Shanti Yoga sharpens the mind, body and soul

Nine years ago, Country Club’s Lilly Chaddha was looking for a way to practice seva — a Sanskrit term meaning "selfless service."

Trained in traditional methods — she now has been certified to teach yoga for 15 years — she created Shanti Yoga. She described teaching as bringing “peacefulness” and appreciates the “good feeling of giving back to society.” She also emphasized meditation as an integral component. 

“You're away from the world,” Chaddha said. “To me, it is about being in the moment. You're not thinking of what's happening around, and you close yourself off from the noises around you. Meditation is when the soul meets the super soul. If you're really getting into it, you feel that connection of peace and love.” 

Shanti Yoga has been especially impactful on Chaddha’s daughter, Simi Ranajee. Initially too busy to attend her mother’s classes, she started attending the classes in July of last year as a form of physical therapy after learning she had stage four lung cancer and went through surgery to remove it.

Since her surgery, she has been in a wheelchair, used crutches and a cane. She has been without aid for six months walking on her own. She said without the yoga classes, she doesn’t know if she would be able to do so. 

Photo by Madison Bierl

“It’s a dichotomy because you've got athletes and then you've got the elderly who are very different in terms of performance level,” Ranajee said. “Yet everybody feels good, and everyone just does what they can. There's no pressure. Everybody anticipates going to Friday class because you know you're going to walk away feeling better.”

At Shanti Yoga, the classes are focused on either chair yoga or mat yoga. Chair yoga is ideal for limited mobility, and mat yoga offers a wider range of motion. 

University Place’s Mary Lou La Greca, 87, attended Shanti Yoga prior to the pandemic. When everything was shut down, her said she feels like she slowed down quite a bit. When she returned to class after those two years, she was grateful chair yoga was an option. 

Photo by Madison Bierl

“I kid around and I say ‘I can get down on the mat,  I just can't get up,’” La Greca said. “Sometimes I come when she's doing mat yoga, but I sit on a chair. I've learned at my age I'd have to be very careful. I like chair yoga because it keeps me moving.” 

Sarasota’s John Yoder, who has attended the club for two years, said he enjoys being part of the club because each member cares deeply about everyone else. Whether health issues, losing a partner or something else happens, the group members are there for each other.

He was initially intimidated by the largely female gathering but found he was welcome just the same. He said the attendees of the classes aren’t the most athletic or flexible people, but Chaddha makes sure her classes are catered to people of all skill levels. He said she makes it easy to be a participant.

“It's not a competitive environment at all,” Yoder said. “We're not trying to outdo each other or show our skills and they were very accepting of me as a newbie.”

Sarasota’s Allen Selph, a member of the club for a year, said he had no idea how into yoga he would get. He is an active person who plays pickleball and enjoys being around others with the like-minded enjoyment of yoga. 

Photo by Madison Bierl

“It makes me feel more flexible on a daily basis and it allows me to do small increments of the classes,” Selph said. “As we age, nothing can be more important than stretching.”

Harmony at Lakewood Ranch's Vickie Hambrecht, a seven-year member of the club, looks forward to every Friday class and is disappointed when she has to miss on occasion. She enjoys working on her breathing and positive thoughts inside the class and in her everyday life.

“There are times that I have aches and pains, or need to calm down, and I can do the breathing exercises that she (Chaddha) teaches,” Hambrecht said. “It really helps and you can get into self reflection.”

Country Club’s Lee Frank, a longtime attendee of the club, has been doing yoga her whole life. She said Chaddha’s class is a real gift and she always feels better afterwards. 

“I feel more serene — you stop and think about what's going on with the flowers, the trees, the air and you. It expands your presence in the world.”