If your Memorial Day Weekend plans have you spending time in Bowling Green, why not add yoga to your schedule? We would love to see you at the studio—just drop in for any of these three classes:
Fri., May 24: 5:30 p.m. Yin with Maria. (Yin classes use props and target the connective tissue, often along the spine and around the hips. Students often appreciate their slower pace and meditative approach.)
Sat., May 25: 9 a.m. Basics with Maria.
Sun., May 26: 4 p.m. Basics with Shigeko.
Mon., May 27: 9 a.m. Holiday with Uta. (Holiday classes are mixed-level classes that welcome students who usually attend different categories of classes.)
If you are visiting our studio for the first time, you may either use the front door of The Pots Place (the one facing Fountain Square) or the back door (ring the buzzer so the teacher can unlock the door remotely). Walk through the store itself and then climb the stairs to our second-floor studio space.
We encourage new students to arrive about 15 minutes early, and everyone is welcome to borrow mats and other props (e.g., blocks, blankets, straps) at no additional charge.
Our classes last 70 minutes, and the class fee is $10/class. If you have any questions, just drop us an email (4yoga.me@gmail.com) or send us a Facebook message.
Ready to develop more empathy for yourself and others? Then check out the book for our summer 2024 book club—The War for Kindness: Building Empathy in a Fractured World.
Join us on Sun., Aug. 4, at 1:30 p.m. to discuss Jamil Zaki’s research that encouragingly indicates “empathy is less like a fixed trait and more like a skill—something that we can sharpen over time and adapt to the modern world” (15).
Check out the book’s website to learn more, and RSVP to our Facebook event to receive reminders.
Everyone is welcome to attend book club gatherings—the only requirement is an interest in the book and discussing it!
For each meeting, we provide a couple of snacks and plates/napkins/utensils. If you’re able to bring a snack to share, we would appreciate it, but contributions are not necessary.
As May gets underway, we are happy to share our month’s focus and schedule and to invite you to come practice with us.
This month, we continue our journey through the yamas and niyamas with a focus on the fifth yama, aparigraha, often translated as non-possessiveness, non-covetousness, or non-attachment. To explore and practice aparigraha this month, then, we might identify something in our lives that we can release. Specifically, we could select and let go of a physical item, an attitude or belief about ourselves or others, or a role we have held—and then notice how it feels to have one fewer attachment.
May’s special events and classes
See the chronologically ordered list below for several special opportunities to gather together at the studio—we hope one or more of them piques your interest!
Back Care Yoga with Heather: Fri., May 10, 5:30 p.m. Sitting all day? Are you feeling it in your low back? Join Heather to stretch and strengthen while keeping your low back happy!
Donation Class with Uta: Sat., May 11, 9 a.m. We thank Uta for offering this month’s donation class, which provides an opportunity to practice without a class fee (donations are completely optional). If you do choose to donate, Uta will forward donations to her selected organization, Feeding America—Kentucky’s Heartland.
Sound Bath with Beshka: Sat., May 18, 11 a.m. We hope you can join Beshka for this special event that allows participants to relax into a meditative state while they are “bathed” in sound waves. To save your space, register using this brief form. (Pre-registration is required to ensure that everyone has ample space.) If you’d like to learn more, check out our post. And, if you’d like to join Beshka for a yoga practice prior to the sound bath, drop in for her 9 a.m. Basics class.
Memorial Day Class with Uta: Mon., May 27, 9 a.m. Join Uta for this morning practice, our traditional, single class for the holiday.
Move and Meditate with Iajahnni: Wed., May 29, 5:30 p.m. Curious about meditation and seeking an accessible introduction? Or looking for an opportunity to practice meditation with others? Then join Iajahnni for this monthly session that can be completed comfortably either seated on a chair or resting on the mat.
Gentle class update: while Frances and Trudy each enjoy a summer hiatus from teaching, Angie will offer all of our Gentle and Chair classes. What does this mean for you, whether you are an ongoing or potential student? That these classes will be based upon the specialized, evidence-informed training that Angie has completed at Duke Integrative Medicine. Specifically, the classes will reflect what she has learned in both her Integrative Yoga for Seniors training in 2023 and her Mindful Yoga for Cancer training in 2019. To find out more about Angie’s experiences, see these posts: Integrative Yoga for Seniors, Mindful Yoga for Cancer.
Looking for an opportunity be soothed with sound into a state of relaxation? Register to join Beshka for a summer sound bath on Sat., May 18!
Whether you have already had an opportunity to enjoy 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 where 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 creates the sounds using a variety of healing instruments such as gongs, singing bowls, percussion, chimes. and tuning forks.
How do I sign up? To provide participants with ample space, this event requires pre-registration using this brief form, which also lists the ways in which to submit payments. The fee for this special experience is $25.
Welcome back to Training Thursday, a series that shares updates on the teacher training workshops and programs in which 4yoga teachers enroll!
Today, we’re bringing you news from Maria French: in late March, Maria traveled to Sanctuary for Yoga in Nashville to take a series of workshops with Nicki Doane from Maui. These sessions focused on Maya Yoga, the style of yoga Nicki developed, and they count as electives for Maria in her 300-hour yoga teacher training program at Sanctuary.
During these 10.5 hours of in-person training, Maria learned “more language around helping students safely and correctly get into poses.” She noted that Nicki is a challenging teacher but offers clear instruction on alignment. In addition, Maria found the language Nicki used “helpful for feeling in my body” and “believe[s] this will be useful in my own practice as well as teaching others.”
To practice with Maria in April, join her for either the ongoing Friday evening Yin class at 5:30 p.m. or for this month’s donation class on Sat., April 27, at 9 a.m. (donations are optional and will benefit Hope Harbor in recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month).
This month, as we continue our exploration of yoga beyond the physical poses (asana), we will be exploring the yama of brahmacharya, or non-excess. Deborah Adele explains that this yama provides “a call to leave greed and excess behind and walk in this world with wonder and awe, practicing nonexcess and attending to each moment as holy.”
Class updates: providing a Men’s class, continuing Move and Meditate, and offering a donation class.
New Sunday 5:45 p.m. class for men. On Sunday evenings in April, join Iajahnni for a new Men’s Yoga class! Some men, especially those who are new to yoga, may prefer taking a class with other men—if this describes you, then this class is for you! The class meets weekly throughout the month, so drop in for one or all four of the sessions.
Move and Meditate on Wed., April 24: Are you curious about meditation? Maybe already practice some? Or perhaps have developed a long-standing practice? Whatever your current relationship to meditation, this monthly class with Iajahnni will give you a chance to explore accessible meditation strategies and techniques and to discuss your experiences with fellow meditators.
Maria teaches the monthly donation class on Sat., April 27. This month’s donation class meets on a Saturday morning to allow those of you looking for a weekend practice to attend without a class fee (donations are completely optional). If you do choose to donate, Maria will pass along those donations to her selected organization, Hope Harbor, in recognition of April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
Book Club: discussing Awe on Sun., April 21, 1:30 p.m.
Appropriately for a month in which we are studying brahmacharya, for our spring book club meeting we will discuss Dacher Keltner’s book, Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life. The Warren County Public Library holds both physical and e-editions of the book.
Everyone is always welcome to attend book club and to share their thoughts. If you are able to bring a snack to share, we would appreciate it, but your attendance and insights are the most important contributions. Please also keep up with the book club meeting on its Facebook event.
For a complete copy of the April schedule, please check the calendar page. We look forward to practicing with you this month!
Fountain Square Park is beautiful in spring! March 28, 2024
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!
4yoga 