Click here to view the embedded video.

Vusi Mahlasela is in conversation about his life growing up in South Africa as a young activist and realizing the importance of music and song.

After world-wide touring and international acclaim, Americans first caught a glimpse of Vusi in the lauded documentary film Amandla! A Revolution in Four-Part Harmony, and the accompanying soundtrack. After the release of the film, long-time admirer and fellow South African, Dave Matthews, signed Vusi to his own ATO Records label and released The Voice (2003)¸ a collection of the best songs from Vusi’s catalog. In 2007, ATO released his latest album, Guiding Star, his first full-length release in the States. ATO Records will release the highly anticipated follow-up record to Guiding Star on January 18, 2011. The new album, Say Africa, produced by Taj Mahal and recorded at Dave Matthews’ studio in Charlottesville, VA, captures Vusi’s hope for the future of Africa: “Let all those who share in Mandela’s greatest wish—to one day see an Africa that is at peace with herself—SAY AFRICA.”

After recording the album in the States this spring, Vusi returned to his home in South Africa and was honored to help ring in the World Cup at FIFA’s Kick Off Concert at Orlando Stadium. The concert was broadcast internationally to an estimated one billion viewers. Following his performance, Vusi proudly introduced fellow South African, Archbishop Desmond Tutu on stage. Vusi’s anthemic song When You Come Back was ITV’s official theme song for the World Cup in the UK. Other recent highlights include performing at Mandela Day to honor Mandela’s birthday, touring with Bela Fleck behind the release of his Grammy-winning album Throw Down Your Heart, which features a live track from Vusi and Bela, two appearances at the TED conference and performing with Paul Simon.

In the midst of a busy international touring schedule, Vusi remains dedicated to his social activism and partnerships with non-profits, including his own Vusi Mahlasela Music Development Foundation, committed to the promotion of and preservation of African music. Other organizations that Vusi actively supports are OXFAM, The Acumen Fund, The African Leadership Academy and the ONE campaign.

Over a musically and socially consequential career, South African singer-songwriter and poet-activist Vusi Mahlasela has successfully followed his muse and continued to give back to his country. As he puts it, he knows that “musicians have to be like watchdogs, just by seeing and speaking out, directly to the youth as well, because we need some kind of Cultural Revolution to remove ignorance.”

The studio’s owners, Stacey Brass and Bryn Chrisman are the new YOGANONYMOUS teachers of the month! Our very own Dan Wilf had a chance to sit down with Stacey and Bryn, and find out a bit more about them and about their beautiful studio. Enjoy!

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DW: Thanks for taking the time to connect with us guys, I know that you both must be SUPER busy with the new studio. Can you tell us a bit about the intention behind opening up your own place?

Stacey Brass: Yes we ARE super busy but never too busy to chat about yoga and Yogamaya! Our intention behind Yogamaya was to have a place where we could share our passion for everything that is Yoga and build a community of people that want to do the same. Bryn and I have always been extremely interested in furthering ourselves as teachers by studying and going deeper with the areas of the practice that move us and now we are bringing together asana and devotion and philosophy under one roof- our dream!

DW: Awesome, and how did you and Bryn first connect?

Bryn Chrisman: Stacey and I 1st met actually at a Bikram studio in TriBeCa 11 years ago.  Stacey was teaching the only Vinyasa class there, which happened to be at the same time I worked the front desk.  She played music in her class that was awesome, and having only practiced Bikram up to that point, I was thrilled by the prospect of bring music during yoga!!

From there we connected very early on in our teaching based on a mutual love of philosophy, alignment, and going deeper into the Yogic Traditions! And the rest is history!

DW: Which lead you both to NYC’s Laughing Lotus, right? Did you guys start practicing over there at the same time? You guys we’re pretty instrumental over there for a bit from what I understand.

Stacey Brass: Well, I was already a teacher at Laughing Lotus when I met Bryn.  She then started taking classes and eventually became a teacher there too.  Yes, we were senior teachers there for a long time and taught the Teacher Training program for years.  Yogamaya was the natural next step for us as we grew out of Lotus and wanted to create our own environment where we could express the practices and teachings in a way that was authentic to who we are as teachers.

DW: Ah yes, vinyasa krama at its finest! Can you tell our audience a bit more about your teaching styles and what to expect from the environment that you guys are cultivating and creating togeather at yogamaya?

Bryn Chrisman: Sure..  We love yoga & asana & all metaphors that emerge that perfectly link the asana practice with the philosophical studies of Yoga.  We both love VINYASA because there is a freedom, playfulness, creativity & moving meditation that develops in a flow, like riding an ocean wave. It takes you somewhere unique and different each time, physically, mentally & emotionally…  Music, Mood, Sequencing & Alignment are the things that really drive my classes.  Same with Stacey, and she incorporates a super deep focus & teaching of physical alignment in her classes.

At Yogamaya we bring an awesome practice to an even higher platform by offering students asana-kicking & smart-asana classes, but also plenty of opportunity to develop their deep connection to spirit in the traditional yoga way.   We have monthly spiritual teachings from qualified Gurus/teachers, rocking kirtans (which are chant parties), and all kinds of other creative events/workshops…

DW: awesome! And I know that you guys are offering a lot more than just asana classes over there as well…there always lot’s of Kirtans and other special events going on, correct?

Bryn Chrisman: Yes, and this week we have Ananta Govinda and Krishna Kishor of The Mayapuris coming Tuesday AND Thursday night for kirtan that will knock everyone’s socks off.  Kirtan-wise we’ve got coming up this spring Dave Stringer, Ananda Rasa, Gaura Vani and The HanuMEN (Gaura, Benji Wertheimer, and John DeKadt), and more!

We’ve got a BIG JUICY yoga class w/ Stacey teaming up w/ DJ Hify on March 19th, some special talks with Dhanurdhara Swami on the Yoga of Forgiveness, asana clinics w/ Master Teachers like Jonathan Fitzgordon, a Harmonium Weekend Intensive!  And in the Fall we’ve got an entire weekend with Jai Uttal for our 300hr Advanced Teacher Training, a Jai Uttal kirtan, Iyengar teacher extroidinaire Carrie Owerko coming to offer her brilliance, and  a yoga/life-coaching collaboration with a Handel Group coach!!!

Time is flying as we get close to celebrating our 1 year (in June).  So stay tuned for that extravaganza!

We’re personally behind and excited about all our offerings!
Also, I’m so excited to be teaching at Fall Bhakti Fest (the perfect yoga/kirtan festival!) and we’re even working to get the East Coast version for next year!  The blessings come when you do what you love!!!  HariBol!!!

DW: Awesome, follow your heart and the rest will follow. Well, thank you both so much for your time – is their anything else you’d like to tell our audience about yogamaya that we might not already know?

Stacey Brass: Well, I DO want to add that one of the reasons we opened Yogamaya was to be a great place for teachers as well as students.  Bryn and I have always felt such a strong passion for teaching people how to be teachers and we are really excited to be in the middle of the first Yogamaya 200 Hour Teacher Training which we call ILLUMINATED JOURNEY.  We also wanted to create an environment where teachers (from ALL studios) could continue to learn and become inspired for their classes with all of these lectures, Kirtans, workshops, etc. and also from the really mature teachers that we have on our schedule that have been teaching for many years.  Oh!  And we also are about to go LIVE with our Yogamaya Blog and live streaming Kirtans and video library!  Basically, to sum us up, we are INSPIRED and hope to INSPIRE others with our enthusiasm and Love for Yoga!

DW: Well that certainly is inspiring! Thanks so much for taking the time to connect and share with us, we will see you at the studio soon!

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Click here to visit Yogamaya’s website and learn more!

About

YOGAMAYA is a studio where everything is yoga. Our focus is to bring asana, kirtan, and spiritual teachings together under one roof to offer students & teachers alike a full & rich yoga experience.  Our asana classes combine alignment, devotion, and philosophy in the traditional style of Vinyasa.

YOGAMAYA was created out of the shared vision of Bryn Chrisman, Stacey Brass and Glenn Riis.  With their friendship as a foundation and tremendous mutual respect for each other’s teaching, Stacey and Bryn started to envision their ideal studio while leading a retreat in India.  Inspired by living Temples and the integration of Spiritual Teachings into daily life, they dreamed of a space where they themselves would be able to continue learning and studying by bringing together teachers, scholars, and Kirtan leaders of the highest caliber.

After many years of practicing and teaching around New York City, Bryn & Stacey, along with their partner Glenn, built a special place to provide you with a sacred space & comfortable Yoga home.

The potent Sanskrit word YOGAMAYA means the most intimate personal power that gives life, liveliness, and Bliss to the entire Divine phenomena, including the source of all existence. It means a power of all-doing capability. Yogamaya creates an atmosphere whereby the living being can penetrate the world’s illusion and relish the intimacy with the source of all existence…

Teacher Training

A Guru said to a student, “You must run to your practice the way a person runs to the lake when their hair is on fire!”  For students and teachers who realize a desire to further their studies & deepen their relationship to Yoga, Yogamaya offers a complete Teacher Training Program at the 200- and 300-hour levels.

For More on Teacher Training Click here

Classes

YOGAMAYA classes are dynamic yoga classes in the tradition of Vinyasa Yoga.  Vinyasa yoga is to flow or move, with intention, from one asana to the next, to arrive at a particular point, physically and spiritually. A YOGAMAYA asana class combines alignment, devotion (Bhakti), and philosophy.

All of YOGAMAYA’s classes are based in the tradition of Vinyasa Yoga. The different levels of class indicate:

~Level of difficulty of class (asana performed, intensity of sequences, length of holding poses, etc)

~Level of subtle advanced detail offered, and

~Performance of subtler practices (pranayama [techniques to control life force and the mind], bandhas [internal locks], chanting, sharing of yoga philosophy, etc.)

We have gathered highly dedicated teachers in the tradition of Vinyasa Yoga, who through their unique expression and personal experiences share with you exceptional and authentic teachings.

Each teacher has their own unique approach to sharing a Vinyasa class, but all YOGAMAYA classes will include heat building Surya Namaskar (sun salutations) and well rounded sequences that incorporate all the physical movements (standing poses, hip opening poses, twisting poses, balancing poses, inversions, back extensions, forward bending, and final resting pose).

For more on classes and to check out the full schedule, click here

The Space

The essence of any Yoga studio is its heartbeat & soul, and the shared experience of students and teachers coming together

The design of the outer environment also affects the quality of our inner environment and awareness. We have incorporated several principles into the design of our space to create a sublime experience and a touch of feeling that you are in a temple in India, but also in the heart of New York City.

Our studio has been designed with a free-flowing layout to allow for ease of movement and a relaxed environment before and after classes

Natural light has been introduced into the practice studios and common areas by means of large skylights in order to enhance the feeling of openness and to maintain a connection with the natural rhythms of daylight and weather

Each of our practice studios and the common areas have individual environmental controls and ceiling fans to appropriately tune the temperature and air movement before, during, and after practice

Our space has been designed to accommodate twelve individual changing spaces within a common area to foster a more communal experience while making allowances for privacy, flexibility, and efficiency.

Upcoming Workshops and Kirtan Events

April 10th

Monthly Satsang with Dhanurdhara Swami

April 15th

Down & Dirty with Bryn Chrisman

May 6th – 8th

Harmonium Intensive Weekend w/ Daniel Tucker

June 5th

Psoas Release Party! With Jonathan FitzGordon

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For More on YOGAMAYA head to their website at www.YogamayaNewYork.com

Jason Ray Brown is one of the most knowledgeable and innovative teachers I have had the pleasure of studying with. He is the founder of Zenyasa Yoga®, has created an Anatomy Studies Yoga teacher training program, and is also a licensed massage therapist!

About Jason…

Jason Ray Brown, E-RYT500, LMT

Jason is the founder of Zenyasa® yoga, which he currently offers at Pure Yoga in NYC. He also teaches private and small group classes at his Zenyasa® Yoga and Wellness center, which is Jason’s own quaint Upper West Side Location. Inspiration for Zenyasa® has come from Jason’s diverse background in Buddhism, martial arts, five-element shiatsu, exercise science, and both hatha and vinyasa yoga.  He has been practicing yoga since 1995, and has studied with a great number of wonderful teachers over the years.  Those who have been the most influential include Erich Schiffman, Swami Ramananda, Rodney Yee and Cyndi Lee.  In the Buddhist tradition, Jason practices and studies at the Fire Lotus Zendo (affiliated with Zen Mountain Monastery) and with Thich Nhat Hanh, whom he considers his primary teacher in the Buddhist tradition and whose compassionate teachings permeate the Zenyasa® style.

Jason has been teaching Yoga and meditation since 1998.  He has taught at many of New York’s leading yoga studios and health clubs, and was on the teacher training faculty at OM Yoga Center from 2002-2005.  In 2006, he became a licensed massage therapist and began offering therapeutic massage and 5-Element Shiatsu out of his own studio on the Upper West Side.  His time in massage school also led to a passion for the study and teaching of musculo-skeletal anatomy, and he  has taught anatomy for yoga teachers at OM Yoga, Yoga Works and Pure Yoga.  Jason is also founder of Anatomy Studies for Yoga Teachers™, a 108-hour course of instruction in musculo-skeletal anatomy, injury prevention and the kinesiology of yoga asana.

Jason currently resides in Riverdale, NY with his wife, Frances, and their two little ones, Gabriel and Mikaela.

Home Studio Schedule

all classes are taught in the Zenyasa® style

:: Zenyasa® Yoga and Wellness Center :: 155 W. 72nd St. #601 New York, NY ::

Monday

10:30am – 12pm Level 1

6pm – 7:30pm Open

Wednesday

10:30am – 12pm Open

3:30pm – 5pm Level 2

6pm – 7:30pm Open

Friday

10:30am – 12pm Level 2

3:30pm – 5pm Open

Saturday

9am – 10:30am Level 2

11am – 12:30pm Level 1

Upcoming Events

September 21st 2010 – June 21st  2011

Anatomy Studies for Yoga Teachers (108 hour TT program): Musculo-Skeletal Anatomy & Kinesiology of Yoga Asana

November 13th

Happy, Healthy Knees – Zenyasa Yoga and Wellness Center

December 18th

Happy, Healthy Ankles and Feet - Zenyasa Yoga and Wellness Center

January 6th – June 26th 2011

Anatomy Studies for Yoga Teachers (108 hour TT program)

**The course meets on Wednesdays from 2pm – 5pm. All classes take place at the newly renovated Zenyasa® Yoga and Wellness Center, 155 West 72nd St.

Click here for more information and to register today!

For additional information on Jason Ray Brown, visit his website