NEWSLETTER JANUARY 2023 - FRESH START
Dear yoga friends,
We hope you’ve had a good start to the New Year and are ready for many new yoga experiences this spring. Some of us just returned from a week's yoga retreat in Tenerife where we recharged our batteries with good food, sun and lots of time to immerse ourselves in different aspects of our yoga practice. Thanks to Hanna, Sofia and Miho (and Helena) who took care of the shala in Malmö during this time. We hope that those of you who practiced with them had a great experience.
The spring semester officially starts the last week of January and we are delighted that our ashtanga foundation course and yoga for stress reduction course are already fully booked since a couple of weeks. There are still a few spots available for the ashtanga level 2 course with Helena on Wednesdays. During the months to come, we have a lot going on at the shala with several guest teachers who will give special lectures and teach workshops. Continue reading this newsletter in order not to miss any important information.
SPRING SCHEDULE
You find our spring schedule on the schedule page of this website. Below the schedule at the bottom of the page you can always see the planned schedule changes and who might be covering class. We provide this service for you so that you can keep track and plan your visits to the shala. Please check the schedule page regularly to stay updated.
The spring schedule which runs until after midsummer contains some small changes; Helena's ashtanga level 2 course has been moved to Wednesdays and we have a new yoga for stress management course on Thursday evenings. Guided class of the primary series is held once a month - the next session is on Sunday 29th January at 9am.
After a guided class we always gather for Tea & Talk. This spring we have invited a number of guest lecturers for these occasions. First out is Associate Professor Martin Gansten from Lund University. On Sunday 29th January at 11am, he will give a presentation on "Sanskrit and yoga from a historical perspective". Martin explains why knowledge in Sanskrit is of interest to those who practice yoga and why it is important for the development of our daily practice. The lecture is held in Swedish and is complementary for those who already have practice cards with us. Outsiders who wish to join may book their spot and pay through our partner Medborgarskolan. More info here.
On Sunday 5th March, we host Lisa Lalér from Yogashala Stockholm and Jens Bache from Astanga Yoga Copenhagen. Lisa teaches the guided Primary Series class and Jens the subsequent Tea & Talk. Jens shares his research on the origin of yoga and gives a presentation on the theme "The stories behind the modern yoga - history or myth? We are very happy that Lisa and Jens want to visit us - it is a fantastic opportunity for our yoga practitioners to meet and learn from two prominent Scandinavian ashtanga yoga teachers. Read more about the event here
GUEST WORKHOPS
In the spring we also have special guest workshops planned with two international, very experienced teachers. We are very proud to welcome:
- STEFAN ENGSTRÖM from Kadermo Retreat in Finland (where Isabella teaches one week each summer).
On March 24-26, Stefan teaches three days including morning mysore class, introduction to Pranayama and afternoon workshops with the theme of “Yoga of Presence and Wholeness”. Learn to become more aware, prevent injuries and become stronger. More information and registration here.
- LAKSHMISH BHA
T our chanting and philosophy teacher from Mysore, India. Between 13-15 April, Lakshmish will teach three classes and hold a puja, a special Indian ceremony, at our shala. It will be a unique event that definitely should be experienced - it’s a great chance to learn from an Indian teacher on Swedish ground. Read more here and sign up well in advance.
NEW COURSES
Several of our January/February courses are already fully booked or have only limited places available. Yin yoga with Miho, which starts on 31/1 is still open for booking as well as Helena's Ashtanga level 2 course/class on Wednesdays starting 25/1 (both courses are also open to our current card holders on a drop-in basis). If you didn’t make the Jan/Feb courses you have another chance to sign up for March and April:
ASHTANGA FOUNDATION COURSE (beginners) Saturdays with Helena starting 4/3 or Mondays with Isabella starting 17/4
ASHTANGA FOUNDATION LEVEL 2 (half -led half mysore) with Helena starting 12/4
YIN YOGA with Miho starting 11/4
YOGA FOR STRESS REDUCTION with Isabella starting 20/4
Read more about all upcoming courses and events on our events page. The page is being updated regularly so if you don't find the course you're looking for please check back in a few days.
FRIDAY FUN
Our alternative after work class returns in the spring with brand new themes one Friday a month. We start by exploring our hips and hamstrings on 10th February and the following month on 10th March the class is dedicated to women only with a special "Ladies night" theme. In April, Miho offers a restorative yoga class for recovery and to combat spring fatigue. All planned events are available on the events page and do not forget to sign up well in advance to secure your spot.
MORE "YOGA GOODIES"
For those who are interested, we can recommend two podcast interviews that Isabella recently took part in. In December a discussion with Rich Ray from Ashtanga Yoga Portland Maine was published (listen here) and now in January a conversation with Todd McLaughlin from Native Yoga in Florida came out (listen here). Both podcasts also have several other interesting interviews with different kinds of yoga practitioners from around the world. Listen and enjoy the podcast yoga jungle.
It always makes us really happy when you share information about the shala and recommend us to friends or family. In addition to courses and classes organised at the shala in Malmö, we also take part in events outside the yoga school. On March 3-5 Isabella is invited to guest teach in Falkenberg (shala of Hanna Mjöberg). If you know anyone who might be interested, please let them know, or why not join yourself for a yoga weekend - more info here.
The next newsletter will be distributed in late March but please keep an eye on the website in between newsletters and/or follow us on social media (links above in the menu). If you are not a member of our private (closed) Facebook group, we recommend applying to it to get access to the latest news and updates at short notice. Remember that if you haven't been to the shala for a while, we may have changed the door code. Please get in touch well in advance of your planned visit to get the new code.
Every day is a fresh start
Isabella & crew
NEWSLETTER end of the year 2022
We are approaching the end of the autumn semester and December has made its entrance with the traditional festive light decorations that brighten up the darkest month. The atmosphere favours time for reflection and expression of gratitude for the year that has passed. Ashtanga Yoga Malmö would like to especially thank all our practitioners for your commitment and enthusiasm. Without you, the yoga school could not exist. Last weekend, many of us gathered for our annual potluck brunch where we had an opportunity to socialize off the yoga mat. It’s a tradition that was established in 2015 and we’re very happy to again arrange this and similar events after the covid-hiatus. Thanks to everyone who came for making it a lovely party with good food and good company. For those of you who were unable to attend, December offers more chances to gather at some of the special events we have planned. Keep reading to find out what's happening at the shala in December, get access to the holiday schedule and take a sneak peek at some of the new courses and workshops in 2023.
CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR SCHEDULE
The regular autumn schedule continues until 22 December, after which we adjust the opening hours during the holidays. You can find the entire schedule for w 51,51,1 here. The spring schedule starts on 8 January with Hanna Mjöberg (authorised by the SYC, level 2) covering classes for a week while Isabella co-teaches a yoga retreat in Tenerife with Matt Ryan. You can read more about the yoga retreat (9-16 January) here. There is still a chance to book your spot!
EVENTS IN DECEMBER
- FRIDAY-FUN takes place for the last time this year on 9 December. This class is taught by Miho and has the theme of reflection. It is a light yin yoga class that also gives participants a chance to try the concept of journaling where you reflect and write down your thoughts about the past year. Read more and register here.
-"MINI-IMMERSION": during the autumn we arranged three spontaneous immersion classes where the theme for each session was based entirely on your questions. The last class this year takes place on Sunday 18 December. As previously, the class is donation-based and you register in advance via email. Next year, the immersion classes are replaced with a special in-depth adjustment course (read more about this below).
- THE LAST CLASS OF THE YEAR is all about giving back. Practicing yoga involves more than just doing postures on the yoga mat. Karma yoga or Seva – which means selfless action – is also an important part. We therefore want to end the year with a guided class of the first series of Ashtanga yoga for the benefit of the organization V-Care in Mysore, India. Isabella teaches this donation based class where participants are kindly asked to make a small donation to V-Care Mysuru. Read more here and sign up. If you can’t take part physically you may still donate via Swish 123 576 46 91. Mark your donation “Malmö 30/12”. Read more about V-Care here.
LOOKING AHEAD AT 2023
We are very happy to be able to offer our practitioners many new courses and guest appearances by several international teachers throughout 2023. You can read about some of them below, others are listed on our events page. At the beginning of the year, we especially want to highlight:
- IN-DEPTH COURSE: asana mechanics and adjustment technique with Isabella starting Sunday 22 January. Would you like to learn more about the purpose and mechanics of different yoga postures? Do you want to deepen your understanding of your own yoga practice? Then this course is for you. Read more and register here. Early bird price is available if you register before 15 December. The number of places is limited (NB! 50% of the spots are already booked).
- TEA&TALK "Sanskrit and yoga from a historical perspective". On Sunday 29 January, after the guided class, we host Dr. Martin Gansten from Lund University for an introduction to Sanskrit, why knowledge of this language is of interest to those who practice yoga and why it is important for the development of our daily practice. The lecture is included for our current card holders, but is also open to the public who can book their spot and pay via Medborgarskolan. The talk is held in Swedish. Read more here.
- YOGA FOR STRESS REDUCTION continues in 2023 with a new course on Thursday evenings at 17:30 starting on 2/2. Isabella teaches an 8-week course for those who want to learn tools to better manage stress, reduce anxiety and depression. The course is held in Swedish and open to all levels - no prior yoga experience is required. Read more here and please share if you know someone who needs help to manage stress.
- COURSES IN ASHTANGA YOGA: new foundation courses level 1+2 start again at the end of January. New courses start continuously during the spring - all upcoming courses are available on our events page.
SPREAD THE WORD
It always makes us happy when you share information about us and recommend us to friends or family. In order for more people to find the shala, we would also be grateful if you’d take the time to write a review about us on Google maps or on our Facebook page. It would enable more people to find the yoga school and become part of our community. We would also like to remind you that you can use your “Friskvårdsbidrag” with us and that we are approved for Physical Activity on Prescription (FaR).
HAPPY WINTER
That's all for now; we’d like to wish everyone a happy winter and festive season, irrespectively of whether you celebrate or not. Please give an extra thought and/or do a good deed for those who spend this time alone or without a roof over their head.
The next newsletter will be distributed in January with the spring schedule and additional info about what's happening at the shala in 2023. Keep an eye on the website in between newsletters and/or follow us on social media (links above in the menu). If you are not a member of our private Facebook group, we recommend applying to it to get access to the latest news and updates at short notice. Remember that if you haven't been to the shala for a while, we may have changed the door code. Please get in touch well in advance of your planned visit to get the new code.
Warming winter hugs
Isabella & crew
Christmas & New Year holiday opening hours
Between December 24th and January 7th, we have special opening hours at the yoga school. See the schedule below for when you can come to class. Please note that during week 52 you may come to the shala anytime from 06.15 (when the doors open) and do your self-practice. Teaching starts at 9am. The following week we swap the hours, teaching starts at 06.15 followed by self-practice as from 8:45. On Friday 6/1 which is a public holiday we have later opening hours. The spring schedule starts on 8 January 2023 will be published as usual on the schedule page. We wish everyone a wonderful holiday season, a great end to the year and the very best start to 2023! See you on the yoga mat!
Yoga retreat in Tenerife 9-16th January 2023
Our winter yoga holiday goes to Tenerife, Purple Valley Yoga Centre. Isabella and Matt Ryan (who has been guest-teaching in Malmö twice in the past year) are joining forces and to teach a 7-day yoga retreat on January 9-16, 2023. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to start 2023 in the very best way with sunshine, yoga and great energy! You get more information about the retreat, the weekly programme etc. and how to register via the Purple Valley website.
