In this episode, we sit down with Rutu Chaudhuri, a renowned yoga teacher with over 20 years of experience, the founder of the Dharma Project, and owner of All Life is Yoga studio in Atlanta, Georgia. Rutu shares her life journey from moving to the United States at a young age, navigating multiple cultural identities, and ultimately finding her place and purpose through yoga and mindfulness.

We explore her life coming from an immigrant family, navigating familial expectations, and how she utilized yoga to find home within herself and overcome personal challenges. Rutu also discusses the founding of the Dharma Project, a nonprofit bringing yoga and mindfulness to marginalized communities, and her recent decision to step away from the organization.

Whether you're on a journey of understanding your purpose, learning how to heal from trauma, or seeking courage to pursue something new in your life, this episode is for you.

Enjoy.

Chapters

00:00 Start

01:54 Growing Up Indian American

05:10 Navigating Cultural Identity

10:08 Finding Community and Hip Hop

15:53 Rediscovering Yoga

21:30 Teaching Yoga and Family Reactions

40:46 The Dharma Project

46:09 The Concept of Dharma

48:24 The Intersection of Purpose and Service

49:42 Transitioning from the Dharma Project

50:32 Challenges and Achievements in Nonprofit Work

55:01 The Decision to Step Down

57:46 Embracing New Creative Pursuits

59:53 Navigating Transition

01:06:21 The Girl with the Om Tattoo

01:20:06 Future Aspirations

01:30:43 Closing Thoughts

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Rutu Chaudhari is an Atlanta-based writer, actor, and yoga teacher dedicated to fostering inclusivity in wellness. She is the CEO of All Life is Yoga studio and director of Atlanta’s premier Yoga Teacher Certification Program, having trained 150+ instructors since 2008. Rutu began practicing yoga in 1998 and has over 4,000 hours of certifications in alignment-based yoga, meditation, yoga therapeutics, nutrition and lifestyle coaching

In 2016, she founded the Dharma Project, a nonprofit providing trauma-informed yoga and mindfulness to underserved communities, including incarcerated individuals, first responders, and educators. Under her leadership, the organization earned the United Way’s SPARK Prize, a Civic Innovation Fellowship, and recognition as Georgia’s first yoga vocational program for incarcerated populations.

Named Atlanta’s “Best Yoga Teacher” by Creative Loafing and a Hambidge Creative Arts Center writing fellow, Rutu holds a BA in English Literature from Georgia State University. Off the mat, she enjoys music, cooking, and retreats to the woods.

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