Surya-Chandra Das began studying hatha yoga and meditation in 1988 and has taught classes and yoga retreats since 1990.  His teaching of yoga asana is influenced by his

studies with T.K.V. Desikachar in Madras, India,Victor van Kooten,

Angela Farmer, and a variety of teachers in the Iyengar tradition. Studies in Authentic Movement and Continuum Movement have contributed to his interest in exploring the formless contained within the form of yoga postures.

Surya-Chandra is a long-time student of Vipassana meditation and Advaita, the non-dual tradition of Ramana Maharshi, having studied with Ramesh Balsakar, Adyashanti and

others. 

Surya's teaching is a blend of the various teachings he has experienced and his own explorations in practice.  The alignment of Iyengar, the breath focus and flow of  Desikachar style Yiniyoga, and the mindfulness of meditation are all woven into his yoga asana sessions.   Surya's teaching  is focused on inspiring students to listen to their breath, body sensations and intuition as the ultimate teachers and guides. He supports and encourages a student to let go of striving and becoming; to rest in being.  The approach is simple and direct, reminding us to relax and let go into the natural presence and spaciousness that we truly are.  

Patricia Brown's  teaching encourages students to cultivate an intuitive receptivity and openness, honoring the way each person uncovers the inner teacher.

Coming to yoga in my late 20's with health concerns, I had no idea of the spiritual benefits of the practice.Very soon many shifts began to happen from changes in my diet to ending a relationship and leaving my job. I immersed myself in the study and practice and this has been the continued path of my life.   

In the early years I studied with many senior Iyengar teachers while also following the inner-body work of Angela Farmer. These experiences laid the groundwork for what has become a life-long embodied exploration of the form (relative) and the formless (absolute) worlds.  

As the practice deepened, the breath-focused work of viniyoga and many Vipassana meditation retreats opened subtler access to the body/mind.   I began to study movement based on inner listening in the form of  Jungian based Authentic Movement and the innovative movement work of Continuum with Emilie Conrad, opening to the less technical and more natural way of being in the body.

As the body unraveled patterns of conditioning, the deeper spiritual questions about who I really am and what is life about rose to the surface.   Advaita and the work of Ramana Maharshi became available through teachers in the west who had integrated his teachings for the Western psyche.  Currently, my work reflects my personal practice, exploring yoga as a vehicle for self-awakening, using classical asana, movement explorations, body sensing meditation, silence and self-inquiry to recognize the body as the most reliable source to access embodied Presence.