Guest Lecturers at Portland Yoga Collective
Teachings that shift how we see, practice and lead
At Portland Yoga Collective, we view yoga as an ongoing practice of learning: dynamic, evolving and enriched by many voices. We believe that deepening our understanding of yoga requires a diversity of perspectives and a commitment to critical inquiry. In alignment with this commitment, we regularly invite guest instructors to share their unique expertise and lived experience, expanding the ways we practice, reflect and relate, both on and off the mat. These guest lectures are not supplementary; they are essential to cultivating a more nuanced, inclusive and socially engaged approach to yoga.
Meet Our Guest Lecturers
Tejal Patel
Tejal Patel (she/they) is a yoga educator, speaker and community organizer whose work centers yoga through a social justice lens. For over a decade, she has empowered individuals and organizations to reflect critically, teach authentically, and embed equity and inclusion into their practice.
Her teachings invite students to engage with complex topics—such as perfectionism in yoga spaces, race- and ethnicity-based stress and trauma, and the respectful use of cultural elements like Sanskrit and chanting—with nuance, accountability and care.
Tejal joined PYC in September 2024 for a weekend of workshops and faculty development, offering experiences that blended movement, critical inquiry and cultural reflection, including:
Reimagining Bakasana (Crow Pose): A movement-based workshop exploring multiple accessible pathways into the pose, challenging dominant ideas of “correct” form.
“So You Want to Change Om and Namaste”: A deep dive into the cultural significance and ethical use of Sanskrit in modern yoga spaces.
Perfectionism and White Supremacy Culture: A facilitated conversation with PYC teachers on how perfectionism shows up in our lives and teaching, and how to respond with awareness and care.
Her presence called us into deeper accountability, more courageous self-reflection, and a commitment to building a yoga culture rooted in liberation and belonging.
Explore Tejal’s teachings & workshops here.
Susanna Barkataki
Susanna Barkataki (she/they) is a yoga culture advocate, author and educator whose work centers the decolonization of modern yoga and the reclamation of its roots. She is the founder of Ignite Institute for Yogic Leadership and Social Change and Yoke Yoga, a wellness app for self-care through yoga. Ordained by Thich Nhat Hanh and trained by masters in India, Susanna bridges ancient wisdom with spiritual leadership for our time.
Through her teaching, Susanna guides practitioners in examining their relationships to lineage, power and cultural respect. She invites students into an ongoing process of reflection and responsibility, reminding us that honoring yoga’s roots is not about perfection, but about cultivating integrity through sustained practice, humility, and connection.
Susanna joined PYC in May 2025 as part of her book tour celebrating Ignite Your Yoga: A Guide to Yogic Leadership and Social Change, an inspiring resource that deepens the intersection of personal practice and collective transformation.
Explore more of Susanna’s teachings & workshops here.
Anjali Rao
Anjali Rao (she/her) brings an intersectional and decolonial feminist lens to the study of philosophy and yoga history integrating storytelling, art and poetry. Emphasizing an embodied approach, her work interrogates dynamics of power in yoga spaces. She is on the faculty of multiple yoga teacher training programs; the host of The Love of Yoga podcast bridging scholarship, activism and yoga; and has served as the President of the Board of Directors of Accessible Yoga Association, a non profit dedicated to ensuring accessibility and equity in yoga spaces to people of all backgrounds.
Anjali guest lectured at PYC in March 2026, inviting critical inquiry, especially when examining yoga’s history through feminist and decolonial lenses, and creating space for deeper reflection and more honest conversation. Anjali sparked genuine inquiry in two powerful workshops:
The Story of Yoga: A Decolonial and Feminist Lens on History
Storytelling as a Liberatory Praxis
Rather than leaving with neat answers, we all left with more meaningful questions. In that way, it felt like a true learning experience.
Explore Anjali’s teachings and order her book here.
