Welcome

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My name is Daria (friends and family call me Dasha). I was born and raised in the South of Russia and was always fascinated by Eastern philosophies. I wasn't bad at languages and math and my interest in education brought me to the U.S. I received my formal education in Economics, Art History and Finance. Regardless of my professional associations, I keep an open mind towards cultures and spirituality. I am an avid traveler and love exploring traditions.

I have been practicing and teaching yoga for over a decade now and discovered meditation shortly after my introduction to asana practice ( I practice Vinyasa and Ashtanga styles). Yoga practice gives you a strong healthy body. But your mind is where it all starts and yoga is not just a physical exercise. You practice the asanas to get yourself ready to move further - to meditation. The goal is to keep both mind and body in the best possible condition - healthy and strong. And to prepare yourself to sit still for extended periods of time.

I went on to complete a 10-day silent meditation course in India, where I got introduced to an ancient Vipassana meditation. I stayed in the beautiful Northern Himalayas, a place called McLeod Ganj, Dharamshala where Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Government-in-Exile reside. 

Imagine this: you stay together with a group of people at a secluded area, usually hidden away from a big city. You wake up every day at 4:00AM, observe the rules of "Noble Silence" and practice to stay focused for at least 10 hours a day, for 10 consecutive days with breaks for meals and some personal time. 

Everyone does it for various reasons. I had my reasons too: I wanted to learn a respectable meditation technique that I could use in any situation. I also wanted to see how I'd feel without speaking to anyone or without having any connection to an outside world (no electronic devices, no contact outside of a designated area) for 10 days. The practice required discipline, patience and strong determination. 

It was a beautiful experience. Challenging at times, but it was worth every minute. Academic education aside, this was the most challenging, yet the most rewarding test I have ever put my brain to. If you can find the time out of your life to experience it - I cannot recommend this highly enough. 

I have the deepest respect towards any knowledge or practice that has been around over 5,000 years (possibly even longer). But I also believe that one should form an opinion towards anything not by following any dogmas or rituals blindly but by having a certain knowledge or by having experienced it. This is what life is about - living through different experiences and choosing what works best for you, what makes you happy. For me - happiness is the ultimate goal in life.