Acharya Bhakti White, E-RYT 500 + Certified Pilates Mat Instructor :
Bhakti discovered the practice of yoga as a preteen doing some vhs yoga videos on her own. In many ways in was her first experience with feeling "good" about her capabilities as a physical person. Her young years were spent in search of a sport that wouldn't land her hyper-flexible body in the doctors office. But Yoga was different it addressed the imbalance in her body while using her natural flexibility in healthy and healing ways giving her a new perspective on her athletic abilities.

Bhakti certified through the Shambhava School of Yoga in a residential program at Shoshoni Yoga Retreat in Colorado and became a student of Yoga and Meditation under the guidance of the school and it's founder H.H. Rishi Mahamandeleshwar Shambhavananda.



She has taught in many of the studios, community centers, and health clubs in Chicago and has become the Director of the Shambhava School of Yoga in Chicago. Bhakti is the Co-Owner and Director at Chi-Town Shakti. She and her husband Akaram love sharing the vision for the center's growth and development. In September 2008 we opened the doors of Chi-Town Shakti in the hope of helping others find yoga and rediscover their innate nature of satchitananda (truth, consciousness, and bliss) through our tradition of Shambhava Yoga. A wife, the leader of an ashram, a yoga instructor, and a businesswoman, Bhakti feels truly blessed to be living a full and meaningful life.

Bhakti has studied with many different instructors over her more than 20 years of practice, each influencing her teaching style. However, finding Shambhava Yoga through Swami Omkari Devananda and H.H. Rishi Mahamandeleshwar Shambhavananda, has had the most profound impact on her life and practice.

Bhakti developed the Introduction to Yoga Series offered at Chi-Town Shakti creating a system for breaking down and teaching beginners so that anyone who wanted to try yoga could come into a non-threatening environment and begin building confidence and understanding within each pose. Bhakti developed the Physical Adjustment ongoing education curriculum for teachers offered at Chi-Town Shakti to much critical acclaim. Bhakti has also originated several workshops and class formats including: Yoga and Pranayama, Candlelight Yoga and Meditation, Yoga Fundamentals: Anatomy of Yoga, Vinyasa with Live Drumming, Yoga Detox, Yoga and the Wall, Partners' Yoga. Not having had the opportunity yet to become a Mom herself, Bhakti has enjoyed teaching several Pre and Post Natal women over the years having been deeply effected by the wonderful stories of these amazing women.

Her most recent curriculum development was the EveryBODY Yoga series intended to provide people of every shape and size the encouragement to explore their own physical life in a non-competitive, safe, and caring way.

After much prodding from both Swami Omkari Devananda and Shambhavananda in the Spring of 2008, Bhakti launched her first Shambhava Yoga Teacher Training with the vision of offering a program that would bring Shambhava Yoga to Chicago, encouraging others to dive into the study of yoga to making a it part of their lives.

In February 2009 she took on a new challenge at the behest of Shambhavananda, to open and lead an ashram. CSGSY is a not-for-profit yoga community dedicated to the practices of Shambhava Yoga and preserving and continuing this amazing tradition. Bhakti is the Board President and Founder of CSGSY and serves as the resident Acharya (teacher) at the ashram.

Bhakti aims to continue creating and fostering innovative programming. She knows that none of this would be actually put into motion if it were not for all of the wonderful Chi-Town Shakti sangha (family).