Amrit Desai

Yogi Amrit Desai - Salt Springs, Florida

Yogi Amrit Desai is one of the few remaining living yoga masters who originally brought the authentic teachings of yoga to the West in the early 1960s. He is the creator of two brands of yoga, Kripalu Yoga and I AM Yoga. Training programs have been established in more than 40 countries.^[1]

Biography

Amrit Desai at the World Conference on Scientific Yoga Conference, 1970. New Delhi, India.

At age 16 met his Sri Kripalvanandji (Bapuji) in India. Bapuji's guru, Dadaji, is said to be Lord Lakulish, the 28th incarnation of Shiva.^[2] Amrit Desai came to the USA in February 1960 to study at the Philadelphia College of Art. ^[2]

Desai started teaching Yoga in the early 1960s in the Philadelphia area, forming The Yoga Society of Pennsylvania in 1966. In 1970 Desai had a Kundalini awakening experience that revealed to him that Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras is a manual for the practice of Ashtanga Yoga rather than a philosophy of Yoga. Out of this experience Desai created a form of hatha yoga called Kripalu yoga. His unique Meditation in Motion approach is based on Patanjali's Ashtanga Yoga. As his teachings rapidly expanded, residential yoga centers were created to accommodate the demand for a yogic lifestyle experience. To date, Desai is the founder of five yoga and health centers in the US.

In 1966, the not-for-profit Yoga Society of Pennsylvania grew to 150 Yoga classes attended by more than 2,500 students per week, making it one of the largest Yoga organizations at that time.

In 1972, the first Kripalu Ashram was founded in Sumneytown, PA, to fulfill the growing need. 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. A variety of health, yoga and spiritual trainings and programs were offered. As the demand for programs grew, the residential staff grew to 70.

In 1976, an additional ashram in Summit Station, PA, was opened to accommodate the growth in program participants and volunteer staff. As a result, the program center grew to provide a greater variety of programs, and the residential staff grew to 150.

In 1983, the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health was founded in Lenox, MA. The staff of Summit Station was transferred to Lenox, and soon grew to 350 full-time resident staff. By 1994 Kripalu Yoga teachers were teaching in 50 states and 45 countries worldwide. After being forced to leave the Kripalu Center for sexual misconduct, he relocated to Sumneytown, PA, and then to Florida. Kripalu continues to operate and is presently one of the largest Yoga and health centers in North America, offering a wide range of programs and professional trainings in health, spirituality, yoga, and more.

The Amrit Yoga Institute in Salt Springs, Florida was founded in 2001, and currently operates as an ayurvedic healing and yoga retreat center. Regular yoga teacher trainings are offered in the Integrative Amrit Method, or the I AM techniques.

In 2014, he co-founded the International University of Yoga and Ayurveda (2014).

Humanitarian Work

The Bhuribhen Trust, named for his mother, established in 1972, provides free medicines and medical expenses.^[3] Amrit Yoga Institute has financed the building of a small children’s school in Halol.^[3]

Controversy

The Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health was an Ashram. One of the spiritual practices that the single residents were expected to practice was celibacy (Brahmacharya). After his third child was born, Desai declared that he would now practice celibacy too. So important was this practice of celibacy that meetings were held and residents were asked to divulge anyone they thought might have violated that sacred practice. In 1994 it was revealed and admitted that Desai had committed adultery over many years with several female resident disciples. Desai left in disgrace. Questionable business practices also came to light. Desai resumed teaching in 1996 at the original Kripalu Ashram in Sumneytown, PA.

Relocation

After a couple of years, mostly in PA, the Desai family relocated to Florida.

Awards

International Yoga Grand Master, 2013 – From H.H. Jagat Guru Amrta Suryananda Maharaj (recipient of Padma Shri). The only previous recipients of this award were B.K.S. Iyengar and Dr. Nagendra, SVYASA University, Bangalore.

Maharishi Sandipani Award, 2013 – From the Ujjain Yog Life Society International, at the 4th International Yog Conference, held in January 2014 in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India.

Inaugural Fellow, Council for Yoga Accreditation International (CYAI), 2012 – The council recognized four inaugural Fellows who have demonstrated extraordinary achievement and contribution to the field of Yoga.

Patanjali Award, 2010 – Awarded for Excellence in Yogic Research and Teachings in North America, from the Association of Ayurvedic Professionals of North America (AAPNA).

Unity in Yoga Plaque, 1993 – In appreciation for years of dedicated services to yoga in the Americas. Presented by Unity in Yoga Teachers Association celebrating 100 years of Yoga in America.

Padma Vibhushan Nomination, 1992 – Nominated by the late Prime Minister of India, Shri Chandra Shekhar, with a positive response from then Prime Minister Shri Narasimha Rao for 1993.

Vishwa Yoga Ratna, 1987 – Conferred by the Vishwa Unnayan Samsad (World Development Parliament of India) to 10 world-renowned teachers from 10 countries (India, USA, England, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Belgium, Switzerland, Brazil, France), this one-time award was presented by the President of India himself, in recognition of lifelong dedication and service in the field of Yoga. Yogi Amrit Desai was selected to represent the USA.

Maharishi, 1986 – Awarded by 105-year-old H.H. Sadguru Swami Gangeshwaranandji Maharaj, Udasin, chancellor of Udasin Sanskrit University, Benares, founder of 12 ashrams in India and 600 Ved Mandirs.

Jagadacharya, 1986 – Conferred by the World Religious Parliament, New Delhi, India, established by Swami Vivekenanda in 1894. This honorable title, equivalent to Jagadaguru Shankaracharya, was awarded to five world-renowned teachers for spreading Hindu philosophy and wisdom worldwide.

Yogacharya, 1980 – Conferred by Swami Kripalvanandji, Amrit’s guru and founder of Kayavarohan Tirtha Shiva Temple, Malav Ashram, and Lord Lakulish Yoga Institute, in recognition of years of intensive study, teachings and practice of philosophy and spiritual principles of yoga.

Doctor of Yoga Science, 1974 – Awarded by H.H. Jagadaguru Shankaracharya Maharaj, Dwarka, spiritual leader of Hinduism, for outstanding contributions to humanity.

References

↑ Homegrown Gurus, State University of New York, 2013
1 2 Falk 2009.
1 2 Yug Prabha, Halol, India (2007)

Sources

Falk, Geoffrey D. (2009), Stripping the Gurus

External links

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