Renata Sumar Gaertner (MahaJyoti) C-IAYT, E-RYT 500, E-RCYT, YACEP

Renata Sumar Gaertner began practicing Yoga as a toddler alongside her mother, Sivakami Sonia Sumar. She completed her first Hatha Yoga teacher training at 12 and began teaching at 15. She trained in Yoga for children with special needs in 1989, and after Sri Swami Satchidananda’s visit to Brazil in 1990 she spent time at Yogaville. She holds a degree in speech therapy, and her thesis examined Yoga as a developmental aid for children with Down syndrome. She directed the Integral Yoga Center in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, before moving to the United States in 2007. Today she is the owner, program director, and lead teacher of The Sonia Sumar Method – Yoga for All Abilities.