Yoga
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YOGA CLASSES: Yoga classes are suspended until September unless you call to schedule a private lesson, or you can put together a minimum of 3 people for a class. Please call 488-2203 or e-mail pblakk1@hotmail.com for more information or to schedule. |
About Yoga
| Patricia guides us through all disciplines of yoga that stretches, strengthens, and massages the tissues and organs in our bodies... I leave her class feeling refreshed, alive, and uplifted. Emily Franco |
Yoga is an ancient science of self-care. Yoga is at least 6,000 years old. The civilization where it originated pre-dated the Romans. The original yogis, needed to stretch and renew after long periods of sitting;things haven't changed much as we"modern" people need the same antidote to long periods of seated activity. Hatha yoga, or the yoga of physical postures, benefits all the body systems, including the cardiovascular, respiratory, reproductive, nervous, endocrine, musculo-skeletal, and lymphatic systems as well as the mind and emotions. It counteracts all the stressed, tight forward-leaning positions we findourselves in while working at the computer, driving, creating on a desktop and much more.
HATHA
The yoga postures themselves, combined with breathing , meditation and relaxation techniques, bring about increased states of mental and emotional serenity, normalized blood pressure and relief from stress and certain physical problems.
I teach what is loosely called "Hatha" yoga in the United States. It is based on classical yoga where the postures are sustained for several breaths. Hatha yoga emphasizes alignment. I studied and was certified with Dani Riposo in a derivative of Kripalu yoga, which emphasizes the interplay of body, mind and energy, as well as with Erich Schiffmann with his more lyrical take on the Iyengar style of yoga.
Iyengar Yoga focuses on correct body alignment, with the aid of props such as blocks, chairs, and belts. I also took many workshops while living in Los Angeles for 7 years including those with Shiva Rea, several Anusara Yoga teachers, Rolfer Mary Bond, and Evan Porter, who teaches both Feldenkreis and Yoga. I continually take workshops and study yoga.
A recent interest has been Paul Grilley's Yin Yoga which I have incorporated in my classes. Yin Yoga is the relaxed practice of floor postures for three to five minutes at a time. It is the ideal complement to more muscular forms of Yoga. Yin Yoga emphasizes stretching the connective tissues of the hips, thighs, pelvis and lower spine.
I also studied this winter with Gopi Kinnicut, a former Saratoga Springs resident, who gives teacher trainings in Saratoga yearly. She teaches an eclectic and deeply informative style drawing from the approaches of Iyengar, Desikachar, Shiva Rea and Anna Forrest.
FULL FIGURE YOGA
FINALLY there is yoga for women who never thought they would find themselves in a yoga class! Now, all the benefits of yoga: confidence,strength,flexibility, balance and inner calm are accessible to every woman.
Yoga is for every body. Although we use a few specific adaptations for larger bodies, this class is like any other yoga class in that we strive to always view ourselves and our bodies with acceptance, confidence and respect.
Yoga benefits all bodily systems: cardiorespiratory, musculoskeletal, reproductive, endocrine and nervous systems. Balance, blood pressure, osteoporosis, breathing and stress-related problems all improve with this simple, yet complex and enjoyable, science of holistic self-improvement.
