YOGA GUIDELINES FOR CLASS

Here are some suggestions to make your experience with yoga a good one.

Attendance:

• Please try to be on time to class. I consider the first part of class very important and I hope you will too.
• IF YOU ARE LATE, please be quiet and wait to roll out your mat between asanas so as not to disturb the class.
• If you are not going to make it to class please call and leave me a message or email me — someone else may want to drop in on a class.

Preparation:

• Try to eat no more than 1½ hours before class, preferably two hours. If you are diabetic or have blood sugar issues talk to me about it.
• Please do not wear perfumes to class as some students are quite sensitive to scents. We do deep breathing in class so smells can be very distracting.
• Wear cotton clothing that is comfortable and unrestrictive.
• If you have time when you arrive relax in Savasana or Corpse pose so you can begin calming your mind and body by focusing on your breath

Class:

• Women please let me know when you are menstruating — inversions as well as some breathing exercises are not appropriate during that time.
• Do not wear shoes in the studio.
• Please turn off your cell phone.
• Please do not chew gum in class.
• Talking as little as possible in class will help you and others focus but please do ask questions when you do not understand what we are doing

Buying Your Own Mat

We recommend that you buy your own yoga mat to bring to class and for your home yoga practice; these two mats are recommended:

• The Tapas Ultra Mat is cushy and the best non slip I have ever tired, my favorite!
• The Bheka Mat is a great mat particularly for travel because it folds up and can be put in your suitcase.

Yoga for Health, Yoga for Healing

Yoga is the science of consciousness. As we awaken to our true selves and gain a deeper understanding of how we function physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually we become and feel more whole, more present and more alive. The way I approach yoga is to let it be a path for you to discover the fullness of you. To help you push past boundaries that you thought you had with your body in a safe and aware way. At times our body will speak to us and let us know that the way we have used it for many years is not okay any more and it needs a change. In yoga we use the breath and movement to heal the restrictions of time. Prana or breath brings in new energy and a healing force that replenishes the whole system. This too must be worked with carefully and consistently to help the body and mind heal at a pace that will allow the mechanisms of the whole system to assimilate the changes. This is why I like to see my students in class regularly to support the positive effort that each person wants to make in their life. To break old habits we must develop new habits.

Guidelines for Good Asana Practice

In the practice of Hatha Yoga we learn a variety of Asanas or postures, which are designed to affect the your whole being at many levels. The process of learning the asanas has different stages. We learn the mechanics of the pose, how to breathe in the pose, and then we gain an understanding of how the energy is moving as we are in the pose. Being steady and comfortable in the pose is something which evolves with practice. This steadiness and ease becomes a physical, mental and spiritual experience.

• Steady posture: This is any posture that's held stable for a period of time. The key isn't freezing all movement, though. Your posture becomes steady when your mind is steady and the body can be stable and with an awareness of the breath. As long as the mind is out of control and you are not present with the moment, you're not steady.
• Comfortable posture: A posture is comfortable when it is enjoyable and enlivening rather than boring and burdensome. Feeling that the posture is full of energy as you hold and breathe

Listen to Your Body

No one knows your body like you do. The more you practice Yoga, the better you can become at determining your limitations with each posture: Each posture presents its own unique challenge. Ideally, you want to feel encouraged to explore and expand your physical and emotional boundaries without straining or injuring yourself.

Sometimes in yoga we speak of practicing at the edge. Which means to gradually find that place in the pose which feels like a good place to stop, where work and relaxation can happen. Then we breathe and may find that the edge changes and we can open up to new edge within.

Self-observation and paying attention to the feedback from your body are key to playing with the edge.

If you have a body you can benefit from Yoga! We all benefit from movement, stretching and focused breathing. All of us have noticed how our body tends to stiffen and tighten up as we age—if we do not do anything about it our bodies tend to become stiff and hard so that our circulatory system and life force is inhibited. Yoga can reverse this process as it increases your body's flexibility, balance, and strength. Yoga also helps to balance the endocrine, digestive and nervous system. Your busy mind also benefits from yoga as it becomes more focused and calm, which is no small thing these days. Hatha Yoga has always been a practice centered on self-realization through centering your awareness in your body.

In addition to the positive effect of Yoga through individual practice, I feel group classes generate a powerful and positive healing energy for all who come. Our bodies and needs are unique and I encourage students to speak to me about individual needs in order to gain the most benefit from the classes and their individual practice. In time you can learn where your being needs more opening and strengthening.
The Benefits of Yoga

Life is full of changes and challenges that can be stressful. Stress in the end can result in a comprised immune system, loss of energy and zest for living.

Through the practice of yoga you may experience positive changes in your body, mind and spirit.

Positive physical effects:

• improved posture
• strengthened immune system
• increased flexibility
• toned muscles
• hormonal balance
• relaxed nervous system
• better digestion and elimination

Positive mental and emotional effects:

• Increased concentration
• clarity of mind
• increased awareness and focus
• a more positive attitude
• stress reduction
• less mood swings
• a stronger sense of self
• an ability to respond positively to situations rather than "reacting mindlessly"

When our body and mind are balanced, we can naturally connect with our spiritual center strengthening the intuition, developing a greater feeling of love and compassion for oneself and others.

• Total Yoga by Tara Fraser
• Yoga: the Spirit and Practice of Moving Into Stillness by Erich Schiffmann