At its root, Yoga ("to join" or "unite" in Sanskrit) is about living with greater ease and comfort, with a more centered, peaceful and balanced mind. In this class, postures are taught, such as Downward Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana), Forward Bend (Uttanasana), Child Pose (Balasana), etc. as well as creative and exploratory, natural movement to allow for release and balance in the body. I use "Hatha yoga" here to refer to the physical practices of postures and breath, (in Sanskrit, Ha - sun, Tha - moon), creating balance.
The focus of each Yoga class is on creating and maintaining physical stability, mobility and balance as well as providing a short restful retreat from daily stress. My intention is to help students build awareness of their own needs and ways to adapt postures and movements for their own benefit over time. The foundational teachings and practice are intended to be practical and functional for life. The pace of the class is intended to slow you down to allow for increased sensory awareness, safety and for the integration of new learning. Breath awareness throughout the practice is encouraged and breath techniques will be shared.
The mind-yoga component is intended to help improve mental focus and concentration, calm and quiet the nervous system and help settle the mind into a calm and peaceful state. The hope is that over time you “memorize” or integrate this way of being into your mind-body so that you can feel more aware, more centered, and more appreciative of what’s in front of you in the midst of daily life.
Just as the body heals best under certain conditions, so does the mind. Providing opportunities and guidance for strategies to settle and quiet the mind allows for the possibility of greater mental clarity during other activities, improvement in communication as we become less reactive and more aware. The practice when done regularly may offer general stress relief and increase the enjoyment of life.
Classes will start with some gentle movement, with less specific instruction on postures as compared to my Hatha Yoga and Guided Relaxation classes. This will allow most people to access this class without prior yoga experience and may accommodate people who are not comfortable with the movement aspect of yoga.
The guided relaxation and meditation will be primarily lying down so everyone is comfortable. People will be welcome to move at any time keeping in mind the general intention of being quiet for all.
Moving before meditating is very helpful to help the body more fully relax. As an example, we will do some easy flow movements, gentle leg and hip stretches, legs up the wall, breath awareness, and there would be time for those who are comfortable in a yoga practice to do a few postures on their own in preparation before we lie down. Practices such as gradual body-mind relaxation and awareness, similar to Yoga Nidra and Metta (loving kindness meditation) will be offered.
The primary focus will be on guiding you through a deep relaxation, offering you the strategies I use myself, with some variety class to class. In some classes I may lead you into reflective questions for personal insight near the end with encouragement to bring a journal to record your reflections (this remains your private reflection and isn’t shared in discussion).
The primary goals of the class are to help people relax the nervous system, develop stress management strategies, meditation techniques, and share in a group meditation. This class would allow for a longer time in a meditation practice than I usually offer in a mixed Hatha Yoga and Relaxation class. There is ideally a step by step strategy to this learning process, so it will be best received as a whole session when offered, but could be accessed as individual classes.
Sessions are generally 5 weeks long with a 2 week break between each offering. Upcoming sessions start September 24th, with the following sessions beginning November 12th, 2024.
Standard Pricing
Standard sessions are 5 weeks long at $20 per class. Registration is for a full session.
Loyalty Discount
Receive a 20% discount on your third consecutive full session.
Try a Class
New students can try one class without commitment before paying for the full session.
Refer a Friend
Receive a 20% discount on your next session with the full registration of a new personal referral.
Drop in classes
$25.00 per class for existing clients when space is available. Please contact me for details.
Missed classes
If you miss a class, you can make it up during the alternate time slot within the same session. Does not apply to stand-alone classes (eg. a single meditation class).
