Alana Kessler MS RD CDN CYT, Ayurvedic specialist is the founder of Sangha Yoga Shala, a community nutrition, yoga and conscious living space located in New York City. Steadfast in her passion for healthy living, she continues to deepen her knowledge through her many teachers and life itself, which she firmly believes is the greatest teacher of all. With the integration of nutrition, yoga, mindfulness, and a dedicated personal practice since 1999, Alana provides individuals with the practical tools they need to live more balanced and meaningful lives. She founded Sangha Yoga Shala as a way of reaching a greater scope of individuals on a deeper level. Eternally grateful to the people, experiences and education which have helped shape her practice and offering, Alana is committed to Ashtanga Yoga as taught by the late Sri K. Pattabhi Jois and is dedicated to a daily mysore style practice at AYNY with Eddie Stern. Personally transformed by the cleansing and purifying sequencing of Ashtanga yoga, Alana’s classes are taught directly from her own personal practice, offering an intelligent, compassionate and physically challenging environment. Students are invited to embrace and transcend limitations by connecting breath with movement in a dynamic meditative flow. As a Registered Dietitian and Certified Ayurvedic practitioner with a Masters in Nutrition and Dietetics from NYU, Alana complements her teaching by encouraging and supporting individuals and groups to integrate nutrition, mindful lifestyle behaviors and yoga as an effective means to nurture and achieve their goals. View Alana's Schedule  

I began a yoga practice when I was sixteen, and was immediately struck by the immeasurable benefits and insights gained from aligning breath with movement. This epiphany laid the groundwork for years of introspection and self- examination. Throughout this time I began to deepen my practice, my breath, and my relationship with life. I saw a swift change in my energy, focus, clarity, alignment, and overall wellbeing. I traveled to India in search of “spirituality”, a term I sought to define for myself. In India I found a people living from the heart and trusting more in their bodies than their minds. This experiential learning and innate trust in intuition has been one of my greatest teachers, showing me the first steps towards a life-long journey of letting go of the ego and allowing the Self to be. I moved to New York City and received my Teacher Training Certification through YTTP, underwent a ten-day silent Vipassana mediation, and again, returned to India to study Yoga in Rishikesh, Varanasi, Mysore, Neyyar Dam, and Tamil Nadu. I continue to practice daily and guide individuals of all levels as a teacher throughout New York City. I teach Ashtanga inspired Vinyasa Yoga, with focus on breath, alignment, and non-reaction.

    Sarah's relationship with Yoga began over 10 years ago in Toronto. It has been quite the ride since then, full of unexpected adventure and surprises! Originally from Vancouver, Canada, Sarah found her way to New York City where she now lives and teaches.  She recently returned from teaching in Goa, India, for four months at her own Yoga Shala. Sarah has her YA 200 hour certification in Vinyasa yoga from Sonic Yoga in NYC and obtained her YA 500 hour in Ashtanga in India from the Source of Yoga. She teaches both styles and feels they are wonderful complements to each other: her Ashtanga classes are influenced by Vinyasa's focus on alignment and her Vinyasa creative flow classes benefit from the structural element of Ashtanga. This past September Sarah also participated in teaching at a Yoga Alliance Teacher Training in the south of Italy.  She has taught at The Giving Tree Yoga Studio and at several fitness studios in NYC.  She is featured as the Spiritual Gangster in Hipp Trip, an online travel site [http://hipptrip.com/spiritual-gangsters/sarah-walsh/] A class with Sarah is a combination of a physical and a spiritual experience. We all have our own unique journey to embark on, both on and off the mat. Sarah aims to guide you on this journey, hopefully leading you on your own exciting and enlightening path!

Aimee originally moved to New York from Kansas to pursue acting. She noticed that as her acting career progressed, she was continually more drawn to yoga because of the generosity, ease and sense of calm that her own practice cultivated in her life off the yoga mat. Aimee particularly enjoys working with women in particularly challenging times--teaching prenatal, Baby & Me yoga, and yoga to women through and after cancer, as well as working as a labor support doula. Bringing more than a decade of personal practice and teaching to her students, she infuses lightness into the practices that have brought her through difficult times. She is endlessly grateful for the support and compassion shown by her teachers and feels blessed for the opportunity to teach and learn from her students.

Certifications: Women Cancer Survivors Training: Tari Prinster, Pre and Postnatal Certifications: Deb Flashenberg & Nikita Maxwell, Baby & Me: Jyothi Larsen, How to Teach Restorative: Margi Young, Pranayama Teacher Training: Cyndi Lee & Joe Miller, 200 hour certification: Cyndi Lee, Joe Miller, Frank Mauro, Sarah Trelease, Margi Young, Christie Clark

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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. View Malka's Schedule