4yoga remote schedule: Mon., March 23–Tues., March 31, 2020

Posted on March 22, 2020 by 4yoga

Thank you for all of your encouraging feedback on our first week of offering online classes!  To continue to support you in your home practice, we have prepared our remote class schedule for the rest of March, and we are thrilled to provide at least one option each day.  

Please see the list below to find out what we are offering and on what platform, and follow our Facebook page for the most current information. We appreciate your ongoing support of our studio and teachers and hope that you can join us as your schedule permits!  

Note:  some of our teachers are trying the Zoom platform; if you do not already have a Zoom account, we encourage you to download the Zoom mobile app or desktop client.  To learn more about and practice with Zoom, see its brief video tutorial on joining a meeting.

Mon., 3/23

  • 9:30 a.m. Basics with Beshka via Facebook Live
  • 5:30 p.m. Flow with Susan via Skype (see details below)

Tues., 3/24

  • 4 p.m. Basics with Heather via Facebook Live 

Wed., 3/25

  • 9:30 a.m. Basics with Leslie via Zoom (link; meeting ID:  378 668 324, password: 823471)
  • 5:30 p.m. Flow with Chie via Facebook Live
  • 7 p.m. Mat Pilates with Susan via Skype (see details below)

Thurs., 3/26

  • 9:30 a.m. Gentle with Frances via Zoom (link, meeting ID: 778 013 9435)
  • 4 p.m. Basics with Heather via Zoom (meeting ID:  277 366 143)
  • 5:30 p.m. Restorative with Angie via Facebook Live (note earlier time than usual!)

Fri., 3/27

  • 9:30 a.m. Gentle with Sydni via Facebook Live

Sat., 3/28

  • 11 a.m. Monthly Meditation with Alice via Zoom (link; meeting ID: 490 423 4439)
  • 4 p.m. Basics/Restorative with Chie via Facebook Live

Sun., 3/29

  • 4 p.m. Basics with Leslie via Zoom (link; meeting ID:  772 608 357; password: 191450)

Mon., 3/30

  • 9:30 a.m. Basics with Beshka via Facebook Live
  • 5:30 p.m. Flow with Susan via Skype (see details below)

Tues., 3/31

  • 4 p.m. Basics with Sydni via Facebook Live

Instructions from Susan to join her Skype classes:
The individuals will need to be operating off a Microsoft platform (which is pretty standard these days) and they can find me via this link: https://join.skype.com/invite/EjvhNViA5w92 . 

A pop up will appear stating “Susan Stanton has invited them to chat on Skype” and they can then click on join via the web (will require their Microsoft password) OR the download button and sign into Skype -which is FREE (only requiring name, phone, number and DOB), OR if they already have it-launch directly to the site to connect with me. Once their connection pops up on my screen, I’ll add them into the class video. 

*NOTE: please log on a few minutes early, so you can start on time.

Susan’s Skype contact info. is: sls0118

A note about payment

We deeply appreciate all of you who have asked about compensating teachers who are sharing their practices at this time.  We also recognize that this is a period of economic hardship for many members of our community.  Therefore, at this point, teachers are offering their classes as a service or for a donation if students are in a comfortable financial place to donate.  

As a community studio, our business model has students paying teachers directly; as such, we do not have a central online payment system or the capacity to redistribute payments to teachers.  However, you may donate in one of two ways:  

  1. by recording the teachers’ names and numbers of classes you’ve taken and dropping off the donation when we return to the studio (we will have envelopes available there, and our usual class fee is $5)
  2. by mailing a check to the studio.

If you write a check, please make it out to the appropriate teacher and send it to 

4yoga
c/o The Pots Place
428 East Main
Bowling Green, KY 42101

Some teachers also have their own accounts to take donations directly (e.g., Venmo, PayPal).  Please contact them to obtain that information.

Fountain Square Park from the studio
March 20, 2020
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Schedule update: 4yoga suspends in-person classes, effective March 16

Posted on March 16, 2020 by 4yoga

On March 15, Yoga Alliance, the primary professional organization for yoga teachers and training programs, strongly recommended “for communities where social distancing has become required, recommended, or the community norm, that all in-person yoga instruction be canceled until the need for social distancing has passed.”

After Yoga Alliance’s announcement, ten of our 4yoga teachers gathered on a Zoom call to discuss the recommendation and decided that we would follow it at the studio. As a result, we have suspended our in-person classes, effective Mon., March 16.

However, we hope that you can think of this period not in terms of what we are missing but in terms of what we are gaining: the opportunity to develop and enhance our home practices! To that end, our teachers are working to provide audio and video resources to support your yoga practice. Our goal is to build a catalog of several types of classes and teachers that you can revisit as your schedule allows.

Each week, we will post an update like this one that lists what options will be available for each upcoming class. Please check this list throughout the week—since this is a fluid situation and we are all learning as we go, we may be adding or revising options as the week unfolds.

Mon., 3/16
• 8 a.m. Meditation. Canceled.
• 9:30 a.m. Basics. Canceled. (May have video to share later in the week.)
• 5:30 p.m. Flow. Susan will stream a practice via Skype. See details below.

Tues., 3/17
• 9:30 a.m. Gentle. Canceled.
• 4 p.m. Basics. Heather will share a short video.

Wed., 3/18
• 9:30 a.m. Basics is canceled.
• 5:30 p.m. Flow is canceled.
• 7 p.m. Mat Pilates. Susan will stream a practice via Skype. See details below.

Thurs., 3/19
• 9:30 a.m. Gentle. Susan will stream a practice via Skype. See details below.
• 4 p.m. Basics. Heather will stream a practice on Facebook Live (also at her business page, The Mobile Mat).
• 7 p.m. Restorative. Angie will stream a practice on Facebook Live.

Fri., 3/20
• 9:30 a.m. Gentle. Angie will stream a practice, platform TBD.
• 5:30 p.m. Yin is canceled.

Sat., 3/21
• 9 a.m. Basics. Cre will stream a practice via Facebook.
• 11 a.m. Beginner is canceled.
• 4 p.m. Basics/Restorative is canceled.

Sun., 3/22
• 8:30 a.m. Spiritual Warrior. Cre will stream a practice via Facebook.
• 4 p.m. Basics. Chie will stream a practice, platform TBD.

We hope that these resources provide support for your social distancing schedule, and we look forward to seeing you online! Please also let us know what other materials you would like us to consider adding to our catalog.

A note about payment: as a community studio, we do not have the infrastructure to support online payments. In fact, having students pay teachers directly is one of the ways that we have been able to maintain our $5 class fee for 8.5 years.

Therefore, if you benefit from the resources your teachers have provided, we would appreciate if you could record the teachers’ names and the numbers of materials you have used and compensate the teacher when we return to the studio: we will have envelopes available for that purpose. Alternately, if you would like to mail a check to the studio, please make it out to the appropriate teacher and send it to

4yoga
c/o The Pots Place
428 East Main
Bowling Green, KY 42101

Instructions from Susan to join her Skype classes:
The individuals will need to be operating off a Microsoft platform (which is pretty standard these days) and they can find me via this link: https://join.skype.com/invite/EjvhNViA5w92 .

A pop up will appear stating “Susan Stanton has invited them to chat on Skype” and they can then click on join via the web (will require their Microsoft password) OR the download button and sign into Skype -which is FREE (only requiring name, phone, number and DOB), OR if they already have it-launch directly to the site to connect with me. Once their connection pops up on my screen, I’ll add them into the class video.

*NOTE: please advise them to log on a few minutes early, so they can get linked in to start on time.

Susan’s Skype contact info. is: sls0118

The studio will be waiting for you when we return!
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Need a home practice? Leslie has you covered with audio options!

Posted on March 12, 2020 by 4yoga

Are you practicing social distancing but looking for a way to keep up with your yoga practice?

Leslie has generously shared a pair of thirty-minute practices with our community!

Just click the links below to listen to either or both of them, and we are grateful to Leslie for making them available!

Sun Salutations and Backbends

Lunges and Standing Poses

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Maintaining a healthy practice: COVID-19 update

Posted on March 11, 2020 by 4yoga

Update: the following post was our studio policy on March 11, 2020. As of March 16, 2020, we have suspended in-person classes, following the recommendation of Yoga Alliance.

As a community yoga studio, our mission is to support the health of the members of our community. Therefore, as we monitor updates on COVID-19 and resources for minimizing exposure, we are sharing these studio updates and guidelines. We also encourage everyone to keep up with the information provided on the CDC website.

As of today (March 11), we plan to continue to offer our regular yoga, meditation, and Pilates class schedule as posted. Should that plan change, we will update the online calendar and our Facebook page. However, if you do not feel well, please help us help our community remain healthy by staying home—and our teachers will do the same. You may also decide to practice social distancing and limit your time out of the home: if that is the case, we will look forward to seeing you when you return!

If you continue to practice at the studio, please follow these guidelines:

  • Greet teachers and fellow students verbally instead of with physical contact.
  • Cover your mouth and nose with tissues or your elbow if you cough or sneeze (boxes of tissues provided in the kitchen and props closet) or do so into your elbow.
  • Wash hands with soap for at least 20 seconds.
  • Use disinfectant wipes to clean mats or blocks that you borrow both, before and after using class. (Canisters of wipes are provided in the props closet.). You may also decide to bring your own props or to bring a towel to cover a studio mat.
  • Help teachers keep shared surfaces (e.g., doorknobs, kitchen and bathroom faucets, kitchen and bathroom counters) clean by using disinfectant wipes.

If you decide not to come to the studio, know that many of our teachers are offering alternate practice options to continue to support you in your home practice. For example, a teacher may allow you to audio record a class or a part of a class that you attend in person before you take a break, or she may provide a way to video-conference into a live class and pay when you return to the studio.

Teachers will make the possible alternate-delivery decisions with which they feel most comfortable and announce them at the beginning of each class. Angie has also asked teachers to inform her of their plans so that she can be a central clearinghouse to answer your questions if you are staying home and unable to see your teacher in person. Just send her an email at 4yoga -dot- me -at- gmail -dot- com or a message via Facebook.

Thank you for your understanding and support, and all best wishes for continued good health.

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March (2020) schedule and pose of the month (Reclining Hand-to-Big-Toe)

Posted on March 1, 2020 by 4yoga

Update (3/23/20): To see our remote class schedule for the rest of the month, please check out our recent post listing those classes and the platforms on which teachers are sharing them. And, for the most up-to-date info, follow our Facebook page.

As we bid farewell to February, we are delighted to bring you the March schedule and pose of the month. We appreciate Carmen for selecting the pose and providing the following information about it, and we look forward to practicing it with you throughout the new month!

Pose of the Month

Supta Padangusthasana (Reclining Hand-to-Big-Toe)

Supta = lying down, reclining

Pada = foot

Angusta = big toe

Asana = pose

This pose is done while lying on your back and can be performed with a strap.  It provides several benefits, including a stretch for hamstrings, calves, groin, inner thighs, hips, and lower spine and increased circulation to the pelvis.  It can also help with conditions such as inflexibility, fatigue, muscle weakness, spasticity, and sciatica.

Supta Padangusthasana is also an excellent opportunity to practice mindfulness; this practice of connecting mind-to-body using yoga is the greatest gift I have.  Beyond the daily physical stress our bodies endure, our bodies also respond on a subtle level to psychological and emotional stressors. I love that we can use our yoga to move beyond fears and let go of what no longer serves our growth. The “stressor-energy” we create simply as a response to our basic need for survival manifests in our physical bodies, as in the case with trauma, and may be felt in the neck, buttocks, hamstrings, calves, feet—all areas this pose allows us to extend.

I love to weave an affirmation, prayer, and/or mantra into the stillness and pauses of my practice for a meaningful, therapeutic response. 

Enjoy! 

Carmen

Special classes: In addition to continuing to offer our full schedule (66 regular yoga classes!), we are happy to highlight these additional opportunities to practice together in March!

  • Beginner Classes.  Angie and Leslie will offer two Saturday Beginner drop-in classes this month:  on March 7 (Angie) and March 21 (Leslie), both at 11 a.m.  If you are interested in beginning or re-starting a yoga practice, please join them. 
  • Monday Meditation.  Beshka’s 8 a.m. Monday Meditation class continues into March:  join her for meditation only or come for meditation and stay for her 9:30 a.m. Basics yoga class.
  • Wednesday Meditation.  Leslie’s Wednesday 9:30 a.m. Basics yoga class will continue to be preceded by an optional meditation period in March.  She invites students to arrive anytime between 8:45 and 9:15 a.m., put down their mats, and spend a few minutes in quiet reflection before beginning their physical practice.
  • Wednesday Mat Pilates.  Susan’s Mat Pilates class continues into March with a slight adjustment in the start time to allow for a more relaxed transition period between yoga and Pilates that evening.  In March, the class will begin at 7:10 p.m.  As with our yoga classes, the class fee is $5 and all are welcome to drop in.
  • Monthly Meditation@the Studio.  Alice welcomes both new and experienced meditators to the monthly Meditation@the Studio class at 11 a.m. on Sat., March 28.

For a full schedule, please see the calendar page—or pick up a hard copy at The Pots Place.  If you use Facebook, we invite you to keep up with our page there:  we post an image version of the schedule each month, share a brief update of the day’s classes each morning, and create events for special classes or events.

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Training Thursday: teachers meet to discuss cueing strategies in first quarterly workshop of 2020

Posted on February 20, 2020 by 4yoga

On Saturday, February 15, seven current 4yoga teachers met at Heather Kessler’s house to discuss several issues related to cueing.  Angie Jones prepared and delivered this workshop, sharing data she collected in advance from 13 of our teachers and guidelines, strategies, and tips that she has learned from her own teachers and self-study.  

We began by reviewing what cues teachers receive from their students, those signals that tell teachers their own instruction is not working as they’d intended.  We then addressed the factors that influence the effectiveness of cueing (e.g., volume, pace or timing, and language).  After the workshop concluded, we socialized and shared snacks.

In reflecting on what was most beneficial from the workshop, Susan Stanton remembered an acronym that Angie learned from Cara Bradley.  Bradley provided this memory aid—WAIT, which stands for “Why Am I Talking?”—in a Yoga Alliance webinar.  Susan called WAIT “a great simple acronym to use as a reminder.”  Susan also pointed out that it is “always a good idea to learn new ideas and concepts and to challenge ourselves to think out of the box as we teach.”  

About the workshop, Debbie Marquette noted, it “served as a reminder to me how important a teacher’s cueing is to the success of each individual student and overall class and that I should continue to improve skills by being more attentive to language and feedback from my students’ practice.”

Teachers at February Workshop
L to R: Carmen Herrera, Shigeko Sleeper, Angie Jones, Debbie Marquette, Debbie Berry, Susan Stanton, Heather Kessler
photo credit: Emily Kessler

About our quarterly teacher workshops:  as a community yoga studio, we host workshops to provide opportunities for teachers to spend time together and to learn from and with each other.  As a bonus, when the teacher organizing the workshop is a Yoga Alliance continuing education provider, the events also provide, at no cost, continuing education hours to teachers who participate!  To retain registration with Yoga Alliance, teachers complete at least 30 continuing education hours every three years to show evidence of their ongoing learning.

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February 2020: survey, pose of the month (Sphinx), and schedule

Posted on February 1, 2020 by 4yoga

Welcome to February, and thank you to all of you who have already completed our student survey!  Because we have heard that some of you would still like to provide feedback, we are sharing the link to the survey again here.  If you haven’t had a chance to complete it, please take a few minutes to do so—we look forward to reviewing your responses as we plan for future months!

Pose of the Month

Salamba Bhujangasana (Sphinx Pose)

Salamba = supported

Bhujanga = cobra

Asana = pose

Sphinx pose is a gentle and beginner-friendly backbend that can be used to strengthen the muscles along the spine and between the shoulder blades, continuing down to the glutes, depending on how active you make this posture. It stretches the front of the body and opens the space around the heart and throat, energizing the heart and throat chakras—perfect for all the I Love You’s we’re preparing to give and say approaching Valentine’s Day! 

The wonderful thing about Sphinx pose is that the intensity of the posture is entirely controlled by the practitioner. It can be performed actively for more strengthening in the back body and shoulders, or can be used passively to simply stretch and let gravity assist in grounding the hips and elbows as we lift the head and neck out of the shoulders.  Even as a beginner-friendly posture, those with very stiff backs or spinal injury should avoid Sphinx pose, as should those who are pregnant, as it puts unnecessary pressure on the belly. 

In our lives, as we spend many of our hours seated or bent slightly forward, an easily accessible backbend is a remarkable benefit to our spines. 

On a personal note, thank all of you who have sent prayers and well wishes up on behalf of me and my husband. He is now safely home from deployment, and his coming home has been a beautiful reminder of what is truly important in this life. Tell those you love that you love them! Appreciate the time and soak in the beautiful little moments every day. 

—Sydni

Special classes and events: In addition to continuing to offer our regular full schedule, we are delighted to provide these opportunities to practice together in February!

  • Beginner Classes.  Leslie will offer two additional Saturday Beginner drop-in classes this month:  on Sat., Feb. 1 and 8, at 11 a.m., She welcomes anyone interested in beginning or re-starting a yoga practice to join her. 
  • Un-Super Bowl Party.  On Sun., Feb. 2, join Heather and Angie in the lounge for a football-free gathering after the 4 p.m. Basics class concludes.  We’ll provide a few snacks and order pizza when after the party starts.
  • Monday Meditation.  Beshka’s 8 a.m. Monday Meditation class continues into February.  Join her for meditation only or make a double-feature of meditation and Beshka’s 9:30 a.m. Basics class.
  • Wednesday Meditation.  During the month of February, Leslie’s Wednesday 9:30 a.m. Basics class will be preceded by an optional meditation period.  She invites students to arrive anytime between 8:45 and 9:15 a.m., put down their mats, and spend a few minutes in quiet reflection before beginning our physical practice.
  • Wednesday Mat Pilates.  Susan’s 7 p.m. Mat Pilates class continues into February.  As with our yoga classes, this class fee is $5 and the class is drop-in.
  • Post-class Valentine’s Party.  On Thurs., Feb. 13:  join Heather for a holiday opportunity to gather after the Basics class to enjoy chocolate and wine in the lounge.
  • Partner-assisted class.  Join Debbie M. and Leslie on Sun., Feb. 16 for this special class!  Explore fun and safe ways to guide one another into alignment and fuller expression of basic yoga postures in this mixed-level class. This is NOT an acroyoga class or an all-couples’ class.  Don’t have a partner?  No worries.  We will match you up when you arrive!  (Note that this class replaces the usual 4 p.m. Sunday class on this date.)
  • Monthly Meditation@the Studio.  Alice welcomes both new and experienced meditators to the monthly Meditation@the Studio class at 11 a.m. on Sat., Feb. 22.

For a full schedule, please see the calendar page—or pick up a hard copy at The Pots Place.  We also post an image version of the schedule each month and the day’s classes each morning on our Facebook page, where we also create events for special classes. We invite you to keep up with us there!  

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New Year, New Meditation Offerings!

Posted on January 4, 2020 by 4yoga

We are thrilled to announce five January opportunities to meditate together at the studio!

If you would like to start each week on a mindful note, join Beshka Moore on Monday mornings at 8 a.m.  Begin your day with this meditation class designed to calm your mind, settle your body, and bring a new and softer focus to the rest of your day. In this class, we will begin with breath work which will prepare us for guided mindful meditation. This one-hour class is wonderful for all levels of yoga and meditation experience—beginners are welcome!  

About the teacher:  Beshka discovered meditation as a college student and found that it “changed everything” for her.  She been meditating more than 25 years and teaching meditation for more than 8 years.  In addition, Beshka has both participated in and led meditation workshops.  In this class, Beshka will begin with foundational and accessible meditation techniques.  She will also teach a variety of techniques, including options like breathing, awareness/mindfulness, loving kindness/forgiveness, healing the inner child, chakra healing/balancing, guided visualization, and learning to deal with uncomfortable emotions. 

If you would like to continue the monthly meditation you started at The Downing Museum or just prefer a Saturday session, join Alice Simpson on Sat., Jan. 25, at 11 a.m.  In this 70-minute session, participants will explore several approaches to mindfulness meditation, including breath awareness, body scan, mindful eating, guided visualization, and mindful listening. We will also study the practice of R.A.I.N., a mindful way of managing difficult situations.  We welcome both beginners and experienced meditators to this transformative practice.

About the teacher:  Alice has practiced mindfulness and vipassana meditation for over 10 years. She completed the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program at Vanderbilt’s Osher Center for Integrative Medicine in 2014. Since then, she has studied other styles of meditation and deepened her knowledge of evidence-based mindfulness practices. Alice has been formally teaching mindfulness workshops and classes and guiding mindfulness meditation in a variety of settings for over five years. Alice’s approach of “one size does not fit all” is especially appealing. In her classes, she teaches open and fresh concepts consistent with the four foundations and nine attitudes of mindfulness. 

We are delighted that both Beshka and Alice are sharing their decades of combined meditation experience and expertise with our community!

As with our yoga classes and in keeping with our mission to make yoga and meditation accessible to our community, these sessions are drop-in (no reservation needed) and have a $5 class fee.  Students are always welcome to borrow studio props, including chairs, to provide comfort and ease.

Selection of Alice’s meditation resources on the mantle at the studio.
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Training Thursday: Debbie B. and Shigeko focus on breath and chanting

Posted on January 2, 2020 by 4yoga

We begin 2020 by sharing information about a three-hour workshop that Debbie Berry and Shigeko Sleeper attended in November at Be Happy Yoga and Salt Cave.  Breath-Focused Asana and Chanting was led by Shailaja Madhavan, E-RYT 500, C-IAYT, from Atlanta, Georgia.

Debbie gained these insights from the training:

Asana practice done with breath awareness and movement have many physiological and psychological benefits such as managing stress, achieving calmness, promoting better sleep, regulating the nervous system, and strengthening the immune system 

Sound and chanting can also affect the Autonomic Nervous System by helping us regulate breath, helping to deactivate the wandering mind, and may aid in memory retention and improve the ability to focus 

We did a yoga practice together involving breath and chanting to experience these benefits. I was amazed at the effect chanting and intentional breath patterns had on calming the mind.

Shigeko echoed Debbie’s comments about the impact of chanting on her mind:

What I learned in that class was chanting is really meditating. Chanting helped me to concentrate on what I was doing.  First, it was not easy to do two things at the same time, chanting and working on the poses.  It forced me to use different parts of my brain that controlled language and mobility.  Once I got used to it, the two became one and nothing else was in my mind.   

I used that method in one of my classes at Franklin Library.  The students had the same reaction as I did.  They were overwhelmed first then became very focused.  All the movements were not very vigorous but I felt I had a lot of work on both my mind and body.  I would try that in one of my 4yoga classes.  Everybody, watch out, I will challenge you!!!

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Welcome 2020: schedule, pose of the month, and survey

Posted on December 31, 2019 by 4yoga

As we prepare to welcome 2020, we are excited to share the pose of the month and class schedule and to ask for your feedback to help us in our ongoing planning.  Read on to discover our focus for January, our new offerings to kick off the new year, and a link to our survey.  We are grateful to Sydni for selecting January’s pose and contributing the following information about it.

January Pose of the Month

Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge Pose)

Setu = bridge

Bandha = lock

Sarva = all

Anga = limb

Asana = pose 

Bridge pose is a wonderful posture and widely accessible backbend that has many benefits. It is strengthening, helping us to move well into the new year; grounding, helping us to be present, stable, strong; heart opening, helping us to welcome with acceptance whatever comes to us. 
In the physical sense, Bridge pose is great for the posterior chain, running from the soles of the feet all the way up the back and neck to its end point at the forehead. As we’ve spent so much time sitting in cars or airplanes to see family, or resting on couches catching up with loved ones, it’s good to open up the front body again for a fresh start to a new year. 

Bridge is also said to stimulate the root chakra, the heart chakra, and the throat chakra, leading to grounding, forgiveness, love, and clear communication. 

And so, we begin a new year. As always it’s important to know where we have come from to fully understand where we are. No matter what your 2019 held for you, it brought you to today. Allow your bridge to lead you to not only feel rooted and secure in your past, but also to move into a new season with an open heart so that you can be present in the moment you are in. 

—Sydni

Holiday classes and potluck:Looking for a class on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day?  Or a year-welcoming potluck brunch?  Join us at the studio!

  • New Year’s Eve 9 a.m. class with Heather.  Join Heather for a mixed-level practice on the morning of New Year’s Eve.  Mixed-level classes are accessible to students at all levels of experience, and this is our only class on the holiday.
  • New Year’s Day 10 a.m. class with Cre.  Ring in the new year with a morning New Year’s Day class with Cre, which is also a mixed-level class.  Although it is our only class on this holiday, it is followed by brunch!
  • New Year’s Potluck Brunch at 11:30 a.m.  Whether you join Cre for the first class of the new year or opt to have a more leisurely start to your day, please join us for our traditional potluck brunch, beginning at 11:30 a.m.  We will provide a selection of juices, a variety of hot tea, and table service.  Bring your favorite brunch item to share as we celebrate the beginning of 2020 together.

New classes: In addition to continuing to offer our regular full schedule of studio classes, we are delighted to provide these new opportunities to practice together in January!

  • Weekly meditation with Beshka on Monday mornings. Join Beshka Moore at 8 a.m. on Mondays to begin your week with this meditation class designed to calm your mind, settle your body, and bring a new and softer focus to the rest of your day. We will start with breath work, which will prepare us for guided mindful meditation. This class is wonderful for all levels of experience:  no prior yoga or meditation experience is necessary.  This class will last 60 minutes, and students are welcome to stay for Beshka’s 9:30 a.m. Basics yoga class after meditation concludes.
  • Mat Pilates with Susan begins Jan. 8.  Looking for a class that focuses on core strength?  Look no further!  Susan Stanton will offer weekly, drop-in Mat Pilates classes on Wednesday nights at 7 p.m. The Mat Pilates method is safe and low impact, pairing perfectly with a regular yoga practice to further strengthen the core, improve balance, and increase overall flexibility and coordination. Every exercise is performed with attention to the breath, proper form, and efficient movement to isolate target muscle groups. These classes will last 60 minutes and are offered at the same $5 class fee as our yoga classes.
  • Saturday drop-in classes for beginners with Angie.  These special classes will meet at 11 a.m. the first three Saturdays of January (Jan. 4, 11, and 18).  They will introduce beginning yoga students to 4yoga studio space, yoga etiquette, basic yoga postures—including alignment principles and breathing techniques—and the structure of a yoga class.  Each 70-minute class will follow a similar structure, and students are welcome to attend one, two, or three sessions.  We have all the supplies needed, so just bring yourself and your class fee, which is $5.  Please wear clothes that will allow you to move comfortably.
  • Meditation@the Studio on Jan. 25 with Alice.  While December concluded our regular monthly yoga and meditation classes at The Downing Museum, we have transplanted the meditation class to the studio!  The date will remain the same—4th Saturday whenever possible—and the time will change only slightly to 11 a.m.  Although the $5 class fee remains, the class will now be all drop-in (no need to pre-register).  We hope you can join Alice Simpson on Sat., Jan. 25, at 11 a.m. to begin this new tradition.

Student survey:  we would be very grateful for your help as we continue planning for 2020!  We have created a brief, anonymous survey that should take only a few minutes of your time to complete, and it will help us determine how best to serve our community in 2020.  Please share your ideas here.

Inclement weather policy:  during inclement weather, we decide on class cancellations independently of local schools’ decisions.  If we do need to cancel a class, we will announce that decision at least an hour before the class begins and in two ways:  

Should the weather be uncertain in the next couple of months, please keep an eye on these online resources for updates.

For a full list of January classes, please see the calendar page or pick up a hard copy at The Pots Place.  We also post an image version of the schedule each month and the day’s classes each morning on our Facebook page, where we also create events for special classes, should you find it convenient to keep up with us there.  

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