Sangha Yoga Studio
Sangha Yoga Studio honors the tradition of removing shoes before entering the studio. This is a humble gesture of respect for the sacred space in which we practice and we Thank You for joining us in this expression of reverence (if able). And Thank You for arriving to class on time as a gesture of respect for the practice, and fellow students. Forgot your mat or props? We’ve got you. We look forward to sharing the space and experience with you.
Join any on-going classes at any time. The prices are as follows:
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Punch Card
6 classes good with one instructor/ 8 weeks expiration $90 ($15/class).
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Mini Gold Card
10 classes any instructor/ 12 weeks expiration $150 ($15/class).
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Gold Card
20 classes any instructor/ 15 weeks expiration $300 ($15/class).
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Drop-ins
$18
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Course Classes
priced as indicated on schedule
To pre-pay, please use the Venmo link on our page here.
To pay upon arrival, we accept cash or credit card.
Gift Certificates are available for purchase at whatever amount desired...share the Love.
Beginners Bellydance Based on the Salimpour format, this class is both a great first step into the dance world or a tune up of your basic skills. This class is focused on isolations and muscular control, which is the foundation for any dance stylization. Suitable for any fitness level, this class is for anyone who wants to move and have fun while learning a new movement practice. *Mahsati
Intermediate- Advanced BellyDance Continuing the strong foundation of the Basics class, we build our dance practice with specific stylizations, increased layers, and specific props. This class is also based on the Salimpour nomenclature and technique. It helps you deepen your dance practice, your understanding of the history and culture of our dance, as well as increasing dance technique. *Mahsati
Flow Yoga focuses on the connection between breath, movement, and the mind. It is based on the principles of hatha yoga, vinyasa yoga and ashtanga vinyasa. This style of yoga is often referred to as ‘flow’ because it moves from one pose to another in a continuous, smooth way. The term ‘flow’ is often used to describe the experience of being in the zone and Flow Yoga helps achieve this state of mind. While a little physically engaging, all are welcome! *Phelan LaVelle
Hatha Yoga (Community Yoga) A blend of asana (physical postures) and mindful movement that is accessible to all. This class provides the space to go deep within and to truly listen to the body's whispers. Using props and any adjustments that are needed, students are encouraged to find their own place to sink in and let go in a safe, relaxed atmosphere. All levels are welcome. *Rhonda Helms *Meg Schreiber Brownstone
Integral Hatha Yoga (Holistic Hatha) as formulated by Sri Swami Satchidananda, combines the various methods of Yoga so that we may have a healthy body, peaceful mind and useful life. It is a graceful blend of postures, breath and meditation, accessible to all and an ideal tool for becoming more comfortable and relaxed in the body, while increasing flexibility and muscle tone. Integral Yoga classes are spiritual in nature. They guide the student to go gently inward and experience the effects of the posture. The classes are never competitive. Silence, acceptance, and awareness are used to relax the body and calm the mind. All are welcome. *Kerry Fulford
Shotokan Karate is a martial art rooted in striking techniques, designed for use in self-defense. Regular practice revolves around kata (forms), supplemented by kihon (basic techniques) and kumite (sparring). These technical aspects of the art, however, entail a broader set of goals: the care and cultivation of the body and mind, and the quest for mutual respect and understanding among all people. *Joe Fu
T’ai Chi, Yang Style, Traditional Long Form is an ancient form of t’ai chi. In its origin it was a defensive martial art, but is generally practiced today as a meditative art. It is meditation in motion. As you go through the moves in the form you move in a seamless, free flowing fashion. It is quiet, peaceful, and restorative. It helps with mental focus, memory, stress, and patience. Physically it is a practice that enhances core strength and coordination. It improves balance in your physical body. When strength, support and balance are improved in your physical body you will find that they are also improved in your life. You can think of your t’ai chi practice as a metaphor for the things you want in your everyday life.
You will be taught all of the moves and the principles that guide them. All levels of experience are welcome. Wear comfortable clothing and be prepared to practice barefoot. Shoes are not helpful unless they are specifically tai chi shoes (ideally only worn indoors). If using tai chi shoes, please carry your shoes in and put them on inside. *Patty Riehm
Therapeutic Gentle Yoga Some Infinite Intelligence that is really generous 'loaned' us these human gloves so that we could have the privilege of experiencing life on Planet Earth. This journey, if well lived, includes exploring peaks & valleys, caverns & crests while perhaps at times forgetting that one sure day we will have to give back the loaner. The way that we treat these borrowed human clothes is our way of showing gratitude for the 'loan'. So maybe our whole life was not lived with this awareness, but we can begin today. Ideal for those who are perhaps stiff & inflexible, overweight, injured, mature, or just want to be tender with themSelves. This yoga is for every body and all are welcome to this experience of self-love.* Meghan Burke
Therapeutic Pilates is a method of body conditioning which promotes postural alignment, core integrity, and health. The intention is to assist you in claiming the knowledge and safely embodying the strength and fluidity the Pilates system offers. Through mindful movement, precise execution, and proper use of dynamic tension, our bodies gain the ability to heal and strengthen from the inside out. Get strong, long, and connected in your body through this exploration of Classical Pilates with a Therapeutic touch.
Yin Yoga Life can be so YANG, muscling our way through everything. Our connective tissues have become taught rubber bands begging us to please, take a YIN moment to unwind. The main difference between a Yin and a Yang Yoga practice is that Yin postures stretch the connective tissues (yin) for an extended period of time with RELAXED muscles (yang), releasing deep tension and stress. This practice also encourages a free flow of energy throughout the meridians, or energy pathways, encouraging profound healing. Long gentle holds in a pose, loosening the grip in the muscles and the mind. * Meghan Burke *Maleah Fretwell
Yoga for Body, Breath & Mind According to the ancient Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (known as the Father of Yoga), "The cessation of the fluctuations of the mind is Yoga". In this all-levels yoga practice we work out the kinks of being human through stretching and breathing so that we can then sit in a prepared stillness and silence. This preparation of the physical body through asana, and the mental body through breathwork, allows us to perhaps sit more peacefully with less physical and mental commentary. In doing so, we create the opportunity to be more fully present to the infinite wisdom and guidance within. *Meghan Burke
Meghan Burke is the Founding Director of Sangha Yoga Studio and has been a devoted student of yoga for over 25 years. With more than 500 hours of residential yoga training, Meghan's teaching is deeply rooted in tradition and is informed by all the limbs of the yoga tree...not just asana. Some of her greatest lessons were learned while studying in India.
"For me, a crucial part of yoga is to recognize and observe emotional states that arise during one's practice. As we are able to stay with resistance on the mat until it dissolves, we are potentially liberated from that same limitation in our daily life. Although this reconditioning of the self begins on a physical level, it penetrates the soul and as we become more comfortable in our bodies, we become more comfortable in our lives."
Whitney Barfield (Mahsati) first fell in love with belly dance at Sangha Yoga Studio many years ago. She continued her dance education through the Salimpour School, where she is currently certified as Level 2 in both Suhaila and Jamila formats. Through the school, she is also a member of Bal Anat, the longest running dance troupe in the world. Locally, she continues to study with Samira, as well as taking workshops with teachers from all stylizations and from all over the world. Mahsati is excited to share her love of dance, music, and the connection of people to themselves and others with her students.
Maleah Fretwell started doing yoga strictly as a form of exercise, but the longer she practiced the more she realized that it's so much more than the physical practice.
“What I would most like to convey in my classes is that yoga is for every ‘Body’. Yoga has brought me to appreciate my curvy figure and embrace my age. I like a slower pace so we can really focus on the breath and be able to settle into the pose before moving on...to really connect to the body.
Joe Fu leads Athens Shotokan Karate. Having started practice immediately after meeting Ohshima Sensei in 1979, he was awarded the rank of 4th dan (yodan) by him in 2010. athensshotokan@gmail.com
Kerry Fulford
"When I was graciously introduced to the science of yoga and saw what a holistic life plan it offers, I decided to become a life time student and to share the healing it offers me with others. I was lovingly and precisely taught at Satchidananda Ashram and am certified to teach all levels of asana, Pranayama, and meditation in this wonderful series of Integral Hatha Yoga. I have been an active teacher since 1995 and have staffed other teacher training programs at Yogaville."
Rhonda Helms earned two Yoga Teacher Certifications, one in 1999 from The Yoga Institute in Houston, Texas and another from the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in Lenox, Massachusetts in March of 2002. Rhonda’s extensive on-going continuing education includes studying closely with John Friend, the founder of Anusara Yoga. Her teaching style focuses on alignment of the body within the yoga poses and she shares her deep gratitude and joy for the practice of yoga.
Phelan LaVelle ERYT 500 has been teaching yoga consistently for over a decade. She has a deep commitment to her movement and wellness education, pulling from a vast swath of genres including modern dance and lymphatic massage, as a means of delivering fresh and interesting content to students. Phelan has extensively trained with some of the most celebrated minds of the contemporary yoga-verse; Judith Lasater, Darren Rhodes, Elena Brower, Noah Maze, Christina Sell and currently Tiffany Cruikshank. Her classes highlight copious physical alignment, spiritual conviviality and good tunes.
Patty Riehm began her t’ai chi journey in 1995 studying Yang Style, Traditional Long Form. In 2000, with the blessings of her teacher (following Yang Style tradition) she began to teach. She has maintained her practice ever since, teaching once or twice weekly. Since that time, as her practice has deepened, she continues to learn from the form itself, and from her students. She is passionate about the difference this practice has made in her life and loves sharing that experience with others.
Maryn Whitmore brings over 24 years of experience as a teacher of movement to the Athens community. Classically trained, she has taught in a wide variety of settings ranging from assisting patients in rehabilitation after spinal surgery to the Dance Department at UGA. Grounded in the belief of the body's ability to heal from within, Maryn guides her clients through a process of education, re-patterning, and empowerment.
"Allow your body to be the brilliant vessel it can be. Begin with the power of the mind-body-spirit connection."