meet our Faculty
At Hariharalaya, our faculty is the heart of our community, embodying our mission to guide individuals on a transformative journey of self-discovery and awakening. Each member of our team is deeply committed to creating a nurturing environment where you can reconnect with yourself and embrace the present moment.
Who We Are. Our faculty is a diverse group of experienced and passionate practitioners in yoga, meditation, creative arts, holistic healing, and mindful living. With decades of dedicated practice and teaching, we bring a wealth of knowledge and insight to each retreat, ensuring that every guest receives personalized guidance and support on their path to wholeness.
What We Do. Living in the present moment is the key to living a happy, healthy and fulfilling life. We will lead you on a journey of self-discovery, learning from ancient wisdom to bring the tools of yoga and meditation into your daily life. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced practitioner, our team is here to meet you where you are and help you deepen your practice.
Our Mission. We put our hearts into creating a safe and sacred space where you can disconnect from the distractions of modern life and reconnect with your true and authentic self. Our team will help inspire and empower you to live a life of balance, clarity, and purpose.
Our Commitment. We are committed to offering an exclusive and innovative process of awakening while maintaining a high level and authentic approach to yoga and meditation. We have hosted over 450 of our own retreats over the last 14 years and continue to refine and evolve our unique approach to living in the present moment, known as the Yoga of Awareness
Joel
Founder & Director
Joel was introduced to the teachings of the sages and mystics from a young age and always felt a strong pull towards the inner path. For the last 25 years he has dedicated his life to the path of awakening – undergoing intensive training and preparation. Since 2010 Joel has been leading retreats at Hariharalaya in Siem Reap, Cambodia based on his teachings called the Yoga of Awareness.
His first book of talks, Foundations of Stillness, was published in 2014. He also published a vegan cookbook called Cooking with Consciousness in 2012. Joel has personally hosted over 12,000 students and led more than 425 retreats over the last 14 years.
Joel’s teachings are simple yet profound. He is passionate about transmitting the experience of peace and awareness in practical language, providing simple tools to grow a beautiful garden. Joel pours his heart and soul into maintaining this sacred healing garden and offering an authentic approach to yoga as a way of life. His mission is to provide the tools, experience and understanding to live a happy, healthy and creative life.
Paige
Senior Retreat Facilitator
For over a decade, I’ve embarked on a profound journey through the many dimensions of consciousness. It all began on my yoga mat, a sacred space where I first glimpsed the boundless potential within. This initial spark ignited my forever student within, culminating in my 500-hour yoga certification.
Along this path, I’ve been blessed with an array of teachers – from the serenity of meditation and Breathwork to the transformative energies of Marconics healing and the wisdom of plant allies. Each encounter has revealed new facets of my soul and consistently guided me back to the heart, where all truth and presence reside.
As I delved deeper into these practices, I found myself drawn to the esoteric, the unseen threads that weave through existence. This exploration was further enriched by my role as a Producer at Gaia, an online streaming company. Immersed in the teachings of interconnectedness and the power of thought, I witnessed firsthand the profound impact our consciousness has on shaping our reality.
Today, my purpose is clear: to keep learning how to speak from the heart, to listen with the heart, and to live from the heart. Through my journey, I strive to help others remember their innate divinity and reclaim their power in co-creating the lives they envision.
Claudia
Retreat Facilitator
My name is Claudia Villouta, I’m originally from Chile, living in Asia since about 2 years. My yoga path started around 7 years ago, after a transformative experience with plant medicine in the Amazonas jungle in Peru. After this experience I decided to go deeper into a healing journey, participating and learning energetic healing, family constellations, women’s circles, and yoga and meditation. In 2019 I decided to quit my job as a speech therapist to dive in completely into yoga, I traveled to India where I trained in Classical Hatha and Vinyasa. This was a highly profound experience as well, being in the land of yoga helped me to find a deeper spiritual understanding of this ancient practice.
Since then I’ve been learning and practicing different styles, mainly ashtanga, vinyasa and classical hatha yoga in my country and India. Also since I left my land I’ve been teaching in Spain, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Cambodia in different retreat centers, studios, teacher training courses and ashrams.
My style is deeply rooted in the tradition of classical yoga, combining with the knowledge from my therapist times about the importance of physical awareness and breath, sharing this path from the authentic medicine and love for this practice has brought to my life. Om shanti.
Chris
Retreat Facilitator
Chris took his first yoga and meditation class at Hariharalaya almost a decade ago. With a renewed sense of self and tools to help him navigate the stresses of a career in the UK media, a spark was ignited and a deep journey into self discovery began. Chris has a passion to hold space for others as it was held for him all those years ago and hopes to make the benefits of practice accessible to all.
Rachel B.
Yoga Therapist
In addition to her role as Operations & Business Development Manager of PTSD UK charity, Rachel’s adventures with yoga have led her to host retreats in Europe & Asia, manage a yoga studio in Vietnam and facilitate the retreat programme at an integral yoga and meditation centre in Cambodia. She shared her wisdom for years as a writer for Yogapedia, and taught over 500 hours of studio classes, workshops, retreats and yoga festivals before turning to yoga therapy.
As a yoga therapist, Rachel specialises in working with trauma, stress, depression, anxiety and chronic pain, but is experienced in offering tools to work with a wide range of physical and mental health conditions.
Rachel’s therapeutic offering is deeply influenced by Buddhist teachings and in particular, mindfulness. She takes an integrative, holistic and accessible approach to yoga, teaching skills which can be employed both on and off the mat—always balanced with a splash of playfulness and creativity. She sees yoga as a way of life; a practical tool which not only improves health and wellbeing, but can help people to live mindfully and with purpose.
Janne
ACT Therapist
Janne Spaan is a seasoned expert in navigating life’s challenges, with over a decade of experience in mental healthcare throughout Europe and Asia. Her career has been a dedication to human growth, fostering true connections and strengthening overall well-being. She found her purpose with the co-creation of the M’lup Kroursar Organization, a NGO that focuses on mental health awareness and professional counselling services for the local community in Siem Reap.
Janne is an experienced ACT Counselor and coach, who can help you discover and embody your true purpose. Through Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), she empowers clients to break free from limiting beliefs and live a value-based life.
She supports you with developing the psychological flexibility needed to navigate life’s challenges with confidence, so you can do what truly matters to you. Her engaging sessions combine creative tools, mindfulness and a touch of humor to create transformative experiences.
Darren
Shamanic Healer
Darren hails from Wales in the UK, and was inspired to pursue energy work in 2001, while travelling in and around India, studying the art of Reiki and Pranic healing. He became a Reiki master in 2003 and has dedicated his life to healing, and now passing on his skills by teaching it ever since.
Through a quest for greater wholeness and understanding, in 2016 Darren discovered Shamanism. It has become a central pillar of his practice. He recently completed the three-year Foundation of Shamanic Studies training, which consists of advanced shamanic initiations and is one of the most widely recognized non-Indigenous certifications in the profession.
He is a traditional practitioner, using these magical tools of the trade – drums, rattles, and song to attune himself to caring, transcendent spirits that flow through him to heal. His session involves energy body purification, dismantling of energetic blocks, re-integration of lost energies due to traumas, and so on.
Pascal
Acupuncturist
Pascal, a practitioner of 5 Elements Acupuncture, hails from the scenic Provence region in southern France. With an innate curiosity about the human mind’s intricacies, he embarked on a global exploration of wellness modalities, eventually finding his calling in Traditional Chinese Energetics.
Trained at France’s IEATC, Pascal continually enhances his expertise through advanced studies in cupping, moxibustion, and sports acupuncture. Rooted in universal principles like Yin-Yang and 5 Elements, his approach to holistic healing harmonizes physical, emotional, and mental well-being.
Through acupuncture’s gentle touch, Pascal helps alleviate a variety of ailments, ranging from musculoskeletal issues to emotional imbalances. A session with Pascal unfolds in four steps: observation, intake, palpation, and treatment.
Learn from our dedicated teachers
