About - Donna Davidge Yoga

Always keenly interested in health, both physically and mentally, Donna (Amrita) took her first yoga class in college. After receiving her Masters in Nutrition and living three years in Europe (working as a model) she avidly returned to studying yoga. In 1985 she began teaching Kundalini Yoga, producing her first video Strength and Serenity in 1990 (a clip and the review here or elsewhere??), creating a Chakra booklet in 1993, the same year she promoted Yoga Journal's first videos on QVC. In 2000 Yoga Journal chose her video The Challenge (1996) as one of their top ten choices (link to reviews and clip?). She received her name Amrita directly from her teacher Yogi Bhajan in 1987.

In 1997, after 12 years teaching in many and varied venues in New York City, Donna purchased her great grandfather's historic homestead in northern Maine to keep alive the legacy of healing and hospitality that began with a young Theodore Roosevelt and her great grandfather, nature guide William Sewall. Near lakes and Baxter State Park, Sewall House Yoga Retreat has hosted guests from all over the United Staes and beyond, offering small personalized retreats. It was chosen top ten worldwide two years in a row by Gayot online. She operates the retreat with her Swedish husband, musician Kent Bonham.
Since 1999 Donna (Amrita) has deeply immersed herself in study with her favorite teachers in New York City (when not teaching)- Dharma Mitta, Eddie Stern (Ashtanga) and Genny Kapuler (Iyengar). In 2003 she began to integrate this into her teaching, branching out beyond Kundalini yoga as a teacher. Her clients have ranged in age and lifestyle from A-list actors to people with life threatening illnesses, both privately and in groups. In 2009 she began offering teacher training in Maine by request.
Donna (Amrita)'s products can be purchased at Spirit Voyage, Yogatech, Amazon and at http://www.sewallhouse.com/shop.html.

You may also sign up for her newsletters there.

Donna's yoga practice extends to ahimsa, non-harming and non-violence. As an animal activist she serves on the board of All Sentient Beings in New York City, as well as being active in movements to educate on and save the environment, an outgrowth of her deep love for nature instilled in the woods of Maine in her childhood summers there.

Donna Davidge

AMRITA KAUR KHALSA

E-500 Hour RYT Yoga Alliance

Member International Assn of Yoga Therapists

Evolving Kundalini

Masters in Nutrition/research on cholesterol

Keenly interested in health, both physically and mentally, Donna (Amrita) took her first yoga class in college. As a competitive runner in high school and college, she regained her strength after breaking her back skydiving in 1979, determined to run a marathon within a year of being bedridden for a month. After receiving her Masters in Nutrition and living for three years in Europe (working as a model) she avidly returned to studying yoga. One of her last running competitions was a half marathon in Paris in 1985. That same year she began teaching Kundalini Yoga in New York City, producing her first video Strength and Serenity in 1990, creating a Chakra booklet in 1993, the same year she promoted Yoga Journal's first videos on QVC. In 2000 Yoga Journal chose her video The Challenge (1996) as one of their top ten choices. She received her name Amrita directly from her teacher Yogi Bhajan in 1987. She continued to study with varied senior Kundalini yoga teachers to grow her experience as a teacher and student. In 1996 Donna (Amrita) was hit by a cab on her bicycle in New York City, using the healing power of yoga to help her heal from her second impactful injury.

In 1997, after a dozen years teaching in many and varied venues in New York City, Donna purchased her great grandfather's historic homestead in northern Maine to jump into a new adventure, keeping alive the legacy of healing and hospitality that began with a young Theodore Roosevelt and her great grandfather, nature guide William Sewall. Near lakes and Baxter State Park, (and most recently the new National monument Kathadin Woods and Waters) Sewall House Yoga Retreat has hosted guests from all over the United States and beyond, offering small personalized retreats. It has been chosen top ten In The United States by USA Today Readers (2023), top ten US transformational retreats by HGTV in 2021 , was top ten worldwide online from 2008-2011 and has been featured in various publications including Yoga Journal, Travel & Leisure & InStyle.

Since 1999, when the kundalini yoga (sat nam rasayan) healer Guru Dev suggested that Kundalini yoga expanded her awareness but she needed more physical integration into her practice, Donna (Amrita) deeply immersed herself in study with her favorite teachers that she was blessed to discover in New York City while she continued to teach full time- Dharma Mittra, Eddie Stern (Ashtanga) and Genny Kapuler (Iyengar). In 2003 she began to integrate this into her teaching, branching out beyond Kundalini yoga as a teacher. She also had the good fortune to take classes from Pattabhis Jois, the father of Ashtanga yoga, twice as well as Rod Stryker, Ana Forrest, David Life and Gurmukh. Donna's (Amrita) clients have ranged in age and lifestyle from all walks of life from children to A-list actors to people with life threatening illnesses at Friends in Deed . In 2003 she demonstrated Kundalini Yoga on the Martha Stewart show. She has been featured in various national publications, quoted as an expert on yoga. In 2009 she began offering 200 Hour Yoga Alliance teacher training in Maine by request. Donna (Amrita), while now teaching others to become teachers in very small group trainings, continues to study both the physical and meditational aspects of yoga through practice with teachers and in everyday life. She considers yoga a lifelong self study which evolves with the stages of life. At age 67 (2022) she Donna diagnosed with full bone on bone arthritis in the shoulder (having lost some mobility, strength and experiencing some pain) where she had her bike accident 26 years before. The suggested treatment for this is full shoulder replacement, which the surgeon said she may avoid if she continues whatever she had been doing- yet another testimony to the healing aspect of a yoga lifestyle at any phase of life.

She likes to impart humor into her teaching as she considers yoga to be serious and fun. She is honored to have been interviewed by Integral Yoga Magazine on the relationship between yoga and emotion. She was the yoga columnist for Inner Tapestry in New England from 2000-2013. In 2019 her memoir Balancing with Bunions was published.

Donna (Amrita) has taught at Golden Bridge Yoga, Kundalini Yoga East, Pure Yoga, HB Acting School, Nu-Age Spa, Costa Rica and Italy, Sweden and Canada, California as well as workshops in various studios in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut. She also has taught a popular Chakra Series at the Open Center in New York City., as well as online at Daily OM.

She wishes to extend thanks to her students, her teachers and all who helped her evolve the retreat center.

Donna (Amrita)'s products can be found on I-Hanuman and at http://www.sewallhouse.com/shop.html via YOUTUBE.

" I so love that DVD. Used it for a year now hundreds of times. My favorite yoga DVD of all time. It is perfect. The music made me cry. It is a rare thing these days. So many seem mechanical. Not yours- I had almost every Kundalini Yoga DVD out there but this one was the one. Please use my comments if you like.

Thanks so much for allowing me to promote your fantastic DVD, Very special it is. You helped me at a time when things looked so bleak; The music is so spiritual too." Janet Cassidy OHIO

" My wife and I host a small yoga/meditation group at our house. Last week I put in Your Awakening DVD. I wanted you to know that of all the Kundalini and Hatha DVDs we have played, this one received enthusiastic reviews. One of our participants said " She is more chill than the others." We loved the soundtrack and wish we could get a copy of the artist's work. Is this available?" Ron Green Illinois

" Sat Nam Donna- Just have to say thank you for the yoga DVD's- they are amazing and very helpful. I love the background music and I wonder if there is a CD I can purchase to use in my classes." Blessings, Linda (Gian Kaur)

We invite you to sign up for our newsletters on Sewall House homepage (and every page!) link and become a Sewall House Facebook fan on the Sewall House website Newsletter . We would love to have you join us!

Donna's yoga practice extends to ahimsa, non-harming and non-violence. As an animal activist she has served on the board of All Sentient Beings in New York City, as well as being active in movements to educate on and save the environment, an outgrowth of her deep love for nature instilled in the woods of Maine in her childhood summers there. She is a staunch opposer to industrial wind power and helps educate others about the misconceptions about its benefits to the environment and its negative impact on the environment, including harm to humans, birds, bats and other wildlife.