YogaSOULutions.net

For the last 6 weeks or so, I have been taking Vinyasa yoga classes at Studio DC, here in Washington DC. I just joined their work/trade program which offers free yoga classes in exchange for service at their check-in desk, keeping the studio clean, etc.

I hope that this weekly commitment will motivate me to be more consistent in my own practice. I figure if I have 2 free classes waiting for me, I am at least a little more likely to go.

StudioDC offers a mix of Vinyasa (beginner and intermediate, heated and non-heated), Ashtanga and Yin Yoga. I really like the intermediate Vinyasa class because it feels incredibly detoxing. By the end of class I feel scrubbed clean on the inside. And I have gotten a workout that builds strength, flexibility and balance while also relieving stress.

Challenging Workout

Although I love the results of these sessions, I have to say, it is not a walk in the park.

The term vinyasa apparently refers to yoga done in a flowing manner. So instead of doing a pose like Triangle, and then coming back to a neutral standing position and then going into your next pose, between most postures, you include a sequence of four poses (plank, chaturanga, updog and downward dog) to keep the whole body fluid and the muscles warm.

Doing this sequence repeatedly throughout a 1 hour practice requires a fair amount of upper body strength. Let’s just say the first class was quite an adjustment for me.

I do not usually do upper body strengthening exercises, so while I am not exactly a weakling, my shoulders and arms could be in better shape. During my first class we must have done the plank/chaturanga/updog/down dog vinyasa sequence 25 times, maybe more. I decided that vinyasa really means, “Yo, baby, you’re shoulders sure better be in shape!”

Quick Results

The routines in the intermediate level classes are fairly demanding, in addition to the vinyasa flow between poses, there are many warrior and lunge poses. Even in the unheated classes, you can work up a good sweat.

Like anything that requires more effort, the payoff is pretty good. After even one class, I notice it is ten times easier to get up in the morning. If I go 3 or more times in one week, I notice a dramatic decrease in my snack cravings. That is a huge plus for me!

I keep going a few times a week and gradually it is getting easier. And nothing else gives me quite that feeling of being scrubbed squeaky clean on the inside.

It seems many studios in the area offer great intro packages and/or a work/trade program of some kind. I hope to do a post on some of these deals soon, and maybe start a section here on the blog listing all the discount yoga packages.

Til then, Namaste.

Terri

Does your life flow like this?

I saw a greeting card recently that says, “I just want to look and feel as if I do yoga.”

Exactly!

Most of you have probably seen a set of Russian nesting dolls at one time or another. They are sets of colorful painted doll figurines encased inside one another. You open the outermost doll and inside you find another smaller painted doll. You open that doll and find another smaller doll inside. And so on.

Regular yoga practice may feel a little like opening set of those dolls. The more you practice, the more of yoga’s gifts you uncover.

When you first begin yoga, you have some idea in mind about what you will gain from the practice. But then you are pleasantly surprised by some of the unexpected ‘side effects’.

For instance, you might take up yoga in hopes that it will reduce back pain. After a few classes you notice your back pain is noticeably lessened AND you realize that since your first class you have been sleeping more soundly than you have in a decade. Or you notice that your interactions with one of the difficult people in your life lately feel less difficult. You find yourself having a more expansive perspective on a troublesome situation. And on and on it goes.

Whatever we expect yoga to yield to us, it ends up being so much more.

I have experienced a kind of clearer perspective from yoga so many times. And I hope to experience it each and every time I practice. To me these effects sum up what yoga is really about.

It is great to feel ease in your body, but so much better to feel you have learned to “Dwell as near as possible to the channel in which your life flows” as Thoreau sagely advised.

The spring 2012 issue of Pathways Magazine just came out. While flipping through it, I immediately noticed several yoga-themed items.

There’s an ad for an Iyengar yoga conference (May 3 – 6) here in DC in early May as well as an accompanying essay about the life of Iyengar. The conference does not fit my budget right now, even with no travel costs, but I am sure it will be fun for those who attend. Go to www.iyengarconferenceDC.com for more info.

Then there is the Pathways six-week series of Monday night yoga workshops featuring six different styles of yoga. This is a very affordable series at $10.00 per workshop. AND all proceeds go to www.AWiderCircle.org.

It looks like this series is happening at Pathways’ own facilities at 9339 Fraser Avenue, Silver Spring, MD. The workshops run Monday nights at 7 pm from March 26 through April 30. Go to www.PathwaysMagazine for complete details.

Those workshops are more in my price range and several of them look pretty interesting. I am considering the first one on March 26 and a later one about Svaroopa yoga.

I took one Svaroopa yoga class once about ten years ago with my older sister. It is an almost effortless restorative style of yoga, probably similar in effect to Yin Yoga which I talked about a while back.

Looking forward to it! Hope to see you there.

Continue Reading »

I’m a little late posting about it, but I did actually make my way to another local yoga class a couple of weeks ago. This time I went to Yogachai in DC’s Adam’s Morgan neighborhood. They are offering a wonderful promotion of 10 consecutive days of yoga classes for only $10 this winter.

There was no chai served at the class I attended. No cookies either. Course, I wasn’t really expecting any. I really did go for the stretching

I recently heard someone describe the Adams Morgan neighborhood as kind of ‘fun, funky, very diverse with a lot of young people.’ If that is true, then Yogachai’s studio is in the perfect place. The long list of class instructors on their website should guarantee a teaching style for every taste.

The Sunday 9:30 am class that I attended was taught by the very lithe and sweet Sia Barnes. Sia told me she started taking classes at Yogachai about 3 years ago and now she is teaching.

Filled to the Brim
Fortunately or unfortunately, my class was filled to the seams with people eager to get their New Year off to a flying start. I think I overheard someone say something like “this happens every January….in a few weeks in will not be so crowded.” I secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

As much as I would love for as many people as possible to experience the joy of yoga, I also like to be able to do yoga without hitting anyone

Probably things have calmed down a bit even by now. Actually, the other class I attended the week before by BEyogayurt was also surprisingly well attended.

Anyway, the Sunday morning class was a wonderful vinyasa style class. My shoulders “thanked” me for for the next 2 days for all the chaturanga’s we did. I do not do much upper body work, so on the rare occasion that I do a yoga workout with a dozen-ish plank to drop down stick moves, I really feel it.

I am excited and delighted to see so many yoga studios around the city. I look forward to getting to more of them as time allows. It seems a lot of places only have their current schedule online. For instance, Yogachai has no printed schedule at all. Everything is online.

On another note, Krista of Beyogayurt.com recently announced that she will be teaching yoga classes for the homeless in Herndon this winter/spring. What an awesome service! She is collecting old yoga mats for this purpose. If you would like to donate one, email Krista at info@BEyogaYurt.com.

Ever since I arrived in DC in early December, I’ve been eager to get to know the local yoga community. I

finally got to my very first class this past week.

Beyogayurt.com kicked off a new 10-week series of classes with free introductory classes for intermediate

and beginner level yogis. The classes were held in the gymnasium of the Church of Anunciation at 3810

Massachusetts Avenue in Georgetown. The mixed level class runs from 6:15 – 7:15 pm and the beginners

level from 7:30 – 8:30 pm. The location is pretty convenient for me and there is plenty of free parking, so

I really couldn’t resist.

About 22 people showed up despite bitter cold temps outside. Since yoga studios are almost as common as

coffee shops these days, I was a little surprised to see such a large turnout. I wonder if New Year’s

resolutions had something to do with it.

Anyway, It is always nice to see people enthusiastic about yoga.

The instructor, Krista, explained that she teaches traditional Hatha yoga as opposed to the more common

vinyasa or flow-oriented styles offered around DC. Hatha yoga is more static, with positions held a little

longer. You transition slowly from one pose to another without jumping back and moving from one pose to

another.

Generally I like this style the best since it allows me to get many of the benefits of yoga (clearing up

stagnant energy, stress relief, relaxation) without exerting a ton of energy. It is also slow enough that I

can really pay attention to what is going on inside. I find this approach to be the most beneficial for

creativity and gaining insights into daily problems.

Krista said the series will run for the next 9 weeks. I am not sure if both Tues. and Thurs. are included in

one session (which typically costs $125; or $115 for church members) or if you are supposed to choose

Tues. or Thursday. [ More about that later. ]

She mentioned that she always try to work with people who are unable to pay the full fee. She would

never turn anyone away from class for inability to pay. To me this seems to reflect the true spirit of yoga.

And in case these classes are not convenient for you, Krista also holds classes in a ‘yurt’ in Sterling, VA.
See www.Beyogayurt.com for more details. In case you don’t know what a ‘yurt’ is, they are small round

buildings made of eco-friendly materials. They are often used as an inexpensive housing or camping

structure. I have never been inside one, I have just seen photographs. They look like the kind of house

you might see as an illustration in a childrens’ book. I find them totally adorable.

I don’t know when or if I will actually get out to Sterling for a class, but the chance to see an actual yurt is

an added incentive.

Well, I guess 2 ½ months is a pretty long time between postings. But at least I can blame some of my blogging inactivity on moving… as in “I have moved.”

Yes, that’s right. After 11 sunny years in Florida, I have recently relocated to Washington DC.

Way back before Florida, I spent my whole life in New England. So I am really happy to be back in a more northerly region. It feels more like home. And as I told folks in Florida. I am eagerly looking forward to 4 seasons instead of 1 ½!

However, as much as I am looking forward to being further north, mid-November was not exactly best time to leave Florida. The DC whether has been mostly mild but there have also been a few really chilly, raw days. By contrast, I can easily imagine how warm and pleasant it is on a daily basis in Central Florida right now. Sigh.

Let’s hope that this DC winter is milder than the New England ones I remember.

I look forward to enjoying the many cultural and scenic delights offered in our nation’s capital. And I hope to drop in on some DC yoga classes soon too.

I am pretty excited about what lies ahead.

And I expect to be more consistent about posting here.

As Indian philosopher Sri Chinmoy said, “There is only one perfect road and that road is ahead of you, always ahead of you.”

Read on to hear about a Trinity Fitness Trainer who strives to empower her clients.

Every now and then we get inspired by an article or a speech that talks about how we have so much more potential than we realize. And for a few days, we feel motivated to work out and eat healthier.

But when the stresses and pressures of life pile up, we only faintly remember our pledge to get fit. The  fire of enthusiasm dwindles to a tiny flame and often blows out altogether.

And as challenging as it is for a healthy person to follow a fitness program, it is harder still for those of us who are recovering from an accident or dealing with chronic illness.

We start to feel like failures on the inside because of how we appear on the outside. Each person has a different reason for not being at their best physically and mentally, but there is a common theme: we don’t think we can do it. We feel powerless to make positive changes in our lives, and become strong and fit again!

What many of us need is not just a trainer or coach, but an inspired and inspiring coach. Someone who knows how to find that little lever in our psyche and push it just hard enough but not so hard that we give up.

Michelle Dumovich, master Pilates trainer and owner of MD Complete Fitness in Trinity, is one such trainer.

One of her gifts is helping clients face the obstacles that hold them back from becoming who they want to be. Dumovich says clients stick with her because they like the changes in their self-image. When it comes to fitness, she says, “It really is how you feel about yourself.”

A first step is “getting rid of all the mental baggage” that stands in the way. Using music, visualization and a desire to see her clients go “above and beyond” what they think they are capable of. Dumovich strives to empower her clients by bringing them to a point where they believe in themselves.

She has trained hundreds of people over the last 12 years powered by her above and beyond attitude and she loves seeing clients arrive at the point where they say, “Oh my God, I can do this!” Her motivation comes from the feeling that “there is more to everybody” than just our to-do lists and getting through another week.

She notices that often people reach mid-life and realize that “they have been so detached from themselves” while they were trying to keep up with everything. When we are stressed, we don’t eat right and then we feel too tired to exercise. As time passes, it is easy to feel that getting fit is just not possible anymore.

In group and private classes, Michelle says she sometimes feels like “a minister preaching to a chapel.” Empowering her clients is all about “getting people connected emotionally and spiritually to their bodies.” In her experience, “the mental state always supersedes the physical state.”

Her clients are grateful and eager to encourage others to enjoy the same transformation. They tell timid newcomers “It is not what you think it is.” About training with Michelle, they say “It’s not just a class, it’s an adventure of the mind.”

Dumovich calls her studio a safe haven for anyone recovering from an accident or illness. She works with clients with serious injuries and finds ways to adapt exercises to allow clients to train safely.  Because of her continued study of human anatomy and neuromuscular physiology, she knows exactly how to position a person to avoid any trauma or joint problems.

People recovering from auto accidents find they can still get a cardio workout under Dumovich’s careful supervision. For instance, a client with an injured tailbone can practice ‘running’ while lying down on the Pilates Reformer machine. In this prone position, with the neck carefully supported, you are “jogging but the spine is floating” for a no-impact cardio workout.

Dumovich and her assistant Leona train men, women and children in group and private sessions. Her clients are so attached to her that many have been with her for 10 – 12 years, following her from other gyms to her own studio. She said she will “only lose a client if they move.” They call Dumovich “the voice inside my head” reminding them they can succeed as they face obstacles in training and in life.

As much as I love yoga and know that it can do wonderful things for me, sometimes I just don’t feel like, well, doing it. And though there are plenty of ways to get around this hump, sometimes I just don’t bother.

We all have days like this. Which is why the growth of Yin Yoga is so exciting. I think it is sometimes called ‘soft yoga’ or restorative yoga. Whatever you call it, it is wonderful. And…Easy! Really easy!

In Yin yoga you concentrate on passively stretching connective tissue between joints and ligaments instead of stretching and strengthening muscles like most forms of yoga.

I first discovered this ‘new’ yoga through a book and CD kit by Biff Mithhoefer called “Quiet Power.” Biff explains how this style of yoga is different from what most yogis are used to. In yin yoga, the aim is to not try too hard.

Any technique that requires little exertion and gives a promise of ‘power’ gets my attention.

I practiced with his CD for a quiet bedtime yoga practice a few times. After one session, as I climbed into bed and closed my eyes, I experienced the sweetest feeling of relaxation I had felt in years! It reminded me of how I felt falling asleep at night when I was about 8 years old and didn’t have a care in the world.

The adult me didn’t know I could feel like that again. It was such a sublime sensation.

Needless to say, after such a juicy experience, I was eager to take a class and have more.

Just recently I saw that Yoga Village has a Yin/Yang class every Sunday morning. Yippee! I’d be willing to drive to Tampa for the delicious fruits of Yin Yoga, but with a class here in Clearwater, I don’t even have to.

Note: Yin yoga is popping up at other area studios too.

Little Effort, Big Results

JoAnn Sloan leads the Yin Yoga and Restorative Therapeutic Yoga classes at Yoga Village in Clearwater.

JoAnn Sloan, who led this class, told us that this is the yoga of “little effort, but big results.”

In Yin, you move into various sitting and reclining positions and gently hold them for several minutes, sometimes  8 or 10 minutes in one position. This provided a perfect opportunity for JoAnn to tell us some interesting info. about how Yin Yoga works on the body, mind and spirit.

It brings balance to the first three chakras – the root, the naval and the solar plexus chakra. If any of these chakras are blocked, we will struggle with issues around safety, security, passion, libido, self-esteem and personal power.

Balance in the 1st or root chakra is important since it helps us feel a sense of connection to the earth – and this could save your life! JoAnn related a story about the tsunami in Thailand in 2006. Hours before the tsunami actually hit, all the animals had left the area. They knew something didn’t feel right and left to find safer ground.

When animals are domesticated, as family pets are, they lose much of that instinctive ability to sense the earth’s rumblings. As for human beings…well, we all know what a tragedy the tsunami was for human life.

Hopefully we will never be faced with a threat of tsunami proportions. But a Yin Yoga practice might help us improve our self-esteem, feelings of security, inner strength, steadiness, calm and zest for pursuing our dreams.

She also explained that in Chinese medicine, it is considered ideal to have an energy of warmth in the pelvic region (for receptivity to Shakti energy), neutral energy in the heart center and coolness (calmness, clarity) in the head.

But in our modern day world, our energy patterns are usually the opposite. We are cool (numb) in the pelvic region, neutral in the heart and hot (scattered, angry, confused) in the head. Yin Yoga helps to create a more ideal pattern.

Finally, in a another restorative yoga class, JoAnn mentioned that Yin yoga positions help to calm the amygdala region of the brain which is the area of the brain that governs feelings of fear. One byproduct of regularly practicing yin yoga is emotional maturity!

Wow!

Nice class. Can’t wait for more.