Shala

Shala is a beautiful space for yoga and a warm and welcoming, community. Mira is a talented and inspiring instructor. The classes are challenging yet accessible for all levels, full of inventiveness and laughter. Mira cares deeply about helping all participants grow in their practice, and she helps us connect our yoga practice to our lives and community off the mat.

I am so happy I found Mira and Shala! It's really different from any other yoga studio I've been a part of -- it's not just a place for practicing yoga, but it's a community of people to practice with. Mira and Jarret have truly fostered an amazing atmosphere to be in because they're both so passionate about their practices and their students. Not to mention, I always leave the "Expanding" Thursday class with a very good mental and physical workout :) Definitely visit if you haven't already!

I've been practicing yoga for about a decade at various levels of intensity/spirituality in a wide variety of cities and towns that I have called home. I began practicing with Mira when I moved to Durham four years ago and have never looked back (including during two years of a pandemic)! Mira is the most talented teacher I have practiced with and, hands down, the most community-minded I have encountered.When I learned that Mira and Jarret were opening their own space, I was thrilled. I feel a sense of community in Shala that I really haven't felt elsewhere - and that is because this community element is forefront in Mira and Jarret's minds. Not only has my practice (physically and mentally) evolved significantly over the last four years, but I've also developed deep friendships as a result of my involvement in the Shala community. I cannot recommend Shala highly enough to those looking for a yoga and mindfulness practice!

From the first yoga class I took with Mira nearly four years ago, I have found her to be inspirational and motivational. She's smart, funny, incredibly knowledgeable, and cares deeply for her students. She also has lovely taste that is apparent in the details of Shala. All these superlatives blend together into a warm, welcoming community even a middle-aged meme of a Dad like me feels comfortable in. I look forward to many more years of practice with Mira and Jarret guiding the way.

I am one lucky girl to have found Shala and have had Mira as my first yoga teacher! I've had multiple, serious joint issues for over forty years but have been able to practice continuously for the last five years, thanks to Mira's leadership. She gives incredibly specific directions and tells you exactly what to do to protect yourself. When I occasionally attend another class, I worry that I'm doing something dangerous and never leave feeling as invigorated. Up with Shala!

I most regularly attend Jarret's Meditation Club on Sundays, and it is has become my home for spiritual health and community. Since practicing at Shala, my meditation practice feels so much more grounded and practical in my day to day life. I enjoy connecting practicing presence with current events and the obstacles I encounter in a contemporary lifestyle. I have also taken a few asana classes with Mira and love how she makes difficult poses more accessible, and how she incorporates philosophical concepts into a practice to deepen the meaning behind each pose. I cannot recommend Shala highly enough.

Shala is such a lovely place to land, explore, and soar through the practice of yoga. Mira is both an experienced guide - full of expert knowledge and alignment tips - and an ever-curious practitioner - generously creating space for inquiry. In fact, the entire Shala community is warm, welcoming, and fun. Classes at Shala, in a relaxed and comfortable space convenient to downtown Durham, are always welcome nourishment for my mind, body, and soul!

Shala IS the place to practice and to be, simply put. Mira’s contribution to those who regularly attend can’t be replaced. The studio really has become a home as the name defines. It is a place that I look forward to returning to each week, like a beacon or a place to check in and explore. I tell everyone I know about, from friends to clients and family alike.When I visited her and Jarrett’s website, the words Shala, which means home, and the word community really stood out to me. There’s a warmth inside that permeates everything here and it encourages you to explore the body-mind connection with curiosity and joy. It had been a long time since I felt I had a community to practice with and learn from but I can say at least for me and everyone I’ve brought to a class that the experience is the real deal.Shala offers online resources as well so you can practice at home, which is actually how I got started, but I had to show up physically to really enjoy what’s offered here. I’ve yet to work in person with Jarret and his meditation services but from his bio and demeanor, it is so clear that the two of them have spent years in practice and learning from their own selves and experiences that It inevitably reflects outwardly as depth and compassion. Depth and compassion are what strong communities and practices are built on. You will experience that here.

It has been so joyful to watch (and take part in!) Mira and Jarret bringing Shala into being, from the first pictures they shared to the very beautiful home they continue to build. Their love and generosity and wisdom are everywhere. And I haven't even gotten to the actual yoga! Mira is an *amazing* teacher, combining an incredible depth of technical knowledge (sooooo much alignment!) with a grounded and accessible offering of philosophy and theory. And she's incredibly patient and supportive, answering ALL the questions with heart and encouragement. I may be ruined for other teachers.

Shala is a warm and welcoming place, and Mira is a gem of a teacher, who brings heart and soul to her work. Her teaching style, while grounded in a profound understanding of alignment and postural integrity, is also relaxed and relational. She integrates yoga philosophy into her classes, facilitating inquiry and discussion in a manner that's simultaneously light-hearted and depthful. I'm a yoga therapy practitioner and used to teach yoga regularly myself, and Mira is one of the best teachers I've had the honor of experiencing. I always learn something new in her classes, even after all this time!