Classes

All classes are taught with an emphasis on safety and alignment in each pose. I was trained in the Iyengar yoga tradition by a RYT500 Iyengar certified insrtuctor. In all classes we work to stretch and strengthen the body inside and out, and create stamina for each individual at their ability level. A yoga practice always emphasizes breath with movement, teaching the student how to best integrate his or her breath in their body to gain the highest degree of overall benefit.

Gentle Hatha emcompases a variety of sitting, standing, balancing and floor (lying down) poses (asanas). Hatha is a branch of yoga which uses physical techniques to preserve and channel the vital force or energy. The Sanskrit word hatha literally means "force," thus alluding to a system of physical techniques. All levels

Yin Yoga is a practice that focuses on opening the connective tissues of the body. The main difference is that yin yoga is very passive with poses being held for longer periods of time.

Another important difference is that in yin yoga your muscles need to be relaxed as opposed to engaged. This is so you can work into the deeper layers of the body and move closer to the bone, an area often missed in a yang yoga practice.

With a yang practice there is much emphasis on building heat and strength in the body whereas this is not the case in yin. Yin is practiced cold with no warm up and with more of a focus on flexibility and lubrication.

Both yin and yang styles should be practiced to invite balance into your yoga regime. All levels

Hatha Hybrid is a class comprised of the basic gentle hatha poses, but includes some full sun salutations as well as some more advanced poses not normally practiced in the all levels hatha class. This class requires a greater degree of yoga experience.

Restorative/yoga nidra. This is a two part class. We start with a restorative yoga sequence, typically involving only five to seven poses, supported by props that allow you to completely relax and rest. Held for 5 minutes or more, restorative poses include light twists, seated forward folds, and gentle backbends. Most restorative practices are based on the teachings of B.K.S. Iyengar. All levels

Restorative yoga benefits

·         Enhances flexibility.

·         Deeply relaxes the body.

·         Stills the mind.

·         Improves capacity for healing and balancing.

·         Balances the nervous system.

·         Boosts the immune system.

·         Develops qualities of compassion and understanding toward others and self.

·         Enhances mood states.

Yoga Nidra: The second part of this class is Yoga Nidra which means, “sleep with awareness.”   It is an effective way of achieving relaxation physically, mentally, and emotionally. In fact, a single hour of Yoga Nidra is equivalent to many hours of quality sleep and is much more restorative and rejuvenating.

Modern medical science accepts that a calm mind can act as a healing force for many conditions. These conditions include heart disease, high blood pressure, asthma, diabetes, digestive problems of all kinds, arthritis, acute cough and cold ailments, as well as other chronic degenerative conditions.

Aerial Yoga Fitness: What is aerial yoga?

First of all, the aerial hammock can hold a baby elephant, so any human can feel safely held if the rigging is done properly. Part of my training was a full day of rigging instruction from a rigging specialist that worked for Cirque di Soleil.

Aerial yoga combines traditional asana (the physical postures of yoga) and yoga philosophies with the aerial arts. Silk fabrics and/or ropes are hung from above to aid practitioners in forming shapes.

You can be fully supported by the hammock — even lying down entirely, like in a hammock — or wrap the silks around particular body parts, keeping other parts on the floor.

Hanging fully or suspending individual body parts is believed to create traction and open your body more gently and intuitively than when you’re on the floor.

While many aerial yoga classes have an acrobatic element, a growing number of classes and teachers are also using the aerial silks/hammocks much more therapeutically. That’s not to say that we don’t have a lot of fun hanging out in the hammock!

The versatility and support of the fabric allow people to access new movements. It can also reduce the load on wrists and knees, which can sometimes limit mobility in a floor-based practice. Inversions in a hammock don’t create compression in the cervical spine (neck), so anyone can feel safe getting the benefits of inversions. The hammock can also be helpful for balance, using the hammock to find your center.

For people with knee issues, getting to the floor can be challenging. But the aerial fabric essentially brings the floor up to them.

Come hang out with me!

NEW CLASS! Munay Dance.

A little about the name Munay:

One of the most recognized words in the Quechua language of the Aztecs is the word Munay. But what is the meaning and significance of the word? Munay in the Quechua language of the Incas of Peru it is an action word or a verb that means to LOVE. It is also a noun or description of a state of love and being which is unconditional, eternal, and is a love without thinking or reasoning. The word munay, however, implies even more than the Western understanding of what we think of as love, even in its unconditional sense.

For the Q’ero Inca paqos, munay is one of the three pillars that supports one’s path in becoming a Medicine Person, or more specifically, a pampamesayoq (keeper of the earth). It is not only a kind of love, but the meaning is intertwined with willpower and is an exercise in working with infinite levels of divine willpower in that sense.

This class, taught by Thomas Radke and Karen, is designed with loving intention for all participants. We move through the energy systems, known as “Chakras” or “Energy Eyes” to music chosen to bring our awareness to specific energies in our bodies. Loosly coreographed by Thomas and Karen, we are invited to awaken each energy center in our being through corresponding music and body movements. Dance, glide, skip and gyrate to personally compiled sound tracks by Thomas and Karen every first Friday of the month at The Elks Performing Arts Center, 2nd floor Room 1. $15.00 fee at the door.

Guided Meditations of The Ancients: Currently on Hold I facilitate guided meditatons, using the energy systems of the body, planet and cosmos to connect each person to the sweet nectar of the earth and the finest nectar of the cosmos. We align the energy systems of the body, commonly known in East Indian traditions as the chakras or Nadi’s, and to the Quechua as Sami. We connect with archetypal forces of nature, calling on our ancestors and lineage, use drumming and always our intention.

We can all experience the World as Living Energy. Learn how to ignite your own living energy field and find balance in your world. Acknowledge that we are all made of matter and energy and open yourself up to discover what we're capable of.

"We ourselves are not merely made of bones, blood, and muscle, but of energy". Elizabeth B. Jenkins. Modern science has proven this with machines such as the EKG, EEG, Squid and MRI.

The meditations will take you to places, feelings, sensations and connections you may not have ever experienced before.