We are Kevin McQuillan and Serena Arora
and we are…
Swastha Yoga International
SWASTHA (swä-sta)
‘Swastha’ is an Ayurvedic term meaning to be firmly rooted and established in oneself, in a state of optimal health on all levels: body, mind, and spirit.
We are Kevin McQuillan and Serena Arora. Both of us have unique, robust, and expansive careers in the fields of wellness and yoga instruction. We’ve studied, taught, created, and led trainings, yoga classes, and wellness workshops in communities all around the world (both independently and collectively) and we’ve learned from some of the best. Together, we have over 35 years of combined experience. The merging of our talents has resulted in a holistic approach which takes full advantage of our individual and yet complementary strengths. This is Swastha Yoga International. Our methodology is complete and transformative, even life-changing, and we are proud to be able to share this invaluable information with you through our own collective lense. As acknowledged leaders in this field, we don’t take our roles or our responsibilities lightly.
Along with Swastha Yoga International, we also own and operate Peace Retreat, a charming, boutique-style wellness retreat center/nature lodge in Costa Rica that we also call home. It's here that we enjoy meeting, teaching, leading, and hosting people from all over the world through custom retreats, workshops, and yoga teacher training programs.
We invite you to our home...where the weather, water (and community!) is always warm. Pura Vida!
Be well,
Kevin & Serena
Serena Arora
CERTIFICATIONS/QUALIFICATIONS: B.ED | M.WT | E-RYT 500 | C-IAYT CERTIFIED YOGA THERAPIST | AYURVEDIC HEALTH PRACTITIONER | CO-FOUNDER AND LEAD TRAINER OF SWASTHA YOGA INTERNATIONAL | CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF PEACE RETREAT
My yogi uncle in India once told me, “We don’t STUDY yoga, we ARE yoga.” And so began a life-long journey embodying the wisdom of yoga.
As a school teacher, studio owner, international yoga teacher trainer, certified yoga therapist, Ayurvedic Health Practitioner, and life-long student, I have served the yoga community-at-large for over 20 years. I integrate therapeutic yoga methods and other holistic health influences, subtle body (somatic) work, physical body alignment, and Ayurvedic Medicine into my offerings with authenticity and creativity. I am grateful to inspire, affect change, and transform lives through BEING yoga. My integrated approach is shaped by many teachers and mentors around the world including Dr. Vasant Lad, Dr. Scott Blossom, Dr. Rajesh Kotecha, Dr. Terry Willard, Tias & Surya Little, Joseph & Lilian Lepage, Sri Geeta Iyengar, and especially my first ‘guru’, my dad.
Our offerings are impactful and promote growth, connection and vitality. An Ayurvedic consultation can provide you with long-lasting sustainable change. Through the wisdom of Ayurveda, you can discover the root cause of your dis-ease by listening to what your body is saying. I can help you understand the “why” behind it, interrupt this cycle, and support you in restoring balance.
As student and teaching faculty for The Ayurvedic Institute in 2015, I created therapeutic healing practices and curriculum content through the integration of yoga, yoga therapy, and Ayurvedic Medicine. I also served as Affiliate Trainer for Integrative Yoga Therapy since 2004, Soma Yoga Institute since 2013, and Swastha Yoga International since 2017. Currently, I’m based in Costa Rica as co-founder and lead trainer for Swastha Yoga International - an empowering training school rooted in yoga, Ayurveda and human potential principles. I also serve as Creative Director & resident Ayurvedic Health Practitioner for Peace Retreat – a wellness education retreat center on the Pacific coast of Guanacaste, in Costa Rica.
Kevin McQuillan
CERTIFICATIONS/QUALIFICATIONS: E-RYT 500 | CO-FOUNDER AND LEAD TRAINER OF SWASTHA YOGA INTERNATIONAL | OWNER AND PROGRAM DIRECTOR OF PEACE RETREAT
"I am passionate about yoga, connection, the dance of life, and the possibility in it all. I play to create and create to inspire."
As co-founder of Swastha Yoga International and the owner of Peace Retreat, an intimate, boutique-style sanctuary, I offer yoga teacher trainings, personal development programs, and custom retreats in Costa Rica.
With 15 years of experience as a yoga teacher, cognitive behavioral therapy, core philosophy, and open classroom therapeutic methods have been the cornerstone of my teachings. My approach is designed to support and define the human experience in a way that creates greater levels of responsibility, expression, purpose, and quality of relationship. I am proud to say that I have helped many people make monumental shifts through this unique motivational-based teaching approach.
This is an integral part of Swastha Yoga’s curriculum which connects physical, emotional and cognitive elements; creating a holistic sense of well-being. In collaboration with Serena, we have developed meaningful and impactful trainings that empower and support yoga students, teachers, studio owners and individuals seeking to create more intentional personal and professional improvements.
Previously, I served as Program Team Manager, Production Supervisor, and Facilitator for Baptiste Power Yoga Institute teacher training programs. I also founded and developed 3 yoga studios in Canada, as well as applied my extensive experience developing yoga programs for various yoga schools and studios in the United States.
Currently, I devote my time to operating our retreat center, training teachers internationally, and being a dedicated father. In all three roles, I aim to live and teach with purpose, inclusivity, and passion.
“I LEFT A BETTER MAN THAN WHEN I ARRIVED”
“My experience with Swastha Yoga International Yoga Teacher Training was above and beyond what I was expecting. I left not only feeling confident and capable of teaching yoga, but I left having grown much beyond just a new ability to teach. They not only prepared me to be a yoga teacher, but to be a better person. I left there a better man than when I arrived. The bonding experience I had with my fellow yogis was pretty amazing as well. I felt as though we were a family...as though we are a family. I would highly recommend Swastha Yoga International to anyone and everyone interested in teaching yoga, growing their own yoga practice, and growing as a person.”
— Karl K., USA
The Art of Living Well
Health is both our greatest goal and our greatest responsibility. At Swastha Yoga International we've made it our life's purpose to support you in feeling aligned and in a state of optimal health, on all levels. We integrate the teachings of Yoga, Ayurveda, and Human Development. Together, they form the foundation for our unique method of healing. This rich blend of functional therapeutics, ancient wisdom, and modern reality is the cornerstone of our teaching programs. We call it the Art of Living Well. We invite you to our home in beautiful Costa Rica to study this practice with us, to achieve health in body and mind, and to learn how to share this knowledge with others.