ABOUT

Sarah Platt-Finger

 

Sarah Platt-Finger is the Director of Chopra Yoga at IIN, and the co-founder of ISHTA Yoga, LLC. Deepak Chopra has called Sarah “an extraordinary teacher of yoga that has called enormously to my well-being.” Her newly released book, Living in the Light: Yoga for Self-Realization, which she co-authored with Dr. Chopra, is currently one of the top ten bestselling yoga books on Amazon.

Sarah received her 500-hour Yoga certification in the ISHTA lineage in 2004 and was initiated as a Yoga Master by her husband, Yogiraj Alan Finger, in 2013. Since then, Sarah has made it her life’s purpose to share the authentic teachings of yoga worldwide. She helped develop one of the most renowned Yoga Teacher Training programs in New York City that expanded internationally to London, Sweden, Germany, Japan, and Australia. Sarah believes that the practice of yoga can be used as a microcosm for the reality we create off the mat, and that a deeper awareness of our physical, mental, and emotional patterns can bring us closer to the essence of our being.  

Sarah teaches weekly classes online, pursuing her mission of helping others to find a home inside themselves. As a founding member of Exhale To Inhale, a non-profit organization that teaches trauma-informed yoga, Sarah’s classes share the values of healing, transformation, and self-empowerment.  Always a seeker, Sarah considers motherhood to be her greatest spiritual practice. She currently lives in Boca Raton, Florida with her husband, her daughter Satya, and their dog Malcolm.

 

Inspirations and Ambassadorships

 

Sound and Samadhi
An online monthly subscription of meditations with Alan Finger. They offer a sound and meditation experience that encompasses Tai Qi, Qi Gong, and Energy Medicine.

DoTerra

I have been using essential oils as a supplement to support my yoga and wellness routine for over 10 years. I’m proud to be a Wellness Advocate for DoTerra and invite you to join me on a path to joy, healing, and abundance through the power of nature’s essence.

80
8O Daily Ritual was created to offer a simple path to daily WellCare, with the goal of making the complex intelligence of Ayurveda into an easy-to-use, elevated & highly-effective daily system. Daily Ritual is so complete, it is the only daily Wellness & Beauty supplement you need. Use the code SARAH20 for 20% off.

Lovlei
Lovlei offers uniquely designed and ethically sourced athletic and resort wear. Use the code SPF15 for 15% off.

Shankara
Shankara blends ancient super-herbs with modern actives to sustainably create natural and effective skincare products. Use the code SARAH15 for 15% off.

Fabletics

Satya Jewelry
Satya Jewelry crafts pieces using sacred and meaningful symbols and semi-precious gemstones renowned for their healing properties. In sterling silver and 18kt gold plate, each Satya Jewelry design is created to bring joy to its wearer—a celebration of all backgrounds, all faiths and all truths.

Exhale to Inhale
Exhale to Inhale empowers those affected by domestic violence and sexual assault to transform their lives through the healing power of trauma-informed yoga.

Yoga Gives Back
Yoga Gives Back mobilizes practitioners worldwide to channel their gratitude into empowering India’s women and children to create sustainable lives.

“Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.”

-CARL JUNG

 

ISHTA Yoga

Kavi Yogi Swarananda Mani Finger and his son, Alan Finger, created ISHTA Yoga in the late 1960’s in South Africa. Mani was first initiated into Kriya Yoga by Paramhansa Yogananda in Los Angeles, and later as a Kavi yogi by Sivananda in India. Mani subsequently went back to South Africa where he transformed his home into an ashram.

  • Over many years, Mani and Alan hosted many gurus at their house including Swami Venkatesananda (friend of T. Krishnamacharya and Sivananda’s ‘jewel student’), Ramakrishna Mission, Swami Nishraisananda, and Tantric master Shuddhand Bharati, who initiated both Alan and Mani into Tantra. Seeking to integrate and celebrate the different teachings and lineages that passed through their ashram, Mani and Alan created ISHTA Yoga. ISHTA aims to give each student an understanding of how to incorporate aspects from various yoga styles and practices in a way that best suits their individual paths.

    In 1975, after teaching in South Africa for thirteen years, Alan moved to the United States. He settled in Los Angeles and founded the Yoga Tantra Institute. Soon after, he co-founded Yoga Works. In 1993, Alan relocated to New York City and formed the Yoga Zone studios. Yoga Zone became Be Yoga and expanded Alan’s teachings into one of the most successful regional yoga teacher training programs in the country. Coming full circle, in 2004 Be Yoga rejoined the Yoga Works family of studios.

    In March, 2006 Alan and I joined forces spiritually and romantically. It was around the time that his contract was up with Yoga Works in Manhattan and he had the opportunity to offer ISHTA its own home. It became clear to me that one of my life’s purpose was to ensure that ISHTA had a presence of its own for the community of people whose lives it had touched and continues to touch today.

    Alan and I married in September, 2008, nearly 5 months after opening the first ISHTA Yoga studio in Manhattan together with our partners at the time, Bruce and Julie Wilcox. For the first time, all elements of the ISHTA tradition had a dedicated home. We now have a presence at Halevy Life Fitness in Midtown East Manhattan, as well as teachers and trainings all over the world including Washington, DC, London, Stockholm, Munich, Berlin, Tokyo, and Australia.

  • ISHTA Has a twofold meaning: from sutra 2.44 from the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: “Svadyaya Ishta Devata Samprayogaha” meaning “When you study yourself you will know your own individual spirit”. It is also an acronym which stands for The Integrated Science of Hatha Tantra and Ayurveda. These are the three sister sciences of yoga.

    - Hatha: From ‘ha / tha’ or ‘solar energy / lunar energy’ in Sanskrit, originated in the Tantric period. Hatha Yoga is the physical practice of asana, or yoga postures. Hatha also refers to the science of strengthening the weaknesses in an individual and removing the stress blockages in our systems.

    -Tantra: From the root words ‘tanoti,’ ‘expansion,’ and ‘trayati,’ ‘liberation.’ Tantra is the belief that our essential nature is divine, perfect as it is, part of the universal consciousness, and filled with bliss. The practice of Tantra increases our awareness of this state of total liberation through acceptance of ourselves and everything around us. Tantra gives us many tools to achieve the understanding of our true selves. In the ISHTA practice, we focus on asana, pranayama (breath work), kriya techniques and visualization meditation, as our primary tools.

    -Ayurveda: From the words ‘ayur’ which means ‘life’ and ‘veda’ which means ‘science.’ This ancient Indian tradition teaches that we each have a constitution, or prakriti, that is unique like our fingerprints. According to ayurvedic thought, the ideal practice begins with understanding the individual’s unique prakriti and their needs based on the interplay of that constitution with their current situation. For example, stress, injuries, or changes in life or work all impact what practice is ideal for you at a given moment. Ayurveda in the ISHTA practice encourages self-exploration and an awareness of the impact our circumstances have on our physical, emotional, and energetic states. We seek to understand how to best create balance in our lives and accept who we are. (From Mona Anand’s website)

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