Whole Sky Yoga

09/18/2025

Grateful for everyone who came to book club last night—what a great chat! 📚 Next month we’re diving into Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse. Mark your calendar: Wednesday, October 15 at 5:30pm at the studio. Bring a snack and some hot takes 🤓 📖

09/15/2025

Sweet gathering of Whole Sky teachers over the weekend at ! Great food, great people, great views! Feeling so lucky to surrounded by such a wonderful group of teachers 🧘🏻

09/09/2025

Our yoga practice is sometimes meant to push us beyond what is comfortable, so that we can discover how resilient we are when faced with a challenge.⠀
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Coming up at the end of the month, Lizz DeFeo will be offering a two-hour long Master Class that incorporates a vigorous vinyasa sequence with arm meridian stretching, flow variations, strength building, opportunities for inversions, and time to travel deeper into postures. While the practice may be intense, there will be room and space to explore - to slow down and experience postures at your own pace. There will be support and guidance throughout.⠀
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Created by Dr. Rose Erin Vaughan of Science of Self Yoga, this complete practice is open to all who seek a journey deeper within. Some yoga experience is suggested. ⠀
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Held on the last Sunday of every month - starting September 28, 2-4pm. See you on the mat!

Join Lizz DeFeo for a vigorous vinyasa sequence that is a complete practice, including arm meridian stretching, vinyasa flow variations, strength building, opportunities for inversions, and time to travel deeper into traditional postures, back bending, forward folding, and more.

09/03/2025

🚨 New Class Time! 🚨

Katonah Yoga with Nixa will now be Monday evenings at 6pm. What is Katonah Yoga?

Katonah Yoga = Mystical 🔮 + Medical ⚕️

A yoga system based in Taoist Theory of Great Nature replete with elements, energies, patterns of nature like fitting folds of “origami for the body”. Katonah also incorporates Hatha yoga, sacred geometry, and mythology.

Expect repetitive movement sets to open up insight and coax transformation, lots of breathwork rituals and powerful kriyas to charge the system and a steeping in the metaphors of the body as an abode, a vehicle, and a spherical temple of familiar wisdom.

Join Nixa with an all-encompassing and powerful practice!

08/27/2025

"Practice becomes firmly grounded when well attended to for a long time, without break, and in all earnestness."

Yoga Sūtra I.14, Patañjali, trans. Satchidananda

What are the key elements to achieving any goals?
1. Time
2. Consistency
3. Enthusiasm

Sometimes, the easiest thing you can do is start something new. The hard part comes when you keep showing up with the same level of enthusiasm day in and day out.

As we go through seasonal changes, personal shifts, and anything else that might disrupt our daily routine, it's easy to let the routine go. It's easy to say, I'll just sleep in or I'll do that task tomorrow. It's also easy to fall into self flagellation, which only works to derail our path even further. We get so down on ourselves for not making enough progress or not being as consistent as we had hoped that we become a deer in headlights, unable to proceed.

Remind yourself: 1. this practice is always there for you, and 2. the practice doesn't judge you, it guides you. It asks you to look deeply and sincerely with love and devotion.

What I find to be most inspiring about the community at Whole Sky is the devotion I see. You show up for yourselves - whether it be at the studio or in your every day lives - and the practice shines through you. Keep showing up for yourself. I see you. And all the hard work you put in to your practice.

With gratitude,
Annie

08/25/2025

We're starting a book club! Our first meeting will be Wednesday, September 17 from 5:30-7:30pm at the studio. For those folks interested, our first book will be "Breath" by James Nestor. Please read the book (or most of it!) prior to our meeting.

Attending book club is free of charge. Yippee! Also, the gathering will act as a potluck - it's optional to bring something to share, but encouraged. We'll meet, discuss, snack, and enjoy!

If you'd like to attend, please RSVP (link in bio), so I can get a head count AND so I can add you to the communications list for the book club. Excited to share this with you all!

Big hugs,
Annie

08/11/2025

This past Friday evening, guest teacher Anne Robinson led a beautiful vinyasa class at the studio. I was asked by one of our longtime members to share this message 😊

Dear Yogis: I am re-invigorated this morning after yoga last evening with Anne Robinson! Anne, as many know, was our yoga instructor for years at MaMA, prior to Whole Sky Yoga. We loved her!

A few years ago, she moved to California for her husband’s work but returns for brief visits and a few splendid yoga classes at Whole Sky Yoga.

About her classes - a quote from Anne’s website: Anne’s class is extremely integrated, smoothly flowing and fun yet still incredibly focused, vigorous and truly all-encompassing.

Please join us for the next 3 classes - Friday evenings from 6-7:30pm -August 15, 22 and 29! It’s a welcome reunion for her previous students and a rewarding, strengthening opportunity for all!

08/06/2025

We are in the thick of summer. It's muggy. It's hot. It's been raining almost non-stop. Ooh that rhymed! 😉

We've been feeling a nice reprieve from the heat and humidity lately. And as we move further into summer and life starts to speed up - with vacation, kids in camp, visitors in town, and all the summer activities! - it's always a good time to slow down and take time to center.

We're pulled out of our "regular" schedule, so maintaining a consistent practice - whether it be yoga, meditation or otherwise - is paramount to keeping our feet firmly on the ground (and our heads screwed on straight). My favorite teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh, talks about living mindfully and being present in every moment, no matter how mundane.

When I feel ungrounded, I practice this. I pay close attention to every detail of an activity I'm doing, like watering my plants or doing the dishes or making my coffee in the morning. It helps me appreciate the moment and find hidden joy in the task.

I invite you to try this practice throughout your day! How can you bring mindfulness to everything you do?

Annie xo

08/04/2025

Coming up in September - Yoga Foundations Series with Annie 🤸 Ever find yourself in a yoga class wondering what the heck you are supposed to be doing? Don't worry, you're not the only one. We've all been there! In this four week series, we'll get back to basics and explore the foundations of a yoga practice - including common poses, transitions, and sequences typically found in yoga classes. You'll learn the lingo (with historical and philosophical context) AND the moves you need to confidently walk into a public class.

Reach out to Annie with any questions! info@wholeskyyoga.com

Starting Saturday. September 6 at 9am!

Ever find yourself in a yoga class wondering what the heck you are supposed to be doing? Don't worry, you are not the only one. We've all been there! Get back to basics and learn the foundations of yoga in this four week series. We'll explore common poses, transitions, and sequences typically found

07/25/2025

Thanks so much VISITvortex Hudson Valley for this thoughtful write-up! Learn a little bit more about me (Hi, Annie here!) and my intention with the studio.

It's been so busy lately. and I've loved welcoming all the new and not-so-new faces to the space. Don't forget to check out our upcoming events and workshops - visit our website!. I hope to see you on the mat soon!

Meet Anne Girvin, the new owner of Whole Sky Yoga in Stone Ridge, NY! Learn about her vision for this welcoming Hudson Valley yoga studio offering diverse classes and teacher training

07/18/2025

Join guest teacher Anne Robinson for her signature style of Quantum Vinyasa for four Friday evenings in August!

Tune into your personal power as you explore different pathways of mind, body and spirit in this integrated, smoothly flowing, all enveloping vinyasa practice. You'll work through scaffolding of asanas, taking them deeper and further with embodied joy woven with somatic practices. Classes run from 6-7:30pm - the last 15 minutes is an added bonus of restorative and deep savasana.

Tune into your personal power as we explore different pathways of mind, body and spirit in this integrated, smoothly flowing, all enveloping vinyasa practice. We’ll work through scaffolding of asanas, taking them deeper and further with embodied joy woven with somatic practices. We will end with a...

05/28/2025

Got Pain? Or perhaps cranky shoulders and a stiff neck? You are not alone!

In this workshop, you'll learn how to re-educate your body into alignment, helping to alleviate chronic pain and discomfort. Ideal for those with repetitive stress injuries, tennis elbow, frozen shoulder, rotator cuff stiffness, headaches and other neck, shoulder and arm injuries or pain.

Your teacher Ami Jayaprada Hirschstein has 28+ years as a Yoga Therapist specializing in chronic pain and injuries. Come as you are and leave feeling lighter, brighter, and ready to move with more ease!