Tristan found himself on wits end. Struggling to find solace in life’s pleasures he spent his time drinking, fighting, and isolating himself from others in a numbed state that he preferred to his waking emotional pain. His deep seeded darkness found elucidation via the route of a college town Yoga studio. Amara Yoga & Arts in Urbana Illinois found its way into Tristan’s heart and left a life changing mark on his soul. This Yoga community brought light onto his dark troubles with existence. The warming smiles of teachers and students alike cast him out of his lonely reclusive spell and
welcomed him into the uniting community of Yoga. Yoga as union brought him up from dank cellar dwellings of a life not lived to an ascending quest for complete oneness with himself and the universe. Moving away from numbness,
he allowed felt sensations to re-enter and bring the joy of life with them. Knowing now that not everything felt is pain, he allows himself to feel and love life again. He didn’t, and still doesn’t, completely understand that
blissful feeling that washes over during the final resting pose of class. Yet this unawareness no longer scares Tristan from trying, but rather opens him up to more questions of what else is there to learn.
Tristan took his first Ashtanga Vinyasa class in Urbana, leaving the room drenched in sweat he was left to wonder ’what was that?’ and ’where can I get more of it?’. After graduating college Tristan found his way into the
Logan Square neighborhood in Chicago and in search of another Amara-esque Yoga studio. Moksha Yoga Center was and is that place to fill the void of his loved first Yoga studio back in central Illinois. Tristan practices a flowing yet aligned Vinyasa style of Yoga in hopes of finding the middle ground between BKS Iyengar’s alignment style and Sri Pattabi Jois’s Ashtanga Vinyasa. Through a life with devotion, knowledge, action, and meditation Tristan seeks to unite these ways to find a unifying Yoga for all.
Tristan relishes every opportunity he gets to study under and work with Daren Friesen and Gabriel Halpern here in Chicago. Other masterful teachers he has found the pleasure to study under and work with have been: Aadil Palkhivala, Tias Little, Nicolai Bachman, and Kino MacGregor. Outside of Yoga Tristan enjoys reading a great book, watching a moving film, and spending time with loved ones.
Gabriel Halpern holds a BA in Philosophy, an MA in Health Psychology, and was trained at the Iyengar Yoga Institutes in San Francisco and Pune, India. Gabriel has practiced since 1970 and gives workshops nationally. He is the founder and director of the Yoga Circle in Chicago, IL since 1985. For over twenty years he was a core performance faculty member at De Paul University’s Theater Department. In 2011, he was awarded the Elder/Mentor of the Year by the Mankind Project. Just this July, his Yoga Circle was voted the “best traditional hatha studio” by Chicago magazine. Owing to the direct influence of BKS Iyengar and over 4 decades of continuous study Gabriel’s teaching is all that is yoga: zeal in practice, science, art form, lifestyle, and mystical mentoring.
Daren Friesen is the director and founder of Moksha Yoga Center in Chicago which is the largest yoga center in the Midwest. An enthusiastic student and passionate teacher, his challenging style of vinyasa flow incorporates asana, pranayama, mudras, bandhas, and kriyas. Having studied with renowned teachers in the states and masters and gurus in India, Daren encourages students to use traditional elements and techniques to overcome the pull of opposites (duality) and to develop one-pointed attention. Through one-pointed attention, one discovers the keys to accessing true health and vitality. Daren’s classes offer provocative insights and opportunities for personal growth through his unique blend of a classical yet innovative approach to practice.
Daren Friesen is the director and founder of Moksha Yoga Center in Chicago which is the largest yoga center in the Midwest. An enthusiastic student and passionate teacher, his challenging style of vinyasa flow incorporates asana, pranayama, mudras, bandhas, and kriyas. Having studied with renowned teachers in the states and masters and gurus in India, Daren encourages students to use traditional elements and techniques to overcome the pull of opposites (duality) and to develop one-pointed attention. Through one-pointed attention, one discovers the keys to accessing true health and vitality. Daren’s classes offer provocative insights and opportunities for personal growth through his unique blend of a classical yet innovative approach to practice.
Extraordinary instructors lead yoga and yoga-inspired classes seven days a week. Step into our studio in downtown Glencoe and stretch, twist and flow your way to a healthy body and peaceful mindset.
***“Please get your Yoga practice from this wonderful person. She knows what she is doing. Linda has studied with the best teachers and can design a practice that is right for you… “your own yoga,” direct intimacy with Life in every way.” — *Mark Whitwell: Heart of Yoga****
Experience The Totality of An Authentic Yoga Experience…Yoga as it was meant to be taught.
Offering Hatha Yoga And Mindfulness Meditation For The Fox River Valley: Aurora, Batavia, Geneva, St. Charles, and Elgin.
Be it in small group classes or private one-on-one sessions, students have described their Metta Yoga experience as dynamic, inspirational, thought-provoking, and life-changing. Linda’s classes are for beginners who are seeking authentic yoga with a meditative emphasis, for those who want more than what a public yoga class can give them, and for dedicated practitioners seeking to expand their practice on a deeper level.
Whatever your path, Linda Karl has the years of training, practice, and experience to guide practitioners in all aspects of Yoga and meditation practice, bringing together body and mind, heart and soul. Yoga teacher mentoring and Yoga retreats in India also available.
Open, warm and inviting. Welcome to a turn-of-the•century warehouse turned yoga studio! Our studio is located at the corner of Grace and Ravenswood in the heart of the leafy northside Chicago neighborhood of west Lakeview.
Rooted in classical yoga as described in the ancient Vedic texts, Moksha Yoga Center provides an interdisciplinary approach that includes physical postures, meditation, breathwork and more. Featuring three locations that offer classes seven days a week, we invite you to practice and experiment with multiple styles taught by skilled and intuitive instructors. Revitalize with asana, and dig deeper through our workshops with world-renowned master teachers, expert lectures whose topics range from ayurveda to classical Indian art, and our internationally recognized 200- and 500-hr teacher trainings. While you’re here, enjoy bodywork, a fully-stocked yoga boutique, and a tight-knit community to explore and expand your personal practice.
Rooted in classical yoga as described in the ancient Vedic texts, Moksha Yoga Center provides an interdisciplinary approach that includes physical postures, meditation, breathwork and more. Featuring three locations that offer classes seven days a week, we invite you to practice and experiment with multiple styles taught by skilled and intuitive instructors. Revitalize with asana, and dig deeper through our workshops with world-renowned master teachers, expert lectures whose topics range from ayurveda to classical Indian art, and our internationally recognized 200- and 500-hr teacher trainings. While you’re here, enjoy bodywork, a fully-stocked yoga boutique, and a tight-knit community to explore and expand your personal practice.
Rooted in classical yoga as described in the ancient Vedic texts, Moksha Yoga Center provides an interdisciplinary approach that includes physical postures, meditation, breathwork and more. Featuring three locations that offer classes seven days a week, we invite you to practice and experiment with multiple styles taught by skilled and intuitive instructors. Revitalize with asana, and dig deeper through our workshops with world-renowned master teachers, expert lectures whose topics range from ayurveda to classical Indian art, and our internationally recognized 200- and 500-hr teacher trainings. While you’re here, enjoy bodywork, a fully-stocked yoga boutique, and a tight-knit community to explore and expand your personal practice.