Scanned image from the Nathaniel's east village group's T-shirt.
The original image of Nathaniel making The Scorpio pose is was taken by Robert Mapplethorpe.

Nathaniel Berry

c.1957 - c. 1996

A yoga teacher and an inspirational figure.

The Gift of Yoga
Zohar Zemach Wilson

In 1993 I was working in an advertising agency in New York City. A demanding job in a stressful city. A friend told me that I should try yoga. I asked my friend "What is yoga?" She smiled and replied, "There's a guy who teaches a free yoga class once a week in the East Village. Check it out and you'll find what it is."
So I went. Took me time to understand what's the relationship between sitting in the dark while making a strange omming sound and some unfamiliar body postures. But I kept coming and started to like it. Nathaniel Berry, the mysterious teacher who wouldn't
charge his students was a very handsome and fit man. He had a deep voice, yet would also be very playful with his voice, connected also to his femenine side.
I began feeling more relaxed, less stressed. I started relating to my body in a way I never experienced before. I wanted more of this yoga thing; once a week wasn't enough anymore. So in addition to Nathaniel's weekly class, I started taking yoga classes in other yoga studios that I found. It's been over ten years since Nathaniel left his body. I still practice yoga, just like many others who were introduced to yoga by Nathaniel and who continue living yoga as well as teaching yoga to others.
Personally for me it didn't stop there. The world of physical yoga invited me into a deeper exploration of body, mind, and spirit. As my diet has changed, so did my thoughts and perspectives. This led into a big shift that ended (or began) with my decision to leave my advertising career and go back to school to become a holistic health counselor.
Thank you Nathaniel for the gift of sharing your love
to yoga with me and others. The inspiration you gave us will never cease to create waves.

Zohar Zemach Wilson is the founder and director of Alok Health

Immense Peace in Life

Jenny Seymore Montgomery

Nathaniel was a beautiful and athletic yogi who always seemed to have a delightful secret in his heart.  He arrived at class carrying his bicycle, buoyant, relaxed, joking with his students. His humor often touched on the absurdities of our crazy lives in NY - the rushing, straining, surviving.  Nathaniel's inner strength and goodness just shone out from him.  He gave so generously of his time and energy in his yoga classes, which were always unpredictable, challenging, and filled with a warm community spirit.  The class was his karma yoga, his community action, and he inspired others to ask, "What can I give, right here and right now?"  Asanas, pranayama, chanting, and meditation were practiced to the accompaniment of powerful music, anything from Indian ragas to disco!  It was a difficult time in my life, and a tough time downtown generally, especially for those OF OUR FRIENDS fighting HIV and AIDS.  Nathaniel's classes were a clean, bright oasis for me and many others.   Once he had us over to his beautiful home and we sat on the terrace in the sun while he served us healthy snacks.  I saw his picture in a book of photographs by Robert Mapplethorpe there.  Nathaniel seemed to have found immense peace in his life when I knew him.  The example of his giving spirit was rare and inspiring.  He seemed to be fully in tune with his purpose.  Nathaniel never promoted a particular school of yoga, he simply taught and practiced "yoga" - union with the divine - in a playful, loving, and rather miraculous way.  His talks about yoga and life helped us face fears and discover new realms of balance, strength, and movement, not only in our asanas.   I recall the artist Luca Pizzorno balanced for a glorious moment in Scorpion pose, and then collapsing with joyful breathless laughter as we applauded his courage and beauty.  Both Luca and Nathaniel have passed on now.  Thanks Nathaniel for sharing yourself so generously!  The rippling outward of your loving teachings continues.....