Sarah Hannala is an international yoga teacher, mental health advocate, environmentalist, Ink magazine Cover Girl & full-time lover of fulfilling life. With her innate ability to read energy, she is able to address each students’ individual needs. Sarah’s classes are an eclectic blend of urban & traditional yoga practices.
Her eccentric personality is expressed by her creative flows and delicately molded playlists. Sarah’s unique teaching style is deeply rooted in Bhakti, leaving you feeling spiritually polished and rejuvenated.
Her classes are insightful & sweet AND ultimately rewarding.
I, Sarah Hannala, am an International, Experienced Yoga Instructor.
I have studied with Shaleah Morris of Studio Tahoe, as well as Sivananda Yoga, while living at the ashram on Paradise Island, Bahamas, where Jai Uttal taught a 4-day Bhakti workshop. It was at the ashram that I was initiated into my spiritual name “Jnaneshwari”; translating to Goddess of Knowledge.
I started practicing yoga in 2010, when I moved cross country from Florida to California.
While struggling with bi-polar disorder, anxiety and depression, along with chronic back pain as a result of child abuse, a family friend introduced Yoga as an outlet.
I began to see the effects almost immediately and was instantly addicted. I committed myself to a daily practice of Yoga and Meditation, and was so dedicated to learn more, I took Yoga as my physical education class in
High School, while also studying many books and scriptures. After a few years, I was introduced to the practice of Kirtan (chanting) and devoted my life to the path of Bhakti Yoga; the path of love and devotion.
My life has continuously transformed after I began to devote my life to love and the service of others and the Earth. I strongly believe in the transformational power of love and devotion,
and it has become a staple of my teaching style.
I am an advocate for mental/chronic illnesses and I promote Yoga and meditation as a guide for stabilizing health and wellness, physically, mentally and spiritually. With an innate ability to read energy, I utilize my knowledge and skills to address each student’s individual needs in my classes. My unique lineage influences
a lifestyle of Seva (service), Bhakti (Devotional Love), Jnana (Spiritual Knowledge), Radical Self Expression, Health and Wellness, Sustainability and Spiritual Healing.
I am on a mission to make a huge dent in this world. I am strongly driven to support others in his or her journey to mental clarity and share all of the knowledge that has been transmitted to me. The Yogic path has benefited the entirety of my being; mind, body & soul. While blooming from a space of severe mental illness,
I strive to influence others to utilize the benefits of the yogic path to maintain a balanced, healthy & happy life.
We all have a divine infinite power within us and it is my life goal to help others surface that power.
Each and every one of us has a purpose and many passions. It is through our passions that we can fulfill our purpose and tap into our divine infinite power, which is our Karmic duty. The Yogic path is a path of self discovery that teaches us how to surface our own defined and infinite power to free ourselves of the binds of Karma. When we allow our life to be driven by passion, we are allowing our life to be driven by love and love is the greatest power there is. You are your greatest teacher, just listen to the wisdom that already lives within.
I was diagnosed with bipolar/manic depression and severe anxiety, but none of that stopped me from pursuing my dreams. I believe that all mental illnesses are in fact treatable. A mental illness is an imbalance in our neurochemistry. Medication is used to produce the chemicals we are lacking to create balance. I believe that if we can find other ways to increase the chemicals that we need, we can balance our neurochemistry ourselves.
Yoga and meditation is how I balance my neurochemistry. I believe that we all have the power to take control of our lives and our mind and through my teachings, it is my goal to show people how to do just that.
It’s about controlling our emotions and our stress.
List of Emotions: 54 Ways to Say What You’re Feeling
Emotions are biological states associated with the nervous system brought on by neurophysiological changes variously associated with thoughts, feelings, behavioral responses, and a degree of pleasure or displeasure. There is currently no scientific consensus on a definition. Emotions are often intertwined with mood, temperament, personality, disposition, creativity and motivation. Did you know: Studies show that mothers are less tolerant of crying in boys than in girls, suggesting that the way emotions are expressed by adults are instilled by mothers during the child’s infancy. factretriever.com
Turn to God who is the #1 healer.
– “A healer does not heal you. A healer is someone who holds space for you while
you awaken your inner healer so that you may heal yourself.” ~ Maryam Hasnaa <3
Holding space is about being in space.
It’s about being fully present with the experience. Holding space is viewing someone without judgment and seeing him or her through loving kindness. Holding space is recognizing that although we all may stumble,
we are all also so powerful.
Holding space is like holding the door open for someone to walk through to experience a new model of the world. Instead of feeling like the walls are caving in, holding space literally gives breathing room to express, open up, and simply be where we are.
What we are really doing when we hold space is nothing but pure acceptance—
of ourselves, of others, and of the moment.
As Brene Brown says, “When we are looking for compassion, we need someone who is deeply rooted,
is able to bend, and most of all, embraces us for our strengths and struggles.”
Those compassionate, rooted people in our life are invaluable to help us weather the storm and stand in the light again. But what happens when that other person just is not available to you at that moment?
Holding space doesn’t have to involve anyone else physically being there with us or listening to us directly. You can each hold space for yourself. When you are going through something big (or seemingly small), you can hold space for yourself by tapping into self-compassion.
Dr. Kristin Neff defines three components of self-compassion as self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness. Self-kindness entails being warm and understanding towards ourselves when we suffer, fail, or feel inadequate. Instead of ignoring our pain or hurting ourselves with self-criticism, self-kindness involves being gentle with yourself when you encounter a painful experience.
Common humanity is that reminder that we all suffer.
We are all mortal, vulnerable, and imperfect.
This suffering is part of the shared human experience.
Realizing that can help us feel less isolated and more connected within that space.
Mindfulness is taking a balanced approach to our challenging emotions so that feelings are neither suppressed nor exaggerated. Instead of “over-identifying” with our thoughts and feelings. Mindfulness is a willingness to observe our negative thoughts and emotions with openness, clarity, and equanimity. It’s a non-judgmental way of becoming aware of our inner experience as it is, without trying to suppress or deny.
We cannot ignore our pain and feel compassion at the same time.
This means, the more you can hold space for yourself, the more you can hold space for others.
In that space, we all experience what it means to feel unconditional love.
When you feel unconditionally loved, you are able to fully own your own experience and truly be who you are. There is a calmness and clarity and an ability to love the world as it is.
This is where true power comes from. When we are able to be in unconditional love,
all of our thoughts, words, and actions flow from it.
We are bringing more of that love into the world.
Which means holding space isn’t just beneficial for one. It benefits all.
By loving ourselves, we also hold space for the world.
Livin’ A Little: I’m a limited edition, believer in there’s only one me.
♫♫My Chemical Romance – Honey, This Mirror Isn’t Big Enough For The Two Of Us♫♫
No One Can Heal You… You have the ability to heal yourself.
How long have you been practicing Yoga? How long have you been teaching?
I have maintained a consistent asana practice since 2010. I was first certified in 2014 in Urban Bhakti Flow at Studio Tahoe in Truckee, California. Bhakti Flow was created by Rusty Wells of San Francisco. One year later,
I was certified in Hatha Yoga and Vedanta at the Sivananda Ashram in Paradise Island, Bahamas.
Sivananda Hatha was created by Swami Vishnudevananda of India.
How did you begin?
I was first introduced to Yoga in 2010 when a family friend brought me to her husband’s class.
I had just moved out of my parents house, across the country and I was fifteen years old. I was struggling with bi-polar, depression and anxiety severely. She thought Yoga might be a healthy outlet and a good way to adjust to my new surroundings. I fell in love almost instantly, even though I thought it was really hard, but I have always loved challenging myself and I have always been very physically active.
I was never naturally as flexible as I was strong, but I grew up taking gymnastics classes, and competed on private cheerleading teams, which created a foundation of understanding my body awareness.
This body awareness transferred easily to my Yoga practice and eventually my teaching style.
What kind of Yoga Asana do you teach?
I teach Vinyasa based practices such as Power, Vinyasa and Bhakti Flow,
a style of asana that is typically fairly quick moving as the practitioner flows from posture to posture connecting breath and movement, approximately one to five breaths at a time. Creative sequences are created based around the sun salutations and the quick movements increase your heart rate and get you sweating!
I also teach Hatha based practices such as Restorative, Yin, and Prenatal, a style of practice that is less cardio based and focused more on the release of the fascia connective tissue and diving deep into postures, which are held for longer amounts of time, typically 1-10 minutes per posture. I apply the path of Bhakti Yoga (one of the four paths) to any style I practice and teach. Bhakti Yoga is the path of love and devotion, often expressed through the art of Kirtan, or chanting mantras. Bhakti is the act of ultimate surrender to love.
“Bhakti Yoga is not something you join, it’s love, it means falling in love”- Krishna Das
I’m not advanced, can I still come to your classes or workshops?
Absolutely! Unless stated otherwise, all of my classes and workshops are all-levels,
this means I create a safe space for practitioners that have never stepped foot on a mat,
to those who have been practicing for years.
How can I start Yoga?
Just do it! Yoga is a lifestyle, a meditational and physical practice, as well as a personal journey.
There are so many different styles and teachers and it can take awhile to find what really resonates with you.
I always suggest taking a class in person because the teacher can adjust you and correct your alignment in
order to prevent any injuries. If taking a class in person is not available, there are a lot of online options!
I offer personalized yoga videos and can create a class curated just for you!
Please inquire via contact page!
10 Signs You’re Meant to Be A Healer.
How can I practice with you?
I teach weekly classes at The Yoga Collective in Santa Monica, California.
https://studios.theyogacollective.com/
I am currently available for privates in the Los Angeles area or online via Skype/facetime.
I offer personalized videos for you to download and use as many times as you like!!
Be sure to follow me on Instagram for the occasional live class!
https://www.instagram.com/sarahhannala/
I am on Facebook & Twitter:
https://www.facebook.com/sarahhannalayoga/
https://twitter.com/sarahhannala
Website:
https://www.sarahhannala.co