CLASS DESCRIPTIONS  

Each class at our studio falls in one of several categories. The descriptions below may assist you in choosing the practices that are just right for you!

1. Yin Yoga: A joint and fascia focused practice that consists of long tractions in gentle poses - these classes are appropriate and accessible to most everyone, from those brand new to yoga to those with extensive yoga experience, from those with mobility challenges to athletes. If you have joint pain - this is your practice for support and relief. The only “requirement” is getting onto the floor at the beginning of class and getting back up afterwards.

2. Gentle Yoga: Focused on slow muscle strengthening, stretching, and balance, these classes are appropriate for all levels of yoga student who prefer a slower, detail-oriented pace, including beginners coming to yoga for the first time.

3. Mixed Level (Slow Flow/Hatha): Building on the basics, these practices increase the complexity of the practice while still offering multiple options and variations so each person can create the level of challenge and ease that is right for them. The practice is based on "salutations" and leads students from standing to being down on the floor many times in each class and thus is not recommended for those currently having mobility challenges. This class is perfect for physically active beginners and those with yoga experience.

4. Vinyasa Yoga: Moderate to dynamically paced practices that integrate intermediate to advanced yoga postures that is most suited for those with familiarity with the yoga poses or those who are already physically active.

5. Restorative Yoga: Accessible to most everyone, Restorative yoga sequences utilize only a few poses per class and are held passively for 5-20 minutes. Postures are supported by props such as bolsters, blocks and blankets that allow participants to rest and reset in deep relaxation. This class differs from Yin Yoga. Yin is designed to stimulate and “exercise” joint tissue through modest tractions and compressions, whereas Restorative Yoga wants to take stress off the joints to induce a deep relaxation response for the nervous system.

6. Meditation: Meditation is the practice of paying attention to the host of inner thoughts and feelings and then softening the internal judgment to witness from a state of calm curiosity. The practices are extra gentle, guided and offer time to reflect in silence. Various positions are given to find the right place to sit, lie down, or gently move.

7. Barre: This exercise technique is inspired by elements of yoga, ballet, dance and Pilates. The practices utilizes low-impact, high-intensity movements designed to strengthen, lengthen and sculpt muscle. This class is designed for those looking for a more challenging and toning practice.

8. Aerobic/Fitness: Low impact cardio, core, balance, and weight training class set to upbeat music that provides full body strength and tone.

9. Qi Gong and Tai Chi: Gentle breath and movement meditation that is easy on the joints and calming for the mind. This practice does not require getting up and down from the floor.

10. Kids/Family/Teens Classes: Specialized classes and workshops designed just for children, teens, and families.

11. Feldenkrais Method: A super gentle and yet therapeutic movement modality, Feldenkrais stimulates neural pathways of the brain and thus the brain's communication with tissues in the body. The intention is to retrain out of patterns of pain or stress and bring ease and increased freedom of movement. This practice is perfect for those looking to increase range of motion, work through injury or pain and create healthy movement. Again, if one can get onto the floor at the beginning of practice and back up afterwards, this is great practice for most anyone.

GENTLE YOGA

Gentle muscle practices that are great for newbies as well as those who prefer a slower paced practice.

GENTLE YOGA

These classes focus on building a solid foundation in basic yoga poses and is appropriate for those who are brand new to yoga as well for students who prefer to practice on refining the subtle aspects of the poses.  Emphasis is given to the quality of breath and how linking breath to conscious movement provides a depth of physical and emotional steadiness and calmness.

These are our weekly Gentle Yoga offerings:

Joint Care : This extra gentle practice is done entirely on the floor, no standing or balancing, and is accessible for most everyone. During the first half of class, we move through the whole body, head to toes, with joint articulations and nerve glide exercises. The rest of the practice, we enjoy long held Yin Yoga poses for spine, low back and hips, before settling into savasana, the resting pose. See Schedule

Gentle Yoga: A full rounded gentle practice with floor, standing, and balancing pose to build strength, balance, and flexibility in an accessible way for beginners and those who prefer a slow practice focusing on foundational poses.
See Schedule

Chair Yoga: Chair yoga is a gentle practice in which the postures are performed while seated and/or standing with the aid of the chair. These meaningful practices provide stretching for increased range of motion, strength building and aid with balance, all without the challenge of getting up and down from the floor. Calming breath work and deepening of awareness as a tool for life off the mat is integrated into each class. Chair Yoga is ideal for beginners, those with mobility issues who find a typical yoga session too strenuous, and those who want to focus on a gentle practice that brings variety to their yoga experience. See Schedule

VINYASA

The heart of Vinyasa flow is the rhythmic connection between movement and breath. These creative sequences are moderate to dynamic in their pace, introduce intermediate/advanced poses and cater to those who prefer a more active and invigorating practice. Modifications are given throughout so that each participant has options to customize the practice to fit their individual needs.  Muscular practices are excellent for aiding the body's detoxification process, strengthening muscle and bones, releasing physical/emotional tension, and lends well to building self-confidence. Because of the pace of this class, it is recommended for students to have a foundational familiarity with the yoga practice or are otherwise regularly active.  

These are our weekly Vinyasa offerings:

Vinyasa and Yin Yoga, half of the class is Vinyasa with warm up, salutations, standing and balancing poses. The second half of class is Yin Yoga with long holds on the floor
See Schedule

Vinyasa Flow includes a warm up, salutations, standing postures, balance, floor and closing poses. See Schedule

Vinyasa Flow II For those looking for a little more physical challenge - each class includes elements of creative salutations, core work, balance, floor stretches and “finishing poses” so you can wind down into a restful savasana before you move out into the rest of your day with greater ease. See Schedule

RESTORATIVE YOGA

Accessible to most everyone, Restorative yoga sequences utilize only a few poses in each class. Each posture created on the floor and is supported by props such as bolsters, blocks and blankets that allow participants to rest and reset in deep relaxation. Held passively for 5-20 minutes, restorative poses include light twists, seated forward folds, and gentle backbends.

Restorative yoga enables deep relaxation through the use of gentle poses, supported by props, that are held for longer period of time. The main intention of Restorative yoga is to yield into stillness to foster a relaxation response in the parasympathetic nervous system - to soothe the mind and create a space of physical, mental and emotional ease. This practice is a great gift to unwind a busy day or overstimulated mind and come into a practice of deep nourishment. See Schedule

MEDITATION

Meditation is the practice of paying attention to the host of inner thoughts and feelings and then softening the internal judgment to witness from a state of calm curiosity.

Calm: Breath, Movement and Meditation: Compassionate attention is at the very foundation of yoga asana (poses), pranayama (conscious breathing) and meditation (self-inquiry).  In this class, we will explore subtleness by integrating gentle breathing techniques to ground the nervous system with ultra-gentle and accessible movement  to discharge tension from the body tissues. The practice will slowly wind town into guided and silent meditation and finally into a deep rest. For those who are new to yoga and these self-care modalities, this class will provide a welcoming gateway into movement and meditation for beginners. Seasoned yogis will find this class enriching  through the deepening of awareness through the slower paced movement, breathwork and space for stillness. We will cultivate a somatic sense of calm to usher us into a night of rest. 

Calm: Breath, Movement and Meditation is currently on a break - See Schedule

BARRE

Barre is an exercise technique inspired by elements of yoga, ballet, dance and Pilates. The practice utilizes low-impact, high-intensity movements designed to strengthen, lengthen and sculpt muscle. This class is designed for those looking for a more challenging and toning practice. 

Barre is a low-impact, full-body workout that targets specific muscle groups using small, isometric movements, fast and slow repetitions, and elements of cardio derived from ballet, yoga, and pilates. The practice focuses on developing long, lean muscles while improving your overall strength, flexibility, and posture over time. Though typically one uses a ballet barre, we utilize a chair throughout class to perform exercises specifically targeting the thighs, glutes, and abs. Weight trainings with small hand weights and exercise balls are also integrated into each practice.Modifications are offered and no previous Barre or dance experience necessary. See Schedule

AEROBICS/FITNESS

These low impact classes are designed to foster muscle strength, tone, increase balance and flexibility while being super accessible.

Essentrics - Super 650 is a low-impact dynamic movement system which uses all 650 muscles in a single, short workout. The workout presents a variety of rebalancing and rejuvenating techniques—joint movement, fascial rehydration, neuromuscular reflex activation,  strengthening, and cardiovascular stimulation—to ease you painlessly into your day to day activities. Based on the strengthening aspects of ballet, the flowing movements of Tai Chi and the techniques of physiotherapy—this practice is accessible to all ages, fitness levels, and genders. Super 650 meets you where you are by rebalancing all of your muscles to eliminate pain, increase strength and flexibility, improve balance, body awareness, build endurance, cardiovascular and brain health. The most lasting and noticeable benefits of Super 650 are increased energy, strength, body control, mobility, and functionality for total liberation! Offered as a Series Class - See Schedule

Total Fitness is a low impact and super upbeat class that consists of music-guided cardio sequence, followed by balance routines, training with light weights, core exercises and then finishes with floor stretches. This one hour session is structured to give the student a total body workout combining aerobic and strength disciplines that is kind to the joints and accessible to people of all age groups. See Schedule

TAI CHI and QI GONG

Focused on gentle breath and movement meditation, Qi Gong and Tai Chi are accessible to everyone. The practice is easy on the joints and calming for the mind and does not require getting up and down from the floor.

Tai-Chi form is series of martial postures strung together through slow deliberate and has shown to be accessible for most people regardless of age or health conditions. Instead of exercising and training individual muscle groups, as is the goal of typical exercise routines, Tai-Chi teaches practitioners to release any and all muscular tension. Tai-Chi relies on posture, breathing, concentration of mind and cultivation of Chi, not only to strengthen but also to unify the life energy within. Through regular practice with a qualified Tai-Chi instructor, the very nature of the body begins to change, releasing convective tissues and undoing the hard tension of the aging body. See Schedule

Qi Gong contains aspects of martial arts, moving meditation, visualization, and relaxation. Join your friendly neighborhood acupuncturist, Dr. Sam Francis, as she walks you through the gentle and basic stances and concepts of this useful form of movement for physical and emotional health.

Qi Gong is currently on break

KIDS/FAMILY CLASSES

Postnatal Yoga (Mom and Baby 6 weeks-6 months)

This Postnatal Yoga class provides a place for moms and babies, 6 weeks to new crawlers, to benefit from practice and connect with women in a similar phase of life. Each class in the series is 75 minutes with an optional extra 30 minutes of community connection through tea and chatting. The yoga portion will include breathing and gentle movement to meet and support our beautiful bodies where they are in the moment. A guided massage and movement for babies will be included in each class. Each practice will end in a relaxing sound healing with crystal singing bowls.
See Workshops/Event page for upcoming series dates.

Little Ones Mindful Movement (18mo-4 Year Olds and Their Grown-up)

This Mini & Me class allows caregivers to guide their little one into the practice of mindfulness and foster meaningful connections with self, loved ones, and their community. Mindful Movement incorporates sensory explorations, prop play, interactive songs, and peer bonding games to make yoga poses, creative movement, breathwork and meditation accessible and fun. Developing a mindfulness practice encourages body awareness, emotional regulation, and self compassion. Let's steward our little seeds into growth and expansion!
This class is not currently being offered. See Workshops/Event page

YOGA FOR KIDS (1st - 4th Graders)

Yoga for kids is a fantastic way for kids to learn at an early age how to connect with thoughts and feelings while building strong, confident bodies. These classes offer opportunities for children to explore the basics of breath (pranayama) and postures (asana) through music, games, and movement while forging bonds in their community. Yoga is not about how flexible one is but rather how present and plugged into life one is. Yoga for kids cultivates a sense of self-care, respect, and trust and offers children skills that ripple out into their everyday life.
This class is not currently being offered - See Workshops/Event page

Yoga for Middle Schoolers

Yoga comes to life through creative yoga sequences, journaling, cooperative games, breath work, and meditative awareness. Yoga can be a valuable tool in bridging the gap between childhood and becoming a teenager through positive body imaging, communication, and self-expression. Led by Alison Kennedy, a yoga instructor and teacher with 18 years of experience specializing in childhood development, tweens will explore poses that build strength, balance, flexibility, and focus while cultivating useful day-to-day techniques for quieting their minds, moving held stress out of their body, and cultivating confidence in a non-competitive and emotionally supportive environment.
This class is not currently being offered -See Workshops/Event page

FELDENKRAIS METHOD

A gentle, therapeutic and simple movement modality that stimulates neural pathways of the brain and thus the brain's communication with tissues in the body in order retrain out of patterns of pain or stress and bring ease and increased freedom of movement. This class is accessible to most everyone and is especially therapeutic for those looking to increase range of movement after underuse or injury.

Feldenkrais lessons consist of accessible, comfortable, and gentle movements, generally performed on a mat or floor, and gradually evolve into movements of more complexity.  Through nurturing instruction, students become more aware of their habitual neuromuscular patterns and rigidities and learn new ways to expand their approach to accessing mobility.  Within the Feldenkrais method, each series of exercise are used as means to re-engage the nervous system in a way that increased ease, range of motion, and improves flexibility and coordination. Within this group lessons, practices will be tailored to each individual's needs and ability in service of improving the quality of each person's life. After each practice, participants state that they leave feeling more energized, flexible, and feel their brain/nervous system are more awakened for possibilities. The goal of each lesson is to "make the impossible, possible; the possible, easy; and the easy, elegant."These classes are accessible to ALL levels of abilities. 

Feldenkrais with Physical Therapist Catherine Wycoff is not currently being offered