Devi Das, Karina Ayn Mirsky
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Karina Ayn Mirsky is an E- RYT (Experienced Yoga Teacher) with over 1000 hours of training. She is the Director of Sangha Yoga and is a Senior Certified Teacher of Rod Stryker's Para Yoga®
Karina grew up singing and dancing in Ludington, MI. In 1998 she graduated with a BBA in Management from Western Michigan University (WMU). In 1996 she began studying massage therapy under Rebecca Pearce, LMT, specializing in disabilities management and rehabilitation. For nearly a decade Karina learned much from her clients whose disabilities ranged from rheumatoid arthritis, paraplegia, arthrogryposis, cerebral palsy, fibro-myalgia to those with undiagnosed chronic pain.
Karina's desire to support peoples physical bodies is matched by her desire to serve their hearts, minds and spiritual lives. Since 1999 Karina has been compiling and legally officiating non-traditional wedding ceremonies in the state of Michigan though the Unitarian ULC.
First introduced to yoga by her grandmother at age five, Karina Ayn began teaching yoga in 1998 shortly before meeting Master Teacher, Rod Stryker. In February of 2002 Rod initiated her into the tantric lineage of Swami Rama of the Himalayas. She fast became a dedicated student, and leading teacher of his tradition.
In January of 2003 Karina was diagnosed with lymphatic cancer. Yoga and meditation played key rolls in both the discovery and recovery from her illness. She draws from this experience to aid others facing similar life challenges. Recently Karina was recruited by the West Michigan Cancer Center and Rochester University to help facilitate a national study on the effects of yoga on cancer survivors facing sleep disorders.
In October 2003, Karina opened Sangha Yoga and began hosting workshops and teacher trainings nationwide. Her dedication to yoga was honored by her teacher in 2006 when he named her Devi Das, Servant of Divine Illumination and granted her the authority to initiate students into "mantra sadhana" - an act she regards as the highest form of service.
Karina's teachings reflect her understanding of yoga as both a modern therapeutic science and an ancient spiritual system, as well as, a catalyst for personal and global transformation. Her years spent practicing & teaching yoga in addition to her experiences as a performance artist, rehabilitation specialist, and cancer survivor create depth and diversity in the classroom. Karina's unique wisdom offers any body type or level of practitioner a safe, rich & intimate environment for yoga practice.
Specializing in working with college students, Karina is a favorite guest lecturer in WMU's Holistic Health Department. She presents concepts from the Yoga Sutra to over 200 college students at a time. She also teaches yoga for Kalamazoo College, and guest speaks in Kalamazoo Valley Community College meditation classes.
Always a student herself, Karina continues her studies within the tradition of the Himalayan Sages with Rod Stryker, Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, Rolf Sovik, Sandy Anderson and the staff of the Himalayan Institute. She is also the mentee of Dr. Tom Holmes in Kalamazoo who specializes in working with healing arts professionals. Currently, Karina is enrolled in the ILPS program at Antioch University Mcgregor (AUM) working to obtain a masters degree in East-West Psychology.
Karina can be seen weekday mornings on Kalamazoo Public Access Television, she is featured on the CDs: Calling the Divine, and the Kalamazoo Community Rhythm Project, as well as in YogaFit and Yoga Journal magazines. In the March 2008 issue of Yoga Journal, Karina was profiled as one of the 21 most inspiring American yoga teachers under the age of 40. (Click on the magazine cover to view Karina's feature. Then, click on the article to enlage the print enough to read it.)
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