Karthikeyan Sethuraman — Yoga Therapist & Founder, Mindful Yogis
I am a yoga therapist and the founder of Mindful Yogis. Before this work, I was a corporate lawyer. Then I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
What I found in yoga therapy, I did not find elsewhere. That experience is at the root of everything I do.
My approach
I work with people navigating chronic and stress-related health challenges: mental health conditions, neurological conditions, autoimmune and inflammatory conditions, non-communicable diseases, burnout, and sleep-related difficulties. I have been practising and teaching yoga therapy since 2020.
Before designing anything, I spend time understanding your situation clearly — your condition, your history, your goals, and what is genuinely realistic given your present capacity and life circumstances. The practice is then built around that. I keep adjusting it as you change.
My background in corporate law gives me a grounded understanding of the pressures that accumulate in professional environments, and my own experience with MS means I understand what it is to face a health challenge that the healthcare system can diagnose but not fully support you in living with.
Where you are already working with a doctor, specialist, or psychologist, I work alongside that care — never in place of it.
Training and experience
Education and training
- MSc in YogaS-VYASA, BengaluruA research-level qualification that includes primary clinical study, yoga philosophy, and therapeutic application across health conditions.
- 200-hour Yoga Instructor CertificationS-VYASAFoundation training in classical yoga practice and pedagogy from one of the world's leading yoga therapy institutions.
- De-mystifying MindfulnessLeiden UniversityUniversity-level study of mindfulness science and its application in clinical and everyday contexts.
- B.A. LL.B. (Hons.)NLSIU, BengaluruLegal training that underpins how I approach informed consent, scope of practice, and professional ethics.
Clinical and research experience
- Consultant Yoga Therapist at Ayush Prana, KeralaSpecialized in multiple sclerosis care
- Clinical placement at Arogyadhama, S-VYASAIntegrated yoga therapy for chronic conditions
- Research thesisImpact of Online Yoga on Symptoms of Burnout among Adults in the Netherlands. A 50-day controlled study with 60 participants (30 intervention, 30 control), showing significant reductions in burnout parameters and improved sleep quality in the intervention group.Read the research summary →
Professional experience
- Wellness workshops delivered for Shell, ING, IBM, ABN AMRO, and Fluor
- Ongoing course-based yoga therapy work at the University of Amsterdam
Continuing education
- Yoga in Cancer Care International ConferenceKaivalyadhama, December 2024
- International Conference on Multiple SclerosisMogasam Foundation, Sofia, May 2025
The Panchakosha Model
Classical yoga philosophy describes the human being as five interconnected layers — the Panchakosha. Yoga therapy works with all five, because a health challenge rarely lives in just one.
Annamaya Kosha
The Physical Body
The layer of cells, tissues, organs, and movement. Where physical symptoms are felt and where practice often begins.
Pranamaya Kosha
The Energy Body
The layer of breath, vitality, and nervous system function. Breath regulation is one of the most direct routes into therapeutic change.
Manomaya Kosha
The Mental Body
The layer of thought, emotion, and habitual patterns of perception. Where anxiety, rumination, and emotional reactivity live.
Vijnanamaya Kosha
The Wisdom Body
The layer of discernment, self-awareness, and insight. The capacity to observe your patterns without being controlled by them.
Anandamaya Kosha
The Bliss Body
The deepest layer — the causal body. The source of ease, integration, and the sense of connection to something larger than symptoms.
I cannot recommend Karthikeyan's approach enough to anyone interested in authentic yoga or interested in exploring themselves. There is much more to the yogic tradition than most of us in the west are exposed to. He does an outstanding job at facilitating that journey.
If any of this resonates, a conversation is the best place to start.
The consultation is 30 minutes, no charge, and no pressure. It will become clear from our conversation whether this is the right fit.
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