Appreciations from the kula...

Tara C. (art teacher/gallery owner)

Shani creates an atmosphere of total belonging every time you enter the space. I have been attending Shani's classes for two years & I know it has been through her inspiration that I have delved deeper into yoga. Rasa Vinyasa is a creative flow of movement which makes me feel powerful while bringing a sense of peace as well. The practices revolve around the seasons so there is a beautiful rotation of flows that grow as the weeks progress. I have never been so connected to a class before, feeling completely welcome as if the class is family.
 

Auden T. (university researcher)

Shani is dedicated to understanding and knowing, in intimate detail, the spiritual underpinnings of yoga practice & shares the passion of her journey with her students. We journey with her. It is the highlight of my week and I strive the rest of the week to retain the benefits of her class.
 

Donna D. (Jewelry Artisan)

I began taking yoga classes with Shani approximately nine years ago. I have seen her teachings become richer and more fulfilling with time. She is dedicated to continued learning and purses educational opportunities to increase her knowledge of yoga and it's possibilities for her students. Shani's energetic and sweet personality is at the same time gentle and coaxing. The environment that she establishes for her Hatha Flow classes embodies it's most spiritual ideals. I have enthusiastically referred friends to her classes and will continue to do so.
 

Laura C. (Media Coordinator)

Yoga with Shani will transcend your expectations – it is a total experience that impacts your physical, emotional and spiritual self! On and off the mat, the effects are extremely rewarding, uplifting and unique. The atmosphere that Shani creates is one of love, acceptance and positivity. These themes flow through every aspect of the practice and provide students with a focus for the hard work we do, week after week. Our class community is inspired to support one another through strong-will and an attitude of zero judgment. The flow sequences that Shani designs are creative, expressive, physically challenging, and most of all FUN! The flows are designed to change with the seasons, incorporating what is needed to balance the body both physically and emotionally. She builds challenges progressively with each flow, allowing the body to gradually move from a more basic to a more advanced interpretation of the sequence. Shani also brings a new and eclectic sampling of music with each seasonal flow to keep the body moving and to set the pace. Shani inspires her students to dig deep and push their personal limits in a safe manner. By the end of the seasonal flow, you are left with a feeling of accomplishment for the work you have done and the personal successes you have achieved. Coming to class is the highlight of my week! It leaves me feeling connected, balanced, strong, accomplished, energized, and calmed…all at the same time.
 

Tom E. (chemistry professor)

Enthusiasm for the practice of yoga radiates so strongly from Shani - it fills the room. Her smile and her gentle, insighful instruction gives students the confidence they need to stretch past what they thought were limits. The music soundtracks she creates are perfect and complete a total sensory experience. Spome of the things that Shani says in class have affected me so deeply. I have gotten so much more than merely exercise from doing Yoga with Shani. I have gotten a feeling of calmness, happiness and relaxation - I have gotten totally "there", which is rare for me. I probably would have liked yoga no matter what, but Shani has made it a life-changing experience. I am grateful for her many gifts, especially the gift of who she is.

Cindy K. (registered nurse)

 

I enjoy the seasonal flows Shani puts together so skillfully. They are challenging & also very balanced with appropriate counterposes. I always feel safe in her class when learning advanced poses. Rasa Vinyasa integrates a flowing, spiritual dimension to classic postures. Shani’s enthusiasm feeds my fire for practicing yoga.
 

Barb R (manager)

I came to yoga to stretch my body and quiet my mind. I found Shani by luck...kismet? I have come to find peace and strength of mind, body and sprit. The practice has made me a stronger cyclist (another passion) and a better person. Shani's love and joy are contagious and evident in the community she has created. The flow of class builds through the season and while challenging is offered in such a supportive environment that all can enjoy. The calmness that comes during savansana can carry me through the week. For yoga and friends and Shani I am so very grateful!
 

Ernie F. (dentist)

I can’t recommend Shani’s yoga class highly enough. My experiences in her class are much more profound than simply feeling better physically. It’s much more than a class; it’s a blast, an experience, an event! The class changes and evolves with the seasons, and the music is really cool. When I first attended her class and walked into the room, I saw an arrangement of candles and fruit in the center of the room. I knew that this would be different. At each class, Shani guides us through movements that are beautiful, graceful and physically challenging. She encourages everyone in the class with insightful observations, dialogue and analogies, while never judging. Her dialogue about letting only truth and love into our lives helped me identify and eliminate destructive attitudes that were creeping into my personal life. Every class is new, fresh and relevant. I always loose track of time, and walk out feeling a little taller, lighter and freer. I look forward to returning to her class each week for an experience that is both energizing and calming, one that bonds me to the people who take the class with me. I look forward to more growth, greater peace and deeper insights. I thank her for everything.
 

Yasmin (Social Worker)

Shani offers the voice of the mystic to her teaching. After 30 years of yoga, I have found an instructor who engages the heart, the soul and the body temple in our classes. All the senses unite as she weaves a community of support in each class where gratitude for each other and for the gift of yoga tie our wounds, our joys and our yearning into wholeness.

Allison S. (Mom/Shipp's Green Cleaning)

Shani's classes allow you to escape your life for a short while, yet also make you dig deep within and let out every emotion. It's a beautiful thing. It's physically challenging and it's very spiritual for everyone...on every level...no matter what you believe in. I LOVE IT!!!!! And that's why I keep coming back. Thank you Shani! You have helped me in developing my own practice and nurtured me throughout it all. Much love to you.
 

Beth T. (Artist / Executive Assistant / Waitress)

Leave all the myths and fears you might have about trying a yoga class and walk in to one of Shani's classes. Close your eyes, trust and listen to the woman who is about to guide you through a most unexpected and beautiful yoga practice... When asked just the other day what the class is like I instantly described it as "pure awesomeness wrapped up into a yoga class" - and it is and it has made all the difference in my life and in my heart. I have practiced Rasa Vinyasa with Shani for a little under a year and I feel completely transformed by it. After the first five minutes, of the first class I ever took, I knew I had found the yoga I was looking for. It has changed the way I look at myself, the world around me and my place within it all. It has deepened relationships, eased conflicts, and awakened my strength and faith and hope. The atmosphere of one of Shani's classes is utterly welcoming, peaceful, honest and uplifting. We laugh, we cry, we do not give up and we bring our all to the mat each time. Shani creates a community, a family, and we all are the better for it. Each week I take away something new to consider and apply it to life - and this has never failed me. As we flow with the changes of the season, and within ourselves we find that we matter. What we do on the mat, and what we take away from our experience there, is contributing to the greater good. In a word Shani's class, and she herself, is beautiful.

Paul H. - PSU Environmental Project Assistant

I recently returned from a trip to see friends. One said to me at dinner, "I noticed right away that your posture was great and thought ' he must do yoga' then I noticed that you seemed so calm and wondered 'what happened to the Paul that I knew?'"  This compliment speaks to everything I've felt during this wonderful life transformation! Yoga has seeped like water, flowed over my head, and worked it's way into the deepest parts of me, expanding me in ways I hadn't realized possible. I made the decision to continue on my yoga journey, but it is Shani's continued guidance that makes the difference. I am a happier more joyful version of me. All aspects of my life have been positively changed. So thank Shani, please take all the credit; I would not be the same Paul with you!
 

Julie P.

My name is Julie and I have the privilege of teaching 3 to 6 year old children with autism. I have been practicing yoga for about 6 years. I came to Just Plain Yoga about a year ago, and before that, yoga was primarily a physical exercise for me. After the experience of several classes with Shani, yoga has become much more than physical to me. It has become a part of my daily existence. Through my practice with Shani, I have become more loving, more understanding, and more accepting of myself and all the beautiful people in my life. I am so thankful for the peace and strength that Shani's teachings have provided me in good and not so good times. Shani's classes have opened a door to my spirituality that I never knew existed before, and for that I am forever grateful.
 

Rob J. (Human)

Shani's class is not dry or clinical. You don't feel like you are a robot playing Simon says in her class - it is very organic and spiritual. Shani's classes help me maintain (and improve) physical, spiritual, and mental strength. To the same accord as well, my flexibility and endurance. The benefits of her leadership flow forward in my life and protect me from injury. Her Rasa Vinyasa class is a riveting emotional experience for me and I find that I always leave class with a sense of euphoria and well being. I originally discovered Yoga through cable T.V. and then used a DVD to guide my practice. For years, I really thought that doing Yoga with other people would not serve a purpose for me - I was totally wrong - now I much prefer going to class. The community that surrounds class is solid and supportive and has helped me take my practice to the next level. <3=