Govinda Kai Weekend Workshop held at The Yoga Shala in Winter Park

In April of this year we were fortunate to have Govinda Kai join us at The Yoga Shala in Winter Park, Florida for two weekend workshops and a week long workshop. Students had the opportunity to practice under his guidance, sit in on lectures, and participate in kirtan with Govinda.

Govinda Kai will return for another workshop in Orlando, Florida at The Yoga Shala in the Fall of 2012. Keep checking back often for more information.

The pictures below are from Govinda's workshops at The Yoga Shala in April. Photos courtesy of Garrett Frandsen.

An evening of Celebration at The Yoga Shala

Please Join The Yoga Shala on Friday, July 15th for a very special evening of celebration!

The Yoga Shala is dedicated to providing the highest quality yoga instruction in central Florida. Our 2,100 sq ft yoga school has a men's and women's locker room, yoga boutique, and a beautiful yoga room. We are located in the heart of Winter Park, just outside of Orlando.

Dress Well Organic Dry Cleaners

You can now get Organic Dry Cleaning in Orlando! Dress Well Organic Dry Cleaners utilizes state of the art machines and organic detergents. This means that our solution is 100% all natural, naturally biodegradable, toxin and pollutant free. It is the safest professional cleaning option according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In most cases, our detergents are milder than those used at home. This stands us apart from a vast majority of cleaners not only in the Orlando area but the entire U.S. Although generally it is twice the work for us, we want to do our part in protecting you the customer and the environment from toxic harm.

10 reasons to choose organic dry cleaning

1. 100% evnironmentally safe

2. Non-Toxic

3. Anti-Bacterial

4. Free of foul odor

5. Fresh, Clean scent

6. Soft to touch

7. Kind to sensitive skin

8. Safe for your clothes

9. Perfect for removing stains

10. Saves energy

Dress Well Organic Dry Cleaners has been providing top notch service for the Central Florida area for over 20 years. We are a family owned establishment founded on Christian morals and ethics. Our staff has decades of experience to make sure that only the finest quality is provided through our work. We strive to be industry leaders by making sure our equipment is always current and state of the art as well as our service to you and the environment. This is why we are one of only a few operations here in town that can proudly say, “ We’re Green!”

Yoga Stops Traffick

If you remember we did a Donation Led Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga Class at The Yoga Shala in Winter Park, Florida on March, 12th this year in order to raise money for Yoga Stops Traffick, in order to help stop human trafficking in India.

See Sean Cleere's Email Below to find out how the money collected is being used:

Dear Yoga Stops Traffickers,

We hope this email finds you all well and we would like to, once again, thank you for all your amazing efforts for YST 2011.

Amazingly, funds are still coming in from the 93 events around the world, which you organised, participated in and made such a huge success. The last count was roughly £30,000, which constitutes about two-thirds of Odanadi India's annual running costs! This is a huge achievement, so well done!

The following list should give you a better idea of the crucial ways in which your financial contributions are helping Odanadi India:

• First and foremost, a significant portion of the money raised from YST will go towards PREVENTION, a cornerstone of Odanadi's work in the fight against human trafficking. Through its 60 pioneering village vigilance committees (which cost thousands to run each year), Odanadi will be able to continue its work, educating and empowering some of the most vulnerable communities in southern India – including the Dalits and Adivasi tribal communities. There have been times when Odanadi has had to stop its crucial prevention work due to lack of funding, so this is a hugely significant achievement for them and you.

• Over £1,500 will be spent each year on rescue operations. This includes transportation costs and financial support for those rescued and reintegrated. A further £1000 pays for legal fees incurred by Odanadi as it takes action against traffickers in the courts.

• £9,000 will pay for all the food for the residents at Odanadi for a year, currently 60 in total. With food inflation running at over 10% this is vital. The residents are also working to grow their own organic food and your money will also help with this.

• £1,000 pays the salary of the cook for a year.

• £2,000 will pay for the upkeep of the buildings at Odanadi for a year. This includes repainting large parts of the building, repairing the floor in the kitchen and fixing broken windows.


• £1,500 pays for a counsellor for a year. The counsellor deals with family disputes, domestic violence issues as well as working with the residents to help with their issues and concerns.

• £2,000 pays for the education of the children. This includes materials such as book and pens and also the fees for the five residents currently studying at university. Informal education also takes place. In this picture the residents are working on a project where they say what they like at Odanadi and what they would like to do in the future. Many of them want to be doctors, teachers or social workers.

• There is also a range of other rehabilitation activity that the students also partake in, such as yoga, art therapy, ceramics, dance, drama and Karate!

• Lastly and most importantly, every remaining penny, dollar and cent will be needed for The Boys' Home Fund, which is one of Odanadi's most crucial – and ambitious – fundraising projects. The Odanadi boys currently live in temporary mud structures on a piece of land just outside Mysore. They have been waiting years to build a safe, permanent home with basic necessities such as electricity, running water, bathrooms, a kitchen, and new dormitories so Odanadi can provide a home for up to 60 more boys and young men, so many of whom are desperate need. The cost of the project is an estimated £90,000, so every penny you have raised counts!

Beginners

The New Film BEGINNERS comes out July 1st but there will be a very special screening this Thursday, June 23rd at the Winter Park Village! Stop by The Yoga Shala anytime this week for complimentary passes for this Thursdays viewing at the Winter Park Village at 7:30pm.

Film Trailer http://beginners.movie-trailer.com/

Review of film from http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/beginners-film-review-29996

Christopher Plummer and Ewan McGregor star as father and son in the Mike Mills-directed film.

As he tries to make sense of his parents' lives and his own reaction to growing up in a household where feelings were stifled and then to his father making himself over so late in life, Mills takes you on a tender, funny-sad journey into the messiness that is love.

A smart screenplay and captivating visual devices deliver genuine emotions in Beginners, a highly personal exploration into the mysteries of love by filmmaker, artist and graphic designerMike Mills (Thumbsucker). The story is about a man who, like Mills, only learns his father is gay upon the death of his mother. The father comes out to live an aggressively gay and joyous lifestyle ever so briefly before dying of cancer a few years later.

Any marketing campaign will have to emphasize that Beginners is not about being gay or straight but rather about the emotional risks one must hazard for love. The story, all along, is about the son, not the father. The father's new life is an eye-opener not because of his sexuality but because of his willingness to take risks for love.

Ewan McGregor plays 38-year-old Oliver with sadness and bewilderment. His parents' marriage was not loveless but possessed a settled complacency that wrung any passion out of love. This is Oliver's only model for love. In past relationships, he has followed this model right up to the point where he leaves or lets love fall apart.

His father Hal, played by an energetic, twinkle-eyed Christopher Plummer, suddenly presents him with a new model. In what little time he will have left, the father tries to show the son how valuable each passing moment of life truly is, but time runs out before the lesson is fully absorbed.

Now, having inherited his dad's Jack Russell terrier and much confusion, he meets a French actress, Anna (Melanie Laurent of Inglourious Basterds), who is only in Los Angeles for a while. She shakes Oliver out of his sadness -- he falls in love, in fact -- but which model will he follow, the father he grew up with or older man who so baffled him? To make matters worse, Anna too is prone to find ways out of love.

The film takes place in no fixed point in time. The present, past and distant past in scenes between young Oliver and his frustrated mother come in the order Mills thinks will best chart his alter ego's journey. Like the filmmaker, Oliver is a graphic artist so his doodles, sketches and even graffiti illustrate the character's growing self-awareness. So do his conversations with the dog, although the dog's dialogue must, of course, be delivered through subtitles.

Indeed Beginners plays with all sorts of cinematic conventions from a silent-movie first meeting between Oliver and Anna -- she has laryngitis so she communicates with gestures and a note pad -- to sketches and slide shows Oliver arranges to illustrate his mental process in working out the nature of life and love.

All the movie's playfulness rubs off on the actors. Scenes crackle with life. The chemistry among all the actors is terrific. In some scenes, you can just feel the characters hold back and then release a flood of emotions as they tiptoe through the treacherous terrain of unexpected feelings.

The film makes good use of unfamiliar L.A. locations around the Silverlake and Griffith Park areas. The music, credited to several people, often comes simply from a piano, a bit of whimsy mixed with melancholy, while Kasper Tuxen's cinematography and Shane Valentino's production design capture the constantly shifting moods of this tale about people who are just beginning to understand love.

Shanna's Back :)

Welcome Home Shanna! Shanna White will be back on the schedule at The Yoga Shala in Winter Park, Florida (in the Orlando area) starting June 20th! She will be running our New Mid-Morning Mysore program, Our Lunch mysore program, and Saturday morning and Sunday evening Mysore. We have missed you Shanna!

GGO Men's Yoga Clothing

Have you fellas ever wandered why we have so much women's clothing at The Yoga Shala in Orlando but nothing for you guys?

We have searched high and low for the perfect mens practice clothing....But unfortunately, we just haven't been that lucky.......UNTIL NOW!

We are now carrying GGOmen's clothing!

Come in to The Yoga Shala boutique today and see for yourself why GGO won us over!

The Yoga Shala is located at 927 North Pennsylvania Avenue, Winter Park, Florida 32789. We are in the Orlando area.

Check out our June newsletter! Print and bring the coupon at the bottom of our newsletter and take $5.00 off your GGO purchase. Offer expires July 10, 2011

June Donation Classes at The Yoga Shala in Winter Park, Florida!

During the month of June, 100% of our donation class proceeds will benefit GRIND FOR LIFE - a group that helps people with cancer.

Please come join us every Saturday from 11-12pm to raise money for this great cause! Our teachers donate their time, The Yoga Shala donates the space, and all we need are loving students to donate a few dollars to help this cause!

Grind For Life, Inc was founded in 2003, by life-long skateboarder Mike Rogers, after his second battle with sarcoma cancer. Mike's tumor was located behind his right eye and nasal cavity. He endured a 17 hour surgery a cranial-facial resection with a brain-lift, removal of his eye, cheekbone, and half of the roof of his mouth and some of his teeth. He beat cancer once as a pre-teen, and again 25 years later. Mike beat the odds and is skateboarding competitive again.

WHAT THEY DO The mission of the Grind For Life organization is to provide financial assistance to cancer patients and their families when traveling long distances to doctors and hospitals. In addition, we educate and inspire these patients and families concerning cancer survival and recovery. Those who qualify may request assistance for travel and lodging expenses, meal, and personal needs. Funds for this organization will be raised by, but not limited to, hosting skateboarding events and festivals, ebay sales of donated goods, fundraiser's, Grind For life sponsors a skateboard team to perform at these events to keep the spirit of skateboarding alive.

Visions
Our ultimate goal with this organization is to have a couple of apartments near Memorial Sloan-Kettering Hospital in Manhattan, so people who are receiving treatment at the hospital can have their family near them. We want to be able to provide a comfortable place to stay, charge fees based on a sliding scale, provide support for those who are not accustomed to the city, and make a rough situation a little easier for those who travel long distances for treatment.

Ayurveda Weekend Workshop at The Yoga Shala in Winter Park, Florida

Ayurveda Workshop with Kyle Roberts

June 24-26

Ayurveda, a practical guide for healing the mind, body and soul.

$100 of the full weekend or $55 for one day

_____________________________________________________

Friday, June 24 (6:00-8:00pm): Discussion of Ayurveda and yoga in modern society. Light pranayama and chanting will be involved. Free

Saturday, June 25 (12-5pm): A simple introduction to the effect of food and thoughts on the mind and body. We will examine and meditate of the various tissues of the body known as dhatus and explore the ayurvedic pathways for food, prana, and the mind. The essence of this session will be directed towards developing optimal health from the cellular level and how the conditioning of the mind effects daily life. We will also explore various ayurvedic practices on how to improve the functions of these different levels. $55.00 for Day or $100.00 for full weekend.

Sunday, June 26 (12-5pm): Ayurvededic food, spices and herbs as they relate to healing individual imbalances. An exploration of the different ayurvedic approaches for healing from meditation techniques, mudra, and herbs. Many of the healing methods will be directed towards helping one's approach of yoga asana and the physical injuries or mental obstacles that create difficulty in practice. We will address common problems in modern society and the ayurvedic protocol for these problems. $55.00 for the Day or $100.00 for full weekend.

Ayurveda is a sister science of yoga dating back to more than 5000 years ago. Its practice compliments asana and pranayama with its goal to improve the physical, mental, and spiritual health of an individual. Kyle is a graduate of The Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the only full time school in the U.S. He has studied different styles of yoga and ayurveda both in India and throughout the U.S and has been teaching classes and workshops for the past six years. He is also a student of vedic astrology and Sanskrit and maintains a consultation practice. He will be available for ayurvedic consultations to address individual concerns

Ayurvedic Pranayama: Learn the specific Ayurvedic breathing exercises that unfold cellular intelligence and make the individual happy, peaceful and blissful. The pranayamas are for all levels of practitioners and will enhance an individual's approach to yoga asana. Anatomical explanations of the effects and physiological benefits will be explained with each pranayama.

Saturday and Sunday morning 7:15-8:30am. $15 for the class for those who can't come to the whole workshop. The price for the whole workshop includes the pranyama sessions.

REGISTER NOW

For more information and registration contact 407-506-4626 orKrista@TheYogaShala.org

All Sessions will be held at The Yoga Shala in Winter Park, Florida.

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.

Grand Opening of LAND YOGA, Thursday, June 16

I'm heading to New York this week to help my dear friend Lara get ready for the grand opening of her yoga school, Land Yoga! This premier SoHa Yoga School will open Thursday, June 16th!

Lara recently received authorization to teach in the tradition of Shri K. Pattabhi Jois by R. Sharath Jois. She is among a select few people worldwide with such an honored distinction. As part of the Parampara of the Krishna Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute, it is Lara's duty to carry on the traditional teaching of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga as Sharath has taught her.

New York is very lucky to have Lara, and her new yoga school! She is a gifted teacher, a dedicated practitioner, and a beautiful soul.

Be sure to check out her website for more information.

http://landyoga.com/

The Yoga Shala's Krista Shirley and Shanna White are now I AM BEYOND Teachers and Partners

I AM BEYOND
A big Congratulations to The Yoga Shala's teachers, Krista Shirley and Shanna White!!! They are two of I AM BEYOND's newly featured Teachers and Partners :) Check them out HERE

Studio:The Yoga Shala

[MAP IT]

Work out Method:Mysore Style Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga

Favorite Pose/Workout: Kapotasana

Why I love my practice:

I love my Ashtanga practice because it inspires and empowers me, it humbles me to my knees, it teaches me, and it holds me accountable for getting to the mat daily - and thus also getting to my day as a teacher and mother and spouse and friend and business woman. This practice has made me a better person in mind, body, and soul - and there is no way to put into words the gratitude I have for my teachers and my students!

Studio:The Yoga Shala [MAP IT] Work out Method:Mysore Style Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga Favorite Pose/Workout: Backbends/Urdhva Dhanurasana Why I love my practice: It shows me in very tangible ways, that if i put forth effort in something, I will see a change. This yoga is real, genuine, and powerful. It has and will continue to help me become a better person, and help me help others too! As many of you know, The Yoga Shala Loves the I Am Beyond clothing brand and we carry their line in our boutique. The Yoga Shala is always getting new I Am Beyond stuff in so be sure to check back often for new colors, styles, and to grab your size before it flies off the rack!!! You have no idea how amazing this clothing is until you try it on. Click here for more information about their delicious fabrics

More Mysore Classes coming to The Yoga Shala in Winter Park, Florida (in the Orlando area)

Are you ready for more Mysore classes? They are coming your way :)

Beginning June 20th The Yoga Shala in Winter Park, Florida (in the Orlando area) will have

Mid-Morning Mysore Monday-Friday from8:30am-11:30am.

This means The Yoga Shala will now offer continuous Mysore classes from 6am-1:30pm Monday-Friday in addition to our evening Mysore and weekend classes.

We are excited to offer an expanded schedule and look forward to working with you on your yoga practice!

- Krista Shirley

Schedule as of JUNE 20th!

Monday
6:00-8:30am	Mysore	Krista
6:30-7:30am	Beginners Yoga	Maureen
8:30-11:30am	Mysore (starts June 20)	Shanna
9:30-10:30am	Beginners Yoga (starts June 20)
11:30am-1:30pm	Mysore	Shanna
2:00-5:15pm	Private Sessions (by appt. only)
5:30-8:00pm	Mysore	Maureen
7:00-8:00pm	Beginners Yoga	Shanna
Tuesday
6:00-8:30am	Mysore	Krista
6:30-7:30am	Beginners Yoga	Maureen
8:30-11:30am	Mysore (starts June 20)	Shanna
9:30-10:30am	Beginners Yoga (starts June 20)
11:30am-1:30pm	Mysore	Shanna
2:00-5:15pm	Private Sessions (by appt. only)
5:30-8:00pm	Mysore	Maureen
7:00-8:00pm	Beginners Yoga	Monica
Wednesday
6:00-8:30am	Mysore	Krista
6:30-7:30am	Beginners Yoga	Maureen
8:30-11:30am	Mysore (starts June 20)	Shanna
9:30-10:30am	Beginners Yoga (starts June 20)
11:30-1:300pm	Mysore	Maureen
2:00-5:15pm	Private Sessions (by appt. only)
5:30-8:00pm	Mysore	Maureen
7:00-8:00pm	Beginners Yoga	Shanna
Thursday
6:00-8:30am	Mysore	Krista
6:30-7:30am	Beginners Yoga	Maureen
8:30-11:30am	Mysore (starts June 20)	Shanna
9:30-10:30am	Beginners Yoga (starts June 20)
11:45am-2:00pm	Mysore	Shanna
2:00-5:15pm	Private Sessions (by appt. only)
5:30-8:00pm	Mysore	Maureen
7:00-8:00pm	Beginners Yoga	Maureen
Friday
6:00-8:15am	Mysore	Krista
8:30-11:30am	Mysore (starts June 20)	Shanna
11:30-1:30pm	Mysore	Shanna
2:00-5:15pm	Private Sessions (by appt. only)
6:00-7:30pm	Primary Series	Michelina
Saturday
8:30-10:30am	Mysore	Shanna
11:00-12:00pm	Ashtanga Donation Class	Rotating Instructors
Sunday
8:30-10:30am	Mysore	Maureen
11:30-12:45pm	Intro to Ashtanga Yoga (1st & 4th Sunday)	Monica
5:00-7:00pm	Mysore	Shanna

PLEASE NOTE: Check our website often for any holiday cancellations or schedule changes at the Orlando Yoga Shala location. Join our mailing list so we can send you information regarding our schedule.

Dani Shay on America's Got Talent!

The Yoga Shala's beloved student, Dani Shay, made this season's America's Got Talent!

She is an amazing singer and song writer with a gorgeous soul and a big heart!

Be sure to tune in the season and show your support for this extremely talented little yogini!

Check out her audition HERE

Bharatanatyam Dance Performance at The Yoga Shala in Winter Park Florida

Jaan R. Freeman’s Bharata Natyam

(South Indian Classical Dance Program)

Saturday, May 14th, 2011

6:00-7:30pm

Join The Yoga Shala in an unforgettable evening of Classical Indian Dance Elegance, Rhythm, Tradition, Expression, Mastery, and Storytelling

General Admission: $20 advance sale
$16 senior/students w/valid ID

Jaan R. Freeman

(Founding/Artistic Director of Dakshina Palli, Inc. NYC)

Mr. freeman has been studying bharatanatyam in the T. Balasaraswati Sampradaya since 1995. He has been studying in the USA, India and Montreal. Freeman is a disciple of Smt. Nandini Ramani and Smt. Priyamvada Sankar, both senior disciples of T. Balasaraswati. Mr. Freeman had his bharatanatyam arangetram (graduation) in 2005 at the historical Henry Street Settlement Playhouse Theater in N.Y. Freeman has performed Bharata Natyam at various venues and Temples throughout the US and was invited to perform for Dance Theater of Harlem’s Open House hosted by Arthur Mitchell and legendary Actress Ruby Dee. Freeman comes to Indian dance as a modern dancer who has performed and choreographed for the past 20 years in the USA. He has performed at the Kennedy Center, BAM, Lied Center of Nebraska, Madras Music Academy, NJPAC, Asia Society and Carnegie Hall among other celebrated venues. Freeman performed with the modern dance companies of The Martha Graham Ensemble, Battery Dance Company, Carolyn Dorfman Dance Company, Murray Louis and Dance Consort: Genius of Charles Weidman among other troops. Abroad, Freeman has taught modern dance in every major city in India since 1997 and many of his students perform with major companies throughout Europe. He has toured Sri Lanka, Poland and India. Freeman was in the original 1995 production of “Purush: Expressions of Man” which highlighted male dancers from India and the USA and was in the 1997 tour of “Songs of Tagore”, both presented by the Battery Dance Company. Mr. Freeman is currently touring with his solo bharata natyam program through out the United States. His program has reached San Francisco, Charleston- SC, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Indianapolis, New Orleans, Rochester, Arlington- Massachusetts, Portland- Maine and Kentucky.

Using Yoga to help with Cancer Side Effects

Surprising complement: Using yoga to help with cancer side effects

Many people take advantage of yoga sessions merely for exercise purposes these days, but another group is finding completely different advantages in using yoga. Cancer and terminal illness patients have begun using yoga as a way to not only alleviate some of the physical symptoms of traditional therapy, but also reap some of the benefits on the mental side of things.

While much of the research in yoga and cancer has involved breast cancer patients, a number of other patients are experiencing the benefits as well. Yoga has quickly become popular in the medical community because it combines both physical and mental benefits for the body. Another reason these patients have been investing time in yoga during their treatment process is because it can be done in different styles and at different times at their convenience. Some patients take advantage of short sessions daily, while others may use hour long sessions once a week.

The physical benefits of yoga are very similar to the reason that people use it as an exercise routine. Yoga not only helps these patients to get into shape, but it can also help alleviate some of the pain and physical side effects of treatment like chemotherapy. Common side effects of chemo include pain and nausea, both of which have been proven to go down with routine yoga use during the treatment process. Arthritis patients have even been known to open up their flexibility and range of motion through use of yoga.

From a mental aspect, the use of yoga for cancer patients can be extremely vital. Because yoga can be used as meditation and for tranquility, it allows cancer patients to shut off their minds temporarily and reduce stress levels. A great example of this involves mesothelioma patients. This is a type of cancer in the lungs that occurs from asbestos exposure and has very short life expectancy rates. These patients are able to use yoga as a way to forget about their outlook and severe diagnosis, while accessing the mind.

Yoga will likely continue to grow with terminal illness patients in the coming years because of this combination of physical and mental benefits. More research is expected to continue on exploring the benefits of using yoga, which should make it even more popular within the medical and scientific communities.

Article compliments of Krista Peterson

If you or anyone you know is a cancer patient please let them know about about Yoga Bear It is a national non-profit organization with volunteer staff that works to get free yoga to cancer patients.

The Yoga Shala is in partnership with Yoga Bear and we offer free yoga classes to all cancer patients. Please spread the word and help those you care about find the amazing benefits that yoga can offer them. If you would like more information about classes for cancer patients at The Yoga Shala please call 407-506-4626.