Our Story
Created by sisters Kamala and Jahnavi, Samādhi Collective is an online space and community dedicated to spirituality and self-growth through Sanskrit, Yogasūtra recitation, mantra, philosophy, music, and art.
Translated from Sanskrit, the word samadhi (samādhi समाधि) means transcendence, a state of pure consciousness, an integration of mind, body, and Self. The name Samādhi Collective represents the cultivation of this state of being, which is everyone’s true nature. The ethos of Samādhi Collective is to provide a space for deepening our understanding of what yoga truly is. We aim to share through the lens of all that we have learned through our lifelong immersion in traditions and cultures that have their roots in the ancient philosophies and spiritual practices of India.
We were both born in England and brought up in India, the Netherlands, and the USA. We spent a large part of our childhood and teenage years in the Himalayan foothills of Rishikesh, and have lived more than ten years in India, and most recently for a year and a half in Nepal. Our experiences growing up in Rishikesh have been truly formative in shaping who we are today. We were right by the Ganges, surrounded by ashrams, aarti every evening, and listening to pandits chanting during pujas and yajnas that were held very frequently in our home. Although Rishikesh has changed so much over the years, we still find pockets of the childhood we remember – the familiar faces of those we grew up around, dipping in the Ganges at our favourite beaches and ghats, or revisiting our favourite temples. The two of us have been influenced by Indian philosophy and culture since birth — cultivating practices such as meditation, yoga asana, Ayurveda, Vedic astrology, and Hindustani Classical music.
Kamala कमला — co-creator • sanskrit • indian philosophy • art history
Kamala holds an MPhil in Sanskrit and Indian philosophy from Oxford University and is an art history graduate from the Courtauld Institute of Art (University of London). She has also studied Sanskrit traditionally in Karnataka, India and holds a diploma in Hindustani Classical Music. She is fluent in both Hindi and French.
As part of Samādhi Collective, Kamala teaches all our Sanskrit and Indian philosophy sessions, as well as developing and writing our informative posts on topics pertaining to philosophy, yoga and more, which can be found on our Instagram. Together, Kamala & Jahnavi teach our mantra chanting sessions. For more information, please visit our Offerings page.
Jahnavi is an artist, designer and portrait painter, who studied the tradition of Indian miniature painting in Rajasthan. She is also an experienced yoga instructor, trained in Karnataka, and has taught traditional Hatha yoga in both India and Europe, including at Parmarth Niketan Ashram, Rishikesh. Jahnavi also holds a diploma in Hindustani Classical music.
As part of Samādhi Collective, Jahnavi designs and curates our original artworks and graphics, many of which feature on our Instagram. Together, Kamala & Jahnavi teach our mantra chanting sessions.