Amanda Raja Nora is committed to build her yoga practice and yoga classes with 
conscientiousness, curiosity, bravery, zeal, full expression, and a sense of humor.

Amanda Raja Nora became a Registered Yoga Teacher with the North American National Yoga Alliance back in 2003 after studying under Swami Shambhavananda at the Shambhava School of Yoga in the Eldorado Mountain Yoga Ashram, and the Shoshoni Yoga Ashram.  After completing the Shambhava School’s Hatha Yoga teacher training program, spanning 6 months of training in all eight limbs of Hatha Yoga, she began her yoga teaching career, teaching regular classes at various studios in the Denver Metropolitan Area, and designing and conducting specialized Hatha Yoga workshops.  After several years of teaching Hatha Yoga, she began her 'journey into power' with Baron Baptiste in studying Baptiste Power Vinyasa Yoga (BPVY).  She has completed Level 1 and Level 2 BPVY yoga teacher training bootcamps with Baron Baptiste and is now an Associate Baptiste Instructor.  Along her continuing journey in studying under Baron Baptiste, she has learned how to integrate forgiveness, humility, empowerment, community, and continuous improvement into her practice, her teaching, as well as her personal and professional life.

Amanda Raja also has experience as a management consultant and professional dancer and choreographer.  As a professional dancer since the age of 16, Amanda Raja’s yoga practice and teaching career were symbiotic in supporting her earning her B.F.A. in Dance Choreography from the University of Colorado at Boulder (Cum Laude) and her M.F.A. in Dance Choreography on fellowship from University of California, Irvine (UCIrvine), from which she has presented and published her thesis research in national conferences on popular culture and educational journals.  As a consultant, Amanda travelled 100% of her time throughought the world, teaching business executives how to incrementally improve their business measures and develop their people, inch by inch, every day.  She believes that dance, choreography, business, lean manufacturing . . . are all yoga.  She draws from all of her yoga training and experience to custom design yoga classes with creativity, 4-D perspective, grace, power, and a sense of humor.

Amanda Raja currently teaches at several downtown Chicago studios as well as Columbia College.  She also travels to perform and teach intensive workshops and master classes specializing in Baptiste Power Vinyasa Yoga influenced classes, partner’s yoga, yoga for dancers and theletes (injury prevention/yoga therapy), Modern Dance Technique, Jazz Dance Technique, Ballet for modern dancers, Fusion Forms, Afro-Modern, Reparatory, Musical Theatre, and dance composition. Originally from the burbs of Detroit, MI, she is excited to be engaging and lighting up the Chicago community, one asana at a time!