Shira Charis came into yoga from a Zen background. While Zen study had a stimulating effect on her intellectual and emotional worlds, it was her discovery of yoga in its variety of styles that connected that stimulation with physical awareness and health, helping her to deal with longtime issues of chronic pain.

Meditation with movement, mindful breath with exertion and systematic stretching and compression of the muscles and organs of the body bring all the theories of Zen into an invigorating daily practice that Shira looks forward to. She has trained with Bikram Choudhury and David Swenson and continues to take classes and workshops with many teachers skilled in different styles of yoga. Shira has been teaching yoga since 2003 and feels very lucky to be a part of what her students often refer to as the best part of their day.