Preparation

Sit in dandasana with hands placed behind the body about 8 inches, fingertips pointing towards the hips. Bend the elbows about 40 degrees and roll the collarbones open. Press down and in the direction of the hips with the hands. Begin to rotate the thighs inwardly and draw the pubic bone upwards. Keep the chin towards the chest or if it's comfortable and easeful in the neck, extend the head backwards.

Chatus Pada Pitham

CHA-toos pada PEE-tham
Four-Footed Tabletop Pose
chatur= four
pada= foot
pitham= a stool, seat, chair, bench
From your preparation, keep the elbows slightly bent and bend the knees towards the body to bring the feet flat to the floor. Exhale completely. As you inhale press down into the hands and feet and stretch the torso up and lengthwise. Breath into an expanding chest and if it's comfortable for the neck, release the head back.

Focus on pushing effectively through the hands and feet, resist 'hanging' or 'propping' in the joints of your shoulders and elbows. Maintain focused concentration on the inward rotation of the legs and work to create a feeling of an engaged, lengthened and 'deep' area at the front of the pelvis between the two hip points. As the anterior pelvis engages muscularly, try to resist any gripping or clenching through the small of the back and glutes area.

Purvottanasana

POOR-vo-tan-AHS-ahna
Upward Plank Pose
purva= front, east
ut= intense
tan= extend, stretch
From your preparation, bend the elbows deeper as you exhale completely and bring the chin towards the chest, use the push of your hands to slide back, slightly lengthening the coccyx as you do. Before you inhale press straight down into the hands and reach the toes into a pointed position, extending the knees as you inhale and press the entire sole of your foot to the floor.

In this pose work to bring the inner foot and big toes to the floor, resist rolling to outer feet or only pressing into the heel. Maintain a steady downward push through the full width of the hands to keep from collapsing the shoulders. Continue to engage the midline of the legs towards the front of the pelvis. Focus the breath into the upper rib cage and sternum to bring a greater sense of lifting from the back of the thorax towards the expansion of the chest.

Weakness in the hamstrings makes it challenging to maintain a neutral extension in the hip joints. Be mindful that you don't overuse the quadriceps in order to push the foot to the floor, which will create hip flexion and obstruct the desired opening at the front of the pelvis. Overuse of gluteus maximus (clenching) can cause over-extension and external rotation which can result in more restriction around the hip joint and hardening through the low back. If Purvottanasana cannot be held without strain, continue to practice Chatus Pada Pitham to build strength and flexibility.

Contra-indications:
Wrist injury
Cervical Spine (neck) injury- maintain upright position with the head

Revealing Your Voice: Clearing and Opening the Throat Center with Aaron Ogden and Riley Holland

October 8th 5:30-7:00 p.m.: An Evening Discussion

October 9th 2:00-5:00 p.m.: Workshop

Northeast

Each of us possesses a unique voice and the potential to express ourselves powerfully, authentically and effortlessly. So why do we so often second-guess and silence ourselves? In this three-hour workshop, you will learn a mix of ancient and modern yogic techniques, including Vinyasa flow and mantra, to free your voice from tension and inner conflict, and use sound to deepen your breath and refine the energetic flow within your body. The evening prior, Aaron and Riley will host an energetic opening with dialogue and guided meditation to explore the concepts and ideas embodied in the workshop. Previous yoga experience is helpful, but not required. Aaron, an old People's favorite from the days of his meditation classes on Alberta, will also be offering energy healing by donation that week (details to come).

Suggested donation:
Discussion: $10-15
Workshop:$35-70
No one will be turned away for lack of funds.

Register Today!

Prenatal Yoga Series with Devon Riley

Sundays 3:00-4:30 p.m.

Beginning October 23rd

Northeast

This four week workshop is designed to bring your yoga practice and your pregnancy together, for the benefit of both. During the nine months of gestation, the woman and the embryo grow into their eventual roles together. As the science and philosophy of bringing light to the dark places of the body and mind, yoga is uniquely well suited to support the sort of inner growth that is possible during this time of unparalleled energy movement and cell division.

In this course we will take advantage of the naturally inward, intuitive tendencies of pregnancy to bring greater awareness to posture, breath, movement and thought, even as we work to support the physical changes that pregnancy and birth demand. Using both Western and Yogic anatomy, we will explore ways to remain strong, open and mobile through pregnancy and into the post-partum period, with particular focus on moving from the spine, the pelvic floor, and the deep core. Although we will discuss why certain poses are considered counter-productive during pregnancy, my experience is that no class of poses is off limits, and I will be happy to help make any yoga practice, however dynamic, appropriate for the pregnant body.

Parenting has, so far, been my single best opportunity to take my yoga off the mat and into the world. Conversely, I find that being a mother has taught me more about the real meaning of yoga than any pose or mantra. However, without the stabilizing force of my established yoga practice, the wild winds of parenting would certainly have blown me off course many times. In this class, I will encourage you to commit to your yoga ever more strongly as you move into (or deeper into) this phase of your life.

This class is intended for mamas-to-be with yoga experience

Cost: $60 for the series

Preregistration greatly appreciated.

Yoga Foundations II: Build on the Strength Within

A Four-Week Workshop Series with Kate Busby

Sundays 5:30-7:00 p.m.

Beginning November 6

North

Within you there is a vast reservoir of strength. Learn to utilize your yoga practice as a way to access that wellspring of energy and direct it towards realizing your greatest potential in your practice and in your life. This four-week series offers:

An intelligent exploration of alignment that will take you beyond the basic outer form of each foundational yoga pose and into the actions that make each pose a gateway to accessing your ability and strength.

A weekly focus on what is most important in each different family of poses (standing poses, backbends, etc.) in order to learn the most optimal way to align and move the arms, legs, shoulders, hips, back and neck.

Essential tools to continue to grow and broaden your yoga practice, including pranayama (breath work) and meditation techniques, and yoga philosophy.

Opportunities to build your inner and outer strength in a supportive setting.

This series is appropriate for anyone who has completed Foundations I, as well as any student who would like to increase their knowledge and ability to accomplish the most common (but sometimes challenging!) poses practiced in an all levels yoga class.

Cost: $55

Preregistration Rocks!