South Boston Yoga is a beautiful safe space with compassionate and dedicated teachers and an inclusive environment to help each individual unravel, experiment and evolve in the practice of yoga. South Boston Yoga does not specialize in any one "style" of yoga, instead the yoga taught comes from the fullness and richness of their personal experiences and love of the practice. Practitioners of all styles and levels will find treasures here to comfort, challenge and inspire the yogic path. Beginning, intermediate and advanced students and teachers are all warmly welcome.

South Boston Yoga's hope is to provide a center with something for everyone to enjoy.

Karen Kenney is the owner of Quest Yoga Studio. Karen has been a dedicated yoga student for over 15 years and a full time yoga teacher since 2001. Karen grew up in Lawrence, MA and was introduced to yoga when she was a sophomore in college. She graduated from Boston University in 1990 and a year later moved to Los Angeles where she became a certified personal trainer, played Women's Baseball for Mike Boyd (brother of Red Sox pitcher - Oil Can Boyd) and later worked for her spiritual teacher and mentor, best selling-author, Marianne Williamson.

At Om Yoga is a lineage that offers flow yoga with creativity, competence, and devotion, and is inspired by all paths of yoga. At Om Yoga weaves a diversity of complimentary practices and relevant teachings into the dynamic flow of postures to inspire a deep experience of the vast wisdom of yoga. These experiences are challenging and accessible. There is freedom for the practitioner to work at their own level within the guided structure of the class. This yoga flows. Each posture is preparation for the next. Smooth transitions, linked by the breath, invoke fluid continuity and warming rhythm. It is strengthening and opening, evoking an all pervasive balance that allows one the understanding of a harmonious union with the all of everything. At Om Yoga honors tradition and foster evolution. Their experience of yoga is gleaned from a diverse and ancient lineage of masters. It is their blessing to make it accessible and relevant to the contemporary practitioner.

Quest Yoga Studio provides a warm, friendly environment where students of all levels can learn in a safe, supportive and mindful way. Their yoga community is a beautiful diverse mix of practitioners of all shapes, sizes and abilities. Whether you're brand new to yoga, a seasoned yogi or fall somewhere in between - Everyone is welcome to their community!

During his most recent trip to India Asa revisited some of his old teachers, both Ajay Kumar in Mysore, and Guruji Amritananda Nath of Devipuram. He also revisited familiar holy sites such as the Ganga river in Rishikesh and Dharamsala, the world's haven for exiled Tibetan Buddhists. He traveled the path of the original Buddha through Bodh gaya and settled into practices under the 5th generation of the Boddhi tree (the same Peepal tree that Gautama the Buddha himself was sitting under when he awakened). Asa endured and enjoyed a ten day Vipassana (mindfulness) mediation retreat where he spent ten hours daily in seated meditation. This experience was revolutionary, transformative, and kind of boring. He spent time at the ashram of Amma, Amritanandamayi, (a living embodiment of the divine mother whose hugs have lifted darkness from millions of devotees). The energy of service, generosity, and spiritual discipline of this living saint and her devotees is greatly inspiring.

 

His integration of complimentary yoga styles and practices, his consciousness of people's unique peculiarities, and attention to creative and cohesive sequencing make for playful and effective yoga experiences. It is Asa's pleasure and honor to help guide those inclined back inward, toward wholeness.

Gretchen Carmel (Rajeshwari)-earned a B.F.A. in Dance Performance from SUNY Purchase in New York. After many years in the professional world of dance, Gretchen became a certified Kripalu and Vinyasa Flow Yoga teacher. She also is a Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapist and a Traditional/Usui Reiki Master, as well as owner/director of The Yoga Space in Keene N.H. Gretchen has been practicing, studying, and living Yoga since 1993. She brings to her teaching a high level of committment, love for her students, and the joy of mantra, inspired by her teacher Namadeva Acharya (Thomas Ashley-Farrand). Gretchen is a certified Instructor in Mantra under the direction of Namadeva Acharya and Sanatana Dharma Satsang, and continues her studies in his Pujari/Priest Program.

The day after her first experience with yoga, Beth dove head first into Living Yoga's Teacher Training Program - feeling a sense of purpose, curiosity and belonging.

Yoga was both the challenge and release that she was seeking and it has been a dramatically transformative experience.   Her practice continues to feed her hunger for knowledge and is a constant reminder of how to be present, aware and find stillness.

Outside of the yoga studio, Beth owns a small landscaping company called "The Barefoot Gardener" and absolutely LOVES her job.  "It is so peaceful and rewarding.  It clears the mind."  It is yoga.

As a teacher, Beth connects with her fellow students with welcoming arms and encourages her students to find where they are in their practice, by accepting and loving themselves.  Her classes are rooted in the fundamentals of the Primary Series of Ashtanga Yoga, flowing breath to breath, finding the balance between 'steadiness' and 'ease'.

Beth studied with  R. Sharath at the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute (KPJAYI.org)  this past winter and plans to travel annually to Mysore to continue her studies this coming January & February, 2011.

Beth is also a graduate of Living Yoga's 200hr Teacher Training Program with Maureen Miller, E-RYT. Beth has studied under the guidance of Beth Berkeley, Margaret Fletcher, & Robert Moses. She is a Certified ChildLight Yoga Instructor and has studied Sanskrit with Sri Lakshmish Bhat of Mysore, India and Sanskrit chanting with Dr. M.A. Jayashree of Lakshmipuram, India.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Like a diamond in the sun, Girish shines brightly in the world of kirtan. His music, rich with rhythm and full of heart makes you want to sing...and play. Three times now, Girish has graced my class at Yoga Works, Costa Mesa, with his music, invoking what one of my students described as a "spiritual experience" to be able to practice asana and feel the beat of the tablas while Girish weaves mantras such as the Gayatri and my personal favorite, the Maha Mritryunjaya Mantra, as well as his more rockin' version of the Hanuman Chaleesa into the very air, enveloping you with song .

Inspired by my experience with Girish, I attended his chanting workshop this past February and purchased a harmonium from the Self-Realization Fellowship in Encinitas. During his three-hour workshop, he brought such a natural ease to the chants, allowing them to be accessible to everybody by playing them in different keys for different voices. Although the traditional Sanskrit wording of the chants is said to carry its own essence, most people find more meaning in the chants when they understand the translation, which Girish thoroughly explains, often accompanying the translation with a story or two illustrating the historical or mythological significance of the mantra. After class, Girish patiently instructed me on a few simple chords for the harmonium and, although I am only proficient at three or four chants, the Maha Mritryunjaya Mantra and the Gayatri among them, I have been playing the harmonium in all of my classes ever since and my students report that they love the musical addition to the class.

Erika Burkhalter is a Yoga teacher and an increasingly more skillful harmonium player when she teaches at Yoga Works in Costa Mesa and on the Yoga Trek Adventure retreats and workshops she leads both locally and internationally: erikaburkhalter.com. Both Erika and Girish will be at Bhakti Fest 2010: bhaktifest.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Girish has been flying under the radar in the midst of the exploding kirtan world for well over a decade.   For many years Girish was the "tabla player of choice" for artists like Krishna Das, Wah!, Snatam Kaur, Rasa, Dave Stringer, and more.  Seems like nobody knew he could sing so soulfully, kind of like Dave Matthews, and that his songwriting and flawless production were about to emerge.  Over the course of his three releases, Girish has established himself as a major artist in the world of sacred vocal music, and a welcome male voice among all the women who sing so magnificently. His debut "Reveal" remains a favorite of many, myself included, as it pulses with global rhythms, sweet melodies and heartfelt devotion, and "Shiva Machine" laid down several new directions via mesmerizing trance-funk grooves, trip-hop devotional dirges and heart warming electro-acoustic ballads.  Over 200 people invested physically, financially & energetically to make this new CD an expression of a larger global force.  With "Diamonds in the Sun" Girish & friends have found the perfect blend of musical styles, pure inspiration, tender ballads, and that awesome combining of chant form and English lyrics a la Donna DeLory & others.  In fact, Donna's "Sanctuary" was probably my favorite CD last year, and "Diamonds in the Sun" plays beautifully next to her collection of exquisite songs.  Donna lends her vocal magic to many tracks on "Diamonds in the Sun", as does C. C. White and other fine singers.  I asked Girish what some of his favorite CDs are, and he responded "it's wide and varied; for Yoga it's Krishna Das ("Door of Faith,") at other times there's all kinds of music that touches me, such as Wilco ("Sky Blue Sky"), Sufjan Stevens ("Illinois") and Joni Mitchell ("Shine")".

Each song on "Diamonds in the Sun" is a complete and full offering, with occasional horn sections, r'n'b arrangements, soulful rhythms and prayerful choruses that build to convergent conclusions that satisfy, track after track. Girish shared "it's been a 2-3 year journey, from basic thumb nail sketches, as foundation, to laying down the original tracks with a solid live rhythm section on hand. The rest was drawn from Pakistan to Portland, via Skype, and other forms of audio technology." During this time Girish upgraded his home studio in quantum leaps towards getting vocals down perfectly.  You can hear for yourself, as the energy is brought forth, reflecting his own personal evolution as producer and musician. Girish wrote, arranged, & produced all of the songs, & is on lead vocals, guitar, harmonium, percussion. Guest artists include Greg Ellis, Quinn, Benjy Wertheimer, James Harrah, Ian Walker, Georges Lamman, Greg Leisz and many others. The title track is quite self-explanatory, and was written on his recent third trip to India, expressing the understanding that not far below the surface of who we think we are, we all are "Diamonds in The Sun". There are honestly too many standout tracks to highlight, although "Lakshmi" and "Saraswati" are so very flowing, and "Om Namah Shivayah" lends itself to new meaning within the setting that develops. The closing track, "Long Time Sun" also soars with a pure and heavenly design. If you don't find yourself singing, swaying, moving and grooving with these tracks, I'll be surprised.  This is infectious, encompassing music to lift your spirits and soothe your soul.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The secrets of the ancients revealed for the first time in countless centuries! "The Sacred Art of Anointing", by renowned aromatic alchemist Allison Stillman, is the definitive book on anointing, and is based on twenty years of anointing people from across the globe. This book seeks to educate the reader about the ceremonial use of consecrated essential oils to make, or declare one sacred, holy, and Divine.