Meet the Founder and Director

Shamani Langille is the Founder and Director of ABC Yoga Club, a nonprofit 501(c)(3), located in southwest Iowa.

Shamani Langille is the Founder of the nonprofit 501(c)(3) ABC Yoga Club, whose mission is to teach yoga to people experiencing past or current trauma and addictions, and people that cannot afford yoga therapy classes. Shamani has been a yoga practitioner since 1985 and a yoga instructor since 1993. She has a Master of Arts in Education from California State University, San Bernardino. She is a Certified International Associate of Yoga Therapist (C-IAYT) since 2021. The IAYT yoga therapist certification is the most widely recognized international credential for yoga therapy practitioners, and a significant indication of professional attainment. She is a Certified Ananda Yoga Teacher since 2002 and Certified Ananda Meditation Teacher since 2021.

She is an Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher at the 500 hour level with Yoga Alliance (E-RYT500) since 2002. She is a Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider (YACEP) since January 2019. Yoga of the Heart Registry for cancer and cardiac therapeutic yoga. Certified in Universal Precautions and First Aid, Infant/Child/Adult Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, including Defibrillator and Emergency Cardiac. State Teaching Licensure in Iowa, Indiana, and Arizona. Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education and Maser of Arts in Education and Minor in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages.

A continual learner, she continues to study with her own instructors and embraces inspirational retreats to expand her knowledge. Shamani loves learning and is currently enrolled in college to peruse a Masters in Educational Administration and Principal Endorsement. She is dally enrolled in another Master of Arts program at Maharishi International University in Consciousness and Human Potential. After completion in three years, she plans to obtain a Ph.D. in Maharishi Vedic Science. To stay certified in yoga therapy, she continues her yoga training with Dr. Amy Wheeler and Yoga Alliance.

Over twenty years ago Shamani started ABC Yoga Club as an after school program while she was a full time first grade teacher in the Los Angeles School District, and over the years has evolved.  Shamani has been teaching yoga and creating a deeper connection with nature. As a Hatha Yoga teacher, she has taught yoga to thousands of students in the public schools since 1993 and hundreds more in colleges, gyms, and studios. She has led yoga retreats, taught cancer and cardiac patients, students with eating disorders, people with ADHD, and more, and continues her path today. She completed the Ananda Yoga Teacher Training at The Expanding Light in Northern California. Ananda Yoga offers a gentle and effective approach to movement. Its potential for strengthening and stretching the body and mind and its beautiful and powerful positive affirmations help Shamani to balance and reset positive energy. She hopes to share this experience with others. Shamani specializes in Therapeutic Yoga: A calming, therapeutic type of yoga that introduces postures, alignment, breathing, and relaxing techniques, gradually building flexibility and strength, toning the organ systems, strengthening the immune system, and balancing the nervous system, bringing balance, awareness, and a sense of well being. Sequences to relieve fatigue and stress, promote well being, and bring healing balance into lives. Shamani modifies poses individually as needed.  

She studied under Nischala Joy Devi learning the Yoga of the Heart Cardiac and Cancer Teacher Training in 2003 after her little sister became ill with acute leukemia and her brother had Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. As a licensed elementary teacher, she incorporates fun yoga poses for her students into their studies. Later, she developed individualized sessions for medical patients and those wanting to get relief from discomforts. She is extremely thankful to be able to share these teachings, which have powerfully transformed her life.

She studies under Amy Wheeler for her further yoga therapy training. Her training taught her:

  • The basics of yoga therapy assessment of the mind and body.
  • How to document progress towards goals.
  • How to care for clients who are experiencing childhood trauma, PTSD, addiction, ADHD, Autism Spectrum, BPD, OCD.
  • How to write therapeutic plans for the individual that correspond to the individual assessment.
  • Assess the physical body from a yogic and ayurvedic perspective and then write therapeutic yoga class plans to help clients heal from the inside out.
  • Set short and long-term goals for yoga practice and Ayurveda, and then document the progress over time for best results.
  • Care for clients who are experiencing chronic pain and all types of musculoskeletal issues.
  • Understand the yogic and ayurvedic and western kinesiology perspective on the musculoskeletal health concerns and chronic pain.
  • Learn to assess the client for musculoskeletal health concerns.
  • Learn to write therapeutic plans for the individual that correspond to the individual assessment.
  • Learn how to understand the case studies from a yogic and Ayurvedic theoretical perspective.
  • Learn how to do an appropriate intake for yoga therapy session.
  • Refine individualized assessment skills based on yoga and Ayurveda theory.

She has a passion to serve, focusing on helping others make healthy lifestyle changes, which include nutrition, weight loss, fitness, and pain management through yoga therapy. Shamani’s teaching is infused with enthusiasm to share the knowledge that comes from sustained practice and study. She strives to emphasize and exemplify whole-body transformation through the joy of regular immersion in practice. Shamani leads yoga with the intention to use awareness, intelligence, and dedication to build a sustainable, knowledgable and supportive practice. She uses her multidisciplinary approach to teach a variety of offerings and trains students and teachers in the United States. She offers workshops, master classes, retreats, community development events, virtual yoga classes along with private in person and group classes, and massage and yoga continuing education classes.

In 2000, graduated Nevada School of Massage Therapy at the Las Vegas campus. She is a Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT) since 2000. She is a Board Certified Therapeutic Massage Bodyworker (BCTMB) since 2014. She is a Nationally Board Certified Massage Continuing Education Provider (NCTMB). She is also a Certified Active and Passive Chiropractic Assistant (CA) since 2013.  She opened a chiropractic clinic with her husband in 2008 in southwest Iowa. This setting provided her with yoga students and massage clients who were seeking therapy for relaxation, but mostly pain relief. She teaches yoga and massage workshops designed for therapist comfort and career retention. Join Shamani at an upcoming massage and/or yoga continuing education class in person or virtual. She teaches massage courses approved by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB). The NCBTMB Approved Provider account number is 1000050. Board Certification in Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (BCTMB) is the highest credential within the massage and bodywork profession.  Choosing to become Board Certified demonstrates advanced assessment and critical thinking abilities, as well as provides instant credibility to current and prospective clients and employees.  Shamani is an Approved Continuing Education Provider through NCBTMB, the country’s most-respected source for continuing education approval by state boards, government and regulatory agencies, and massage and yoga therapists. She teaches classes for licensed massage therapists and yoga instructors to earn required continuing education units. Most states accept courses that are NCBTMB approved, and all of the massage courses Shamani teaches are approved. Individual massage therapists and yoga teachers will be given a CE certificate from Shamani that they will need to use to report their own CE earned at the time of their state licensure renewal. An exception, for Florida massage therapists, as required, along with giving a CE certificate, Shamani will turn in the CEUs online to CEbroker. Shamani is also a Florida licensed massage therapist; MA96877. Shamani’s approved continuing education classes may be used for Yoga Alliance, ABMP, AMTA, NCTMB continuing education renewals, and state massage license renewals.

She is a distinguished breeder of American Kennel Club (AKC) 100% Purebred, high quality Registered German Shepherd Puppies that have completed testing for DNA diseases, such as DM (degenerative myelopathy) and has her dogs x-rayed for hips and elbows by the Orthopedic Foundation of America (OFA.) She believes in improving the breed and her puppies only go to approved homes, focusing on developing service dogs for Veterans, Police, and families.

She also breeds and raises show quality purebred, registered miniature Hereford cattle. She raises purebred, registered Nigerian Dwarf goats, turkeys, ducks, and chickens for her family’s food source. Organic alfalfa hay fields and honey bee hives are maintained for honey as well. She rides and drives ponies and horses. She loves hiking in forests and swimming in lakes and oceans. Sewing, cooking, and organic farming are her pastimes. She develops and maintains her website and other marketing materials.

She has enjoyed being a homeschooling mother for her two children. As a family, they began teaching yoga classes, infant massage classes, and workshops alongside her before they could walk or talk! They’ve enjoyed teaching Mommy and Me Yoga classes at the YMCA when they were younger. Now, along with doing yoga together, they bring in their German Shepherd Dogs for service training whilst doing yoga. Things are always evolving for Shamani and she looks forward to the rest of her life helping others!

Her husband’s name is Tonweya, a graduate from Palmer College of Chiropractic and a Licensed Chiropractor, and together, along with their children, they work hard to provide the highest quality German Shepherd Dogs in southwest Iowa.  They are members of the American Kennel Club (AKC) (www.akc.org) and The German Shepherd Dog Club of America (www.gsdca.org). 

They are a family owned and operated business. Quality, honesty and integrity are values their business is founded upon. As a German Shepherd Breeder, they strive to provide the highest quality German Shepherds and Service to their customers. They have raised German Shepherds for years and have seen how the German Shepherd breed has diminished in quality and how difficult it is to find a really good German Shepherd Dog. They believe that if you are going to make the investment of time, effort, and money into man’s best friend, you want to reap the maximum benefits and rewards of what a quality dog can give you. They have the desire to constantly uphold and improve upon the German Shepherd bloodline. Shamani has an education background and has had the privilege of working with some of the best dogs. Through their experience, they have learned how to better protect their home and family. Their desire is to equip you with a loyal intelligent dog that will help protect you and your loved ones. Their dogs truly are man’s best friend (unless you’re the bad guy).  They guarantee that all of their puppies only come from high quality genetics that are bred for superior health, intelligence, and personality. Their goal has always been to constantly improve upon the German Shepherd breed. They only breed beautiful, healthy, AKC registered champion bloodlines with impeccable character. They provide superior customer service and guarantee your satisfaction on a healthy puppy. When you buy from them not only will you be getting a quality, top of the line German Shepherd, but a companion that will become a member of your family. They would love to talk to you about their beautiful German Shepherd Dogs. Feel free to contact them. 

Disclaimer: The yoga therapy components of Shamani’s teaching are based on her status as a Certified International Associate of Yoga Therapy, Certified Chiropractic Assistant in Active and Passive Physiotherapies, Registered Yoga of the Heart Yoga Teacher, Massage School Anatomy Instructor, Licensed Massage Therapist and Ananda Yoga Therapist, not derived from her status as an E-RYT with Yoga Alliance Registry.

“From IAYT’s perspective, yoga therapy is not ‘diagnosing and treating’ health conditions. While it’s not easy to summarize a wide range of healing practices in just a few words, we might say yoga therapists ‘assess and educate’ in order to ‘empower individuals to improve their health and wellbeing through the application of the teachings and practices of yoga’.”

It is important for all of us yoga teachers to clearly understand the distinctions between teaching yoga and practicing yoga therapy. While it’s likely that the grey area between these two overlapping disciplines will remain dominant in the near future, we all have a responsibility to be involved in sharing the teachings and practices of yoga with the world in the most dharmic ways possible. And that requires that we actively participate in upholding the highest principles of yoga in whatever way we choose to share them, and that we serve as superconsciously as possible when controversies develop within the community of yoga teachers and yoga therapists.