Yoga for Strength & Vitality, Saturdays, 10 am, Lake City, SPRING TERM
May 4, 2019 July 13, 2019
SERIES OF CLASSES

NOTE:  This course meets in LAKE CITY at AHA Yoga, 10 am on Saturdays. 

WELCOME!  Yoga for Strength & Vitality is a SUPER inspiring course for  yoga enthusiasts of ALL LEVELS.  We have absolute beginners, and folks who have been up to yoga a while.  We cover classic yoga postures at a gentle pace, and we often add fun variations, moving in and out of classic poses into different shapes.  This allows us to gradually loosen into poses, and it also cultivates more breath awareness so that we initiate movement with the breath, rather than the other way around.  It is this sort of progressive sequencing and breath awareness that calms the nervous system systematically and, in turn, releases the muscles.  Breath-centered practice is simply a LIFE-CHANGER toward enhanced & lasting wellness.  

You'll practice every Saturday in LAKE CITY. Your course includes ten 75-minute sessions, on Saturdays, 10 to 11:15 am:  April 24; May 1, 8, 15, & 22; June 1, [NO SESSION June 8], June 15, 22, & 29; and July 6 & 13. Registration is for the full course.

Everything is cued for you, with many demonstrations, and you are encouraged to go at your own pace.  It is a very friendly, non-intimidating group & environment.  It is one of my most inspiring groups, so keeps everyone motivated to come to class and give it their best!

Most of us come to yoga for increased flexibility.  Great news:  YES!  Yoga fosters flexibility and physical comfort. 

But did you know strength—which is also developed through yoga practice—must be developed hand-in-hand with flexibility?   To this end, isometric holds are often incorporated into these sessions so that we work not only with alignment and the breath, but also use the weight of the body itself to increase strength and awareness.   This class integrates basic  yoga postures (and FUN modifications!) to enhance strength and vitality, bringing new, healthy movement, flexibility (of body and mind!), and breathing patterns into our daily lives.  

As a morning practice, Yoga for Strength & Vitality often includes many standing and energizing sequences--including a focus on abdominal work--to get ensure your day shines in a delightful direction. 

When it is offered in the evening, we combine more holds in standing poses, and then tension-relieving movements on the floor during cool-down so you are better prepared to relax and sleep well once you get home.  

This course often focuses on specific groups of muscles (neck and shoulders; hips; abdominals; legs) and even use slow repetitions of small dynamic movements to target more specific muscles (psoas; adductors; erector spinae; transverse abdominis; or serratus anterior, for example).  If you do not know what those are, no worries!  Everything is cued and demonstrations are used so you feel it in your own body. 

Each week is a little different, as we enjoy basic yoga poses while also learning why we do them. 

And, did you know that relaxation is as important as exertion?  In this class you will learn about the integrated health and transformation that yoga practice provides, and soon you’ll begin feeling that calm and contentment deep in your body and mind, in class and even off the mat.   Each session includes a cool down segment once our bodies are ready for deeper release, and we use the weight and resistance of our own bodies in various supine poses.  This brings a sense of spaciousness and stillness to the body, getting you fully prepared for the final guided systematic relaxation.  THIS is THE most important part of yoga practice, and the culmination of all the standing stretches requiring more physical exertion.  Sequences are designed to release tension in the body progressively, so that the nervous system and then the mind itself are ready to find more ease, support, and stillness, and--with committed, diligent effort--the mind becomes more one-pointed and better able to effectively discern, make wise decisions, and remain serene yet present in all of life's circumstances.

Please BRING A YOGA MAT.  If you use a shared studio mat, please note there is a $2 rental fee and it is your responsibility to sanitize it after each use (cleaning supplies provided). All sorts of yoga props, such as straps, blankets, blocks, hand-weights, & eye-pillows are provided. If you are not sure what those are--no worries!--you soon will; it is all in the service to making our yoga session more comfortable and RELAXING. If you have preferred personal props, feel free to bring tho

The dedicated practitioner investment for this course is $180 with advance booking (OR $160 with Early Bird Special)!  This course registration includes TEN 75-minute yoga classes. This course meets for 10 weeks.  NOTE:  This is a favorite and very integrated, well-rounded practice, so it is offered in THREE different course sessions, so make sure you register for the ONE you want!  Wednesdays in Lake City at 10 am; Wednesdays in White Springs t 6 pm; & Saturdays at 10 am in Lake City.

To get the most benefits of your practice, commitment is for all 10 weeks of the course term; there are no make-up classes, transfers, or substitutions.  

The $18/class rate ($16/class for Early Birds!) is available ONLY for dedicated practitioners pre-registered and paid in full for the entire 10-week course.  If space remains after the beginning of the Term on April 22, 2019, a casual one-time class for YOGA for Strength & Vitality is $23; reservations for casual classes must be booked directly with the teacher and payment is made in person, cash or check only.  Please note all attendance at AHA Yoga offerings require an advance RSVP.  

All Yoga & Meditation offerings offered by Virginia Hill at AHA Yoga provide a support to ignite your own inner capacities for transformation.  To reserve your place at the dedicated student rate, your investment for the full series must be received prior to attendance .  Because AHA Yoga classes are not designed to be fitness classes (though fitness is one ancillary and amazing result), and instead are more traditional yoga classes geared towards mastery of the senses and mind, all offerings are developed intelligently as progressive courses or specialty workshops.  Thus full course registration is recommended as only dedicated practice achieves the best results.  

Purchase of the tuition pass below for "YOGA for Strength & Vitality" confirms your agreement to the following Terms & Conditions as well as the Waiver and Release. 

These policies allow me to continue offering you the best possible yoga teachings I can and ensure our community runs smoothly and this studio remains sustainable as well as sacred time and space to thrive.  Should you prefer to pay in cash or check, or require a payment plan  for the dedicated practitioner rate (available in two installments of $95 each, due April 22 and June 3), let me know and we can arrange something that serves both of us and allows you to partake of this unique series. Connect with me if you have any questions!  I would love to hear from you.  

Looking forward to seeing you on the mat.  I am so blessed and grateful to be able to bring yoga and meditation to our little neck of the woods; it could not happen without you, so thank you for being a part of this yoga community!  

In service,

Virginia Hill, AHA Yoga Teacher

Want to learn more about me and why I am so passionate about sharing this practice?  You can learn more about me, my practice, and other yoga & meditation offerings here: