Atma Ananda (Maria Nikolaeva) - Master of Philosophy; fellow of Indian Academy of Yoga; author of sixty scientific articles and twenty books on traditional cultures and practices printed in Russia by total run of hundred ten thousand; constant press correspondent for Russian Yoga magazines and translator of classical spiritual literature into Russian. She spent five years in India, where she stayed in ashrams and pilgrimed to holy places in high Himalayas; practiced Yoga for eight years with different teachers, completed Asana and Pranayama courses and was certified as Yoga teacher; was initiated into ancient orders of Natha Yoga and Kriya Yoga; finally, became Karma Sannyasini in linage of… Bihar School of Yoga. Studding Chinese culture she learned Ba Gua, Tai Chi, Chi Gong; published her books on Taoism and Feng Shui; got master degree in Japanese Reiki; practiced Vipassana and other Buddhist meditation methods in monasteries of ten South-East Asian countries. Now she lives in Bali Island continuing her research and teaching.