Avatar YogaWorks, LLC
"...where movement sparks empowerment..."
About Us
*OUR APPROACH TO YOGA
Spanda Yoga is no "brand name" yoga at all! Rather it is an approach to the study of yoga that values movement in its broadest context. From the esoteric theory of spanda vibration, to the study of the movements of the mind, to using physical movement as a way to gain insight into deeply held beliefs and life issues, from moving the body for fitness and recovery, to movement for the sheer joy of it, Spanda offers the timless teachings of traditional Raja Yoga within a context that is personally meaningful to every individual.
While there is a great body of literature discussing this most profound Sanskrit word, our use of the term "spanda" emphasizes personal connection to what matters most in ones life. Yoga practice that relies on ancient formal methods in combination with attentive spontaneous responsiveness to the rich currents of sensation and feeling, give rise to deep and personal insight. Revelation of universal, unifying, natural principles with roots in every major physically-embodied spiritual path is an essential aspect of our work. The transformative power of embodied self-expression through the archetypal forms of yoga offers every individual a systematic yet deeply personal path to true Self understanding and eventual freedom.
Our approach is expressed in three inter-related areas:
YOGA
MOVEMENT
THERAPY
*Excerpted from Dr. Jaime Stover Schmitt, founder of Spanda Yoga
Spanda Yoga is no "brand name" yoga at all! Rather it is an approach to the study of yoga that values movement in its broadest context. From the esoteric theory of spanda vibration, to the study of the movements of the mind, to using physical movement as a way to gain insight into deeply held beliefs and life issues, from moving the body for fitness and recovery, to movement for the sheer joy of it, Spanda offers the timless teachings of traditional Raja Yoga within a context that is personally meaningful to every individual.
While there is a great body of literature discussing this most profound Sanskrit word, our use of the term "spanda" emphasizes personal connection to what matters most in ones life. Yoga practice that relies on ancient formal methods in combination with attentive spontaneous responsiveness to the rich currents of sensation and feeling, give rise to deep and personal insight. Revelation of universal, unifying, natural principles with roots in every major physically-embodied spiritual path is an essential aspect of our work. The transformative power of embodied self-expression through the archetypal forms of yoga offers every individual a systematic yet deeply personal path to true Self understanding and eventual freedom.
Our approach is expressed in three inter-related areas:
YOGA
MOVEMENT
THERAPY
*Excerpted from Dr. Jaime Stover Schmitt, founder of Spanda Yoga
Through meditation you purify yourself. Keep the yamas (restraints) and the niyamas (observances) and surrender to the Lord who resides in your heart. Without divine help, you go nowhere. Live the golden rule. Purify your heart. Lose the ego. The greatest impurity, the most negative energy, is ignorance. You must accept non-duality and God-conciousness. If you devote all of your actions to the Lord, he will show you bliss.--Dharma Mittra in the YJ interview, September 2007
B.G. Sohoni is the director of Avatar YogaWorks, LLC. He is a yoga teacher registered through the Yoga Alliance at the 200-hour level. He is trained in Ashtanga yoga with a specialty in Spanda yoga. He received his Spanda yoga training under the direct guidance of Dr. Jaime Stover Schmitt, the founder of Spanda yoga and author of the book Every Woman's Yoga. He is also a Reiki Master. Recently, B.G. has been working with the Occupational Health Dept. of RWJ Hospital in Hamilton, NJ in developing a program for specific health related concerns in county employees as well as giving seminars on health related subjects.
B.G. is also a practicing pharmacist in the state of New Jersey. His broad knowledge of the physical sciences including anatomy and physiology as well as natural medicines allow him to see the structure of the human body at work as well as the natural connection of our bodies to our natural environment. He has been practicing yoga for about 6 years and has seen amazing changes in his students as well as in himself. "We are all works in progress and we all need help sometimes. We just need to drop the ego and ask." This is a core teaching that he uses as a backdrop in his classes.
Avatar YogaWorks, LLC is dedicated to the highest standards in yoga instruction. Our instructors are certified through a Yoga Alliance accredited school as well as being individually registered by the Yoga Alliance to a minimum of 200 hours of training. We offer traditional Spanda yoga classes as well as stress reduction through meditation. We offer a safe and supportive setting to reach your goal(s). Private instruction is also available.
