Classical Yoga. From the source.
You have found your way to a practice rooted in classical yoga and Ayurveda, offered by Monisha, a teacher who has lived this tradition since childhood. Whether you are new to practice or returning to it, you will find classes, personalized Ayurveda coaching, and a growing video library here, all designed to support your health, stability, and joy.
Classes
A Four-Week Sunday Series on Zoom: 10 - 11:30am ET
Some of you have been practicing yoga for a while and you've felt its effects in your body and mind. But yoga is far more than exercise. It is a complete and ancient system for living, one that has guided practitioners for thousands of years. Some of you may be new to yoga, and this series is a wonderful beginning.
This June, we returned to the foundation and the source.
In the first module of our Eight Limbs series, we explored the outer limbs of Patanjali's classical path: the foundational teachings that govern how we move through the world, how we care for ourselves, and how we inhabit our bodies. These are living and transformational practices that you bring back to your life.
Each session offers philosophy, pranayama, and asana together so the teachings come alive as a direct, embodied experience.
We completed:
Session 1 - June 7: Yamas I Our outer life.
Session 2 - June 14: Niyamas I Our Inner life.
Session 3 - June 21: Asana | The Body as Sacred Ground
Upcoming session:
Session 4 - June 28: Pranayama | The Breath as Bridge The fourth limb: the expansion of life force through the breath. Pranayama is where the outer and inner worlds meet. We explore classical breathing practices and discover how the breath bridges body and mind, preparing us for the journey inward that awaits in Module 2.
MODULE 2
July 5 - Session 1: Pratyahara | The Art of Turning Inward
The fifth limb: withdrawal of the senses. In a world designed to pull our attention outward, Pratyahara is the radical act of reclaiming it. We explore what it means to consciously disengage from external stimulation and discover the rich, steady world that exists within.
July 12 - Session 2: Dharana | The One-Pointed Mind
The sixth limb: focused concentration. The mind is naturally scattered. Dharana is the practice of gathering it. We explore classical concentration techniques drawn from the Sivananda tradition and begin to understand that meditation is not something that happens to us. It is something we build, one breath at a time.
July 19 - Session 3: Dhyana | The Unbroken Thread
The seventh limb: meditation. Where Dharana is the effort to concentrate, Dhyana is what happens when that effort matures into an unbroken stream of awareness toward the object of focus. We explore the distinction between concentration and true meditation, and sit together and practice.
Session 4 - July 26: Samadhi | Coming Home
The eighth limb: absorption. The destination that Patanjali pointed to from the very first sutra is not a state to be achieved but one to bee embodied, the dissolution of the boundary between the one who meditates and the object of meditation. We close the circle of the Eight Limbs and ask: what does it mean to live from this place?
4-session Series: $150 | Drop-in: $45 Mixed level. All are welcome.
*Recordings available
An online group reset for body, digestion & nervous system
Spring is the natural season for renewal, and Ayurveda has always practiced this. Join me for a guided 3-day group cleanse built around the most healing food in the Ayurvedic tradition: Khichadi.
Over three days, we'll eat simply, rest deeply, and follow a daily rhythm designed to clear accumulated Ama (toxins), rekindle Agni (digestive fire), and restore a sense of ease in both body and mind. This is not a complete fast, but an intentional pause that is nourishing, warm, and rooted in thousands of years of practical wisdom.
The Schedule
Day 1 - Fri, June 12: Kindle the Fire - Morning session (40min) + Evening session (30 min)
Day 2 - Sat, June 13: Deep Rest - Morning session + Evening session
Day 3 - Sun, June 14: Rise & Integrate - Morning session + Afternoon (60 min) closing gathering, group sharing, restorative yoga, guided meditation & yoga nidra
What's Included
Pre-cleanse preparation handout - how to prepare the body in the days before the cleanse so you are ready
6 live Zoom sessions over 3 days
Daily guided pranayama, restorative yoga & yoga nidra
Ayurvedic teachings on Agni, Ama & Ojas
Full prep guide: daily schedule, spices & recipes
Post-cleanse protocol - Integrating safely back into your life to move forward
Best experienced after the Khichadi Cooking Workshop (Sat, May 30), so you arrive confident in the kitchen and ready to nourish your body.
3-Day Cleanse: $297 • Cooking Workshop & Cleanse: $349 • Cooking Workshop: $97
A private session designed entirely around you, your body, your energy, your goals.
We'll work together with asana, breath, and classical alignment to build a practice that feels right for where you are right now. I draw on over 26 years of teaching in the Sivananda tradition, with an eye toward the whole person, not just the poses.
Sessions may naturally weave in breathing practices (pranayama) to settle the nervous system, or simple Ayurvedic insight into rhythm, digestion, or seasonal balance, but only when it serves you. The focus is always your yoga practice.
Held via Zoom. Suitable for all levels. Beginners welcome.
Online via Zoom
About Monisha
Monisha Raja is from Kerala, was born and raised in India, and began her yoga journey at age four. She carries over 26 years of teaching experience in New York City and a lineage that stretches back over 1,200 years.
What students are saying
“I’m a cardiologist and have been practicing yoga for 40 years but I learned more from Monisha in the last 10 minutes (about yoga and science) than I did in the 40 years of practice.”
- Dr. Arvind M.
“Monisha is a truly gifted yoga teacher and I am grateful beyond words for having met her. I am an absolute beginner, but someone who has longed to develop a serious practice for many years. To every session Monisha brings her impeccable character, integrity, intuitive wisdom and decades of experience in the service of guiding me into a solid practice. Thanks to Monisha’s masterful teaching I finally have a life altering daily practice of yoga. I only wish I had met her sooner.”
— Mark S.
“Beautifully constructed, each pose flowing into the next as you feel your body releasing and opening and the mind resting.”
- Idelisse
