3 HOUR FRIDAY WORKSHOPS: (5:30 - 8:30 pm, $35 + tax, Please call 304.296.1744 for information)

March 5, 2010 Why Practice Lotus Pose?

Lotus pose (Padmasana) comes easily to some and with much difficulty to others.  It   is possibly the one pose that has come to symbolize yoga and meditation.  It is the recommended pose for sitting meditation, and Pranayama (the practice of regulating the breath), and there are many other poses we can practice that incorporate either the full lotus pose or half-lotus pose (with only one leg in lotus position).  Why should we practice lotus pose?  It is, among other things, a pose that binds the legs together in such a way that the hips require and are given a deep mobility, the lower abdominal organs get ‘aligned’ and the spine is given the capacity to lengthen evenly.  Along with its variations, lotus pose restores hip and spine mobility and invigorates the internal organs.   This workshop is for students who are not yet able to practice lotus pose, those who are able to practice lotus pose with difficulty, as well as those who practice lotus pose easily

April 23, 2010 Opening the Heart with Yoga

There are so many benefits to yoga, but the one benefit that enhances all the others is the opening of the heart.  For the physical heart nourishes all the organs and tissues in the body, including itself.  And the spiritual heart organizes and clears the mind, and expands its horizons.  The physical heart and spiritual heart are both touched by the practice of yoga.  In this workshop we will practice poses such as backbends that are commonly associated with giving freedom to the heart, but we will also highlight poses, equally beneficial, that are not as well known to benefit our hearts.   

May 21, 2010 Letting Go of Tension: Bend Forward

Do you ever experience physical tension, or mental tension, and wish you could just let go of it, knowing that if you don’t it will hang around and color your whole day?  Tension saps our energy, makes us irritable, restricts our movements, and predisposes us to insomnia, changes in appetite, memory lapses, and less than optimal judgment (among other things).   So, how does bending forward help us let go of tension?  Why not stand on our head, or bend backwards?  We will look at some of the ways we can use asanas (postures) to address physical and mental tensions, and specifically why forward bends are so effective.  All levels of experience are welcome.
 
2 HOUR SATURDAY WORKSHOPS: (3 - 5 pm, $20 + tax, Please call 304.296.1744 for information)

February 20, 2010, Yoga for Weight Loss and Detoxification (Kimberly)

Weight gain with its associated fatigue and loss of self-esteem is a complex issue that requires an integrated holistic approach involving both the mind and the body. Yoga asanas and pranayama have been used for centuries to cleanse the body & uplift the mind and renew the spirit. A recent scientific study showed that middle aged adults who practice yoga maintained their weight or lost weight over time compared to adults who didn’t practice yoga and tended to gain weight.  This workshop will utilize simple yoga asanas, pranayama and contemplative practices to help participants reconnect with their bodies and discover how pleasurable, relaxing and energizing it can be to move and breath. They will experience how the asanas can enhance efforts to lose weight and overcome maladaptive coping strategies (i.e. stress eating) that sabotage one’s effort to adopt a healthy lifestyle. Different ways to practice with be introduced (vinyasa…. restorative) and  different categories of asanas  with be taught to increase metabolism, remove toxins, and alleviate stress.

March 20, 2010, 3 - 5 pm, Spring Tonic Workshop (Margaret)

SPRING! ; A time for new beginnings, renewal, rejuvenation and growth.  It’s time to shake off the heaviness of winter, the heavy clothes and boots, the heavy food, cold-induced inactivity, and prepare for the returning lightness of spring.  The Spring Tonic workshop will present a yoga sequence designed to help cleanse the body of toxins, revitalize digestion, and ground and stabilize the body’s systems during this period of erratic weather.  With the yoga postures, not only is mobility improved on the musculoskeletal level but there is also toning of the organic body. The practice can help to restore efficiency to the physiological systems, especially digestive and immune function. 

Welcome spring back and join us at the Spring Tonic Workshop.  

SPECIAL TOPICS WORKSHOPS: Please call 304.296.1744 for information

April 10, 2010, 2 - 5 pm, An introduction to self-help bodywork tools Craig Wilger, Licensed Massage Therapist & Workshop Leader. Here is information about the workshop. 

You will learn to use your hands and a variety of inexpensive tools to release muscle tightness and adhesions and restore your body to a full range of motion. Once released, muscles can be stretched safely and effectively. Athletes, dancers, martial artists, yoga practitioners, body workers, office workers, anyone with muscle pain or dysfunction or repetitive motion stress will benefit. Workshop limited to 16 participants, all tools are provided and are available for purchase. Specific workshops on the back & neck, arms and legs to follow .

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