Gurudev Shri Amritji (Yogi Amrit Desai) is an internationally recognized authority on yoga and holistic living. Widely acknowledged for carrying the authentic voice of yoga to the world, he has been honored both in the U.S. and abroad. Some of his distinguished titles include Doctor of Yoga, Jagadacharya (Universal Teacher), and the rare Vishwa Yoga Ratna, awarded by the President of India.

Yogi Desai began teaching yoga in 1960, making him one of the earliest pioneers of yoga in the West. Following a profound life-transforming Kundalini awakening, he developed a methodology that altered the popular notion of yoga as a physical discipline and reintroduced a spiritual dimension to the practice of Hatha Yoga. He named this approach Kripalu Yoga: Meditation in Motion, in honor of his guru, Swami Kripalvanandji. The yoga society Yogi Desai founded eventually grew to become Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, one of the largest centers of its kind in America. The methodology he developed has evolved into the Amrit Method, which he continues to refine. Today, his approach is practiced by thousands around the world, with certified teachers in 37 countries.

Yogi Desai continues to develop and teach his innovative approach in the form of Amrit Yoga. A prolific author, his books include Kripalu Yoga: Book I and II, A Yogic Perspective on the 12 Steps and Amrit Yoga. As well, his chanting has been captured on Ecstatic Chanting, a compact disc of high energy chants.

Yogi Desai's teachings contain a powerful experiential component that creates profound shifts for those who are ready, receptive and open. He has integrated ancient wisdom into an impactful, practical methodology for dealing with the challenges of modern life.