Looking for Yoga Master in USA

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

Hello all,

I am new to this forum, so hi :slight_smile:

I am looking for an accomplished yoga master to learn yoga from. Though I am based in the east coast (US) I am willing to travel occasionally to the yoga center (say upto 3-4 times a year, do retreats etc). But here’s the catch. I am 33 already and I really want to learn from someone who is top notch - I think the particular kind of yoga (Hatha/Kundalini ?) are not so important to me, as it is to find an excellent teacher.

So my question to the members in the forum is, if they could learn yoga from 1 person in the US, who would it be, and where is he/she based?

Thanks in advance.
Andy

#2

Dharma Mittra, New York

http://www.dharmayogacenter.com/

#3

Baron Baptiste, Bryan Kest, or David Williams or Dharma Mitra

#4

Or, if you ever want to venture to Mexico and hang out on the beach…
my teacher, Ellen de Jonge, offers an amazing vinyasa flow at her beautiful studio, Yoga By the Way in Playa del Carmen,she also offers a life changing 3 month teacher training intensive that allows you to dive deep into your own practice and embrace the power of yoga.
Group and private lessons available.

#5

Hello Andy,

I am fortunate enough to be living the answer to your question. The one person I want to study with I have been studying with, apprenticing for, and assisting since 2003.

I tend not to use the term “master” easily as there are many self-proclaimed masters not living their teaching(s).

Aadil Palkhivala is my teacher and while I’ve met many others mentioned, most of them have, at one time or another studied under Aadil.

Aadil’s initial experience with Yoga was prenatal (in the womb) as Iyengar’s work was responsible for his conception. Growing up in Mumbai, at age seven he began his study with BKS Iyengar and at 19 was awarded one of the few Senior Iyengar Teaching Certificates. He holds degrees in physics, math and law. Additionally he is a licensed Naturopath, certified shiatsu and swedish bodyworker, clinical hypnotherapist, and ayurvedic health practitioner recognized by the American Ayurvedic Association.

He has been practicing for over 40 years and has brought together the amazing asana and pranayama of the Iyengar system with the applied philosophy and meditation of Sri Aurobindo expressed through Purna Yoga™.

And while that is all meaningful to one degree or another, it pales in comparison to having a teacher who lives what they teach. You will be hard pressed to find a more steeped, compassionate, focused, master teacher.

We each need to find that teacher who resonates deeply with us. Mastery should be one requisite, but not every teacher is for every student just as not every student is for every teacher.

#6

Everyone around you, nature, and most especially yourself are your greatest teachers. It just so happens that sometimes we need a single person to help awaken us to this reality.

And for just $3,500 you too can learn all about this in 21 short days in Mexico and thereafter teach others about it!

#7

I think David’s reply above begs a deeper question and a delineation between a teacher and a guru. Which “master” Andy refers to, I cannot say.

As I am trained classically and my teacher grew up in Indian culture my perspectives tend to rest a bit closer to origin and are based on that center.

We have many teachers; our guitar teacher, our kung fu teacher, our math professor. And, as David says “everyone around you, nature…”.

However, guru means one who removes darkness or one who shines light, illuminates. That illumination is of the consciousness. It is the bringing of light, of which all things are made, into physical matter. For this task, a teacher (only) is not sufficient. Though a guru must have the qualities of a teacher. A teacher may not have ANY of the qualities of a guru.

So for the yoga of perspiration one needs only a choreographer and a thermostat.
For the yoga of mindful evolution, the one that raises consciousness, the one that may change the planet for the better, for THAT yoga a student with dedication needs clean guidance from one willing and able to remove the darkness.

That not only takes a great deal of commitment but a great deal of training and such a combination of the two that the learning does not stop - ever. As teachers we are never “there”. But we can get to a point where it’s appropriate to share what we do know with those who know less or those who want what we have to offer.

#8

Not a day goes by where I don’t love you more Gordon. Thank you for the hearty laugh.

#9

“Your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart give yourself to it.”
-Buddha

#10

Hi all,

First off, thanks to everyone for good advice.

Gordon, I am certainly not asking about a thermostat yogi :slight_smile: That’s what I was meaning when I said “master” - the one who can guide me in the spiritual aspects also.

I think there’s enough for me to get started. I will try to check out some of the teachers mentioned here- certainly the ones on the east coast first, since it’s a lot easier for me.

But now that I have scanned the list and read up about the teachers, and where they are at, I foresee 2 problems:
(1) Most of the teachers are very far off from where I live (I was sort of hoping that there would be at least one close to me ;)) and so I might not be able to interact with them much. In my experience, progress tends to be slow under such situations.
(2) I am looking for a life-long teacher (and practice) and so going to someone too far off might make it financially un-viable in the longer term.

Thoughts, anyone?

Thanks again.
Andy

#11

Determine the value of such a guide for your living (this time 'round).
There are several students studying here who have moved here in Bellevue from as far away as Atlanta.

The connection or relationship between the student and the teacher is typically enriched by the level of commitment of the STUDENT not the teacher. The teacher has already earned their wings in that regard. Available they are. It is up to you how you will value it, make yourself available, both pragmatically and esoterically.

#12

Hi yogiwannabe,

[QUOTE=yogiwannabe;28208]But now that I have scanned the list and read up about the teachers, and where they are at, I foresee 2 problems:
(1) Most of the teachers are very far off from where I live (I was sort of hoping that there would be at least one close to me ;)) and so I might not be able to interact with them much. In my experience, progress tends to be slow under such situations.
(2) I am looking for a life-long teacher (and practice) and so going to someone too far off might make it financially un-viable in the longer term.

Thoughts, anyone?

Thanks again.
Andy[/QUOTE]I think you should just start with the practice. If you have no teacher, start on your own, if you have a teacher that isn’t first class, start with that one. Don’t make huge decisions before your first steps on this path, you might feel highly motivated now, but you know how humans are, that can change over night. Give it a year, and the next logical steps will just occur on their own.

Most important: Start! Now!

#13

Gordon - Yes, once I find a teacher that resonates with me, I will probably move in closer to him/her. But I think getting to that stage will take time, and I am wanting to make a start now by coming out of my cocoon and looking around :slight_smile:

Quetzalcoatl - Yes, I want to start NOW ! But definitely not on my own. What I am looking for right now is a good teacher, and to be honest, I am not comfortable studying with someone who is not “first class”. I am OK with making the occasional ~6hr drive to meet a with a good teacher, come back and practice, and go back again in a few weeks …

Thanks again everyone. I really need to think seriously about all this first !

Andy

#14

Hi!,
I am a newbie here so Hi!..I am practicing Isha Yoga created by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev. Meeting Sadhguru has been a turning point in my life. He has been an unusual guru…Driving SUV’s, skydiving, irreverent humor, stomach rolling laughter…Been with him has never been lukewarm…The yoga itself was such a revelation to me especially because it was imparted with such incisive and inescapable logic…Check out some of the videos in youtube. User name is IshaFoundationVideo
If you want to meet him, I want to invite you to a two-day weekend event called ‘Mystic Eye’ in Tampa, FL. Mystic Eye will be an opportunity to spend two moonlit evenings with an enlightened master looking at life’s most profound questions. It is a rare opportunity to delve within and uncover your innate wisdom and joy. This is the first time this kind of program is offered in the US and it includes discourses and powerful meditations with Sadhguru.
Date: March 27, 28 (Saturday and Sunday)
Timings: 4:30pm – 9.00pm on Saturday and 5:30pm – 10:00pm on Sunday.
Venue: USF Soccer Stadium, Tampa, FL
About Sadhguru:
“If you have a genuine question, you cannot forget it. Even if you bury it deep, it will bring restlessness and even disease. If you bury it too deep, then you will see that every cell in your body will scream that question. Questions of this kind are my business.” –Sadhguru
Sadhguru, a yogi and profound mystic of our times, is a visionary humanitarian and a prominent spiritual leader. A contemporary Guru, rooted as strongly in mundane and pragmatic matters as he is in inner experience and wisdom, Sadhguru works tirelessly towards the physical, mental, and spiritual well-being of all. His mastery of the mechanisms of life, an outcome of his profound experience of the Self, guides in exploring the subtler dimensions of life. Sadhguru speaks at some of the world’s most prominent international leadership forums like the World Economic Forum, TED, the United Nations, the Tallberg Forum in Sweden, and the Australian Leadership Retreat.
Listening to Sadhguru and being with him has been some of the most enlightening and engrossing experience for me and shall I dare say spending these two moonlit evenings with Sadhguru, looking at life’s most profound questions could be a turning point in your life as well. It is in this hope that I invite you for this event.
Hope to see you there. For further information please do email me.
Thanks!
A.J.Anto
Isha Foundation
Our lives become beautiful not because we are perfect. Our lives become beautiful because we put our heart into what we’re doing.
-Sadhguru

#15

To make it short and sweet! kino macgregor in miami
she’s one of the few certified by pattabhi jois ( the father of ashtanga)

#16

There are yoga masters and guru’s . I have both.They have changed my whole life and highly recommend them
Kashi Atlanta Yoga Ashram
Swami Jaya Devi
and
Kashi Florida Yoga Ashram
Guru Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati

If you are looking for a major shift in your life and spiritual direction
this may be for you

good luck
namaste
Padmani Jaya