Yoga with Erich Schiffman
Live Music with Girish

Wednesday January 26, 7:35pm
Exhale Center for Sacred Movement
245 South Main Street
Venice, CA  90291
Phone: 310 450 7676
www.exhalespa.com

"Yoga is not merely touching your toes, or standing on your head, or folding yourself into a pretzel. It's about how you do what you do, and how you live your daily life on a moment-to-moment basis. 
 

My guess is that if you also learn to meditate and do yoga and pause occasionally throughout the day to be still, to breath, to relax, and to feel the energy of life force within you and all around you - the life force that must be in you for you to even exist - that you, too, will feel the palpable joy of "union with the infinite" - yoga. The word yoga means yoke or union. And you will feel healed, renewed, strong in mind and body, and your life will take on new meaning and new fulfilling directions that you are not personally responsible for. It's worth the small effort required.

 

Remember, Yoga is a way of moving into stillness in order to experience the truth of who you are. The practice of yoga is the practice of meditation - or inner listening - in the poses and meditations, as well as all day long. It's a matter of listening inwardly for guidance all the time, and then daring enough and trusting enough to do as you are prompted to do... "

 

- Erich Schiffman

Yoga with Shiva Rea
Live Music with Girish

Thursday January 27, 6pm
Exhale Center for Sacred Movement
245 South Main Street
Venice, CA  90291
Phone: 310 450 7676
www.exhalespa.com


Shiva Rea, M.A. is a yogini firekeeper, sacred activist, global adventurer and leading innovator in the evolution of prana flow yoga, transformational vinyasa flow integrating the tantric bhakti roots of yoga, Krishnamacharya's teachings and a universal, quantum approach to the body.

Shiva is known for bringing the roots of yoga alive for modern practitioners in creative, dynamic and life-transforming ways and for offering the synthesis form of prana flow out in the world. Shiva is the creator of Prana Flow Yoga, Yogadventure Retreats, Yoga Trance Dance for Life, Moving Activism for 1,008,000 Trees, the worldwide Global Mala Project, Yogini Conferences and E2: The Evolutionary Edge Tour. She writes for Yoga Journal, Yoga Plus Joyful Living, is the author of award-winning CD's and DVD's, and contributor to many publications and features.

Yoga with Erika Burkhalter
Live Music with Girish

Friday January 28, 6pm
Yoga Works
1835 Newport Blvd Suite a 208
Costa Mesa, CA 92627
949-642-7400
yogaworks.com


"I first discovered yoga at the age of eight or nine by practicing along with Lilias Folan and her PBS TV series  Lilias, Yoga and You, and have been treading this path ever since.   Inspired by my travels in India, I bring to my classes Indian folk tales and stories (I am currently writing a collection of stories called Tales of India) as well as philosophical teachings and pranayama techniques.   Over the years, I have ventured along many divergent and convergent yoga paths, completing 1st and 2nd series ashtanga teacher training programs with my teacher of many years,Tim Miller.  I did my advanced training with Edward Clark of Tripsichore Yoga, as well as completing several other, shorter,  trainings along the way with David Swenson, Karin O'Bannon (Iyengar-based program), Erich Schiffman, Andre Lappa and others, and have practiced in India with Sri K. Pattabhi Jois and Sharath Rangaswamy.   Passionate about philosophy (I'm the daughter of a philosophy professor!), I've studied with Srivatsa Ramaswami (a direct student of Krishnamacharya), Christopher Chapple and John Casey.   I began teaching yoga in 1999.  I attempt to integrate breath and bhakti into  classes filled with alignment and inspiration, and to bring balance to this moving meditation by developing strength of both mind and body.  I am on the faculty for the Yoga Works 300 hr teacher training and am honored to mentor newer teachers along as they find their path.  In recent years, I have combined my love of travel with my passion for yoga and have formed Yoga Trek Adventures, leading groups on yoga tours in places such as India, Mexico, and Costa Rica.  I hold a Masters of Science degree in Neuropsychology and, although I am no longer involved in that field, I continue to be amazed and intrigued by the links between ancient wisdom and modern science.  My newest passion is the harmonium and kirtan.  Inspired by my friend, Girish, who so patiently has taught me several chants, my repertoire is slowly growing!"

- Erika Burkhalter

Girish Kirtan

Saturday January 29, 5-9pm
Kristin Olson's Urban Yoga
458 S. Palm Canyon Dr.
Palm Springs 92262
www.urbanyoga.org
760-320-7702
Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door

Join Girish and his band in singing traditional Sanskrit mantras with a modern, funky, yet deeply devotional twist.

Girish invites his audience to participate by singing along, call and response chanting, and dancing.

  $15 advance Ticket

Yoga with Leeza Villagomez
Live Music with Girish

Sunday January 30, 9:30am
The Yoga Den Healthspa
1035 Montecito Dr
Corona, CA 92879
(951) 279-9642
www.yogadenhealthspa.com
Tickets are $10 plus normal class price

YOGA DEN IS A FITTING NAME for the family-style hub Leeza Villagomez has created in the Inland Empire, as it has the comfortable vibe of a family room where everyone looks forward to lounging, eating and playing. And, lounge, eat and play they do. Leeza is known for bringing in pitchers of her famous energy tonic for students to sip after a session of Kick Your Asana and, with a ready smile she demonstrates the art of creating a green vegetable drink or pot of Ayurvedic kitcheree to her teacher trainees.

 

While Leeza seems like a natural as the owner of a Yoga studio and den mother for a vibrant community, she didn't necessarily plan on having this be part of her path. Even though she's a native of Corona who grew up on a three-acre farm with everything from fruit trees, peacocks, horses and chickens, she traveled the world, working as a model in sixteen different countries before returning home to Southern California. Her extended family still lives in the Inland Empire, including her parents and four siblings. When she was still pursuing her wanderlust, Leeza's mother said in a prescient moment, "You can gallivant all you want, but the love of your life will be here." And sure enough, Leeza met her husband Humberto in a Yoga class in Corona.

 

Girish  Chant Workshop

Sunday January 30, 12:30-2:30pm
The Yoga Den Healthspa
1035 Montecito Dr
Corona, CA 92879
(951) 279-9642
www.yogadenhealthspa.com
Tickets are $10 plus normal class price

Girish's chanting immersion is for anyone seeking to bring the bliss of Sanskrit chanting into daily life or to deepen an existing chanting practice. You'll explore several of the most powerful Sanskrit mantras and offer practical guidance on integrating them into your yoga, meditation, or pranayama practice.  No previous experience necessary!
 
Girish's chant workshop will cover:
 
·    The tradition of Bhakti Yoga (the Yoga of Devotion)
·    The sacred power of Sanskrit
·    The Gayatri Mantra
·    Chants to the Goddess
·    Bija Mantras (mystical seed sounds)
·    The Hanuman Chalisa
·    Meaning, pronunciation, and yogic application of all the chants
·    Resources for further study and inspiration

 

Shine An Evening Celebrating
Our Path of Love

Sunday January 30, 5:30pm
Shine! An Evening of Celebrating the Path of Love, with Julie Jackson Chenoweth, Special Guests Girish, Abby Scoville & Sylvie Scoville, Kathy Bolte, and more!
Breathe Yoga Studio
5 E. Citrus Avenue Suite 103
Redlands, CA 92373
(909) 557-4302
www.breatheredlands.com

Breathe Redlands Yoga Studio was founded with the intention of providing a safe, stress-free environment for individuals to practice yoga. The participants will have the opportunity to rejuvenate and strengthen their mind, body and spirit through the exploration of their yoga practice. Classes are taught in the Hatha style with individual guidance for all students.

 

Breathe Redlands Yoga Studio wishes you a yoga experience which brings greater health and joy to your life.

Yoga with Denise Kaufman
Live Music with Girish

Monday January 31, 7-9pm
Exhale Center for Sacred Movement
245 South Main Street
Venice, CA  90291
Phone: 310 450 7676
www.exhalespa.com




Denise Kaufman has been exploring yoga, movement, energy flow and community/ connectedness for over thirty-five years. She loves exploring getting deeper, quieter and more open with her classes. Her teachers include Robert Nadeau Sensei, Sadao Yoshioka Sensei (aikido/meditation), Gia-Fu Feng (meditation), Yoji Bhajan, Bikram Choudury, Danny Paradise, Sri K. Pattabhi Jois (yoga), Paulie Zink, Paul Grilley (Taoist yoga), Auntie Margaret Machado, Roselle Keli'ihonipua Bailey (hula/mana), Christopher Key Chapple, Vyaas Houston (Sanskrit/Patanjali), Rabbi Mordecai Finley (Kabbalah), Wavy Gravy (heart and community) and the Pacific Ocean (source and juice).


 
 

Bhaktifest Spring OmMersion

Joshua Tree, CA
April 15-17
Bhaktifest Spring OmMersion
Joshua Tree Retreat Center
Joshua Tree, CA
www.bhaktifest.com
3-Day Workshops, Yoga & Live Kirtan!

Kirtan with:
Girish, Jai Uttal, Shyamdas, Dave Stringer, David Newman (Durga Das), Shantala, Arjun Baba, Donna De Lory, Wah!, Jaya Lakshmi, DASI Karnamrita, Sean Johnson & The Wild Lotus Band, Gina Salá, Saul David Raye, C.C. White, The Kirtaniyas, Amritakripa, Prema Hara
Govindas and Radha, Joey Lugassy

Yoga with:
Shiva Rea, Saul David Raye, Janet Stone, Kristin Olson, Sara Ivanhoe, Micheline Berry, Mark Whitwell, Kia Miller & Tommy Rosen, Mas Vidal, Hemalaya



 


 

Midwest Yoga Conference

Bloomingdale, IL
Friday May 20, 8pm
Midwest Yoga Conference
Hilton Indian Lakes Resort & Spa
Bloomingdale, IL
800-599-YOGA

www.midwestyoga.com

With: Girish, Jonny Kest, David Romanelli, Janet Stone, Saul David Raye, Toni Bergins, Tymi Howard, Les Leventhal, Daren Friesen, Dr. Indu Arora, Jim Bennitt, Moses, Max Strom, Priyanka Shanbag, Seane Corn, Shakta Kaur, Cornell Colbert, Quinn Kearney, Krista Cahill, Brock Cahill, Micheline Berry






 


 

Thank you!

Thank you for your support of our music! We are grateful that you have joined us on this amazing journey of music and honoring the Divine.

Please accept a gift from us of 18% off all Girish CDs and DVDs, and a "Diamonds in the Sun" tour BPA free stainless steel water bottle for all orders over $45!

Our new tour water bottle has a Ganesh yantra on it  - your water will be charged with all of Ganesh's obstacle removing juju!*

Love and Blessings from Girish and Virginia

*offer expires 1/31/11 - all orders shipped within 24 hours.

   $15

  $15

  $15

  $18

Yoga Journal

US edition November 2010

Australia edition January 2011

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you Angels!

"Diamonds in the Sun" Sponsor Cell-nique

Mantra Music: Girish
By Erika Burkhalter

LA Yoga Magazine

 

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 - A Diamond in the Sun
By Lloyd Barde

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Girish Recommends Allison Stillman's new book  "The Scared Art of Anointing"

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.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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