About Us
“I dream that children all over the world were able to fall asleep easily and be happy and healthy listening to my musical yoga tales” …. eight year old Liya said to her yoga and music teacher, Ira Shirel, who promised to make her last dream come true.
Ira Shirel with help of her daughter Sheli Shirel and Leza Gordon created non-profit charity “Yoga Tales” which seeks to expand teachings of Laya yoga as a permanent alternative therapy for children in hospitals. There is a lack of knowledge, research, and understanding of the meditative concentration of chakras as a therapy. We wish to give this knowledge of Laya yoga to children who are willing to learn about it and regulate their rich inner world to feel well.
LIYA ISAKOV 28/07/2008 – 11/08/2016
author of Yoga Tales
Liya Isakov, from Mevaseret Zion (Israel), was a very special little girl who composed beautiful, original musical yoga stories for children with her teacher and close friend of her family, Ira Shirel. She loved music, nature, and was concerned with all the details of how the world works. She was curious, she wondered about everything, and was always smiling. More than anything Liya loved to sing, dance and was known for her smile. She was interested in everything that had to do with nature and people. She began to love yoga, music and meditation at the age of 5 because the more time she spent in these activities, the happier she felt (as told by her). She felt all the elements of the world inside of her, like the moon, sun, stars, and loved to dream about them and balance them within herself.
For two years, she practiced meditation with Ira and her two daughters, and on the basis of this knowledge within two months created Liya’s Yoga Tales together with her teacher Ira Shirel. These stories helped her sleep well and feel balanced. Even when she was going through challenging moments with her health, she radiated inner joy and love to everyone around her.
Liya passed away in August 2016, when she was just 8 years old, after four years in which she dealt in a highly admirable and inspiring manner with leukemia. Up until the very last moment of her life, Liya was filled with creative ideas and positive thoughts. Liya wanted her yoga stories to be translated into other languages to help children all over the world sleep better, feel peaceful and well. This was her dream.
IRA SHIREL
co-author, creator and sound of Yoga Tales
A yoga teacher, music therapist, and musician with over 25 years of experience working with children. Ira has a bachelor’s degree in music from Tel Aviv University and is a certified children’s yoga instructor from Reidman College.
“I had the privilege of being the closest student of Noa Blass, a well known music healer and educator and writer, and have worked with her system of music and yoga therapy for many years and continue to use it in my own work in my music studio in Bat Yam, Israel. I taught Liya Laya yoga and meditation over the course of two years and together we created these 44 therapeutic stories based on yoga and music together. She dreamed that meditation would be accessible to all children going through challenges and I created this project to make her dream come true. I am the loving mother of 3 children, two of which were Liya’s best friends (Maayan and Sheli). I love the ocean and swimming it in. I also believe in fairies, magic and that life is wonderful! “
SHELI SHIREL
illustrator of Yoga Tales
Daughter of Ira Shirel and Liya’s best friend. Sheli and Liya learned about yoga and meditation together for two years and Liya asked her to draw the pictures for her book, When she was 9 years old, Sheli drew and painted the illustrations for each chapter of the “Antelope in her imaginary world” book and Laya yoga book with a charming mandala and all the symbols of Laya yoga. She is creative, musical, and has a special talent for connecting to every animal and child. Sheli plays the hang drum, helps her mom work with special needs children, and loves doing yoga.
Follow her on instagram @sheli_yoga_music
On her Youtube channel
LEZA LIAT GORDON
translator and voice of english-language version of yoga tales
Leza came from Boston to Israel to translate and record the English-language version of yoga tales.
“It’s a great privilege to participate in this project. I’ve learned many valuable lessons about Laya yoga and life from Liya’s stories. I want to make her dream come true…”
