PEOPLE IN OUR HISTORY

Eleanor studied at Shri Kali Ashram for three years. She has a MS, Civil & Environmental Engineering from the University of California, Davis. She is a registered E-RYT 200™ with Yoga Alliance® and RYT 500.™ ​ Eleanor came to Shri Kali Ashram after serving for several years with the U.S. Peace Corps in Madagascar. (She is fluent in the Malagasy language.) She came for a short stay to learn āsanas. However, after realizing that there is much more to the science of yoga, she stayed on in India and persevered in her training. ​ She performs very advanced āsanas. During her time at Shri Kali, Eleanor has grown from a quiet girl to a strong, intelligent woman with a free spirit. ​ Eleanor is proficient in Tantra and Yoga. She is a skillful and popular teacher, and is appreciated by new students for her clear understanding and ability to explain the Tantric and Yogic philosophies. Students who have attended her classes often comment on the wholesomeness of the experience. She also reads fluent Sanskrit and knows by heart the mantras and rituals of the Kālī tradition, which she practices. ​ Now, as one of Shri Kali's senior teachers, she laughs about her initial idea of yoga as consisting only of āsanas! She says, “If I had done a standard two-hundred hour training in any other school, I would have missed out on the actual value of the teachings and practices of Tantra. Like any other science, it takes a little time and effort. It seems sad to me now that so many people think that something like Yoga or Tantra can be mastered in two-hundred hours. I spent four years in university learning how to program a computer—which is in essence a simple machine. How much more effort should it take to understand the programming that runs myself and the universe? Tantra is an amazing, beautiful spiritual science. Through Tantra, I regard things wholesomely, not from just a limited perspective. This gives me success in my relationships, my career and every aspect of life.” ​ “The original science of Tantra is different from the make-believe Tantra that New Age has fabricated to help deal with the limitations of contemporary existence. Tantra emphasizes on one's autonomy and honoring of the self. Tantra, as a science, teaches one to adopt wholesome values and ideals, which naturally wean one from being trapped in the limited views of a politicizing mind-set. It makes us feel wholesome and understand life beyond the limitations of the subjective self, which frees us from our limited identities and trips. I have seen people come with all sorts of neurosis yet walk away healthy and wholesome after their time at Shri Kali Ashram,” says Eleanor. “The whole time that I've spent here has been worthwhile.” ​ “The Tantric āsanas taught at Shri Kali Ashram are subtly different from those taught in other systems. They have inner content. It is not just about muscle leverage or workout, but a whole science in itself based around energy. If you read the ancient texts, they considered prāṇāyāma as the key to health, long-life, and mastery of our inner energy. Yet if you go to a contemporary yoga class, they relegate prāṇāyāma to three minutes at the end of class. Similarly, with Tantric meditation, I have seen so many students progress in a very short period of time from being unable to sit still to having a deep, quality meditation (pratyāhāra, dhāraṇā, dhyāna / bhāvanā, samādhi). Shri Kali Ashram offers a precise understanding of these sciences, not just performance-based āsanas. Bhagavan Shanmukha just has too much information for anyone to do justice to in one website. I still find it remarkable that there can be such a science as that taught here at Shri Kali.

Ayşe grew up in Northern Germany within a German-Turkish family. She has been with Shri Kali since 2011 and divides her time between studying and teaching at Shri Kali, Turkey, and Europe, where she organizes Tantric Yoga classes and workshops. She is a registered RYT 500™ with Yoga Alliance. Ayşe also studies towards a Masters degree in Sustainable Development. Before Ayşe came to Shri Kali, she had been suffering from an arthritis-like condition in her knees and decided to do some changes in her life. The first change was to quit her corporate job in London and go travelling throughout Asia, which lastly brought her to India and finally to Shri Kali Ashram, where she was looking for a one month yoga program initially. “I remember when I arrived at Shri Kali, I looked at everything out of the framework I had grown up in but quickly realised that if I wanted to get a deeper understanding of myself, the world and the traditional knowledge taught at Shri Kali, I would have to let go of certain thought constructs and doctrines. This was especially relevant in consideration with the knee inflammation I was suffering from, as even though I was on prescription drugs, I still had flare ups and could not figure out what aggravated it. What struck me in the early beginning when I was at Shri Kali was that the information given about life and society resonated with my inner values and beliefs about faith and religion, which I have always been curious about, as I grew up in a multi-cultural environment.” Ayşe recognised the importance of the Tantric teachings at Shri Kali and experienced its positive impacts in all aspects of her life, in relationship to her family and friends, to herself, and her health. She was able to gradually stop the intake of the drug for her knee inflammation. She says, “I owe this success in the regaining of my health to Bhagavan and his gifted ability to convey to me this beautiful science. Of all my academic studies, educational courses and activities, this is the most valuable and precious information I have ever encountered, as it provides true content through timeless and sustainable concepts that are applicable to every aspect of life. In fact, there is no other place I would want to learn from. I call Shri Kali the ‘school of life,’ as the information given here is relevant to everyone, no matter what age, religion or culture.” “I was never too much interested in mingling with the Western yoga world. It always fascinates me to see how much people are attracted by it but the modern esoteric vibe did not resonate with me beyond the physical practises. I had a fairly modern perspective on yoga, knew little about its philosophy and nothing about its spirituality. Indeed, I did not think of Tantra as an ancient tradition until I came to Shri Kali. What resonated with me instantly was the ‘down-to-earthness,’ logical explanations, knowledgeable talks about history, institutions, the state of our world and its people, economically, sociologically and psychologically. Information is given openly to everyone who is interested. Bhagavan encourages everyone to engage, interact and express from their true self. People are given guidance but they understand for themselves, rather than learn from a preset curriculum. The setup of the school is very unconventional, which can baffle people at first, but then they experience the possibilities arising in such an open and boundless environment, where you can learn actively from everyone and everything. I have seen many people come and go since I have been at Shri Kali; actually people tend to come and stay long term if they can, or like myself, they come back whenever they can. It takes some time to see through the layers of our conditioning. When I did, I decided that I wanted a spiritual understanding to life, which I continue to live by.” “I have seen a lot of misery, illness and unhappiness within the Western lifestyle, despite apparent material well-being. I had not known many people, of whom I could say they were truly happy with themselves and the life they were living. This was not the outlook on life I wanted but I learnt that, more than approaching a different life model, it is all about the information you are being given. Learning and living according to a traditional Tantric system is so enriching to my life; I am more balanced, healthy and in tune with myself.” “Shri Kali and its people continue to impress me. It is my biggest pleasure to share this culture. I see people approaching all kinds of self-help activities but the truth is, there are no quick fixes in life. Tantra as taught at Shri Kali requires a subconscious integration to create new patterns and achieve transformation. Bhagavan is able to convey this spiritual science to everyone who is interested in receiving his knowledge. I feel privileged having met a traditional teacher, who grew up in a Tantric environment, transmitting to me and others the traditional yoga, philosophy and culture. Bhagavan is dedicated to share and preserve this wonderful science for the simple reason of love for humanity.” “Not only studying and practising Tantra Yoga but also sharing my inspiration and experience beautifies my life, which is really all about compassion and love, which leads us to one thing we all want to be in our lives: genuinely happy! I will be at Shri Kali from Dec. 2013-May 2014.

Ericardo / Ricky is of Native American and Spanish heritage. He has trained personally with Bhagavan for five years and is well-versed in Tantra Yoga (or the Kaula system) and both the Tantric and Vedic philosophies. ​ “I continue to return to Shri Kali Ashram to further my studies through the vast knowledge that is accessible there and, most importantly, to build myself within a supportive environment. I find that there is too much information out there with different influences telling people what to do, how to be, how to look, and even how to think, without any real basis for where it's coming from or why. It’s important to question these sources of information and where they stem from. Shri Kali Ashram continues to show me how a wholesome spiritual science can bring true understanding of the inner mechanics of ‘self’, thus, helping me get to the core of who I really am. I chose the Kaula system to culture towards total freedom. Bhagavan Shanmukha shares keys, which allows me to further my studies independently and build personal potentials through love rather than by discipline. I always remember Bhagavan Shanmukha’s words, ‘don’t keep your happiness waiting.’ ”

Arthur is an award-winning interactive art director, travel photographer, filmmaker and Tantra Yoga student. For the last few years he has been part of our community and has contributed a lot to our Ashram, including photography and films.

I was entrenched in corporate America when I first came to Shri Kali Ashram. For a single product I can write a business plan, design a new product launch, set pricing, project sales and predict overall profit margin in a day. The decision to leave my job, store my belongings and move to India was both easy and profound. I grew up in New Orleans, which is a city both decadent and spiritual. The decadent aspect consciously effected me as my love of food and cooking. The spiritual aspect effected me subconsciously, eventually making my studies at Shri Kali a rich experience. I understand, on a deeper level, the beauty behind the city's many festivals and traditions: Mardi Gras, the St Joseph Lucky Bean, and King Cake. In 2010, my father recommended Walt Whitman and I read Song of Myself. I had already visited India once and could see the spiritual and Indic inspiration in his poetry. Once at Shri Kali, Bhagavan Shri Shanmukha suggested I read Henry David Thoreau and my admiration for the American Transcendentalists grew. Thoreau's expression of personal freedom, self-hood and humanity are some of the core principles of Tantric philosophy. I understood how his influence touched so many, including both Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. “If I devote myself to other pursuits and contemplations, I must first see, at least, that I do not pursue them sitting upon another man's shoulders. I must get off him first, that he may pursue his contemplations too.”—Henry David Thoreau Shri Kali Ashram is an ideal environment to develop the skills of looking at life in a realistic manner and then be able to share that with others. I am surrounded daily with people from different cultures and I now see how deeply culture is embedded in all. With this insight, I have developed a broader understanding of humanity and this gives me the ability to see the world more wholesomely. Carl Jung says that it is difficult for people's conscious mind to realize that they are exactly what everyone else is. Being here, surrounded by so many people from around the world, makes that process much easier. My goal at Shri Kali is to eliminate anxiety and develop my sense of personal freedom, self-hood and strength. With the guidance of Bhagavan Shri Shanmukha, I'm able to relax on a deeper level than ever before. In a comfortable and safe environment, we are all able to look at how we interact with the world and develop the skills to make that interaction as honest and as rich as possible. Yoga, reading, lectures, prāṇāyāma, and puja all combine to develop ourselves subtly and overtly into wholesome, aware and happy human beings. Heather is currently teaching in Denver, USA.

Simona is a graphic designer from Czech Republic who lived and worked in New York. She is a long-term student of the Kaula System and Bhagavan Shanmukha. Now she teaches Tantra Yoga in her home country and studies natural medicine.

Jeana lived at Shri Kali for many years and is a long-term teacher in the Kaula System. Currently, she holds retreats in the USA.

Saj is from Minnesota, USA. He is a long-term student / teacher at Shri Kali Ashram and is very well versed in Law.

The time at Shri Kali Ashram was very important to reinforce in me that the study of Yoga and Tantra Philosophy is a big priority in life like work or care of my family. ​It demonstrated also how complex is the Tantric Tradition and Yogic science. In my 200 hours Course, I had time to enjoy the present moment and also make plans to continue my journey. It was my second Teacher Training Course and what I learnt at Shri Kali complemented what I knew before and expanded my horizons to what more I needed to learn. ​ Now I understand that looking for knowledge comes in your own time, and I just relax and do what I need to do in the daily life and take it easy. Nothing is better than to be patient with yourself. These principles are for me also applicable in my daily yoga practice, in the āsanas, bandhas, prāṇāyāma, mudrās and meditation. It is, for me, important to take the time for each part, to be on each part, and to stay with myself all the time. This is the way I want to walk; being quiet with myself.

Dr. Torsten Beck is a German nuclear physicist with experience of living and working in different parts of the world. Now he is translating Divine Initiation (Bhagavan Shanmukha & Ma Kristina’s book) into German.

Maata Lee is a medical doctor and homeopath that had volunteered in India for several years and now volunteers in Germany. She is a frequent student at our Ashram and a dedicated yogi.

Miska is a long-term teacher in the Kaula system. Miska went on to found the Shakta Yoga School in Helsinki, Finland, more than a decade ago (2014) that teaches the Shri Kali system. The school is now owned by his friend, Otto Kronqvist.

I am from Denmark, grew up in Copenhagen, but am now living on the beautiful island of Samsø. I have been with Shri Kali since 2011. I first came to the ashram, with no former yoga experience, to do the 500 hour Teacher Training. It was the first stop of what was meant to be a longer round-trip of India. The journey ended there! I had found what I didn’t know I was looking for. As a trained Clinical Dietician and personal trainer I had a background of many years of studies in nutrition and anatomy. But I always felt that there was something missing – the fragmented view of the human being never seemed quite right to me. Being introduced to the logical, traditional, spiritual system taught at Shri Kali felt like “coming home”. I felt like so many things that I had only known unconsciously till then were being put into words in the talks. Even with no previous yoga experience it was clear to me, that this is a unique system - a wholesome life-science based on the underlying changeless principle – and it gave all the answers that modern science was unable to provide. I’ve never seen Bhagavan without answers. Also I found, that the prana-based asana series allowed me to very quickly perform asanas, that I would have before thought impossible. But more importantly, the way of teaching asanas taught me to trust and appreciate my body and thus helped me recover physically and mentally from years of cancer treatment in my childhood and youth. I now divide my time between my studies at the ashram and teaching Tantra Yoga classes, Ayurvedic Walking Massage and organizing workshops at Shri Kali Danmark. If you would like more information about my experiences at Shri Kali Ashram please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Otto is a Finnish philosopher and a teacher in the Kaula system, currently residing and teaching yoga in Helsinki, Finland. He has a master’s degree in social sciences from University of Helsinki. He is one of the teachers of the Ka Shakti Jooga. a traditional yoga school based in Helsinki, Finland founded by a Shri Kali student. It is strongly rooted in the Kaula system taught in Shri Kali Ashram and the teachers have received long-term training at Shri Kali Ashram. The classes at Ka Shakti Jooga are based on the balancing tri-dosha series that has been the source of wellbeing for thousands of years in the Shaiva-Shakta culture. Ka Shakti Jooga understands the traditional science behind yoga as well as the modern point of view of the human body. Our courses do not limit yoga to its physical side. In the more advanced courses we also offer the possibility to dive deeper into the Vedic science.

Lilia / Lily was born in Caucasus and has two degrees from Friendship University of Moscow (Specialist of International Communications) and Diplomatic Academy of Foreign Affairs of Russia (Specialist of International Relations).​ She is currently translating Divine Initiation into Russian. She lives in Portugal with her two children.

Katherine is a long-term teacher who holds a RYT 500™ certificate and studied at Shri Kali Ashram for one year.

The long-term study at Shri Kali Ashram allows for one to integrate and build upon the foundational information given in the one and three month programs. The longer study provides an opportunity to go deeper into the Tantra science, i.e. learning Sanskrit, going into traditional Tantric Texts, learning and studying the rituals as well as deepening the āsana, pranāyama and bandha practices. Personally, I was integrate what I was learning, along side others who had similar goals, was wonderful.

The long-term Tantric Initiation courses at Shri Kali Ashram are dedicated to giving all those interested an opportunity to dive deep into the ancient sciences of Yoga, Tantra and the Veda.