Amrit Desai
Homegrown Gurus, published in 2013, states: "Although Desai has not received scholarly attention, he has arguably been one of the most influential and sought-after figures in the development of Hatha Yoga in America over the last 40 years."[4] Desai was born on 16 October 1932, the second son of Chimanlal, a village merchant, and Buribhen Desa in Pratappura in Gujarat, India.At age 15, he met his guru, Swami Kripalvananda (Bapuji), a wandering Shaivite monk and kundalini yoga master[5] who was offering free talks on the Bhagavad Gita in Halol.[6] Desai taught himself yoga postures from a chart he found tacked to the wall of the local gym, and then began teaching others outside the cowshed where his guru lived."[6] After studying engineering and training with the Indian Air Force in Madras, Desai returned to Halol, where he took a job teaching art at the local high school.By teaching yoga and washing dishes while at college, he eventually saved enough money to bring his wife and infant son to the U.S. two years later.[6] In 1961, while still a college art student, he played the flute in a "Music of India" concert at the Commercial Museum at the Philadelphia Convention Center.[9] In 1966, during his first visit to India since his arrival in the United States, Swami Kripalvananda gave him initiation and further instruction in kundalini yoga.[7][5][11] In 1972, the first Kripalu Ashram was founded in Sumneytown, Pennsylvania on a 50-acre property purchased to fulfill the growing demand among students for a yogic lifestyle experience.The ashram also became a program center that provided the volunteer residential staff and teachers the in-depth study and practice of yoga, along with a yogic lifestyle.Yogi Desai was initiated into the secrets of Shaivite kundalini yoga by his guru, Swami Kripalu (Kripalvananda), a master of tantric sadhana.After years of infidelity with numerous people, in 1994, it was revealed and admitted that Desai had had sexual contact with at least three female resident disciples and was forced to resign his position as Spiritual Director.Amrit Yoga Institute is an ashram where the guru-disciple relationship continues to flourish and residents enjoy the benefits of a traditional yogic lifestyle.
HinduismKripalu CenterKripalvanandayoga gurusHatha Yoga in AmericaGujaratShaivitekundalini yogaBhagavad GitasadhanapranicIndian Air ForceMadrasAhmedabadPhiladelphia College of ArtvegetarianPhiladelphia Museum of ArtPhiladelphia Convention CenterSwami SatchidanandaB.K.S. IyengarDhirendra BrahmachariNew DelhiKundaliniYoga Sutrashatha yogaKripalu YogaPhiladelphiaDelawaresouthern New JerseySumneytown, PennsylvaniaDetroitChicagoMontrealSummit Station, PennsylvaniaLenox, MASalt Springs, FLayurvedicshaktipatKayavarohanMichael A. Singerchakrabrahmacharyasexual contact with at least three female resident disciplesSalt Springs, FloridaAlachua, FloridaPennsylvaniaNorth AmericaRotary InternationalNaples, FloridaVivekenandaChandra ShekharNarasimha RaoYoga NidraJ. Gordon MeltonYoga JournalCushman, AnneBarnes & NobleBikram ChoudhuryYoga as exerciseAsanasList of asanasStanding asanasDownward dogLotus positionMeditation seatsSun SalutationTree poseWarriorDrishtiNamastePranayamaVinyāsaHasta VinyasasTeacher trainingBritish Wheel of YogaEuropean Union of YogaAndré Van LysebethYoga AllianceTherapyYoga using propsAccessible yogaTrauma-sensitive yogaRestorative YogaInternational Association of Yoga Therapists • Richard MillerJanice GatesCompetitive yogaInternational Day of YogaAsana JournalYoga brickYoga matAngela FarmerHugger MuggerYoga pantsLululemonEarly modern yogaVivekanandaRaja YogaPierre BernardHarmonial gymnastics/yogaMarguerite AgnielMary Bagot StackGenevieve StebbinsPhysical cultureB. C. GhoshK. V. IyerSeetharaman SundaramParamahansa YoganandaAutobiography of a YogiHot yogaScience of yogaSexual abuse by yoga gurusMatthew RemskiYoga and cultural appropriationIn advertisingFor childrenFor womenGeeta IyengarYoga tourismHybridsNaked yogaMindful YogaFrank Jude BoccioAnne CushmanJon Kabat-ZinnCyndi LeePhillip Moffitt