THE KRIYA YOGA BLOG
Nurturing Your Mind, Body, and Spirit on the Path of Yoga and Self-Discovery
When I first entered a public yoga class the year was 2005. I had been practicing on my own for a number of years, but I had never lived in a town before that had a yoga studio so close to my home. As a result of the convenient location and because of the amazing teachers I found I became an avid devotee of Devi Yoga in Sedona, Arizona. ![]() Devi Yoga was the yoga studio for Ashtanga Inspired Yoga in Sedona and was owned by a powerful, powerful, powerful yoga teacher named Soni Gangadean. Her brother, Näthan Gangadean was also a yoga teacher at her studio and was very popular for his heartfelt classes full of breath, love, and energy. Näthan was also the yoga teacher to say whilst I was in downward facing dog (for what felt like a million hours), that downward dog was a "resting pose" and that we should try to find peace in that pose. Mmm hmm. Soooo, as you can imagine, as a semi-new yogi to the powerful practice that is Ashtanga Yoga, I was in downward dog with shaking arms and tired legs, sweat was literally pouring off of my face, and my breath was shaky and shallow... So, naturally, in response to his "downward facing dog is a resting pose, find peace in this beautiful pose"... I thought to myself "WT serious fork are you talking about? This is not resting!" So, you know... that happened. But Näthan was sooooo right. And with practice and a different mindset, a more open mindset, downward facing dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) became a resting pose for me. Näthan is magical. I don't really know how to say it any differently. His classes are always magical, always sincere, always beautiful. And so here you go, my gift to you, beginner or otherwise... An introduction to one of my favorite yoga teachers of all time, Näthan Gangadean. ~ Ashley EXPERIENCE IT FOR YOURSELF
5 Comments
3/31/2023 08:54:32 pm
Hi Ashley… I don’t know if you are receiving this. But I just wanted to thank you for this wonderful honor from you. I’m touched by what you wrote, and listening to the class brought me back to a part of me that I have been missing. I hope this helps others… but it really helped me! Thank you. I hope you are well! Would love to catch up!
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Ashley Cruz
6/28/2023 07:22:15 pm
Näthan! It’s so good to hear from you 💜 I’ll send you a PM soon and hope we can catch up. ~ A
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