Meditation and Philosophy Teacher. Arya Murthy is a senior teacher who leads meditation and philosophy sessions for our Yoga Teacher Training and Yoga Retreat guests, and also offers selected meditation sessions for Ayurveda guests. Raised in a traditional brahmin family in Andhra Pradesh, Murthyji grew up with mantras and ritual woven into everyday life. After completing studies in Science and Education, Murthyji taught mathematics for four years before leaving an academic path to devote life to the study and practice of yoga under traditional monastic teachers.
Following an introduction to Vedanta philosophy at the Swami Suddananda Foundation for Self-Knowledge, Murthyji continued to the Swami Dayananda Ashram in Rishikesh, where Sanskrit scriptures were studied under scholars and monks. During this period, Murthyji also deepened yogic practice with the guidance of Brahmachari Ramprasadji and Rishi Sudhir. After three intensive years in Rishikesh, Murthyji became a wandering spiritual seeker, traveling to holy pilgrimage sites across India, meeting fellow seekers, and living with discipline and meditation.
Murthyji often returns to Mukambika Temple in Kolluru, where months of silence and deep meditation were practiced for two years during the wandering years. Since 2009, Murthyji has taught at yoga schools in Kerala, Dharamsala, and Goa, and has completed 200- and 300-hour yoga courses at Ashtanga Yoga in Mysore, SVYASA Bangalore, and Paramanada Institute in Indore.