The Yoga Shala Calgary: Ashtanga Yoga Instruction & Practice

Ali Shaffer

I first began taking led ashtanga and vinyasa flow classes during high school, and discovered that yoga
subdued my teenage "angst". As an adult, I fell in love with the concept of a personal practice, and
immersed myself in Mysore-style classes. My practice has been a bit of a roller coaster, as I have worked
with so many fantastic teachers with so many different (and often conflicting) opinions. I have had
the opportunity to practice under Harmony and Jeff Lichty, Paul and Rachelle Gold, and John Campbell.
I have completed a 50-hour Ashtanga teacher development with Kino MacGregor, a 200-hour Yoga
Alliance Approved Hatha teacher training, and weekend workshops with Mark Darby, David Swenson
and Kino MacGregor. After years of trying to determine the "right" pose or the "correct" method, I have
learned to simply "let it be"... to allow my practice to unfold naturally, and to learn what I can from each of
my teachers.

Yoga, for me, is a medium of self-reflection, a tool for self-development. Yoga has been the heavy, constant
stone around which I spin and contort, the thing that grounds me and challenges me all in one. Yoga has
allowed me to step outside of myself and to recognize and appreciate my weaknesses for what they are. To
practice yoga is to face one's fears; to surrender to one's own limitations; to overcome one's obstacles. To
practice yoga is to understand one's self. As a teacher, I extend that understanding to my students and guide
them with humility, compassion, and love. Teaching, for me, is an opportunity to focus on those around me,
and to share with others the joy of simply "being."