The first set of yoga classes are less than 2 weeks away. I’m
getting super excited! I’ve had a ton of questions about these classes from
clients. I wanted to share some more information to help you decide if you
think that what we’ll be doing is for you. Please don’t let fear of the unknown
keep you away. These are going to be wonderful interactive classes to assist
you in self-care.
Why yoga?
Has a doctor told you recently to try some yoga to help with the
physical aches and pains of life? Have you been reading the latest studies on
the benefits of yoga in your health and wellbeing and have felt that maybe it's
something worth trying?
But have you hesitated because you thought that you're not
flexible enough to do yoga from what you've seen in magazines, the movies, or
YouTube videos? Or that you can't put your foot behind your head so you’re not
qualified? Or have you thought that maybe yoga interferes with your religious
beliefs? Or maybe you think that only young and skinny people do yoga? Or maybe
that you don't want to ever be seen in public in yoga pants?
Everything in that last paragraph comes from a place of fear in
us. It's where society has drawn a box around something, and we're too fearful
to test the boundaries for ourselves. Yoga can help with that - erasing the
box!
Yoga is nothing more than mindful contemplation and movement.
It's a tool to aid you in removing judgment of self and in others. It helps
nurture the mind, body, and spirit. There is no age limit on that, nor is there
a body type requirement! When I was about 5, I could put my foot behind my
head. Multiply time by 10, and now I barely get it a foot in front of my face!
So, no, you don’t have to be able to put your foot behind your head. Yoga is
not a religion, but if you want to pair your intention with your religious
beliefs, you're more than welcome to do that. You will not be required to say a
prayer to a Buddhist god or do a pose with a Hindu god in mind or bow in
respect to some religious concept. I actually have one client that says “Amen”
at the end of her practice when I say “Namaste”. That’s perfectly acceptable
and appropriate for both of us. And yoga pants? Well, you don’t have to wear
them! Simply wear clothing that you can move in comfortably with no
restrictions in your range of motion. And besides, when you bring your true
intentions to class of self-healing, you’ll forget all about what clothes you
have on in addition to what anyone else is wearing!
Foundations Class
As a massage therapist for the past 13 years, I've been giving
yoga homework to my clients on a regular basis. The benefits I bring to
teaching yoga is the great understanding I have of the muscles and joints of
the body through massage and how the chaos of life impacts us. I plan to
incorporate both my massage experience and yoga training into my classes to
make them more interactive in combatting the body aches and pains.
Our foundations yoga classes will guide you on the origins of
yoga, the basics of breathing, meditation, and movements of yoga, and most
importantly how yoga can help you. These classes will focus on my
interpretation of what yoga means to me. And my hope is that when you finish
the final class in the series, you'll have your own unique definition of what yoga
is to you. My intention in teaching this series is for you to be able to lead
your own practice at home, walk into a yoga class anywhere taught by anyone and
leave staying true to your own definition of yoga, and/or be able to watch a
video of yoga and follow it with your own yoga heart in mind.
Yoga
Class
Our regular yoga classes will be a continuation of the journey
of exploring your definition of yoga. It is ever evolving, just like you as an
individual. In September, we'll be doing a Yang series - classes that will
focus on areas on the back side of the body. We'll explore the head and neck
area, shoulder and mid back area, lower back area, and finally the hip and leg
area of the body. Our back side is probably the most used, but the least cared
for part of our body. We simply can't reach it in most cases. These classes
will teach you self-care techniques using props, stretches, and postures to
help you gain access to places you once thought you couldn't reach.
How to get started
I hope you will consider joining us in this yoga journey. If you
want to hold your spot in one of our foundations classes, please send a check
to MAMAW 127 Rawley Avenue MA NC 27030 for $60. For the yoga classes, if you
plan to attend, please just let us know. You can pay the first night for the
whole month of September ($60 - $15 per class) if you'd like or you can come to
whichever class suits you for $20 per class.
Where is this journey all going
My plan is to run a regular foundations class series each month.
I hope to offer a couple different day and time slots to meet client schedules.
The yoga classes will expand and morph in shape based on client demand. Yoga
comes in many shapes and sizes. I hope to offer a Yin series in October to
focus on the front side of the body. In addition, I plan to offer classes for
the parent and baby, parent and toddler, and prenatal yoga needs. There are a
dozen types of classes I can offer based on client demand. Finally, there is
always the option of private individual sessions. Some people just aren’t
comfortable in a class setting. If that’s you, let me know ASAP! I will
definitely be catering to everyone’s needs just like I did with massage. There
is also the possibility of having different yoga instructors teach at MAMAW.
Just like my belief that getting massage from different therapists is a must
for a body, I also believe learning the unique definition another teacher holds
has great value. Our perspectives are formed by our exposures. And I know I
don’t hold any special position in my yoga practice that another instructor can't provide. Variety is key in guiding you to your best self!
