Dr. Seth Powell

Founder & Director, Yogic Studies

Seth Powell is a scholar of Indian religions, Sanskrit, and yoga traditions, who earned his PhD in South Asian Religions at Harvard University. His dissertation comprised a critical edition, translation, and detailed study of a 15th-century Sanskrit yoga text from south India known as the Śivayogapradīpikā—which uniquely combines yoga, ritual, and devotion. He also works extensively on the visual and material culture of yoga in premodern India, uncovering yoga's past through temple sculptures.

As an educator, Seth is passionate about sharing the latest academic research on yoga's vast history and philosophies and is gifted in his ability to present the ancient teachings of yoga clearly in an accessible, light-hearted, and inspiring manner—while maintaining a rigor and sensitivity to traditional Indian knowledge systems. He founded Yogic Studies in 2018 as a way to bridge academia with the broader yoga world. 

Dr. Antonia Ruppel

Lecturer in Sanskrit and Latin, Director of SACP, Yogic Studies

Antonia Ruppel is a Classicist by training who came to Sanskrit through a series of fortunate accidents. She learnt the language as an autodidact, and one of her reasons for writing her textbook, The Cambridge Introduction to Sanskrit (2017), was to make the experience of studying Sanskrit easier and more pleasant for others. She published the follow-up volume, An Introductory Sanskrit Reader: Improving Reading Fluency (2021), designed to help students gain reading fluency in an enjoyable and straightforward way. She is also the co-editor of the recent Veda-Sätze – Vedic Sentences (2024), a collection of 863 short texts.

Language pedagogy is at the heart of her life. She has been teaching Sanskrit for 20 years at universities such as Cornell, Oxford, the LMU Munich, and online at Yogic Studies. She is also the host of The Sanskrit Studies Podcast.

Moritz Ulrich

Senior Jivamukti Teacher and Medical Doctor

Moritz Ulrich is the founder of the Jivamukti Yoga studio "Peace Yoga“ in Berlin, a vibrant place dedicated to deepening the yoga practice of both students and teachers. With over 20 years of teaching experience, Moritz seamlessly blends spiritual insight, heartfelt communication, and a holistic approach to well-being.

His classes are catering to all levels and bodies focusing on a well-rounded mix of asanas, vinyasa practices, breath awareness, chanting and meditation. Challenging body and mind and supported by uplifting music. As a mentor and teacher trainer, Moritz is passionate about empowering yoga teachers to refine their skills, embrace authenticity, and break free from limiting beliefs.

As a language enthusiast Moritz is also a dedicated student of Sanskrit and has been studying as part of his yoga practice for over 15 years at Yogic Studies and elsewhere.