Yoga

Workshop Descriptions 

Below are descriptions about the several types of yoga classes we offer (times and availability vary)

Ashtanga Yoga
In the West, Ashtanga has long been regarded as a favorite style of yoga. Ashtanga focuses on a challenging physical routine that consists of a series of poses connected by the breath into a continuous sequence. Because of the high physical strength, flexibility, and endurance required for the practice, many people view it as a demanding and difficult workout. Including an Ashtanga yoga class in your daily exercise routine is a good way to maintain your mind and body’s health and strength, regardless of whether you’re familiar with yoga or searching for something new as your fitness goals change. There are several advantages to Ashtanga yoga: it’s good for athletes and people who want to physically challenge themselves because it’s considered to be demanding. Similar to other hatha yoga styles, Ashtanga yoga focuses on breath, poses, and meditation so your breathing, balance, and flexibility can all be enhanced by a regular yoga practice. It can help you become more resilient, build stronger bones and muscles, regulate your weight, lower your blood pressure, and reduce stress. Ashtanga provides people with a very structured method of asana practice: you’ll always be able to tell when you’re making progress and can adjust your workout as necessary. With frequent practice, it can help you become more flexible, strong, and mentally focused.

Hatha Yoga is the primary type of yoga we practice, although we’ll often include some Ashtanga, Yin, and Vinyasa. Hatha is a form of ‘gentle yoga’ for beginner and intermediate level students. It combines postures (asanas) with conscious breathing (Pranayama) while developing flexibility, balance, endurance, strength and mental clarity.

Restorative Yoga

Vinyasa Yoga

Yin Yoga
Yin yoga focuses on the deep connective tissues such as ligaments and joints. Each pose is held longer, giving you more time to focus inward and become aware of your thoughts and your body’s physical sensations. Yin yoga helps you stretch and lengthen infrequently utilized areas because you hold poses for longer than you would in other traditional forms of yoga. It also teaches you how to breathe through discomfort be present with any thoughts that come up. The Taoist and ancient Chinese philosophical foundations of yin yoga hold that our bodies include routes for the flow of Qi (energy). In doing yin yoga, we remove obstructions and allow this energy to flow freely. Research shows that yin yoga significantly lowers stress levels; your body becomes more relaxed, and your heart rate slows down. Yin yoga is different from more active forms of yoga such as Vinyasa, but it doesn’t make it any less of a workout; give it a try the next time you’re stuck in a fitness rut, and discover for yourself the benefits to your physical and mental health.

Yoga Nidra: Yoga nidra is a form of meditation done while lying down. The teacher guides the class through certain stages, leading to a delta brainwave state of “conscious awareness” sleep. The goals are to calm the sympathetic nervous system (the fight-or-flight response) and achieve a deep state of relaxation.