Celebrate Yoga as Peace in Action in Savannah on September 19th, 2009

SATYA, the Savannah Area Teachers of Yoga Association, is organizing its fourth annual Yoga for Peace event, which will connect Savannah with the worldwide yoga community. The event, "Global Mala Yoga for Peace," will take place in Forsyth Park on Saturday, September 19th, from 8:30 - 11:30 am. The event will bring together yoga practitioners from the Savannah area to perform 108 sun salutations in an effort to raise awareness and demonstrate peace in action. Admission is free, but donations are welcome. Local yoga teachers will lead the event; participants are invited to practice as many or as few sun salutations as they like.

Thousands of yogis, in similar events across the nation, will practice 108 sun salutations as part of the worldwide Global Mala and Yoga Month celebrations. September, 2009 is the first official National Yoga Month (designated by the Department of Health & Human Services) designed to build awareness of yoga's proven health benefits and provide people with actionable guidance and tools to better their own well-being. The Global Mala event talkes its name from the sacred prayer beads called "mala" used in India and Tibet as meditation guides. Composed of 108 beads, the mala is symbolic of the prayer for peace, hope and charity the Global Mala Project will be sending to the world.

"With the rising threat of Global Warming, the illusion of separateness is dissolving around the world," said Shiva Rea, world renowned Yoga teacher and catalyst for the Global Mala Project. "Yoga is one of the few common denominators for millions of people around the world; together we are creating a circle around the earth and dedicating our energy to peace."

For more information, please visit www.globalmala.org or www.yogamonth.org. For information about the local event, please contact Kate Taylor, Acting Coordinator for SATYA, (912) 695-9990.

SEAN JOHNSON & the WILDLOTUS BAND

Calling the Spirits: An Evening of Mystical Mantra Music
July 12, 2009 at the Savannah Yoga Center
7:00pm doors open at 6:30pm
Tickets: $15 early bird. $20 at the door.
More info here.

Come taste the spicy grooves and dreamy melodies of celebrated New Orleans' kirtan group Sean Johnson and The Wild Lotus Band, who subtly merge the devotional spirit of yoga with the soulful roots of their hometown. In a recent cover story on kirtan called "Yoga Rock Stars" Yoga Plus Joyful Living magazine hailed Sean at the top of a list of "Kirtan Artists To Watch". Sean and the band were recently signed to Nettwerk/Nutone Records, home of fellow kirtan artists Krishna Das, Jai Uttal, Wah!, David Newman, and Bhagavan Das. Yoga Journal has praised the group: "A joy to listen to whether you're a yogi, a jazz connoisseur, or anyone who appreciates wildly creative music."

Sean and the band have been invited to play at venues worldwide including major yoga conferences, retreat centers, yoga festivals, and studios small and large. The band includes the ecstatic vocals of Sean who also plays harmonium-the Indian pump driven organ; the spirited percussion and singing of Gwendolyn Colman on frame drums, cajon, and assorted percussion instruments; and longtime New Orleans groove master Alvin Young on fretless bass and guitar. In this evening's candlelight concert, the band shares entrancing call and response melodies woven with intricate rhythms and deep grooves to wake up the spirit. Sean will also share inspiring stories and insights about the healing power of mantra and music.

See more info and hear sound clips from their kirtans at www.seanjohnsonkirtan.com

Global Mala Yoga for Peace Event Raises $3500+

On Sunday, September 21st, SATYA held its third annual Yoga for Peace event, raising over $3500 for our sponsored charities. The event, “Global Mala Yoga for Peace,” took place in Johnson Square , from 1:00 – 4:00 pm. Read the Savannah Morning News' coverage of the event here. Check out their photo coverage here.

The goal of the Global Mala Yoga for Peace event was to unite the global yoga community from every continent, school or approach to form a "mala around the earth" through collective practices based upon the sacred cycle of 108.  On September 21st, which is the fall Equinox and UN International Peace Day, each center offered their form of a Yoga Mala according to their yoga tradition and inspiration. In Savannah, this year’s event included 108 minutes of yoga as well as music, chanting, and meditation. The event began with music from Savannah's own Winged Wisdom Chanters and Hilton Head's Hanumanis. Mark White, Certified Baptiste Power Vinyasa Yoga Teacher, and owner of M Body yoga in Jacksonville, led the Yoga DJ party. During the event, a live DJ created the backdrop for an invigorating, collective yoga practice. The event concluded with 18 minutes of meditation for peace, led by Ellen Farrell.

The purpose of the 108 minute yoga practice was three-fold: (1) to activate the body as a conduit of prayer, (2) to generate collective consciousness within the community and (3) to raise awareness and funds for various organizations in the service of creating a more peaceful planet.  SATYA provided donations offered to Savannah’s own Park Place Outreach Youth Emergency Shelter, as well as the Off the Mat, Into the World’s 2008 Seva Challenge.

Park Place Outreach’s mission is to provide services to at-risk youth and their families, increase their functional level, and reunify families whenever possible. For more information contact the shelter at (912) 234-4048 or visit their website.

Off the Mat’s mission is to take yoga to the next level, combining yoga and conscious activism and service at the local and global level to make a difference in the world. The Cambodian Children’s Fund uses education, vocational training, healthcare, housing and community work “to break generational cycles of poverty and abuse”.  For more information contact Savannah's local fundraising representative, Ellen Farrell, or visit their website.

Yoga Classes In Savannah:

Savannah is a great place to become involved in yoga. There are yoga classes offered in the area every day of the week. You can find classes offered for all levels: General Hatha, Power, Iyengar, Prenatal, Introductory classes and more. For a detailed schedule of classes offered in our area, click here.

Individual Yoga Instruction Page:

If you are interested in meeting and/or arranging private yoga sessions with a teacher in the area, we now have a page of listings for you to consider. Each teacher has written about themselves, their style of yoga, class opportunities, and given contact information. It is a great way to learn about and practice yoga in a highly individualized way. For more information, click here to go directly to this page.

Calling All Savannah Area Yoga Teachers

If you are a yoga teacher in Savannah and would like to join the SATYA Google Group and mailing list, please visit http://groups.google.com/group/savannahyogateachers. We use this group to collaborate on local yoga events. Members may use the email alias to notify other teachers about upcoming events and and/or to find subs for their classes.

Thank you for visiting; we hope you'll check back with us often!