Class Description
Below is a brief description of all the classes/workshops that are offered:
Beginners' Yoga
This is an open, ongoing class designed for the beginner level students. However, the class can be enjoyed by students at all levels - total beginners to seasoned practitioners, as each participant is encouraged to practice at his or her own level of flexibility, strength, endurance and balance. The students will be introduced to the basic hatha yoga routine for Integral Yoga. Each class lasts approximately 1.5 hours and consists of opening and closing chants, Asanas (postures), Yoga Nidra (deep relaxation), Pranayama (breathing techniques), and Dhyana (meditation) and/or discussion on the philosophy of yoga. Please visit the schedule page to determine the class(es) most suitable for you.
Private Lessons
In a private lesson, 100% of my undivided attention is focused on YOU. Based on your individual situation, you will set your own goals. Whether your goal is stress management, weight management, taking care of some specific ailment/injury or any other personal objective that you might have, I will work with you to develop a routine suitable to your individual needs and goals. Because you are the focus of these lessons, I start exactly where you are now and let you set the pace - baby steps or strides – whatever feels best to you. During these sessions, I encourage you to listen to your body, because pushing yourself beyond your abilities can be counterproductive and may aggravate existing problems or create new ones. You will gradually develop your potential in strength, endurance and flexibility. Through a program which includes stretching, breathing techniques, relaxation, and guided meditation, designed specifically to suit your needs, you will soon begin to realize the benefits of yoga and feel better than you thought possible.
Yoga for Kids
This is a fun-filled class for kids in the 5 to 10 year age group. Each class consists of asana (postures) which are taught and practiced in a very playful manner, relaxation with visualization, pranayama (breathing) techniques which help calm the child's mind and provide many physiological benefits.
Yoga Immersion
As the name suggests, this class is designed to provide an opportunity for deep immersion into a total yogic experience. The class is intended for intermediate level students as some of the more advanced yoga postures and breathing techniques will be practiced. The practice of the asanas will be guided by basic yogic principles including total awareness at the body, breath and mind levels (the three lower koshas - annamaya, pranamaya, and manomaya kosha), ahimsa (non-injury) toward self, vairagya (dispassion) and Ishwara Pranidhana (surrender to the Lord). Pranayama practices will cleanse the system of impurities, strengthen the nervous system and prepare the students for concentration and meditation. A guided meditation session will allow the students to experience deeper levels of consciousness. Toward the end of the class, we will have a discussion on yoga philosophy based on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and other scriptures like Bhagavad Gita and Upanishads.
Prenatal Yoga
The prenatal yoga class is specially designed for pregnant women who have completed their first trimester of pregnancy. This class consists of gentle stretches, breathing techniques, relaxation and meditation. The gentle yoga stretching stimulates the reproductive organs to ensure a relatively easy childbirth, ensures optimum blood supply and nutrients to the developing fetus, enhances correct posture, establishes balance between sympathetic and parasympathetic system, improves blood circulation, tones the muscles of spine, abdomen and pelvis, which help to support the added weight of the uterus, and prevents common ailments such as back-ache, leg cramps, breathlessness and edema in the feet. Pranayama (Breath Work) ensures the abundant supply of oxygen and prana (life force) for both mother and child. It induces tranquility and a feeling of well being. It tunes up the nervous system, improves emotional stability, helps to eliminate anxiety, relieves insomnia, high blood pressure and breathlessness, while improving breathing capacity, stamina and vitality - promoting an easy delivery with minimum distress and fatigue. Meditation provides the necessary insight, will-power and discrimination for making sound lifestyle choices during and after pregnancy. As a therapeutic tool, meditation helps resolve neuroses, fears and conflicts common during pregnancy.
Yoga Sutra of Patanjali Study Group
The purpose of this study group is to develop an understanding of the underlying philosophy of yoga as expounded by Sage Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (YSP) is one of the six Indian schools of philosophy and a very important milestone in the history of Yoga. The book is a set of 195 aphorisms (sutras), which are short, terse phrases designed to be easy to memorize. Though brief, the Yoga Sutras are an enormously influential work that is just as relevant for yoga philosophy and practice today as it was when it was written. In order to facilitate a better understanding of the sutras, many well-known commentators have provided detailed explanation of the sutras. We will use some of these commentaries for our discussions in this study group.
Corporate Yoga
In the current highly competitive corporate world, employers are faced with the challenge of keeping the employees motivated and satisfied with their work environment. Longer working hours, tight and often unrealistic deadlines, changing targets - all add up to a highly stressful work life. Stress in the workplace has been recognized as being responsible for – loss of productivity, inability to focus on the task at hand, poor judgment, aggressive and escapist behavior, increased medical expenses etc. Yoga-based stress management techniques are increasingly being used by many corporations to help their employees cope with stressful situations, both at home and work. A regular practice of yoga helps relax and rejuvenate both the mind and the body.
I can offer corporate yoga sessions in a few different formats - a regular yoga session, a chair-based yoga session or a Stress Management Workshop. Please see here for a brief description of these options.
Please call 919-926-9717 or send email to get more information or to sign up for any of the classes on the schedule.