The SHALA

Wisdom, Wellness & Wholeness in the Foothills of Arkansas’ Ozark Mountains

Your breath 

has POWER 

Two women practicing pranayama with eyes closed in our peaceful barn.

Experience pranayama like never before with our unique Method–embody an elegant effort that invites you into a deeper relationship with your breath. 
Breathwork, or Pranayama, is a potent somatic practice that anchors your attention in the physical body and, therefore, reveals to you what was there all along, yet hidden from direct awareness.

The Shala Spiritual Ecology— 

A Technology for Transformation

Spiritual Ecology is our living matrix of practices for personal transformation that engage the whole person–the intelligences of the body, mind, heart, and community–which, when braided together, enliven all aspects of the human experience. 

By deliberately practicing all 4 elements of our Spiritual Ecology, somatic, imaginal, self-inquiry & dialogical practices, it is our belief that you’ll have a clear path to support you in your journey towards Wisdom, Wellness & Wholeness.

Everything we offer is part of our Spiritual Ecology–your healing, your becoming, and your thriving. 

Two women exercising in the pavilion, doing crawls, and enjoying the view of the forest.

BODY | SOMATIC PRACTICE 

As we tune into the body, we become more adaptive and responsive.

New rhythms activate wellbeing, embodied learning & equanimity.

Resilience and a new zest for life are the result.

A group of six friends smiling and taking a selfie outside by the barn.

HEART | IMAGINAL REALM

Meeting ourselves with compassion, we heal & find home within.

The heart awakens as we connect with & surrender to a power greater than ourselves, yet not separate from ourselves. 

Creating a life of alignment, we flow with divine reality.

Three people sitting with eyes closed and hands pressed together in meditation in the barn.

MIND | INQUIRY 

Unnecessary suffering ceases when we heal the distortions of the mind.

Through inquiry & developing attention, we come to know ourselves as the seer, not only the seen.

With knowledge of Who We Are, we open to a life of inner guidance, presence & peace.

A group of people attending Matt's philosophy lesson outdoors.

COMMUNITY | DIALOGICAL PRACTICE

We mend our disconnection by remembering our inherent belonging. 

We come to know ourselves in relation to others.

Wisdom becomes a reality as we learn to actively listen & speak alongside others. 

No matter where you are in your journey– 


Whether on a new path towards greater health, ready to optimize your current state, or as a practitioner looking to be of deeper service, our Spiritual Ecology offers a place for you.

Get Started Today

A group of teachers in training sitting in the pavilion and working on sequencing.

Learn to Teach Our Circle Yoga Method

Widely known for our Foundational 200-hour YTT, our teacher training offers a tried & true Method that’s been forged over decades. Our trainers are competent, adaptable & connected to a lineage that will continue to support you professionally and personally, long after you graduate.

For your continued development, we offer an Advanced 300-hour training, as well as certifications in biomechanical corrections, Ayurveda, and Yoga Therapy, among others.

Click here to learn more about our specialty trainings

A person standing with arms raised in tree pose at Hawk's Bill Craig at sunset.

Immerse Yourself in Wellness at Our Signature Retreat

Refreshingly down-to-earth and surprisingly elevated, our Signature Retreat offers a wellness experience like you’ve never seen before! If your body is tired & mind is scattered, if you’re needing a moment of pause and your spirit is craving something real, the Signature Retreat is for you.

Join in for an immersive experience of our Spiritual Ecology. Each day you’ll receive movement & morning meditations, connection with horses & healing land, gather around the fire under a clear, starry sky, and be nourished by farm-to-table Ayurvedic meals. 

With data that shows it, our participants leave calmer, more connected & equipped to live all they learned.

Click here to explore our Signature Retreat

Holly holding mala beads in her hands.

Receive a Wisdom Mentor in Your Pocket!

You can experience Holly’s most potent teachings on a weekly basis–in audio micro-doses–that are deliberately doable and digestible even for the busiest of people. Beneath the Noise is a spacious & simple audio subscription where you’ll develop greater access to your intuition, insight & inspiration, short, contemplative teachings & practices.

Only $12.99/month. Subscribe here.

Experience the Shala

Meet Our Founders

The smiling founders of Circle Yoga Shala: Matthew and Holly Krepps.

With over sixty years of combined practice and four decades of guiding teachers, Matt and Holly have walked the path of yoga guided by a lineage of Master Teachers and the quiet wisdom of the healing land they now call home. 

They honor the depth and profundity of ancient teachings while making them a living, breathing ecology that meets you where you are. For them, this is not just a profession—but a devotion to truth, beauty, and the freedom that comes from remembering Who You Are.

Read about Matt and Holly’s remarkable journey building the Shala on their 25-acre homestead surrounded by national forests, and continuing the legacy & lineage of Master Wisdom Teachers who you, too, come to learn from. 

I WANT TO KNOW MORE

Ready to dive in?

A group practicing yoga in the pavilion, pyramid pose.
Two women planting seedlings in the garden, surrounded by trees and gardening tools.
Group of teachers in training working on squat with a wooden board under their heels.
Two people kayaking on the Buffalo River near a large rocky cliff.
Four people practicing movement in the pavilion.
A woman standing in the pasture petting Honey, our palomino mare, with Poncho, our other horse, in the background.

Free Resources

Two women sitting in the barn with eyes closed and fingers touching their forehead and nostrils, practicing Nadi Shodhana Pranayama.

Dive into the heart of our Spiritual Ecology with applied practice & guided wisdom —we offer free talks, fresh podcast content, and accessible blog entries on an ongoing basis.

PRANAYAMA PRACTICE

Hindu deities Lord Krishna and Radha decorated with traditional attire and jewelry.

LISTEN TO OUR PODCAST, ‘THE LOST WAYS OF KNOWING’

By our Cofounder, Matthew Krepps, Philosopher & Religious Scholar

New Season Out Now!  Click to listen.

Close-up of Holly holding prayer beads, wearing rings and a beaded bracelet.

WISDOM TALKS

Join the Shala’s experienced trainers each month for free live conversations on topics of Yoga, Ayurveda, and timeless spiritual insight.

Rooted in our Spiritual Ecology—a living matrix of somatic, imaginal, self-inquiry, and dialogical practices—these talks are a space to deepen wisdom, awaken clarity, and nurture wholeness.

BROWSE ‘THE ART OF WHOLENESS’ BLOG

A space where the art of living well meets the science of transformation. 

Spanning movement, contemplative philosophy, breathwork, and self-inquiry, our ‘Art of Wholeness’ blog invites you to cultivate anti-fragility and harmony at every level of your being.