We know many of you are curious about Mat Pilates and how Pilates can complement your yoga practice—and we are delighted that Susan Stanton will offer a 4-week introductory series in October and November! Read on for more details.
About Mat Pilates: Mat Pilates is a series of exercises from the traditional method developed by Joseph Pilates in the early 1900s. Every exercise is performed with attention to the breath, proper form, and efficient movement patterns to isolate target muscle groups. The Mat method is safe and low impact, pairing perfectly with a regular yoga practice to further strengthen the core, improve balance, and increase overall flexibility as well as coordination.
About Susan:
You already know Susan Stanton as a frequent teacher of the Monday-night Flow class. In addition to having earned a 200-hour RYT credential, Susan is certified in Mat Pilates. She is a strong advocate of coupling the two disciplines to achieve the perfect balance of core power and increased flexibility.
About the series: This 4-week series will meet on Wednesday nights at 7 p.m., and each class will last 70 minutes to allow plenty of time for instruction. In order to provide individualized attention for each student, space is limited, so please sign up soon to reserve your spot!
Oct. 16
Oct. 23
Oct. 30
Nov. 6
Series fee: $40. Register by completing this brief form.
Welcome to September! We are excited to share the pose of the month and class schedule with all of you!
Now in its fourth month, the pose of the month is a pose that one of our teachers selects and shares insights about in this message. As the month unfolds, teachers take up the challenge of incorporating this pose—or variations of it—into their class sequences.
We look forward to exploring this month’s pose with you, and we are grateful to Cre Dye for selecting it and contributing the following information!
The excitement and spirit of September can be insane and full of hustle and bustle. Often it seems as if everyone we meet during this time is breathless and in a hurry. Our lives appear to be on auto pilot-mode—time spent thinking about what happened in the past and what needs to be done in the future while not giving notice to what IS happening to our heart, minds, bodies, and relationships in the present.
Balasana is a great pose for the notice of our heart, minds, and bodies. It is a restful pose that can be sequenced between more challenging asanas. It is also a restful pose that can be sequenced within a challenging day.
Child’s pose helps to stretch the hips, thighs, and ankles while reducing stress and fatigue. It gently relaxes the muscles on the front of the body while softly and passively stretching the muscles of the back torso.
This resting pose centers, calms, and soothes the brain, making it a therapeutic posture to relax the stress response. When performed with the head and torso supported, it can also help relieve back and neck pain. Sometimes used as a counter pose to backbend, child’s pose restores balance and equanimity to the body.
—Cre
Updates and events:
Labor Day class at 9 a.m. Looking for an opportunity to practice on the holiday? Join Sydni Elhubishi at 9 a.m. for a mixed-level class to which everyone is welcome! As is our tradition on holidays, this will be our only class on Mon., Sept. 2.
Introduction to Yoga class offered. Do you know someone who would like to begin or revive a yoga practice? Invite them to sign up for September’s Introduction to Yoga class with Leslie Weigel on Sat., Sept. 21, at 11 a.m. Read more about what the class will cover and register from this post.
Book club meets. We are delighted that our quarterly book club, facilitated by Tori Treangen, will meet on Sun., Sept. 8, at 1 p.m. This quarter’s book is Yoga and the Pursuit of Happiness: A Guide to Finding Joy in Unexpected Places by Sam Chase. More information about the book club, including a link to download the e-book from the Warren County Public Library, is elsewhere on our website.
Register now for Yoga@the Museum and Meditation@the Museum classes. Want to practice at The Downing Museum in September? Check out this post to learn more about both classes and their teachers—and for the links to the registration forms. (Note: the meditation class is already nearly full from the “soft release” of its Facebook event, so please sign up soon if you’d like to attend.)
Drop-in meditation classes continue. Each month, Alice Simpson offers two drop-in Mindfulness Meditation classes in our downtown studio for our usual $5 class fee. Whether you are new to meditation or an experienced meditator, please join Alice on Sat., Sept. 7, at 2 p.m. (in the studio) and Tues., Sept. 10, at 5:30 p.m. (in the lounge at the studio). Read more on this earlier post.
4yoga marks 8th anniversary! We are excited to recognize the studio’s eighth anniversary on Sept. 27! Look for opportunities to celebrate together in October, and let us know if you have ideas for ways to mark this milestone!
For a full list of September classes, please see the calendar page of this site—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, should you find it convenient to keep up with us there.
Have you been thinking that you would like to start doing yoga but are not sure where to begin? Or perhaps you’ve been away from your mat for awhile and would like an organized but still brief re-introduction? Then join Leslie Weigel for our next Introduction to Yoga class on Sat., Sept. 21, 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
This 90-minute session will introduce beginning yoga students to several topics:
4yoga studio space
yoga etiquette
basic yoga postures including alignment principles and breathing techniques
the structure of a yoga class
Leslie has been practicing and teaching yoga for over 8 years and is enthusiastic about sharing her knowledge and love of yoga with new students in a simple and direct way and at a slow pace that respects students of all levels of fitness.
To provide appropriate attention for each student, this class is limited to 10 participants and registration is required. Complete this online form to hold your space: https://tinyurl.com/4yoga-intro
The investment for this class is $10, payable by check or cash when you arrive. Please wear comfortable clothing. If you have a yoga mat and want to bring it, you are welcome to do so; however, we have all the required supplies at the studio: you need only to bring yourself!
The studio with its view of Fountain Square is waiting for you!
Looking beyond Labor Day to the rest of your September schedule? Why not make time for a yoga or meditation class at The Downing Museum?
Whether you are already a fan of practicing at the museum or curious about trying yoga or meditation while surrounded by amazing artwork, we invite you to sign up today; see details below, and use the links to register. *
Yoga@the Museum: join Chie Tanaka for this Basics-level practice on Sat., Sept. 14, at 10:30 a.m. by registering here. Our basics classes incorporate asanas (poses), breathing exercises, and awareness linking the breath to movement. They focus on alignment, offer modifications to help students at varying levels of experience, and are moderately paced.
Yin@the Museum: because of scheduling challenges, we are placing the Yin@the Museum class on hiatus. However, we hope that you can join us for another @the Museum or studio class in September!
Meditation@the Museum: join Alice Simpson on Sat., Sept. 28 at 10:30 a.m. to explore several meditation techniques, including mindfulness, guided, mantra, walking, and listening meditations. We welcome both beginners and experienced meditators to this monthly session, which is filling up fast; register here.
* Registration requirement: to respect the space in the art gallery, participants must pre-register for all of our @the Museum classes. In addition, if you register and later find that you cannot attend, please notify us know immediately so that we can offer that space to another student.
Registration deadline: to allow us to prepare for the @the Museum classes, registration closes at noon the previous day or when the class reaches capacity, whichever occurs first.
Cancellation policy: participants who cancel the day the class meets or no-show prevent other students from being able to attend. Therefore, please help us serve our community by honoring your registration commitment or by providing at least 24 hours’ advance notice if you cannot.
4yoga + The Downing Museum August 2019 (4yoga stickers for sale soon!)
If your Labor Day weekend plans include being in Bowling Green, come join us on beautiful Fountain Square for any or all of our seven 4yoga classes!
Friday, Aug. 30:
9:30 a.m. Gentle with Deb L.
5:30 p.m. Yin with Chie
Saturday, Aug. 31:
9 a.m. Basics with Carmen
4 p.m. Basics/Restorative with Deb L.
Sunday, Sept. 1:
8:30 a.m. Mixed level (all students welcome) with Heather
4 p.m. Basics with Deb L.
Monday, Sept. 2 (Labor Day):
9 a.m. Mixed level (all students welcome) with Sydni. Note: this morning, mixed-level class, is our only class on Labor Day. As is usual for our holiday schedule, it replaces the usual classes on this day.
In addition to our ongoing community members, we welcome guests who are visiting Bowling Green for the holiday weekend! All of our classes are drop-in, and the class fee is $5, payable in cash or check. We also have mats and many other props available at the studio for your use at no additional charge.
Free parking is available on the street or, to avoid construction on Main Avenue, in the parking lot immediately behind The Pots Place (next to Steamer Seafood restaurant). For more details about each type of class, please see our class descriptions page.
This week, we share the news of an extensive Ayurveda training that Deb Logan completed in June and July with James Bailey and through Sanctuary for Yoga in Nashville!
And by “extensive,” we mean 150 hours! In fact, this Level 1 Ayurveda Wellness Counselor Programis so substantial that it satisfies the entire elective requirements for Deb’s 300-hour yoga teacher training at Sanctuary. Here is what Deb had to say about her experiences:
This course demonstrated the complexities of India’s ancient system of healing practices, a system not reducible to those on-line dosha quizzes currently trending in the West. Ayurveda’s primary principle is disease prevention through diet and lifestyle choices, aiming to establish and maintain the balance necessary for a resilient immune system.
The biggest takeaway for me is that far more of our health outcomes are self-manageable than we might assume. Ayurveda posits that anyone can improve quality of health and life by applying the mindfulness we bring to yoga practice to other aspects of our lives, from the food we eat to the screens we watch.
The course provided in-depth guidance and resources that complement yoga practice and lifestyle; it’s great for developing self-knowledge and for deepening comprehension of yogic healing.
Read more about James Bailey’s Ayurveda program at Sanctuary here. And, for an opportunity to learn from Deb directly, join her for a Sept. 7 workshop at Harmony Therapeutic Yoga.
In September, our quarterly-esque book club will meet.to discuss Yoga and the Pursue of Happiness by Sam Chase! Please join us on Sun., Sept. 8, at 1 p.m. in the second-floor lounge.
Tori has purchased two copies of the book and is sharing them with our community via the studio’s version of a little free library (the gray bookshelf in the hallway). If one of those copies is available when you are next at the studio, feel free to borrow it.
If you’d prefer your own hard copy, affordable paperbacks are available at your favorite retailer. Or if you’d rather borrow an ebook, the Warren County Public Library offers it via the Hoopla platform. Click here to borrow the ebook.
From Hoopla’s description of the book:
In Yoga and the Pursuit of Happiness, you’ll discover that lasting happiness is already at your fingertips-in the small, everyday moments inherently infused with purpose and meaning. The philosophy of yoga-rather than the poses and postures-boils down to one fundamental process: overcoming suffering by coming to know ourselves and aligning our actions with our own intrinsic sense of spiritual purpose. And yoga gives us the tools to address two basic existential questions: Who am I? What should I do?
Tori will facilitate the discussion, and everyone is welcome, regardless of how much or how little of the book you’ve had a chance to read. The conversation will conclude in plenty of time for participants to attend the 4 p.m. yoga class if they also want to practice that afternoon.
If you are able to bring a vegetarian snack to share, please do—we will provide a selection of hot tea along with cups, plates, and utensils. We look forward to seeing everyone and discussing the book in September!
September’s book club selection: Yoga and the Pursuit of Happiness! (photo credit: Tori Treangen)
Welcome back to our Training Thursday feature, where we highlight the ongoing training that teachers are completing as they enhance their knowledge and understanding of the world of yoga!
Today we feature a 12-hour workshop taken by three folks who teach at 4yoga: Debbie Berry, Trudy Burkeen, and Carmen Herrera. Debbie, Trudy, and Carmen traveled to New Harmony, Indiana, for this weekend with Leslie Kaminoff. Many yoga teachers are familiar with Kaminoff because of his anatomy book, a popular choice for teacher trainings. The workshop was organized and hosted by Yoga Think Tank, founded by Shanda Packard of Harmony Therapeutic Yoga.
The August 16–18 workshop drew dozens of participants—fellow yoga teachers, yoga studio owners, and yoga students—and was divided into four main sections:
An Introduction to Breath-Centered Yoga
Shushumna Nadi in Theory and Practice
Healthy Spines: Range of Motion, Support, and Breath
The Sage’s Seat—The Anatomy and Physiology of Yoga, Meditation, and Pranayama
Debbie, Trudy, and Carmen all agreed that the workshop’s focus on breath and on paying attention to students’ individual experience was quite helpful. For example, Debbie noted
We explored a “new to me” way of breathing especially on the exhale, the “apana,” by initiating the exhale breath from the pelvis and moving it up and out the nostrils like a wave. I also liked that he discussed breath being a pleasant and coordinated shape change and described tightness as a blockage in the shape change.
Carmen highlighted
[Learning] why there’s no single “right way” to breathe—the importance of integrated breathing within the context of our activities.
Trudy mentioned Kaminoff’s connection between the direction of the nose or gaze and the degree of opening in the pose, as a strategy to prevent straining in the pose. For example, in triangle, if a student cannot gaze up at the thumb of the extended arm, then he or she should only open the arm to match the trajectory of the nose.
All three teachers especially appreciated the workshop’s focus on students’ individual experiences on their mats and indicated that, as teachers, they look forward to guiding students’ experimentation with both their breath and their bodies in future classes. Debbie shared her favorite quotation from Kaminoff: “’In yoga we’re not looking to add anything that is missing from the system. It’s to focus on what is still going right in the body and help unblock what is in the way.”
We look forward to benefitting from what Debbie, Trudy, and Carmen learned when we take their upcoming classes!
Carmen (left) and Debbie (standing, second from right) enjoy dinner with Leslie KaminoffDebbie (back row, center-ish) and Trudy (back row, second from right) participate in the workshop photo credit: Lydia Mann
Today we bring you an unconventional Training Thursday—one that highlights the activities of one of our previous yoga teachers who has now expanded her repertoire to include massage therapy!
Many of you have missed seeing Cassandra Cantrell-Mohr at the studio, but the good news is that you can now visit her at Suite Zen, where she is offering $10 off a first massage for 4yoga students and teachers!
Massage Therapy allowed me to deepen my understanding of the body mind connection that we often experience with yoga! I have a more thorough knowledge of anatomy and physiology and its applications to yoga, and I love bringing together yoga and massage for a holistic approach to overall wellbeing.
After becoming licensed in both Tennessee and Kentucky, Cassandra is excited to be offering massage to the Bowling Green community. To learn more about the types of massage that she offers, check out Suite Zen’s staff page; to book a session with her, call or text her at 270-991-8118.
Welcome to Training Thursday, the occasional feature where we spotlight the ongoing training that teachers are completing!
Today we look south to Nashville, to Sanctuary for Yoga, where Deb Logan and Shigeko Sleeper recently completed a 30-hour weekend module titled “Getting Off the Mat: Advanced Assisting in the Flow.” This module is one of the five core modules in Sanctuary’s 300-hour teacher-training program, and it was taught by Tom Larkin and Daphne Larkin, Sanctuary’s founders.
We asked Deb and Shigeko about their most substantial lessons from the training, and here is what they each shared:
We learned a wide variety of “assists” that addressed the challenges of helping individual students during a flow class–how to observe students as they practice, how to assess individual situations quickly and efficiently, and how to help facilitate student access to poses during a flow sequence. These assists ranged from simple to elaborate, with and without props, and from hands-on to verbal cueing.
Our course was guided by the idea that “Everybody / Every Body is different.” As teachers, our role is to help students find ways to experience the benefits of a yoga practice adapted to their bodies, to their health conditions, and to any other varying circumstances.
—Deb
The biggest lesson I learned from this module is this: if assisting of the poses is done by a trained teacher, the students can feel much more space in the muscles, through the spine, or wherever the pose is intended to help liberate the body. Working intensively for three days both assisting fellow teachers and being assisted by them, I expected that I would have aches and pains at the conclusion. In reality, my body feels much better than before the training.
In my classes, I have done very limited assisting so far, but I will try, with their permission, to assist my students to come to different poses so that they can experience the liberation I experienced during this training.
—Shigeko
In case you were wondering about our studio policy for hands-on assists, it is to provide them only with student consent. We have chips available in the props closet for teachers to provide for students to indicate whether or not they would like to be touched in a class. Of course, students are always able to change their minds at any point during class, as well.
We look forward to practicing with Deb L. and Shigeko in August!
Training group for Getting Off the Mat: Advanced Assisting in the Flow Sanctuary for Yoga—July 28, 2019 From left: Shigeko, Daphne Larkin, Deb From right: Tom Larkin
4yoga 