Welcome To ATHA
ATHA draws inspiration from the first verse of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra:
“atha yoga-anu-śāsanam”
Roughly translated, this means, “Here, now, is the practice of yoga”
ATHA signifies “Nowness.” Mark Whitwell interprets it beautifully as, “You are here now!” This is very encouraging because it implies that everything we are and our reality as we experience it is right now – in the present moment; not in the past or in the future but “now.”
As teachers AND students of yoga, the “now” element is essential to our practice and understanding of this remarkable system of living, moving, and being. Yoga is an ancient tradition but also a living discipline. That means it is experienced in this very moment – in this body, this environment, this life. Since the only constant in life is change, yoga is always a reflection of who we are in this moment.
“Yoga attempts to create a state in which we are always present - really present – in every action, in every moment.”
- T.K.V. Desikachar
Rooted in the teachings and traditions of Sri Krishnamacharya, his son T.K.V Desikachar, and Leslie Kaminoff (founder of “The Breathing Project” in NYC with 40+ years of experience as a professional yoga and breath anatomy educator and also a student in this tradition), ATHA was created to appreciate and explore Yoga in all its dimensions and to make the principles of Yoga practice more accessible to a wider audience.
Our Approach
to support, encourage, and empower our students
At ATHA, we are dedicated to supporting, encouraging and empowering each student to find their personal practice through exploration, curiosity and confidence. Our approach aligns with that of T.K.V. Desikachar, who taught that yoga is meant to be adapted to the individual.
Honouring this approach, we encourage individualized practice even within a group setting. Through the lessons of our own movement and breath, every practitioner is able to recognize the fluidity of their body and mind as perfectly fluctuating. Our personal practice can change moment to moment. Breathing and moving becomes the entry point for this self-knowledge and attunement, which goes far beyond “poses.”
“Yoga is not an expression of form for others to watch, but a practice to watch ourselves and our actions.”
- T.K.V. Desikachar
Hi, welcome to ATHA. My name is Reshma Datar, but everyone calls me “Reshy”. I am founder and educator at ATHA, a yoga education and wellness center that is personalized to match your specific needs!
My team and I have a diverse, compassionate, and open-minded approach to wellness, offering multidisciplinary options from classical yoga to functional training. We believe that laughter and curiosity are keystones for the learning process, thereby helping you feel included and safe to explore your potential, while also enjoying the journey.
We use a trauma informed approach and unique curriculum and delivery methods. We can create a custom program or curriculum for you or your team, designed with empathy, resilience, fortitude and a solution focused approach to wellness for all.
What We Offer
Testimonial
Camille Filiol
Reshy is an incredibly hard-working, knowledgeable and inspiring teacher. She provided me with a thought-provoking teaching of yoga which helped me comprehend how the body works, how muscles are connected, what the body anatomy allows and restricts. As a future teacher I was able to understand how to make space in my own body through movement and breath to practice yoga, working with my own injuries and limitations and therefore empower me to assist and modify students attending my class in a personalised and responsible way, taking into considerations their bodies’ limitations and abilities. With an in-depth knowledge of the multiple facets of yoga (anatomy, philosophy…) she was constantly looking to enhance her class contents based on our in-class interactions.
UK
Elisabetta Fiori
“As teacher of my YTTC , Reshy was for me an enlightening mentor and a constant inspiration. Her wide knowledge on yoga, philosophy and her direct experience as a student and as a teacher make her a strong and influential guide for the students.
Her wisdom, her human touch, her empathy and her boundless love for every living being make her a complete teacher and a wonderful person.”
Italy
Maggie McAuley
“I had the privilege of working with Reshy for my 200 hour Vinyasa Yoga training in Bali. Reshy makes you seriously use your brain! She constantly makes you look at all angles and approach yoga in a different way. It shows that she takes every single body -all of our differences and what makes us unique- into consideration. You can also feel that she truly cares for every person she is teaching. I will cherish all of the information and experiences I took away from working with Reshy. She is truly a knowledgeable teacher and made my training experience everything I thought it should be!”
Dubai
Therese Kulle
“I was lucky enough to have Reshma as one of my teachers during my YTT200. Reshy really knows her stuff and she brings a sense of calm and comfort with her to whatever she does. I feel so safe around her. A yoga teacher training is a journey. There is so much factual knowledge to attain in a short period of time. But the training also triggers an inner journey and you might find yourself facing things within yourself you didn’t know was there. And this might cause some strong emotions to emerge. With a teacher like Reshma by your side, always ready to hold out a hand when you might need it, this journey will be such a great one.”
Australia
Menieke
I am so grateful to have had Reshma as my teacher. She is one of the most kind, warm, and loving persons I’ve met. She is such an inspiration as a teacher as well as a human being. Reshma has a lot of knowledge and knows how to share that in a gripping and passionate way. She really helped us all grow to our full potential! Wish I could do it all over again!!!
Holland
Jenae Louise Johnston
“Reshma is a beautiful human who clearly lives and breathes yoga. It was wonderful to be in her presence and learn her immense knowledge and skills that she freely passes on. Her teaching style challenges you to think about the content and question any pre-conceived ideas. Her ability to bond with each student and allow them to learn and explore the content made the course so much more rewarding. It wasn’t just a certificate we gained, but lifelong friends, teachers and support. Reshma and Tori have continued to offer advice, support and inspiration since the course which is a real testament to her school.”
Australia
Christina
The nice thing about yoga training is to meet people like you in this way. I was deeply impressed by your honesty and warmth. I wish you the very best. Lots of love and hopefully see you soon.”
Germany
Student
“Dear Patricia, many, many thanks for the teacher training and the script! I am absolutely thrilled. The detailed structure makes it very clear, the pictures help to illustrate the exercises and it is generally written in an extremely understandable way. And what I find particularly great is how many clinical pictures you go into. My mother, for example, has severe problems: osteoarthritis, etc. I will recommend your courses to her, maybe that would be something for her too. I hope we can keep in touch. That would be great. Thank you very much again, I am really impressed with your work!
Germany
Kayla Schwab
“Tori has always made me feel comfortable and encouraged to reach out to her for advice! Her passion for yoga and sharing it with others is inspirational, and it has been really helpful to see how she has embraced new challenges, such as opening her new studio and teaching online.”
USA
Shelly Chapman
“Tori’s Chandra Vinyasa Masterclass was magic. I deeply appreciate her clarity, precision, deep wisdom and softness with which she holds the class. It is a very special combination.”
UK
Julia Langro
“Victoria (Tori) Mitchell was one of the leading yoga teachers on my YTT journey. She taught me so much about ashtanga, alignment, adjustment, and more. I was more than excited to take class with her again (the good thing about this pandemic—being connected through technology). Her rocket yoga classes challenged me in so many ways, body and mind. I improved in my inversions, arm balances, and truly matching my breath with my movement. It was so nice to be practicing with people internationally. I find comfort in the fact that we are all practicing and connecting spiritually around the world as we work through these difficult times. Tori creates such a welcoming, grounding space, in-person and virtually. Be ready to sweat in her rocket yoga classes and know that you will never regret taking a class with Tori!”