Intro to Ashtanga Practice Room
A 4-Session Beginner Series with Rich Gonshak
Tuesday & Thursday • 7:30–9:30 AM
June 16, 18, 23, 25 • $120 • No Drop-Ins
Intro to Ashtanga Practice Room is a small-group series for beginners and returning students designed to build a sustainable personal practice within the Ashtanga tradition.
Each session introduces accessible “projects” for students to work on at their own pace — helping build strength, mobility, confidence, and body awareness while learning the rhythm and structure of the Ashtanga Practice Room.
Students will also learn how to work with props, modifications, and variations to support the mind/body and adapt the practice to their individual needs on any given day. Expect guided instruction, personal feedback, movement drills, breathwork, and practical tools for developing a strong and sustainable practice from the ground up.
Session Focus:
Session 1 — Posture Control & Sun Salutation A Healing through movement + introduction to breathwork
Session 2 — Transitions Learning to jump and move with greater safety and efficiency
Session 3 — Sun Salutation B & Standing Poses Understanding the foundations and what really matters in a posture or transition
Session 4 — Hips, Spine & Breath Control Finding greater ease, stability, and connection in the body Upon completion of the series, students are invited into the Ashtanga Practice Room for continued guided practice. No prior experience necessary.
Ashtanga Yoga at Chi Yoga Shack
Traditional Practice. Personal Guidance. Quiet Strength.
At Chi Yoga Shack in Bucktown, our Ashtanga Yoga program offers a deeply rooted, tradition-based practice in an environment that is intimate, welcoming, and grounded. This program invites you to explore the discipline, focus, and freedom that Ashtanga Yoga brings.
Led by longtime practitioner and teacher Rich Gonshak, our Ashtanga offerings include individualized self-practice and guided Led classes, both rooted in the lineage of Mysore-style teaching. Rich studied closely with senior teacher David Garrigues, whose work emphasizes Ashtanga as a living tradition that supports physical, psychological, and spiritual growth through committed, self-reflective practice.
weekly schedule
Mon-Thurs | 7:30am-9:30am | Ashtanga Practice Room
Friday | 7:30am-9:00am | Ashtanga Yoga Led
Saturday | 8:30am-10:30am | Ashtanga Practice Room
Saturday | 12:30pm-1:30pm | Ashtanga Basics
Ashtanga Basics
A supportive, beginner-friendly class focused on strength, mobility, breath, and foundational technique.
❤️ Student Experience: Jillian’s Words
"Though I attended yoga classes for several years before discovering Chi Yoga Shack, now I consider my first day studying under Rich the beginning of my practice. To take a yoga class and to practice yoga are two drastically different exercises. Where a well-taught yoga class can condition the body, to practice yoga—that is, to learn the right way to move in alignment with the breath, to experience how the physical mirrors the energetic, and to repeat a motion until it is perfected—this can heal and evolve not only the body, but the mind and spirit as well.
And evolve it does! Since beginning my Ashtanga practice about four months ago, I’m the strongest and most flexible I’ve ever been. I have improved endurance, posture, and bodily awareness. And as awesome as this all is, these are only the physical manifestations of a much larger mental shift I’m experiencing. I’m less anxious and more present, I’m less depressed and more content. It’s not that everything is suddenly perfect, but that I have new tools, knowledge, and awareness to help me navigate my path.
All this to say, Chi Yoga Shack is a beautiful place to learn the practice of yoga. The teachers are incredibly knowledgeable and have the utmost respect for the history of the practice, the classes are varied and accommodate all skill levels, the space is airy and clean, and the community of the shala is nothing if not welcoming."
💸 Pricing & Membership Options
Drop-In Class – $30
Membership Options:
Basic (4 classes/month): $85
Standard (8 classes/month + 1 guest pass): $155
Unlimited (unlimited classes + 2 guest passes): $195
✨ Ready to Begin?
Please reach out to Rich over email or phone call. You don’t need to know the sequence. You don’t need to be flexible.
🧘 Questions? Reach out at info@chiyogashack.com | 312-866-2606
📍 Visit us in Bucktown, Chicago