About Us
Our Board
The Meditation Center is governed by a volunteer board of directors that guides TMC, ensuring the center’s presence in the Twin Cities for years to come.
Board Meetings
Meetings typically take place the third Thursday of every month at 5:30 pm. Members of the community are welcome to attend or to add items to the agenda. Please contact the center in advance.
Executive Committee & Members
Current Board
Sunita Gangopadhyay
President
Sunita (PhD) has been associated with TMC since 2007. She was initiated in the Himalayan Tradition in 2011. She has been serving on the TMC board of directors for the last few years. Sunita is deepening her spiritual journey by helping with administrative initiatives at the center and by learning the ancient Vedic Himalayan teachings. She often leads hatha yoga classes at TMC and strives to serve her community by sharing the Himalayan healing practices. She was born in New Delhi, India, is married, has two children and lives in Eden Prairie MN. Sunita earned her PhD in Physics from the University of Delaware, specializing in data storage and magnetic recording. She retired from Seagate technology after 25 years from their Research Development division as Advance Technology and Strategy Executive Director.
Lori Beron
Vice-President
Lori (MA, RN) is an initiate and certified teacher through the Himalayan Yoga Tradition. A certified holistic nurse, she earned her MA in Holistic Health Studies and is employed as an RN on a surgical oncology unit at the University of Minnesota Health.
Sophia Showalter
Secretary
Sophia is an initiate in the Himalayan Tradition and joined TMC board in 2023.
Georgeann Bianchi
Treasurer
Georgeann was initiated in 2003. After leaving the corporate world, she was invited to work in the center’s office, where she supported the center for five years, enjoying coordinating programs and getting to know the community. She continues to help out as needed, as a small token of appreciation for all the gifts bestowed by the Himalayan Tradition and its wonderful teachers.
Rosann Chamberlain
Board Member
Rosann has been practicing yoga since the 1980s. Rosann teaches the Wednesday morning gentle hatha yoga class and serves on the TMC board of directors, helping with the work of many TMC committees and projects. Rosann has co-taught a popular “Solar Salutation with Modifications” class series. She is an initiate in the Himalayan Yoga Tradition.
Cynthia Gran
Board Member
Cynthia (MA, E-RYT 500, YACEP) began studying yoga in 1978 at the Himalayan Institute of Glenview, IL. She has endeavored to serve the Himalayan Tradition ever since. During the 1980s, she was a resident at the Himalayan Institute, serving in several capacities. In the 1990s to 2010s, she, along with husband Gary, operated the Evanston School of Yoga and the Annapurna Herb Shop. She has worked as a vegetarian chef, taught special education, and published articles on Ayurveda, yoga, and meditation.
Aaron (Arunadeva) Means
Board Member
Aaron (PsyD) began practicing yoga in 1994 while in college, later studying and practicing yoga and meditation while living at the Meditation Center and other associated Himalayan Yoga Tradition institutions in the US and India. Aaron completed his first yoga teacher training through the Himalayan Institute Teachers’ Assoc. in 1997, and started a RYT training program in 2019. Aaron has been a student and initiate of Swami Veda Bharati since 1997. His teaching style is reflective of what he has learned under his spiritual preceptor (Swami Veda), as well as studies of psychology, compassion, and mindfulness. Aaron earned his doctorate in clinical psychology in 2015, and has been a practicing licensed psychologist in the Twin Cities since 2016. He is married with two children and enjoys spending time with family and friends, being outdoors, playing tennis, and strategy board games.
Deepak Thapa
Board Member
Deepak is an initiate in the Himalayan Tradition and joined the TMC board in 2023.