We are excited to share with you our July pose of the month and schedule highlights! As a bonus, if you’re ready to look ahead to your August schedule, be sure to check out the end of this post to learn about our next book club meeting and a chance to practice yoga and meditation with a guest teacher!

July’s post of the month: Janusirsasana (or Head-to-Knee Pose)

janu = knee
sirsa = head
asana = pose

While there are several beginner friendly seated forward fold poses in yoga, Janusirsasana is distinguished by extending one leg forward while bending the opposite knee to the side and placing that foot to the inside of the straight leg. It includes elements of both twisting and folding forward towards the extended leg.

Janusirsasana is a relaxing pose that can have a calming effect on the nervous system, release blocked energy along the chakra system, quiet the mind, relieve low back pain, and increase spinal flexibility. Anyone who is experiencing sciatica, slipped disk, hernia, or abdominal ulcers should modify this pose or skip it all together.

—Beshka

July’s special classes

In order of chronological appearance, here are some July highlights!

1. Wednesday morning Flow class now weekly! Thank you for your suggestion to offer the Wednesday morning Flow class each week—in July, that request becomes a reality, with Uta, Shigeko, and Liz offering this energetic morning practice.
2. July 4th class with Heather! Come join Heather on Friday, July 4, for a special 9 a.m. holiday class, which will be our only class on Independence Day. Our holiday classes provide options for folks to practice at their own level of challenge.
3. Yoga nidra with Angie: two opportunities! We’ve heard that some of you would like to experience yoga nidra but are not available on Sunday evenings when we have traditionally scheduled it. So this month we’re trying something new—offering the monthly yoga nidra session on two consecutive days! Join Angie either on Sun., July 13, at 5:30 p.m. or on Mon., July 14, at 4 p.m. to spend 60 minutes being guided into a deeply relaxed state. (Please note: this will be the same yoga nidra, just offered on two different dates to allow people with different schedules to participate.)
4. Donation class with Beshka: support Community Partners for Recovery! For this month’s donation class, join Beshka on Saturday, July 19, at 9 a.m.! Our special monthly donation classes serve our community in two ways: 1) by providing an opportunity for folks to take a class without paying a fee—donations are entirely optional; 2) by supporting a local non-profit organization with the fees that are donated. Beshka has selected Community Partners for Recovery in Glasgow as the recipient of donations to her class.
5. Bonus Sunday Yin with Maria! For July, we are adding one Sunday-night Yin class in addition to the ongoing Friday-evening one. If you’ve been curious about Yin but find yourself otherwise committed on Fridays, please join Maria on Sunday, July 20, at 5:30 p.m. To experience both the active and the more meditative sides of the yoga continuum, come to Carmen’s 4 p.m. Basics class and then stay for Maria’s 5:30 p.m. Yin!

Reminder for book club: Atomic Habits is our next read!

As you rest indoors in the air conditioning—or head off to the mountains or the beach for vacation—why not explore our next book club book, James Clear’s Atomic Habits? Then make plans to join us to discuss it on Sunday, August 3, at 1:30 p.m. Everyone is always welcome to attend our book club sessions: some folks come regularly, some come occasionally, and others pop in just when the specific book is of interest. There are zero attendance expectations, but one perk of being there is having a voice in selecting the next book! (For an archive of past books and a list of the nominations currently under consideration, check out this file.)

Save the date for Danny Brewington’s in-person yoga and meditation sessions: Sat., Aug. 16

Many of you already know Danny Brewington from the Meditation Made Easy workshop series that we have hosted on Zoom, and we are excited to be bringing Danny to Bowling Green on Saturday, August 16, for a pair of offerings at 4yoga! We’ll host a special Basics-level yoga class at 11 a.m., break for lunch on our own, and gather at 1:30 p.m. for a meditation workshop.

We invite you to join us for one or both events: please keep an eye on our website and Facebook page for descriptions of each session and registration information.

We look forward to practicing with you in the new month and hope to see you for a special event in August, as well. For a full copy of the July schedule and descriptions of each style of class, please see check the calendar page or pick up a hard copy at the studio.