Felise (Shivadasi) Berman, E-RYT - Director and Founder of Shiva Shanti Yoga School

Shivadasi is an intuitive yogini, sensitive, and a well-trained teacher. She brings years of personal experience to the field of yoga, holistic studies, innovative thinking and metaphysical teaching. By trusting her intuitive abilities and her in-depth training she has offered loving guidance and yogic teaching to people around the world. If you visit her class or studio you can see her love for her work and students as she teaches people from every country and every religious background.

Shivadasi teaches Yoga Asana classes in a Vinyasa style and places a strong emphasis on the educational and historical aspects of yoga and the ancient teaching.  Classes include music, spoken word, asana sequencing, yogic breathing and meditation. Shivadasi's commitment to continuing her personal studies and growth is unfaltering, as is her strong belief in practicing a yogic lifestyle.  She lives her life truthfully and with deep integrity; always placing a priority on divine service.

Felise Berman was in High School when she took her first yoga class. The year was 1981 and the yoga class was offered as an adjunct to the physical education curriculum at her High School. She was immediately taken by the creative connection sparked within her and the mind-body-spiritual concept that would later become her life's passion. Soon following, Felise was introduced to Buddhism by a ballet teacher and she practiced Buddhism diligently for the ensuing 7 years.

Felise spent 15 years from 1985-2000 touring and working as a dancer, singer, and musician, during which time the seeds planted within her began to grow.  In between tours Felise met the founder of Starseed Yoga, Jyoti Chrystal, the first yogini and shaman to inspire her to explore yoga.  Jyoti also employed Felise to work in the office of her yoga studio as Felise began to move away from the performing arts and immerse herself deeper into spiritual and metaphysical studies.  In 1992 Felise was teaching and lecturing on metaphysical principles as well as the study of the mind and intuition.  Jean Munzer the president of the Metaphysical Society encouraged her to become the program director for the New Jersey Metaphysical Society this included arranging all the guest speakers for lectures at William Paterson College.   In 2001 Felise graduated from the One Year Jivamukti Teacher Training in New York City, a time to which she offers deep gratitude to all her teachers.   In 2003 Felise became an Advanced Certified Jivamukti Yoga Teacher at the encouragement of Sharon Gannon and a registered yoga teacher with Yoga Alliance as an E-RYT.

In 2005 Felise Berman, received the name Shivadasi, and accomplished one of her greatest dreams as she traveled to India on a fellowship from the NOK Foundation.  Her time of study and discipline was rewarded when she graduated from Bihar Yoga Bharati Institute for Advanced Studies in Munger, India. Bihar Yoga Bharati is the first university of its kind to impart a comprehensive Yogic education and Bihar Yoga Bharati offers complete, academics, yogic education and training in the traditional Gurukul or ashram environment.  On January 28th 2006 she received mantra diksha from Paramahansa Niranjanananda Saraswati in Munger India a truly ceremonial moment with Swamij.

As Felise studied and disciplined her life with the very core teachings of Yoga she also found herself fulfilling a broader vision that was rapidly progressing and she was involved in the implementation of Bally Total Fitness Yoga with a team of other creative forces she has also been a Master Yoga Instructor for Ballys Sports Club.

The next logical step lead Felise-Shivadasi to lovingly manage the yoga studio of her beloved Master teacher and friend where she eventfully purchased Starseed Yoga with an SBA approved loan and thus began the vision of Shiva Shanti Yoga School in Rutherford, New Jersey in 2009.   In her usual innovative style, Shivadasi released her first Yoga CD- Level 2 - Series 1 you can now purchase this on ITunes, Yoga downloads, Amazon and Yoga Accessories.   Felise-Shivadasi is currently working on her first Yoga book and Training Manual, she developed Shiva Shanti Yoga (TM)  a 200 Hour Teacher Training Program and designed a 500 hour Level 2 Training for Yoga Teachers.

Shiva Shanti Yoga - Asana

Shiva Shanti Yoga School History

About Rutherford, NJ  and the History of Our School.  Rutherford is centrally located 8 miles west of New York City. We are 12 miles from Newark International Airport, 2 miles from the NJ Turnpike and 4 miles from the Garden State Parkway. Located right in the center of Rutherford is the Williams Center  for the Arts.  Rutherford's downtown has a center for fine casual dining, including two three star restaurants one of which is downstairs from our studio.

Our Location is an Old Firehouse! Engine #2. The New Home of Shiva Shanti - In 1972, Engine Company 2 moved from their old firehouse at 165 Park Avenue to its current home on Mortimer Avenue, the 4th home in Engine Co. 2.   Now this old firehouse is home to Shiva Shanti Yoga School and I dedicate my school to Friend, Yogi and Firefighter Patrick Brown from the FDNY who died September 11th 2001.  Ladder 3 NYC

This location was originally home to Yoga Bums and Starseed Yoga before being  purchased by Felise Berman, E-RYT and is now Shiva Shanti Yoga School.

Jyoti Chrystal requested Felise (shivadasi) manage Starseed Yoga in Rutherford as she battled Cancer and sadly left her body on April 11th  2009.  Prior to Jyoti's passing Shivadasi bought Starseed Yoga in Rutherford with an SBA loan, grit and Jyotis strong vision.  Jyoti and Felise met over 20 years ago through her partner Jason.   Jyoti contacted Felise while in India to return to Starseed and teach yoga and then asked if she could manage the Rutherford studio.  "Jyoti encouraged me to find my own voice and step out into the world as a strong empowered woman and firmly supported that vision.  I am grateful to have been by her side close to her final days while she made her transition". Jai Ma

What is Shiva Shanti Yoga?

Shiva Shanti Vinyasa Yoga is breath synchronized movement seamlessly united with the intention of Divine Realization.  Krama is a sequential process designed to awaken inherent divine energy. Vinyasa Krama is a Sanskrit term that means the optimal sequencing of events. It is a sequential outline for attaining peace and artful liberation. When practicing asana one links breath with inner intentions and outer actions.

In Shiva Shanti Yoga we correlate yoga postures with conscious breathing and divine intention, arranging postures in a sequential format to transform the body, mind and spirit. The breath is the thread that links our movement in a sequence of postural changes. When you practice in this way you will notice change is always occurring. Shiva Shanti Yoga encourages you to not be disturbed by the constant fluctuation of change; instead move through transitions peacefully, gracefully and artfully.

Shiva Shanti Yoga practice is taught as a succession of changes undertaken with a single pointed intention, free from fluctuations of the mind. Vinyasa Krama is articulated by knowing the essence of the sequence and keeping a solid continuous flowing pace in a steady unbroken stream, similar to composing music. Your body becomes the rhythm of artful and peaceful living. When practicing Vinyasa Krama the breath and movement are seamlessly united in such a way that each action encourages and supports the other. The constant change in the asana sequence is what creates a flowing movement of inspiration however one must remain mindful on a point of light that is directed toward our divinity, that point is everlasting, evolving and yet it is timeless and unending.

Shiva Shanti Yoga has a unique methodology designed and coordinated with asana, a deep awareness on breath and integrity of asana articulation. It is a paced class and provides a foundation for the understanding Hatha Vinyasa Yoga. Vinyasa is a general term which means breath-synchronized movement, and tends to be a vigorous style of yoga based on the performance of a series of poses.

Shiva Shanti Vinyasa begins with the 24 positions of the Sun Salute and is specifically designed by Shivadasi for Shiva Shanti Yoga. Shiva Shanti Yoga has an interest in weaving the ancient mystical thought of yoga while teaching a full spectrum of asanas once the body is heated. Shiva Shanti Yoga is a Method designed and taught by the founder and director of Shiva Shanti Yoga School and is a registered trademark