Faculty & Team
Jay Gupta, RPh, 340B ACE, MTM Specialist, C-IAYT – Faculty
Jay Gupta is an innovative registered pharmacist, consultant, MTM (medication therapy management) specialist and yoga therapist. He is the President of RxRelax, LLC and YogaCaps, Inc. He most recently served as the Director of Pharmacy and Integrative Medicine for a large nonprofit dedicated to community health.
A visionary leader and integrative pharmacist, Gupta’s extensive background spans clinical expertise, international business experience in the pharmaceutical industry, leadership in retail pharmacy management and a passion for community wellness. As a yoga therapist and passionate advocate for therapeutic yoga as a tool for DePrescribing, he has re-defined patient care through innovative practices that emphasize whole-person health via DePrescription. His unique approach to deprescribing—carefully reducing or eliminating unnecessary medications—reflects his commitment to enhancing person-centered care and well-being, while addressing the complexities of modern healthcare.
In 2024, Jay received the esteemed Bowl of Hygiea Award from the American Pharmacists Association Foundation and the National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations (NASPA) for his remarkable civic engagement. In addition to his pioneering and long-standing service to YogaCaps, Inc., Gupta is an energetic volunteer leader who contributes to numerous other health-related projects and initiatives. He serves as an adjunct member of the Oversight Subcommittee on Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Related Dementia with the NH Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS); as a steering committee member for Hep Free NNE (Hepatitis Free Northern New England) which is actively working to combat hepatitis in the Northern New England region; and as a Board Member for New Futures, Inc. which cultivates civic leadership and advances public policy. Jay also served as a Board Member for the Nashua YMCA, where he remains an active committee member.
In 2015, Jay Gupta and YogaCaps, the nonprofit he co-founded, received the New Hampshire Business Review’s (NHBR) Business Excellence Award. Gupta is also honored with Cardinal Health’s Generation Rx Champions Award in recognition of his excellence in community-based prescription drug abuse prevention and the National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations (NASPA) Excellence in Innovation award in recognition of his work to bridge the gap between the modern and complementary health care practices. He is also a recipient of Pharmacy Times and Parata Systems™ Next-Generation Pharmacist Award“ Patient Care Provider of the Year.
He began his yoga immersion in India in his youth and has been exploring the depths of yoga since then. Throughout his life, Gupta has endeavored to achieve a scientific understanding of yoga and nature cure practices. He has traveled from the Himalayas to Kerala learning a variety of yoga and nature cure practices, and has advanced studies with yoga masters and researchers in India and the US.
He believes that yoga is for every body and mind, and aims to make it as easy as taking a capsule. Thus, in 2006, the all-volunteer non-profit organization called YogaCaps was born! A yoga capsule is a “practice” capsule that is done once or twice a day and takes only a few minutes to perform with the aim of enhanced wellbeing. Over past few years, Thriving with YogaCaps (a YogaCaps’ program) has organically grown into the largest and longest-standing free yoga program for people with the experience of cancer and their family members/caregivers in New England. The program also brings yoga to seniors, people using wheelchairs, and people experiencing anxiety, depression and other mental health concerns.
RxRelax is another project he conceived with the aim of educating, motivating and empowering people on the path to wellness. Given the stress in and on our healthcare system, using the science of yoga to serve his colleagues is his passion.
Gupta is the co-author of the DVDs “Subtle Yoga for Rejuvenation (SYR)” and Seated Therapeutic Yoga, as well as the audio CDs RxRelax for Insomnia and “Relaxation Capsules“.
His work commitments include assignments in India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Russia, Scotland, Switzerland, Thailand, USA and Vietnam. He is the chief faculty for a number of professional continuing education programs for healthcare professionals, and is a guest faculty member for a number of basic and advanced yoga teacher training programs. Gupta is a sought after speaker and CME/CE provider for numerous health-related conferences and community events and has presented in person in over 40 states across the USA.
Amita Chopra, MD, FAAP – Guest Faculty
Amita was born in New Delhi, India. She attended the All India Institute of Medical Sciences and completed her Pediatric training in Boston.
She was Chief Resident in Pediatrics at Boston City Hospital and then practiced Pediatrics in Greater Boston area and Cambridge for almost thirty four years. During this time she attended at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston Children’s Hospital, St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and several other prominent area hospitals.
She served as an Instructor in Pediatrics at Harvard Medical school. She is currently on the adjunct staff at Boston Children’s Hospital.
Amita is married to Sanjiv Chopra, MD and is a devoted wife, mother and grandmother. Her passions are meditation, music and travel. She has been a meditator for over thirty six years and has been teaching Raj Yoga based meditation for many years.
Liane St. John, PT- Guest Faculty
Liane St. John received her BS in Biology from St. Michael’s College in Vermont in 1992 followed by a Master of Science degree in Physical Therapy in 1994 from University of Massachusetts, Lowell. She has been a physical therapist at Catholic Medical Center since that time, initially working on the Rehabilitation Medical Unit, and then transitioning to CMC’s Outpatient Rehab Services in 1999.
Liane enjoys treating a variety of patient populations including those with orthopedic or neurologic impairments, amputations and vestibular dysfunctions. Liane is a clinical leader with a more recent special interest in breast cancer rehabilitation over the past 5 years. She has specifically furthered her continuing education on Breast Cancer Rehabilitation through multiple training courses on Lymphedema and Oncology Rehabilitation and Cancer Survivorship.
Additionally, Liane has had the opportunity to collaborate with surgeons, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, nurses, exercise specialists, yoga instructors in the YogaCaps program, nutritionists, social workers, and the YMCA Livestrong program throughout the Greater Manchester Community while treating people as a member of their Cancer Survivorship Care Plan team.
Rob Spencer, MD – Guest Faculty
Rob Spencer
has been involved with end of life care since 1981, first as a volunteer, then as an emergency medical technician and hospice nursing assistant. Subsequently, he received a B.A. in psychology from Yale College and graduated from Yale School of Medicine in 1990, when hospice and palliative care was not yet a recognized specialty. Dr. Spencer completed an anesthesiology residency and pain management fellowship, becoming board certified in both these fields. When finally recognized as a specialty, he achieved board certification in hospice and palliative medicine as well.
Appointed by the Governor of New Hampshire to serve on a legislative commission to study palliative care, Dr. Spencer became increasingly convinced that our culture will not be prepared for the pending tsunami of end of life needs. Concerned about the baby boomers themselves, their loved ones, and their professional and non-professional caregivers, he observed that even those of us who are not yet sick, by becoming mindful of our mortality, can heighten our appreciation of life, soothe our fears, promote healing of past wounds and losses. Through preparation, we can reduce hardship for ourselves and our loved ones at the time of death. To help us achieve these goals, Dr. Spencer created Mindful Mortality: Lessons learned at the end of life teaching us how to live today!
Drawing on clinical work and experiences with meditation and mindfulness, Dr. Spencer adapted tools and techniques used in patient care for the benefit of people who are alive and well. Rob’s hope is to help people live more intentionally and joyfully now, while also seeking to reduce our fears and overcome our cultural taboo regarding end of life. His gentle strength and humor provide comfort and laughter in the process.
Terry Gupta, MSW, C-IAYT, ERYT500, YACEP – Faculty
Terry Gupta believes that we are here to love and serve. Her deep knowing that each person makes a difference manifested in over 30 years of senior management positions in the nonprofit sectors in the Greater Boston and Southern New Hampshire areas. She has extensive program development, business development, training, and special events experience. She serves now as the Owner and Managing Director of RxRelax, LLC and Executive Director of YogaCaps, Inc. (www.YogaCaps.org)
YogaCaps, Inc. is an all-volunteer 501(c)3 nonprofit organization she co-founded to bring free therapeutic yoga experiences to people experiencing chronic physical and mental health concerns. YogaCaps is one of the first yoga nonprofits in the USA, and is also among the first to integrate into hospitals and healthcare settings. It remains unique.
With a keen focus on health and well-being, Terry is a proficient content developer for a number of wellness specialties. She delivers continuing education programs for all levels of staff in a full range of industries. She is the co-author of the DVD Subtle Yoga for Rejuvenation (SYR), the DVD Seated Therapeutic Yoga and audio CDs RxRelax for Insomnia and Relaxation Capsules.
She has coached senior level professionals from top companies in the New England region. In addition to yoga, she has immersed into Tai Chi, Qigong, Kung Fu and Ayurveda.
Her adaptive yoga and mindfulness programs have been recognized as best practice models by the Citizens Bank Foundation, the State of New Hampshire and the New Hampshire Business Review. She received one of the 2021 AmplifiHER Community Impact Awards from the NH Women’s Foundation for fostering resilience in the state of NH during the pandemic.
Terry has a Master of Social Work degree from Boston College. She is an internationally trained yoga professional, having studied with yoga masters, both renown and renounced, in India, South America and the US, as well as some of the top medical researchers on yoga.
