Lynne:

Lynne Paterson, E-RYT500, Founder/Director of Prakasa
is a Certified Yoga Instructor, Certified Chef & Whole Foods Educator, Wellness Coach and Lifestyle Consultant. Lynne has explored the worlds of hatha yoga, spiritual arts, and 
the healing power of whole, organic foods for over 30 years.
She has been on the academic faculty of Smith College
since 2000, teaching hatha yoga to undergraduates.

Lynne is skilled in yoga therapeutics. She has a keen eye and intuitive understanding of the biomechanical principles of the body. She is committed to helping her students eliminate pain and suffering and to discover their radiant inner Light.  Lynne conveys her passion for the transformative power of hatha yoga
with precision, humor and poetic imagery. She is known for her
radiant smile, enthusiasm and joyful presence. Lynne brings
clarity of purpose to each class, and holds a vision of greatness
and healing for all her students.

"Lynne is the best yoga therapist I know. She helped me when no one else could." ~ Sandra, MA.

Education:

Lynne's first spiritual realization came at age 8, when she simply knew that she could sit down under a tree and speak directly to God/Spirit/Source, anytime she so desired. Her second epiphany came at age fourteen, when she fasted on water for five days to cure a bad migraine. She then immediately quit eating red meat, white sugar and white flour. For college, Lynne attended Johnson & Wales College of Culinary Arts to study traditional French and International cuisine. She graduated Magna Cum Laude. She also gained 40 pounds. After graduation, unimpressed with modern industry standards of food preparation, she attended the Kushi Institute in Boston. There she was introduced to Macrobiotics, Oriental Five Element Philosophy and Healing with Whole Foods. She cooked at Erewhon, Inc. the first natural food company in America. There she met Mary Estella, and together they taught cooking classes, tested recipes for the classic Whole Foods Cookbook and wrote articles for East West Journal.

In the early 80's, Lynne was exposed to several forms of hatha yoga: Kundalini yoga, Mahayana Buddhist yoga and then Iyengar yoga, which she studied, practiced and taught for 10 years. She attended the first Iyengar convention in Boston, 1987.

In the mid-90's, Lynne moved to Western Massachusetts, where she ran Valley Natural Foods, a whole food catering company and cooked privately for people with serious illness. She began studies with Deb Neubauer and met John Friend. In the late 90's she went to Santa Barbara, CA to train with Ganga and Tracey White of White Lotus Foundation and was certified in 1998 to teach the Flow Yoga method. During this enrichment phase, Lynne was also introduced to living and past Siddha Yoga Masters where she learned the art of daily meditation, chanting and devotional practices. In 2000, Lynne began extensive study with John Friend, attending numerous teacher and therapy trainings across the USA. She was awarded the Anusara yoga certification in July 2003. Lynne was licensed to teach Anusara yoga from 2003-2012, until the international community unraveled. In that time she taught numerous Immersion programs and teacher trainings.

Philosophy:

Lynne has had the honor to study with Professor Douglas R. Brooks, PhD, every year since 2000. Dr. Brooks is an internationally recognized authority on world religion, especially on the goddess traditions of South India. It is in these Tantric traditions of Sri Vidya (Auspicious Wisdom) that Lynne found her spiritual lineage and home. In 2009, Lynne and George went on pilgrimage with Dr. Brooks to Tamil Nadu, S India to explore the main temples of this ancient lineage. Tantric philosophy is rich, sophisticated and beautiful: human birth is the greatest gift a being can receive, rather than a problem to be solved; there is no pre-ordained destiny, only free-will, so you are free to create or change your life as you so desire; desire is the fuel of all human motivation; and your life is an inspired work of art in process, like an exquisite dance or painting, to be enjoyed and savored over and over; where expressions of beauty, love, generosity, intimacy, and sweetness are treasured.

Healing Arts:

During the last decade, Lynne studied subtle energy healing with Devita Birdwell, and received numerous attunements to a variety of healing frequencies. In addition to learning pranayama from her hatha yoga teachers, Lynne also studied the method called "Miracle of The Breath", with founder Andy Caponigro. For more information on private treatments, please see the "healing arts" page.

Studio:

In 2006 Lynne and George bought 10 acres in Goshen MA. Over three years, they built their home and established their yoga center: Prakasa Yoga Studio was born. To read about the design and building process of their eco-sanctuary, and to see photos, please go to the "studio" page.

Currently Evolving:

In 2012, searching for a new direction for Prakasa Yoga Studio, Lynne enrolled in a yearlong course in Ayurveda (the science of life and longevity) with Cate Stillman. Cate's evolutionary approach combines traditional Ayurvedic principles with modern living food practices. Lynne currently incorporates "Living Ayurveda" principles and practices into her classes and workshops.

As a lifetime practitioner of yoga and healing arts, Lynne continues to enjoy daily yoga, meditation and chanting practices. She is an avid vegetable and herb gardener, a wild food collector; a lover of nature and wild places: oceans, mountains, streams. Lynne has successfully maintained a healthy lifestyle, without the use of antibiotics, pharmaceutical drugs, potions or pills. She is committed to helping others to do the same. In 2012, Lynne developed iLEAP: Into Life Empowered & Present Wellness Program.
If you are sick and tired of being sick and tired and you are ready to change your life for the better, then this course is for you!!

Please go to the "wellness" page for information on the exciting new iLEAP program.

George:

George Nager teaches yoga. He has practiced on hillsides, beaches, granite peaks, and in bodies of water around the world. On car hoods, in garden sheds, and parking lots. George imparts clear instruction through speaking the imagery he employs in his own body during his personal practice. His invitation, to each and every student, is to create a space of allowance in which practioners may accept their imminent experience and refine that inner state through sustained practice.

George completed the Prakasa Yoga Level 1 Teacher Training in 2010. His earliest yoga training came from the disciplines of chanting, meditation, ritual and selfless service. These spiritual practices led to the discovery and love of asana practice.

George's first teachers were Mirka and Gary Kraftsow, in Maui, HI. From them, George learned fundamentals of asana, Yoga Nidra, and pranayama. Since 2000, George has studied yoga principally with his wife, Lynne, regularly attending her classes and trainings. All that said, nothing trains a teacher like the art of teaching itself!

George also has gained mountains of wisdom from Professor Douglas Brooks, PhD, Sanskrit scholar and teacher of Tantric wisdom. A fundamental teaching of Douglas is: 'Find out who you are, and Go Be That!'

Best Wishes,
George