Dear practitioners,

We’re almost half way into the spring semester with Easter just around the corner. The light is returning with brighter mornings and more energy, but the freezing outdoor temperatures still keep us dreaming of summer. In the shala, however, it is warm and cozy thanks to the fact that so many of you chose to fill the space both morning and evening – something we are very happy about. It's a rare luxury to start the morning (or end the day) in such lovely company - it provides a daily mood boost.

Since the year began we’ve arranged several interesting events with guest teachers visiting us in Malmö. First out in January was Martin Gansten’s lecture on Sanskrit and yoga, and at the beginning of March, Lisa Lalér held a led a primary series class and Jens Bache gave a presentation on the origins of yoga. We hope you enjoyed these events as we have many more planned throughout the year. Continue reading this newsletter to get all necessary information about what that happens at the shala.

SPRING SCHEDULE – the regular schedule runs according to plan until midsummer. Please remember that once a month we have a guided class of the Primary series followed by tea&talk where we gather and discuss a yoga-related topic. The next opportunity is on Sunday, April 2 at 9:00 a.m. (the Mysore class is canceled then). You may take part even if you are not proficient in the whole Primary Series and should you wish to join only the class or talk separately that’s of course ok!

During the Easter holiday weekend we have special opening hours for the morning classes and during the school holidays (week 14) the evening classes/courses take a break. Check our EASTER OPENING HOURS and get an overview of upcoming (temporary) schedule changes by visiting the schedule page (scroll to the bottom under the schedule). We’d also like to remind you that since September last year we are [again] offering classes in Lund. Miho and Helena are teaching both mysore and guided classes several days a week. You find our branch Ashtanga Yoga Lund here

VISIT FROM INDIA - after the Easter holiday we receive an important visitor straight from Mysore, India. From 13-15^th April, Lakshmish Bhat, our yoga philosophy, chanting and Sanskrit teacher at the Sharath Yoga Centre comes to teach a workshop at our shala in Malmö. The workshop (held in English) consists of three evening/afternoon classes with philosophy, chanting and a traditional Indian ceremony (puja). It’s a great opportunity to meet a genuine Indian scholar who teaches directly from the source of Indian yoga philosophy. It's a very special experience not to miss. We are very happy that we together with colleagues from Yogashala Stockholm, Astanga Yoga Copenhagen and Nico Cooper / Tullia Jack Ashtanga Yoga, can offer our yoga practitioners this unique event. Read more about the workshop and how to register here

UPCOMING EVENING COURSES - starting in April/May:

ASHTANGA YOGA FOUNDATION/BEGINNERS COURSE - Mondays with Isabella starting 17/4

ASHTANGA FOUNDATION COURSE level 2 - Wednesdays (half led - half mysore) with Helena starting 12/4 and Saturdays starting 13/5

YIN YOGA - Tuesdays with Miho starting 11/4

YOGA FOR STRESS REDUCTION - Thursdays with Isabella starting 20/4

FRIDAY FUN on 21/4 with Miho - Theme: "Restorative yoga" for recovery when the spring fatigue sets in.

All scheduled courses and events are available here. Don't forget to register well in advance in order to reserve your spot. We also appreciate when you recommend our courses to friends and colleagues who might be interested in learning more about yoga.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US – in September 2023 the shala celebrates its 10th anniversary. Since the start in 2013 we’ve operated in Malmö and Lund in various locations. We’d like to celebrate this important landmark with you, but we haven't yet decided how or when. Ahead of the festivities we plan to print new t-shirts with the shala logo (this time the t-shirts will be in black or brown with the logo in gold for extra retro style). In order to do this, we need to know how many people actually want a t-shirt and what size. We are therefore grateful if you email us to express your interest before 15/6-2023.

SUMMER YOGA RETREAT 9-14 July – our annual yoga holiday trip goes to Kadermo retreat center in the Finnish archipelago. Isabella teaches a one-week yoga retreat with daily morning and evening classes where you get the chance to deepen your practice while enjoying the peaceful atmosphere on the island of Kadermo. You stay in one of the houses on the island, eat a vegetarian diet prepared by our chef Anu who travels to Kadermo from Mysore in India every year, take a Finnish sauna and swim in the Baltic Sea during the long Nordic nights. The center is ecological and built by the owner Stefan Engström, who also teaches yoga and holds retreats throughout the summer. Read more about the retreat and how to book here.

That's all for now;  but one last piece of news before closing this letter - in August our teacher Sharath R. Jois comes to Europe to hold workshops in several European capitals, including Copenhagen and Stockholm. It’ll be a great opportunity to meet him if you can’t make it to Mysore, India. You can read more about his visit here and we’ll also share more about this in the next newsletter which will reach you by the end of May.

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.

See you on the yoga mat

Isabella & crew

P.S Don't forget that you can use your “Friskvårdsbidrag” with us and that we are approved for Physical Activity on Prescription (FaR).