My New CD Enchantment is HERE!
Order yours NOW!
Order yours NOW!
Ambika Devi.To be inspired in our expression, begins with our breath. In my teaching of Yoga, I pay close attention to the smoothness of the breath and its synchronization with the postures, whether in flowing asana, deep in meditation or in a static hold.
I have been teaching yoga since I was a teen and served as a college professor of Holistic Health for eighteen years during which time I wrote all of my curriculum, ran clinics and attended to clients.
As a yogini, I am an ERYT-500 and an RYT-500 with the Yoga Alliance. My Yoga classes are taught in a mixed style bringing together my favorite aspects of the doctrines of my teachers and the richness of Vedanta. The meditative state of Yoga Nidra is integral in all aspects of my teaching. I infuse my classes with my passion for life and knowledge. This philosophy flows through me both on and off the mat.
In the 80s, I retreated from teaching asana and turned to chant and meditation as my preferred course of study and teaching. During this time I diligently practiced pranayama through traditional breath exercises as well as vocalization through singing kirtan and chanting mantra.
I have been reading Tarot cards professionally since 1972 The Tarot came to me when I was seven years old. Interestingly, this is my soul and personality number. Since then the Chariot, my significator card, has been taking me on a wondrous adventure! Triggered by the amazing imagery of my first Rider Waite I pursued knowledge of the mysteries of Numerology and Astrology. By age 14, I was able to construct the mappings of Astrological charts and incorporated this into my fast growing number of requests for consultations. By the time I was nine, I was giving reading with my Tarot cards to neighbors and friends. I am a graduate of NorthStar University with a diploma in Astrology.
As an Astrologer I use my decades of professional training and experience to address questions. I interpret the soul's journey using the mathematical and astronomical language of Astrology as taught to me by my master teachers. I have consulted using Astrology for large corporations and have appeared on The Learning Channel as a relationship specialist. In the past I wrote for newspapers and currently I publish Astrology for my online community through my Blog.
In my current work, I weave Vedanta philosophy into every aspect of my human service, teaching and healing sessions. It is my belief that the way to honor our connection to the Divine Mother is through our sadhana, our daily practices. I am graduating in 2012 with a master's degree in Yoga from the Hindu University and the Amrit Yoga Institute. The focus of my studies is the weaving of the roots of Yoga back into the Ashtanga of Patanjali. I am currently working on a book about the powerful healing of Hastas, Mudras and Mantras in Yoga and Bharatanatyam, the Classical Indian Dance.
I am completing my thesis work for my masters in Yoga Ziksha, the Education of Yoga through the Hindu University in Bangalore, India and America which I receive in 2012. My Yoga classes are taught one on one with complete focus on the individual student. I bring a mixed of styles together utilizing many aspects of the doctrines of my teachers and the richness of Vedanta, the Science of Yoga. The meditative state of Yoga Nidra is integral in all aspects of my teaching. I infuse my students with my passion for life and knowledge. This philosophy flows through me both on and off the mat. I am available to teach seminars and workshops anywhere in the world.
Since the age of fourteen, I have performed with bands playing many styles of music including: Kirtan, Rock, Jazz, Latin and Reggae. My bands toured through the United States and Mexico entertaining at resorts and parties while I worked solo as a visiting artist for Yoga classes, Moon Gatherings and Spiritual Circles. I continue to travel sharing the power of my voice. As a Yoga and dance teacher, I sing my classes into bliss. As a performer I spread love from my heart with the magic of my drumming and vocals and as a healer I align the energy of my clients with the strength of vibrations through drumming and toning. Contact me to engage me for groups and personal sessions.p
Ambika Devi shares her deliciously powerful healing voice as she teaches
Classical Yoga, Yoga Nidra, Meditation, Mantra, and Dance.
As a Yoga and dance teacher, she sings her classes into bliss.
Love pours from her heart in the magic of her drumming and vocals. As a healer she aligns the energy of her clients with the strength of her vibrations through drumming and toning.
Watch the video and sample the NEW MUSIC from Ambika Devi!
Purchase Mp3s of Yoga Nidra sessions!
Read more about Yoga Nidra.
Contact her
Engage Ambika Devi for groups and personal sessions.
Practice Yoga Nidra at home and experience integrative relaxation and create a daily practice of Yoga Nidra. This guided meditation effectively dissolves and resolves: stress, exhaustion, depression, insomnia fear and anxiety with immediate results! Yoga Nidra meditation is so easy and simple to practice. You simply lay down in a comfortable, relaxed position and listen. Try my Yoga Nidra Drift Off to Sleep session to create a sound, restful sleep. Unlock the healing power of your mind. These are live recordings of my group sessions. Please be sure to provide me with the email address of where you would like these sent. Please also be sure to specify which sessions you want in your note to me.
Ambika Devi a.k.a. Amy Ford was introduced to Yoga at the age of seven when her mama took her to an Iyengar class. The gentle power of Yoga intrigued her and has been the beacon of her life path. At the age of nine she was introduced to a teacher of Yoga who had just returned from India. Along with a group of adults she was lead in a powerful meditation of transferred energy in which Amy experienced a rush of bliss when a ball of fiery energy was offered to her. The sharing of one woman’s spiraling path to India and back, became the moment in which Amy’s bare feet first touched the smooth rocks of her personal journey.
Music became medicine for her that day. Yoga became as familiar as breathing. Many great masters and teachers have provided her rich education and Amy has been a teacher of peace, harmony, healing and love both on and off the mat since the age of seventeen.
In the 80s, Amy retreated from teaching asana and turned to chant and meditation as her preferred course of study and teaching. During this time she perfected her pranayama through vocalization. She began to study West African style drumming after being in the presence of Babatundi Olatunji, who offered her his drum to play on. Baba became her primary teacher followed by Sanga of the Valley, his lead drummer. A progression of numerous Master Drummers from around the world followed. Amy found herself in many recording studios laying tracks for numerous artists.
Since the age of fourteen, Amy has performed with bands playing many styles of music including: Kirtan, Rock, Jazz, Latin and Reggae. Her bands toured through the United States and Mexico entertaining at resorts and parties while she worked solo as a visiting artist for Yoga classes, lead Moon Gatherings, Spiritual Circles and conducted workshops. Amy continues her work as an Urban Shaman weaving Vedanta philosophy into every aspect of her service teachings and healing sessions with groups and individual clients.
Amy received the Sanskrit name Ambika Devi and title of Yoga Siromani through the Yoga Vedanta Forrest Academy. The goddess for whom she is named is a fiercely passionate guardian of the earth. Amy believes the way to honor our connection to the Earth Mother is through our sadhana, our daily practices. She teaches that to be inspired in our expression we must begin with our breath. Her favorite way to do so is through the practice of Mantra.
Amy continues to travel sharing her deliciously powerful healing voice as she teaches Classical Yoga, Mantra, Meditation, Yoga Nidra and dance. As a Reiki Master she uses toning to attune her students. As a Yoga and dance teacher, she sings her classes into bliss. As a performer she spreads love from her heart with the magic of her drumming and vocals and as a healer she aligns the energy of her clients with the strength of her vibrations through drumming and toning.
Contact her
Engage Ambika Devi for groups and personal sessions.
Music became medicine for her that day. Yoga became as familiar as breathing. Many great masters and teachers have provided her rich education and Amy has been a teacher of peace, harmony, healing and love both on and off the mat since the age of seventeen.
In the 80s, Amy retreated from teaching asana and turned to chant and meditation as her preferred course of study and teaching. During this time she perfected her pranayama through vocalization. She began to study West African style drumming after being in the presence of Babatundi Olatunji, who offered her his drum to play on. Baba became her primary teacher followed by Sanga of the Valley, his lead drummer. A progression of numerous Master Drummers from around the world followed. Amy found herself in many recording studios laying tracks for numerous artists.
Since the age of fourteen, Amy has performed with bands playing many styles of music including: Kirtan, Rock, Jazz, Latin and Reggae. Her bands toured through the United States and Mexico entertaining at resorts and parties while she worked solo as a visiting artist for Yoga classes, lead Moon Gatherings, Spiritual Circles and conducted workshops. Amy continues her work as an Urban Shaman weaving Vedanta philosophy into every aspect of her service teachings and healing sessions with groups and individual clients.
Amy received the Sanskrit name Ambika Devi and title of Yoga Siromani through the Yoga Vedanta Forrest Academy. The goddess for whom she is named is a fiercely passionate guardian of the earth. Amy believes the way to honor our connection to the Earth Mother is through our sadhana, our daily practices. She teaches that to be inspired in our expression we must begin with our breath. Her favorite way to do so is through the practice of Mantra.
Amy continues to travel sharing her deliciously powerful healing voice as she teaches Classical Yoga, Mantra, Meditation, Yoga Nidra and dance. As a Reiki Master she uses toning to attune her students. As a Yoga and dance teacher, she sings her classes into bliss. As a performer she spreads love from her heart with the magic of her drumming and vocals and as a healer she aligns the energy of her clients with the strength of her vibrations through drumming and toning.
Contact her
Engage Ambika Devi for groups and personal sessions.
Yoga Nidra Your Key to Enter the ZerO Stress ZOne
Experience Integrative Relaxation through Yoga Nidra. This guided meditation effectively dissolves and resolves: stress, exhaustion, depression, insomnia, fear and anxiety with immediate results! A guided meditation so simple and easy, all you have to do is show up and prepare to relax. Unlock the healing power of your mind.
Private Session: 60 minutes $75 90 minutes $100 Purchase a session
Semi-Private: Group of 2-3, 90 minutes $75 per person
Group of 4-6, 90 minutes $55 per person
Group of 7-10 $35 per person
Group of 10-20 $20 per person
Enter the ZerO Stress ZOne© July 29, 2010 Ambika Devi
I wouldn't have believed that meditation was so miraculous it if you had told me. I wouldn't have trusted that chronic physical pain could disappear in less than an hour. It would have been hard for me to trust you if you had told me these things even though I have practiced meditation for a long time. I always hoped and felt deep inside that I would find a way. Now that I practice and teach the Amrit Method® of Yoga Nidra, I have seen this time and again.
I sat in group seated meditation watching the other yogis so blissful and still. Very small handfuls of times I even energetically stumbled my way to the state of quiet. It was brief but I did taste the bliss. So, I pressed on. You see, that was where I made my biggest mistake. I tried to use volition and force. I believed that one day I would find peace and tranquility if I worked hard enough.
The joke was on me! I wasn't allowing myself to use the basic rules of Yoga which I have been practicing and teaching for decades which are as my teacher. Gurudev (Yogi Amrit Desai) puts it "Your membership to the "Triple A" Club: Allow, Adapt and Accommodate." This principle is so basic yet easily misunderstood when put into practice.
My recent journey into studying and teaching the Amrit Method® of Yoga Nidra has taught me exactly what this means. The gentle and supportive applications of this practice which takes you deeper than sleep with full awareness is so easy. I am amazed and often in wonder of the results my I and my students have following sessions.
I have taught guided meditations for years so, I am no stranger to laying down rather than a more forceful seated posture. As a Yogi, my longtime favorite posture has been the final pose after a full practice in Savasana, the corpse pose. Ask any Yoga student and they will tell you this is the best pose. It is used throughout a full practice a place to come to for relaxation and the integration of prana, the life force energy enlivened through Yoga.
Savasana takes the yogi to an alpha brain wave state and if they are fully integrated, dips them into delta brain waves. Yoga Nidra picks up where this left off and takes the practitioner to Theta waves. In the fine line between Delta and Theta lays a zone n the energetic body known to yogis as the Anandamaya Kosha. This is where the Samskaras, the seeds of karma, exist.
As the Samskaras sprout habits and patterns unfold. Some are necessary, like learning not to touch a hot stove. Others are troublesome like addiction and getting involved with certain personality types and finding yourself repeating patterns and situations. When yogis truly place their focus on the third eye and drop their awareness into the witness mind, then they are able to let the divine energy neutralize the Samskaras. This is easily achieved in the practice of Yoga Nidra. The result being a happier, better adjusted you with a greater amount of patience, more energy and the ability to enter the Zero Stress Zone!
The good news is, you really don't have to do anything! All it takes is a skillfully trained teacher. The process is very soothing and relaxing. The student lays down in a relaxed position and the teacher guides them through specific levels of brain waves using sounds and guided imagery. The Amrit Method® of Yoga Nidra is a unique brand as Yogi Amrit Desai and his team of highly trained and skillful teachers do all the work for you! All you have to do is show up and be prepared to relax!
Book an appointment now for you or your group with Ambika Devi and unlock the door to the ZerO Stress zOne! Contact her at www.AmbikaDevi.com or call 772.233.8229
I wouldn't have believed that meditation was so miraculous it if you had told me. I wouldn't have trusted that chronic physical pain could disappear in less than an hour. It would have been hard for me to trust you if you had told me these things even though I have practiced meditation for a long time. I always hoped and felt deep inside that I would find a way. Now that I practice and teach the Amrit Method® of Yoga Nidra, I have seen this time and again.
I sat in group seated meditation watching the other yogis so blissful and still. Very small handfuls of times I even energetically stumbled my way to the state of quiet. It was brief but I did taste the bliss. So, I pressed on. You see, that was where I made my biggest mistake. I tried to use volition and force. I believed that one day I would find peace and tranquility if I worked hard enough.
The joke was on me! I wasn't allowing myself to use the basic rules of Yoga which I have been practicing and teaching for decades which are as my teacher. Gurudev (Yogi Amrit Desai) puts it "Your membership to the "Triple A" Club: Allow, Adapt and Accommodate." This principle is so basic yet easily misunderstood when put into practice.
My recent journey into studying and teaching the Amrit Method® of Yoga Nidra has taught me exactly what this means. The gentle and supportive applications of this practice which takes you deeper than sleep with full awareness is so easy. I am amazed and often in wonder of the results my I and my students have following sessions.
I have taught guided meditations for years so, I am no stranger to laying down rather than a more forceful seated posture. As a Yogi, my longtime favorite posture has been the final pose after a full practice in Savasana, the corpse pose. Ask any Yoga student and they will tell you this is the best pose. It is used throughout a full practice a place to come to for relaxation and the integration of prana, the life force energy enlivened through Yoga.
Savasana takes the yogi to an alpha brain wave state and if they are fully integrated, dips them into delta brain waves. Yoga Nidra picks up where this left off and takes the practitioner to Theta waves. In the fine line between Delta and Theta lays a zone n the energetic body known to yogis as the Anandamaya Kosha. This is where the Samskaras, the seeds of karma, exist.
As the Samskaras sprout habits and patterns unfold. Some are necessary, like learning not to touch a hot stove. Others are troublesome like addiction and getting involved with certain personality types and finding yourself repeating patterns and situations. When yogis truly place their focus on the third eye and drop their awareness into the witness mind, then they are able to let the divine energy neutralize the Samskaras. This is easily achieved in the practice of Yoga Nidra. The result being a happier, better adjusted you with a greater amount of patience, more energy and the ability to enter the Zero Stress Zone!
The good news is, you really don't have to do anything! All it takes is a skillfully trained teacher. The process is very soothing and relaxing. The student lays down in a relaxed position and the teacher guides them through specific levels of brain waves using sounds and guided imagery. The Amrit Method® of Yoga Nidra is a unique brand as Yogi Amrit Desai and his team of highly trained and skillful teachers do all the work for you! All you have to do is show up and be prepared to relax!
Book an appointment now for you or your group with Ambika Devi and unlock the door to the ZerO Stress zOne! Contact her at www.AmbikaDevi.com or call 772.233.8229
Enchantment, the new Album from artist Ambika Devi on the Invincible Music label.
If you are looking for meditative music, expertly played, superbly produced, with exceptional vocals, then you need look no further than the new release on the Invincible Music label "Enchantment." This new collection of music from artist, Ambika Devi is quite possibly her masterpiece, incorporating elements of the many styles she has excelled in performing over the years along with the solid, thoughtful musicianship of many of the heavy-weight musician friends she has made during her life's journey as a multi-talented, ground-breaking artist. Cheers to the talent of Ambika Devi, producer Liv Singh Khalsa and the Invincible Music label for this outstanding body of work! Every song is a potential hit!
If you are looking for meditative music, expertly played, superbly produced, with exceptional vocals, then you need look no further than the new release on the Invincible Music label "Enchantment." This new collection of music from artist, Ambika Devi is quite possibly her masterpiece, incorporating elements of the many styles she has excelled in performing over the years along with the solid, thoughtful musicianship of many of the heavy-weight musician friends she has made during her life's journey as a multi-talented, ground-breaking artist. Cheers to the talent of Ambika Devi, producer Liv Singh Khalsa and the Invincible Music label for this outstanding body of work! Every song is a potential hit!
Enchantment by Ambika Devi (Amy Ford)
The Music
Throughout my life, I have been given songs by many teachers. In grade school, our mornings began with sing-a-longs and our afternoons were spent in a tranquil bungalow in the woods by a creek, listening to and discussing many styles of music from classical and soothing contemporary to rock and jazz.
My great love and admiration for foreign cultures have been cultivated over this lifetime. Steeped with wanderlust I travel often. As a child I took trips with my family abroad and had the great fortune to taste the spices and flavors of many countries’ foods, divine in their dances and float on their cosmic melodies and rhythms. The blood of different cultures flows through my veins. This is why I use the rhythms and instruments of many cultures blended together to create the music in this collection. They are like me, a kaleidoscope of cultures.
I am told my first words were a song and dance. Dancing is equivalent to breathing for me. While on the path of dance, I was lead to play the West African Djembe drum. The late great Babatundi Olatunji along with his drummers who survived him, Sikiru Adepoju and Sanga of the Valley were my first beloved drum teachers. It is to these great beings that I dedicate the rhythms created here which set the groove for these chants. It is my intension that my love and gratitude for all these gifts come through the sounds of this music as you listen.
The cosmic drummer, Shiva is my guardian astrologically. Shiva is the keeper of the drum, the drum beat and the rhythm of the universe. The first time my hand made a sound on the Djembe, I felt an arm reach out, grab me and pull me inside. I now exist within the resonant chamber of the drum dancing to the cosmic pulse of Shiva.
Magically a pattern of the number seven recurred within the seven pieces of music in this compendium. My soul number is seven. Seven is a symbol wisdom, perfection, balance and rest. It represents spirituality, sensitivity, sympathy and mystery. There are seven main chakras in the body. I did not set out to create a chant specifically for each individual chakra. It is my hope that this collection be used as a means to boost energy and give healing to the entirety of our beings. You are free to use the chants as you wish.
Some of the sacred mantras in this album are closer to the way I first heard them sung by my beloved teachers. Others began as written words, passed on to me through friends or discovered in my reading. These mantras transformed in my consciousness and morphed into song through divine inspiration
I met my producer and engineer Liv while recording the music of Tribe of 2, with my partner Brent Scherer for our duo’s second album. During one of our sessions, I mentioned that I had original chant music. It is a great blessing to have this collaboration with Liv. He brings amazing creativity and his incredible talent to this project. Liv and I invited many great artists to add their delicious musical styling to the tracks. We are graced by their musical presence.
Together we honored that the music in this collection has a life of its own. It is my intention to allow this music to be as fluid as it pleases, realizing that I am merely a conduit and that Liv is the catalyst for its manifestation.
I honor the great ones who had a part in this creation. It is through their blessings and teachings that I am able to share the power of these vibrations. The love of these beings gave final polishing to what you are about to listen to. These teachers and my friends are important beacons upon my path. To each of them I am forever grateful.
The stories and mythologies of many cultures fuel my creative endeavors. To the gods and goddesses of these pantheons, I give my heartfelt thanks and am forever devoted. It is through the blending of cultures and integrating of many styles of music that I wish to bring peace and acceptance to all nations of this planet. I pray that this music enlightens consciousness through the weaving of boundaries and the blending of cultures. My belief is that when we taste the food of another culture, sing words from their language and dance to their rhythms, we are able to let go of preconceived ideas and fully embrace them in love. May this music bring you joy and put a wide smile upon your face. May the beat of the drums move through you and inspire you to dance. May the blending of these musical flavors bring a sweet taste to your psyche and greater awareness and acceptance that we are all one tribe. OM, Ashe, Aho, Sat Nam! With Love and Peace, Enjoy! Ambika Devi
