Hi there! I’m Manasa.

I’m a yoga, meditation, and philosophy teacher, world traveler, and a second-year medical student devoted to empowering you to find true self-compassion and inner peace.

Inner peace doesn’t have to be complicated.

I didn’t always know that to be true.

As a first-generation Indian American who moved over a dozen times growing up, the stark contrast I witnessed between poverty and privilege forged a life-long quest to understand human suffering. I sought to learn more about building a peaceful world- particularly through the lens of health & medicine. My extensive work with non-profit organizations, local and abroad, pointed me toward a mission. I began “fighting for peace.”

One chilly winter, I found myself in New York for the United Nations for the 56th Commission on the Status of Women. As I walked briskly toward the UN, the frosty New York air stung cold on my face, but my heart and mind were warm with hope. That day, as I met female leaders from around the world breaking ground with innovation and service, I realized how little I truly understood about the human experience. It was there in New York, witnessing these women in leadership, that an inner shift began.

In a moment of total awe and surrender,

I decided to allow myself to more fully broaden my horizons- to see and learn more about the world before trying to naively “fix” it.

Following that experience, I dedicated six years to personal development and acting on the inspiration I gained from international women in leadership. I traveled to over seventy cities within twenty-two different countries. I channeled my life-long practice and passion for dance, yoga, and meditation into becoming a teacher. I read countless books, hiked hundreds of miles, and working closely with spiritual teachers and mentors from different faiths and traditions.

During this time I remember feeling deeply confused by how the richness of Spirit seemed to co-exist in a world battling pain and injustice. Yet I forged on through.

Through teaching and traveling, I was touched by many unique life experiences. I noticed a common thread; no matter what country or culture, almost every person shared a desire for balance or some sense of internal peace, health, and happiness.

As I begin to learn more about the world, I inevitably came back around to tending to my own trauma and wounds of the past.

**I realized that whatever change I wanted to see in this world had to come from a sincere transformation within.**

I was brought face-to-face with my strengths and weaknesses, and I learned what true self-compassion looked like. As I showed up for myself and **broke through the “isms” of the world,** I found new ways to cultivate authentic self-acceptance and compassion for myself and others.
And then for the first time in my life, I stopped *fighting for peace* and starting ***living in peace.***

The reality is that, to some degree, all of us have been touched by the intersectional complexities of oppression and trauma.

Healing trauma on an individual and collective level surely can not happen with spiritual bypassing or spiritual materialism.

At the same time, peace isn’t something external to attain or status to earn.

Peace is your birthright.

It’s inherently within you.

Peace is only something that can be found when you journey within. It begins with learning about the patterns in life that entrench us into deeper states of stress and tension and then taking action to begin the process of healing.

For the past decade as a yoga & meditation teacher, I’ve worked with students to help instill some of this balance. I weave together knowledge from meditation, yogic philosophy, Ayurveda, the medical sciences, and my personal experiences to craft yoga & meditation classes for a diverse range of people from all walks of life.

I believe that by embracing yourself with compassion

and living in harmony with nature and Spirit, you can step into a new way of being - as a **Peacekeeper.**

All of my offerings are devoted to your self-empowerment and self-healing. I don’t have quick-fix answers. But what I do have are insights from over two decades of inner spiritual work, which I share in hopes of connecting with you. I am passionate about creating a world where we can live in harmony with one another and with creation. My travel photography, writings, and musings are all a reflection of this desire of mine.

The path to peace does require patience, clarity, and kindness. But it does not need to be complicated. Sometimes it may feel that way, but that’s okay too.

Wherever you are today, I welcome you.

I look forward to connecting and creating a better world together with you.

LEARN HOW I CAN SUPPORT YOU

Publications:

Abouassali O, Chang M, Chidipi B, Martinez JL, Reiser M, Kanithi M, Soni R, McDonald TV, Herweg B, Saiz J, Calcul L, Noujaim SF. In vitro and in vivo cardiac toxicity of flavored electronic nicotine delivery systems. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2021 Jan 1;320(1):H133-H143. doi: 10.1152/ajpheart.00283.2020. Epub 2020 Nov 20. PMID: 33216635; PMCID: PMC7847071.

Chidipi B, Shah SI, Reiser M, Kanithi M, Garces A, Cha BJ, Ullah G, Noujaim SF. All-Trans Retinoic Acid Increases DRP1 Levels and Promotes Mitochondrial Fission. Cells. 2021 May 14;10(5):1202. doi: 10.3390/cells10051202. PMID: 34068960; PMCID: PMC8156392.

Kanithi M, Junapudi S, Shah SI, Matta Reddy A, Ullah G, Chidipi B. Alterations of Mitochondrial Network by Cigarette Smoking and E-Cigarette Vaping. Cells. 2022 May 19;11(10):1688. doi: 10.3390/cells11101688. PMID: 35626724; PMCID: PMC9139349.

Pallaval VB, Kanithi M, Meenakshisundaram S, Jagadeesh A, Alavala M, Pillaiyar T, Manickam M, Chidipi B. An Overview of Natural and Synthetic Analogs of Quinoline for the Prophylaxis of COVID-19. Chloroquine Analogs: An Overview of Natural and Synthetic Quinolines as Broad Spectrum Antiviral Agents. Curr Pharm Des. 2020 Dec 11. doi: 10.2174/1381612826666201211121721. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33308117.

Habib A, Sawmiller D, Hou H, Kanithi M, Tian J, Zeng J, Zi D, He ZX, Sanberg PR, Tan J. Human Cord Blood Serum-Derived APP α-Secretase Cleavage Activity is Mediated by C1 Complement. Cell Transplant. 2018 Apr;27(4):666-676. doi: 10.1177/0963689718775941. Epub 2018 Jun 5. PMID: 29871524; PMCID: PMC7020233.