Rama Nina Patella

Contact Information   
340 W. 72nd St.
Manhattan, New York 10023-2645
United States
Email: ramanina@aol.com
Phone: (212) 799-8260
Website: www.leelaramyoga.com


Schedule  
No studios found.


Events  
No events found.


Professional Background  
Nina Rama Patella’s gratitude for hatha yoga has not stopped growing since she began to study in 1971. Her yoga practice allows her to share love with her students. It is the vehicle for their mutual and continuing transformation. Teaching is her true joy. Rama also has a passion for cats, who teach her a great deal about hatha yoga.

In love with music and movement since she was a young girl, she studied dance and tap. Rama was a spiritually curious child endlessly asking “Why am I here?” Both her passion for movement and the “spiritual side of her self” found a true calling in hatha yoga. Traveling for the first time to India in 1971, she began to study hatha yoga. Continuing her journey around the world, Rama settled in Hawaii. In 1974 she met her meditation Guru (teacher). This meeting initiated her into her serious yoga training. Returning to New York to study acting in the late seventies, she began teaching Sivananda style hatha yoga. With the encouragement of her Guru, Rama assisted in the first hatha yoga class ever taught in the main Siddha Yoga ashram in the U.S. This launched her career as a yoga teacher.

Rama received an Iyengar yoga certification after having the privilege of working one on one with Yogacharya BKS Iyengar in Pune, India, and studying with many senior Iyengar yoga teachers in the United States. In 1997 she was introduced to John Friend’s Anusara Yoga. Soon after, she began incorporating Anusara Yoga into her style of teaching. A director of the World Yoga Center (since 1981) where she currently teaches hatha yoga and meditation, Rama founded the Executive Stress Management Center. The ESMC offers classes and workshops to corporations such as the American Stock Exchange. She holds a 2nd degree Reiki Certificate and is a member of the Siddha Yoga’s hatha yoga teaching department.



Yoga Background  
Began teaching in 1977 in the Shivananda Style. Became certified in the Iyengar style in the early 90's.
Began teaching Anusara Yoga when John created this style and became Certified.


Questions and Answers   

Q: What other hobbies do you have aside from yoga practice?
A: Long japa walks in the country or in a park (silent mantra repetition), musical comedy theatre, 18th-19th century British films/TV series, styling wardrobes for people. (I’ve always wanted to be hired as a “personal shopper”.)

Q: What is the title of a book that you have read recently that you could strongly recommend?
A: Courage and Contentment by Gurumayi Chidvilasananda.

Q: What is one of your all-time favorite movies?
A: British series Upstairs Downstairs.

Q: What is one place that you would like to visit in the world? Why?
A: Southern India, birthplace of many great Beings.

Q: What's your favorite color?
A: Gold

Q: What is one of the funniest incidents that occurred in one of your yoga classes?
A: An over zealous student pulled a sticky mat off the floor not realizing I was standing on it. I went flying across the room, and thank God for Yoga, landed on my feet.