Looking for an opportunity be soothed with sound into a state of relaxation? Register to join Beshka for a winter sound bath on Sat., Feb. 22!
Whether you have already enjoyed a sound bath or are curious about the experience, we invite you to join Beshka at the studio for this hour-long event, which will take place 11 a.m.–noon.
What is a sound bath?A sound bath is a total body experience that allows the listener to relax into a meditative state while they are “bathed” in sound waves. In response to the ambient and acoustic sounds, participants may feel a range of physical, emotional, and mental sensations. The leader uses a variety of healing instruments such as gongs, singing bowls, percussion, chimes. and tuning forks to create the sounds.
How do I sign up? To provide participants with ample space, this event has limited capacity. Therefore, be sure to pre-register using this brief form, which also lists the ways in which to submit payments. To confirm your place, please submit your payment immediately after you register. The fee for this special experience is $25.
We are excited to announce that Shigeko Sleeper has completed the Brain Longevity Therapy Training provided by the Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation (ARPF)! Shigeko took this 24.5-hour online training in December 2024. The lead trainer for this asynchronous course is Dr. Chris Walling, who, in addition to his academic training as a psychologist, is a yoga therapist.
Shigeko particularly appreciated the training’s focus on Kirtan Kriya, a specific meditation practice that the ARPF, a nonprofit research organization, has studied in clinical settings. She noted the results of ARPF’s research that highlight the role of Kirtan Kriya in delaying the onset of dementia. If you’re curious to learn more, watch for our March calendar: Shigeko plans to offer our community the opportunity to learn the Kirtan Kriya practice!
Shigeko now joins Frances Strickler and Angie Jones in having studied the ways that the ARPF’s “four pillars” approach can support healthy aging and cognitive health. In fact, Shigeko, Frances, and Angie are currently the only three folks in the Bowling Green area to hold the credential of Brain Longevity Specialist.
In late 2024, Frances Strickler spent a weekend completing a 15-hour teacher training workshop, Anatomy Intensive for Yoga Instructors. This session, led by Elizabeth McNeil of KARMA School of Yoga and Wellness in Elizabethtown, was hosted by Be Happy Yoga & Salt Cave in Bowling Green.
In this Nov. 1–3 training, Elizabeth reviewed the basics of the musculoskeletal system and highlighted what yoga teachers should know about it—both for their personal practice and for their teaching of others. Frances noted, “Elizabeth spent time on teaching methodology for alignment cues…as well as practice in applying knowledge on personal asana practice.”
For opportunities to practice with Frances and experience how she applies this training in person, join her on the first Thursday of each month at 9 a.m. for our Gentle class!
Anatomy Intensive for Yoga Instructors Be Happy Yoga & Salt Cave (photo credit: Susan Polk)
With the new year, we are excited to announce a new monthly studio focus. During 2024, we enjoyed exploring the yamas and niyamas together; in 2025, we will highlight a “pose of the month” as our unifying theme.
Each month, a teacher will select and share information about a specific pose, and then all teachers will incorporate that pose—or appropriate variations of it—in their courses. (Because Yin and Restorative classes have different intentions and poses, those classes may either opt out of the pose of the month or provide a creative variation.)
We look forward to exploring each month’s pose with you, and Angie has selected our first pose: Tadasana!
Tadasana
tada = mountain
asana = pose
Tadasana is a foundational standing pose that encourages us to tune in to our alignment and to develop our balance. Although it may initially seem like a simple pose, if we take the time to explore, we can gain insight into any of our own tendencies toward imbalance and work to correct them. By pressing firmly down through the feet, we engage and strengthen the legs. By encouraging the navel in toward the spine, we become aware of our core. By drawing up through the crown of the head, we extend the spine. By experimenting with feet wider apart or closer together, we find a place of appropriate challenge to our balance.
And, as some of you have heard me say in past classes, one of my favorite features of Tadasana is that we can find opportunities to practice it in daily life: standing in line at a store? waiting for food to cook on the stove? pausing on a walk to talk to a neighbor? Tadasana is available to us! If we spend more time sitting than standing, we can practice the seated variation. In addition, establishing a solid Tadasana base in our physical practice can help us to feel more grounded and anchored in other areas of our lives.
January’s new class: Flow yoga
We have heard your requests for a more energetic class to be added to the schedule, and Shigeko has decided to grant those requests! On selected Wednesday mornings each month, at 9 a.m., she will offer a Flow class. If you are seeking more of a physical challenge in your practice, please join her on these Wednesdays!
Curious about what we mean by the label “Flow”? Our most vigorous class, Flow moves at a faster pace than Basics and/or includes more challenging poses. Although students are always encouraged to take variations appropriate to their bodies, Flow provides less direct instruction in and demonstration of those variations than Basics classes.
January’s special events:
Donation class: Restorative yoga. Join Angie on Wed., Jan. 15 at 6 p.m. for this month’s donation class. If you’ve been looking for a mid-week chance to rest and re-set, this Restorative class may serve you well. The monthly donation classes serve our community in two ways: 1) provide an opportunity for folks to take a yoga class without paying a class fee—donations are entirely optional; 2) support a local non-profit with the fees that are donated. This month, Angie has selected the Bowling Green International Festival (BGIF) as the recipient of her class’ donations. Although many community members think of BGIF in September, when the annual festival occurs, the board members and community planners work year-round to bring this event to our community. In fact, the board of directors is scheduled to meet the day before this donation class!
Yoga nidra. For a guided relaxation practice, join Angie on Sun., Jan. 26 at 5:30 p.m. for this month’s 45-minute yoga nidra session. If you would like to experience both the invigorating and the relaxing aspects of yoga back-to-back, join her at 4 p.m. for the 4 p.m. Basics class and then stay for yoga nidra.
February Book Club preview:
In the market for some useful and thought-provoking winter reading? Check out our next book club selection: Scott Shigeoka’s Seek: How Curiosity Can Transform Your Life and Change The World. To find out more about the book, see its publisher’s website or your favorite bookseller. Our casual book club, open to everyone, will meet on Sun., Feb. 16, at 1`:30 p.m. (To receive a reminder or share any early thoughts about the book, please RSVP to our Facebook event.)
We look forward to practicing together in January! For a the full month’s schedule, please check the calendar page or pick up a hard copy at the studio.
We are excited to announce that Maria French and Uta Ziegler both recently completed a weekend teacher-training workshop focused on Restorative yoga!
Along with several other yoga teachers in the region, they spent Nov. 8–10 experiencing and learning to teach with Susi Willis at Sanctuary for Yoga in Nashville. During this three-day workshop, they earned 20 hours of continuing education credit.
Maria and Uta appreciated that the workshop addressed both practical and theoretical aspects of a Restorative practice. Maria noted that it “covered the technical aspects of teaching Restorative yoga (I.e. asanas, adjustments, class structure) as well as the physical and mental health benefits of this practice.” Uta reflected that it “provided hands-on experiences related to setting up restorative poses and how to make adjustments to ensure students are fully supported by the props, as well as some theoretical background.” Both Uta and Maria highlighted the ways that the workshop provided the foundational tools they need to offer Restorative yoga to our community.
In addition to learning how to share Restorative yoga with others, Maria also found the structure of the workshop itself helpful: “This training provided a wonderful sense of community. It showed me how beneficial this type of yoga practice is in promoting a safe space for students to relax and regulate their nervous system.”
If you’re ready to experience Restorative yoga for yourself, we invite you to join Maria, Uta, and Angie as they provide a mid-week reset on Wednesday evenings at 6 p.m. For December, we will also be practicing by candlelight. Whether Restorative is a new or a familiar practice for you, we hope you can join us on Wednesday evenings!
Restorative Teacher Training Sanctuary for Yoga Nashville, TN Nov. 10, 2024 (photo credit: Daphne Larkin)
As we welcome December, we are excited to share the new month’s schedule. We hope that you can join us for whatever best serves you during this season, whether that is an active class, a restful practice, or a social gathering.
For a studio focus, December provides another month of “teacher’s choice,” with teachers selecting their own yama or niyama theme. Teachers may choose to explore the same focus throughout all their classes, or they may rotate among different options. We look forward to reviewing these essential ethical practices and considering how they can support us at a traditionally busy time of year.
December’s new class: Restorative yoga
Whether you are already a fan of Restorative yoga and familiar with its benefits or have been curious to try it, we hope to see you on Wednesday evenings at 6 p.m.! Join Angie, Uta, and Maria as they provide this chance to relax and re-set in the middle of the week. To enhance the peaceful atmosphere even further, this class will be offered by candlelight in December. (Note: although the class will not meet on Christmas Day or New Year’s Day, it will return on Jan. 8.)
December’s special events:
Donation class: Restorative yoga. Join Angie on Wed., Dec. 4 at 6 p.m. for this month’s donation class, which is also our first candlelight Restorative class! The monthly donation classes serve our community in two ways: 1) provide an opportunity for folks to take a yoga class without paying a class fee—donations are entirely optional; 2) support a local non-profit with the fees that are donated. This month, Angie has selected the Bowling Green-Warren County Humane Society as the recipient of her class’ donations.
Yoga Social at Mellow Mushroom. Join Heather on Thurs., Dec. 12, at 5:30 p.m. for a chance to socialize at Mellow Mushroom! We’ve reserved the party room and look forward to seeing you there—you may want to join Heather for her 4 p.m. Basics class that afternoon, or just show up at Mellow, whatever suits your schedule.
Yoga nidra. For a guided relaxation practice, join Shigeko on Sun., Dec. 15 at 5:30 p.m. for this month’s 45-minute yoga nidra session. If. you would like to experience both the invigorating and the relaxing aspects of yoga back-to-back, join Uta at 4 p.m. for the 4 p.m. Basics class and then stay for yoga nidra.
Holiday Classes on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. As is tradition at 4yoga, we will offer opportunities both to conclude this year and launch the new one with yoga! We appreciate Beshka, who will teach at 9 a.m. on New Year’s Eve, and Carmen, who will teach at 10 a.m. on New Year’s Day.
Winter Book Club preview:
If you’re looking for some useful and thought-provoking winter reading, we invite you to check out Scott Shigeoka’s Seek: How Curiosity Can Transform Your Life and Change The World. To find out more about the book, see its publisher’s website or your favorite bookseller. We will meet on Sun., Feb. 16, at 1:30 p.m. to discuss it together for our winter meeting of our quarterly book club. (To receive a reminder or share any early thoughts about the book, please RSVP to our Facebook event.) As always, we welcome everyone to join us, regardless of whether you are currently able to attend yoga classes.
We look forward to practicing together in December and concluding 2024 together! For a full copy of the month’s schedule, please see the attached file, check the online calendar, or pick up a hard copy at the studio.
Fountain Square Park from the Studio Dec. 26, 2022
Now that we have given attention to the five yamas and the five niyamas in the first ten months of the year, November features teachers selecting their own yama or niyama focus. This month, teachers may explore the same focus throughout all their classes, or they may rotate among different options. Come practice with us in November to review these essential ethical practices and to investigate the ways in which they can support you.
November’s special events:
Yoga nidra. As we move toward the end of the year, relaxation may become more elusive. For a guided relaxation practice, join Angie on Sun., Nov. 24 at 5:30 p.m. for this month’s 45-minute yoga nidra session. If. you would like to experience both the invigorating and the relaxing aspects of yoga, join Uta at 4 p.m. for the Basics class and then stay for yoga nidra.
Holiday Class on Thanksgiving Day. On Thurs., Nov. 28, we will offer our traditional holiday class—Uta will welcome folks at 9 a.m. If yoga will serve your holiday plans, please join her then!
Donation class to benefit Kentucky Kids on the Block. Join Shigeko on Sun., Nov. 30 at 9 a.m. for this month’s donation class! The monthly donation classes serve our community in two ways: 1) provide an opportunity for folks to take a yoga class without paying a class fee—donations are entirely optional; 2) support a local non-profit with the fees that are donated. This month, Shigeko has selected Kentucky Kids on the Block as the recipient of her class’ donations.
Winter Book Club preview:
Thank you to everyone who attended our November book club meeting to discuss Peter Atilla’s Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity and to select the next book and meeting date! We picked Sun., Feb. 16, at 1:30 p.m. for our winter meeting, when we will discuss Scott Shigeoka’s Seek: How Curiosity Can Transform Your Life and Change The World. To find out more about the book, see its publisher’s website or your favorite bookseller.
We look forward to practicing together in November! For a full copy of the month’s schedule, please see the attached file, check the online calendar, or pick up a hard copy at the studio.
Flags, falling leaves, and Christmas lights going up? Must be early November at Fountain Square Park! Nov. 4, 2024
In this, the tenth month of the year, we shift our studio focus to the fifth and final niyama. This niyama, Ishvara Pranidhana, is often interpreted as “surrender”—and what better way to practice physically surrendering than releasing into stillness during savasana?
Or, if you’re ready to extend your practice of surrender even further, we invite you to try yoga nidra, where you rest in a comfortable position while being guided through a meditative practice? We hope to see you this month as we explore Ishvara Pranidhana together, both on our mats and in our lives.
October’s special events:
Donation class on Mon., Oct. 7. Join Iajahnni on Mon., Oct. 7, at 5:30 p.m. for this month’s donation class! These monthly donation classes help us serve our community in two ways: 1) provide an opportunity for folks to take a yoga class without paying a class fee—donations are entirely optional; 2) support a local non-profit with the fees that are donated. This month, Iajahnni has selected The Foundry as the recipient of his class’ donations.
Yoga nidra on Sun., Oct. 13. For an extended opportunity to practice surrender, join Shigeko on Sun., Oct. 13 at 5:30 p.m. for this month’s 45-minute yoga nidra session. To appreciate both the invigorating and the relaxing aspects of yoga, join Shigeko at 4 p.m. for her Basics class and then stay for yoga nidra.
November Book Club preview:
Friends who already participate in—or who would like to participate in—our quarterly book club, please mark your calendars! We will meet again on Sun., Nov. 3, at 1:30 p.m. Our next book is Peter Attia’s Outlive: The Science & Art of Longevity. Find out more about the book on its website; if you’d like to borrow it, check out the options available through the Warren County Public Library, which include the physical book, e-book, and downloadable audiobook.
We look forward to practicing together in October! For a full copy of the month’s schedule, please check this page or pick up a hard copy at the studio.
In our journey through the yamas and niyamas this year, it is appropriate that September lands us on svadhyaya or self study. After all, September is the month when, back in 2011, 4yoga offered its first class. The journey to launching the studio began with our four founders studying themselves to determine if they had the commitment necessary to create a new, community space for the ongoing practice and study of yoga.
On behalf of everyone who has participated in the creation and maintenance of the studio through the last thirteen years, I thank each of you reading this email! And I invite you to join us to celebrate this milestone at our 13th Anniversary Open House on Sun., Sept. 15, from noon to 3 p.m. Bring a friend and come see the studio, take a free mini-class, enjoy refreshments, and put your name in the drawing for door prizes!
At this year’s event, we are excited to be joined by our partners from different areas of The Pots Place: Philip Woodard and Leah Shapiro representing the potters, and Pam Somers, the massage therapist! Philip and Leah will have the shop open, be demonstrating pottery-making techniques, and donating door prizes. Pam will be offering mini-massages and donating a door prize for a free massage. We welcome everyone—potential, returning, and ongoing students—to join us for this lively and fun afternoon at The Pots Place!
To keep up with the open house and let us know you’re coming, please RSVP to its Facebook event page.
But, wait…there is more exciting news for this month!
A friend of 4yoga has generously donated an end-of-the-month giveaway! Everyone who attends a class between Sun., Sept. 15, and Mon., Sept. 30, will receive a raffle ticket. That ticket enters you into our anniversary drawing for a $100 gift card to the restaurant of the winner’s choice—and we have two of these prizes to give away! Increase your chances of winning by attending regularly in the second half of September; you’ll receive one ticket per class.
Finally, we are pleased to offer three other special classes and events in September!
Yoga nidra on Sun., Sept. 8. For an opportunity to rest and relax deeply, join Angie on Sun., Sept. 8, at 5:30 p.m. for this month’s 45-minute yoga nidra session. To appreciate both the invigorating and the relaxing aspects of yoga, you could join Uta for the Basics class at 4 p.m. and stay around for yoga nidra.
Donation class on Wed., Sept. 11. Join Frances on Wed., Sept. 11, at 9 a.m. for this month’s donation class! Our monthly donation classes help us serve our community in two ways: 1) provide an opportunity for folks to take a yoga class without paying a class fee—donations are entirely optional; 2) support a local non-profit with the fees that are donated. Frances has selected the Simpson County Animal Shelter as the recipient of her class’ donations.
Yoga Social at White Squirrel on Sun., Sept. 29. Looking for a fun Sunday activity? What about a brunch bluegrass concert with Mt. Victor Revue at White Squirrel? Join Heather at 10:30 a.m. at the studio for the Sunday-morning “slow flow” Basics class and then travel to White Squirrel—or just meet yoga folks at the brewery around noon.
Whew! That’s a lot of activity—we hope one or more of our offerings has caught your attention and we have a chance to see you this month!
For a full copy of the September, please check the calendar page or pick up a hard copy at the studio.
Many of us are currently engrossed in Olympic coverage, watching world-class athletes demonstrate skills they have developed through years of disciplined training. The yogic concept of discipline (tapas) is the third niyama and our studio focus for August—and, fortunately, we do not have to be internationally acclaimed athletes to benefit from practicing discipline!
While physical discipline is certainly one of the ways that we can practice tapas, we can also apply discipline to other areas of our lives, like our interactions with others. In fact, Jamil Zaki, the author of this month’s book club selection, argues that we can develop empathy like any other skill: by practicing. On the book’s website, he provides five “kindness challenges” to give us tools to strengthen our empathy. If you are looking for a way to practice tapas, perhaps one or more of them will serve you this month.
We are excited to share these August highlights and look forward to seeing you at the studio!
Book club on Sun., Aug. 4. To focus on empathy, join us on Sun., Aug. 4, at 1:30 p.m. for our summer book club meeting, where we will discuss Jamil Zaki’s The War for Kindness: Building Empathy in a Fractured World. (See this post on our website or RSVP to the Facebook event page for more details.)
Morning class every day. With the addition of a Wednesday-morning Gentle class and a Sunday-morning Basics class, we are pleased to offer a morning class every day of the week. Frances will teach Wednesday’s Gentle class, to which folks who prefer using a chair and those who prefer navigating down to and up from the mat are invited. Heather and Maria will share the Sunday Basics class, which is a “slow flow,” including sequences that move from one yoga pose to another at a pace that still allows a focus on healthy alignment.
Friday night classes. To wind down your week with a slower and more meditative practice, try a Friday class at 5:30 p.m. In August, we offer one Restorative class (on Fri., Aug. 9, with Iajahnni) and four Yin classes (all other Fridays, with Maria). Both Restorative and Yin classes share some similarities (they use props like bolsters, blocks, and blankets, and they focus on poses on the mat). However, they have different intentions: in Restorative, students rest into the support of their props and relax deeply; in Yin, students use props to hold their bodies in poses that apply controlled stress to the connective tissues.
Yoga nidra on Sun., Aug. 11. We appreciate everyone who attended July’s yoga nidra session with Angie! For another opportunity to relax both body and mind, join Shigeko on Sun., Aug. 11, at 5:30 p.m. Shigeko is trained in iRest, the system of yoga nidra that has been most studied in a clinical setting and shown to provide several important benefits.
Donation class. Join Trudy on Thurs., Aug. 15, at 9 a.m. for this month’s donation class! Our monthly donation classes serve our community in two ways: 1) they provide an opportunity for folks to attend a yoga class without paying a class fee—donations are entirely optional; 2) they support a local non-profit with the fees that are donated. Trudy has chosen the Bowling Green Warren County Humane Society as the recipient of her class’ donations.
For a complete copy of the August schedule, please see the attached PDF, check the online calendar, or pick up a printed copy at the studio. We look forward to practicing with you this month!
Fountain Square Park at sunset Aug. 1, 2024 photo credit: Heather Kessler
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