Registration open: January 2018 classes at The Downing Museum

Posted on December 30, 2017 by 4yoga

In preparation for 2018, we have opened registration for next month’s classes at The Downing Museum! We hope that you can join us for these special opportunities to practice in an especially beautiful space.

Because room in the gallery is limited, we require pre-registration to manage the class sizes and cannot accommodate drop-in students at the museum. To join us for one or both of these classes, offered at our usual class fee of $5, use the link(s) below to reserve your space.

Yoga@the Museum, taught by Angie: Sat., 1/13, 11 a.m.—tinyurl.com/yoga-themuseum

Meditation@the Museum, led by Alice: Sat., 1/27, 11 a.m.—tinyurl.com/meditation-themuseum

If you click on the link and discover that the class is full, email us at yoga.me@gmail.com to be added to the wait list. In your message, please include your first and last names, your preferred email address, and whether you will bring your own mat.

If you register and later find that you are unable to attend, please email us immediately so that we can offer your place to someone from the wait list.

Should your January schedule keep you from joining us, keep an eye out for our future class dates. And the folks at The Downing Museum welcome you to visit the museum and/or the arboretum any time they are open!

Courtyard at The Downing Museum
photo credit: Alice Simpson

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January Wellness Series: 4 weeks of self-care exploration

Posted on December 30, 2017 by 4yoga

At 4yoga, we practice wellness and want to share what we consider several foundations of wellness with our community! To allow you to sample different options and determine how each one might enhance your life, each week in the series will emphasize a different method.

We welcome anyone who is interested to join us for this series—we have designed it to be accessible to all, so experience is neither needed or expected!  We also have mats and yoga props available at the studio:  all you need to bring is yourself.

These 90-minute classes meet on Saturdays in January at 11 a.m., and, after each class concludes, we will provide light snacks in the lounge and host an optional discussion with students who have questions or topics to explore further.

Week 1 (1/6): introduction to and practice of Pilates.  This week we will review the history of this modality, including its founder, Joseph Pilates.  In addition to exploring what Pilates is and is not, Cassandra will lead us through Pilates exercises to learn how to practice safely to strengthen and tone our bodies.

Week 2 (1/13):  Introduction to and practice of hatha yoga and mindfulness meditation.  This week we will practice not only moving with intention but also setting intentions for 2018; in addition, Cassandra will guide us through mindfulness meditation techniques that we can apply to reduce stress.

Week 3 (1/20):  introduction to and practice of Anjali Restorative yoga.  This week Angie will lead us through a class in the Anjali style of restorative yoga, which is a rich practice of deep and meditative support, both physically and emotionally. We will be held by bolsters, pillows and blankets for sustained periods of time in deeply rejuvenating postures.

Week 4 (1/27):  introduction to mindful eating and how to apply mindful eating practices to enhance our health year-round.  In this session, Cassandra will also lead a gentle yoga practice with a somatic (body-focused) meditation.  Finally, we will re-visit previous weeks’ content and discuss other wellness options.

To join us and begin 2018 with this exploration of wellness, use this link to register:  https://tinyurl.com/4yoga-wellness .

For this four-week series, the fee is $50.

2018-01_Wellness_Series_flyer3

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January Yoga for All series: registration open!

Posted on December 24, 2017 by 4yoga

1/1/18 update:  we have now reached capacity for this series–thank you for your interest!  If you’d like to be added to the waitlist or to receive an email about additional Yoga for All series or classes, please send an email to 4yoga.me@gmail.com.  You may also be interested in our other January series, focused on wellness, and you can read more about it and register here.

We are excited to announce that registration for the 4-week January Yoga for All series is now open!  See the flyer below for details, and use this registration form to sign up!

Yoga for All flyer: January 2018 (Flyer credit: Ashley Chance Fox.)

For more information about Ashley and her Yoga for All training, check out our recent Training Thursday post.

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Training Thursday: Ashley completes Yoga for All training

Posted on December 21, 2017 by 4yoga

Thanks for checking out this occasional series on our blog, Training Thursdays!  Today’s installment reports on Ashley’s recent completion of the five-week online Yoga for All program.  Ashley shares these thoughts about what that training provided:

As someone in a larger body, I understand being the “big girl” in a yoga class.  I felt uncomfortable, frustrated, and deflated when I couldn’t get into a pose because I wasn’t offered alternatives or modifications.  Those of us in larger bodies sometimes need different ways to get into and out of poses.

The Yoga For All training prepares yoga teachers to carefully create a class sequence using props and alternatives for those with different body shapes, sizes and abilities.  The class emphasizes how to use body positive, welcoming and inclusive words and phrases. We have lifelong access to numerous videos of modified sequences and full classes, one on one support and an online discussion group.

In addition, Ashley’s current students note the benefits of her training on their classes together:

“She’s my favorite! If you think you CAN’T do yoga, go to her class.  She will meet you right where you are and change your life. #miracleworker”—JS

“Ashley truly believes that yoga is accessible to ALL body types and she provides the supports needed to make it so. I was in the worst physical shape of my life when I went to my first practice, she adapted moves and added supports to make stretches and poses accessible to me—all in a supportive and nonjudgmental way that empowered me to do more than I thought I could. A couple of months later, my body feels better, stronger and looks better too. More importantly, I feel better about myself and am excited for my next yoga practice with her!”—JCS

“Before attending Ashley’s class I did not think my body was capable of yoga. However, after just a few classes I realized it was only my thoughts holding me back. Ashley met me where my body was with guidance, patience, and accommodations that fit ME.” —HB

To learn more about Yoga for All, check out the program’s website.  And, to enjoy classes with Ashley, watch for her appearances on the 4yoga schedule—particularly on December 28, 29, and 30—and in a special 4-week series coming in January!

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Christmas week schedule (2017)

Posted on December 17, 2017 by 4yoga

Are you spending time in Bowling Green during the week leading up to Christmas, either as a resident or a guest?  Then we invite you to join us for one of our 11 yoga classes!

If you have questions about our class styles, please first see our Class Descriptions page and then drop us an email (4yoga.me@gmail.com) if we can help match a class to your needs.

  • Monday, 12/18:  9:30 a.m. Basics with Beshka; 5:30 p.m. Flow with Chie.
  • Tuesday, 12/19:  9:30 a.m. Gentle with Angie.
  • Wednesday, 12/20:  9:30 a.m. Basics with Nicole; 5:30 p.m. Flow with Frances.
  • Thursday, 12/21:  9:30 a.m. Gentle with Frances; 4 p.m. Basics with Cassandra; 7 p.m. Restorative class Angie.
  • Friday, 12/22:  9:30 a.m. Gentle with Nicole; 5:30 p.m. Yin with Chie.
  • Saturday, 12/23:  9 a.m. Basics with Cassandra.
  • Sunday, 12/24:  no classes.
  • Monday, 12/25:  no classes.

For those of you visiting our studio for the first time, all our studio classes are drop-in, although we do encourage new students to arrive about 15 minutes before class begins. Also, you are welcome to borrow mats and other props at no additional charge.

In keeping with our mission as a community studio, our class fee is $5/class, payable by cash or check.

Whether or not we see each other at the studio this holiday season, we hope that you are able to celebrate in all your favorite ways!

Fountain Square Park from the studio, 2013

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December 2017 focus and class schedule

Posted on December 1, 2017 by 4yoga
How are you feeling about the holiday season this year?  When you remember this season as a child, what comes to mind?  For some, wonder and magic get kindled. For others, a sad memory may come.  The natural state of the child is innocence and trust.  The child is free from the worries of adulthood and loves to discover the world through play.  The inner child in each of us has tremendous potential to guide us to our true essence, which is to be in a state of love and trust.  In fact, the birth of the Christ in Christian tradition celebrates bringing divine love into the world through a child.
In the coming weeks, please take time to step out of the adult mind of planning, worrying, and judging and connect with your inner child.  Imagine being there to nurture him or play with her.  You will be surprised about the outcome!  He or she is waiting for you.
And now, “Did I just see a twinkle in the corner of my eye?” Yes, you did! Go with it! Happy holidays!
December updates and special events: 
  • Downtown activities on Fri., 12/1, and Sat., 12/2.  If you plan to attend the Yin class on Friday night or the Basics class on Saturday morning, please allow extra time to park off the square and make your way to the studio.  Friday is Downtown Lights Up and a Gallery Hop, and Saturday is the Jaycees’ Christmas Parade and the “Miracle on College Street” Fun Run.
  • Boys & Girls Club donations due Tues., 12/5, at noon.  For the second consecutive year, Cassandra has arranged for 4yoga to sponsor two children who are served by the Boys & Girls Club this Christmas season.  At the studio, we have copies of lists of each child’s sizes and preferences; if you would like to donate—either money or items—please contribute before noon on Tues., Dec. 5.  If you contribute and would like to attend the club’s Christmas Party and see the children open their gifts, please join them on Thurs., Dec. 14, at 4 p.m.
  • Monthly @the Museum classes.  Join us for one or both of our monthly classes at The Downing Museum:  with Leslie for Yoga@the Museum on Sat., Dec. 9, or with Alice for Meditation@the Museum on Sat., Dec. 16.  To find out more about the classes and to register, check out this post on our website.
  • Studio closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  As usual, we will close the studio on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day; however, we offer classes every other day in December.
  • New Year’s Eve class, New Year’s Day class, and Potluck Brunch.  Our New Year’s Eve class, led by Frances, will take place at 9 a.m. on Sun., Dec. 31.  On New Year’s Day, Angie will teach at 10 a.m., and then we will gather in the lounge for our traditional potluck brunch to ring in the new year together.
Introducing new teacher:  Ashley!  Ashley Chance Fox (RYT 200) completed her training at Mindful Motion Yoga Center with Cortni Saunders in September 2017.  Ashley’s goal is to ensure that everyone—no matter body size, flexibility or fitness level—feels welcome and comfortable in her classes.  Her passion for inclusion motivated Ashley to complete the Yoga For All program in November 2017, a training focused on “creating body positive yoga classes for all shapes, sizes and abilities.”  Off the mat, Ashley teaches American Sign Language and Coordinates the American Sign Language Studies Program at WKU.  She is married to Scott Fox and has two fur babies, Kennedy and CanDoo.
For a full list of December activities, please see the image below or the online calendar–or pick up a hard copy at The Pots Place.  We also post updates each morning on our Facebook page, should you find it convenient to keep up with us there.
Accessing studio after class has begun:  Remember that even if the front door is locked when you arrive, you can still join us for class. Just come to the back door of The Pots Place (look for the blue building) and ring the buzzer.  The teacher will then unlock the door remotely for you to enter through the pottery studio.
2017-12_4yoga_schedule

December class schedule

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Registration now open: December @the Museum classes!

Posted on November 28, 2017 by 4yoga

In preparation for December, we have opened registration for next month’s classes at The Downing Museum! We hope that you can join us to practice in an especially beautiful space.

Because room in the gallery is limited, we require pre-registration to manage the class sizes and are, therefore, are unable to accommodate drop-in students at the museum. Therefore, to join us for one or both of these classes, offered at our usual class fee of $5, use the link(s) below to reserve your space.

Yoga@the Museum, taught by Leslie: Sat., 12/9, 11 a.m.—tinyurl.com/yoga-themuseum

Meditation@the Museum, led by Alice: Sat., 12/16, 11 a.m.—tinyurl.com/meditation-themuseum

If you click on the link and discover that the class is full, email us at yoga.me@gmail.com to be added to the wait list. In your message, please include your first and last names, your preferred email address, and whether you will bring your own mat.

If you register and later find that you are unable to attend, please email us immediately so that we can offer your place to someone from the wait list.

Should your December schedule keep you from joining us, keep an eye out for our January class dates. And the folks at The Downing Museum welcome you to visit the museum and/or the arboretum any time they are open!

Arboretum_pond_Alice_2017-10

Fall at the Baker Arboretum (photo credit:  Alice Simpson)

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Frances and Susan James bring yoga to T.C. Cherry!

Posted on November 27, 2017 by 4yoga

Frances instructs
T.C. Cherry students
(photo credit: Susan James)

On Tues., Nov. 21, 2017, Frances Strickler and Susan James provided a Sharpen the Saw activity as part of the Leader in Me program at the T.C. Cherry Elementary School.

Sharpen the Saw addresses self-care, self-respect, and self-improvement, incorporating the balance among physical, spiritual, mental, and social/emotional categories.  Therefore, Frances and Susan determined that yoga was an appropriate way to contribute to the students’ experience.

Their timely program covered two perspectives on Thanksgiving:  a view of how it might have been experienced by the early settlers in this country, and a consideration of how students expected to experience their own Thanksgivings this year.

Instead of instructing a pre-set sequence, Frances and Susan had students help construct the class sequence as a narrative.  The students’ story incorporated sun salutations, moon poses, warrior poses, triangle, tree, squats, chair, and variations. Their Thanksgiving journey lasted 45 minutes and ended with a well-deserved savasana in their chairs, something for which all the students were thankful.

And we at 4yoga are thankful that Frances and Susan are not only part of our yoga community but are willing to take their talents out into the larger community and share them with the students at T.C. Cherry!

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Thanksgiving weekend schedule: 8 opportunities to practice

Posted on November 21, 2017 by 4yoga

As we head into the long Thanksgiving weekend, we are grateful for the opportunity to continue to practice with members of the Bowling Green yoga community!  If you are in town for the holiday, we invite you to join us for any or all of the following eight classes that fit your schedule.

Wednesday (11/22): 

  • 9:30 a.m. Basics class with Nicole
  • 5:30 p.m. Flow class with Angie

Thursday (Thanksgiving Day, 11/23):  

  • 9 a.m. Mixed-level class with Cassandra.  All students are welcome to mixed-level classes, where teachers provide options to help students customize their practice.  As is usual for holiday classes, this single class replaces our usual class schedule for today.

Friday (Black Friday, 11/24):

  • 9:30 a.m. Gentle class with Shigeko
  • 5:30 p.m. Yin class with Cassandra

Saturday (11/25):  

  • 9 a.m. Basics class with Beshka

Sunday (11/26):

  • 8:30 a.m. Mixed-level class with Chie.  All students are welcome to mixed-level classes, where teachers provide options to help students customize their practice.
  • 4 p.m. Basics class with Chie

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 you to use at no additional charge.

Free parking is available on the street or 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.

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Training Thursday: Cassandra completes workshop with Mas Vidal

Posted on November 16, 2017 by 4yoga

Thanks for checking out this occasional series on our blog, Training Thursdays!  In this installment, we report on Cassandra’s Rasayana workshop with Mas Vidal at Liberation Nashville.  Cassandra shares these thoughts about the November 12 event:

Mas came to Nashville to share the combined power of Yoga and Ayurveda. In the workshop, we explored the uses of asana and pranayama to cultivate rasayana: which means path of essence. It is a longevity practice designed to strengthen, relax and balance majja dhatu (nervous system).  We practiced and discussed the uses of mantra and learned the Ayruveda oils used on the body to promote asana practice.  The response to these practices is a deep state of relaxation and awareness.

To learn more about Mas Vidal, check out his website, Dancing Shiva.  To enjoy classes with Cassandra, watch for her appearances on the 4yoga schedule, offering everything from Flow to Yin.  In fact, she is substituting for Cre both on Saturday, November 18 (9 a.m. Basics class) and on Sunday, November 19 (8:30 a.m. Spiritual Warrior class), so you have two extra opportunities to practice with her this weekend!

Mas Vidal & Cassandra Cantrell
Liberation Nashville—Nov. 12, 2017

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