Chef Shakti Joy, aka Shakti Barnhill, is a best-selling author, plant-powered chef, yoga teacher, healer and keynote speaker (and more) whose journey blends creativity, passion and purpose. Her path began in the kitchens of yoga ashrams and centers across Canada, the Bahamas, New York and Vienna, where she learned Hindu cuisine from loving mentors. This sparked her belief in food as nourishment for the body, mind and spirit.

Shakti’s expertise spans over four decades. Early in her yoga teaching journey, she integrated massage by gently working on students’ shoulders and backs while adjusting them in yoga poses, helping them ease pain and deepen their practice. This transformative work inspired her to become a reiki master and licensed in  massage therapy, combining healing touch with movement in profound ways.

Her massage and yoga career led her to the prestigious Ojai Valley Inn and Spa in California, where she served A-list clients like Dennis Hopper, Ted Danson, and Mary Steenburgen. The Spa also welcomed cultural icons like Oprah, Ellen DeGeneres, Will and Jada Pinkett Smith and Anthony Hopkins. Reflecting on the experience, Shakti jokes, “It was more rubbing their elbows than rubbing elbows,” a reminder that even the biggest stars are just people too.