A Weekend Workshop with Cory Bryant, PhD.

Join Cory for an enriching weekend workshop that weaves together the profound teachings of yoga and Buddhism. With over twenty years of exploration in these transformative practices, Cory invites you to experience the harmonious integration of these sacred paths.

This workshop will delve into the teachings of Patanjali and the Buddha, alongside insights from contemporary luminaries such as Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, Joseph Goldstein, Richard Freeman, and Lama Willa Blythe Baker.

Through a blend of lectures, discussions, and guided meditations ranging from 3 to 30 minutes, participants will discover the common ground shared by yoga and Buddhism. Engage in meaningful group discussions, support one another, and deepen your practice as you explore how these two traditions can enhance each other and your journey toward self-discovery.

Friday

Session 1: Yoga is Meditation – 5:30-7:30pm

Saturday

Session 2: Yoga & Buddhism: Common Ground – 1-2pm '

Break 2-2:15pm

Session 3: Tibetan/Vajrayana Buddhist Approach: Good Fit for Ashtanga – 2:15-3:30pm

Sunday

Session 4: From the Mat to the Cushion – 1-2pm

Break 2-2:15pm

Session 5: Focusing on the Cushion – 2:15-3:30pm

Michael, Heather & Cory invite you to a 3-day exploration of Ashtanga’s Intermediate Series in Nashville, Tennessee!

Date: June 14-16 2024

Location: Yoga Shala Nashville

Tim Miller referred to the Primary Series as the plumbing and Intermediate as the electrical because, just like when building a home, one needs to establish a steady, functioning foundation before installing the wiring to light it up! In this 3-day weekend workshop we will explore the theoretical as well as practical aspects of Ashtanga’s Intermediate Series. 

Here’s what you can expect:

Friday 

• 9 am - 12 pm Guided Intermediate with Q & A 

Join us for an accessibility-focused guided practice. Each posture will be introduced using the traditional Sanskrit count, followed by an exploration of key principles to accommodate practitioners at various levels. The aim is to provide you with different techniques that you can explore in the mysore sessions on Saturday and Sunday. Be prepared to laugh, work hard and sweat! We’ll conclude with a 30 minute Q&A.

• 1 pm - 230 pm Teacher Track Education Session

This session is for participants enrolled in the (optional) teacher track and will include discussion on the Intermediate Series covering topics such as when and how to introduce to students, teaching principles, and an initial exploration of adjustments. 

• 330 pm - 415 pm Dharma Talk and Guided Meditation with Cory

Cory will offer a short teaching with guided meditation on the asana-meditation connection with an emphasis on the Intermediate Series’ effect on the subtle body and how a sitting practice can support one’s process of integrating our direct physical experience into greater awareness in daily life.

• 415 pm - 5 pm Meet and Greet Social 

Before we conclude our day's activities, we'll have some time to connect and chat. With plenty of excellent dining options in the vicinity, you can enjoy an early dinner and return home in time for a restful night's sleep, ensuring you're refreshed and ready for Mysore.

Saturday & Sunday 

• 7 am Morning Meditation

• 730 am - 930 am Mysore

• 1230 pm - 230 pm Workshop

In the afternoon sessions we will progressively work through the postures of Intermediate Series — including a look at the foundation, anatomy/physiology, execution, modifications and enjoyment of each posture.

• 3 pm - 430 pm Teacher Track Education Session

Conclude your day with our education session where we will delve deeper into teaching principles and adjustments specific to the Intermediate Series. 

Investment:

• $265 - Intermediate Series Intensive

•  Includes all session except Teacher Track Education Sessions

• $400 - Intermediate Series Intensive + Teacher Track Education Sessions*

• This package includes 3 additional sessions aimed at enhancing your teaching abilities of the Intermediate Series

*Prerequisite for Teaching Track Education Session includes proficiency in the Intermediate series up to and including ardha matsyendrāsana OR completion of the Ashtanga Tech Teaching Immersion.

Yoga Shala Nashville Retreat 2024

March 1 - 3, 2024

with Derek, Shana & Cory

Join us for a weekend full of yoga, meditation, workshops, community and fun! Our setting is on 27 acres of old-growth forest on a bluff in Sewanee, TN — just a little over an hour outside Nashville.

DAY PASSES are available (click on the link below and when you click “book now” there is a drop down menu to select Fri, Sat, Sun day pass options).

There are 2 houses — one with 6 bedrooms & 3 baths + a second smaller house with 2 bedrooms & 1 bath — AND a separate 700 sq ft yoga shala converted from an old wood workshop.

Vegetarian meals provided.

COST: full weekend, all-inclusive

Single/private room: $340/person

Shared (2 beds): $290/person

Bunk (3-4 bed): $260/person

*When you go into to Momence to sign up, click “book now” and then you can select from the drop down menu.

**$75 nonrefundable deposit to save your spot - only 14 spots available for overnights. Final payments due by Feb 1, 2024 — submit your deposit and you’ll receive an invoice for the remaining balance.

Cory’s teaching during the retreat will focus on The Sutra-Āsana Connection

Practice is not easy – and actually showing up everyday on the mat/cushion can be even more difficult than actually doing the practice itself. So, it’s helpful to find inspiration wherever we can. Fortunately for us there are motivating ways to connect the sutras of ancient sacred texts like The Yoga Sutras, The Bhagavad Gita and The Satipatthana Sutta (to name just a few) to the movement and sitting practices that we all know and love. 

During Cory’s sessions we’ll focus in on the connection between these ancient philosophy/dharma teachings and the asana and meditation practices we do today.

SCHEDULE (draft, subject to slight change):

Friday Mar 1

10:00 AM Arrivals

10:30 AM Led Primary Derek

12:00 PM Yoga Dharma Talk Cory

12:30 PM lunch

4:00 PM Drills Shana

4:30 PM Talk & Meditation Cory

5:15 PM “Tell us about Mysore” Derek

6:15 PM Dinner

7:30 PM Movie night

Saturday Jan 13

7:00 AM Meditation Cory

7:30-9:30 am Mysore Shana & Derek

9:30 AM Pranayama Cory

10:00 AM Breakfast

Free time

1:00 PM “The Sutra-Asana Connection” workshop Cory

free time

4:00 PM "My Why" - A Skills & Drills Workshop Shana

6:15 PM Dinner

7:30 PM Game Night!

Sunday, Jan 14

7:00 AM Meditation Shana

7:30-9:30 am Mysore Cory & Derek

9:30 AM Pranayama Cory

10:00 AM Brunch

12:00 PM departure

KINO RETURNS!!! Nov 10-12, 2023 at Yoga Shala Nashville

FOR THREE FULL DAYS of yoga, meditation, learning & laughter — registration is OPEN!

*Drop-ins are now available - $70/class*

Friday afternoon

1:00-3:00pm Led Primary

4:00-6:00 pm Opening Conference/Q&A with Kino MacGregor — your chance to meet this legend of yoga!

SATURDAY—SUNDAY mornings are for MYSORE from 8:00 to 11:00am

Saturday afternoon 12:00-2:00pm Hip to be Square - An Asana Workshop

Love, Accept and Open Your Hips

Accessing the deep release and openness that hip rotation requires is a unique combination of anatomical knowledge and inner peace. Join this class to learn the right information and, more importantly, the right frame of mind to hip opening from. Gain access to the deep muscles within the pelvis and learn to relax and release your hips. Be ready for a deep journey into the inner body complete with a detailed muscular and skeletal technique and the subtle body of emotions and energy. Learn how to create the safe space of patience, kindness and tolerance in the deepest regions of the pelvis and watch your hips open.

Sunday afternoon 2:00-4:00pm The Equanimous Mind: Meditation and Discussion with Kino MacGregor

Dive down into the inner world equipped with a calm, steady mind and a courageous heart. Train the mind to be single-pointed in the Eka-Tattva state and cultivate a state of equanimity. A strong mind is a vital tool on the path of living the yogi’s life.

**Note, there are no refunds for this event.

About Kino:

Kino MacGregor is a Miami native who is happiest on the beach with a fresh coconut and a poet at heart who always stops to smell the flowers. She is the founder of Omstars—the world’s first yoga TV network. With over 1 million followers on Instagram and over 500,000 subscribers on YouTube and Facebook, Kino’s message of spiritual strength reaches people all over the world. Sought after as an expert in yoga worldwide, is a international yoga teacher, inspirational speaker, author of four books, producer of six Ashtanga Yoga DVDs, writer, vlogger, world traveler, co-founder of Miami Life Center.

We’re looking forward to welcoming Taylor back to Yoga Shala Nashville for a weekend of Mysore and more!

August 25-27, 2023

THE SCHEDULE:

Friday 6-8pm Philosophy of Ashtanga Yoga & Mysore Style

Why do we commit to a consistent practice? How do we apply the lessons that are learned on our mat? Join Taylor to dive deeper into the philosophy behind the Ashtanga method. Learn about the therapeutic benefits and how the practice translates into our daily lives.

Saturday

9-11am Led Primary Series Class & Introduction to Pranayama

Full led Primary Series class using the traditional Sanskrit count followed by a brief introduction to pranayama. The control of prana or energy is known as pranayama, which helps the practitioner to better understand the breath and aids in the regulation of mind and body.

1-3pm Arm Balances: Learn to Fly

Join Taylor for a fun and interactive workshop exploring arm balances from the Second and Third series. We will begin with a breakdown of the structural components, including shoulder position and stability, necessary to safely approach the transitions of the Primary Series. Then, start to take flight with the Second and Third series arm balances. By understanding the mechanics, students can learn how to safely approach these challenging postures with integrity.  Open to all levels but be prepared to work!

Sunday:

9-11am Mysore Style Class

Join Taylor for a unique opportunity to receive individual attention and deepen your practice in a Mysore-style setting.

1-3pm Exploring Backbends

Backbends are a wonderful way to strengthen the back and balance the body after the many forward folds of the Primary Series. Learn proper alignment and technique to safely approach back bending. We will explore a diverse collection of backbends from the Primary and Second series designed to open the front of the body and realign the spine. This is a fun and challenging workshop for all levels of practitioners.

**Note, there are no refunds for this event.

About Taylor:

Taylor Hunt is a devoted practitioner and teacher of Ashtanga yoga. He makes yearly trips to Mysore, India to study under the guidance of his teacher, R. Sharath Jois. In 2013, Taylor was granted Level 2 Authorization to teach and has had the honor of assisting Sharath on several occasions. Taylor is dedicated to sharing the healing practice with others and providing a community where practitioners can find support in their practice and daily lives. Seeking to preserve the traditional method, Taylor teaches daily Mysore classes at Ashtanga Yoga Columbus and offers workshops around the world. He is also the author of A Way From Darkness and director of the Trini Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to sharing the life-changing practice of Ashtanga with those suffering from addiction. He continues to inspire others through his story of personal transformation and accessible approach to the practice.

To learn more about Taylor’s story and life’s work, please visit www.awayfromdarkness.com and www.trinifoundation.org

Practice & Applied Patanjali Weekend Workshop with Tim Feldmann, June 2-4, 2023

Welcome Master teacher Tim Feldmann back to Nashville Yoga Shala for a weekend of inspiring Yoga!

Dive deeply into the Ashtanga method through traditional Mysore Style morning practice and three workshops focused at how exactly Yoga has the power to transform our lives to be more happy, fulfilling and wise.

Fri eve / 6-8pmCST

Body, Breath & Patanjali

Shed light on the connection between the physical practice and the deep philosophy presented in the Yoga Sutras. Learn how the physical practice of asana embodies Patanjali’s sacred principles and teaches every yoga student how to integrate the practice with our daily lives. We begin with a classic pranayama technique as the catalyst to spark a direct experience of how yoga works. Join this class for a rare opportunity to uncover the inner teachings of who we are and how we function as individuals in yoga, on and off the mat. All levels welcome.

Sat & Sun mornings 9-11am

Mysore style Class

Named after the city where Krishnamacharya and Pattabhi Jois developed their yoga method, this is is the classic way Ashtanga Yoga is taught. A melting pot of yoga practitioners of all levels from beginner to advanced, this class sets out to offer personalized guidance to every practitioner at exactly where you need it most. Build relationship with yourself, your practice and your teacher in this inspiring energy. Come experience and honor the Ashtanga Yoga's five thousand year old lineage of teachers, sages and gurus, R. Sharath Jois and every Ashtanga practitioner today. Expect amazing assists and insights during Tim’s Mysore class!

Sat & Sun afternoon / 12 - 2pmCST

Practical Patanjali

Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras offers a well of knowledge intended to improve our lives, yet they are notoriously complicated to untangle and understand. Tim offers a fun, straight forward entry into ted deeper meanings of these words of wisdom for the new comer and seasoned yogi alike. All levels welcome. Learn from one of the kindest and funniest Ashtanga teachers around - expect plenty of laughs!

*Related to Saturday’s workshop, but it’s OK to attend only one if that’s all you can make.

About Tim Feldmann

Tim is the co-founder of the world-wide recognized Miami Life Center and of the newly opened Miami Yoga Garage - a new ambitious Shala and cultural house in Miami's fun Wynwood district. He has practiced yoga since 1994 and Ashtanga Since 1999. Authorized to teach by Pattabhi Jois and Sharath Jois he explores core concepts and modern boundaries of Patanjali’s yoga teachings alike. A practitioner of Ashtanga Yoga’s Advanced A Series Tim finds Ashtanga’s traditional method an exceptional path towards healing, wisdom and self-realisation. Drawing upon his past as an internationally successful dancer and acclaimed choreographer, anatomy, alignment and technique is his second nature. Tim has been pursuing in-depth studies of Patanjali, Sankhya and Vedanta over the past 7 years with Vidwan Nagaraja Rao, Jayashree & Narasimha and other exceptional scholars in South India. Cherished worldwide for his fun, disciplined and detailed pursuit of authentic yoga and his compassionately effective touch, Tim travels to yoga shalas around the globe with the inclusive message of how study, steadiness and devotion is the means to powerful transformation both inside and outside of us.

For more info please visit:

TIM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JThx59AFwE

TIM DANCE YOGA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUsluQ8QJu8&t=4s

Ashtanga Yoga – aṣṭāṅgayoga – is the practice of the great sage Patañjali and (over a thousand years) later, Patabhi Jois when he created the original vinyasa practice. What does it mean? Where did it come from? How did it get here? How has it changed over time? Why do we do supta padangusthasana standing up before we do it laying down? How do I do it and maintain a healthy (injury/ache-free) body? Why are there six series? Is meditation at its core? What does it (meditation) have to do with what we do on the mat today? And why should we care? These questions and much more will be explored during this course.

In this course we will delve into the ancient roots of Ashtanga Yoga and explore its relationship to the modern day practice from Mysore, India. We’ll do this through both a historical and philosophical/cultural lens. In doing so you will come away with an enriched understanding and appreciation of why we do what we do six days a week on the mat; how it sets us up for a better life; and how it’s related to the ancient teachings of Patañjali. You will also gain a clear understanding of a select group of sutras – from the Yoga Sutras of Patañjali – that you can draw upon and incorporate into your practice to gain inspiration and support!

What?  

Each week will include:

• A group session – on Zoom and in the shala – wherein Cory will guide you through a study of Ashtanga and provide the backdrop for the exercises to follow on Mon and Thurs of the following week.

• Two recordings delivered to your Inbox on Monday and Thursday:

• The first (Monday) will be an “Asana-Meditation” wherein Cory will guide you through a blending of the modern Ashtanga postures with the ancient techniques of focusing the mind.

• The second (Thursday) will be a short dharma talk followed by a guided meditation following the LISTEN - CONTEMPLATE - MEDITATE model to support your personal direct experience of Ashtanga old and new.

When?  4 Weeks— Sundays – April 23 - May 14 – 10:30-11:30amCST

Where?  In the shala and on Zoom (with recording distributed same day)

How much? $140 (20% of for shala members)

We’re happy and honored to welcome Joseph back to the shala! April 1-2, 2023

Sat 8-10amCST Led Primary from 8-10amCST

Sat 11am-1pmCST Workshop: Digging Deeper Into the Foundational Asanas

No matter what series you practice, we all do the same fundamental asanas every day. In this session, we will work with the subtleties of breath, bandha, gaze and movement that build up the meditative quality of our practice. We will detail vinyasa counts and dig deeper into our personal relationship with the important work that happens in these standing postures. 

We will finish the session with a meditation on why we should show up on our mat every day and what might be revealed through this practice in self inquiry.

Sun 8-10am CST Mysore!

*There are no refunds for this event - all sales final.

Joseph Armstrong teaches yoga rooted firmly in tradition. His search for a more present and peaceful life first led him to the practice in 2008. A few years later he was living in India and studying intensively.

After finally overcoming a long struggle with addiction, Joseph began experimenting with Ashtanga Yoga. He understood quickly that the lineage was calling to him to deepen his practice. In 2016 he began a 2 year apprenticeship program at Miami Life Center, continuing his education under the supervision of world renowned teachers Tim Fieldman and Kino MacGregor. More recently he has completed 2 months of study in Mysore under Sharath Jois.

Joseph teaches yoga because attempts to do any and everything else ended disastrously. But when he finally devoted himself to his passion, he became an asset to himself and others. He hopes his practice allows him to be ever more loving and to exist gently.

KINO MACGREGOR RETURNS! November 4-6, 2022.

All Access passes are SOLD OUT — you may opt to be waitlisted and if a space comes available we’ll notify you. There are a few drop in spots available for the workshops.

Friday

Meditation + talk 6 - 7:30 pm

At the heart of the yoga tradition we find equanimity – the ability to remain present to whatever is arising within the bodymind complex, and to witness but be unmoved by pleasure or pain, desire or aversion.

This workshop is open to everyone and is an opportunity to learn how we can use meditation practice to train the mind to be single-pointed. Kino will lead you through a practice chosen especially to introduce you to the inner work of cultivating a calm, steady mind and a courageous heart – vital tools for yogis. A dive down into your inner world, this is an opportunity to begin your spiritual journey or to refine your understanding of yoga as a spiritual practice. Kino will begin with an introduction before we practice, and she’ll leave plenty of time to ask questions.

Saturday

Mysore 9 - noon

Handstand Lovers 1 - 3 pm

No matter how long you practice handstands, it is a benchmark of strength and steadiness that transcends physical disciplines. From yoga to martial arts to gymnastics a stable handstand is the key test of alignment and mastery. The only thing you need to join this class is a love of handstands. Whether you are a total beginner or have a stable handstand you will learn tools to build strength and alignment while balancing on your hands. Leave with a strength-building program that you can do every day to develop the physical and emotional strength to support your handstanding journey.

Sunday

Mysore 9 - noon

The Spiritual Journey of Asana 12:30-2:30 pm

Dive into a technique-driven practice and in-depth discussion of the yoga practice and leave with a renewed inspiration for the deep work of the yoga practice. Directly experience the process of yoga transformation through a firm foundation in traditional spiritual principles as applied in practice. Expect asana breakdowns as well as an alignment-driven exploration of the yoga poses as a connection to the inner tradition of spiritual inquiry. Feel, experience and explore the inner world of yoga in this class and leave with a new paradigm for understanding the yoga practice. Expect to sweat as you move through the practice and open your mind to new techniques to unlock difficult asanas. Appropriate for all levels.

Kino MacGregor an international yoga teacher, author of three books, producer of six Ashtanga Yoga DVDs, writer, vlogger, world traveler, co-founder of Miami Life Centerwww.miamilifecenter.com and founder of Miami Yoga Magazine www.miamiyogamagazine.com. Kino’s dharma is to help people experience the limitless potential of the human spirit through the inner tradition of yoga. She is one of the few people in the world of yoga to embrace both the traditional teaching of India’s historic past and the popular contemporary social media channels. You can find her teaching all over the world and on Kino Yoga Instagram www.instagram.com/kinoyoga with over 400,000 followers and on Kino Yoga YouTube channel with over 35 million views www.youtube.com/kinoyoga. With more than 15 years of experience in Ashtanga Yoga, she is one of a select group of people to receive the Certification to teach Ashtanga Yoga by its founder Sri K. Pattabhi Jois in Mysore, India and practice through the Fourth Series of Ashtanga Yoga. More about Kino on her website: www.kinoyoga.com

A weekend of Mysore & Meditation

How do we make our asana practice more spiritual, more meaningful? The Heart of Buddhism isn’t simply an idea or a concept. It’s a location, a place within each human being that has limitless expansive capabilities. Yoga asana stabilizes the body and mind so that we can remain in this place and do the often difficult work of purifying karmic conditioning, otherwise known as spiritual practice. This is an experiential workshop, so be prepared to participate. Bring a journal. We will focus on HOW this process works.

Saturday & Sunday

Mysore practice from 9-11amCST

Meditation practice & discussion workshop 1-4pmCST

We all desire the relaxed, Sattvic quality of peaceful serenity.  In this workshop you will learn how to inform your asana practice with the essence of Buddhism: residing in the Heart center. We will explore the process by which you can identify, cultivate and embody this fundamental human principal. 

INVESTMENT: $120 for the weekend or $35 drop-ins

Rich Ray has been practicing meditation and yoga for over 20 years. He trained as a resident monk for 4 years at a silent Zen Buddhist monastery and his is teaching is informed by his Zen practice which consists of 25+ years of study. He taught yoga and meditation at state prisons in California and New Hampshire and started a meditation program at a women’s county jail in Boston, Massachusetts. He is the director of Ashtanga Yoga Portland Maine and is a Level II Authorized Ashtanga yoga teacher. He has made numerous trips to Mysore for study under the tutelage of the Jois family, in particular Pattbhi Jois and Sharath.

Learn more about Rich here in his interview with David McKay on The One Open Door Podcast:

Tim Miller Primary Series (Sat 9-11am)

Every Tuesday Tim would teach a led Primary class that simply made Primary Series more fun, while honoring his ishta devata, Hanuman. In this class Jen does her best to recreate the magic. Expect a fast paced Primary Series with postures from Second and Third Series added to the mix. We finish with eight urdhva dhanurasanas for the eight names of Hanuman. If you want a taste of this practice, check out this YouTube video and follow along if you like : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKNPuZk7P3o&lc=UgzfyqnTK6NiEz9SXbF4AaABAg

Weightless Transitions  (Sat 1-3pm)

In yoga transitions can be more difficult than the posture itself. This workshop is designed to break down transitions and make them more accessible. In their simplest form, transitions are just physics and timing — it’s all about transferring your body weight and knowing when to lift. 

This workshop will focus on moving from your center and moving effortlessly through the transition like sun salutations, jump backs and jump throughs. 

Mysore Practice  (Sun 9-11am)

After nearly two decades of teaching asana, Jen has an eye for the subtleties of practice. Join her in a Mysore practice, turned up a notch. Expect to get feedback, do postures more than once, and get help with injuries and modifications.

Making Connections : Tying Fundamental Postures to Advanced Ones (Sun, 1-3pm)

Sometimes, when you’re “stuck” on an asana, the best thing to do is to go back to previous postures and extract more information from them. Similarly, building a strong foundation will support you through years (and series) of practice. In this workshop we will explore different themes that run through all the series, make connections between asanas from Primary and advanced series, and help you see what you can work on now to help you in the future. Expect to leave this workshop feeling less intimidated about postures from Second Series and beyond.

INVESTMENT: $160 for the weekend or $45 per session

About Jen:

I'm Jen René, and I've been teaching and practicing yoga for about fifteen years now - hard to believe. All those years ago, I dropped into a class while living in a brand new city, and the teacher told me I could either sign up for two months or go home.

I chose to stay, and the rest is history.

Although I have dabbled in various styles of yoga, Ashtanga has always felt like home, and I have been a devoted Ashtanga student since 2007. My practice and teaching are mainly influenced by Tim Miller, who has been my teacher for the past decade. I've learned all of primary, intermediate and advanced A series from him and am currently in the home stretch of learning advanced B. More importantly, I've learned how to be a devoted and equanimous teacher from watching Tim.

Other sources of inspiration in my teaching and practice include Richard Freeman and Mary Taylor and David Garrigues - all of whom I've logged hundreds of hours of study with. My teaching is also influenced by my formal training in Pilates apparatus - so if you find your abs to be extra sore after working with me, that's why. 

After graduate school and a few unfulfilling attempts at holding down corporate jobs, I decided to focus on teaching Mysore – after all, I knew that was where my heart was. I built an awesome Mysore community here in DC. I see around forty students a morning in all their sweaty glory. I have taught students all of the Primary, Intermediate and Advanced A asana. But beyond asana, my biggest goal (and greatest reward) is to instill in my students a devotion, faith and enthusiasm for this practice. I believe wholeheartedly that Ashtanga Yoga is for everyone, and I like to take a real approach to it - it can be beautiful, but usually it's much more of a beautiful mess.

I believe in the healing and transformative effects of this practice, and I'm so excited that I get to share my love for it with you!

This 2-part (Sat & Sun 2-5pm) workshop will explore the fine art of hands-on adjusting, functional anatomy and alignment for some of the fundamental asanas in not just Ashtanga Yoga but, other styles of Yoga as well. Specific techniques will be offered for observing, connecting with and working safely and intelligently with students practicing yoga in a class or one-on-one setting. Technical inquiry will include: how to approach and adjust different body types, asana modification through prop use, principles of anatomy, reviewing details of alignment and energy movement in the asanas.

Issues of respecting student privacy and vulnerability will be addressed as well as tips to facilitate a safe environment for student growth and transformation.

Curriculum will be based on examining a few core poses from each of the following categories: sun salutations, standing poses, forward and backward bending postures as well as twisting poses.

This workshop is offered as Continuing Education for yoga teachers (Yoga Alliance CE credits available) and to any curious students wishing to deepen their practice and maintain agency while receiving adjustments.

INVESTMENT: $90 for both days or $50 per session

About Leigha:

Leigha has been teaching yoga since 1984 and taught at the original Yoga Works in Santa Monica, Ca., since its inception in 1987. It was through Yoga Works and The Iyengar Institute of Los Angeles that she had the opportunity to study with senior teachers from all over the globe. Her love of Ashtanga Yoga brought her to India to study extensively with Sri K. Pattabhi Jois starting in 1990 and was authorized to teach by him in 1996. She was fortunate to have Tim Miller as her teacher in the West for over 25 years.

Leigha has taught yoga in a wide variety of venues; from Zen monasteries to Fortune 500 companies and even taught entertainer Bette Midler privately on a 62-city tour. She is also a certified Yoga Therapist with the International Association of Yoga Therapists.

Leigha has a gentle, uplifting approach and is passionate about bringing precise alignment to the graceful movements of traditional Ashtanga Yoga that make it a “moving meditation”. Her teaching is infused with an intimate knowledge of anatomy that stems from a bodywork practice of over three decades, which enables her to address the specific therapeutic needs of her students.

We're so happy and honored to welcome back one of Ashtanga's best for a fun-filled weekend!

Saturday

Mysore 8-11am

Inversion Workshop 1-3pm (+ virtual)

Inversions, Headstands & Arm Balances

In this workshop you will learn practical tools to turn upside down with stability, tranquility and grace. You will gain a thorough understanding of the anatomical patterns at play in your body while inverted. Detailing the shoulder mechanics helps you integrate your arms, spine, ribcage and hip to create a solid platform for accessible and pleasurable inversions whether on your head, hands or elbows. We will play with simple to advanced asanas. All levels welcome.

Sunday

Mysore 8am-11am

Yogic Breathing + Q&A 1-3pm (+ virtual)

You have heard it before, the breath is the very foundation for our asana practice and a portal to an inner sensation of tranquility. But you might ask yourself, how exactly does that work? Also, the breath offers a wonderful entry point for understanding and embodying the sacred teaching of Yoga itself and as Patanjali talks about it in teh Yoga Sutras. In this workshop Tim will lead you through a series of breath exercises that will shed light on the great benefits available to us when our breath becomes an attractive and conscious part of our practice and everyday. All levels welcome.

About Tim Feldmann

Tim is the co-founder and captain of the world-wide recognized Miami Life Center and of the newly opened Miami Yoga Garage - a new ambitious Shala and cultural house in Miami's fun Wynwood district. He has practiced yoga since 1994 and Ashtanga Since 1999. Authorized to teach by Pattabhi Jois and Sharath Jois he explores core concepts and modern boundaries of Patanjali’s yoga teachings alike. A practitioner of Ashtanga Yoga’s Advanced A Series Tim finds Ashtanga’s traditional method an exceptional path towards healing, wisdom and self-realisation. Drawing upon his past as an internationally successful dancer and acclaimed choreographer, anatomy, alignment and technique is his second nature. Tim has been pursuing in-depth studies of Patanjali, Sankhya and Vedanta over the past 7 years with Vidwan Nagaraja Rao, Jayashree & Narasimha and other exceptional scholars in South India. Cherished worldwide for his fun, disciplined and detailed pursuit of authentic yoga and his compassionately effective touch, Tim travels to yoga shalas around the globe with the inclusive message of how study, steadiness and devotion is the means to powerful transformation both inside and outside of us.

SINGLE SESSION REGISTRATION:

Where: Penuel Ridge Retreat Center in Ashland City, TN (about 35 minutes from East Nashville) https://www.penuelridge.org/

When: Friday Oct 1 to Sunday Oct 3, 2021

What:

• daily asana, pranayama, meditation & dharma talks

  • Fri 10am Led Primary; 5:30pm Jivamukti class; evening meditation & talk

  • Sat 8am Mysore; 9:30am pranayama & meditation; 10:15am Jivamukti Open (class will start with chanting and dharma talk - Mysore folks are welcome to stay and then head out)

  • Sun 10:30am Mysore; 12:00pm pranayama & meditation; 12:45pm Jivamukti Open (class will start with chanting and dharma talk - Mysore folks are welcome to stay and then head out)

• community gathering

• home cooked vegan meals

• fire ceremony

• hiking - there are 2 trails on the property - on that goes up and around a ridgeline

• quiet time for contemplation and bird watching

• all activities are optional

How and how much:

1. Day pass option (8 hours) $65 (lunch included)

2. Overnight

   • 2 nights (Fri/Sat): $215 to 250 (depending on sleeping accommodation choice - see below).

   • 1 night (Fri or Sat): $170 (sleeping loft or camping only)

About the Center:

Penuel Retreat Center is a contemplative, interfaith retreat center set on 135 acres of forest. It's quite private and we'll be the only ones there. There's a main house that has three bedrooms, a sleeping loft, one kitchen and one kitchenette, an open dining room and a main meeting room. It can sleep 16 people in twin beds. The house features an open side deck, a covered smaller side deck, and a backyard patio, all with plenty of seating. There's also a small lake on the property just beyond the yoga house, which is a very sacred space - a round structure of straw bale construction with stucco walls -- it'll be awesome for practice. There's also a fire pit (wood provided) and a labyrinth for meditation.

Overnight rates (per person):

• Bedroom 1 - 2 twin beds: $250/weekend (2 nights)

• Bedroom 2 - 3 twin beds: $240/weekend (2 nights)

• Bedroom 3 - 4 twin beds: $230/weekend (2 nights)

• Sleeping loft - 7 twin beds (or camping**): $215/weekend (2 nights)

• Single night - loft or camping**: $170

**There is plenty of space to pitch a tent -- so, if you'd like to go that route, you're welcome to do so.

If you would like to join, please send the full amount to Cory by Venmo @cory-jiva or reply if you'd like to make alternative payment arrangments.

We are so honored and excited to welcome the incredible Kino MacGregor to Yoga Shala Nashville June 25-27. Here’s the weekend Line-up:

Mysore

Sat 10-noon & Sun 12:30-2:30pm

Workshops

Fri Meditation + Q&A 6-8pm

Sat Yoga Drills 2-4pm

Sun Fearless Backbends 3:30-5:30pm

Kino is one of the world's few Certified Ashtanga Yoga Teachers, the founder of OmStars - the world's first TV network for yoga - the co-founder of Miami Life Center, and the author of numerous books, including her latest - "Get Your Yoga On". Don't miss this opportunity to practice with one of the world's best teachers! Her first time to Nashville!!

Friday 6-8pmCST Meditation + Q&A

Relax, connect, and sink down to your inner worlds in Kino's guided Metta Meditation practice. Open your heart and begin the weekend feeling refreshed and ready to receive. Following the meditation, Kino will host a Q&A where you can ask her anything about yoga and spiritual practice. You won't want to miss this evening of community and open conversation with one of the world's most esteemed and beloved yoga teachers!

Saturday 2-4pmCST YOGA DRILLS Workshop

Join this strength and flexibility journey if you want to laugh, have fun and share the warm heart of yoga with Kino. Work on planks, lift-ups, arm balances, backbends and core! Leave with lots of technique to transform your practice and unlock new levels of awareness. Start off with a short meditation and then dive into a full-on practice for all levels. From shoulders to core, hips to backbends, your body and mind will be in a yoga bootcamp. If you practice with Kino online, you will know exactly what to expect! There is something for everyone here, from beginner to advanced yogi. All you need to join is an open heart and a playful spirit.

Sunday 3:30-5:30pmCST FEARLESS BACKBENDS Workshop

If you enjoy a challenge but think you are too stiff to ever bend your back then this is the perfect class for you. By understanding how to work your body in a safe way you will learn what it takes to really bend over backwards with no fear. The secrets of deep backbends are available to you through the integration of sound anatomical principles, healthy alignment techniques and intensely fun stretches. The dynamic movement mechanics of bending your spine are the key to limitless flows of energy and in this class you will begin to explore you natural potential for deep backbends with safety, support and enthusiasm.