hatha yoga shala

Hatha Yoga Shala

Teaching the craft of yoga since 1998.

The first studio was opened in 2000 in Vancouver, BC under the name ‘The Wandering Yogi Studio’. The name was changed to ‘Hatha Yoga Shala’ in 2010 upon relocation to Montreal, QB. In 2022, another move to Wentworth, QB occurred where weekly classes are now offered along with workshops in Montreal and Vancouver.

Hatha Yoga Shala offers specialized courses based on the teachings of Sundernath (Shandor Remete), founder of the ‘Shadow School of Hatha Yoga‘ and Nṛtta Sādhanā. In Spring 2004, after years of experimenting with various yoga styles, Sundernath (Shandor Remete) and Shadow Yoga were discovered. We present the first Shadow Yoga teachings in Canada since 2005.

Our hatha yoga courses are designed to educate the body and mind through basic movement principles while developing the vital breath in preparation for the deeper methods of yoga practice.

Emphasis is placed on the groundwork and preparation necessary before entering the practices of Asana (postures), Bandhas (locks), Mudras (seals) and Pranayama (control of the vital wind). These tools are then used as means of getting the body prepared for the even more advanced stages of Pratyahara (non-distraction of the senses), Dharana (concentration) and Dhyana (meditation) in order to achieve Laya (absorption).

Teacher

Rhonda Fogel (Radhasri – Raad-ha-shree) has been teaching yoga since 1998 and is the founder of ‘Hatha Yoga Shala Canada’. She was the director and co-owner of ‘The Wandering Yogi Studio’ in Vancouver, BC from 2000 – 2008. Since 2010, she regularly offers yoga courses, as well as bodywork, in Montreal and Wentworth, Quebec.

Since April 2004, Radhasri has been studying solely under the guidance of Sundernath (Shandor Remete) and his wife Emma Balnaves of the Shadow School of Hatha Yoga and Nṛtta Sādhanā. She has been authorized to teach in the Shadow Yoga style since 2005 and is currently the only shadow yoga teacher in Canada.

What is Shadow Yoga?

“The problem that beginners encounter today is the premature exposure to difficult asanas. The struggles that result excite their minds but blind them to the natural order of progression in the asanas. Failing to build a foundation, they fall short of their goal. Their impatience is born of ignorance of the simplicity of the system”.

Shadow Yoga is a school of Hatha Yoga. Its teachings are steeped in the Hatha yogic traditions of the Nath Sampradaya whose forefathers are Guru Matsyendranath & Guru Goraknath but began with Adinath, the first one, Lord Shiva. Sundernath, the founder of Shadow Yoga, is an initiate of the Nath Sampradaya (lineage) and a life long student of its practices.

The set of practices utilised in Shadow Yoga are tools by which these layers of ‘shadow’ can be systematically dispersed so that the pure inner light is revealed.

Prelude Forms (Vyayama)
Pure Dance (Nṛtta Sādhanā)
Three Fold Meditations of the Thunder Dragon (Taranyali Tridha Dhyanam)
Sound Resonance (Mantra Sādhanā)
Individual Yogasana (personalized teachings based on individual needs)
Kechari Sadhana (taught only directly by Sundernath)

Of these, Nrtta or pure dance, is the legacy of the Pashupata ascetics, whose practices prefigured those of the Naths. Through training in this art, the sadhaka (aspirant) rediscovers the natural rhythmic currents hidden within the body that unlock the other practices and sow the seeds of spontaneity.

Preludes developed as the necessary preparation required to lead a practitioner into unobstructed asana work and are used to stabilize the joints, free muscles from tension and synchronize breath. Sequences include prelude (preparation), asana-vinyasa (main component), and conclusion.

Shadow Yoga’s preludes have ultimately been designed to lead the practitioner to the practice of freestyle, a practice of improvisation based on inner guidance and appropriate response to the needs of the moment. Rather than operating from a conditioned reaction of likes and dislikes, the advanced student allows themselves to be moved with fluid spontaneity and grace.

The teachings of Shadow Yoga are based upon the ancient Hatha Yogic texts which state that ‘all fixed forms should be designed to develop the practice of freestyle’.

Scroll down for sample videos of this unique practice.

To find out more about Shadow Yoga visit www.shadowyoga.com