In Conversation with Beloved Yoga

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Register free for our LIVE chat on ZOOM about my novel TEMPLE DANCER with renowned Yoga Therapist, Maryam Ovissi of Beloved Yoga in Reston, VA.

Join us on Wednesday, February 10th.
4-515PM PST
5-615PM MST
7-815PM EST

Among other things, we’ll talk about

• Creativity, the divine spark
• The conflict between fulfilling oneself creatively and being a “good enough” mother
• Sacred sexuality, devadasis, and mother India

We highly recommend you pick up the book  and read it before our conversation. Bring your questions and let’s engage in a meaningful conversation to expand perspective with the fire of TEMPLE DANCER!

Maryam Ovissi, E-RYT 500, RCYT, RPYT, YACEP

Maryam is a certified Yoga Therapist with the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT) and under the tutelage of Bhekaji Lynch, she received her 500-hour Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher (E-RYT) accreditation with Yoga Alliance. Maryam’s personal mission as a teacher of Yoga is to provide an opportunity for her students to have access to tools that allow self-healing, self-empowerment and self-realization. Her unique style provides space for multi-level practitioners to journey through Yoga in group, semi-private and private classes. In her private Yoga teaching, Yogic tools are offered that serve the person and their personal intentions.

Moved by the declining mental and physical health statistics of Americans today, Maryam created Beloved Yoga’s signature Befriending Yoga Therapy program to offer classes that serve a range of clients and a variety of health conditions. Trauma-informed teachers offer private and semi-private classes designed for a variety of health issues including lower back pain, hip and knee replacements, spinal fusions, invasive surgeries, traumatic physical injuries, chronic conditions, emotional stress and mental imbalances from cognitive to stress-induced confusion. Maryam’s specialties in trauma lie in her experience with medical trauma, including invasive surgeries, cancer and all the layers of treatment around cancer, as well as complex medical conditions that create medical trauma.

Maryam received a Master of Arts (M.A.) in Arts Management from Boston University in 1998, and soon thereafter she became an avid student of Yoga. She began studying privately with her first teacher, Simin Yahaghi, in California. Maryam has been teaching Hatha, Hatha Flow, Vinyasa, Prenatal and Baby & Me classes since 2001.

Honoring the lineage and teachings of Sri Krishnamacharya, Maryam upholds the principle that the Yoga practice is a personal and individual journey and not a one-size-fits-all practice. Although A.G. & Indra Mohan, Bhekaji Lynch and Jafar Alexander continue to serve as her main teachers, she claims nothing can replace the gifts and wisdom born forth by showing up for herself every day through Sadhana (personal practice). She continues to study with renowned teachers in the world of Yoga.

Recognizing the need for teachers who offer safe instruction and instill the ancient teachings of Yoga, Maryam founded the Beloved Yoga School in 2008 to offer teacher training programs. Under the guidance of Maryam and the school’s director, Jafar Alexander, the Beloved Yoga School offers Yoga Alliance certified trainings, including a 200-hour teacher training, a 300-hour advanced teacher training, a prenatal and toLabor doula teacher training, a children’s Yoga teacher training and the Beloved Yoga Certification Program. The Beloved Yoga School meets the standards set by Yoga Alliance and is a member school of the International Association of Yoga Therapists. Maryam and Jafar are the co-authors of Pilgrimage Through Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras: Guidebook for 200 Hour Yoga Travelers, a modern, accessible approach to the ancient philosophical work of Yoga.

Exemplifying the Yogic life off the mat and beyond the studio, Beloved Yoga is dedicated to giving back to the commUnity, partnering with many outreach programs including Cornerstones, the Southgate Community Center and the Teen Center of Fairfax County. Maryam founded and is co-director of Love Your Body Day, an annual free event held since 2008 at the Reston Town Center bringing together local area yoga studios, wellness practitioners, eco-conscious vendors, and Bhakti music for a fun day of healthy activities for the whole family.

Maryam’s love expands to embrace the creative spirit. She serves on the board of the Greater Reston Arts Center and also makes time to explore creativity in her own life through writing poetry and mark making. She released Soundscapes to Contemplate, a compilation CD of her poetry set to conscious electronic mantra music by artist and producer Saeed Younan.