About Deb
"My
Dharma"

My name is Deb Newton and I am the founder of the Santosha Recovery Program. For most of 2021 and 2022, I was mentored and was certified as a Yoga Swami. It was during this time that I realized my life's purpose was to share with others the healing journey that I took to free my karma of a drug and alcohol addiction.  In yoga we call our life's purpose our dharma. The dharma of the sun is to provide warmth and light to those of us on earth. My dharma at this time in my life is to share how I become so content and blissful here on earth in this lifetime. So here is my story: I quit drinking in March of 2005. Honestly, it was the hardest thing I have ever done but definitely the most meaningful and rewarding thing that I have journeyed! As a way to calm myself from all the anxiety I had from the task of staying sober, I began a Hatha Yoga practice. And this eventually led to further study through the Temple of Kriya Yoga. I used Kriya Yoga techniques, based on the Eight Limbs of Yoga, such as hatha yoga, meditation, positive attitude, finding purpose, astrology and reflection, to heal from the inside. Using these methods I moved to a place of self-awareness, which eventually led to self-acceptance, compassion and love. As I navigated the practices and learned how to quiet the mind, I began to meditate and using deep reflection, I came to an understanding of why I react to life the way I do. I also began to heal the mind, body and spirit complex of all the years in which I had little acceptance and compassion for myself. My further study led to a 200 hour Hatha Yoga certificate. Then for the next 3 years I studied Tantra Yoga with Rod Stryker taking many intensive retreats. Tantra Yoga is working with our life currents (Prana) to unveil our inner light. Then Life became my guru for while and will always remain my guru as I have learned to see life and every sentient being in my life as a teacher. And going full circle back to the Temple of Kriya Yoga, I am honored to become a Swami and to, as Goswami Kriyananda puts it, "soften the hearts of humankind". All these years of deepening my yoga practice has brought me to a place of genuine bliss. Truly. I have softened the karma of my addiction and have arrived to a place of Santosha. I am content!! As I leave this abode at the end of this lifetime, I am feeling really comfortable about leaving a life that my cup has floweth over!! ​