Vinita Prachi Murarka

Founding Trustee

Vinita Prachi Murarka founded Matre Sofia from a deep commitment to holistic well-being—beginning at pre-conception. Guided by both Spirit and pragmatism, she envisioned a home for spiritually rooted, culturally sensitive, and evidence-based care from preconception through early childhood.

An Indian-born U.S. citizen, Vinita is a NAMA Certified Ayurvedic Doctor, a Waldorf teacher, children’s book author, doula candidate, and M.Ed. candidate at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Her work is deeply rooted in ethics, integrity, and community.

Vinita graduated cum laude from Northwestern University with a degree in Social Policy and Education and a minor in International Studies. She is a Loka Mitra Fellow and recipient of WILD’s grant to heal Nature Loss Disorder. Multilingual, she speaks English, Hindi, Gujarati, Spanish, and basics of Japanese, Marwari, and isiXhosa.

She spent over five years as a pilgrim (nun) in India, studying scriptural and esoteric traditions from the Himalayas to Kerala and Gujarat to Orissa. Her studies include Vedanta in the lineage of Swami Chinmayananda, scriptures at Ammachi’s ashram, and ongoing learning in Vedic sciences, jyotisa, and Ayurveda with revered gurus. These teachings continue to inform her life and work.

Vinita has worked with underserved rural and urban communities across India through Safai Vidyalaya, Manav Sadhana, and Amrita University, and continues to support them through Embracing the World. Internationally, she has collaborated with Atlas Service Corps in Colombia and the U.S., helping launch fellowships from the Global South.

Her global engagement includes serving on the Advisory Board of Engender (South Africa), presenting at the Center for Forced Migration Studies, and contributing to Ashoka’s Youth Venture as a program leader. She has worked closely with visionary leaders such as Scott Beale (former Peace Corps VP), Amanda Gouws (Stellenbosch University), Bernedette Muthien (South Africa Human Rights Commission), and Vance Martin (WILD Foundation).

Vinita’s life is a living integration of spiritual study, social justice, and regenerative healing. As Founding Trustee, she embodies the heart of Matre Sofia’s mission—to honor sacred beginnings, cultural wisdom, and the interconnection of all life, with unwavering commitment!