Yoga Class

Information on classes that I am teaching

Yoga Work Shops

on Sunday, 26 July 2015. Posted in Yoga Class

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A yoga workshop is like the express train to advancing your practice. Or you could say it’s like an AP course in high school, but MUCH more fun in my opinion. You may be asking yourself what is a workshop? So let’s start there. People that teach yoga are passionate about teaching but also learning. Yogis are always learning! They learn from their teachers, from their students, and simply through living life of course. When a yoga teacher feels they have studied a principle and learned a lesson that they choose to share, they will put together a class that is 90 minutes to two hours and structured around a theme. This is a workshop. The length of time is in order to breakdown the teaching, work on fundamentals, and of course have some fun. I personally have not taken a lot of workshops but I can say for sure everyone that I have taken has been memorable, well crafted, and allowed me to bring teachings from the workshop to my practice.

Going to a yoga class is not the same as attending a workshop. Getting to the studio and on to your mat as part of your weekly routine or stopping in to your favorite studio once in a while for a nice stretch is all perfect. This is what I’d call a practice; showing up, taking time to move your body, clear your mind, maybe work on a goal or a challenge pose. These are all aspects of our individual evolution. This is your practice.

When you take a workshop it is a little different from daily practice because the teacher has gathered all of their knowledge and crafted a special teaching that targets one or two principals. This is what I LOVE about a workshop! It is a lense with a direct line to what someone has studied and poured their heart into. See in a regular class you are typically getting 60 to 75 minutes of asana that are nicely planned to warm the body, move into shapes that stretch and make space in the body, then restore. So there is a nice fluid arch of movement. A workshop differs in that it’s designed to break movements down thoughtfully in order to learn the fundamentals that the teacher is offering. Then magically somewhere down the road in your practice you will find your body remembers those teachings and starts to integrate them into your practice.

The other wonderful aspect of a workshop is that you don’t really know what you are going to get. I mean let me be fair here, you can read the description that are very thoughtfully crafted in order to give the student attending an idea of what to expect. You can also further research the teacher to learn about their background and their specialties. I am not really that kind of person though. I like to read the description, ask around if anyone knows the teacher, and then if I get general good feed back I just go for it. I find it’s really more exciting that way. There are few surprises left in life, so when you open your mind to the possibility of learning and trust in what they have to offer it is just awesome!!!

Now there are real factors that prevent many of us from taking a workshop. Number one reason may be that they can be pricey and they are a bigger time commitment. I am not sure I have any great wisdom on these factors other than they are a reality. So it just takes a little planning, you can save a little each week from your paycheck and carve out some time. Personally I feel they worth it and for me have always been quite inspiring. This is exactly what I did this weekend and I am so happy I did. It’s one of those saying yes to life moments. The talented Matt Giordano was in town teaching a weekend full of workshops and I attended one called “Therapeutically Advancing Your Practice”. There were too many teachings in this two hour offering to go into all of them, plus I don’t think I could do it justice. Matt is an experienced practitioner and an excellent teacher. The one principle I’d like to share in this post is about how we worked the anterior tilt of the pelvis.

The spine has a natural curve so we worked on exaggerating the anterior tilt so that we can use it correctly to make space in the spine. Many of us suffer from disc compression in the low back and with the correct practice of making space in that area your yoga practice can be the therapy needed to naturally to cure these issues. (or at least lessen this pain) Matt’s lesson and what he has to offer in this workshop, a stable pelvis brings mobility in the spine, is just one way yoga can be used as therapy to cure your body's ailments.

Pictured at the top of the page you will see the pelvic tilt in cow pose, really curving the low back then lifting the tail. Then the teaching was to maintain that tilt while pressing into the hands and feet up in to down dog. (I think I got it...but now as you can see from my photo next I need to drop my head in order to really lengthen and take the correct shape of the cervical spine, that will be my work next.) See everything is in progress.

“Stability in the pelvis brings mobility in the spine” Matt Giordano.

As I mentioned this was just one principle we worked on, I would highly recommend you check him out. He travels a bunch so you can check out his website here  maybe he’ll be in your neighborhood. Or maybe there is a workshop at your local studio your not sure about, I say go for it. Say YES to life. Oh also he is on instagram so if you aren’t already, you can follow him here

Thank you Matt for a wonderful teaching. I’m off to class, can’t wait to integrate your teachings to my daily practice!

Namaste

Matt Giordano FullSize Render smallMatt Giordano and Myself

Bachelorette Party Yoga

on Friday, 12 June 2015. Posted in Yoga Class

DSC 8388 boston-yoga-smallFalling in love, finding your soul mate, and sealing it with a kiss! These are some of the most joyful moments in a woman’s life that we celebrate! The glowing cheeks of a smiling bride to be, the perfect sparkle of a diamond ring, the unity of two families coming together, and being surrounded by friends brings an energy that is infectious! So what do we do? We throw a party and cherish this beautiful time. Many of us love to throw a party, get dressed up, travel to be together, and share the very special company of our best girlfriends. From engagements, to bridal showers, bachelorette parties, and wedding weekends these are all times of celebrating the woman in our lives that we love! What better than to start off your girls weekend with a private yoga class...your own space, your best friends, and a great play list brought right to your backyard!

If you are planning a weekend away for the girls you have thought about a great place to stay, the grocery list, beaches to hit, outfits to pack, and what to drink...but have you considered a morning workout? Just because it’s a weekend away doesn’t mean you have to skip the workout, especially if it’s designed to be fun and shared with your girls!

I myself am a party planner and a total social butterfly so on girls weekends I love to go all out! I also love to cook so a weekend with the girls often includes lots of eating and drinking which you never really feel bad about when you’ve done a great workout. So why not add a yoga class in the privacy of your weekend getaway location just for the girls. Yoga can be a personal practice, it can be quiet and meditative, but also it can be shared with friends and a celebration too! One of my mantras is always “the more the merrier” so classes will be designed to fit your group and always an offering that is accessible for all levels. My goal is to provide an experience that leaves everyone feeling good, breath work to begin, strengthening and stretching, and a little bit of meditation so that you can quiet the mind keeping yourself present so you don’t miss a moment of this very special time!

Love & Light...Namaste!
Dana

P.S. As a party planner if there are add ons that you’d like to include or if you need suggestions on how to make the day extra special, just let me know. I have lots of experience and love pulling together all the little details for an event!

Come Meet Me!

on Thursday, 28 May 2015. Posted in Yoga Class

Free Class

Tuesday June 2nd at 6:30 pm for a FREE class at The Moving Meditation Yoga & Pilates Studio. The class will be a fun all levels vinyasa flow with a super fun play list to keep you motivated! Did you know that practice is easier if you sing along? Well it's true!

Also nothing motivates me more than working out with a friend, so call your girl friend or tell your neighbor. Let's see if we can pack the studio and move some serious energy! It will be a great way to kick off your week, see the studio, and sample practice with me! I look forward to meeting you on your mat!

Namaste