About us
Yoga Society of San Francisco
2872 Folsom St. off of 24th and Folsom (a few blocks from 24th St. BART)
Donation based classes ($8-$20 suggested donation cash only please) - nobody turned away for lack of funds!
We have mats, blocks, and other accessories available on a donation basis as well.
Yoga Society of San Francisco was incorporated in 1972 by Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati with the intention:
~To promote self-analysisTo analyze and discover principals of good health, as well as mental and spiritual happiness.
~To foster and promote the education of people to experience the unity of all mankind
~To discover the causes of disunity and disharmony between person and persons, nation and nations
~To promote, encourage and establish unity and harmony We provide an environment that develops, fosters and promotes the experience of Oneness through various physical, intellectual and spiritual practices.
We offer regular Hatha Yoga, Meditation, Sanskrit, and Yoga Philosophy classes, as well as workshops and retreats on breathing, movement, detoxification and stress-reduction. We also have a residential program for intensive study and immersion. All group meditations, including twice-daily Vedic Fire ceremonies, are free of charge.
- See more at: http://yogasocietysanfrancisco.com/about/yoga-society-san-francisco/#sthash.86PI9X2J.dpufAbout our classes:
The Power Vinyasa sequence is accessible to beginner and advanced practitioners while being very effective to develop strength, flexibility, and endurance in the entire physical body, relieve stress and tension, calm the mind, and cleanse energy channels. Asanas are connected in a flow sequence incorporating breath and alignment from balasana (child's pose) to savasana (corpse pose).
The Breathwork class is designed to control Prana, or vital life force, using yogic breathing techniques.
The quantity and quality of Prana and the way it flows through the nadis and chakras determines one’s state of mind. If the Prana level is high and its flow continuous, smooth and steady, the mind remains calm, positive and enthusiastic. However, due to lack of knowledge and attention to one’s breath, the nadis and Chakras in the average person may be partially or fully blocked leading to jerky and broken flow. As a result one experiences increased worries, fear, uncertainty, tensions, conflict and other negative qualities.
Regular practice increases and enhances the quantity and quality of Prana, and results in the practitioner feeling energetic, enthusiastic and positive. Practiced correctly under the right supervision Prananyama brings harmony between the body, mind and spirit, making one physically, mentally and spiritually strong.
About the teachers:
Brandon began practicing yoga in the form of meditation in 2012 as a means to relieve anxiety, stress, tension, and constant concern. Starting with 10-20 minutes a day, then gradually increasing length, adding new methods such as pranayama and the power of Sanskrit mantra, he was able to free his mind. However, his body was still out of balance, and he decided to go to his first Power Vinyasa class at Yoga to the People in San Francisco. Here he had an incredible Kundalini awakening experience – since then he has made it his purpose to share this gift with others, while continuing to learn and grow with each passing moment. He is an RYT 200 Yoga Alliance certified instructor and a member of the Hatha Yoga Committee at the Yoga Society.
Briksha combines Hindu Yogic practices and Buddhist wisdom in his teaching. He studied spiritual nutrition and healthy eating life style under the guidance of Dr. Gabriel Cousens and Dr. David Jubb. He worked as a rawfood chef over 7 years and teaching rawfood classes for last 5 years in addition to one year as a head chef in Tree of Life. Briksha is a certified rebirthing breath worker and yoga teacher. He has been teaching yoga, guided meditation, and stress management classes since 1992.
For more information visit:
Upcoming events
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- $50.00
Upcoming Sanskrit Workshops - 3-Part Series
Yoga Society of San Francisco, 2872 Folsom Street, San Francisco, CA, USSanskrit Workshops - 3-Part Series
In-Person & Online with Shanta Bulkin, co-founder with Indira Bulkin of the East-West Sanskrit Institute
Join us for a special three-part Sanskrit immersion led by Shanta Bulkin, co-founder of the East-West Sanskrit Institute. Whether you are a yoga practitioner, teacher, chanter, or simply curious about the sacred language of Yoga, these workshops offer a unique opportunity to deepen your understanding of Sanskrit pronunciation, writing, mantras, and chanting.
Dates (Sundays)
• September 27
• November 15
• December 13
Time
9:30 AM – 12:00 PM PT
Suggested Donation
• $50 per workshop (In-Person)
• $20 per workshop (Online via Zoom)
• $108 for all three workshops
Participants may attend any individual workshop or the complete series.***
Workshop # 1:
Sanskrit Pronunciation & Chanting for Asana Practitioners
Sunday, September 27 | 9:30 AM – 12:00 PM PT
– Phonetic Resonance – the electromagnetic vibration of the Sanskrit Language – applies to all areas, the endless width and breadth of the language, including mantras, scriptures, stotras, asana, ayurveda, Panini, and beyond.
In this workshop, we will focus on this resonance, particularly as it concerns the area of asana names. We will review the sounds of the Sanskrit Alphabet, work on pronunciation with echoing long and short sounds, and chant āsana names in Guruji’s style of chanting as it relates to re-wiring the brain. We will also add an introduction to Sanskrit meter.
Discover the beauty and power of the Sanskrit sound. This workshop explores the foundations of Sanskrit pronunciation and chanting, helping practitioners develop greater confidence and accuracy when using Sanskrit names, mantras, and sacred texts.
Topics include:
• Correct pronunciation of Sanskrit sounds
• The vibrational and energetic qualities of Sanskrit
• Chanting techniques and phonetic resonance
• Applications in yoga asana, mantra, scripture, Ayurveda, and beyond
Online participants will receive a Zoom link after registration
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Registration & Information
To RSVP or for additional information:
Yoga Society of San Francisco
Email: yssfyoga@gmail.com
Phone: 415-285-5537
Text: 415-503-7802
Online participants will receive the Zoom link upon registration.
pay through Zelle to yssfyoga@gmail.comAbout Shanta Bulkin
On December 15, 1971, Shanta was in Northern Vermont planning a multi-year overland trip to India with two buddies. There, he met an elderly fortune teller by the name of Adolphus Gonyaw, who, despite his travel plans, predicted Shanta would meet a man in New York State in 6 months. He added that this man would change his life.
Shanta met Dr. Mishra at Ananda Ashram on June 15, 1972. He was a very depressed 23-year-old at the time. The first thing Dr. Mishra said to him was, 'If you want to stay here, you must study Sanskrit. At that moment, a line was clearly 'drawn in the sand.' This wasn't an interview. It was a clear statement of what needed to take place in order to reside at the ashram. No discussion followed. This meeting took place exactly 6 months from the day which Adolphus predicted. Now, more than 50 years later, Shanta strongly feels his dharma is to turn students, of all ages, on to this amazing electromagnetic language. To know more about his teaching, go to https://www.eastwestsanskritinstitute.com/***
Workshop # 2:
Writing the Sanskrit Alphabet in Devanāgarī
Sunday, November 15 | 9:30 AM – 12:00 PM PTFocusing on how to write Sanskrit letters, showing the English transliteration with diacritical marks. The diacritical marks indicate what part of the mouth a particular letter is pronounced from. We will introduce one Sanskrit verse in this session.
Learn the foundations of reading and writing Sanskrit in the Devanāgarī script.
Topics include:
• Writing Sanskrit vowels and consonants
• Understanding English transliteration and diacritical marks
• Learning how pronunciation relates to specific points within the mouth
• Introduction to a traditional Sanskrit verse
This workshop provides a practical and enjoyable introduction to the written form of the language.Workshop # 3:
Writing Sanskrit words and learning Sanskrit verses & Mantras
Sunday, December 13 | 9:30 AM – 12:00 PM PTWriting Sanskrit words and learning a few verses and mantras
Here we will introduce, pronounce, and chant the seed letters and names of the 7 main chakras.
Build upon the skills developed in the previous workshops by learning to write Sanskrit words and explore traditional verses and mantras.
Topics include:
• Writing simple Sanskrit words
• Pronunciation and chanting practice
• Introduction to selected Sanskrit verses and mantras
• Learning the seed sounds (bīja mantras) and names associated with the seven primary chakra1 attendee
Past events
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