Our deepest fear …

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

—-from A Return to Love, by Marianne Williamson

$10 Community Yoga Monday – Friday at noon!

Maybe your budget is tight or maybe you just need a mid-day yoga break, either way get your Vinyasa or Ashtanga practice in at 12pm Monday-Friday at noon for only $10 (or a class card)

Join Alana Kessler Tuesday and Thursdays at noon for Ashtanga Primary Series (Led Style)  & Kayma Englund Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays for Vinyasa.

Open to all levels of experience!

Click here for our full class schedule along with class descriptions!

{New Sangha Teacher} Hanniel Levenson

Sangha is happy to announce the newest teacher to our class schedule, Hanniel Levenson. Hanniel will be leading Vinyasa on Monday and Wednesday evenings 7:15-8:45pm.

Click here to view our current schedule!

Meet Hanniel:

Hanniel D. Levenson is a vinyasa yoga teacher and a certified personal trainer. He is a gymnast who has competed on the national level, coached gymnastics and is an acrobat in a number of operas at the Metropolitan Opera. With 25 years of experience in the gym, Hanniel believes strongly in balancing an exercise routine with the healing and restorative power of yoga and meditation.

{Candlelight Flow} A perfect end to a long day…

Join Kayma Englund for yoga by candlelight every Tuesday and Thursday 9-10pm.

Shake off the stress of the day with a detoxifying candlelit flow allowing your body and mind to wind down and restore just in time for a good night’s sleep. This class is open to all levels.

About Kayma

Kayma Englund is a Yoga Alliance certified instructor, Reiki Healer and Sangha Yoga Shala studio manager. Raised by a yoga teacher and philosopher, these teachings have been a part of her life since childhood. Since then she has attended many workshops at Kripalu Yoga Center as well as completed a 200-hour yoga teacher training with the Arhanta Yoga Vedanta Ashram in Northern India where she gained a deeper understanding of the spiritual, philosophical, and physical teachings of yoga. Since her training, Kayma has immersed herself in the teachings of Ashtanga Yoga which strongly influence her classes. Kayma believes in the importance of the eternal student and that the greatest teachings come in our interactions with every day life. She invites you to join her classes with an open mind and open heart.

{Exciting Fall Updates}

Back for the Fall!

Sunday 4:30pm Vinyasa with Malka Friedman-Kosner (beginning Sep 18th)

Friday 6:30pm Vinyasa with Malka Friedman-Kosner (beginning Oct 14th)

New Class!

Saturday 12:00pm Anusara with Hannah Gruber (beginning Oct 22nd)

Click here for our fall class schedule along with class descriptions!

{New Sangha Teacher}

Welcoming…

Malka Friedman-Kosner to the Sangha class schedule!

We are thrilled to introduce the newest member of the Sangha family Malka Friedman-Kosner. Malka will be leading 2 new Vinyasa classes. Join her Sunday afternoons at 4:30pm (starting this week September 18th!) and on Friday evenings 6:30-7:45pm (starting October 14th).

All of our Vinyasa classes are open to all levels of experience and incorporate a dynamic flow with a creative and intelligent exploration of postures.

Click here for our full schedule!

About Malka:
Malka began practicing yoga several years ago and hasn’t looked back. From the moment she stepped on the mat, she knew it was just the beginning of a lifetime journey – full of mindfulness, openness, devotion, and so much more. After years of developing a deeper, regular practice, she wanted to share her love of yoga with others and decided to become a teacher. She received her 200-hour training at O2 Yoga in Boston, MA. She is forever grateful to Mimi Loureiro, founder, and all of her teachers at O2 Yoga who have continued to inspire her.

Malka has recently moved to New York and is excited to be a part of this diverse and energetic city! She is incredibly thankful to have found the community at Sangha Yoga Shala. Her vinyasa classes are inspired by Ashtanga yoga, with clear cueing for postures, stages for various depths, and thematic sequencing. She also places a strong emphasis on alignment and anatomy.

Surrender

‎”This being human is a guest house. Every morning a new arrival.” – Rumi

Transformation

We are constantly evolving creatures.  I often say to live is to learn and I mean it in the simplest way possible. If we are not learning, we are not living.

Every choice, relationship, experience, and encounter is an opportunity to refine our own voice and sense of who we are and what our responsibility to society is in this lifetime. Approaching each and every moment with courage, exploration, humility and consciousness allows for the natural discovery of our unique and divine essence.

Let the process be the guide and the destination..

Imitate..Integrate…Innovate.

<3

Alana

Compassion

“So if we love someone, we should train in being able to listen. By listening with calm and understanding, we can ease the suffering of another person.”

-Thich Nhat Hanh

You Are India

Tapasya (tápasya) - ”essential energy”, referring to a focused effort leading towards bodily purification and spiritual enlightenment.

Discipline, austerity, internally generated heat all contribute to the goal of burning through the distractions of the mind, supporting the individual in the search for peace and enlightenment on the physical plane.  So much is said and defined as tapas and I often find myself wondering if there is a see-saw where tapas meets attachment and aversion and they actually represent a shadow of one another depending on the light shone upon it.  Can it be possible that the action taken to rid the self of suffering ultimately becomes the cause of it all together?

Ultimately nothing exists without an intention, and the perspective in which an action is being utilized can make all the difference in the ultimate transformative power of an experience.  And to add to that, if consciousness is truly present in action no experience can offer the same opportunity twice.

Some feel that travel or drastically compromising one’s lifestyle is the most authentic way to experience tapas.  Yes, this can and is a direct method in which to access this teaching, however there comes a point where the discomfort becomes comfortable and the new teacher can be found in humbly investigating the authenticity of the intention.  The act of seeking out external experiences separate from our “regular lives” in which to cultivate silence can become the noise if care and consciousness is not applied.  As a novice practitioner, where one is learning to differentiate between sensation and intuition, or a dedicated practiioner seeking a study intensive with a chosen guide, it can be nice to contrive an experience to allow for tapas to manifest.  However, it is important to remember that the destination is not the source of the practice or the reward.  It is the willingness to remain present in your truthful life experience, re-examine the relationship to the choices you make and the stories, expectations and identity attached to them which provides the most abundant opportunity for tapas, awakening and transformation.

-Alana <3