were going to be my lifeline. Some of the books I picked up as a teenager became my best friends, for decades to come. I learned how to navigate a wide spectrum of emotional storms, including deep sadness, disappointment, anger and grief – which initially expressed as a burning rage that I covered up inside. I was faced with the fact that there is a choice embedded within each thought, word and action. Even though I took over a lot of responsibilities at an early age as things fell apart at home, I chose to take responsibility for my physical, mental and emotional health simultaneously. Thus, I started exploring practices to nurture body, mind and spirit, very early on – which I am eternally grateful for. 

I started traveling in my late teens, as a way to get a break from the madness and running the household – and as a way to get exposed to other realities, cultures and lifestyles. I did an exchange year in Colorado, USA, as a senior in high school, which was the first step to break free from the norm. I got bit by the travel bug and I ended up studying most of college on my own, while traveling, way before online schooling was a thing. Looking back, I see this traveling decade of my life as a pilgrimage – both to many places and people that taught me a lot, but most importantly, as a way to truly get to know myself. It set the tone for my independence and inspired me to live creatively and consciously, instead of getting engulfed in the patterns and expectations I was born into.

I went back to Sweden for my higher education and while in my masters studies, I got a scholarship that changed my life; I moved to India for what was supposed to be a 5-month project, which ended up being a two year period that forever changed me. While in India, I met my beloved husband, who was another important catalyst for change. I moved to Ridgway, Colorado in 2009, where he was located, and I had never felt so at home in my life.

The search for deeper meaning and practical tools to fully meet life in all of its ups and downs, hasn’t ceased. This is still my most profound fascination. I started teaching in Ridgway in 2010 and continue to live a simple, beautiful life in the mountains together with my husband Jyoti and our two huskies, Satya and Sage. 

Each life journey is unique, yet I think there are many things that we share. The blessing of any challenge is that we are offered valuable lessons, if we are willing to show up and take these lessons to heart. This is the way to move forward with more insight, ease, gratitude and contentment. The quest still remains – how to live life to the fullest, yet being detached – how to respond to life, rather than react out of habit – how to meet each day afresh, without coloring it with our conditioning – as it is an endless process of refinement and shedding of layers. And so the unfolding continues… 

I have learned that we are co-creators of our experience. This can be both liberating and challenging to hear, but I believe to my core that we have choices along the way – how we choose to show up and write the story of our lives – where we place our attention and invest our energy, no matter what life puts on our path.  

I am consciously signing up for the task to be your mirror, responsible to tell you what I see. My background is in Vedanta (nondualism) and conscious living – based on various wisdom traditions including the yogic sciences. In our sessions together we will draw on ancient wisdom, as well as bringing these perspectives into the light of our modern contemporary lives. However, this is about far more than the teachings and their applications. I am here to walk beside you, and nudge you to see your own light and potential.

I have worked with individuals in group and solo sessions since 2010 and find myself deeply fulfilled by serving in this way. It is my duty to hold the mirror for you to see your own potential and unique gifts, while looking at any debris, resistances or fears that are in the way of you living your full potential. We engage in conversations and inquiry, supported by practices and resources, tailored for your unique situation and evolution of life.

My job is to inspire the change that you seek and the goals that you set, as well as motivate you to stay on the path when things get heavy, sticky or complicated. I will continue to shine light on your innate abilities, as you rewire outdated conditioning and beliefs. It is a team effort that requires honesty, straightforward communication, as well as empathy and deep compassion. I am honored to do this work, in unison with your aspirations for this life. 

It is useful to have a mirror to help us see blind spots as we go about our life. Sometimes we miss the obvious. Sometimes we get stuck in certain narratives, patterns or behaviors that are not in service to where we want to go. It can be helpful to have someone keep us accountable, to stay committed to our own aspirations and goals. A mentor can help nudge you along when things get challenging and you want to quit. I am here to walk beside you and hold your highest vision. Together we break the work into bitesize pieces, so that you can continue to stay committed to the lifetime practice of creating the life you wish to live and refine the deepening connection to self.

• Vedic Counseling – Certified by Dr. David Frawley (Vamadeva Shastri)

• Teaching yoga, meditation and philosophy since 2010

• Mentorship clients since 2015

• Vipassana – Three 10-day silent retreats since 2010, ongoing silent days

• Ashtanga Yoga – Studied and practiced since 2012

• Hatha Yoga – Studied since 2002, certified 2010

• Advaita Vedanta – Studied since 2009

• Kriya Yoga – Initiated in 2008

• Philosophy studies – Ongoing since early 2000s

• BA in Public Health Sciences – Karolinska Institute

• Nutrition and Dietetics – Uppsala University

• Honest mirroring and accountability

• Deep diving into your latent potential and purpose

• Moving through transitions with compassion, dignity and grace

• Exploration of alternative perspectives and ways of being – born from ancient wisdom traditions, applied to our modern lives and aspirations.

• Self-awareness and responsibility that leave you feeling fulfilled and free

• Ignited creativity, devotion, commitment and self-respect

• Embodiment of your core values

• Optimal health and wellbeing, as a side effect of living your truth

• Alignment and authenticity, as the pillars of your operating system

• Trusting your inner compass and guidance

• More joy and ease as you go about your days

• Trusting the process and evolution of your life