Craig Villani
Craig Villani is a passionate student of life. He began speaking publicly at age six and won national awards for writing before graduating high school. After earning his Bachelor of Science degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology, he entered into the developing field of health and fitness as a wellness consultant.
Craig has been teaching yoga since 1999 and served for nearly a decade as International Director of Education and Teacher Training for the Yoga College of India. Throughout his tenure, he guided thousands of yoga instructors and facilitators through what was widely considered one of the most challenging and successful hatha yoga training programs in the world.
He has led thousands of classes and hundreds of seminars, workshops, lectures, conferences, and retreats throughout the world, focusing on yoga therapy, mindfulness, and integrative health. Internationally recognized for his expertise in professional development and leadership, Craig’s practical and accessible teaching style is grounded in efficacy, precision, and a somewhat irreverent sense of humor.
Throughout his travels, Craig has had the privilege of teaching and consulting exceptional people from exceptional careers, including health care professionals, entrepreneurs, corporate executives, salespersons, professional athletes, military personnel, stay-at-home parents, educators, firefighters, and law enforcement officers. Based out of Los Angeles, he has counted many luminaries of the entertainment industry among his regular students.
Fortunate to be afforded a wealth of unique opportunities, Craig is trained in Tibetan Buddhist philosophy and mindfulness practice, martial arts, transcendental meditation, raja yoga, holistic health, yoga therapy and philosophy, competitive athletics and weightlifting, nutritional counseling, integrative healing, business administration, physics, psychology, and poetry.
Craig believes that education is freedom and focuses his energies to support organizations that share his conviction. He is grateful to assist Plan International USA in their mission to improve the quality of education for all children of the developing world; Uprising Yoga, which brings yoga to the Los Angeles County Juvenile Hall; the Kokua Hawaii Foundation in their support of environmental education in schools and communities throughout Hawaii; and A Glimmer of Hope, which lifts women and children out of extreme poverty through health and education.
A singer/songwriter and big fan of lazy Sundays, Craig is confident that Self-realization can be attained in a shady hammock on a warm beach with an old guitar, a cool drink, and a good friend. He has taught yoga in India and even knows a few Sanskrit words.
To connect with Craig, please visit villanihealth.com or email craig@luxyoga.com