Ashtanga-Inspired: Ashtanga is a traditional style of yoga from which all modern vinyasa styles have derived. In this Ashtanga-inspired class, students are guided through a set sequence of poses in a consistent rhythm of movement (traditionally without any detailed explanation) linked with breath. The emphasis is on the movement being connected to the breath-and it’s appropriate to modify poses or skip them entirely if you don’t practice them regularly. Class begins with Sun Salutations. We then move through a set sequence of standing postures, and we end with a variety of seated postures, a 10 minute meditation and Savasana. Students of all levels are welcome in an Ashtanga class, although it’s a challenging sequence – be prepared to sweat! The ability to get up and down off the floor repeatedly is required.
Gentle Yoga: Gentle Yoga is for everybody from beginners to athletes. It focuses on breath, alignment and core integrity. Options are available for everybody, with special attention to safety and deep body intelligence. Gentle yoga postures & stretches will decrease your risk of injury, increase blood flow to the muscles, improve postural misalignments, increase strength, and reduce stress.
Vinyasa Flow – Vinyasa Yoga follows the flow of breath through sequences of interweaving asanas (postures) that change from class to class. Vinyasa Yoga (also called “Flow”) is a popular, evolving form of traditional hatha yoga that focuses on integrating intention, breath and movement, awareness and alignment, strength and flexibility, your practice with your daily life. Vinyasa as a form is always evolving and teachers weave together wisdom teachings, poetry and music that can inspire physical, energetic, mental, intuitive, and pure bliss states of consciousness.
Yang Yoga: Yin’s counterpart. Everything in balance. If you love the long held, static stretches of yin – that’s great! But you also need a class that focuses on stretching AND strengthening. This class will warm you up and work you out! You will flow through a mix of strengthening moves to to build strength, endurance, and core stability. Yang is just another name for a flow class. Anything that moves is Yang. Look for the intensity levels on the schedule to determine the class difficulty.
Yin & Flow: A mixed level class, this class will combine breath-work, static stretches and flowing yoga poses. The class will combine Yin yoga (see below) and Vinyasa Yoga (see above) for the best of both worlds. The class will help restore movement and ease to the body’s deepest tissues.
Yin Yoga uses gravity and long-held poses (3-7 minutes) to place the appropriate amount of stress on our fascia, the web of tissue that holds everything together. When we sit for long periods of time, the connective tissue of the legs, pelvis, and spine become chronically contracted, tight and stuck, causing low back pain, reduced mobility, poor digestion, restless legs, sciatica, and many other energy blocks and health issues. Yin Yoga works to lubricate the connective tissue, dissolve the grunties (what the yogis called the knots in our muscles and facial web), and restore a healthful range of motion to the joints and energy flow throughout the body. Although most of our practice is floor work, this is not a restorative practice. We will not heat up our bodies as we do in an energetic Vinyasa practice. Yin yoga is simple, but it is not easy. It is a challenging practice that is a good balance for our predominantly Yang (busy) life-styles. In addition to the tremendous physical benefits, Yin Yoga is also a meditative practice, allowing us to slow down and quiet the mind.
Yoga Nidra: Nidra translates in English as sleep. But yogic sleep is different from a normal night’s sleep. It is a state of consciousness between wakefulness and sleep. It is said that an hour of Nidra is the equivalent of at least 3 hours of deep REM sleep. Plus there’s been research showing how the practice of yoga nidra can help with many physical and emotional struggles. A weekly practice can have many positive benefits in your life.
