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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Training Thursday: Angie completes weekend with Nicki Doane

Posted on November 9, 2017 by 4yoga

Thanks for checking out this third installment of our occasional series, Training Thursdays!  One of the best aspects of yoga is that we all continue to learn more about it every day, and this series highlights some of our teachers’ ongoing learning experiences.

In this installment in the series, we report on Angie’s latest set of weekend workshops, this time with Nicki Doane of Maui—on Oct. 27-29, Nicki brought her Maya Yoga to Nashville.  Angie enjoyed Nicki’s blend of both Ashtanga and Iyengar styles throughout these five workshops:

  • Maya Yoga Hip Openings
  • Make Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras Juicy and Exciting
  • Introduction to the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
  • Therapeutic Yoga for Feet, Knees and Hips
  • Wake Up Your Shakti

In addition to introducing her to Nicki’s style and providing new ideas for teaching and future study, these workshops also counted as electives toward Angie’s 300-hour training program at Sanctuary for Yoga in Nashville.

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Registration open: November classes at The Downing Museum

Posted on November 1, 2017 by 4yoga

To greet November, we have opened registration for the month’s special classes at the spectacular Downing Museum.  Because space is limited, we require pre-registration to manage the class sizes and cannot accommodate drop-in students.

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 Cassandra:  Sat., 11/11, 11 a.m.—tinyurl.com/yoga-themuseum
  • Meditation@the Museum, led by Alice:  Sat., 11/18, 11 a.m.  Note that this month’s meditation class will take place a week earlier than usual to allow the museum staff to close the facility over Thanksgiving weekend—tinyurl.com/meditation-themuseum

If you click on the link and discover that the class is full, email Angie at yoga.me@gmail.com to be added to the wait list.  In your message, 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 Angie immediately so that she can offer your place to someone from the wait list.

If you miss us at the museum in November, we hope to see you there in December.  And the folks at The Downing Museum welcome you to visit the museum and/or the arboretum any time they are open!

Door Installation at The Downing Museum
photo credit: Alice Simpson

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November 2017 focus (receiving) and class schedule

Posted on October 31, 2017 by 4yoga

As we enter the month of Thanksgiving, remember to make time and space to receive as well as to give. As we add holiday expectations to our already busy schedules, it is easy to get stressed out with the yang action of doing. Adding yin and restorative classes to your practice offers a wonderful opportunity to create time and space for yourself. And savasana, at the end of every class, provides an opportunity to receive the benefits of each practice.

When getting together with family and friends, practice receiving what they are saying–or not saying. Often, we jump ahead to our own response in our minds and are not present. In relationships, you can practice this method of intentional communication: establish one person as the sender and the other as the receiver. Set a time such as 3 or 5 minutes for the sender to “send.” The receiver must only listen during this time. When the time is up, the receiver tells the sender what he or she received or heard. Then swap roles. Setting intentional time for authentic communication is a wonderful way to clear up misunderstandings that can fuel stress this time of year.

November updates and special events:

  • Monthly @the Museum classes. In November, we celebrate a year of practicing together at the The Downing Museum! Join us for one or both of our two monthly classes: with Cassandra for Yoga@the Museum on Sat., Nov. 11, or with Alice for Meditation@the Museum on Sat., Nov. 18. (Please note that, to avoid a conflict with Thanksgiving weekend, this month’s meditation class takes place on the third Saturday instead of the usual fourth Saturday.) To register for each class, click on the appropriate link: Yoga@the Museum or Meditation@the Museum.
  • Chances to practice with Debbie Marquette. We are fortunate to have Debbie teaching at 4yoga during the first week of November; check out the attached schedule to see her classes this month!
  • Thanksgiving mixed-level class at 9 a.m. on Thurs., Nov. 23. Join Cassandra for this traditional holiday class on Thanksgiving morning–all students are welcome at mixed-level classes.

For a full list of November activities, please see the calendar page or collect 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.

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6th anniversary party: join us on Fri., Oct. 20, 7 p.m.!

Posted on October 16, 2017 by 4yoga

On Friday evening, we are gathering to mark six years of 4yoga!  Whether you have been with us from the first class at Dance Images, back on September 27, 2011, or just joined us recently, we hope you can attend and celebrate with the members of our yoga community.

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October 2017 focus (Ishvara Pranidhana) and class schedule

Posted on September 29, 2017 by 4yoga
As we notice the changing colors of plants and the softer, lower light of the sun in Autumn, we see there is beauty in letting go. Plants let go of active growth as they shut down the process of producing and drop their seeds into the earth where they will rest dormant through the winter darkness and gather resources to strive again for the light in the spring.

Honor your instincts to let go and slow down as you tune in to the natural world; surrender to the life force or ultimate reality that is the source of all life. The egoic nature of humans is to push against this source, to believe that we can dominate it. But we are humbled when we see the news of a hurricane, earthquake, or forest fire. The attitude of surrendering the fruits of your actions to this source of life is a practice called, in the yoga tradition, Ishvara Pranidhana.  In the Upanishads, Ishvara refers to a collective unconsciousness–a concept that on some level we are all one.

In your asana practice, notice when you push yourself to a vigorous flow when your body really needs a restorative class. In the daily actions of life, notice when your mind is not present, when it races ahead to judging the outcome of what you are doing; “Will I be judged as wrong? Will my boss not like me?”  Reel your mind in and complete your action with no attachment to the outcome.  This is the attitude of surrendering to the Ultimate Reality and acknowledging your life as connected to it.

October updates and special events: 
  • Next book club meeting. We will gather on Sun., Oct. 15, at 1:30 p.m. to continue discussing two reach books.  Join us to share your thoughts about Sally Kempton’s Awakening Shakti and/or Rolf Gates’ and Katrina Kenison’s Meditations from the Mat.  Meditations from the Mat is available as an audio book from the Warren County Public Library.  We welcome anyone with an interest in either book to join us; please bring a snack and ideas to share.
  • Classes at The Downing Museum. In October we return to The Downing Museum for our second-Saturday yoga class and fourth-Saturday meditation class.  The class fee remains the same as at the studio ($5), and we are grateful for the opportunity to continue to practice in such a beautiful space.  See our website for links to the online registration forms.
  • Sixth anniversary potluck. On Fri., Oct. 20, we will host a potluck evening at the studio to celebrate six years of practicing together as 4yoga.  Stop by 7-9 p.m., after the Living Our Yoga Yin class concludes.  Or join us for class and stay for the party!
  • Ishvara Pranidhana focus for Living Our Yoga. This month’s Living Our Yoga class, on Fri., Oct. 20, focuses on the fifth and final niyama, Ishvara Pranidhana.  Alice and Angie return to team-teaching this month in this class that combines the traditional yin asanas with thematic readings and teachings to enhance students’ experience and to create conditions that may take them deeper into the mind, body, and spirit aspects of their practice. 
  • 10 a.m. start time for Basics class on Sat., Oct. 21.  On Sat., Oct. 21, several events will travel through or happen in downtown Bowling Green.  One of those is The Medical Center Health 10K Classic, and the race course includes Fountain Square.  Therefore, to give us extra time to reach the studio, we have moved the starting time of that Saturday’s Basics class to 10 a.m.
  • Wednesday 6 a.m. class on hiatus. In October, the 6 a.m. Flow class will go on hiatus; for a Wednesday practice, we invite you to join Leslie for the 9:30 a.m. Basics class or Frances for the 5:30 p.m. Flow class.

For a full list of October activities, please see our 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.

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