Read It Now!

Some of you have inquired about the progression of classes that lead up to a Full Primary Series or Primary Series Level 2 at onlYoga. Below you will find the class progression we recommend for students new to yoga!

1. Yoga Basics and Intro to Ashtanga Primary Series 5-10 classes and/or onlYoga Foundation Series (5 classes covering the entire primary series). These classes should be taken with John Merideth. Students learn about breath, locks, gaze, sun salutations, standing postures, closing postures, vinyasa and some seated postures.

2. Ashtanga Intermediate Primary Series 5-10 classes. These classes move a little faster with deeper focus on breath, vinyasa and many more seated postures.

3. Primary Series Level 1 10 - 20 classes. A full primary series class with special attention on problem areas - such as the final standing postures, seated armbalance postures, backbends, headstands, etc.

4. Full Primary Series. The full primary series with postures, vinyasa and breath called out.

5. Primary Series Level 2. The full primary series and sometimes the secondary series - experience with the primary series is mandatory to attend this class. Not intended for new students.

Do you have more questions about our class line-up? Email us, we are happy to share our vision with you!

Schedule Update (effective 10/25/06)
Monday 6:15 - 7:45pm - Primary Series Level 1 - Instructor: John Merideth

Description: The Primary Series is the foundation of Ashtanga Yoga. This intermediate level class will cover the entire primary series and is designed for students with a desire to explore some of the more challenging standing and seated postures as well as backbends, headstands, etc. Students should be familiar with the Ashtanga sun salutations and standing postures. By practicing the Ashtanga Yoga primary series in the traditional way, using the rhythm of the breath and the continuous flowing movements of vinyasa between poses, we integrate the body, mind and spirit into a full and complete experience. (intermediate) Prerequisite: 5-10 or more intro level classes.

Wednesday 6:15 - 7:45pm - Vinyasa Flow- Instructor: John Merideth

We are back from our week long retreat in Maya Tulum Mexico. This year was better than any of our previous retreats to date! We had such an easy and fun group. The sun was hot, imagine, but the wind was blowing and so the little mosquitoes were not able to attack us. We found the service to be excellent but the food was, well...lets just say that cream of greens soup is not something I am looking forward to trying again anytime soon. Those Mayans tend to get a little crazy and creative with their dishes. However, we planed a nice evening down to the bio-sphere to watch the sunset and then drove back and had a delicious dinner at a great little Italian restaurant directly on the beach. It was such a perfect evening! I heard the yoga was good, but who am I to judge...ok it was excellent. David only got mad at me once during our discussions...which is an improvement over last year. I think everyone enjoyed the blindfold beach obstacle course the most and some folks were asking if we could do a survivor retreat next year (34 days stranded on the beach with yogis hmmm. We had a very fun week and it felt like most people were left wanting more...which isn't such a bad way to go...

We had a few new people join us, one from NYC Joann, who works with Darma Mitra at his studio in NYC. She was really sweet and fun to work with.

We also had Sarah and Meredith Join us again (much to my pleasure) this year from the Pacific North West...Portland I believe. I think we would be hard pressed to find more enthusiastic participants than Sarah and Merideth - they are great!

Becca O'Connor and her husband, Gary, joined us from the Colorado area---and they were, well, very business. Gary loves his new MacBook Pro 17" and we had a brief but meaningful conversation about how superior macs are to any other system...on the planet! I love anyone who loves a Mac!

Joanna and her brother were an adorable new addition to our week. Hailing from Puerto Rico, although living in Atlanta presently, they added some multicultural flair to a primarily gringo crowd. Carlos has a new nickname...The Luuuva.

We also had newbies Courtney and Sabrina. Courtney was attacked by the mosquitoes in her room a few times but she came out ok. They were also chased into shore by a mad school of minnows. Sabrina...you should know not run on the beach before you take one of my classes.

Then we have the old timers who have been to all of the retreats thus far. Harriet and Henry (part of our "senior" crowd) did well. Harriet is STILL working on her headstand! When we inquired why Harriet was wearing a long sleeve shirt and pants on the beach, under a palapas, a wide brimmed hat and 45SPF, she claimed that any exposure to the sun reduced the effectiveness of her Botox. Henry is still Henry with his very unusual sense of what some people might refer to as humor.

Mark Williams gave us all style pointers while we ate in the dining hall. I'm sure he was happy that no one kicked him in the head this year!

Leigh and David Mallis seemed obsessed with baby names the entire time we were in Mexico. I mean really folks - just name him Tag or Rocket or bunny and be done with it. David went on a couple "dives" into what sounded like big sink holes in the jungle...makes you wonder.

Luis was well...very busy if you know what I mean. This is a man on a mission. Her flew in late and left early, literally, but we loved seeing him!

David Perry was also there and we enjoyed his company immensely. Did you know that David has an aversion to cilantro...who would have guessed.

Laura Hull finally got her room straight on the last day and seemed to have a grand time on the beach.

Personally, my only catch was the return leg of my flight home. I ended up in the Miami airport for 6 hours...luckily I brought mucho entertainment.

So we are back, sun kissed and relaxed...it is always nice to be home!

Read It Now!

onlYoga is excited to offer a new yoga class for children.  onlYogaKids is an age appropriate yoga class recommended for children between the ages of 4-8.  In onlYogaKids classes, children have  an opportunity to explore the world inside their skin.  The resulting awareness of body and breath can enhance balance, strength, coordination, focus, flexibility and encourages stress release.  The Self control experienced in class carries over into self-confidence in daily life.  onlYogaKids classes introduce classical yoga postures modified as appropriate for the abilities and needs of children.  

First Class: October 7th, 2006
Day: Saturdays
Time: 4-5pm
Instructor: Diane Holbeld
Cost: See the onlYoga Fees page.
For more information email us: onlyoga-info@earthlink.net

About Diane

Diane Holbel’s teacher training was with Jonny Kest at his Center for Yoga near Detroit.  She has been a Registered Yoga Teacher with Yoga Alliance, a national registry of teachers who have met specific training standards, since 2003.  Approaching Teacher Training, she was concerned that being a retiree might affect her effectiveness.  She was counseled “many people are comforted and inspired by an older teacher,” which she was pleased to find was true.    

Diane brings several yoga styles to her teaching.  A class may focus on relaxation, range of motion, or building strength and stamina, but its goal is always self awareness and self acceptance.

She was introduced to yoga asanas through Lilias Folen’s 1960’s TV classes.  Intervening years included many types of body work including teaching Belly Dancing. After being introduced to Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga in 1999, it has been her favorite personal practice because “it works”.   Diane retired after 25 years as commercial real estate broker and property manager for international investors. She moved from Michigan to Atlanta to join her sons and other family members.  The entire family values yoga and its full range of mind-body-spirit benefits. 

Maya Tulum 2006
The 4th annual onlYoga retreat in Maya Tulum Mexico is quickly approaching.  Currently we have approximately 18 students signed up for our week of fun, adventure and yoga on the incredible beaches of the Yucatan peninsula.  If you have been considering joining us, its not too late.  We still have several cabanas available and welcome all levels on this magical week. Please email us for more information or visit the onlYoga retreat page for additional information.  
onlYoga Retreat Page
email: Contact Us

New Class Jessica Ho will  be teaching four free/donation only classes as she finishes up her training at onlYoga beginning this Sunday from 2-3:30pm.   The class dates: September 10, 17, 24 & October 8th.  These early afternoon Ashtanga classes are sure to be a relaxing segue into your Sunday evening. 

Also For those of you working past 6:15pm, remember Bruce is now teaching Tuesday & Wednesday evenings from 7:45 - 9pm.

Leigh is also teaching a great Mokshananda Intro class on Sundays from 4-5:30pm

The RAMESHORI BUDDHIST CENTER has pushed the start date for their first class back to Monday September 18th from 7:45 - 9pm

More Pictures

5 Years...I want to thank everyone who attended the five year anniversary party on August 13, 2006. The event was perfectly delicious. I particularly want to thank Harriet Leibowitz for hanging her photographs from India - they made the evening quite special. If you enjoyed Harriet's India pictures be sure to attend her opening "Visceral Beauty" September 30th, 2006 at The Vacknin in the 905 building on Juniper Street. I also want to thank Leigh and David Mallis and Bryan Thompson for helping with the event. It is hard to believe that five years has come and gone so quickly - I can't imagine what the next five years hold. Again thank you for being a part of the onlYoga community and continuing to support this amazing practice! -Namaste John Merideth Studio Director

Labor Day Holiday Please note that we will have a reduced schedule around the Labor Day Holiday. The Mokshananda Class will not meet on Sunday September 3rd. We will only have one class on Monday September 4th - Mokshananda 6:15 - 7:45pm.
Schedule Update - effective 8/20/06
Monday 9:30 - 11am Primary Series • Cancelled
Tuesday 7:45 - 9pm Intermediate Primary Series • New Class

RAMESHORI BUDDHIST CENTER will begin teaching a class once a week at onlYoga on Mondays At 7:45Pm Beginning September 18Th. Rameshori Buddhist Center of Atlanta, Georgia, teaches meditation classes and practical Buddhist methods for improving the quality of our daily lives and gaining inner peace. They are part of the New Kadampa Tradition of Buddhism , a classic, living tradition which has been re-presented by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso specifically for the West. There are close to 1,000 Centers and branches of the New Kadampa Tradition throughout the world.
Buddhism has a timeless and universal relevance, and can be practiced by anyone in any culture, regardless of race, gender, or age. Through training in meditation and other Buddhist practices you can improve the quality of your life by developing inner peace, love, and wisdom. You do not need to be a Buddhist to try out these practices, or to benefit from them.
CLASS Schedule: TRANSFORMING THE MIND
Buddha explained that all problems and suffering arise from negative states of mind, and that all happiness arises from peaceful, or virtuous, states of mind. Through training our own mind patiently and consistently over time, we can reduce and eventually completely remove negative states of mind.
Series 1: Love, Desire, AttachmentThe majority of our daily problems arise from our attachment.
Series 2: Overcoming Conflict And Anger
The negative mind of anger has no other function but to destroy our inner peace and the peace of those around us. We live in a "culture of blame".
Series 3: The Supreme Good Heart
We all want to have a "good heart"; we all want to be "good people" who benefit others. But what does having a "good heart" actually mean, and how do we systematically cultivate it through training our mind? Buddha teaches that the supreme good heart is the mind of "bodhichitta," a mind wishing to reach our ultimate potential of Enlightenment for the benefit of others. We each have the potential to achieve a pure motivation for all of our daily actions.
Class Format:
Each class begins with a guided meditation, includes a short teaching (20 - 30 minutes) and concludes with time for discussion and question & answer.

Summer Celebration - 108 Sun Salutations Monday August 28, 2006 6 - 8Pm
 
onlYoga Retreat - Maya Tulum Mexico October 14-19, 2006

Tell us which is your favorite class. You can vote for your favorite onlYoga class from the Schedule Page.

Please Note: the following change to the class schedule - effective immediately:
Saturday 9-10:45am Ashtanga Primary Series Level 2 • Instructor: John Merideth • This class is intended for students familiar with the ashtanga primary series. Classes will explore the primary and sometimes half of the secondary series. Students new to yoga or unfamiliar with the primary series should seek instructor approval before attending the class. "Experience with the primary series" means that you understand breath, bhandas, dristi and vinyasa. We will also work with traditional pranayama at the end of each class. Intermediate/Advanced
This class replaces the Mokshananda Class.

The End Of Spam - RSS Feed and Blogs
Over the next two weeks onlYoga will be transitioning to a new and much improved/easier to use website. Part of the new site will be an onlYoga news Blog. Going forward, the news blog will contain all of the schedule updates, eNewsletter and other electronic information. We will continue to send text email announcements on occassion...but far less frequently. Why? Well, I think direct email marketing is cumbersome and annoying...I find myself deleting and not reading most of the email that I receive (unless it is from a student directly). But a bigger reason is that blogs, although not replacements for email, are a much more effective non-intrusive way to communicate. Our blog will have an RSS feed link so that if you choose to you can bookmark the news page and stay on top of studio news as it is announced. There will also be a blog for the poems and quotes we read at the end of classes and I will have my own onlYoga blog...
Overall, I think our students will be better served by this more interactive approach to communication. We will also be adding movies and podcasts...so stay tuned to onlYoga as we continue to evolve.
John Merideth - Founder/Director

The onlYoga five year anniversary is quickly approaching. I hope you are planning on attending. This FREE event will take place on August 13, 2006 from 6-8pm. Dress is casual, dinner, art and fun conversation provided compliments of onlYoga! Sign-Up Now!

Read the July Studio Update!

Summer Newsletter Now Available!