Alice completes Yin immersion course

Posted on June 7, 2016 by 4yoga

We are pleased to announce that Alice recently completed a 20-hour training specifically focused on Yin yoga. This immersion, held at Sanctuary for Yoga in Nashville, was led by Liz Stewart, who teaches Sanctuary’s Yin classes and has studied with Bernie Clark and Sarah Powers, both Yin experts and authors of books about Yin yoga.

Continuing education for all yoga teachers is very important. We open our minds to new thinking, learn new skills and bond with other teachers of like mind. Our goal in continuing to learn about yoga is to provide our students with state-of-the- art thinking about safety (above all) and new practices that energize and enhance your experience at 4yoga.

Alice has a favorite Bernie Clark quote she likes to share with students in Yin classes:

We don’t use our body to get into a pose, we use the pose to get into our body.

In Yin yoga we come to an appropriate depth (our edge), resolve to remain still, and hold the pose for time. This process allows us to become acutely aware of what is going on in our body. With time and practice, the student will use the pose to get into the mind and spirit as well.

For Alice, Yin yoga has been life-changing in that she discovered the power of stillness. Going through the immersion training at Sanctuary validated for Alice that, while Yin is a strong physical practice, with resolve, Yin touches us deep within the body, mind, and spirit. When we hold the poses in stillness for time, something deep within is triggered and the real benefits of yoga are revealed. For many, Yin is a path to mindfulness, meditation, spirituality, and wholeness.

In Yin yoga we work with the connective tissues in the body: bones and cartilage, tendons and ligaments and fascia. In most yang style yoga, the student is stressing the muscles. This is a fundamental difference. Most teachers who are familiar with Yin yoga believe we need both styles of yoga: Yang for strength, fitness, and flow; Yin for flexibility, mindfulness, and gracefulness.

Alice in swan pose

Alice demonstrates Swan pose

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June 2016 focus and class schedule

Posted on May 30, 2016 by 4yoga

Our Breath is so elementary and yet has so much potential to reveal subtle knowledge about our lives when it becomes conscious and the focus of inquiry. It is possible to live one’s whole life without giving breath a second thought. When you are born, the very first action you take is an inhale, and when you die, the exhale is the last. The dualistic nature of the breath is a mirror of the dualistic way of matter driven by the forces of attraction and opposition.

A source of all suffering is to be trapped on one side of a duality. Notice the force of opposition in your life when you make something or someone the enemy to achieve security. (If you have trouble doing this, just tune into the news!) The way to achieve peace is to transcend or hold both sides of an issue in one space–i.e., if you feel trapped as a victim, own the ways you have been the victimizer, including the ways your culture automatically enlists you. Whatever we approach with unity can be resolved. Whatever we approach with duality only causes further conflict.

The practice of Nadi Shodhana, or alternate nostril breathing, is a simple, yet powerful practice to balance the dual forces in our mind, body, and emotions resulting in a deep centered peace. The ability to balance Ida and Pingala (the dual forces) and cause Prana to flow in the central channel of Sushumna (unity) is the most essential preparation for Meditation and Kundalini awakening according traditions of Yoga, Vedanta, and Tantra. For more information, see Swami J‘s discussion on his website. Another wonderful resource for breathing practices and in-depth knowledge of the impact of the breath on body, mind, and spirit is Donna Farhi’s The Breathing Book: Good Health and Vitality Through Essential Breath Work.

OM, Shanti, Shanti, Shanti. Peace to each and everything in this whole universe! May we all realize our non-dual essence, also known as love.

June updates:

  • Monday-morning class with Debbie Marquette.  During June, Debbie will offer a class that focuses on alignment on Mondays at 9:30 a.m. This class is appropriate for beginners or continuing students who want to deepen their understanding of alignment in basic postures. The class will explore the fundamentals of alignment in back-bending, forward folding, twisting, and balancing. Modifications and options will be given to individually respect and challenge each student. Each class is independent, so if you cannot attend all four, join Debbie for any of them that fits your schedule. Or, if you have other commitments on Mondays, check the schedule for several other opportunities to practice with Debbie in June.
  • Monthly talk and mediation session. Juanita will host this session on Friday, June 17, at 6:45 p.m. As always, there is no charge for this informal gathering, which provides an opportunity to ask questions about and discuss meditation and to experience a short meditation.
  • Living Our Yoga Yin class. Angie and Alice continue this series on Friday, June 24, at 5:30 p.m. with a focus on the first niyama, Saucha (purity). This class incorporates readings and teachings to enhance students’ experience and to create conditions that may take them deeper into the mind, body, and spirit aspects of this wonderful gift of yoga. The traditional yin asanas remain the same as in our classic yin class.

For a full list of June classes, please see the online calendar or pick up a hard copy at The Pots Place. Note, too, that we post daily updates on our Facebook page, should you find it convenient to keep up with us there.

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Memorial Day (2016) schedule: all classes meet as usual!

Posted on May 26, 2016 by 4yoga

If your Memorial Day weekend plans have you in Bowling Green, either as a resident or as a guest, please join us for a yoga class!  4yoga will maintain its usual class schedule this weekend, with 6 opportunities to practice:

  • Friday, 5/27:  9:30 a.m. Gentle class with Angie.
  • Friday, 5/27:  5:30 p.m. Yin class with Alice & Angie (Living Our Yoga class focusing on the 5th and final yama, aparigraha or non-possessiveness).
  • Saturday, 5/28:  9 a.m. Basics class with Shigeko.
  • Sunday, 5/29:  10 a.m. Basics class with Carly.
  • Sunday, 5/29:  4 p.m. Basics class with Chie.
  • Monday, 5/30:  5:30 p.m. Flow class with Chie.

For folks who may be visiting our studio for the first time, there is no need to pre-register for a class, although we do encourage new students to arrive about 15 minutes early. Also, you are welcome to borrow mats and other props at no additional charge. Our class fee is $5/class, payable by cash or check.

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South Warren Middle School: Complimentary Class

Posted on May 25, 2016 by 4yoga

Update (6/3):  thank you to those of you who indicated interest in these classes!  Although we are no longer accepting registrations for the complimentary classes, we would welcome South Warren Middle School parents to any ongoing 4yoga class.  See information and links below, and then comment on this post or send us an email or Facebook message if you have questions about selecting the best class for you.

We enjoyed participating in the 2nd Annual Health & Safety Fair at South Warren Middle School on Wed., May 25, and meeting the 7th graders!

SWMS_yoga_tree_pose

If your student brought home a slip offering a complimentary class at 4yoga and you would like to sign up for one of these classes, please follow this link to register [6/3:  link disabled because registration is now closed].  You are welcome to register either for yourself or for yourself and your student; however, if your student would like to participate, you will need to take the class, as well.

Please note that space is limited; therefore, we will disable the link and update this announcement when the complimentary classes are full.  However, we always welcome you to our affordable and accessible community yoga classes:  the class fee is $5, we provide mats and props, and you can see our full schedule on the calendar page.  If you have questions about the types of classes we offer, please check out the class description page and then email us (4yoga.me@gmail.com) if you have any questions about the best class for you.

We look forward to seeing many of you at the 4yoga studio in downtown Bowling Green–above The Pots Place (428 East Main Street), overlooking Fountain Square!

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/breTH/ workshop with Debbie Marquette: June 11-12, 2016

Posted on May 20, 2016 by 4yoga

Update (5/23):  Several people have expressed an interest in registering for the workshop but are unavailable on the June dates.  If you would be interested in a July workshop, please contact Debbie and let her know!  (She can be reached at 270-996-0414 or debbiemarquette -at- gmail -dot- com .)

If you are looking for techniques to live a happier and healthier life (and who isn’t?!), you may be interested in registering for Debbie Marquette’s /breTH/ workshop, to be held at 4yoga on Sat., June 11, and Sun., June 12.  See the flyer and full description below, and contact Debbie directly if you would like to sign up.

breTH_workshop_FLYER_june_2016

breTH_course_description

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May 2016 focus and class schedule

Posted on May 1, 2016 by 4yoga

Sweet May hath come to love us,
Flowers, trees, their blossoms don;
And through the blue heavens above us,
The very clouds move on.

– Heinrich Heine
19th century German poet, best known outside Germany for work set to music by composers such as Schumann and Schubert

In May we celebrate Mother’s Day. Catholics celebrate May as Mary’s month with May Day being a celebration of the Virgin Mary, and, in ancient times, many festivals, dances, and rituals related to fertility and agriculture took place.

There are many opportunities to receive love! We have mother earth, a biological mother, and a divine mother all giving love. We just have to be open to receiving it. The quality of being open to receiving love, intuition, guidance, and healing requires us to create space and time to RELAX and let go. We need to ease the tension and pace of hectic lifestyles to soften and allow ourselves to receive. Notice any blocks you may have to feeling worthy of receiving unconditional love.

Savasana is the perfect asana to focus and practice this quality of receiving. As you release the tensions out of the body and let go of the need to do (the opposite of to receive), notice your hands and turn the palms face up if comfortable. Experience the open, upturned palms as a gesture of receiving, and, with gratitude, feel worthy to receive what you need, what you desire, and the benefits of the practice you just completed. Then, as you go about your life off the mat, know that each act of doing/giving provides the opportunity for another to receive. Also know that the highest form of being the “doer” is to practice non-attachment to the outcome.

May updates:

  • Fourth weekly Gentle class added. We are excited to announce the addition of our fourth weekly Gentle class, on Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m. Students who enjoy this level of class can now attend at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Wednesday’s class will include more coordination of breath and movement in a Gentle Flow style and will be primarily taught by Leslie Weigel. Which leads to our next point….
  • Welcome new teacher, Leslie Weigel. Leslie has practiced Iyengar, Ashtanga, and other branches of Hatha yoga since the mid-1990s. Having personally experienced the healing and supporting power of yoga practice during periods of physical illness and work stress, she moved from yoga practitioner to teacher because she believes in the life-long discovery and growth that yoga provides. Leslie hopes to guide students along their personal paths of learning.
  • Sonic Massage sessions. On Sunday, May 8 at 6 p.m., and Monday, May 9, at 7 p.m., we will host Faye Henry, an internationally recognized gong artist, for two sonic massage sessions. To read more about these sessions and check out Faye’s website, see our recent blog post. Please note that pre-registration is required, as we expect to reach capacity for both sessions: email us at 4yoga.me@gmail.com to reserve a spot, and drop off payment at the studio.
  • Monthly talk and mediation session. Juanita will host this session on Friday, May 20, at 6:45 p.m. As always, there is no charge for this informal gathering, which provides an opportunity to ask questions about and discuss meditation and to experience a short meditation.
  • Living Our Yoga Yin class. Angie and Alice continue this series on Friday, May 27, at 5:30 p.m. with a focus on the last yama, Aparigraha (non-attachment). This class incorporates readings and teachings to enhance students’ experience and to create conditions that may take them deeper into the mind, body, and spirit aspects of this wonderful gift of yoga. The traditional yin asanas remain the same as in our classic yin class.

For a full list of May classes, please see the calendar page or pick up a hard copy at The Pots Place. Note, too, that we post daily updates on our Facebook page, should you prefer to keep up with us there.

Accessing studio after class has begun: Remember that even if you are running late when the gallery downstairs is closed, you can still join us for class. If the front door is locked, 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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Sonic Massage sessions with Faye Henry: Sun., May 8 & Mon., May 9

Posted on April 25, 2016 by 4yoga

For two evenings in May, we are pleased to host Faye Henry, an internationally recognized gong artist, who will provide hour-long sonic massage opportunities:

  • Sunday, May 8 (Mother’s Day):  6–7 p.m.
  • Monday, May 9:  7–8 p.m.

The fee for each session is $25.  To register and reserve your space, please email us (4yoga.me@gmail.com) and indicate which day you will attend.

Past participants have experienced additional relaxation in their sonic massage when they have practiced yoga before the session.  Therefore, we scheduled Faye’s events after our yoga classes for these two days and invite you to join us for class, as well:

  • Sunday, May 8 (Mother’s Day):  4 p.m. Basics with Angie
  • Monday, May 9:  5:30 p.m. Flow with Chie

For more information about Faye and sonic massage, please see her website:  Touchstone Vibrations.

Sonic-Massage-4yoga

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Celebrate with Susan Polk: Fri., 4/29 @ 7 p.m.

Posted on April 16, 2016 by 4yoga

As many of you have heard, Susan Polk and her husband, Doug, will soon open their own business, Be Happy Yoga and Salt Cave. To allow her to focus on the yoga classes that she will offer at her new location, April will conclude Susan’s teaching at 4yoga. To celebrate her invaluable contributions to our community yoga group, we will gather together at the end of this month.

Please join us on Friday, April 29, 2016, at 7 p.m. at the studio to wish Susan well in her exciting new adventure! For this casual potluck, 4yoga will provide a selection of beverages and several snacks. Feel free to contribute anything you like—or just to stop by and thank Susan for all she has shared with us and to congratulate her on the start of the next phase of her yoga teaching career.

We hope to see you on April 29!

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Next Community Ed beginners series to start April 17, 2016

Posted on April 12, 2016 by 4yoga

If you or someone you know would like to begin a yoga practice, we invite you to join the next Introduction to Yoga series, taught by Susan Polk and DeAnn Stanley through Community Education and meeting at the 4yoga studio.  Find out more about the series by watching Susan and DeAnn on today’s episode of Midday Live!

This series costs $48, runs for 4 weeks, and meets on Sunday afternoons, 1:45–3:00 p.m., on the following dates:

  • April 17
  • April 24
  • May 1
  • May 15

If you are looking for an affordable and accessible introductory yoga series, click on this page of the Community Ed website to register.

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April 2016 focus and class schedule

Posted on April 2, 2016 by 4yoga
Fountain_Square_2016_04_02-3
Spring!  An upward, outward burst of energy that we feel in our step as we perceive this force all around us in the natural world. From the coiled stillness of winter, Spring does indeed seem to explode into blossoms and color and new life. Contemporary poet Billy Collins captures the essence in his poem “Today“:

If ever there were a spring day so perfect,
so uplifted by a warm intermittent breezethat it made you want to throw
open all the windows in the house

and unlatch the door to the canary’s cage,
indeed, rip the little door from its jamb,

a day when the cool brick paths
and the garden bursting with peonies

seemed so etched in sunlight
that you felt like taking

a hammer to the glass paperweight
on the living room end table,

releasing the inhabitants
from their snow-covered cottage

so they could walk out,
holding hands and squinting

into this larger dome of blue and white,
well, today is just that kind of day.

Often an asana practice will end with a reclining twist, the perfect pose to experience this upward spiral of energy. As you twist, imagine that whatever issues you may be dealing with associated with the lower chakras–safety, fear, pain/pleasure, isolation (sound like winter?)–are released to move upwards to the heart center where we can melt them with love and compassion as the twist opens the chest. The sensation may be one of expansion and spaciousness.  A lotus flower bursts open from your own heart!

If you experience this powerful transition of Spring to be overwhelming, remember to bring balance with grounding poses such as lunges and standing warriors, poses that focus on sending root energy down from the tailbone through the legs into the earth.

April updates:
  • Gentle class teachers.  Kathie has decided to take a break from teaching the Tuesday Gentle class, and we welcome Frances as its April teacher.  We also appreciate Susan’s willingness to teach the Friday Gentle classes this month.  As many of you know, Susan will soon be leaving us to devote her time to Be Happy Yoga & Salt Cave, so be sure to enjoy her 4yoga classes while you can!
  • Talk/meditation session.  This month, Juanita will host this session on Friday, April 22, at 6:45 p.m.  As always, there is no charge for this informal gathering, which provides an opportunity to ask questions about and discuss meditation and to experience a short meditation.
  • Living Our Yoga Yin class.  Angie and Alice will continue this series on Friday, April 29, with a focus on the next yama, Brahmacharya (non-excess).  The class includes readings and teachings to enhance students’ experience and to create conditions that may take them deeper into the mind, body, and spirit aspects of this wonderful gift of yoga. The traditional yin asanas remain the same as in our classic yin class.

For a full list of April classes, please see the attached schedule, the calendar section of our website, or a hard copy available at The Pots Place.  Note, too, that we post daily updates on our Facebook page, should you prefer to keep up with us there.

Community bookshelf:  We have recently added a community bookshelf to our community yoga studio!  Please browse its offerings during your next visit and take anything that you would like to read.  Or, if you have magazines or books that you would like to share with our community, please drop them off for others to enjoy.

Accessing studio after class has begun:  Remember that even if you are running late when the gallery downstairs is closed, you can still join us for class.  If the front door is locked, 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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