About
New
York
City
Vedic
Center
Holistic Healing Clinic & Teaching Studio
NYC Vedic Center is a healing studio for consultation, treatment, and studies within all branches of traditional Indian Vedic knowledge. This includes Āyurvedic medicine; Vedic astrology (jyotiṣa ), numerology (sankhya śāstra), and architecture (vastu); meditation, yoga, mantra, and tantra; the Sanskrit language, and study of the sacred texts. It is the tradition and original revelation of this knowledge that all branches be practiced together.
The seed for NYC Vedic Center was originally planted in 2011 by my teachers from Shiva’s Center in Latvia, whom I received a first deep dive into all the Vedic sciences with from 2009-2012. I was shocked to discover no such place existed at that time in New York City– which encompasses all the Vedic studies. And they gently urged me to establish a center. So I drafted up a first prospectus outlining my vision and business model.
Life drastically shifted gears, and I instead became the mother of Alchemical Studios with my creative partner Carlo Altomare. Until that time, I had been wholly dedicated to my practices and teaching meditation and the Vedic sciences, while continuing my craft as a theatre artist, dancer, and writer. But fate had something else in store.
With Alchemical Studios, I continued creating beautiful, zen spaces for people to gather in a nurturing environment to create and share their theatre work, film, photography, and teaching. All the while robustly immersed in studies of the Vedas, jyotiṣa, yoga, tantra, Sanskrit, and receiving my doctorate in Āyurvedic medicine. Twelve years later, as is a common cycle in my life, it is time to open this thread again.
Services: Āyurvedic consultation with traditional Indian medicine, herbs, diet and lifestyle changes – Āyurvedic bodywork therapies – Eastern Vedic chart readings with jyotiṣa – vastu architectural consultation (the Indian feng-shui) – meditation – yogic philosophy – mantra – tantra – and private study in any of these practices.
Gia was first inspired and introduced to Āyurveda, yoga therapies and pañca karma fundamentals by master teacher and practitioner Arun Deva in 2009; and continually studies the Sanskrit language with Ramadas P. V. of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham in India. Further detailed training in the hands-on Āyurvedic therapies of pañca karma was given by Wahneta Trotter of Satmya Āyurveda. Also initiated into tantra, traditional female-based practices and further Āyurveda with Dr. Sumit Kesarkar of NLAM (National Library of Ayurvedic Medicine) in Mumbai, India. Previously she studied Āyurveda through the classical text of Aṣṭāṅga Hṛdayam with the late great Dr. Sanjay Pisharodi; and jyotiṣa (Vedic Astrology) with Sanjay Rath of SoHamsa Śrī Jagannāth Center in New Delhi, India.
Aside from meditation and self-study, Gia's formal yogic training focused on hatha, Vedic and tantric yoga practices. She received her yoga teacher training certification in 2010 from the Sambhāva School of Yoga in Salt Lake City, UT and the Vedic sciences through Shiva Centre of Latvia.
More about Gia can be found on her website www.gialisakrahne.com
About Gia Lisa Krahne
.jpg)
Gia received her doctoral degree in Āyurvedic Medicine from Āyurved Sādhana Vidyālaya teaching institute under the guidance of Dr. Bharat Vaidya, who is a vaidya of Ayurvedic Medicine, MD in Ob/Gyn, and PhD in Human Sexuality. Gia has been teaching for thirty years now; is on faculty at the college since 2020 as professor of Āyurveda, Sanskrit, jyotiṣa, and tantra. With twenty-five years of deep sadhāna and meditation practice as an adult, she further considers herself a lifelong meditator via her perhaps overly focused childhood studies of piano, voice, dance, theater, and academics.
She received her BA from New York University in psychology and English in 2001, and then immediately pursued the post-baccalaureate premedical track at Columbia University. Her original obsession was neuroscience; and her first six years in the hospital setting were poured into studying the link between drug abuse and eating disorders– all the while flirting with becoming a neurosurgeon.
My Approach
My teaching and healing practice includes as many curious, seeking souls from different walks of life as possible. I have found that my students and I all find each other for a very particular, soul-illuminating reason.
I mostly work with individuals, but also couples to guide their journey to becoming healthier, happier, clearer, and freer. Possible touchstones: Chronic illness, digestive maladies, psychic discomfort, recovery of all sorts, depression, confusion, addiction, the wonders/perils of the mind, being too busy, juggling work & family life, eating habits, weight problems, emptiness, focus, the "God" question. Possibly you are looking for more direction, spirituality, devotion or love in your life and consciousness.
-
Healing protocols with Ayurvedic therapies. Three month treatments plans, or longterm care and growth.
-
Developing your personal meditation practice (guided meditation, chakra explorations, chanting, breathing, disciplined study of sacred texts & self).
-
Practices specifically for women to re-balance and strengthen your reproductive system. Focusing on mental patterns, prāṇāyām, simple herbs, gentle hatha yoga practices, and most importantly dinacharya (daily eating, sleeping, scheduling habits).
-
Individualized yoga asana practice (specializing in therapeutic yoga, gentle practice, former athletes, heart-centered practice, and general healing crises).
Vedic & Tantric studies (philosophy of non-dual living), Āyurveda (traditional Indian medicine), jyotiṣa (Vedic astrology & astronomy), sankhya śāstra (Vedic numerology), mantra (sacred sounds), and japa (chanting). Weaving in traditional & creative āsana (poses and postures), prāṇāyām (control of breath), and of course meditation.
"In the understanding of meditation there is love,
and love is not the product of systems, of habits, of following a method.
Love cannot be cultivated by thought ....
Love can perhaps come into being when there is complete silence,
a silence in which the meditator is entirely absent;
and the mind can be silent only when it understands its own movement as thought and feeling ....
To understand this movement of thought and feeling there can be
no condemnation in observing it.
To observe in such a way is the discipline,
and that kind of discipline is fluid, free, not the discipline of conformity."
--J. Krishnamurti, FREEDOM FROM THE KNOWN
Education
2024
Pañca Karma Therapies
Satmya Āyurveda
Trained with master PK teacher & Āyurvedic practitioner Wahnetta Trotter to perform abhyaṅga, svedana, śirodhara, nasya, and external bastis.
Austin, TX
2022–2023
Massage Studies
Pacific College of Oriental Medicine
Focus on Tui-na Chinese medical massage and Shiatsu Japanese bodywork treatments. Continuing studies with Master Ohashi.
New York City
2018–2021
Doctorate, Āyurvedic Medicine
Āyurved Sādhana Vidyalaya
Four year doctoral degree, 300 internship / externship patients under supervision and training of Dr. Bharat Vaidya. Focus on women's health and sexuality.
Superior, CO
2018–2019
Human Biology
Hunter College
Biological sciences
New York City
2017–present
Sanskrit
Aṁŗita School of Āyurveda
Weekly Sanskrit language classes thru the study of Āyurvedic texts with Professor Ramadas P.V. and a small dedicated multi-continental group of students.
Kerala, India
2016–present
Tantric Studies
National Library of Ayurvedic Medicine
Female-based practices of tantra, yoga, and Āyurveda with Dr. Sumit Kesarkar.
Mumbai, India
2015–2018
Jyotiṣa (Vedic Astrology)
Devaguru Bṛhaspati Center
Parāśara-based Vedic astrology and related practices with Pandit Sanjay Rath.
New Delhi, India
2009–2012
The Vedic Sciences
Shiva Center of Vedic & Tantric Sciences
Immersive study of Āyurveda, jyotiṣa, yoga, mantra, yantra, and tantra with Andrejs Gailis and Shiva Alexander.
Riga, Latvia
via Salt Lake City, UT
2009–present
Āyurveda
Arunachala Yoga & Ayurveda
Āyurveda, yogic therapy, Vedanta, and fundamentals of pañca karma therapies with master teacher and practitioner Arun Deva.
West Hollywood, CA
& Salt Lake City, UT
2009–2010
Yoga Teacher Training
Sambhāva School of Yoga
Yoga training focused on hatha, tantric, anatomy, and heart-based practices. Led by Jennifer Ellen Mueller, Jami Larson, and Jen & Matt Newman.
Salt Lake City, UT
2003–2004
Acting & Playwriting
The New Actors Workshop
Actors training led by George Morrison, Mike Nichols and Paul Sills. MA program thru Antioch University.
New York City
2001–2003
Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Medicine
Columbia University
Physics, chemistry, biology courses in preparation for medical school.
New York City
1998–2001
BA, Psychology & English
New York University
Studied psychology with an emphasis on neuroscience and psychopathology, as well as English with a focus on Russian literature.
New York City
1995–1998
Voice & Piano
San Francisco Conservatory of Music
Studied classical voice with Herman LeRoux– both opera and musical theatre. And classical piano and music theory with John McCarthy.
San Francisco, CA
