Felise Berman - Shivadasi

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.