Registration open for Brain Longevity Workshop on Sat., March 8

Posted on February 26, 2025 by 4yoga

Have you heard Angie, Frances, and Shigeko talk about completing the Brain Longevity Therapy Training? If you’ve ever wondered how you can learn more and apply these evidence-based practices in your own or a loved one’s life, join us for Shigeko Sleeper’s upcoming workshop!

Improving Brain Longevity with Diet, Meditation, and Yoga will take place on Sat., March 8, from 11 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. and is open to everyone with an interest in brain health.

In this 90-minute workshop, Shigeko will share the results of research conducted by the Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation. Specifically, she will highlight two of the foundation’s four Pillars of Alzheimer’s Prevention: Diet and Supplements (with a focus on diet) and Stress Management (with a focus on meditation and yoga). 

The workshop introduces participants to interventions that may help them strengthen their own brain health. It can also assist them in making decisions and recommendations as they care for a loved one or friend who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

Participants who are yoga teachers can also earn 1.5 hours of continuing education contact hours for Yoga Alliance.

Workshop leader: Shigeko Sleeper has been teaching yoga for nearly 10 years and is an E-RYT 200 and a Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider. She has recently completed the Brain Longevity Teacher Training offered by the Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation (ARPF) and become certified as a Brain Longevity Specialist. 

Shigeko became interested in the Brain Longevity Teacher Training after her husband’s intestinal surgery and recovery; during his recovery, she witnessed the truth of the phrase, ” the gut is connected to the brain.” She wanted to learn about ways to help him recover, including strengthening his memory. The ARPF training shared very promising results that are backed up by clinical research. Shigeko is excited to share what she learned and to help people who have loved ones and friends who may also be experiencing memory challenges.

Modality: this workshop is offered in person at the 4yoga studio, at 428 East Main Ave. in Bowling Green, Kentucky, above The Pots Place.

Registration: the investment for this workshop is $35. To reserve your space, register here: https://tinyurl.com/4yoga-brain-longevity

Photo credit: Shigeko Sleeper.
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Training Thursday:  Trudy and Frances provide training in teaching chair yoga!

Posted on February 6, 2025 by 4yoga

This week, we bring you something a little different for our Training Thursday series:  a report on how two 4yoga teachers prepared and delivered a training for other potential and current yoga teachers!

On Sat., Feb. 1, 2025, Trudy Burkeen and Frances Strickler provided this training to nine participants at Be Happy Yoga & Salt Cave.  In their two-hour workshop, they covered three main points:  how to design a chair yoga class, how to sequence the poses for a chair yoga class, and how to provide modifications for students taking a yoga class in a chair. 

Between them, Trudy and Frances have accumulated 13 years of experience teaching chair yoga, making them the ideal leaders for this training.  They also advocate for chair yoga for people in many different situations and settings.  

As Frances noted, “chair classes are not only for seniors.  They are great for people on vacation and office workers.”  Trudy commented, “chair classes are great for people just starting to practice yoga. A gentle class will help in the movement with stretching, strengthening, and in using the breath to give ease to the body.”

Participants who are in training to be yoga teachers completed this workshop as part of their 200-hour teacher training program; those who were already yoga teachers earned two hours’ worth of continuing education toward their ongoing professional development.  To remain registered with Yoga Alliance, our field’s largest professional organization, yoga teachers must complete and report 30 hours of continuing education every three years.

To benefit from the experience that Trudy and Frances have acquired, join them for a Gentle class at 4yoga, where participants are always welcome to use a chair for comfort or support.  Trudy teaches each Tuesday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. and some Thursdays at 9 a.m.  Frances typically teaches the first Thursday of the month at 9 a.m.

Trudy Burkeen (left) and Frances Strickler (second from left) lead teacher training workshop at Be Happy Yoga & Salt Cave
Feb. 1, 2025
photo credit: Susan Polk
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February (2025) schedule: sound bath, book club, yoga social

Posted on February 2, 2025 by 4yoga

We are excited to share our pose of the month and several highlights from February’s schedule—whether you are looking for a physical asana practice, a meditative sound bath or yoga nidra session, or a chance to socialize with other yogis, we have something for you!

(Please note that The Pots Place has closed for its traditional February break; however, all yoga classes will continue as scheduled.)

February’s pose of the month:  bird dog!

Dandayamana Bharmanasana (Bird Dog Pose)

  • dandayamana = balancing
  • bharmana = table
  • asana = pose

Bird dog pose strengthens core muscles while elongating the spine. This pose may also provide some relief for low back pain by strengthening the muscles of the low back. In addition to the development of strong core muscles, bird dog pose also challenges—and therefore increases—the ability to balance. It may also promote balance between the right and left lobes of the brain through the contralateral relationships between the arms and legs.

—Heather

February’s special events:

We have so many events occurring in February that we’ve organized them in chronological order to help you keep track of them!

  1. Guest teacher: Liz Heller.  On Sun., Feb. 2, we are excited to welcome Liz Heller as a guest teacher for the 4 p.m. Basics class!  For more information about Liz and her experiences, please see this website post.  We hope you can come out and practice with Liz!
  2. Yoga social.  Looking for a chance to hang out and chat with fellow yoga friends?  Stop by 308 East Main on Thurs., Feb. 13, at 5:30 p.m.  Either come to Heather’s 4 p.m. Basics class and walk down Main together afterward, or just meet us there! 
  3. Book club meeting.  Join other curious folks on Sun., Feb. 16, at 1:30 p.m. to discuss Scott Shigeoka’s Seek: How Curiosity Can Transform Your Life and Change the World.  Book club meetings take place quarterly; they are open to everyone and provide a chance not only to discuss the current book but help select the next one.  (To receive a reminder or share any early thoughts about the book, please RSVP to our Facebook event.) 
  4. Yoga nidra with Shigeko. For an extended guided relaxation, join Shigeko on Sun., Feb. 16 at 5:30 p.m. for this month’s 45-minute yoga nidra session.  Want to experience both the invigorating and the relaxing aspects of yoga?  Then join Shigeko at 4 p.m. for the Basics class and stay for yoga nidra.  Or you could come for book club and stick around for yoga and yoga nidra!
  5. Sound bath with Beshka.  We are excited to host Beshka for a winter sound bath on Sat., Feb. 22, at 11 a.m.!  If you would benefit from a restful and soothing experience, we hope you can join her.  To find out more, please see this post; if you’re ready to register, complete the brief form here.  (Because space is limited, pre-registration and pre-payment are required for this special event.)
  6. Donation class:  Basics.  Join Heather on Thurs., Feb. 27, at 4 p.m., for this month’s donation class!  Our monthly donation classes serve our community in two ways: 1) provide an opportunity for folks to take a class without paying a fee–donations are entirely optional; 2) support a local non-profit with the fees that are donated.  Heather has selected Arts for All Kentucky as the recipient of her class’ donations.

We look forward to seeing you this month!  For a full copy of the February schedule and class descriptions, please check those pages of our site—or pick up a hard copy at the studio.

The Pots Place
Jan. 19, 2025

P.S.  You may have heard that Angie has leased a downtown space, at 308 East Main, to start her own yoga studio.  She is thrilled for an opportunity to expand her yoga offerings, which she expects to include series of classes for students and professional development workshops for teachers.  At the same time, she is grateful to be able to continue to teach at and manage 4yoga, which will remain in its current location and continue operating under its signature collaborative, community model.

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Guest teacher on Sun., Feb. 2: Liz Heller!

Posted on January 31, 2025 by 4yoga

We are excited to welcome a guest teacher to the 4 p.m. Basics class on Sunday, Feb. 2! Liz Heller will offer this class, and to help everyone get to know her a bit, she has shared this bio:

Liz Heller is a Registered Yoga Teacher and Trauma-Informed Registered Children’s Yoga Teacher with the Bowling Green City school district where she leads yoga to teens at Teranga Academy.

She enjoys teaching a variety of yoga classes to adults, teens, and children and wholeheartedly believes yoga is an inclusive, lifelong wellness practice for every body. Liz hopes to empower students to notice the breath, strengthen the body, and calm the mind.

Liz received her Master of Arts in Higher Education Administration from the University of Louisville and her Bachelor of Science in Communication Arts from Kentucky Wesleyan College.

For more information about Liz’s background and experience, check out her profile on Yoga Alliance’s directory. We hope you can join us to practice with her on Sunday!

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February preview: join Beshka for a sound bath!

Posted on January 28, 2025 by 4yoga

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.

Photo credit: Beshka Moore
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Training Thursday:  Shigeko completes Brain Longevity Therapy Training!

Posted on January 23, 2025 by 4yoga

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.

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Training Thursday:  Frances deepens understanding of anatomy!

Posted on January 9, 2025 by 4yoga

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)
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January schedule: welcome 2025 with yoga!

Posted on January 3, 2025 by 4yoga

Welcome to January and to 2025!  

January’s studio focus:  post of the month

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:

  1. 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!
  2. 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.

Snow on Fountain Square
Jan. 8, 2022
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Training Thursday:  Maria and Uta Complete Restorative Yoga Training!

Posted on December 5, 2024 by 4yoga

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)
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Come see us in December (2024): join us for yoga, yoga nidra, or a social gathering

Posted on December 2, 2024 by 4yoga

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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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
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