Amanda Dates Biography

Amanda Dates has been practicing yoga for eight years. She was originally introduced to it as a tool to relax and focus. She soon realized the truly transformative power of the practice and its logical connection to her work in the sustainability movement. After a year of concentrated study combined with Qi Gong and meditation she completed a Hatha Vinyasa teacher training through the Yoga Tree studios in San Francisco.

Through Amanda's professional and academic training in the principles of systems thinking, she was able to understand that suffering is never due to one isolated incident or cataclysmic event, but rather a series of patterns, disconnects, and habitual behaviors which are at the core of an unhealthy system. She has worked to integrate the notion of "systems healing" into her practice and teaching.

Amanda's teaching style is based on the principles of vinyasa flow; connecting breath to movement. In her classes, there's as much stillness as there is sweat. Pranayama, core strengthening, and a rigorous flow can always be expected. All of her classes share the common themes of exploring the edge and getting curious about what lies beyond the struggle; inviting her students, even if only for a moment, to touch into the abundant self, the self that can identify a deep connection to all beings. This is when the transformation begins.

Amanda is grateful for the opportunity to study with master teachers: Stephanie Snyder, Ana Forrest, Jamie Lindsay, Darren Main, Christopher Love, Jay Kumar, Sri Dharma Mittra, Baron Baptiste, among other dedicated yogis. She also has an abundance of gratitude for Larry Wong, her Qi Gong instructor and wise counselor. Amanda's style is a hybrid inspired by the traditions (Vinyasa, Iyengar, Power, Yin) of her teachers.

Besides DogaYoga, Amanda is the founder of Daterra Associates, a consulting firm that offers advisory services to stakeholders in the food systems and sustainable agriculture field. She is trained in conflict resolution/peer negotiation and finds infinite value in building non-traditional multi-stakeholder partnerships.