Thursday, February 09, 2012
Kaiden working on his Viyasas
Monday, December 26, 2011
Kino MacGregor returns to The Yoga Shala, Orlando, Florida in February 2012
Be sure to register as soon as possible because Kino's workshops always sell out.
Kino MacGregor Weekend Workshop
February 25-26, 2012
Saturday, February 25
10 AM - 12 PM Guided
2 - 4 PM Arm Balances for Everyone
Break a sweat while learning to safely balance on your hands, have fun while challenging yourself and gain access to your own inner strength. The magic of the arm balance is demystified and made approachable so that every practitioner who is not afraid to put in the work can feel the beauty of flight. When done correctly arm balances can build self-esteem, increase energy flow and heal old injuries. Every student will leave with proven techniques to safely build the structural support necessary for stability in all strength based postures.
Sunday, February 26
8 AM - 10 AM Mysore
12 - 2 PM: The Spiritual Journey of Asana
Yoga is a daily practice that demands our full devotion before we can begin to even scratch the surface of its deeper meaning as a lifelong spiritual path. Kino leads you through a discussion of key elements of the sacred, foundational text of yoga, The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Rather than a historical account Kino integrates yoga philosophy with daily asana practice and modern life. Written more than 2,000 years ago the teaching of Patanjali is composed of 195 Sutras organized in four books and holds the essence of the eight-limbed path of Asthanga Yoga. By exploring the basis of physical yoga postures and methodology for spiritual learning in the Yoga Sutras you will delve deeper into the process of self-realization, the true intention of all hatha yoga.
ENTIRE WORKSHOP by January 5: $150; $170 thereafter. For more information and registration contact Krista@TheYogaShala.org
Workshop Cancellation Policy/Refunds:
All cancellations must be made 10 days prior to the start of the workshop. Refunds will be given in the form of studio credit only (less a $15 processing fee). No credits will be given within 10 days of the start of workshop.
Wednesday, September 07, 2011
Right Here, Right Now
Right Here, Right Now
by Maureen Hanusek
Chances are, if you’re sitting here, reading this, you are in no immediate danger. And if you are in fact, sitting here, reading this, life is pretty good. So, at this very moment, right here, right now, all is perfect. How miniscule the present moment can seem compared to a lifetime. How infinite the present moment can be at this very second.
I am reading the book The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle. A friend let me borrow it. And it’s really got me thinking about how to stay present in this moment. So far, it’s amazing. When I truly cut out the mind chatter and things past and future, life seems so beautiful.
But every moment can’t be beautiful, can it? I wish every moment could be beautiful, but things aren’t always beautiful, like our yoga practice, for example. Some days you feel as if you could float on your mat easily from posture to posture. While other days you feel like a lead brick, flopping around on the mat like a poor dying fish out of water. Thus the Power of Now begins.
Your yoga practice is the best place to start your attention to the present moment. This is where your day begins or ends and comes full circle, on your mat. There’s no hiding from it, it’s there, waiting for you to “check in.” It’s where you peel away the layers of your external self and actually have to be with who you really are. And it’s happening every moment you dedicate to your practice. Don’t like yourself so much one day; what’s your practice going to look like? Love yourself another day; how does your practice feel? What is every moment like being you?
Being fully alive in this present moment can be a daunting task when we first realize how much effort it may take, but noticing how wonderful life is, right here, right now can fill us with gratitude and compassion. With practice, living in the present moment becomes more natural and all the chatter and pains that we seem to live with go away, if only for a fleeting moment. Soon these fleeting moments become strung together and longer lapses of clarity exist in our lives.
Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? How do I get this clarity? Where do I begin? Begin on your mat. Whilst practicing asana, feel what the body is doing, feel the breath, the bandhas and refuse to listen to what the mind is telling you about the past or the future. Know that this very moment of your day will only exist for a very short time and that noticing it will not only make it a more enjoyable experience, but allow you to connect with a deeper inner self that may need acknowledgement. In these fleeting minutes, is where we can truly listen for that “Ah-ha” moment. It’s where breakthroughs occur and where those questions we keep asking become answered.
Now is an incredible time to be alive. Now is a powerful tool for self discovery. Now is the time to enjoy the life you have been given. Now is your opportunity to live you best life.
Tuesday, September 06, 2011
Brian Friedman Workshop at The Yoga Shala in Winter Park, Florida (just outside Orlando)
Boundaries and Knowledge Yoga Workshop
with Brian Friedman
Saturday, September 24th
2:00-4:00pm.
$35.00 early registration, $50.00 thereafter.
Join us for a powerful workshop facilitated by Brian Friedman on Saturday, September 24, 2011 where we’ll explore the ideas of boundaries and knowledge.
What are boundaries?
- Posture
- Breathing
- Gazing Spots
- Synchronized Movements
- Energy Locks
What is Knowledge?
- Understanding Astanga Vinyasa Yoga
- Knowledge of the Self
These ideas will help you establish good habits during every yoga practice and Brian will share with you the single most important idea of them all.
It’s time to take your yoga experience to the next level! Part discussion, part demonstration, and part led class, this personalized, highly interactive workshop will give you the tools you need to develop great yoga habits and to receive outstanding yoga results!
Friday, September 02, 2011
Beginner Yoga at The Yoga Shala in Winter Park, Florida (in the Orlando area)
Four Week Beginning Yoga Course
This four week beginner Yoga course is designed for students with little or no yoga experience. Students are introduced to Ashtanga yoga in a slow, safe and comprehensive manner. This beginner Yoga course is progressive, in order that each class will allow students to build from the previous. At the end this course, students will be equipped with the knowledge of the history of the Ashtanga Yoga method, a physical foundation of the sun salutations, standing postures and breath work required to advance in the Ashtanga practice, and the self-assurance to enter into the Mysore program. All classes are held at our Orlando Yoga Shala location. This course requires pre-registration, call 407-506-4626 for more information.
Please select the course you wish to enroll. You may come five days per week during the month beginner course (unless you register for the evening class, which is four nights per week); please keep in mind that it is most ideal to come four-five days per week but please be sure you can come at least three days per week in order to receive maximum benefit from the program.
Beginner Course Timings
6:30-7:30am
8:30-9:30am
9:30-10:30am
12:00-1:00pm
7:00-8:00pm
Beginner Course Dates - You must call to register
September 13 - October 7
October 10 - November 4
November 7 - December 2
December 5 - December 30
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Weekly Donation Classes at The Yoga Shala in Winter Park, Florida (just outside Orlando)
Please Join The Yoga Shala on Saturday mornings from 11:00-12:00pm for our DONATION Guided Ashtanga Yoga class
The Yoga Shala is located in Winter Park, Florida (in the orlando area). 927 North Pennsylvania Avenue, Winter Park, Florida 32789. We are close to the Winter Park Village, downtown Winter Park, Park Avenue, and Lee Road.
Guided Ashtanga Yoga class will present the sun salutations, standing postures and finishing asanas from the Ashtanga Yoga tradition in a one hour class led by one of The Yoga Shala's teachers. All levels are welcome!
Donation class (any dollar amount): The month of September all proceeds will benefit New Hope For Kids in Central Florida.
Instructors at The Yoga Shala will be donating their time each Saturday to teach this class. Please come join us each weekend to raise monies for a wonderful cause!
New Hope for Kids provides services to Central Florida children during some of the most difficult and challenging times of their lives. At our Center for Grieving Children in Maitland we offer support to children ages 3 to 18 who are grieving the death of a loved one. These children come to us during a moment of extreme vulnerability - because of a death caused by illness, accident, murder or suicide - suddenly unsure of what the future holds for them. New Hope for Kids Grief Program teaches them that they are not alone and that there is hope.
Our Wishes for Kids Program improves the quality of life for children who have been diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses. These kids face isolation and educational stagnation resulting from long-term hospital or home care. Physical disabilities may also limit their mobility and access to normal learning and social opportunities. New Hope for Kids provides one very important wish as well as a long-term series of family activities for special needs kids. This gives these children hope for the future and strength to go on striving.
Click here for more information about New Hope For Kids
If you would like more information about The Yoga Shala, please visit our website.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Kaiden doing downdog in the kitchen ;)
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Open Your Heart
♥ Open Your Heart ♥
By Maureen Hanusek - Director of Evening Mysore program at The Yoga Shala in Winter Park, Florida
Back bends are probably the scariest yoga poses most yogis have ever had to accomplish. And it doesn't matter whether you are binding ankles or simple pushing through a bridge pose; at any stage of the back bend it can be a difficult challenge to move into.
Why do back bends seem like such a struggle? Well I believe that the art of back bending is directly correlated to the amount of love you have in your life. Now that is not to say that someone who can bind their ankles with their hands has more love in their life than someone just learning to push their head up off the floor. What I am saying is that your ability to open your heart and to push through the physical discomfort of breaking that protective barrier around the heart is directly correlated to the way we give and receive love.
Have you ever seen someone hunched over from the shoulders, head stretched forward? Now picture their face. What does it look like? Do they seem like that they have a lot of love in their life? Probably not, as they actively protect their heart.
Picture a couple on their wedding day; the groom standing at the altar, the bride walking up the isle. What do they look like? Shoulders back, chest lifting, crown of their heads reaching to the sky. This couple is full of love, and it's obvious.
Wouldn't we rather look like the couple on their wedding day, everyday? This is what back bends teach us, to open our hearts to people, living and new experiences. But life can be disheartening. Of course it can, this is why we repeat back bends in every yoga practice. Not to mention they help wake up the central nervous system.
Our many experiences with love in our lives may have led us to heartache, and it shows in our posture and our practice. So many reasons to protect the heart, love lost whether it was a child, sibling, parent, friend, spouse or grandparent. Maybe a loved one let us down in the past. As a result we still hold on to these pieces for whatever reason.
Back bending will teach you to let go of these pieces so that we can make space for MORE love in our lives. Being able to receive infinite amounts of love into our lives, and more importantly for us to be able to give infinitely more love to everyone, especially the people who really need it. Like that hunched over acquaintance that has very little room in their heart for love. Creating this space in our hearts though back bending is difficult, but so well worth it.
Isn't this what we all live for? Isn't this what we are meant to do? Isn't LOVE the reason we were all put here on this Earth together? To LOVE one another? So don't you want to do more back bending right now? I though so. ♥
Maureen Hanusek is a dedicated Ashtanga Yoga practitioner and teacher. She runs the evening mysore program at The Yoga Shala in Winter Park, Florida. For more information about classes with Maureen click here.