Spring is officially here (according to the calendar, at least) and transitioning gracefully from one season to the next can be a bit of a challenge — especially from winter to spring when most of us are still feeling sluggish or “stuck” from being cooped up indoors. As the seasons change our bodies change, so it’s important that we don’t become stagnant — we need to create balance and healthy circulation in order to move with the seasons. Think of the changing of seasons as time for renewal, a time to wipe the slate, undo some habits and start anew. This constant shedding as the seasons change help us to let go so we continue to grow and transform.
Ready for an internal renewal? This week’s featured classes will restore and balance your body, mind and spirit so you can renew your commitment to your wellness, to your heart and to yourself.
- Catalyst for Renewal with Claire Missingham: In Ayurveda, routine, ritual and process are important for creating health and balance. For instance, creating an evening routine to establish good sleep patterns or waking early for pranayama and meditation practice at dawn. Similarly, sometimes we need to allow ourselves to undo habits as well, perhaps we may get stuck or not challenge ourselves enough, especially when it’s cold outside. By acknowledging how we need to create change, the yoga practice can be the catalyst for renewal. Inspired by the urge to change things up, so we don’t become stuck in our practice or in our lives. This freeing and enlivening class of detailed alignment, specific hand positions in poses (mudra), breathing techniques (pranayama) and kriyas for an inspired multi-dimensional Vinyasa Flow. This yoga practice uses intelligent, creative and disciplined sequences, that unravel repetitive patterns and leave you feeling free and refreshed. We do variations of arm positions and transitions between poses and become more aware of using alternative clasps of the hands and fingers. This will free up the 14 main joints in the body, and open the spine in all 3 planes of movement (saggital, coronal and transverse).
- Renew, Restore, Rebuild with Twists with Tara Judelle: Using slow steady twisting poses ranging from Standing to Seated, this class mindfully uses the two halves of the body to unwind the center and rebalance the nervous system.
- Revitalize & Restore with Tiffany Cruikshank: A yummy restorative class, a refresher for the legs, chest & spine and a nice way to transition into sleep. This class is great at the end of the day if you stand on your feet or sit at a desk to revitalize the tissues and can be done when you get home or just before bed. If you’re using it for sleep try crawling into bed right after this class. Props: Thick mat or towel, wall space.
- Yoga Nidra for Healing & Inspiration with Rod Stryker: Deep rest is key to healing and rejuvenation as well as improved focus. Enjoy this twenty minute Yoga Nidra session, the ancient yogic science of relaxation, and experience how twenty minutes of guided, systematic, relaxation practice can replenish and renew you. Use it to start your day, rest in the middle of it, or just before falling asleep and unlock your innate capacity for healing, inspiration, and peace. Props Suggested: Blanket to lay on or cover up with. Blanket or pillow for head, Bolster under the knees.
- Revive, Refresh, Renew with Elena Brower: This class will highlight your power center, your solar plexus. Poses will be sequenced in order to focus you fully in your 3rd chakra, open it up, and bring it back to life so you can renew your commitment to your wellness, to your heart, to yourself.
- Retreat with Marc Holzman: A very special class that honors the holistic nature of Yoga and is perfect to refresh, revive and go deep into the body/mind/heart. 30 minutes of slo-flo asana to move energy and open hips. Five minutes of japa (mantra repetition) to manifest our desires, three minutes pranayama to move to deeper into the subtle, seven minutes meditation to steep in the delicious heart space and five minutes savasana to restore. Props Recommended: A blanket, two blocks, a chair, or whatever you need to sit comfortably for 20 minutes.
