Everyone can practice Ashtanga Yoga, just commit and show up for yourself everyday.

Join Daily In Person or on Zoom, Hawaii time zone with direct teaching from Senior Teacher, Christina Martini, certified, authorized Ashtanga Yoga teacher and Shala teacher assistants.

Please respect the teachings as Christina upholds the ancient roots teachings passed onto her from her teacher, Manju P. Jois . Ashtanga Yoga offers therapeutic, transformational changes.

Anyone who practice Ashtanga Yoga knows the benefits of this system is profound, it changes lives for the better. Improving our lifestyle, health and conditions. Ashtanga Yoga is unique and differs from other style of yoga as the class is set in a one on one teaching with a small intimate group setting. It is individualized and personalized called "Mysore style", which is named after the city in India. Everyone begins in a mysore room , you come knowing nothing and leave with joy, purification, cleansing, and wisdom every practice.

Prepare to build sweat , heat is known to be good in yoga as digestive fire “agni” which is key to heal, cure, reverse and improve medical diagnosis, disorders, imbalances, clinical conditions. Please do not warm up with stretching, movements of exercises and props with postures when you arrive to the shala before your practice begins, do those at home. If you are stiff and tight, this is how you will know the practice of ashtanga transform your joints and muscle and limbs. When you arrive, set your mat quietly , clear your mind before you enter the shala space, and just begin the practice. It is a solar practice, meaning awaken yourself to the sun salutations early when you rise and your whole body will align and the stiffness will begin to transform.

Shala Santosha is proud and grateful that all teachers and assistants are all highly credentialed and learn from the direct lineage source . Christina selectively appoints teacher assistants who have committed and devoted their practice and time to learning under her tutelage and also learning from her master teacher. All shala teachers can convey life experiences and transformation from their years of practice, training, studies, apprenticeship, mentorship, guidance from their senior and master teacher.

The shala offers hands and verbal assists when needed and as assessed at your practice.

A mindset that is open to learning, surrendering and letting go is required from you along with Trusting the process of the unknown or unseen at the moment, The quest of yoga to change your life begins with practice and in believing the practice and dedication you give to yourself begins to trust the process , the commitment of practice, progression of the practice which are all key to reaping and experiencing that ashtanga yoga works and the benefits is transformative.

Yoga sutras 1:1 “ Atha yoga-anushasanam” Now, the teachings of yoga begin.” or “Now begins the teaching of yoga.” The key word is “now.” It's all happening in this very moment when you walk into the shala and it's now to begin in the presence of your conditions whether that be stiffness, tightness, soreness, tiredness, sluggishness, etc.

Ashtanga Yoga is systematically and fundamentally taught as is because of its profound transformation to our self. DIRECT LINEAGE TEACHINGS OF ASHTANGA YOGA & AYURVEDA means the practice is as is and not rebranded, recrafted, modified or mixed with any other styles of yoga. Props ( wheel, blocks, straps pillows, bolsters, etc ) are bare minimum only when prescribed to you by Christina . We encourage you to do your practice independently with minimum talking and distractions so the Breath, Meditation, Spiritual experience are the focus and essence of your practice to support your life on and off the mat with strength, energy , focus, concentration, and the ability to be productive and clear of your true self. The practice is known as Sadhana, to enhance your spiritual , mental and physical whole self to be union with one. Therefore embrace its origins, richest , truest Indian eastern history and methodology approach

All students are supported and observed by a teacher and modification for certain conditions and hands on assist will be given, and offered appropriately where needed for therapy needs as n assessment and evaluation of your practice is done daily when you arrive.

Did you know?

To be a teacher of Ashtanga Yoga is the highest blessing and honor as when one is granted authorization and certification to Ashtanga teacher is also part of a greater family and purpose of the teaching of Ashtanga in its tradition and system. Ashtanga teachers are forever student , which means they have devoted minimum 10 years or more of their self practice learning and mastering the series being a student prior to be being considered to teach Ashtanga. Experiencing all that the practice explores and changes. Not all who apply to want to become an Ashtanga Yoga teacher are ready to teach the traditions and philosophy of the eastern practice.

There are years of learning from their own practice that takes place to be ready to teach, there are prerequisites and character to develop to be a valuable teacher of the system and to understand the role of a quality Ashtanga Yoga teacher. Upon readiness , a student is usually in consideration teach from your senior or master teacher, which means a student is approached to begin studies towards apprenticeship, mentorship towards teaching and this lineage of yoga. It can be minimum 10-15 years or more before being gifted a certification or authorization. The training process is gradual allowing time to experience the practice, the teachings, the lifestyle. Teacher of Ashtanga Yoga are also highly educated and knowledgeable in the therapy of yoga as wisdom and training are passed on to know the benefits of yoga clinically, holistically , and therapeutically for many conditions .

Once blessed and authorized as a Ashtanga teacher, the teacher continues to be a forever student with a lifelong commitment to study with your master and senior teacher to be counsel or guided on the applications of yoga not just on the mat but off the mat in to real life living. To learn from a lineage in yoga is important as a teacher will forever need someone to guide them in advancing their teaching and understanding with many experiences that will come in teaching. It is therefore important not to have many distractions learning from many yoga teachers and styles of yoga who have no lineage or source for mentorship. Therefore Ashtanga Teachers have lifelong commitment to self studies, daily self physical practices of primary, intermediate and advance series, yoga therapy , building relationship with their master teacher prior to authorization and certification to being an Ashtanga Teacher. Request of being certified or authorized is not how one comes to teaching. Each year the priority is to keep to your self practice and build upon your learning, ongoing training and mentorship, known as parampara with the Master teacher , the direct lineage holder of the Ashatnga yoga who are Manju and Sathu Jois , or in India with Sarawati or Sharmila .

The Authorization and Certification of Becoming an Ashtanga Yoga Teacher is only granted through the Jois Family. Please know it is not earned through a yoga teacher training Ryt program therefore be mindful when taking classes from false advertisement of Ashtanga Yoga as many yoga teachers and yoga studios make it confusing to really understand the approach and system of Authentic Ashtanga Yoga. It takes years to develop a relationship and be a direct student of the Master lineage holders therefore aspiring yoga teachers take a short cut approach to be a yoga teacher prematurely and rush into teaching with minimum self practice.

Ashtanga Yoga is a rich tradition of the old system of yoga and should be taught and practice correctly and students should learn from a trained teacher of the lineage.