| S T I L L P O
I N T CLASS
DESCRIPTIONS
Note: All yoga classes incorporate structural, functional, alignment, movement and breathing principles from yoga’s 4000- year old tradition. We
also integrate contemporary experiential study/research in
developmental learning and
in the field of Somatic Movement Education by
pioneers including Moshe Feldenkrais, Thomas Hanna and
others.
Introductory
Yoga: It covers the ‘how’ of approaching
yoga ‘asanas’ and movement in general,
by slowing the process of moving the body into positions and learning to
adapt to your circumstances. After
all, this is not about performance, but about developing the process of
understanding how the practice of yoga can give each of us what we need when we
take the time to listen and appreciate our bodies.
Gentle
Yoga: Classes begin using a common upright
chair as the main tool for bringing a sense of uprightness, control and ease of
movement through a base range of stretches.
Integrative Yoga
(General): Integrative incorporates traditional yogic
approaches influenced strongly by the teaching of B.K.S. Iyengar; T.K.V. Desikachar; Gary Kraftsow; and
Eric Schiffmann. The range of asana
covered includes standing and balance, forward bending (standing and sitting),
modified back and side bending, and inversions.
Meditation &
Mindfulness classes draw from world wisdom traditions with an intention to
provide a practical , unbiased
understanding of ourselves, our
thinking, our living.
Guided
Meditation: We will use reclining poses
from yoga with ample supports (bolsters, blankets, blocks, sandbag weights, eye
pillows). These poses provide
gentle stretching of the spine while allowing for optimal breathing and thus
deepening the relaxation. Always
the instructor, along with quiet background sound, provides guided
visualizations for considering how to bring deep rest into our lives. A meditative state of being can be
attained only by those who realize that a sense of peace and quiet will move
them toward health and well-being.
“Resting
consciously seems complex at first, but such simplicity with practice. Integral to sensing peace and harmony is
the developing skill of resting the body.
Conscious intention is cultivated by staying presently aware of when the
body tenses or when the mind is distracted by ‘mental noise’. Often the instructor guides the class
toward quiet. The net effect of
this practice is a deep rest while wide awake. The implications for resolving inner
conflicts are profound.”
Meditation in Movement is a poetic description of these
practices. They are, at the same
time, a body-strengthening, body-relaxing form of
self-culture.
Mindful
Movement: The first part of the class is
applied to gentle stretching and strengthening with attention to breathing and
sensory feedback as a guide to how much movement and when to apply rest, which
acts as an integrative tool for learning.
T’ai Chi / Qi
Gong: This T’ai Chi form of movements
relies on principles of balancing through relaxing the body and building
strength in the legs. It becomes a
way of moving the body mindfully while exercising the weight-bearing joints of
the body with attention to proper alignment of the knees over the ankles and
under the hips. As this posturing
improves, the low back, neck and shoulders begin to relax and a much more
efficient way of balancing while standing or walking becomes available. The force upon the joints bearing weight
is more evenly distributed, and unnecessary muscular force in everyday moving is
reduced. T’ai Chi
practitioners, sometimes called ‘players’, develop a heightened sense of control and confidence through
grounding, balance and strength in
upright movement.
Qi Gong is practiced standing,
sitting or lying down. It also,
like it’s cousin, T’ai Chi,
consciously intends to move and balance the energies of the body through
breathwork and visualizations.
Anyone can practice this ancient form of self-improvement because it
emphasizes a meditative and
invigorating approach to centering and grounding.
Another
Note: ‘Awareness
Through Movement’ w/Randy P’poole (509-969-1458) and Yoga w/Marsha
Hawk (509-607-1882) are independent classes by these instructors. Please contact them directly for class
information and cost.
You are here: Home-Class Descript
Previous Topic: Sitemap Next Topic: Calendar
|