All type of knowledge ultimately means
self-knowledge. Bruce Lee

Education

I started taking group yoga classes in New York City in 2004 while studying neuroscience at Columbia University. I took a semester of the Feldenkrais for Dancers course at Barnard College. In May 2010 I took 45hrs of the Vinyasa Krama method with Srivatsa Ramaswami at the Esalen Insitute.

In July 2010 I completed the 200-hour Vinyasa Krama yoga teacher training program with Ramaswami at Loyola Marymount University in LA. Since then I have taken a weekend pranayama course in Sausalito and one more 45hr asana course with him in London.

Apart from Vinyasa Krama, I studied Healing yoga and Vedic Chanting at the Healing Yoga Foundation in San Francisco and finished a kinesiology course at San Jose State University.

Experience

I started teaching group and private yoga sessions in January 2010 in San Francisco. Since then I have taught in the Silicon Valley, the High Coast of Sweden and Barcelona.

My teacher, Srivatsa Ramaswami

I learned about Srivatsa Ramaswami from my friend Eric Powell, whose yoga classes I liked most out of the dizzying variety of yoga offerings in New York City. I met my teacher, Srivatsa Ramaswami, at Esalen Institute in May 2010, and I knew right then and there that I wanted to continue my studies with this gentle, caring and thoughtful person. That summer, I went to Los Angeles to study with him for five weeks at Loyola Marymount University. I learned not only about yogasana, but also about pranayama, meditation, yoga for internal organs and much more. We spent a week chanting all the sutras in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and got to hear many wonderful tales on the origin of asanas. 

I remember with fondness how we sat around Ramaswami, feeling as if we were his grandchildren, eager to hear more tales about Ganesha or some other Deity, or how we rested in savasana while he chanted softly in Sanskrit. Ramaswami is a very special person. Unassuming yet confident, he is thoroughly devoted to his teacher, Sri T. Krishnamacharya. Reading his book, "The Complete Book of Vinyasa Yoga", one can appreciate his engineering background, since everything is very clearly and systematically explained. If you have a chance to study with him, please do so. He is a true master of yoga (although he would never say so himself) and an inspiration to us, his lucky students.

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Student Testimonials

Aruna was our first yoga instructor at Quixey and helped to engrain this as an ongoing program for our employees. Our team greatly enjoyed her classes and found them to be a great way to find balance in the fast-paced life of a startup. I would highly recommend Aruna as an instructor for your team.
Dan Smolkin, Human Resources Manager at Quixey
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Härligt att komma igång på morgonen efter ett yogapass med Aruna som är en mycket duktig, trevlig och entusiastisk yogainstruktör! Ett perfekt sammansatt program med rörelser att mjuka upp kroppen allrahelst för mig som har lite problem med både ryggslut och nacke. Kan varmt rekommendera Aruna för vidare yogaklasser.
Eva H. 
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Finding a yoga class in San Francisco is easier than catching a cold in a kindergarten classroom. However, finding a great yoga instructor who helps you become more physically and mentally balanced is like finding a needle in a haystack.

A genuinely warm and caring person, Aruna is a wonderful instructor who has gotten me to sit up straighter, breathe better, and generally relax in my ever day life. My weekly 1:1 sessions have helped me strengthen muscle groups I didn't even know existed -- the attention Aruna pays to your form, experience and personal goals will give your body a tune up while still being a relaxing meditative experience.

If you're looking for a holistic yoga experience, I would definitely recommend trying a session at Sultan Yoga.
                                                         JessicaKate O.
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I am a relative beginner with yoga and, despite constant reminders to "focus on my breathing", I have found the breathing element to be extremely difficult to implement (sometimes I even find myself holding my breath!). Aruna is the only instructor who has given me specific tools to change my breathing patterns. Her techniques gave me a change to actually experience what a focus on breathing actually feels like. She is a kind, patient instructor with a soothing voice who is able to adapt her lesson plan for different skill and fitness levels.  I strongly recommend Aruna Sultan Yoga!
Amy W.
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As a self-proclaimed yoga connoisseur, I've tried many different styles of yoga and have practiced with as many as 20 to 30 different yoga instructors. In my experience, Aruna stands out at the top of my list as a natural yoga teacher and a true Yogini. Her intuitive instructions provide just the right amount of challenge and I left her session feeling completely relaxed and with a greater body awareness. With her highly personable and caring nature, I would recommend Aruna for both larger classes where she would be widely loved as well as small, intimate classes and one-on-one instruction.
Minda M.
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I have practiced many different styles of yoga over many years and can recommend Aruna as one of the best teachers I have ever had. Educated as a neuroscientist, Aruna understands human anatomy and is sensitive to each student's physical abilities. She provides a variety of asanas appropriate to each student's level of experience with an emphasis on breath-synchronized movement and correct alignment. Her caring, calm and soothing nature extends to all those who experience yoga with Aruna.
Cynthia R.
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I used to do weights and after injuring myself I'd turned to Yoga for help. I knew the benefits of yoga and I thought it will take some time before I see any improvement. But after a few private sessions with Aruna my health improves along with my flexibility. 

Aruna is a great teacher and she is meticulous. She pays attention to your breathing and posture and immediately corrects any bad poses. She makes yoga practice a pleasure and there is a yoga for everyone. 

Keep in mind a great teacher is critical when you are new to yoga and private sessions are extremely important to get the maximum benefits and attention.
James P.
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After having taken only two 1:1 classes with Aruna, and being a complete beginner to yoga, I feel like I already really love yoga. She is warm, knowledgeable, and tailors each class to your individual needs. Aruna is helping me to develop my own personal yoga practice to support my running, as well as for my own overall health. Any aches and pains I may have going into the class, they are gone at the end of class. Not only do I feel like I have had a challenging whole body workout, I feel relaxed and more aware of how I move and breathe. I am truly looking forward to continuing to learn more about yoga with Aruna.
Tiffany C.
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In my first session with Aruna I developed my body awareness and body fitness, and finished feeling more present and blissful. She gave me precise instructions and helped me make subtle corrections in my practice. Whenever I was confused she would patiently answer my questions and make sure I was executing correctly before moving on. This made me feel confident that I was steadily making progress and realizing the full benefits of the practice.

Overall, it was a very productive and serene experience. Highly recommended.
Luke G.
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This is a long over due review. I have had 4 1:1 lessons with Aruna. The whole experience was exceptional! 

Aruna is a really wonderful instructor who is warm, caring and knowledgeable. Her lessons focus on the breathing and its flow with the pose. Through out the lessons she chose the poses carefully, so it suits my condition and not over stress any parts of my body. The exercise was gentle but effective. I flexibility and balance  has improved significantly since the first lesson!  Now I can manage more difficult poses! =D

I look forward to seeing her next time, when she gets back from Costa Rica in March.
Annabel H.
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I am a stress ball.

I've also never had a 1:1 anything before so I was a bit nervous about my first session with Aruna. Right away, she made me feel comfortable and relaxed.

I am also a SUPER-beginner and have only attended group yoga sessions a couple of time. Aruna was incredibly patient and knew exactly how hard to push me. She was soothing and took extra time to explain the hows and whys of what we were doing. All around, a 5-star experience. 

I look forward to weekly sessions with her and to further improving my abilities and relaxation techniques.
Rachel L.
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I'll do this review backwards! For a long time I'd walked around with my shoulders hunched forward, almost pulling towards each other, tensing my shoulder muscles constantly. Many people had tried to give me advice on how to better my posture, but I had always given up after a few days: there are many subtly different ways to exaggerate good posture that all involve holding yourself slightly differently, and nobody had given me advice that was precise enough to pinpoint a way of holding myself that use my muscles in a natural way. Aruna noticed this and worked with me for a few minutes after the yoga session to adjust  all those small details that make a big difference for good posture. Her adjustments made me really feel that difference. Since then the way I hold myself has stayed significantly better, especially when walking around outside. The difference is remarkable. Not only do I physically feel better, but psychologically it's such a big boost to confidence. I'm amazed that Aruna's advice even outside of teaching yoga could have such a profound and lasting effect!

But maybe I shouldn't be surprised, since that attention to detail and holistic understanding is exactly what Aruna excels at. For better or worse, people like me are obsessed with doing things correctly. Sure, practice makes perfect, but if I don't understand what ideal I'm chasing after then I get flustered. Aruna points out and explains the small details for every pose and how the movements and tensions should balance each other out. Those small details are super important, and understanding their relation is almost intellectual (in a good way). As someone who does a fair bit of anapanasati I was excited by the extent to which Aruna realizes the importance and subtleties of breath. And of course, Aruna's relaxing personality makes it so that exploring a new posture doesn't feel like nervously trying to guess the teacher's password.

In summary, working with Aruna is an enlightening experience for both mind and body. Highly recommended.
Will N.
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Look no further. Aruna's presence is calming, endearing and sincere. It feels good to be around her. She is an intelligent Yoga instructor that skillfully blends breathing techniques with various traditions in Yoga.  She gave me personalized constructive feedback.  I highly recommend.

Daniel R.
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Aruna was exactly who I needed to meet to get my start in Yoga. As someone new to the practice her patience, diligence around making sure to use the right poses, and discipline were helpful in making me appreciate yoga. I'd gladly recommend her to anyone beginning or those advanced. She's a pleasure to work with.
Travis W.
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I was quite intimidated to get into yoga. Not only am I a total newbie, but I have a terrible sense of balance. There was just no way I could do a traditional class without being "that girl" who is distracting everyone else and making a spectacle of herself.

At the same time, I'm in a high-stress profession and really, really needed to find a good form of exercise that tended both the mind and body. I had a feeling yoga would be a perfect fit. Thanks to Aruna, it is.

I found her here on Yelp. She's got the requisite calming personality without being one of those pretentious or impatient/critical teachers (though she stresses the importance of form, it's in a very unstressful way). She's totally real, down-to-earth, and incredibly bright. Read her life story on her Web site...I love experiencing yoga from someone who is probably way smarter than me and has such a strong sense of adventure and learning. She's not one of these hippie types or exercise fanatics. Just a normal, cool person dedicated to teaching people a new way to think, feel and live.

Our session is the highlight of my week. I leave with renewed energy, total relaxation and an incredible sense of well-being. Plus, she's fun! My sessions aren't dictated by a structure of this pose or that asana. It's a very natural flow of movement and breathing. She knows how to tailor her teaching to your ability and goals. 

Do it, you won't regret it.

PS - The Infinity studio is very clean and quiet, and wonderfully located near my office.
Sarah M.
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After trying out her free introductory session, I chose Aruna as a yoga teacher because I have full trust in her ability to watch me carefully to determine which parts of her instruction I'm following and which to focus on more.  With other yoga teachers, I have felt a nagging sense of "am I doing this right"; while working with Aruna I am instead able to relax and focus my full attention on the forms she is teaching me, confident that I am making progress and that she will tell me, clearly and patiently, what I need to know to best improve.  When there is something I need extra instruction on, I have been consistently impressed with the way she identifies the most fundamental relevant principle and describes it creatively and concisely.
Divia M.
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I recently took an intro session with Aruna. Although I've had a couple of Yoga teachers before, Aruna gave me a pleasant surprise with her unique approach to teaching which combines practice with principles. Instead of focusing solely on poses, she was very patient and thorough in explaining the breathing technique, and gave me hands-on instructions during practice. As a beginner, I'm very grateful to Aruna for showing me how to breathe deeply and mindfully - it is such a fundamental aspect of Yoga which should never be ignored.

Aruna selected the poses carefully such that they fit my specific physical capabilities. She also made careful corrections to my poses in time without being too demanding. The poses were simple but very effective in relieving my stress. Having one-on-one sessions also enabled me to share my feelings and concerns with her and incorporate her feedback into my learning process promptly.

I highly recommend Aruna to those with a genuine interest in Yoga!
Kalare W.
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Aruna is a fantastic yoga teacher!  What I like best about her sessions is the highly individualized, warm and caring approach and her focus on breathing. After the sessions I feel very relaxed and much more aware of my body. Yoga with her is as much meditation as physical exercise.
Jan W.