Sarah Platt-Finger was stunned. It was the summer of 2014, and the Yoga Master was knee deep in Dr. Deepak Chopra’s book, The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire: Harnessing the Infinite Power of Coincidence. Deepak’s musings about quantum leaps, unbound potential, and infinite possibilities were speaking to her and motivating her.
As luck (or fate?) would have it, a week later Platt-Finger received an email that would change her life. It was from Deepak’s assistant. The Chopra Global founder was moving two doors down from Sarah’s yoga studio, ISHTA Yoga, and he was seeking a private yoga teacher.
“It was so synchronistic that I thought it was not real,” Platt-Finger says. "I thought it was a fluke, because I really was so immersed in his books at the time.”
Naturally, she agreed to work with the holistic health icon. But then came the next issue: How do you teach the master? Platt-Finger's mentor helped her reframe the approach in her mind. She wasn’t there to teach him, necessarily, but to share the teachings with him.
"We put together a sequence,” the Director of Chopra Yoga at IIN says. “I’m trained to teach people based on their anatomy, their individual distinct constitution, and the way that their body works and fits. [There’s an] Ayurvedic aspect to it as well, which is a big part of the Chopra teachings, so there was a lot of crossover, and that resonated with Deepak.”
Read More: What Is Ayurveda? An Introduction to the Ancient Healing System
Sarah and Deepak began to work together regularly, meeting for 6:00 am classes in New York City. The work continued steadily for six years, and during that time Platt-Finger saw firsthand how yoga transformed him, both physically and mentally.
“It really changed his physique,” she says. “He lost a ton of weight. He became more vital. He started to get more into Pranayama and breath technique and longevity. I think it opened up this whole other exploration and passion of the ancient practice of yoga, and it led us to do the book together, Living in the Light.”
Deepak had practiced yoga prior to his work with Sarah, but she speculates that his earlier practice wasn’t individualized or catered to his specific body.
“There’s so much yoga and everybody has their practice that suits them,” she says, “but I think he might have just needed a particular style that worked with his body and his constitution and his pacing.”
The Chopra Yoga 200-Hour Teacher Training Is Born
Prior to co-authoring the book, Chopra and Platt-Finger had collaborated on programs, retreats, and events, and in 2022 they teamed up to launch the Chopra Yoga 200-Hour Teacher Training, which Platt-Finger currently leads. (It also features instruction from Chopra himself, as well as board-certified physician Dr. Sheila Patel.)
The 16-week certification program is fully online, making it accessible to anyone across the globe. It’s self-paced, but there are multiple opportunities for students to come together live for Sadhana Labs, where you work with a mentor to learn yoga poses, practice teach, ask questions, and work together in a more intimate environment. The yoga classes and webinars are also live, but students have the option to view the recordings.
“The skill that I learned from ISHTA, of teaching to the individual, I brought into this course,” Platt-Finger says. “Making it accessible for every body, every shape, every background, every constitution ... Then we have Deepak’s seven spiritual laws as the main foundation of the program. It’s the seven spiritual laws of success, and it’s an inner success.
“It’s not an external success. How do you create a state of success inside of yourself? And most yoga programs don’t bring in that intersectionality of your spiritual life and your material life.”
Practice With Deepak and Sarah in Bryant Park
Don’t miss a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to practice with Sarah and meditate with Deepak in person! On Wednesday, September 11th, Deepak will lead a soothing breathwork meditation and Sarah will guide a 40-minute yoga session in Bryant Park, in the heart of Manhattan. Click here to learn more about the event, and click here to register.
