Ashtanga yoga, a dynamic and powerful form of yoga, comprises a series of postures that are synchronized with breath and movement. Among the many postures in the Ashtanga Primary Series, Utthita Parsva Konasana and Parivrtta Parsva Konasana are two challenging and invigorating poses that offer numerous benefits for the body, mind, and spirit.

Utthita Trikonasana translates to Extended Side Angle Pose and Parivrtta Trikonasana, Revolved Extended Side Angle Pose.  These postures are the fifth and sixth poses of the Ashtanga Yoga Primary series. They come after Utthita Trikonasana and Parivrtta Trikonasana. 

​​Tap here to watch a step-by-step tutorial video on 2 modifications and the full expression of Utthita Parsva Konasana and Parivrtta Parsva Konasana.

BENEFITS
Utthita Parsva Konasana and Parivrtta Parsva Konasana are two yoga poses that offer numerous benefits to the body, mind, and spirit. Both poses are variations of the wide-legged standing forward fold pose, and they involve stretching and twisting movements that provide unique advantages. Let's explore the benefits of each pose in more detail:

Utthita Parsva Konasana (Extended Side Angle Pose):

• Stretches the hips and groin: Utthita Parsva Konasana involves a deep stretch in the hips and groin area, which can help to release tension and tightness in these areas. It is particularly beneficial for individuals who sit for long periods or have tight hip muscles due to various activities.
• Strengthens the legs and core: This pose engages the muscles in the legs, including the quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves, helping to tone and strengthen these muscles. The pose also activates the core muscles, including the abdominal muscles and obliques, which can help to improve stability and balance.
• Opens the chest and shoulders: Utthita Parsva Konasana involves extending one arm towards the ground and the other arm towards the ceiling, which helps to open the chest and shoulders. This can be beneficial for individuals who sit hunched over a desk or have poor posture, as it can help to counteract rounded shoulders and improve upper body mobility.
• Enhances digestion: The twist involved in Utthita Parsva Konasana stimulates the digestive organs, including the stomach and intestines, which can aid in digestion and improve gut health. It may also help to relieve symptoms of bloating and constipation.
• Calms the mind: As with many yoga poses, Utthita Parsva Konasana incorporates deep breathing and mindfulness, which can help to calm the mind and reduce stress and anxiety. It may also help to improve focus and concentration.

Contraindications​

As with any physical activity, there are certain contraindications or precautions to consider when practicing Utthita Parsva Konasana and Parivrtta Parsva Konasana. It is important to consult with a qualified yoga instructor or healthcare professional if you have any health concerns or conditions that may affect your ability to safely practice these poses. Some potential contraindications for these poses may include:

1. High blood pressure or heart conditions: Both Utthita Parsva Konasana and Parivrtta Parsva Konasana can involve a deep stretch and twist, which can increase blood pressure. Individuals with high blood pressure or heart conditions should approach these poses with caution or avoid them altogether, as the increased strain on the heart may not be safe.
2. Spinal injuries or conditions: If you have a history of spinal injuries or conditions such as herniated discs, spinal stenosis, or any other issues related to the spine, it is important to practice these poses with caution or avoid them altogether. The deep spinal twist involved in Parivrtta Parsva Konasana may exacerbate existing spinal issues.
3. Knee or hip injuries: Utthita Parsva Konasana involves a wide-legged stance and deep hip stretch, which may be challenging for individuals with knee or hip injuries or conditions. If you have any pain or discomfort in the knees or hips, it is important to modify the pose or avoid it to prevent further strain or injury.
4. Pregnancy: Both Utthita Parsva Konasana and Parivrtta Parsva Konasana may not be suitable for pregnant women, especially as the belly grows and the center of gravity shifts. It is important to consult with a qualified prenatal yoga instructor and follow appropriate modifications to ensure the safety of both the mother and the baby.
5. Recent abdominal surgery: If you have had recent abdominal surgery, such as a hernia repair or abdominal organ surgery, it is advisable to avoid or modify poses that involve deep twists, like Parivrtta Parsva Konasana, as it may strain the abdominal area and disrupt the healing process.
6. General discomfort or pain: If you experience any discomfort or pain while practicing these poses, it is important to listen to your body and stop immediately. Pushing through pain can lead to injury or further discomfort, and it is always best to practice within your range of comfort and flexibility.

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It is crucial to practice yoga mindfully and with awareness of your body's limitations. Always work within your comfort level, modify poses as needed, and seek guidance from a qualified yoga instructor or healthcare professional if you have any concerns or health conditions. Remember, yoga is meant to be a practice of self-care and self-awareness, and your safety and well-being should always come first.

Step-by-Step Instructions for the Full Expression of Utthita Parsva Konasana and Parivrtta Parsva Konasana with Sanskrit Vinyasa Count​

Parivrtta Parsva Konasana (Revolved Side Angle Pose) modifications:

If you have difficulty taking the full expression of this deep spinal rotation, try these modifications instead.

1. Once you bend your right knee, take your left arm over your bent right knee and bring the palms of your hands together.  Press the right elbow into the left thigh as you press your hands together to create tensegrity.  Continue focusing on pressing the back foot down and back while also pressing the right knee to the right.
2. Or, try this option: turn your body to the right, square your hips and bring your hands to your hips.  Come onto the toes of your back left foot and slowly lower down onto your right knee.  From there take a few breaths pressing your left hip forward working to open the pelvis.  Either stay here for all five breaths or take your left arm over your bent right knee and breathe here for five deep breaths.  This modification will work to open your hips and, over time, allow you to begin working with the full expression of this posture.

Remember to always listen to your body and modify the poses as needed to suit your individual needs and limitations. It's important to practice safely and mindfully, and consult with a qualified yoga instructor or healthcare professional if you have any concerns or questions about modifications.

Practice with The Yoga Shala
If you want to join us for LIVE classes, The Yoga Shala offers virtual and in person classes every weekday morning.  Owner, Krista Shirley, also offers virtual or in person private sessions (Yoga, Meditation, Breath-work, Nutrition, Life Coaching and Mentorship).  Visit theyogashala.org for details.

Be sure to signup for our newsletter to stay on top of local events and classes, Nysa products sales, new offerings, new products and more!

We hope you find this video series helpful to you in creating or maintaining your yoga practice!

About Krista: Krista Shirley is a level II authorized Ashtanga Yoga teacher.  She is deeply passionate about sharing these teachings with all who wish to learn.

If you want to join Krista in person she teaches daily classes at The Yoga Shala in Winter Park, Florida. She also offers virtual sessions in Yoga, Meditation, Breath-work, Nutrition, Life Coaching and Mentorship.  Check out www.theyogashala.org for more details.

If you do not live in Central Florida and want to find an authorized teacher in your area, check out our teacher, Sharath Jois’ website, for a list of all teachers authorized and certified by his yoga centre in India.

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The Triangles are excellent postures for both new and experienced yoga practitioners. The asana helps students build a combination of strength, flexibility, balance and mental focus, when practiced regularly.

Utthita Trikonasana translates to Extended Triangle Pose and Parivrtta Trikonasana, Revolved Triangle Pose.  These postures are the third and fourth poses of the Ashtanga Yoga Primary series.  They come after Padangusthasana and Pada Hastasana. 

Benefits of Utthita Trikonasana:

• Strengthens the legs and back. 
• Stretches inner thighs, hamstrings, calves, spine, shoulders, chest and opens hips. 
• Energizes, balances and improves focus.
• Stimulates abdominal organs. 
• Increases stability by activating core muscle that assist with your balance and stability.
• Opens the hips and shoulders, increasing overall mobility.
• Stimulates your organs by activating your core
• Reduces stress

Benefits of Parivrtta Trikonasana:

• Improves balance, mobility and range of motion and your body’s natural alignment.
• Strengthens, stretches and lengthens the legs, feet, ankles, glutes, calves and abdominal muscles.
• Facilitates movement in the abdominal organs, helping digestion.
• Increases flexibility in the hamstrings, shoulders and upper back.
• Improves focus and body awareness.
• Improves circulation throughout the body.

The triangle poses are dynamic postures that helps to improve our posture by strengthening the muscles that support postural alignment, including the back, core, psoas, and quadriceps.  When done properly, these yoga asanas will lengthen the front and back of the body, creating a more natural upright posture. 

​Revolved triangle posture also massages the internal organs of the body, which can aid in improving digestion. And my favorite benefit to practicing this posture is the mental focus necessary to do the triangles while maintaining balance and tensegrity.  It’s hard to maintain incredible focus on the breathe and bandhas and body position, but with consistent practice, doing this asana builds strong mental focus!

Over time, the triangles help students gain more overall body awareness, balance, focus and mental strength.  Below you’ll find instructions for practicing this posture, both the full expression and modifications that will safely help you build up the full expression of these asanas over time.  Start with the modifications so they assist you in keeping your back flat, your head up, the front of your body long and over time you’ll build the strength necessary to practice the full expression with ease.

Contraindications:
The full expression of Parivrtta Trikonasana, revolved triangle, is NOT recommended if you are pregnant.  Some women will find they can easily still do this asana while pregnant, but the spinal rotation puts too much pressure on your abdominal wall and therefore is better done in a modification form during pregnancy.

These are wonderful standing postures but can be quite a challenge if you have tightness in your back or hips, or weakness in your core or back.  There is a lot to think about in the posture, oppositions of force, lengthening, engaging, reaching while breathing and engaging your bandhas.  Let’s take a step by step look at how to do the Triangle Postures.

Tap here to watch a step-by-step tutorial video on 2 modifications/variations and the full expression of Utthita Trikonasana and Parivrtta Trikonasana.

Step-by-Step Instructions for the Full Expression of Utthita Trikonasana and Parivrtta Trikonasana

The Primary Series Sequence is a brilliant flow from posture to posture whereby each practiced asana prepares you for the ones to follow.  You will begin adding these yoga poses into your primary series practice right after you finish Padangusthasana and Pada Hastasana. 

Utthita Trikonasana (Extended Triangle Pose):

Ashtanga Yoga is a beautiful systemized practice with a set sequence of postures to follow.  Regardless of what sequence the practitioner is working on, be it primary, intermediate or advanced, we always start with Sun Salutations A and B and foundational standing poses.  After moving through the standing sequence, you then move into the postures of the Primary Series, Intermediate Series or Advanced Series' from Ashtanga Yoga.

Work gradually to build up your practice, over time.  It will allow your mind to memorize the sequence but more importantly, give your body time to begin to open and strengthen so you can safely move into postures that follow.

Ashtanga Yoga Standing Sequence
Once you’ve completed the Sun Salutations sequences, we begin the Ashtanga Yoga standing sequence.  The very first two postures from the standing sequence are Padangusthasana (Big Toe Posture) and Pada Hastasana (Hand to Foot Posture).
Let’s explore how to safely practice these foundational standing postures from the Ashtanga yoga system.

Step-by-step instructions for Padangusthasana and Pada Hastasana
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Padangusthasana (Big Toe Pose):
Step 1: Begin in Samasthiti (Equal Standing Pose), standing tall with your feet together, heels and toes touching, and your arms by your side.

Step 2: Take a deep inhale and as you exhale, engage your core and bend forward from your hips, keeping your back straight and your knees slightly bent.

Step 3: Reach down and place your index and middle fingers around your big toes, wrapping them from the inside of your feet, and then take hold of your big toes with a firm grip.

Step 4: Inhale and lengthen your spine, lifting your chest and looking forward.
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Step 5: Exhale and fold deeper into the forward bend, bringing your forehead towards your knees, while maintaining your grip on your big toes.

Step 6: As you hold the pose, focus on maintaining a long spine and relaxed shoulders. You can also gently pull on your big toes to deepen the stretch.

Step 7: Stay in Padangusthasana for 5 deep breaths, gazing to your toes, engaging mula bandha.

Step 8: To release the pose, release your grip on your big toes as you inhale and lift your torso.

Pada Hastasana (Hand to Foot Pose):
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Step 9: Exhale as you move to place your hands underneath your feet.

Step 10: Inhale again and lengthen your spine, looking forward.

Step 11: Exhale and fold deeper into the forward bend, bringing your forehead towards your knees.

Step 12: As you hold the pose, focus on maintaining a long spine and relaxed shoulders. You can use your hands to press down on the floor and draw your forehead closer to your knees.
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Step 13: Stay in Pada Hastasana for 5 deep breaths.  Be sure to engage mula bandha and gaze to your toes.

Step 14: Inhale and lift your torso half-way, looking forward.  Exhale bring your hands to your hips and stand up, coming back to Samasthiti.


Tips for Practicing Padangusthasana and Pada Hastasana:

• Practice these poses with a steady and focused breath. Breathe deeply and evenly throughout the practice, using deep breathing with sound. If you are brand new to the practice, refer to our post on Ashtanga Yoga breathing (insert link here).
• Keep your knees slightly bent if you feel any strain in your hamstrings or lower back. It is safer to maintain a straight back than to force yourself into a forward bend with locked knees.
• If you have tight hamstrings, you can keep your hands at your shins and grip your fingers around your legs to help bring more tensegrity into the posture.
• Remember to listen to your body and honor where it can go right now.

If you’d like to practice along to our tutorial video breaking down these two Ashtanga yoga postures, tap here to access our YouTube tutorial on Padangusthasana and Pada Hastasana

Practice with The Yoga Shala
If you want to join us for LIVE classes, The Yoga Shala offers virtual and in person classes every weekday morning.  Owner, Krista Shirley, also offers virtual or in person private sessions (Yoga, Meditation, Breath-work, Nutrition, Life Coaching and Mentorship).  Visit theyogashala.org for details.

Be sure to signup for our newsletter to stay on top of local events and classes, Nysa products sales, new offerings, new products and more!

We hope you find this video series helpful to you in creating or maintaining your at home yoga practice!

​Ashtanga Sun Salutation Basics
With the Asthanga Yoga system, yoga poses or asanas are always practiced in the same order and every yoga practice begins with Sun Salutations.

A practitioner will take Surya Namaskara A (Sun Salutation A) five times, followed by three to five Surya Namaskara B.  These two sequences make up the warm up to the Ashtanga practice.  If you have not yet learned the Surya Namaskara A, you can review that here.

Once you’ve completed 5x Sun Salutation A, you will begin your first of three or five rounds of Surya Namaskara B.  To learn and practice along with Krista, check out here YouTube tutorial on Sun Salutation B.

Sun Salutation B sequence

Utkatasana – Chair pose
1. Utkatasana – Chair poseBegin in Samasthiti (Equal Standing Posture) at the front of your mat. Inhale, bend your knees and raise your arms up over head, trying to bring your palms together. Look up to your thumbs.  Ensure that your knees are not coming forward of your feet.  Instead try to sit back into your hips like you are squatting down.

Uttanasana – Standing forward fold
2. Uttanasana – Standing forward foldExhale, push your feet down and out as your press your tailbone up.  Hinge from your hips,  slowly straighten your legs and fold your body forward.
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​If this is too much of a stretch for your hamstrings, bend your knees and place your fingertips on the floor or grab your shins with your hands.

Ardha Uttanasana – Half standing forward fold
3. Ardha Uttanasana – Half standing forward foldInhale and extend the chest forward, while pressing your palms backward.  If you can't keep your palms on the floor just come to your fingertips or grab your shins.  As you inhale, look forward and lengthen your spine.

Chaturanga Dandasana
4. Chaturanga Dandasana – Four-limbed staff pose / low press upAs you exhale, bend your knees so that the palms can press firmly into the floor.
As you exhale, engage mula bandha to help support the spine.  Still exhaling, step or jump back to Chaturanga Dandasana.

Urdhva Mukha Svanasana – Upward facing dog pose
5. Urdhva Mukha Svanasana – Upward facing dog poseInhale, roll over your toes and press your sternum forward and upwards and your pelvis forward.  Be sure to press through your hands to help engage your back.  Keep extending your spine upwards as you inhale.

Adho Mukha Svanasana – Downward facing dog
6. Adho Mukha Svanasana – Downward facing dogExhale, press firmly into the palms and take the hips up and back.  Either roll over your toes or step over them and land in downward facing dog.  Make sure your feet are hip width apart.
Traction your spine by pressing the crown of your head towards your hands, your tail bone towards the sky.  Actively press your hands down and forward.

Virabhadrasana I – Warrior 1
7. Virabhadrasana I – Warrior 1Inhale, bring your right leg forward firmly on the floor. Pivot your back left foot flat, making sure your feet are hip-width distance apart.
From there, raise your arms up to the sky, palms touching.  As you lift your arms be sure to actively press your back foot down and back and your right foot down and forward.

Chaturanga Dandasana
8. Chaturanga Dandasana - Exhale, bring your palms back to the floor, one on each side of your right foot.  Step back to Chaturanga.

Urdhva Mukha Svanasana / Upward facing dog
9. Urdhva Mukha Svanasana / Upward facing dog -  Inhale into Urdvha Mukha Svanasana / Up Dog again.

​Adho Mukha Svanasana – Downward facing dog
10. Adho Mukha Svanasana – Downward facing dogExhale, press back into Adho Mukha Svanasana / Downward Facing Dog.

11. Virabhadrasana 1/Warrior 1 - on the other side
​From Adho Mukha Svanasana step forward with the LEFT foot into Virabhadrasana 1. Exhale through Chaturanga (12), inhale into Urdvha Mukha Svanasana (13) and exhale into Adho Mukha Svanasana (14) Stay here for five deep breaths.

15. Ardha Uttanasana – Half standing forward fold
At the end of the fifth exhale, look forward and walk your feet to your hands.  If your palms press flat into the floor, push your hands down and forward as you fold.  Inhale and look forward pressing your palms down and back.

16. Uttanasana – Standing forward fold
With your hands on the outside of your feet, Exhale and fold forward.  If your palms come flat to the floor, press your hands down and forward as you fold your body down towards your thighs.

Utkatasana – Chair pose
17. Utkatasana – Chair poseInhale, bend your knees and raise your arms in the air.  Keep your tail bone long and look up towards your fingers.
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Exhale, press down through your feet to straighten your legs and bring the palms down by your side. Stand in Samasthithi. Do three to five rounds of Surya Namaskara B.

Practice the sequence:
Click here to practice Sun Salutation B sequence for free on demand.

If you are brand new to yoga, you are at the right place!  And if you have an established practice, I will be sure to share a few tips that help you take your practice to the next level.

Krista's Teaching Schedule
If you want to join me for live classes, Krista offers them both virtually and in person Monday-Friday mornings.  She also offers virtual or in person private sessions (Yoga, Meditation, Breath-work, Nutrition, Life Coaching and Mentorship).

Be sure to signup for our newsletter to stay on top of local events and classes, Nysa products sales, new offerings, new products and more!

Krista is a level II authorized Ashtanga Yoga teacher and is passionate about sharing these teachings with all who wish to learn.

I hope you find this video series helpful to you in creating or maintaining your at home yoga practice!

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Welcome to The Yoga Shala's  Yoga Asana Series for building or maintaining an at home Ashtanga Yoga practice.  Today we explore the foundational principals of the Ashtanga Yoga system.

The foundational components of Ashtanga Yoga include breathing, bandhas and drishti.
Asht-anga means eight-limbs.  In this tradition we begin with the third limb, or asana.  This is the physical movement portion of this eight-limbed practice.

 To access Video #1 of this Yoga Asana Series, Tap HERE

Breathing
This particular yoga style focuses on breathing far more than any other tradition out there.  We practice deep breathing with sound, which is sometimes referred to as Ujjayi breathing.  This type of breathing consists of slow deep breathing from your throat through your nose.  Unlike a bellows breath, you focus on drawing the air from your pelvic floor on your inhale, slowly drawing the breath up through your stomach, chest, lungs and diaphragm.  The word happens at your throat but through your nose with your mouth closed.  When doing it correctly you'll feel a pleasant pulling sensation at your glottis.  This is a vital part of the Ashtanga yoga practice and one that will take a long time to truly master.

As you begin this practice, just focus on keeping your mouth closed and focus on taking slow deep inhales and slow deep exhales from your throat.  Over time, you'll find you can maintain a steady breath throughout the duration of your practice.
Each yoga asana has a prescribed inhale or exhale, known as a vinyasa or breath with movement.  In the beginning, though, simply make sure you are breathing continuously with your mouth closed, without holding your breath.

Bandhas
Bandhas are another vital component to the practice of Ashtanga Yoga.  These are energy locks that are located in certain areas of your physical body.  To engage these 'energy' locks, you must simply engage the area of the physical body in which they reside.  While there are more than three bandhas, in Ashtanga yoga we focus on the three primary energy locks.

Mula or Moola Bandha
Mula Bandha is your root lock.  It's located at the base of your torso, or at the perineum.  This is also where muladhara chakra resides.  Activation or contraction of Mula Bandha is thought build prana, or internal energy.  It is also touted to positively aid the respiratory, nervous, circulatory and endocrine systems in your body. You engage or activate this lock by squeezing your anal sphincter muscles on each and every inhale.

Uddiyana Bandha
Uddiyana Bandha is your navel lock.  It's located in the center of the abdomen.  It's a powerful lock that is felt in the stomach on every exhale.  If you are doing deep breathing with sound correctly, you'll feel Uddiyana Bandha engage while you expel the carbon dioxide from your body on your exhale.  As you push the breath out from your nose, through your throat, you'll feel your navel pressing towards your spine.

Jalandhara Bandha
Jalandhara Bandha is your chin lock. Unlike the Mula and Uddiyana bandhas, the Jalandhara Bandha only comes into use several times during the Ashtanga Yoga Primary Series.  It is located at the pit of your throat.  To activate Jalandhara Bandha, simply lower your head and bring the skin of your chin to the skin of your chest.  This lock is used primarily during Pranayama practice, or the 4th limb of Ashtanga Yoga.
When practiced together, the three locks are known as Maha Bandha, or the Great Lock.

Drishti
Drishti is your gaze or focus point during your yoga asana practice. Focus the eyes to the recommended gaze point (dristhi) in each asana.  Drishti is intended to help you concentrate your mind on one steady point during the five breaths you take in each Ashtanga yoga posture. This will allow you to keep your focus internal, which will eventually lead to consistent focus on the bandhas, which will help unite the breath to everything. 

Through the use of dristhi, slowly your detachment and awareness will grow, and over time your mind begins to move towards Oneness. Practicing, and mastering drishti during the asana practice helps prepare the practitioner for other limbs of Ashtanga yoga.  The fifth limb, Pratyahara, or sense withdrawal; and the sixth limb, Dharana, or concentration.

In the Ashtanga yoga asana practice we utilize 8 gaze points:

• NASAGRAI (tip of nose)
• BROOMADHYA (third eye)
• NABI (naval)
• HASTAGRAI (hand)
• PADHAYORAGRAI (toes)
• PARSVA (gazing to the left/right)
• ANGUSTA MA DYAI (thumbs)
• URDHVA  or ANTARA(looking upward)

Awareness builds organically through focus on dristhi, mental concentration on bandhas, Ujjayi breath, and asana.  Through continuous practice, over time, you will naturally learn asana and maintain breath, allowing attention to be with your bandhas.  In this way, over time, your thinking will decrease and you will move into the true purpose of Ashtanga Yoga…Moving Meditation.

Sun Salutation A
Sun Salutation A consists of nine (9) movements with breath, or vinyasa's.  Each posture in the Sun Salutation A sequence is intended to flow one into the other with one breath, except for position six (shat).  Once you get to position six of the Sun Salutation, or downward facing dog, you'll hold the asana for five deep breaths.  After taking your fifth breath in down dog, you again flow breath by breath, or vinyasa, until you get back to where you started in Samasthitih.

Check out Yoga Asana Series video #1 to learn the Sun Salutation A sequence step by step with Krista Shirley.  Krista will demonstrate modifications for each movement as well as the full expression of each movement that makes up Sun Salutation A.  Then, she will walk you through the nine movement sequence several times to help you familiarize yourself with each step in Surya Namaskara A.  This will help you get to the point you can do on your own without guidance and also help you learn the prescribed breathing for each movement.

The most ideal way to learn the Ashtanga yoga Sun Salutation's is by going to a Mysore class with an Authorized teacher.  However, if you don't have a local shala near you, the second best option for you is the free Introduction to Ashtanga Yoga video by Krista Shirley on YouTube.

We recommend you watch this video from start to finish the fist time you watch it.  Additionally, Krista has added timestamps, listed on the youtube video description, for you to be able to refer back to whenever you want to work on a specific component such as breathing, bandhas, drishti, or Sun Salutation A.  We hope you find this video series helpful to you in creating or maintaining your at home yoga practice!

Practice Aids
In addition to the free Youtube instructional video, we have additional practice aids to help you as you learn, work towards memorization and ultimate mastery of these postures.  Krista's Sun Salutation A practice cards, seen above, or Krista's Ashtanga Yoga Primary and Intermediate series yoga poster are excellent yoga tools for your at home yoga practice.

Remember that your asana practice is a life long journey.  The benefits are countless but the purpose is singular – achieving a true connectedness to this world.

About Krista
Krista Shirley is a level II authorized Ashtanga Yoga teacher and the founder of The Yoga Shala in Winter Park, Florida.

Krista’s dedication to her personal yoga practice shines through in her teaching. Her energy is contagious and inspiring! Krista specializes in meeting each student where they are.  She's able to help them create a habit of daily practice, learn the sequence of asanas and work towards physical mastery of the postures.  Moreover, Krista's intuitive teaching helps each student go inside themselves to truly integrate the body and mind.  In turn this helps practitioners let go of the things in their lives that no longer serve them.  Krista is here to help you begin or advance your Ashtanga Yoga journey and looks forward to sharing this transformational and enriching practice with you.

If you want to join Krista for in person classes or events, she runs a morning mysore style yoga program in Winter Park, Florida.  If you don't live locally, those classes are also offered virtually.  If you would prefer personal one on one instruction, Krista offers virtual and in person private instruction.  She also teaches workshops and retreats nationally and internationally.  If you'd like to have her come to your studio or city, contact Krista.

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