Yogi Shanti Desai Biography
Yogi Shanti Desai was born in Gujarat State, India. A religious home environment made basic spiritual disciplines a natural way of life for him. From an early age he studied Yoga and Yoga scriptures, and practiced meditation and spiritual discipline. Shanti has met many yogis and was initiated in his youth by his Guru, Swami Kripalu.
Shanti received a Bachelor of Science degree in India before coming to the United States in 1961. In 1964 he received his Master of Science degree in Chemistry from Drexel University and worked as a research chemist while teaching Yoga until 1972, when he chose to devote himself full-time to the practice and teaching of Yoga.
In 1974, Shanti opened the Yoga Retreat in Ocean City, NJ to provide intensive Yoga training and to introduce Yoga as a way of life. From 1977 to 1985, Shanti directed the Glassboro Ashram for spiritual communal living. From 1981 until 2000, Shanti, an experienced nutritionist and consultant, successfully operated Prasad, a yogic holistic health food store and vegetarian restaurant.
Shanti has taught thousands of students and has trained many Yoga teachers. He has written several books on Yoga based on his personal practice and teaching experiences.
Shanti currently resides in Ocean City with his wife Nayana, an author & teacher of creative yogic cooking. Shanti continues to personally direct the Shanti Yoga Institute and spend time with his wife Nayana and their children and grandchildren who also follow a holistic lifestyle.
Shanti's teaching is based on his personal practice and a lifetime of successful integration of Yoga in everyday life. His teachings are dynamic, creative, scientific and practical, and suitable for all ages, physical conditions and social and religious backgrounds.
Dynamic Personal Transformation
As guided by revolutionary master Shanti Desai
 Shanti has a vision of creative transformation from the personal to the global level. He wants to be instrumental to serve by awakening and transforming individuals, families, groups and community leaders. Like a lighted candle, with the inner spark of wisdom, Shanti can assist in lighting the inner spark in others. Others in turn, can become instrumental to ignite the wildfire of global awakening.
Shanti is not a missionary looking to convert others, nor is he a Guru looking to lead the blind followers. He offers tools to remove dogmas, conditioning and illusions to experience bliss and to flow with life. He teaches personal transformation, expansion of consciousness, universality and selfless service that can lead to global transformation
Shanti is established in the Self (Atmaram), an awakened (Self-realized) yoga master and a new age revolutionary thinker. He has practiced yoga, meditation and spiritual disciplines his entire life and has taught yoga and meditation for the last forty years. By living a life with conscious awareness, he has found fulfillment and contentment. His spiritual maturity has resulted in natural renunciation (Sanyas). Renunciation means giving up selfish worldly ambitions and to dedicate life for meditation and selfless service.
He has written nine books during the years as he evolved. These books provide practical guidance for yoga teachers and students. They can be used as an "encyclopedia for living” for daily inspiration and guidance. The recent three booklets are the essence of his life and teaching experiences. He wants to remove dogmas and corruptions in the religious and spiritual fields. He has simplified the teachings so that everyone can benefit by applying the principles. These books can be used for constant contemplation and guidance. The titles of these books are: Dynamic Balanced Living, Dynamic Meditation for Living and the most recent work, Dynamic Quantum Transformation.
This nine book encyclopedia is now available online. You can own the Practice Manual Series (Yoga Holistic Practice Manual, Meditation Practice Manual and Hatha Yoga Practice Manual); the Philosophy and Guidance Series (Reality Here and Now and Self - I Me Mine Ours Illusions); and The Dynamic Series (Dynamic Quantum Transformation, Dynamic Balanced Living, and Dynamic Meditation For Living.) The encyclopedia collection includes the FREE 4-page Encyclopedia Reference Guide!
Wisdom flows when a student remains in the presence of a master (Darshan) with humility and an open heart. Shanti imparts his wisdom in silence and with direct guidance. He gets attuned to the group and opens up to offer spontaneous teachings. He offers active and passive meditations to turn life into meditation. His main message is acceptance of life, gratitude, self-love, flow with life, expansion of consciousness, universality and selfless service. He emphasizes being rooted in Self and to maintain undercurrent of awareness instead of dependence on external authorities. He recommends personal transformation instead of conversion. Personal transformation can produce selfless service and global transformation.
Shanti is available to individuals, families, work place, office workers or any groups with open minds and the desire to explore their own potential and find bliss. |
