We are excited to begin planning for our spring book club meeting, where we will discuss Dacher Keltner’s Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life. Alice Simpson has agreed to lead our discussion for this session, and we are looking forward to seeing folks there!
Members of our community may be familiar with the author of this book and his research even if they haven’t encountered the book itself yet. Dacher Keltner is a co-founder of the Greater Good Science Center at Berkeley and its faculty director. He also hosts the Science of Happiness podcast and is frequently interviewed by major media organizations.
If you’d like to purchase the book, paperback copies are reasonably priced. If you prefer to borrow a copy, the Warren County Public Library has added a physical copy of the book to its collection, which already included an e-copy. (Many thanks to Alice Simpson for requesting the library obtain the physical copy!)
Book club meetings are always open to everyone, whether you are taking classes at 4yoga or not. We will provide a couple of snacks and plates/napkins/utensils. If you are able to bring a snack to share, we would appreciate it, but bringing yourself and your ideas about the book is the priority. In preparation for April’s meeting, we will be sharing some observations and information in its Facebook event, so please RSVP there, and feel free to post your own ideas as you read.
As we begin March, we are looking forward to seeing you for a class, a social opportunity, or both! This month, as many of us continue our study of yoga beyond the physical postures, we will be exploring the yama of asteya or non-stealing. We invite you to consider ways in which you may better practice asteya with yourself: for example, can you remove from your schedule something that is not serving you, an item that may be stealing the time that you need to rest and reflect?
Class updates: adding a class, adjusting two classes, and providing a donation class
We look forward to seeing you for class this month and especially hope you can join us for one of these new, adjusted, or donation offerings!
New Wednesday 5:30 p.m. class. Beginning on Wed., March 13, join Iajahnni on Wednesday evenings at 5:30 p.m.! On March 13 and March 20, the class will be Basics yoga; on March 27, it will be the monthly Move and Meditate session.
Frances’ Gentle class moves to Fridays. We heard your request that we space out the afternoon Gentle class offerings across the week. Now Frances will be teaching her afternoon Gentle class on Fridays—join her at 1:30 p.m. for that class.
Angie’s Chair class shifts to every other week. Thank you for your support for our limited-edition, downstairs Chair classes in February! In March, Angie will offer the class at the same time (noon on Tuesdays) but every other week (March 12 and March 26). In addition, although it will still be a 60-minute class, the location has moved upstairs to the studio.
Heather teaches the monthly donation class as an outdoor class. In March, Heather will offer the monthly donation class as an outdoor Basics class at Circus Square Park. This class will meet on Thurs., March 28, at 4 p.m. (Should the weather have other plans, we will gather at the studio instead.) Please bring your own mat, and note that donations are completely optional. If you do choose to donate a class fee, Heather will pass along those donations to her selected organization, Arts for All Kentucky.
Yoga Socials: Muffins and Mimosas and post-class visit to Pastiche
In addition to our regular, impromptu, chances to socialize after class, we are pleased to host two scheduled Yoga Socials in March!
Muffins and Mimosas.We are hosting another free Muffins and Mimosas event, this time for St. Patrick’s Day! Bring a few of your favorite muffins and join us on Sun., March 17, after Iajahnni’s 9 a.m. Basics yoga class.
Visit to Pastiche. After Heather’s outdoor Basics yoga class at 4 p.m. on Thurs., March 28, stroll over to Pastiche Provisions for a happy hour gathering!
April planning: book club meets to discuss Awe on Sun., April 21, 1:30 p.m.
We are excited to begin planning for our spring book club meeting, where we will discuss Dacher Keltner’s book, Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life.
In response to Alice Simpson’s request (thanks, Alice!), the Warren County Public Library has now added a physical copy of the book to its collection, which already included an e-copy. If you’d like to borrow the book, we encourage you to place a request with the library so you can join the queue.
In preparation for April’s meeting, we will be sharing some observations and information in the Facebook event, so please RSVP there, too.
For a complete copy of the March schedule, please the calendar page. We hope to have an opportunity to practice together soon!
Spring begins on Fountain Square! Feb. 24, 2024 Photo credit: Heather Kessler
As we begin February together, we are excited to share our expanded monthly schedule, complete with special classes and events and a new initiative! We appreciate not only the support you showed our community in January but also the warm welcome you provided for the newest teachers to join us: Iajahnni Von and Uta Ziegler! For more details about our February offerings, please read on—to skip to a copy of the schedule, see the calendar page.
New classes
February features two new classes and one special, one-time offering:
February-only chair class: Angie will take advantage of The Pots Place’s February closure to offer a downstairs Gentle class on Tuesdays at noon! This 60-minute class will use chairs for seated postures and for support in standing poses. This class may be a good fit for you if you prefer to avoid climbing the stairs to the studio or would rather not navigate up and down from the floor during class.
Ongoing Friday Basics class: Uta is offering an ongoing Friday 9 a.m. Basics class for folks who would like a second weekday-morning Basics practice. Please join her to start your Fridays off with yoga!
One-time Choco-yoga class: On Sat., Feb. 10, Carmen will provide an afternoon Basics class that will provide a mindful flow and feature chocolate after savasana. Join her at 4 p.m. for this special class!
Special events
In addition to our regular and special yoga classes, we are hosting two special events this month:
Celebrating Ahimsa: on Sat., Feb. 3, Carmen will offer a Gentle yoga class at 10:45 a.m. and then host an event to celebrate the Gentle classes’ January focus on Ahimsa or non-harming. Everyone is invited to stay after class—or come just for the event itself. We’ll stroll over to Café Kindness for a nourishing smoothie or lunch and review the ways that we practiced Ahimsa during the month.
Souper Bowl Supper: are you a bigger fan of yoga and vegetarian soup than you are of football and wings? Then join Heather and Angie at the studio on Sun., Feb. 11: Heather will teach the 4 p.m. class, and then we’ll retire to the lounge to enjoy our snow-postponed soup supper together. Heather and Angie will each bring a vegetarian soup: please bring a vegetarian side to share if you can.
New initiative: donation class!
We are excited to begin offering a monthly donation class, a class without a fee that we invite everyone to attend! Because the concept of a “donation class” can mean different things in different contexts, we want to explain the way it operates at our studio: each month we will offer one class where regular class fees are waived in favor of optional donations. In other words, teachers do not expect payments for these classes—everyone is welcome to come for free.
However, if students choose to donate for the class, the teacher will, in turn, forward the collected donations to a local non-profit organization of their choice. Our first donation class will be the Gentle class that meets on Thurs., Feb. 15, at 9 a.m. Angie will contribute any donations she receives to one of her favorite local organizations, the Bowling Green-Warren County Humane Society.
By rotating the donation class among teachers, styles, and times, we hope to offer something for every potential yogi over the course of the year: keep an eye on future months for opportunities to take Basics and Yin classes, in addition to Gentle ones. We look forward to practicing together in these special classes and to contributing directly back to our local community in these ways!
April book club: Sun., April 21, 1:30 p.m.
If you’re ready to plan beyond February, please mark your calendar for the April book club meeting: our next book club book is Awe: The New Science of Everyday Living and How It Can Transform Your Life by Dacher Keltner. Alice Simpson has generously agreed to be our facilitator, and we will meet on Sun., April 21, at 1:30 p.m. at the studio. The book is currently available as an e-audiobook from the Warren County Public Library, which has also ordered a physical book for its collection.
Building access
The Pots Place is taking its annual February break and is closed until Mon., March 4; as a result, access to the building will be limited. However, all classes will continue as scheduled, and we’ve asked teachers to arrive at least 20 minutes before their class begins to unlock the front door.
For a full copy of the month’s schedule, please see the attached PDF. Or, if you’d prefer to check the online calendar instead, you can always find it here.
We hope to have a chance to practice together in February!
Fountain Square Park at dusk Feb. 1, 2024 Photo credit: Heather Kessler
Because our area will be under a winter weather advisory all day on Monday (Jan. 15), we have opted to cancel our scheduled yoga classes and to postpone the evening soup supper at the studio. We hope you stay warm!
We will share a new date for the soup supper as soon as we have one—likely in February.
However, if you are starting to look ahead to next weekend, we’d love to see you for any or all of our three events on Sun., Jan. 21!
10 a.m. Basics yoga with Heather
1:30 p.m. book club to discuss Demon Copperhead (see details on the event’s Facebook page)
4 p.m. Basics yoga with Angie
After Heather’s morning class concludes, it seems likely that those of us who are making a day of it will find lunch downtown, and it would be fun (but by no means required) to dine together!
In late November and early December 2023, Angie Jones completed a specialized yoga teacher training at Duke Integrative Medicine in Durham, North Carolina, the Integrative Yoga for Seniors Professional Training. She spent this 8-day workshop with 14 fellow yoga teachers from across the U.S. and Canada studying with Kimberly Carson and Carol Krucoff, founders of the Yoga for Seniors program. (Kimberly Carson also co-taught the Mindful Yoga for Cancer training that Angie completed at Duke in 2019.) Angie is excited to become the tenth teacher in Kentucky to have completed the Integrative Yoga for Seniors program.
Duke Integrative Medicine Dec. 5, 2023
This intensive training featured a mixture of practice, lecture, and discussion. Before the trainees’ first yoga practice together, they were invited to “senior-ize” themselves to experience temporarily some of the experiences of practicing in an older body. They could choose to dampen their hearing with cotton balls, wear a visor to reduce the clarity of their vision, breathe through a straw in their mouths to mimic breath challenges, tape their toes together to reduce foot flexibility and challenge balance, and strap one arm to their torsos to simulate a shoulder or an arm injury.
Lectures were delivered by Duke medical professionals with experience working with patients and clients to manage health conditions and recover from surgeries that are common as we age. Each guest reviewed the medical aspects of the conditions they treat. They then highlighted the benefits of yoga for folks with the conditions that they see, noted appropriate modifications and variations to those people’s practice, and directed participants to additional research to learn more. Many guests emphasized the social benefit that we all gain from practicing with other people in a shared space and building community.
Dr. Mitchell Krucoff, a cardiologist and professor of cardiology, discussed cardiovascular concerns and reminded us of our students’ “remarkable resilience.” Christine Baright, a physical therapist, addressed arthritis and joint replacements and charged participants with figuring out how to help their yoga students transfer lessons from the studio into their daily activities. On the day devoted to palliative care and grief, Dr. Tony Galanos, a professor of medicine, spoke movingly on personal loss and his work to help fellow doctors with their own grief. After his presentation, the group took a field trip to the Memorial Garden at Sarah P. Duke Gardens for a walking meditation. After the private reflection, they discussed their own experiences of loss with partners.
Angie appreciates the other teachers at 4yoga who made it possible for her to travel to North Carolina for this experience—and she especially thanks Frances and Trudy, who taught extra Gentle classes while she was gone.
To learn more about how Angie is applying her Integrative Yoga for Seniors Professional Training to her teaching, please join her for one of her Gentle classes; she teaches on Tuesdays at 1:30 p.m. and on Thursdays at 9 a.m. Or if you’re finding your way to yoga or back to yoga, one of her private Intro to Yoga sessions may be a good first step.
Angie is also exploring options to share what she learned both with fellow teachers and with other students in February and beyond.
Integrative Yoga for Seniors Fall 2023 Cohort Dec. 5, 2023
As we begin 2024 together, we want to pause to appreciate the opportunity to be part of a thriving yoga community—and to appreciate you for your support of our studio. Whether you’ve attended classes, joined us for social events, or interacted with our social media, we are grateful for your role in our ongoing evolution.
The launch of a new year can bombard us with messaging that is not aligned with the study and practice of yoga. So you won’t see us asking for your new year’s resolutions or proclaiming the need for a “new you” when the calendar changes months: instead, we are beginning the new year with a gentle reminder that yoga can support and strengthen our self-development in many ways. But one thing yoga does not do is tell us that we are flawed and, therefore, need to be fixed.
If yoga will serve you in January, please join us at the studio! We are excited to welcome a new teacher, to highlight two guest teachers, and to offer several special classes and events. For a complete monthly schedule, please see the class calendar page; for more information about what January provides, please read on.
Three new and guest teachers: Maria, Uta, and Iajahnni
Maria French will offer a weekly Yin class on Friday nights at 5:30 p.m. and also teach a Saturday Basics class. For more information about Maria and her recent Yin training, check out this post.
Uta Ziegler will guest teach two Basics classes, one on Tuesday morning and another on Sunday afternoon. Find out more about Uta’s completion of a 200-hour yoga teacher training here.
Iajahnni Von will guest teach two Basics classes, both on Monday evenings. Although you may already be familiar with Iajahnni from his teaching at other area studios and gyms, we’ve shared a full introduction here.
Five special classes: meditation introduction, Saturday Gentle classes, yoga nidra, Sunday morning Basics class
Move and Meditate: we have heard your requests for in-person opportunities to learn about and practice meditation, and Angie is excited to offer the first of these special classes. Join her on Wed., Jan. 3, at 5:30 p.m. for a session that begins with gentle movement, provides strategies and suggestions for developing a meditation practice, and offers two or three accessible, guided meditations. This class can be completed seated in a chair or seated or reclining on the floor and is appropriate for folks with or without prior yoga experience.
Saturday Gentle classes: on the first two Saturdays of the month (Jan. 6 and Jan. 13), join Carmen for a weekend Gentle practice beginning at 10:45 a.m. These classes, like other January Gentle classes, will explore the principle of ahimsa, or non-harming. (See below for more information.)
Sunday yoga nidra: join Shigeko on Sun., Jan. 14, at 5:30 p.m. for this month’s yoga nidra session. Yoga nidra can be practiced sitting or reclining, and no prior yoga experience is needed. If you’ve already experienced yoga nidra, you are familiar with its many benefits to’ mental and physical health. If you are curious about this practice or would like to take a deeper dive into research on its effects, see this 2022 journal article.
Sunday morning Basics class: if you’ve been looking for an opportunity to practice on a Sunday morning, you’re in luck! Join Heather on Sun., Jan. 21, at 10 a.m. for a Basics class.
Three special events: two yoga socials and book club
Yoga Social #1: if you’re joining Angie for Move and Meditate on Wed., Jan. 3, save some time afterward to head to Mellow Mushroom to continue the conversation…or just meet us at Mellow for a chance to socialize.
Yoga Social #2: after her Monday-evening class on Jan. 15, Heather will host a “souper” yoga social at the studio. She and Angie will provide a pair of vegetarian soups; please bring a vegetarian appetizer, side dish, or dessert and join us for this casual dinner.
Book club: whether you’ve already read Demon Copperhead, the Pulitzer-prize-winning novel by Barbara Kingsolver, or are wondering what all the buzz is about, we hope you can join us for our January book club meeting to discuss it! We’ll gather at the studio on Sun., Jan. 21, at 1:30 p.m. for light snacks and conversation. Please bring a snack if you can, but the most important thing to contribute is your perspective on the novel. Here’s a link to the Facebook event, should you want to RSVP there.
One special focus for Gentle classes: ahimsa
During January, teachers in the Gentle classes will focus on ahimsa or non-harming. Explore the first yama this month with Trudy on Mondays, Angie on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Frances on Wednesdays, and Carmen on two Saturdays.
In the spirit of ahimsa, Frances and Angie will be sharing some of the lessons from the Brain Longevity Therapy Training program, provided through the Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation, that they completed in 2023. (Read more about their experiences here.) And Angie will continue to draw upon what she learned in the Integrative Yoga for Seniors Professional Training at Duke.
Finally, if January is when you would like to begin a yoga practice or get reacquainted with your mat, please schedule a private or semi-private Intro to Yoga session. These personalized sessions are available for a special rate of $25: see the sign-up form for the options available and to begin the scheduling process.
We look forward to practicing with you in the new year, and please let us know of ways we can continue to support your health and the health of our community!
Studio through the arch at Fountain Square Jan. 2, 2024
As we prepare to roll the calendar to 2024, we are excited to introduce Iajahnni Von is joining us as a guest teacher in January!
For many members of our community, Iajahnni needs no introduction because he has offered yoga for many years, including for Harmony Therapeutic Yoga and for Bowling Green Parks and Recreation. And you may also have already had the opportunity to practice with him at 4yoga or to chat together at a post-yoga trip to Spencer’s. For a formal introduction, though, please read on!
Iajahnni Von was first introduced to yoga in 1998 as part of his dance training at WKU. This experience created the cornerstone of his personal practice: exploring the ways in which the body can express and heal itself through movement.
In 2014 Iajahnni officially made the transition from student to instructor by completing his 200-hour yoga teacher training at Harmony Therapeutic Yoga with Shanda Packard. Over the years his classes have evolved, moving from an exercise focus with classes like “Increasing Strength and Flexibility with Asana” and “Runner’s Yoga” to a more restorative and mindfulness focus.
In the “White Light Yoga” class that he taught at Parks and Recreation from 2012 to 2021, Iajahnni began incorporating alternative healing modalities like guided meditation, Reiki, MCKS Pranic Healing, and Crystal Healing.
When asked about his teaching, Iajahnni noted that he takes an intuitive approach: “What I teach wholly depends on who shows up for class that day.” Not surprisingly, one of the things he enjoys most is crafting each class “in the moment” based on the needs and goals of the students who are present.
Iajahnni is honored to become part of the 4yoga family and looks forward to practicing with you on Monday evenings in January: join him on Mon., Jan. 22, and Mon., Jan. 29, for Basics practices at 5:30 p.m.
As regular readers know, these posts typically highlight yoga trainings that have been completed by folks who are already teachers at 4yoga. In contrast, this post shares the exciting news that a longtime student has completed her 200-hour yoga teacher training and is preparing to begin teaching yoga!
From late July until mid-December 2023, Uta Ziegler progressed through the 200-hour program at Steadfast & True Yoga School in Nashville, Tennessee. This almost entirely in-person program featured primary teachers Gillian St. Clair and Mary Beth Harding. (For more about Gillian, scroll down on this page.)
Uta has been an engaged member of the local yoga community since she completed a 4-week beginner’s yoga series with Debbie Marquette about 15 years ago, and we are excited to support her in her new role as a yoga teacher. She especially appreciates those of you who attended the practice classes she organized and held at the 4yoga studio and provided her with feedback as she continued to develop her teaching skills.
When asked what she learned from her yoga teacher training, Uta noted:
My yoga teachers are all amazing! I never realized how much they mentally juggle when teaching a class: the cues, watching the students, adapting to the students in class, linking experiences, repeating stuff on both sides, adding a bit of dharma, making sure it’s a well-rounded practice, leaving enough time for savasana. Oh, and being done on time.
The importance and power of invitational language – coupled with trying to make yoga accessible (e.g. with variations) to students who show up for a class.
In considering what yoga means to her, Uta stated:
Yoga for me means my breath, my body, my mind on the mat practicing together. Even though I’m still working on the “together” part (and will be for a long time), lessons learned on the mat such as patience, acceptance, honesty (to myself), listening, and compassion positively affect my off-mat life.
We are happy to welcome Uta as she begins teaching yoga! In January, she will guest teach two Basics classes, so mark your calendar for Tues., Jan. 16, at 9 a.m. and Sun., Jan. 28, at 4 p.m.
Please join Uta for a class in the new year—and, the next time you see her, congratulate her on the substantial accomplishment of completing a 200-hour yoga teacher training!
We are excited to welcome Maria French to our teaching staff at 4yoga and to highlight her recent completion of a Yin Teacher Training module! Maria has been practicing yoga since 2012, and she completed her 200-hour yoga teacher training at Be Happy Yoga in July 2021.
To advance her understanding of the practice and teaching of yoga, Maria is currently enrolled in the 300-hour yoga teacher training program at Sanctuary for Yoga in Nashville. As part of that program, she spent an October weekend diving deeply into Yin yoga and completed a 20-hour Yin module with Elizabeth Stewart.
During the training, Maria learned “the principles of Yin yoga and it roots in both Chinese and Indian philosophies.” She also appreciated the opportunity to “understand the physical impact on the body though practicing this type of yoga and how it targets different areas of the body than traditional yoga.”
To experience Yin yoga for yourself, please join Maria on Fridays in January, when she will be offering a 5:30 p.m. Yin class! Maria enjoys sharing yoga’s benefits, both physical and mental, especially to help practitioners relieve stress and feel more at ease, and she looks forward to seeing you to conclude the week with a Yin practice!
The winter months are perfect for catching up on reading, and we hope you add Demon Copperhead to your list! For our January book club meeting, we will discuss this provocative novel written by Barbara Kingsolver, a popular author from Kentucky. Join us in the lounge at the studio on Sun., Jan. 21, at 1:30 p.m. for what promises to be a lively discussion.
If you prefer borrowing books to buying, check out the many formats available through Warren County Public Library: print (regular and large print), electronic, and audio. Because the novel is very popular, we suggest folks who want to borrow it request it from the library well in advance of our meeting.
Everyone is welcome to attend book club gatherings—taking yoga classes is not a requirement! We provide a couple of snacks and plates/napkins/utensils. If you are able to bring a snack to share, we would appreciate it, but contributions are not necessary.
If Facebook events help you keep up with your calendar, please RSVP to the January book club’s event page, where we also welcome questions and pre-meeting conversation. We look forward to seeing you in the new year!
4yoga 