My personal story
My name is Nagalakshmi Devi, but I have had others. I was born in 1961 as Izabella Sanches and when I further followed the path of Yoga I received my first spiritual name, Sharanadevi (one who serves God) when I became Acharya (master) in 2003. Much later, in 2017 after a profound process of transformation I received the name Nagalakhsmi. In the Yoga tradition, as in other spiritual and cultural traditions, the name has a special meaning and is closely linked to the mission of life and the change of name is linked to a rebirth in life, bringing new chances for achievements. When someone calls you by your name, at the same time it makes you remember what you have to do, remember your mission, even if unconsciously.
I grew up and lived most of my life in São Paulo, I always studied in the public school system and when I was young I entered the School of Communications and Arts at USP. My career in Radio and Television, the specialty I chose, didn't take me anywhere, I stopped working as soon as my children were born. I went through two marriages. I had two sons from the first and a daughter from the second. After the birth of my second child I went through a major existential crisis and that was what led me to a deep personal investigation, one thing led to another and I ended up finding Yoga.
My spiritual path
On the first stage of the path I found Aikido, a Japanese martial art, which gave me back joy, confidence and flexibility. I was a student of the master and great pioneer of Aikido in Brazil, Kawai Sansei, who, in his masculine military way and method, tried to teach me how to face the great fear I carried within me. I gave up right away, justifying my withdrawal with a great feminist speech.
I trained in Shiatsu with a monk from the Shing Gun Buddhist School and then several other short courses without certification, as at that time in the mid-80s there was no program with official recognition of alternative therapies. But I immediately started working as a therapist, giving massages, something I still do today, even if very occasionally.
At this time, I discovered Holotropic Breathing (RH), a method by Stanislav and Cristina Grof who, together with other important figures, were founders of transpersonal psychology. During an HR experience, I found Yoga, as a memory of my body, which after a while led me more specifically to Kriya Yoga based on intuitive information that emerged from the exploration of the world of the unconscious that I was later able to verify and deepen the research .
In addition to personal work with HR, I also completed 4 years of training with Stan Grof at his Grof Training and received certification. For a few years I took it in parallel with therapeutic work and the beginning of diving and personal practice in Kriya Yoga.
I started my Yoga studies through the Self-Realization Fellowship and for 2 years I tried to receive initiation. Before this came to fruition, my paths crossed with that of Marshall Govindan who became my teacher and who introduced me to Babaji's Kriya Yoga techniques. From the first moment I felt that this had come to stay in my life and it really did.
Babaji's Kriya Yoga
I practiced faithfully for 4 years when I received the invitation to become an Acharya, or teacher authorized to transmit the techniques. In this tradition, the Acharya is not an accomplished master or Guru, the definition of acarya is closer to a student with a lot of experience and practice, who goes through very intense training to accumulate the energy necessary for transmission. It's like battery cables that relay and activate something in those who come in search of knowledge. But actually the energy comes from the original Guru, the first source, which in the case of our tradition is Babaji Nagaraj.
Since 2003 I was authorized to transmit the basic techniques of Babaji's Kriya Yoga, in 2009 I was authorized to transmit the Second Level and in 2017 the advanced level. I was part of the first edition of Babaji's Kriya Yoga Instructor Training in 2001 with Durga Ahlund, I became a Kriya Hatha Yoga Instructor and gave regular classes for another 15 years, 10 of which at Espaço Jyothi Yoga, of which I was a founding member, and we were able to spread the teachings of the Kriya Yoga tradition, of Babaji and the Siddhas of South India (Saiva Siddhanta) which are the philosophical basis of this tradition.
Following the Path of Kriya
In 2009 I became an assistant teacher at Durga Ahlund who trained instructors in Kriya Hatha Yoga, one of the 5 paths of Kriya Yoga focused on physical practice, but which also includes other complementary paths. In 2014 I gave my first solo training in Brazil as a Master Teacher and coordinating other partner teachers to complement the training with classes in philosophy, anatomy, ayurveda, etc. Today I coordinate this training in Brazil and also take over the training at the Quebec Ashram, the operational center of our Babaji Kriya Yoga lineage.
Since the year 2000 I have been involved with the translations and publications of Kriya Yoga titles in Portuguese. Despite all the difficulties due to the fact that we do not have a publisher and that all work in this regard was voluntary, which takes time, we managed to publish 7 titles in Portuguese.
As Acharya, I gave initiations in many cities in all regions of Brazil, creating a national Kriya Yoga movement since 2006. The model of our tradition is not institutional, but of personal empowerment through the dissemination of knowledge of techniques, of supporting this with reading and educational material. So, on trips, I created small groups of practitioners who, due to their own need and initiative, brought more people so that they could keep their practices alive and the network grew. In 2018 we held a big yoga festival celebrating 20 years of Kriya Yoga in Brazil.
With the pandemic, the process of traveling for initiations was interrupted and I returned to teaching classes through virtual platforms.
Ayurveda e Yogatherapy
During my yoga path I never left aside my therapeutic work, for two years (2009 and 2010) I trained in Ayurveda, an Indian health science and well-being complementary to yoga and I always continued my studies in this area, which I still do today, either informally through study material or participating in specific training.
I was a student and ended up translating the work of Laurier-Pierre Desjardins DO, doctor, osteopath and kriyaban called The Principles of Yoga Therapy. The work I do today ends up being guidance, advice and mentoring. This work takes place, for now, exclusively online and for students who request it.
I feel that the force that moves me is to bring more awareness to people so that they act in the world, not just be satisfied with the comfort of being on the “right side” of some issue or obtaining greater knowledge to increase their vanities. , but who feel capable of acting. Able to dive deeper into the path of self-exploration in a confident and safe way, to recognize how much talent they have internally and activate this potential to leave a mark on the world.
