Markus Atmananda

Markus Atmananda caught his first glimpse of the spiritual aspect of life at the age of eleven. He felt anxious and completely overwhelmed by the bullying and the highly limiting environment he experienced in school, leading him to contemplate to end it all. In that moment, he experienced a strong intuitive sense that there was a path forward where freedom was possible. Following this revelation, he became very inquisitive, often driving his mother to the edge of frustration with his questions about life, meaning, and freedom. In his early twenties, he began reading about spiritual practices in books he found at the local library. The ones that resonated with him the most were written by Indian authors like Jiddu Krishnamurti and Osho. As a result, he decided to travel to India in 2001 to deepen his understanding of subjects related to Yoga and meditation. During his time there, he was taught Satyananda Hatha Yoga in Varanasi by Pramod Tiwari, attended Yoga philosophy teachings in Rishikesh with a Swami, and completed his first two Vipassana meditation retreats in Dehra Dun. It was in India that he came across the book “Be as You Are,” featuring questions and answers with Ramana Maharshi, which greatly inspired him.