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at Mount Madonna, California
Administrative Team
Practicing The Yoga of Action
Mount Madonna’s activities in service of our mission – including engaging with our extended community, programming, day-to-day operations, campus management, and so much more – are carried out by a dedicated team of volunteers and paid staff, governed by the Hanuman Fellowship Board of Directors and Executive Director. Decades of volunteerism have laid the foundations for Mount Madonna’s strength and vitality today, and an embodied practice of karma yoga, or “the yoga of action.” It remains the ethos for all who are engaged in sustaining the organization.
We have to cultivate positive qualities in our day-to-day life. Life is not coming but going. Every single second is flying away from our lives.
If we are not trying to attain peace, then we have lost, are losing and will lose the previous seconds, minutes, hours, days and years of our lives.
BABA HARI DASS
Administrative Leadership
Mount Madonna Center
Executive Director
Prabha grew up at Mount Madonna Center, is an alumna of Mount Madonna School, and completed Mount Madonna’s Yoga Teacher Training 200-hour and 300-hour programs. She currently serves as the Executive Director of Hanuman Fellowship, focusing on finances, operations, staff development and supporting the overarching work of Mount Madonna Institute, Mount Madonna Center (including the Temple), Mount Madonna School, and Sri Ram Ashram. Previously, Prabha worked at Starbucks for 26 years in various roles and recently retired to focus full-time on building and sustaining the Hanuman Fellowship. She is grateful and passionate about the opportunity to support the Fellowship and its various vital entities in this next stage of growth and development.
Chief Financial Officer
he/him/his
Mohan came to Mount Madonna Center and School in 1987 and was an early participant in Power of Pranayama with Babaji and youth retreats, where he met his future wife, Yogita. Early on, he adopted Babaji’s saying, “Motivation to bring peace to others is the cause of peace within” as his north star. This led him to Stanford University and then UCSD, where he earned an MIA in Nonprofit Management. From 2006 to 2021, Mohan served as CEO of FishWise, an internationally recognized nonprofit focused on sustaining our oceans through an integrated people + planet approach. Mohan brings a heart-centered approach to his work, coupled with deep expertise in strategy, governance, financial management, Diversity/Equity/Inclusion/Belonging, and alignment building..
Chief Marketing & Communications Officer
she/her/hers
Lara grew up at Mount Madonna, is the first graduate of Mount Madonna School, and is a graduate of UC Santa Cruz. Lara brings many years of experience as educator, development director, and communications and marketing strategist in both nonprofit and private sector environments, including ocean environmental sustainability, the well-being of foster children, and high-tech. Lara also served as Director of Advancement for Mount Madonna School, where she supported her alma mater in building a new gym and achieving historic annual fundraising and student enrollment.
A proud parent to a Mount Madonna School alumna, and now a thrilled grandmother, Lara enjoys standup paddleboarding, yoga, traveling, reading, and spending time with friends and family. An enthusiastic nonprofit and business development professional with a talent for building meaningful relationships, Lara has a passion for lifelong learning and a dedication to making a difference in the lives of others.
Hanuman Temple Director
he/him/his
Janardan “JD” is a founding member of Mount Madonna Center and serves on the board of Sri Ram Foundation. For many years, he served on the Panchayat (Council of Elders) of Hanuman Fellowship. Janardan teaches the Eight Limbs of Ashtanga Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Tantra Yoga, and Vedic rituals. He serves as the head pujari (priest) of Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple.
Guest Services Director
she/her/hers
Tammi Matthews brings to Mount Madonna a diverse background working with government and nonprofit organizations. Her main focus was to support at-risk youth, service-learning programs, and veterans. Driven by a strong passion for service, Tammi has also served in the military, Peace Corps, and with the Corporation for National & Community Service.
Tammi’s interest in spirituality, Yoga, and Buddhism has influenced her professional path, leading her to manage programs and guest services at two other retreat centers. She also developed a profound love for nature and adventure in her youth because of her parents’ work in Yellowstone National Park. Her spiritual path and love of nature led her to Mount Madonna where she is happy to be involved in enriching lives through meaningful service. She believes deeply in the power of connection and has witnessed transformative experiences in nature and retreat settings. Her mission is to foster connection through her work and personal interactions.
Human Resources Development Director
As a Human Resources professional and passionate Kriya Yoga practitioner, Sandra brings a unique blend of knowledge and experience to her position as HRD Director, and is very much in sync and alignment with the mission, vision, and values of Mount Madonna and the Hanuman Fellowship.
Sandra has strong leadership experience in both nonprofit and corporate sectors, and in addition to her BA degree, Sandra holds several nationally recognized Human Resources credentials, including SHRM-CP, PHR, and PHR-CA certifications. She also has a proven track record of successfully building and nurturing an HR department in a newly created national education nonprofit, participating in the development of organizational strategic plans, researching and developing a leadership academy to support staff enrichment and employee potential, and attracting and retaining top talent.
Sandra comfortably models a transparent and collaborative culture, and enjoys fostering a supportive and inclusive workplace, where all staff can thrive, and which is inspired and deeply rooted in the values of Yoga.
Operational Systems Director
Stephanie first moved to MMC in 2008, and has been active in a range of areas over the years, including Operations, Personnel, YSC facilitation, and Finance. After spending a year with family on the East Coast, she returned to the Center in April 2022. She currently serves as HFS Board Secretary and as MMC’s Director of Operational Systems. A YTT 300 graduate, she loves leading pranayama, meditation, and asana classes, while also being a lifelong student of the rich lineage of the Center. Her professional and academic background is in grassroots organizing and fundraising, international and community development, nonprofit management, child development counseling, and accounting. She is committed to fostering healthy community and positive human development, and feels honored to serve on the Board and support the HFS mission.
Operations Director
he/him/his
Travis arrived at Mount Madonna Center in 2023 following an 8 year tenure with a prominent naturopathic organization on the East Coast. His professional journey has predominantly been in Operations and Marketing leadership, with earlier experience in finance and working with individuals with special needs. After more than seven years of remote work from his home in San Diego, Travis recognized the absence of community in his life. Practicing non-attachment, he relinquished his possessions and relocated to the Santa Cruz Mountains, where he has been dedicated to cultivating a sense of belonging and empowerment within the community he has grown to cherish.
Management Staff
Mount Madonna Center
Manager, Land Planning
Dayanand teaches Yoga Sutras, Samkhya Philosophy, Ashtanga (eight-limbed) Yoga, Tantra (to weave) Yoga, Nada (inner sound) Yoga, and meditation. He is editor of Baba Hari Dass’ Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, A Study Guide for Books I-IV. He also teaches World Religions at Mount Madonna School. A musician, “DN” leads kirtan (devotional singing) and Vedic chanting. Dayanand has been instrumental in all of Babaji’s projects, including serving as the Founding Director of Mount Madonna Center, as a founding board member for Hanuman Fellowship, Mount Madonna Institute, Advisor Trustee of Sri Ram Orphanage, and as a member of the panchayat (Council of Elders) of Hanuman Fellowship.
Kitchen Manager
Controller
Finance Manager
Marketing & Communications Manager
Hanuman Temple Facilities Manager
Manager, Land & Stewardship
Soma teaches Ashtanga (eight-limbed) Yoga with a focus on pranayama (breathing techniques) and meditation, in addition to Yoga Sutras. She is the primary mentor for the sadhana (daily spiritual practice) component of Yoga Teacher Training. A musician, she leads kirtan (devotional singing) and Vedic chanting at events and retreats. Soma is a founding member of Mount Madonna Center, serves on the panchayat (Council of Elders) of Hanuman Fellowship, and is a practicing geotechnical engineer with a Bay Area consulting firm.
Operations Manager, Facilities & Maintenance
Our Mission
The Attainment Of Peace
Hanuman Fellowship is organized, as inspired by the example and teachings of master yogi Baba Hari Dass, to promote the principles and practice of Yoga by means of sadhana (spiritual practice), karma yoga (selfless service) and satsang (supportive community), as well as other spiritual disciplines and learning that foster personal and spiritual development and wellness and that create an environment for the attainment of peace.
Mount Madonna Exists
At the intersection of practice and principle
At the intersection of teaching and learning
At the intersection of myth and history
At the intersection of looking back and moving forward
Support our Mission
Holding Space for Personal Transformation
Mount Madonna is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization under the auspices of the Hanuman Fellowship and Advaita Society. Your gift will support stewardship of this vibrant learning community, inspirational wisdom tradition, and sacred land.
