Ashtanga Shala coming to Herriman, Utah 2027
Welcome my dear friends,
Are you someone who lives in Salt Lake or Utah Valley?
Are you interested in developing your personal yoga practice in a community environment?
Thank you so much for following along.
I have some very exciting news about what’s coming for Holistic Evolution Shala. (“Shala” is a Sanskrit word that translates to “home,” “house,” or “abode,” and is most used to describe a sacred space where yoga is practiced and shared.)
For those of you who do not know me, my name is Mandi Gardner. I was first introduced to yoga over 20 years ago. I have been teaching since 2014 and have over 700 certified yoga teacher training hours. I am also the author of RISING: A Woman’s Journey of Healing Through Rituals.
I realize that Utah doesn’t need another yoga store or yoga studio. There’s a bunch. In my corner of the valley, there are a bunch of hot yoga studios. And honestly, if you’re just starting out, find a teacher and a space that you feel really comfortable with/in and just keep going, consistently. Any yoga is good yoga.
But when you find yourself getting more curious about the deeper teachings of the practice, then kindly consider my shala as a place for more serious inquiry.
I am building a beautiful space with an amazing east facing view of the Wasatch Mountains in Herriman, Utah for a community who wants to study and practice deeper yogic philosophy and traditional practices. Our shala will honor the lineage of Sharath Jois and T. Krishnamacharya. Opening in 2027.
I am nervous and excited. I know it will take time to build a community of like-minded individuals who value a space to practice the traditional Indian technologies of peace. But I know for me, as the world becomes less recognizable, I deeply value offering myself precious time every day to discover the radiant vitality that is offered with dedicated practice in a dedicated space. Because the path of Ashtanga has deepened my personal practice and healed me the most, I naturally want to share it with others.
I look forward to also offering classes on yoga’s sister science Ayurveda. As well as healing workshops based on my book RISING.
If all goes well, I will be practicing at SYC in Mysore, India for the first time for the month of January 2027. While I am there, I plan to attend Ayurvedic Cooking & Beauty classes. I plan to fully submerge myself into the culture and learn everything I can. I have read many books but being there and learning in person will be magical.
It is my intention to offer a dedicated Ashtanga yoga shala for daily practice for those who want to take seriously developing their personal practice. The shala will offer Mysore style as well as Led Primary classes.
It is my intention to create a space that supports both teachers and students so they can thrive. I want to be able to support my yoga community in any way that I can, offering collaborations with other dedicated professionals.
I practiced hot style yoga (or ghosh style yoga) for over 10 years. After a hot yoga class, I would be pissed! Raging mad! And once in an Ayurveda class, I was told how I am naturally a Pitta, which is already fiery, and with too much heat, it can create anger. What! I am trying to regulate my nervous system, not rev it up! After going much too deep in a backbend in a hot yoga class and not being able to walk properly for 3 days, I gave it up.
What I noticed about practicing Mysore style yoga is that because I was able to develop my own internal heat, I could go much deeper in my backbend and not have residual pain afterwards. The external heat from a hot yoga class gives you a false sense of flexibility which does open you up to potential injury.
Holistic Evolution Shala will be warm, but not hot. There will be no mirrors or music. Unless it comes from my harmonium for chanting. The environment will be professional and respectful. The focus will be on internal focus. So outside distractions will be too a minimum. People will be friendly, but not overly friendly. People will find authentic connections and conversations.
Please continue to look forward to upcoming announcements and updates about the shala space being built. I hope you will do me the honor of coming to practice when it finally opens.
And until then, if you are interested in developing your personal practice with me, please join us Tuesday morning at 6 am for Ashtanga Yoga Fundamentals. Send me an email at mandi.holisticevolutionshala@gmail.com to get the zoom link.
Thank you, my dear friends, for reading. I appreciate your support and can’t wait to see you on your mat.
Sincerely,
Mandi H. Gardner
