UZIT Monthly Community Gathering: Bearing Witness

Join a 1 hour interactive community gathering of UZIT facilitators and students, hosted by our esteemed UZIT senior faculty and teachers. This month Tracy Griffiths will be hosting a conversation between Mary Taylor and Colleen Saidman Yee. This is a free event for anyone interested — we’d be thrilled to have you join us!

SUMMER FRIDAY: Pranayama + Sound Bath

Often in the heat of summer fun we need to center and revitalize. Yoga Shanti invites you to join us for our Summer Fridays in August (6:00-7:30pm EST), exploring yoga, meditation, breath-work, sound healing, and movement. It’s the ultimate way to ground your week and welcome the weekend. Sign up today! See you on your mat.

Pranayama & Sound Bath

The sound and rhythm of the breath guided by the sound orchestration of gongs, chimes and bells.  In the world seen through the lens of vibration we come to the yoga practice with different tools and measurements.  Learn how to listen profoundly by immersing yourself in the world of sound.  Even the great Yogi Shri Aurobindo said “Yoga is Sound”.  With breath exercises mixed with a sound bath we move from concentration to integration. We will practice asana to unlock how the sounds are being truncated and then practice traditional pranayama techniques, all in the cacophony of vibration from the sound bath.

Cost: $40 Drop-In (register using the link above) or $170 to register for the complete series

Annual Easter Sunday Class

Hop into Easter with us! Join Colleen Saidman Yee & Rodney Yee for their annual Easter Sunday Class on Sunday, April 20th at 9:30AM ET! This 90-minute class is a perfect blend of relaxation and flow — happening live in the studio, on livestream, and available for replay. Whether you’re in the studio or joining from home, it’s going to be a beautiful start to your Easter Sunday!

YOGA SHANTI GOLD: Inversion Modifications

Sometimes practicing inversions is not going to happen for a myriad of reasons. We believe that these are important poses and should not be skipped. But, how can you teach them safely in a public class? Also, many will just never feel safe being upside down with the weight on their arms. We will show modifications and alternative poses that will give you the essential effects of each basic inversion. There is an internal journey that these inversions and their replacements will open the door to. Never be left out again in a class that includes inversions!

Submitting any questions relating the topic above by midnight on Saturday, June 25th to sagharbor@yogashanti.com with “Gold Question” in the subject line of the email.

YOGA SHANTI GOLD: Janu Sirsasana

Iyengar says that if you understand Janu Sirsasana (one-legged seated forward bend) that you will understand the essence of all of the forward bends.  What are the elements that make up this important pose? Where does it belong in sequences? We will break it down and make you fall even more in love with this crescent shaped, asymmetrical closed twist and forward bend.  Come and open up the treasure chest of Janu Sirsasana.

Participate in this discussion by submitting your questions relating to the topic above by midnight on Saturday, April 30th to sagharbor@yogashanti.com with “Gold Question” in the subject line of the email.

YOGA SHANTI GOLD: Jalandhara Bandha

  1. What is Jalandhara Bandha?
  2. What is the architecture?
  3. What is the action?
  4. How do we prepare for it?
  5. Why bother?
These are some of the questions that will guide our inquiry into Jalandhara Banha. Join us for this upcoming Gold session where together we illuminate and experience the power and subtlety of the valve at the base of the throat.

Participate in this discussion by submitting your questions relating to the topic above by midnight on Saturday, March 19th to sagharbor@yogashanti.com with “Gold Question” in the subject line of the email.

YOGA SHANTI GOLD: Peak Pose Sequencing (An Exploration for Teachers and Students)

1. How and why do you pick a peak pose?
2. What are you trying to learn from the peak pose?
3. What alignment points will set you up for accessibility to the peak pose and why?
4. What are the basic elements of the pose and which of those elements cause difficulty or lack of understanding?
5. What other poses are similar in shape and in action?
These are some of the questions that will guide our inquiry into “peak pose sequencing”. Join us as we play with different ways to break the yoga sequencing code by playing with the pieces of the asana puzzle. We will be architect, builder, interior designer, and occupant.

Participate in this discussion by submitting your questions relating to the topic above by midnight on Saturday, February 19th to sagharbor@yogashanti.com with “Gold Question” in the subject line of the email.

YOGA SHANTI GOLD: What is Pranayama, the Fourth Limb of Ashtanga Yoga (the Eight-Limbed Path)? 

Can pranayama be translated as breath control? What is the relationship between pranayama and Sutra 1.2, “Yogash Chitta Vritti Nirodaha,” which translates to “Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind”? Why is breath considered to be the bridge between the body and the mind and how do we work with it in asana practice? Should different pranayama practices be done at different times of the day or different times of our lives? How long and how often should one practice pranayama? These are some of the questions that will fuel our inquiry into Pranayama. We will do a practice that includes a few different types of breathwork and we will take the time to notice the effects of each one. You may think of it as a “breath sampler”. Join us for this experience and inquiry into one of the vital yoga practices. Your questions are encouraged.

Participate in this discussion by submitting your questions relating to the topic above by midnight on Saturday, January 15th to sagharbor@yogashanti.com with “Gold Question” in the subject line of the email.

YOGA SHANTI GOLD: Ganesh, Bhujapidansana, Mayurasana, and Kapalabati Breath

Ganesh: The Remover of Obstacles. Bhujapidansana and mayurasana will serve as our asana obstacles in this session. We will use them as a way to understand how our perspective and attitude about these arm balances can get in the way of our play and experimentation.  Finding our path back to an open mind and our natural curiosity is our class topic for this Shanti Gold session. Kapalabati will be our breath focus to help clear the Nadis, providing an easy breath in the midst of challenge.

Participate in this discussion by submitting your questions by midnight on August 13th to sagharbor@yogashanti.com with “Gold Question” in the subject line of the email.