From a very young age of 13, Doug Swenson began his study of yoga in 1964. He has studied and practiced with many amazing teachers including: Ernest Wood: The highly respected British Yoga Master, theosophist, and Sanskrit scholar. Doug’s other mentors include: Pattabhi Jois, and Ramanand Patel, BKS Iyengar and Swami Satchidananda. Many of Doug’s students have become highly celebrated teachers, including his younger brother, David Swenson.

Doug is a master yoga practitioner, philosopher, poet and dedicated health advocate. He has incorporated influences from several different yoga systems along with his passion for cross-training, elevated nutrition and healthy lifestyle. Over the years he has authored four books and 23 videos on Amazon. The book list includes: Yoga Helps, Power Yoga for Dummies, Mastering the Secrets of Yoga Flow, and Pioneering Vinyasa Yoga.

His educational videos, for all levels of practice, include topics of: Yoga practice and philosophy, enhanced nutrition, and cross-training between challenging and more restorative yoga styles. 

Doug is a Registered Yoga Teacher with the Yoga Alliance and travels extensively offering workshops, retreats and teacher training courses around the world. Don't miss the opportunity to study with one of the world’s top instructors. Doug's classes are always invigorating and inspirational and his supportive style of teaching and keen sense of humor send his student’s home with a smile on their face and softness within their heart.

About Sadhana Yoga Chi

The Vinyasa Connection

The concept of vinyasa is a connecting link between a sequencing of yoga postures, which creates a fluid and seamless practice. There are many wonderful systems of yoga asana practice, some use the connecting links of vinyasa and others do not. One of my teachers once said "All ways are right, and one way is wrong." In the system of Sadhana Yoga Chi, we use vinyasa¹s much of the time and on some occasions chose not to use vinyasa. The unique vinyasa system in Sadhana Yoga Chi was created by Doug Swenson and is based on new innovative connective links that continue the flow of energy from one asana to the next. These energy compatible flowing links called vinyasas, serve as the "electrical wiring" that connects the energy from posture to posture, creates internal heat, distributes pranic energy throughout your body and also serves to clear your personal energy field for the next posture.

In Sadhana Yoga Chi the variety of connecting movements are strength building, very smooth, circular in motion, graceful, and flow like a soft poetic dance. These connecting movements are safe, easy on the body, and okay for any level of fitness. Sadhana Yoga Chi uses a variety of different vinyasas, each separate vinyasa is based on the energy flow of the individual yoga postures.

The most exciting aspect of developing Sadhana Yoga Chi is that it was created to be a universal vinyasa system, which means that you can use these concepts with any other style of practice. No matter what type of yoga you already do, Sadhana Yoga Chi can enhance its performance. What's more, it caters to all levels of yoga practice, from beginners through advanced students. This system can be very challenging, to even the most advanced yoga student, at the same time.

The Sadhana Yoga Chi system is designed to affect every area of your body, with nothing left untouched. It combines the best of both the hard form and soft form worlds as it reflects softness as strength. Sadhana Yoga Chi embraces proper diet and body cleansing techniques with additional teachings on how yoga can help to influence your whole life in a positive way. Finally, this style also endorses the use of yoga adjustments to enhance the comfort and energy of each yoga posture.

Outwardly the vinyasa creates a beautiful flow of continuous energy. Your yoga practice between postures will resemble the essence and fluid movement of a river, the strength, the softness and destiny to succeed. After just a few weeks of practicing Sadhana Yoga Chi, you will notice improvements in all your physical activities: everything will become a more fluid for you in all areas in your whole life, including that of sports, games, recreation, your work, family, and hobbies.

Your mind is a reflection of your physical actions therefore changes in your body also affect your emotional state. Once you have embraced all aspects of Sadhana Yoga Chi, including enhanced diet and regular exercise - you will then experience a more focused mind and feel a direct connection with the natural flow of the vital life force. As you notice more physical energy, you will also notice an increase in mental energy as well, whether you are reading books, organizing your thoughts, working, or just relaxing with a friend or loved one. You will develop a sense of well-being, greater self-confidence, and find yourself in tune with positive thoughts. Everyone will love to be around you as you find it easier to communicate and touch the hearts of others.