Welcome new teachers for August!

Posted on July 29, 2019 by 4yoga

We are delighted to introduce two new teachers who will be joining 4yoga in August! (Actually, Trudy also taught in July, but we forgot to introduce her properly then.)

Trudy and Susan are looking forward to expanding our teaching staff and to practicing with our community. Please read on for brief biographies of each of them, and watch for their names on the August schedule.

Trudy Burkeen, RYT 200

Although Trudy is no stranger to 4yoga, having been a longtime student, we want to introduce her as a yoga teacher. Trudy completed her 200-hour teacher training with Susan Polk at Be Happy Yoga and Salt Cave and believes that yoga should be available for everyone in the community. Her own 14+ years of practicing yoga began when she took a beginner’s class one January; since then, she has gained strength, flexibility, and balance. In fact, her yoga practice has helped her prevent a major surgery that doctors indicated that she would need. Trudy says, “yoga has been my medicine and my reward.”

Off the mat, Trudy is a Bowling Green native; she is retired from the Warren County school system and has been married to Phil for 34 years. They have three children and a 13+ year-old dog, Daisy: oldest daughter, Sheena, is married and lives in Lexington; son Grant is married and also resides in Lexington; and youngest daughter, Christine, lives in Bowling Green.

Susan Stanton, RYT 200

Susan begin practicing yoga 20 years ago to complement her lifelong study of dance and teaching. After 8 years of Ashtanga, she took her first Vinyasa class and was hooked as the movements of the flow not only felt like home but also helped ease the stress of her role in the corporate world. In addition to her RYT-200, Susan is certified in Mat Pilates and is an advocate of coupling the two disciplines to achieve the perfect balance of core power and increased flexibility. 

She loves the strength of mind, body and spirit she has gained from yoga and truly believes the practice will reward those committed to showing up, quieting their minds, and surrendering to the process with a greater connection to themselves and the world around them. 

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Practice Yoga or Meditation at The Downing Museum in August!

Posted on July 28, 2019 by 4yoga

Looking ahead to your August schedule? Why not make time for a hatha yoga, yin yoga, or meditation class at The Downing Museum?

Whether you are already a fan of practicing at the museum or looking for a first class to experience in this lovely environment, we invite you to sign up today; see details below, and use the links to register. *

  • Yoga@the Museum:  join Shigeko Sleeper for this Basics-level practice on Sat., Aug. 10, 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.
  • Meditation@the Museum:  join Alice Simpson on Sat., Aug. 24, 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; register here.
  • Yin@the Museum:  welcome Chie Tanaka back to teaching the Yin class at the museum, on Sat., Aug. 31, at 4:30 p.m.—join her by registering here.  [Please note a the new date, necessitated by the museum’s schedule.] Yin yoga works the deeper layers of connective tissue to improve flexibility and hydration of the joints and tissue by using longer, deeper holds of specific, tailored poses. It often targets the lower back and hips, and it can also promote deep release of stress and tension from both body and mind.

* 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.

Beautiful planter in The Downing Museum parking lot
July 27, 2019

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4yoga participates in WKU Staff Senate’s Woo-Sah Wednesday

Posted on July 18, 2019 by 4yoga

On Wednesday, July 17, Heather, Leslie, and Angie set up a table at a wellness event hosted by WKU’s Staff Senate. This four-hour, pop-up event in the Downing Student Union provided opportunities to talk with WKU staff members about the benefits of yoga and meditation and to share options to practice at our studio and at The Downing Museum.

Heather notes that she enjoyed talking with members of the campus community about yoga and seeing them “light up when we told them that it was only $5 with certified teachers.” She also heard from many participants that they were surprised that yoga was not included in the campus wellness program.

Several participants told Angie about the anxiety and stress that they have been feeling with the budget challenges on campus. They indicated that they were looking for healthy strategies to help them manage the changes in their work areas, whether seeing co-workers lose their jobs or taking on more responsibilities themselves to meet their units’ ongoing needs.

We awarded three pairs of gift certificates to randomly chosen folks who signed up for our email list, and we hope to see both those staff members and several others at future classes. Thank you to the Staff Senate for inviting us to participate!

Leslie demonstrates Warrior 2 (Virabhadrasana II)
photo credit: Heather Kessler
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Training Thursday: Angie joins Debbie, Frances, and Chie with 500-hour credential!

Posted on July 11, 2019 by 4yoga

After a nearly five-year journey, we are delighted to announce that Angie Jones has completed her 300-hour teacher-training program through Sanctuary for Yoga in Nashville and earned the 500-hour Yoga Alliance credential!

Angie’s primary teachers for this training were Daphne Larkin and Tom Larkin, who co-founded Sanctuary in 2004. She was also fortunate to learn from two other Sanctuary teachers for modules in yin (Elizabeth Stewart) and meditation (Danny Brewington). The studio’s teachers page includes bios for all of these talented people.

In addition, Angie benefitted from the expertise and knowledge of two guest teachers who visited Sanctuary from their home studios to provide weekend training modules:

Angie joins three other 4yoga teachers who hold the RYT 500 credential: Debbie Marquette, Frances Strickler, and Chie Tanaka. Specifically, Debbie is an E-RYT 500, where the “E” stands for “experienced” and indicates the teacher has taught for a minimum of 2,000 hours since completing teacher training.

Congratulations to all of our teachers for their ongoing professional development—our entire community benefits from your sharing of what you learn!

Yin Intensive Training Group
Sanctuary for Yoga
May 2015
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Independence Day weekend: 7 opportunities to practice!

Posted on July 2, 2019 by 4yoga

Will you be in Bowling Green for the 4th of July holiday weekend?  If so, we invite you to join us for any of these 7 classes at the studio!

  • Thursday, 7/4: 9 a.m. Mixed with Debbie Marquette  (We welcome all students to Mixed-level classes, where the instructor provides options to allow everyone to have an accessible but challenging practice.  As is our tradition, this is our only class on the holiday itself.)
  • Friday, 7/5:
    • 9:30 a.m. Gentle with Trudy Burkeen
    • 5:30 p.m. Yin with Deb Logan
  • Saturday, 7/6:
    • 9 a.m. Basics with Debbie Marquette
    • 4 p.m. Basics/Restorative with Deb Logan
  • Sunday, 7/7:
    • 8:30 a.m. Spiritual Warrior with Cre Dye
    • 4 p.m. Basics with Shigeko Sleeper

All 4yoga classes are drop-ins, the class fee is $5, and props are available at no additional charge.

If you have any questions about our classes or would like help selecting the best fit for you, check out the class descriptions, drop us an email (4yoga.me@gmail.com), or send us a message on Facebook.  We look forward to practicing with you this weekend!

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July (2019) pose of the month and class schedule

Posted on June 30, 2019 by 4yoga

As we welcome July, we are excited to share its pose of the month and class schedule!

In its second month, the pose of the month is a pose selected by one of our teachers; she then shares her thoughts about and experiences with it to our community.  As the month unfolds, teachers take up the challenge of incorporating this pose—or variations of it—into their class sequences for all but our yin and restorative classes.  

We look forward to exploring this month’s pose with you, and we are grateful to Debbie Marquette for contributing its information!


July’s Pose of the Month

Utkatasana (OOT-kah-TAHS-anna)

Utkata = powerful, fierce

Asana = pose

Utkatasana is a standing pose in the backbending category that strengthens the feet, ankles, calves, thighs, hips, and spine while stretching the shoulders and chest.  We commonly refer to Utkatasana as fierce pose, chair pose, and awkward pose.

All of the common names are easily understood when we practice this asana.  The full expression of Utkatasana asks us to take the awkward position of standing firm with knees bent as though sitting in a chair, engaging the core muscle while softening the tailbone, and lifting the arms and chest upward with fierceness and purpose.  It quickly become obvious that this is a heat-building, character-building pose of great intensity.

And it’s just that bit of intensity and awkwardness that I experience while practicing Utkatasana that makes me feel vulnerable and transparent.  If I look closely, I see that the pose mirrors my values and attitude toward life.  Taking my practice off the mat, can I stand strong in awkward, intense situations while lifting and opening my heart to the circumstances that surround me?  That is the real practice.

Join the 4yoga community this month as we explore the challenges and rewards of Utkatasana through healthy alignment, modifications, and variations.

Namaste,

Debbie M.

July updates and events: 

  • July 4th class with Debbie Marquette.  In town on Independence Day?  Join Debbie Marquette at 9 a.m. for our traditional mixed-level holiday class.  Please note that, although this will be the only class on the holiday, the schedule for all other days remains the same.
  • Registration open for all three @the Museum classes.  If you would like to practice hatha yoga, yin yoga, or meditation at The Downing Museum in July, sign up now to reserve your space!  Check out this post to learn more about all three classes and their teachers. Or, if you’re ready to register, follow these links: Yoga@the Museum, Yin@the Museum, Meditation@the Museum. Please note that registration for these classes closes when the class is full or at noon on the day prior to the class, so be sure to register early to ensure you can join us.
  • Drop-in meditation classes continue.  Alice Simpson offers drop-in Mindfulness Meditation classes on the second Saturday and second Tuesday of each month for our usual $5 class fee.  Whether you are new to meditation or an experienced meditator, please join Alice on Tues., July 9, at 5:30 p.m. (in the lounge in the back of the building—because tai chi meets in the studio at this time) and Sat., July 13, at 2 p.m. (in the studio). Read more on this earlier post.

For a full list of July classes, please see the calendar page—or pick up a hard copy at The Pots Place.  We also post the day’s classes each morning on our Facebook page, should you find it convenient to keep up with us there.  

Fountain Square Park
June 30, 2019

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Beat the July heat at the Downing Museum!

Posted on June 29, 2019 by 4yoga

What could be better on a hot summer SOKY day than finding some cool air conditioning, taking a yoga or meditation class, and admiring some wonderful art? Join us in July for a class at The Downing Museum!

Whether you are already a fan of practicing at the museum or looking for a first class to experience in this lovely environment, we invite you to sign up today; see details below, and use the links to register. *

  • Yoga@the Museum:  join Leslie Weigel for this Basics-level practice on Sat., July 13, 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:  Angie Jones offers an afternoon Yin practice at the museum, on Sat., July 20, at 4:30 p.m.—join her by registering here.  Yin yoga works the deeper layers of connective tissue to improve flexibility and hydration of the joints and tissue by using longer, deeper holds of specific, tailored poses. It often targets the lower back and hips, and it can also promote deep release of stress and tension from both body and mind.
  • Meditation@the Museum:  join Alice Simpson on Sat., July 27, 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; 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.

Even the side view of The Downing Museum is beautiful!
June 29, 2019
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Training Thursday: Deb’s 3-day “urban retreat” in London!

Posted on June 13, 2019 by 4yoga

As teachers continue learning about yoga, we continue to share Training Thursday posts, and this one takes us to London!

In March 2019, Deb Logan completed a three-day/20-hour immersion with Stephanie Snyder, founder of Love Story Yoga in San Francisco and popular teacher on the online platform Yogaglo. The workshop was hosted by triyoga Camden in London.  As Stephanie described the workshop, its content was “consistent with my teacher training offerings and designed to feel as supportive as it does informative.” 

Deb notes several benefits to the training:

Through such practices as pranayama, chanting, asana, somatic yoga, and in-depth discussions about yoga theory and its practical application, Stephanie promoted her aim to “fill your cup” with a view toward rejuvenation. This immersion was challenging while also deeply restful and restorative. From big-picture overviews to individual participants’ concerns about personal practice and teaching issues, the workshop…strengthened what I already knew while opening up potential new layers of understanding.

In addition, Deb appreciated the immersion’s “discussions about yogic philosophy, primarily emphasizing the Bhagavad Gita, and its applications to ourselves as teachers and as students, to our life experiences, and to those in our inner and outer circles with whom we interact. Applications linking physical with emotional resistance were particularly insightful, especially those addressing deep-seated trauma and its relation to yoga practice.”

For an upcoming opportunity to practice with Deb, join her on Sat., June 15, at 4 p.m. for the Basics/Restorative class!

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Welcome Debbie Berry!

Posted on June 1, 2019 by 4yoga

Although we briefly introduced Debbie Berry as a new teacher in the May email, we wanted to share some additional information about her and her connection to yoga as we begin the new month. In June, Debbie will be teaching several Gentle and Basics classes, and she is listed on the schedule as “Debbie B.” To learn more about Debbie, read on!

Debbie has been practicing yoga for 11 years and has been involved in fitness and sports for as long as she can remember. She was first drawn to yoga as a complement to physical therapy to heal from a sports-related injury. More recently, she has used yoga to help improve neck and shoulder pain and to increase range of motion. 

Debbie completed her 200-hour teacher training with Susan Polk at Be Happy Yoga in April and is currently a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT 200) with Yoga Alliance. She believes that yoga provides a great opportunity for sharing community with others in a welcoming environment. 

Off the mat, Debbie has a BS in Industrial Engineering from North Carolina State University and an MBA from Auburn University. She most recently worked at WKU as Industrial Partnership Coordinator in the Department of Engineering. 

Debbie and her husband, John, have been married for almost 35 years. They have been in Bowling Green for 10 years and enjoy sharing their home with their 9-year-old wire fox terrier, Chester. Their daughter, Jen, is married and lives in Greenville NC, and their son, Jonathon, lives in Lexington KY. 

Debbie Berry, RYT 200
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June (2019) pose of the month and class schedule

Posted on May 30, 2019 by 4yoga

Beginning in June, we are delighted to share a new approach to each month’s focus:  the pose of the month!  Each month, one of our teachers will select a pose and share her thoughts about and experiences with it in our schedule-announcing email.  Then teachers will take up the challenge of incorporating the pose of the month—or variations of it—into their class sequences for all but our yin and restorative classes.  

We look forward to exploring each month’s pose with you, and we are grateful to Debbie Marquette for contributing our first pose of the month!

June’s Pose of the Month

Parsvottanasana

  • Parsva(o) = side or flank
  • Uttan = intense
  • Tan = extend, stretch, lengthen
  • Asana = pose or posture

Parsvottanasana is a standing pose that intensely stretches the chest, shoulders, wrists, legs, hips and back.  This full body pose is commonly referred to as pyramid pose.  Working through the challenges of Parsvottanasana is definitely worth the effort so that the many benefits can be experienced.

For me, it is particularly challenging to find balance and stability in the pose while maintaining alignment.  The shoulders and hips work to align parallel to the front of the mat with the legs straight and split front to back.  Practitioners are also challenged by the classic hand position of reverse Namaste.  The hands are brought behind the back with palms together and fingertips pointing upward.  The chest then opens and lifts as the torso bows over the front leg.  If the hamstrings are not screaming by now, then the wrists are begging for mercy.  For those of us with injuries or limitations, the instructors will share optional tips and guide us into modifications in order that all students will find success and experience the numerous benefits of the pose.

The well-earned benefits of Parsvottanasana include lengthening of the hamstring muscles, allowing us to walk and move with greater ease.  The intense stretch of the shoulders and chest combats habitually rounded shoulders and upper back.  This in turn contributes to healthy respiratory and heart function.  Those able to position the hands in reverse Namaste have the opportunity to stretch the wrists, keeping the joint healthy for daily tasks and work.  But the reason that I continue to explore Parsvottanasana in my home practice is the potential of the pose to calm and soothe the nervous system, mind and spirit as I fold forward and move my attention from the outer world to my inner space.

Join the 4yoga instructors this month as we take a deeper look at Parsottanasana and its relationship to our practice.

Namaste, Debbie M.

June updates and events: 

  • Standing Strong Workshop with Lisa Kearny on Sat., 6/15, at noon.  Have you ever wanted to refine your understanding of standing poses?  If so, join Lisa Kearny for her 2.5-hour Standing Strong workshop on Saturday, June 15.  Read more about the workshop on our website, and contact Lisa directly to register.
  • Registration open for all three @the Museum classes.  If you would like to practice hatha yoga, yin yoga, or meditation at The Downing Museum in June, please sign up now to reserve your space!  Read more about all three classes and their teachers and follow the links to register on our website.
  • Drop-in meditation classes continue.  Alice Simpson offers Mindfulness Meditation classes on the second Saturday and second Tuesday of each month:  these sessions are available on a drop-in basis and for our usual $5 class fee.  Whether you are new to meditation or an experienced meditator, please join Alice on Sat., June 8, at 2 p.m. (in the studio) and Tues., 6/11, at 5:30 p.m. (in the lounge). Read more on this earlier post.

For a full list of June classes, please see the calendar page of this site—or pick up a hard copy at The Pots Place.  We also post the day’s classes each morning on our Facebook page, should you find it convenient to keep up with us there.

Fountain Square Park is Blooming!
May 14, 2019
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