Jennifer (Yogamaya) Beckman, ERYT was born in Zimbabwe, Africa. As a child she moved with her family to England, their ancestral home, and finished higher education and college studies in the United Kingdom. At this time her aunt taught her about yoga asana and pranayama. Although her artistic talents gave her a credible future in the fashion industry her inherent desire to work with the public led her into the media and advertising industry both in the U.K. and the U.S. working with publication of books and magazines.

After losing her father to cancer in 1987, she searched for a spiritual teacher to guide her. It was in 1988 that she was initiated into the esoteric spiritual teachings of Bhakti-yoga by her spiritual teacher, His Holiness B.V. Tripurari Swami, and given the spiritual name "Yogamaya". At this time she worked on the magazine "Clarion Call" in San Francisco, California, a quarterly magazine dedicated to the health and spiritual market, as an advertising executive. This allowed her closer investigation into her own spiritual depth, and launched her enthusiasm to gain qualifications in the healing field. She also learned to cook “prasadam”, food offered lovingly to the Lord and has since become a gourmet vegetarian cook.

Upon returning to the UK in 1990, she studied homeopathy, massage and reflexology. Her passion for understanding the sciences of natural healing led her to study nutrition and counseling. Inevitably, with her previous knowledge of Hatha yoga and Bhakti yoga, she was drawn to the sister science of Ayurveda and has studied under Doctor Vasant Lad and Doctor David Frawley. During this time she continued her practice of yoga.

In the same time period, Howard and Jennifer met and married. His deep knowledge of both, Vedic Astrology and Planetary Gemology and had a profound influence on her, enabling her to bring together all qualifications in these fields as a health practitioner and teacher.

Yogamaya is an experienced natural health practitioner who is qualified in Ayurveda, nutrition, massage, reflexology and vibrational healing. She is a "life counselor" helping her clients to develop the correct diet by recommending herbs and foods specifically optimal for them as individuals.

Yogamaya is a Hatha/Sivananda yoga practitioner since childhood. She is a certified yoga teacher with the British Wheel of Yoga and holds the ERYT/500 hours with the Yoga Alliance in the US and is a member of the International Yoga Therapists Association. She has taught many classes on Ayurveda and Yoga at The Vedic Cultural Fellowship and co-presented intensives with Dr. David Frawley. Due to the strength of her own practice she is an inspiration to all she encounters. Through the invaluable medium of Hatha Yoga and Ayurveda, "Ayurvedic-Yoga" she is able to consult with her clients and students advising specific asana, pranayama and dietary needs for their specific dosha. Yogamaya offer classes and workshops covering all practical aspects of Ayurvedic diet and cooking, asana, pranayama and pratyahara techniques.

Unique only to her practice of Ayurveda is her specialization in Ayurvedic Gem Therapy. This phenomenal healing modality uses the nine precious gems (navaratna) prescribed in Ayurvedic medicines and by Vedic astrologers for thousands of years, but in special lamps. Gems needed for specific reasons are placed in the lamps and the lamps have an additional frequency imposed upon them as they are beamed upon the body. This technique infuses the chakra and nadi system with color frequencies balancing the subtle body, calming the mind and healing the physical body on a cellular level through the nerves and endocrine system, affecting the entire body/mind continuum. She provides private consultations and offers a unique form of treatment utilizing Ayurvedic Gem Therapy, of which she also presents workshops.

She teaches that all life consists of vibrations and bringing the highest vibrations into one's life through proper diet and using any or all of the tools of yoga, breathing techniques and meditation will develop a well-rounded holistic lifestyle bringing harmony and satisfaction. She is a member of the Education Foundation for Light on Ayurveda. Her articles on Ayurveda, Yoga and natural healing have been a regular feature for "Lifestyle" magazine in England and published in "Ayurveda Today" in the US, with many also found on the internet at Ezinearticles.com.

"Jennifer co-taught with me training on Yoga and Ayurveda and her teaching was very well received. She is an excellent and well-qualified Yoga teacher, who has studied with some of the best Yoga schools in UK. She has a good knowledge of asana, pranayama, mantra and meditation and a good training in Ayurveda as well. She has studied privately with me, particularly relative to the Yoga and Ayurveda, where she has a special expertise.

Jennifer along with her husband Howard Beckman run the Vedic Cultural Fellowship in Pecos, New Mexico that offers a wide variety of teachings in Yoga and related fields of Ayurveda and Vedic astrology. She has been teaching regular Yoga classes there for many years to a wide variety of students as well as offering Ayurvedic consultations.”
Dr. David Frawley
American Institute of Vedic Studies, Director