About Chandra Om
Chandra Om
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Chandra is the founder and director of the North Carolina School of Yoga. She has spent most of her life in service to humanity, disseminating the ancient knowledge of how to achieve radiant health and spiritual development through the classical system of Yoga. Chandra was born in Miami, and raised in New York, where she met her Guru and Teacher, Sri Dharma Mittra. After intense study, immersion and practice of the eight limbs of Yoga, she was accepted and initiated by Sri Dharma as Chandra Om (meaning ‘Moon’, ‘Luminous’, ‘Bright and Shining’). Chandra was initiated into the family as a religious student who devotes herself to her teacher and the practice of spiritual disciplines—one who renounces the world in order to achieve liberation. She has taken the spiritual vows of Brahmacharya and Sanyas. She is the senior disciple of Sri Dharma Mittra.
Without Yama there is no Yoga
Known for her dedication, humor, love and kindness in teaching, Chandra has been loyally teaching the Yamas and Niyamas through daily practice of Classical Yoga, and has always made herself available for students in need of help and direction. As a testament to her experience and knowledge her classes are continuously and predominately filled with Yoga teachers from all styles of Yoga. Every student who comes to her class is considered by her as “part of the family”. She diligently teaches the Yamas, the first step of Yoga, and in every class you will hear “without Yama, there is no Yoga”. She tirelessly promotes ahimsa (the first step of Yoga) through vegetarianism, a live diet, and kindness to all living beings, especially our inferior brothers and sisters (the animal kingdom).
In 2001, Chandra founded the North Carolina School of Yoga to provide serious aspirants with an opportunity to deepen their own spiritual sadhana, starting countless students on the path of teaching Yoga. She does not teach ‘styles’ of Yoga, but the traditional, classical Raja Yogic tradition and strives to remain truthful to the traditional teachings of the science of Yoga. Chandra has initiated thousands of students on the path of Yogic practice and teaching, and teaches solely as an offering to her Guru and to all spiritual aspirants. The North Carolina School of Yoga is one of the only schools left in the world still teaching authentic, traditional yoga, based on scriptural and oral transmission of Vedanta. Through the genius of these methods, students can progress rapidly. Students from all walks of Yoga love Chandra’s teachings, regardless of their previous styles of practice. After years of being a "teacher to the Yoga teachers" and a celebrated and much respected teacher in her own Guru's ashram, in 2008 Chandra was recognized by the modern publication "Yoga Journal" as one of the top Yoga Teachers in the world.
Be Receptive to the Grace of God
She is the author of 4 critically and commercially acclaimed CD’s, ‘Dhyana’, ‘Mere Gurudev', 'Be Receptive’, and 'Guided Meditations for Divine Perception'. Her first book, Dharma Mittra: A Friend to All, was released in 2007, followed by The Holy Science of Yoga in 2009. Her teacher trainings are attended by Yogis from all over the world and are designed from years of practices that Chandra did herself to become a Yogi. Each student is prescribed spiritual programs that drastically charge and change their life to become a calm, content and better person. The essence of these ancient teachings comes to life for each individual. These Yoga teachers, through Chandra’s guidance become much more than just teachers, “they become Yogis”.
“It is my greatest joy to share this knowledge that I have acquired through the grace of my Guru in the years of practice and study. Yoga practice will give one’s body the power and strength to have resistance to common illnesses and diseases.With proper encouragement and increased faith in the Guru, one can improve the physical body and mental attitude rapidly, thereby igniting the higher motives of making one’s self useful to all.”
~ Chandra Om
For years, Chandra had the esteemed honor of being the personal assistant to the Guru, and remains the senior most teacher of the spiritual practices for the Guru and lineage. Chandra continues to inspire, enlighten, and reveal to Yoga teachers and practitioners today, the real meaning of Yoga. “It is my greatest joy to share with students this knowledge that I have acquired through the grace of my Guru in the years of practice and study. Yoga practice will give one’s body the power and strength to have resistance to common illnesses and diseases. With proper encouragement and increased faith in the Guru, one can improve the physical body and mental attitude rapidly, thereby igniting the higher motives of making ones self useful to all. Always move in a conscious, slow and graceful manner. During your practice, regulate and slow down the breath, so you can begin to bring your attention deep within.”
Chandra embodies and imparts the virtues of Yoga; kindness, patience, humility, fortitude, humor, selfless service, ahimsa (non-killing), and unlimited love, compassion and understanding for all. Her approach incorporates all of the traditional aspects of Yoga including a sincere respect for both the physical and spiritual aspects of the practice. Chandra is a beloved teacher, still teaching in the traditional way, and emphasizes ‘complete surrender to the Lord. Without this, there will be no success in Yoga’. Chandra’s classes are like no other. Teachers from around the world flock to her classes as an oasis of learning the most advanced postures as well as the classical esoteric and highest spiritual teachings. Chandra is a master of putting people into postures they never thought they could do, and in the true classical spirit of Yoga, all students are guided to a state of complete surrender and contentment, merging complete identity with the true Self, the ultimate goal of Yoga.
