About Atha Yoga

Ashtanga Yoga in Grass Valley, CA

16434 Indian Springs Ranch Rd
Grass Valley, CA 95949

About Atha Yoga

Ashtanga Yoga in Grass Valley, CA

16434 Indian Springs Ranch Rd
Grass Valley, CA 95949

About Devorah Sacks

Devorah is a yoga teacher and yoga therapist and has been immersed in the study and practice of mind-body healing for the past 35 years.  She  is authorized in the Ashtanga tradition and has been traveling to India for further study since 1993.  Her greatest influence on the Ashtanga path is Dena Kinsberg.

Devorah has had the privilege of 1:1 study in Sanskrit and Yoga Shastras with her teachers Dr. Richard Miller, Kirinavali, and Dr. M.A. Jayashree from Mysore, India.  Devorah is a student of Vedanta.  She just completed a one year Sadhana with her teacher Shantala Sriramaiah and is currently in another year long certification training with Shantala in the Vedic chanting tradition.

 In addition to her classes in the Mysore method, Devorah offers courses and immersions that weave together asana, Vedic wisdom and the Tantric teachings of Yoga Nidra and she has a gift of offering the ancient teachings in an applicable way. She also has a thriving private practice, where she works 1:1 supporting students  toward greater Self understanding and transformative healing.

My Approach

I consider it a great privilege to be invited to participate in another’s healing journey and over my 2 decades of teaching I have found an approach that serves as my guide. Whether I am teaching an immersion, supporting you through the Mysore method or working with you one-on-one, I have found these qualities to be an essential part of any healing relationship.

Svadhyaya

The ultimate value of the Ashtanga Yoga method is in how it cleans the lens through which we see ourselves and shows us who we are at our. As we commit to taking time each day to check in and connect, we begin to learn about ourselves in an intimate way. The practice offers us a mirror to discover and uncover what is there, what has always been there. The practice is our most valuable teacher, exposing us to all of our many parts. As we stay engaged and curious, the svadhyaya, self study gained by our commitment to daily practice ultimately connects us to our most authentic Selves.

Sangha

There is something quite beautiful about delving into your own sadhana (spiritual practice) while being a part of a community of people who are there with you, doing the same practice in their own way. I have run four successful Mysore programs and one of the qualities that has set my program apart is the feeling of safety and sacredness present in the space. I am committed to creating a warm and sacred space that serves as a refuge for deep, contemplative practice.

Gate’ Gate’

From the heart sutra, gaté, gaté expresses the idea of going beyond … moving beyond. On the surface, Ashtanga Yoga looks like a sequence of postures meant to challenge us physically. As important as the physical practice is, it serves as a gateway to the other more subtle aspects of our Being. The postures stretch not only the body but also the mind as we reach for shapes that we never thought possible. This challenges our old conditioning and false beliefs about ourselves and the world. Daily practice strengthens areas of weakness in the body and challenges the mind and helps top move us beyond these self limiting beliefs and misunderstandings. By stretching beyond what is most familiar, and making the impossible possible, we uncover lost parts and slowly, slowly we heal.

Honoring Individuality

Each individual’s unique body, disposition, and spirit is honored. My role is to align with each student, meeting you where you are, as you are, and helping to foster independence and autonomy. When we are fully seen, without pretense or agenda, we are given space to find our unique expression. We may be practicing the same sequence of physical postures, but we are having uniquely individual experiences. This is where the true healing of yoga lies.

Our Shala

16434 Indian Springs Ranch Rd
Grass Valley, CA 95949

Our shala is located in a 720 square foot remodeled barn, surrounded by nature, on our small family farm in Grass Valley California.

Come Practice!