Ripple Yoga's story
Ripple Yoga was born in 2013, as a physical studio located in Seattle, WA where it existed for close to seven years.
During that time, we taught over 3,000 students, became a vibrant part of the community, and taught and shared our love of Yoga in local apartment communities and outdoor venues.
RY Founders
Kim and Sarvesh (Gary) met “by chance” at a Yoga festival in Stratton Vermont during the summer of 2015. Kim recalls: “I just remember him talking about his plans to study at an ashram and how passionate he was about sharing yoga with his students at his Seattle studio. It was an instant connection and I felt that we were on similar paths as I was seeking answers to questions weighing on my heart. I believe Sarvesh was put in my life at that moment as part of a Divine plan.
An entrepreneur by nature, he shared with me his dreams and plans to create a virtual means to share real, authentic yoga. It all sounded very fascinating to me and like a wide-eyed child, I decided to come along for the journey. Boy, has it been a wild ride!”
Creating Ripple Yoga
From these seed ideas, the Ripple Yoga Courses slowly came to fruition through love, time, patience and lots of small action steps
We have been building and working on this virtual platform since early 2016, with the help of multiple developers, designers, teachers and other creative people who have helped this to become a reality. We’ve travelled over 15,000 miles by car exploring many corners of the U.S. filming content to be used as backdrop within the lessons. You’ll see the sights from the Northwesternmost point on the continental United States, to National Parks in Montana, the Badlands of South Dakota, foliage of autumn in New England, Waterfalls of the Pisgah National Forest, the tropical beaches of Florida and so much more!
We are eternally grateful to the Ananda Ashram (www.icyer.com) in Pondicherry, India where Sarvesh studied, for its blessings, guidance and support in this endeavor. These teachings are a gift which Sarvesh has been entrusted and trained as a Yogasadakha to share with the world.
Becoming Sarvesh
Sarvesh has been blessed to be a part of the Gitananda Parampara and lineage for several years. He initially completed a western-style teacher training and opened Ripple Yoga, a studio in Seattle, WA. He realized early on, that the teachings from the initial teacher training were not sufficient to carry the full message of Yoga and immediately began seeking out his guru. From the truism that “when the student is ready, the teacher will appear”, and an extensive search, he came upon the Ananda Ashram in Pondicherry and its unique 6-month program, where the student spends six months living with the teacher in a gurukula (house of the guru) environment. However, this program is not for the feint of heart and there are many requirements in order to be accepted into the program and to subsequently attend the program in the ashram.
First, the student must complete or have made significant progress on the year-long step by step course. This course is a weekly correspondence with the ashram where the student works a weekly assigned program through the Yoga Step by Step book. While this course can be completed stand-alone, it is mandatory for students wishing to attend the 6-month program.
Then, there is an agreement that the students must adhere to when in the ashram, and agree to before arrival. This includes the strict discipline (Tapas) of the ashram schedule, which starts each day at approximately 5 am and ends at approximately 9 pm. Other non-negotiable terms for the entire 6 months of time spent include:
Practice of COMPLETE celibacy
Daily Karma Yoga, which is work to assist with the maintenance and upkeep of the ashram
100% attendance at all ashram classes and functions, whether at the ashram or outside of it. No excuses!
Adherence to the ashram diet, which is a strict sattvic, vegetarian diet
The expectation that the student does as instructed without question
What Sarvesh learned was that everything that was asked at the Ashram was done for a reason, even if that reason was not apparent at the time of asking. Everything was a gift
Upon completion of the program, each student is given a name by the Guru, if they choose, which is based on what the Guru believes the spiritual potential of the student to be.
And this is how Gary became Sarvesh, which means in Yantra, one who teaches from experience.
Sarvesh, and Ripple Yoga, have been blessed by the Gitananda tradition of Yoga and its Gurus to carry the teachings to the world. He is grateful to be a part of the Gitananda family and continues to work with and study with the ashram.
About the Parampara and Lineage
The Living Tradition: http://icyer.com/The_Tradition.htm
The Teachings: http://icyer.com/His_Teachings.htm
The Guru Gayatri
Aum Tat Paramparyaya Vidmahe
Jnana Lingeswaraya Dhimahi
Thano Guru, Prachodayatey Om
Translation:
I am aware of the power of the Parampara in my life and the spiritual energy which is available to all of us through the efforts of the many gurus walking the same path, performing the same Sadhana, undergoing the same disciplines. I open myself to that power through the door of the teachings. I meditate on the Jnanam or wisdom which was achieved by the Guru and now radiates from the Guru’s Sadhana. I open myself to that Guru energy force. That force of the universe which dispels the darkness of ignorance and brings the showers of the light of wisdom. May that Guru inspire me. May I be worthy of the teachings. May I be worthy of the high knowledge.
Take a deeper dive into Ashram life in Sarvesh’s journey of the spirit.
A fascinating and revealing journey of life that is like stealing a look into a diary that is almost too personal to be exposed. A moving account of both the darkness of bleak despair and the brilliance of assisted enlightenment. Witness the personal evolution from the path of self-destruction to the path of enlightenment set against the beautiful backdrop of southern India in this true story of life that centers on the essence of who we are with a touch of humor, irony and pathos that is engagingly told and very difficult to put down
Kim's Story
Kim’s passion for yoga has been budding and blossoming for over a decade. She grew up just north of Boston and has always been a seeker of spirituality. She took a leap of faith in the summer of 2015 when she met Gary (Sarvesh). She soon moved out to Seattle, Washington to manage his yoga studio while he attended the six month yoga sadhana in southern India at the Ananda Ashram. That six month period was one of the most challenging times in Kim’s life as she came face to face with her own inner-turmoil, fears and addiction to alcohol. She learned about the eight limbs of yoga and how to apply them as the foundation for her new way of life while attending a 200-hour yoga teacher training at a local studio. During that time, she began teaching various styles of yoga classes such as vinyasa, hatha, yin and restorative with reiki.
During the summer of 2020, our teacher and lineage-holder Yogacharya Dr. Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani hosted a year-long correspondence course through weekly zoom meetings and a walk-through the Yoga step by step book, codified by his parents Yogamaharishi Dr. Swami Gitananda Giri and Yogacharini Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani (Ammaji). Kim jumped at the opportunity to explore the teachings directly from the source where Sarvesh had studied. It was a dream come true! She had the joy of connecting with senior teachers and fellow students from all over the world. The course was soul-nurturing and indescribably wonderful. she hopes to travel to the ashram and participate in the six month teachers training course one day.
She feels grateful to share these life-enhancing teachings with the world through the Ripple Yoga Courses in hopes of introducing others to depth and beauty of authentic Gitananda Yoga.
Get a behind the scenes look in our Bloopers Reel!