Jai Uttal on Studio Maui |
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It was lovely playing at Studio Maui, and I so appreciate all the care everyone took to make it such a beautiful evening. |
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The Studio Maui creates a sacred space in an extraordinary place where people can come and feel uplifted and energized by the compassionate and knowledgeable faculty. I really enjoyed my experience teaching there, and can't wait to return! |
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My Studio Maui
experience begins when I am greeted with a warm smile
as I sign in for |
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My husband and
I have participated in yoga and pilates courses offered
by The Studio Maui for over a year. We are both "seniors,"
who have found the Studio personnel courteous, welcoming,
and solicitous. |
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I’ve been lucky to teach yoga classes all over the world. And especially lucky to be hosted by the Studio Maui, where I taught for a six week guest residency. As both a traveling teacher and someone who hosts other teachers here where I live in Bali, I’ve come to understand the great value of the teacher feeling supported by the venue. The Studio Maui not only understands this too, they seem to live it automatically. Of course the beauty and efficiency
of the studio is notable, yet what I appreciated most
was the dynamic they’ve created between their
staff, faculty and their clientele. I was better able
to focus on what’s most exciting to me as a
teacher – sharing yoga – given how organized,
friendly and caring was the staff. They also did a
wonderful job of |
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The
Spirit of Aloha is alive and well at the Studio Maui
- a hub for Aloha can only be uncovered at the center of our
hearts, and it was |
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It is near impossible to walk into the Studio Maui and not feel the love that has gone into making and sustaining the physical environment, the aloha from the staff, the willingness of the community to include newcomers and the general thoughtfulness of the surroundings. It is a perfect place to work and play especially if you wan to be held with respect and warmth. I don’t know many people who would resist such an offer. |
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Profound. Transformational.
Indelible. These are the descriptors I choose
to quantify the pleasure and privilege of teaching
Anusara Yoga at The Studio Maui in Haiku, on the
glorious island of Maui. Aloha. For many of us,
not born in the magical state of Hawaii, 'Aloha,'
seemed to be a simple greeting from some far and
fantastical place, far from my Boston roots anyway.
Aloha. I have to stop and breathe as now when
I hear that word, my heart fills with incredible
love, joy and tenderness, all experienced so richly,
and indelibly in my heart. A great gift of having
had the blessing to teach at The Studio Maui. The Studio offers the community a vast number of programs, classes, and workshops in which people gather in the spirit of community and the deeply profound sharing of 'Aloha.' Not to mention, physically, this is a beautiful space. Three spaces, each able to support a variety of needs for gathering. I am also deeply thankful to Geordie Jahner whose vision for The Studio Maui has brought to fruition, a space for expression and transformation, absolutely vital to individuals and this community. I personally thank her for the generous support, patience and understanding she so graciously extended to me as a teacher which has supported my journey so well. Also I applaud her audacious courage to dream so big! Teaching at The Studio Maui is one of the most full and enriching experiences of my life, so much aloha, the recollection of which shall nourish my heart forever. |
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The transformational effect
that The Studio Maui has had on my life is so
profound that it's hard to even begin to describe
it in words. The space is welcoming and beautiful,
the schedule is overflowing with an amazing variety
of regular classes and special workshops and events,
but far beyond that, it is the communit y of people
at The Studio that make it so wonderful. When
I first considered trying yoga eight months ago
I was thinking that it would be a good way to
get my body into shape. I had no idea that it
would transform my life spiritually, mentally
and physically.
I had been so nervous to try yoga because I had this idea in my head of what "yoga people" were like... slender, athletic, flexible, graceful, confident, ...all qualities I did not possess. So, when I finally decided to give it a try, I called The Studio to ask a few questions. I spoke to two wonderful women who gently and patiently soothed my yoga anxiety, they answered my endless questions and assured me that, in fact, I did not need to be able to put my ankles behind my head to attend a yoga class! Feeling at ease I went to my first yoga class that evening and my life was forever changed. From the moment I walked through the front door I felt welcomed, accepted and encouraged... I immediately felt at home. Since that day, I have worked with almost every yoga teacher on The Studio's staff and what stands out, even above their top-notch teaching skills, is their loving and unwavering commitment to their students' growth. The Studio is an oasis of transformation, a place to shed "old stories" about what we believe we can't accomplish and to open up to the beauty of our highest potential. In eight short months The Studio has become as integral to my wellbeing as a healthy diet and a good night's sleep. P.S. For what it's worth; In early 2007 I was 41 years old, weighed 270 lbs, had a 42 inch waist and was tired and depressed almost all the time. I radically changed my diet and lifestyle and began yoga at The Studio in Feb 2008. I now weigh 195 lbs, have a 34 inch waist, have more energy than I did when I was a kid and I'm blessed with a happiness I never dreamed possible. I am eternally grateful for my community at The Studio... I love you all! |
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Aloha...I've
been visiting Maui for about 3 years several times
a year for work with Ram Dass on his Retreats
here, and through those events I've come to know
and experience The Studio Maui. When I chose to move to Maui, I was in a major transition phase, and the outlets for expression and growth that continually open up at TSM were some of the strongest influences here for me. In my time to reflect on the impact that TSM has had on my life, I think one way or another it's clear that what TSM brings to us in our unique lives is essential to our all being here. We all need to make ourselves known and to share. Connection on any level is growth in another direction, and everything, anything, and nothing are all possible. We find, look for, fall into, meditate on and in all manner of ways experience the impact of those sources. Here on Maui and at TSM they all come together in true and pure love. In every moment, as much as we try to Be Here Now, there is an anticipation of the next unknown. In my own way, I happen to resonate with Kirtan and the pantheon of Hindu Deities and the practices of Devotion, Love, Truth, and Dharma. I know that I have A LOT to learn in each of those realms, infinitely, and I think that's where we all are in our lives, one way or another. We want to be surrounded by and share in Love and inspiration throughout our changes, and that's what we encounter at TSM. There are extraordinary people here. Beings who illuminate the world with their love and brilliance, who do what most would consider insane or unattainable, who inspire on every level of existence and imagination just for being who they are...and how they are. We share in our joy and thanks for their presence in our lives and in the world when we get together and celebrate their Being. Ram Dass has always been so connected to all the different art forms and expressions of awareness, love, practice, and devotion, and he brings those qualities to life for us in so many ways here on Maui and at The Studio. Through the grace of his work, I've had the incomparable privilege to participate in the wisdom and illumination of so many amazing Beings who bring in their light from all directions. People like Krishna Das, Jai Uttal, Lei'ohu Ryder, Deepak Chopra, Rev. Michael Beckwith and Ricky Beyers Beckwith, Mark Whitwell and his Heart of Yoga, Ty Burhoe and his groups of classical Indian musicians and dancers, Karnamrita Dasi, Shayam Das, Dave Stringer, just to mention a few. The worlds that come together at TSM find expression through these interactions. Sweat Your Prayers has been a favorite of mine and others who want to move and let go through their connections with rhythm and sound. There is every type of yoga for every level of practice, new doors for learning being opened all the time, and just knowing about all the other possibilities (Flamenco, Hula, Tahitian Sensual dancing, African rhythms and dancing, and so much more) is inspirational. Through our connections with these conduits we unfold and Become. Where there is Love there is Life, and here on Maui and at TSM, through our lives, work, practice, and relationships we find a true abundance of both. |
