Why Sādhana Mālā
Sādhana is a special word. In Sanskrit it means “spiritual practice”. Sādhana helps us to move forward – it takes us from where we are now to a new place. It is the means to accomplishments.
Mālā is also a Sanskrit word; it has a number of meanings. It can be a wreath, a garland or a rosary – something used in meditation to help us keep awake and present. It can also be a crown, or a series of offerings.
How It All Started
Sādhana Mālā was set up in 2004 by Dave Charlton and Ranju Roy to teach yoga in various different contexts, but specialising in teacher training, study courses and retreats.
We started by running a series of very successful and innovative yoga workshops and retreats to explore how different aspects of yoga can inform and inspire our lives in the 21st Century. In January 2006 we started our first Yoga Teacher Training Programme in London; since then there have been programmes in Dublin, Taunton, Cheltenham and Cardiff. We also run further Study courses for serious students; these have included courses on Sāṃkhya, Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā, Cakra, Yoga Sūtra, Bhagavad Gītā and Upaniṣad.
Dave Charlton
Dave Charlton has been practicing yoga since the mid eighties, and was a student of Paul Harvey for many years. Dave also worked with TKV Desikachar and studied with Frans Moors and Peter Hersnack, two other direct students of Desikachar, and has found a particular affinity with Peter Hersnack’s approach to Yoga and the Yoga Sutra. He completed the 4 year Viniyoga Practitioner Programme in 1992 and the Post Graduate Programme in 1999. Dave has also been involved in training for both Viniyoga Britain and the British Wheel of Yoga, and was a BWY Diploma Course Tutor for a number of years. Dave also has a particular interest in Sanskrit and Tibetan Buddhism.
Dave grew up in London and originally studied mechanical engineering. Before pursuing Yoga full time he worked as a software engineer. Always interested in Yoga and eastern philosophy, he completed an MA in Buddhist philosophy in 1993 and has travelled widely in India and South East Asia.
Dave teaches with his wife Gail from their studio, Living Yoga, in Great Malvern, near Worcester.
About Ranju
Ranju has been practicing yoga since the mid 1980s. He completed the 4 year Viniyoga Britain Diploma with Paul Harvey in 1995 and then the Post Graduate Course in 1999. He has also studied with TKV Desikachar in the UK and India on numerous occasions. From 2004-2015 Ranju worked closely with Peter Hersnack, another of Desikachar’s direct students. Ranju has taught many yoga classes, retreats and workshops around the country. He has taught at British Wheel ofYoga (BWY) Congress, Association for Yoga Studies (aYs) Conventions and many In-Service Trainings for both BWY and aYs.
Of mixed Indian and English heritage, Ranju was born in India and brought up in England. He has travelled extensively in India and is interested in developing ways of practicing that both respect tradition and also the realities of present day life in the West. Ranju worked for 12 years in the NHS as an art therapist and family therapist (1991-2003) and has considerable experience of counselling and therapy with individuals and groups. He lives in Wellington, Somerset with his wife Lindy.
