Just finished my Monday morning yoga class with Karen. As usual, I feel physically and mentally ready for the world. I feel that every class is designed especially for me. Thank you, Karen.
Nancy S., Belchertown, MA
When I went looking for a yoga class, I wasn’t sure what to look for. But when I found Karen’s class I knew I was in the right place. Karen’s clear and patient instructions on the proper way to align before entering a pose have been invaluable to me, not only in my yoga practice, but also in the walking, lifting and twisting parts of my life. I always look forward to the few moments at the beginning of each class, when Karen offers some insight from her own life or something she has read. Often these thoughts are applicable far beyond yoga class and I have been able to benefit from them many times. Another quality of Karen’s that I really appreciate is her ability to give generous praise to her students. When I listen to her I really do feel that my efforts are beautiful and perfect. Thank you Karen.
Margaret Frenkel, Amherst, MA
I stand at the sink pondering the full day and listing all my duties for the next. I consciously and carefully wash each dish, and then I become aware of my own body. My knees are hyperextended again. I haven’t been listening.I think of Karen and the changes I’ve experienced in the last year at her Yoga class. I think of how I’d like to go every day. I appreciate so much the depth and clarity that Karen brings to our yoga practice. She is centered and well prepared with a beautiful and always so appropriate thought for the week. I am often amazed at how it is exactly what has been in my heart at the time.
I struggle with carving out the time, and the distance I travel to get to Yoga, but I am completely thankful each week I make it and recommit to dedicating that precious time with Karen. I come away from our practice feeling so grateful and more true to myself. I believe that the more one could work with Karen the more she would penetrate one’s individual needs. She is keenly aware and respectful of our challenges as individuals in the class and she is strong, funny, and sensitive.
What I’ve realized, besides becoming more aware of my body and its uniqueness, is how the practice makes me feel more self-confident, hopeful, and full of love.
Nicole Romer, Ashfield, MA
I have taken both private and group yoga classes with Karen. Unfortunately I do not live close enough to attend classes regularly with her, but do so whenever possible.
Karen is thoughtful, careful, kind, and helpful in her teaching. She inspires her students, but never pushes beyond where they themselves want to go. As an older teacher, she is uniquely qualified to understand the challenges faced by those of us who do not have the flexibility we once had.
After taking her classes, I feel stretched, but relaxed and peaceful at the same time. In each class, I find that I am capable of much more than I thought I was at the beginning of class. In addition to feeling physically better, I gain a new awareness by thinking about the theme she weaves through the class. The one I remember best was gratitude. After that class, I felt truly grateful to my own body, rather than critical of what it (or I) could NOT do. I think that Karen represents the best of what Yoga should be about.
Greta Berman, New York, NY
Karen’s class in ‘gentle yoga’ makes me aware of my capacity to move muscles I never knew I had, to change age-old bad habits almost through awareness alone–and to feel much better for it as I go through the day. “Gentle” does not mean stasis or even comfort: it means the body being gently led beyond where it thought it would rather be! Always challenged but never too much, I enjoy the class immensely–it is both relaxed and intense, informative and inspiring, and a lot of fun.
Bella Halsted, Amherst, MA
I’ve had a wonderful experience taking yoga with Karen in her home studio for the past two years. In fact, my husband and daughters have also benefited greatly from taking classes with Karen. The Anusara principles of strength and openness have strongly influenced my yoga practice and my life.
C.G., Amherst, MA
Karen is a teacher who understands both my abilities and my limitations – and that combination is important to me. At 62, I very much want to continue and deepen my yoga journey but I also need to deal with occasional sore knees and wrists. Karen instinctively gets all of that and pays close attention to her students’ needs. For someone like me, whose work entails many hours of sitting at a desk hunched over a computer, that means a lot. She always includes poses that are great for dealing with the rounding shoulders and stiff necks that are the bane of the cubicle dweller’s existence.I took her Morning Yoga class and found it always turned out to be a wonderful way to start the day – physically and mentally – even on the dark winter days when I struggled to get there!
Suzanne Wilson, Northampton, MA
Karen’s yoga classes have become the core of my practice. Each class is challenging, with a clear emphasis on the alignment of the body. For anyone on any level, her classes are a reminder of the importance of this alignment. I attend several different kinds of yoga classes, some more demanding athletically than others, and take what I have learned from Karen into all of them. I feel that she has helped me to reach a higher level with my yoga. Each of her classes begins with an inspirational thought to consider throughout the class. This is a special part of Karen’s class that I take with me into my day and my life.
Marilyn T., Amherst, MA
As a result of my twice weekly group classes with Karen, I have improved alignment, increased strength, and am learning how to protect against injury while maintaining flexibility. All this applies to a range of daily movements such as walking, lifting, standing at a counter, sitting at a desk, or working in the garden. Karen’s therapeutic private classes gave me the opportunity to learn how to modify or enhance postures to address pulled muscles and maturing joints. Karen’s classes are always focused but lively; challenging and also restorative. She has a committed class following.
Lisa L., Pelham, MA
For someone with the aches and pains of aging and old injuries, Karen Sheingold’s gentle yoga class is a godsend. Karen is unfailingly responsive to the individual needs of class participants, often asking, “Does that hurt?” or “Are you OK?” or suggesting ways to be more comfortable: “Sit on the blankets,” “Reach to the blocks, not the floor.” Yet the class provides a surprisingly good workout, and I always leave feeling rejuvenated. Besides, it’s been a pleasure to sit, stretch, balance, and finally lie down in the lovely, well-equipped studio Karen has made in her home.
Ruth V. E., Pelham, MA
