Yoga for Strength & Vitality, Wednesdays, FALL TERM 2019 SERIES OF CLASSES
November 6, 2019 December 18, 2019

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 Wednesday in LAKE CITY. Your course includes SIX 75-minute sessions, on Wednesdays, 10 to 11:15 am:  November 6, 13, & 20 [NO session Nov. 27]; and December 4, 11, & 18. 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. 

This course 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. 

One of the FUN and important parts of Yoga for Strength & Vitality is about balance: Sometimes this will be in one-legged standing poses (with lots of variations for YOUR comfort!), but other times you'll explore how to maintain longer holds for more muscle tone, as well as cultivating patience, self awareness, and disciplining the mental exertion--and even fostering more patience and inward peaceful flow.  Other times, you will experience balance through pacing yourself in gentle yoga flows, learning how to balance between movement and stillness.  You'll get to practice traditional flows, such as Sun Salutes, while also surprising yourself and challenging your concentration with fun change-ups, transitions, posture variations, and new, unexpected flows.

Each week is a little different, as we enjoy basic yoga poses while also learning why we do them.  You'll play with props and use them for more release, length, support, as well as ease (and sometimes even for challenge!).

You'll move toward the floor as we head into seated or supine tension-relieving movements on the floor during cool-down. You'll be totally prepared for final relaxation, and learn to carry that sense of calm with you as you return to your day ahead.  

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.   

 

Once your body is ready for this deeper release, as you start to settle in, lie back for final relaxation, you will then consciously use the weight and resistance of your own body 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 made available through advance booking ($108...OR $96 with Early Bird Special, OR $90 with VIP Priority Booking!).  This course registration includes SIX 75-minute yoga classes. This course meets for 6 weeks.  NOTE:  This is a very integrated, well-rounded practice, so it often one of students' favorite!  

To cultivate the most benefits of your practice, commitment is for all 6 weeks of the course term; with dedicated practice, your strength will build and, more importantly, so will your overall awareness, as well as your ability to more efficiently regulate the nervous system, therefore better modulating mood as well as the power to watch the habits and build capacities of the mind.  

All Yoga & Meditation offerings offered at AHA Yoga provide a support to ignite your own inner capacities for transformation.  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 most rewarding, lasting 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 $59 each, due November 4 and December 2) , 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 find out more about me, my practice, the studio and other yoga & meditation offerings here.  

Want the full Fall 2019 Schedule? You can explore many delightful options--including TWO courses with the fabulous Jenna Lambert--here.

Have more questions? Reach out!  We'd love to support you in feeling your best through yoga, and have you as part of our shining yoga community.