Our yoga teachers....

Abhijeeta (Satyananda Yoga)...

I grew up in Australia and from a young age I had a strong interest in health, meditation and complementary therapies.

I read many books on spirituality in my teenage years with a strong feeling that there must be more to understand about life. I was curious to learn and understand what all this mysterious, esoteric stuff was about. I learnt Transcendental Meditation at the age of 19 and began practising meditation daily. Later, my path led me to yoga....

In 1995 I began practising yoga regularly - I began to know my Self and have a real understanding of my life purpose.

The close links Yoga has to traditional Thai yoga massage prompted me to learn this ancient form of massage and in 2001 I qualified in this art, having completed advanced training at the London School of Thai Yoga Massage. I have never experienced any massage that quite matches the powerful effects that Thai Yoga Massage brings, which is why am so passionate about it and why I choose to practice only this form of massage.

In October 2002 I began teaching yoga and completed the Bihar School of Yoga (Satyananda Yoga) Teaching Diploma in November 2003. I spent time studying yoga at the Bihar Yoga Bharati in Munger, India and regularly attend Satyananda Yoga programs for inspiration. I hold diplomas from the Bihar School of Yoga (India) and by the British Wheel of Yoga, the governing body for yoga in Britain.

I love teaching yoga and seeing the revitalizing, relaxing and transforming effects that yoga has on the students (and me!). I practice yoga daily and I believe that yoga is for everyone. It is my goal to pass on the ancient knowledge of yoga to my students, so they can experience the true spirit of yoga and begin to integrate some of this wisdom into their lives.

In 2004 I started Shiva Health in order to make yoga and Thai yoga massage more available to all.

In 2005 I was given the spiritual name 'Abhijeeta' by my guru, Swami Niranjanananda. A spiritual name represents the nature of spirit with which we can identify with. It brings to the surface the connection of an individual with the inner higher nature and recognises their potential. Every time we are called by our spiritual name, more power is invested in it.

For years I have held the vision of creating a space where people could come and reconnect, nurture themselves and rediscover the inner-balance that can be lost in our busy lives. I wanted a place that would be open and fun and would attract people with the same vision.

In 2006, this vision became a reality with the opening of Shiva Rooms in September 2006. Shiva Rooms is a space where these values aimed at promoting health and wellbeing, are harnessed by bringing together a community of like minded individuals. As well as offering all aspects of yoga practice: asanas (postures); pranayama (breathwork); Yoga Nidra (deep relaxation), meditation, shatkarmas (cleansing practices) and kirtan (mantra chanting), there are a host of holistic therapies, to include various workshops and courses to nurture mind, body and soul.

I look forward to sharing this space with you. Read testimonials here....

OM TAT SAT

About Anjana (Integral Vinyasa)...

Originally from South Africa, I have been living in London for almost 9 years. My practice of yoga started at a young age of 8 years when my sister and I accompanied my mother in her classes at the local temple. With the increase of other school activities I stopped yoga after a few years to return to it more than 15 years later. In 2001 I resumed regular practice of yoga and rediscovered my joy and passion for this ancient and wonderful science.

Having grown up in a Hindu family with a mother of strong spiritual nature, we were exposed to teachings from many different gurus. At the age of 15 I learnt Transcendental Meditation and have been practising this form of meditation regularly. My interest in people and culture has always been strong, and I believe there is much to be learnt by the sharing of beliefs and philosophies. I have practised Shambala Buddhist meditation, completed a Reiki I healing course, and also learnt Sudarshan Kriya through Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s Art of Living course.

In January 2007 I realised the time had come to consolidate and further my yoga knowledge with teacher training. I’d enjoyed teaching family members and friends on an informal basis and felt a keen desire to take this further. In March 2007 I completed an intensive Yoga Teacher Training course at the Ananda Sanga Institute in Somerset-West, South Africa. The style of yoga is called Integral Vinyasa which combines mind, body and spiritual aspects of yoga in a carefully arranged sequence of postures with the active use of breath. Having passed my practical exams I am delighted to now be qualified to teach. My full training at this institute completes in December 2007.

The practice of yoga has transformed my life in so many ways from physical to mental and emotional. From increasing feelings of well-being in my body to peace of mind, strength, calmness and a deeper sense of being connected to other people. I love teaching and sharing this simple goodness with others. I wish to make a positive difference in people’s lives.

OM SHANTI

About Prema (Pregnancy & Sivananda Yoga)...

I was fortunate enough to have my first introduction to yoga at school when I was 14 and I loved it straight away! I remember feeling surprised at how different yoga makes you feel, coming out of the class feeling so alive and yet so relaxed at the same time! I was then to have a long break from yoga but the seed had been firmly planted.

In 1999, after graduating from university, I started travelling and over the next seven years lived in five countries (Australia, Morocco, Canary Islands, Mozambique and France). During all my travels I discovered what a wonderful and varied world we live in. Yet I could inherently see and feel that through this difference there is underlying unity to our world, that no matter which country we are from we are all fundamentally the same. This gave me the thirst to understand and learn more about this unity. I quickly realised that the way to true understanding was through meditation, and the journeys of discovery I had been looking for on the outside turned inwards, on a journey of Self discovery.

When I moved to Mozambique where I worked as a VSO volunteer, yoga came back into my life. It is here that my regular practise began and that that seed would begin to grow and blossom. This developed into the organisation of a yoga group. When I finally returned to Europe I had a longing to deepen my practise.

I was quickly introduced to the Sivananda Yoga Centre in London and I enrolled myself onto their yoga courses. I completed the Sivananda Teachers’ Training Course (TTC) in the ashram in the Austrian Alps in January 2007. After my training I stayed at the London Sivananda Centre, living, working and teaching there. I found this experience invaluable, being able to teach yoga straight away, putting my training into practise under the guidance of the Swamis (monks). I continue to have strong connections with the London Sivananda Yoga Centre until today.

During my stay at the London Sivananda Yoga Centre I also trained and taught as a pregnancy yoga teacher. I felt then and still feel now a natural attraction towards pregnancy yoga, feeling a call towards serving and helping mothers and babies. Yoga during pregnancy is beneficial for so many reasons. We use deep breathing and the special postures to strengthen, tone and relax, preparing for an easier birth. Yoga helps the mother to listen to her body, and create a feeling of inner well being that will help carry her through the emotional time of pregnancy.

What I love most about the ancient teachings of yoga is that they can be practised by anyone and everyone, being all inclusive. Yoga brings you a healthier and more relaxed life and it certainly has for me. The asanas (postures), breathing and meditation have transformed my life, making me much more aware of myself, everyone and everything around me. Yoga for me is also a message of peace, it brings a deep feeling of inner peace that naturally radiates and affects everyone around you.

© 2006 Shiva Health | Phone 020 8549 8637 | info@shivarooms.co.uk | Another Divine-Creation