Founder
Maj Smita Verma (Retd.)
A practising Vedic coach in the line of Ashtang Yog, who came to it from the Army rather than from a studio.
Her teaching carries the ethos she served under — discipline, resilience, and an unwillingness to dress things up. It is grounded in traditional practice and in modern therapeutic application, and it works on the subtle and the gross alike: Bhavas, Sankhya Yog, and the Yog Sutras of Sage Patanjali.
The lineage runs through Hansaji at The Yoga Institute and Dr Ruchi Gulati at Sanyukt Yoga.
Why this work
People who carry things rarely get to put them down.
Over the years she has worked closely with leaders, officers and professionals who hold immense responsibility and have almost nowhere safe to pause or open up.
Her sessions make a confidential and compassionate space for reflection, balance and recalibration — somewhere to reconnect with clarity and calm, without being judged for needing to.
Credentials
Certified, and examinable.
| Credential | Issued by |
|---|---|
| YCB Level 3 — Yoga Instructor and Evaluator | AYUSH Ministry Certification Board, Government of India |
| Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher (E-RYT 500) | Yoga Alliance (USA) |
| Advanced Teacher's Training Course (ATTC), 900 hrs | The Yoga Institute, Santa Cruz |
| Advanced Diploma in Child Psychology | BR Ambedkar University |
| Certified Yoga Nidra Teacher | Sanyukt Yoga |
| Yoga Therapist | The Yoga Institute, Santa Cruz |
| Yoga Instructor | Government College, UT Ladakh |
| Biomechanics of Asanas | The Yoga Institute, Santa Cruz |
The record
Eighteen engagements.
- Led the 200-hour teacher training for the Army, ITBP and Ladakhis at MIMC, Ladakh.
- Conducted yog sessions at Siachen base camp, Kargil and other locations for defence personnel in Ladakh.
- Conducted a structured yoga protocol in the high-altitude terrain of Ladakh for DIHAR, Ladakhi officials and school children.
- Supported Mahabodhi International Meditation Centre to establish a Yog Teacher Training Course in collaboration with Ladakh University.
- Taught Team India's WorldSkills 2026 competitors on health, recovery, sleep and nutrition for peak performance, under the Sports Council of India.
- Conducted workshops for school teachers and professors on performance and mental health during stressful situations.
- Conducted a week-long capsule for professors of Kargil Government College, UT Ladakh, for holistic wellness.
- Conducted a workshop on women's empowerment and self-defence, with a motivational lecture on joining the Indian Army, in Kargil.
- Delivered motivational lectures at Ladakh University, Government College Kargil and girls' schools in Ladakh on joining the Indian Army.
- Conducted yog sessions and alignment correction workshops for Indian Navy officials and families at NOFRA, Mumbai.
- Leads specialised workshops on Yog Nidra and therapeutic yoga practices.
- Conducts one-to-one personalised yog therapy for individuals with heart conditions, insomnia, stress, diabetes and respiratory issues.
- Works in collaboration with Ved Sanskriti Foundation for Children on the Gurukul Elite learning programme.
- Conducts wellbeing lectures for Army officers and other ranks.
- Conducts pre-natal and post-natal yog modules under the Garbh Sanskar initiative for families of Indian Army soldiers.
- Conducts corporate yog sessions, online and in person.
- Conducts yog retreats for holistic wellbeing.
- Provides personalised therapy and consultation for leaders, senior government officials and professionals facing silent stress and emotional challenges.
The wider practice
Dhriti Yog is not one person.
Trained yog instructors specialising in different fields of yog teach under Dhriti Yog, which is how the ancient techniques reach more people than one teacher's calendar allows.
Alongside them the practice works with:
- A nutritionist, for the part of wellbeing that happens at the table
- An Ayurveda doctor, for constitution and seasonal care
- An astrologer, for those who want that reading alongside the rest
Individual practitioners are listed here once each has confirmed how they wish to be described.