YOGA ASANA
In its root form asana simply means a seated meditation posture. Today as a modern experiment it has become a vibrant tapestry of physical expressions that are diverse in style and lineage. My vinyasa flow classes draw primarily from postures in Hatha, Ashtanga, Dharma, and Tripsichore and influenced by the teachings of Raja and Classical Tantra. In these 60-90 minute session I let each groups energy guide and exploration in the art of asana – cultivating flexibility and strength, awakening our physiological systems, and diving deep into our breath's rhythm.
My personal practice guides the development of my teaching, and I have been incredibly fortunate to learn from world class teachers that have instilled a love in me for tradition and ritual. My only goal is to share the immense peace and joy I've uncovered in my own practice – that arises from embracing the body's subtleties, moving with intuition, and finding magic in each breath. To sit deeply into a sacred space where yoga becomes a dance of connection, self-discovery, and boundless curiosity.
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YIN YOGA
Yin is a slower-paced, more meditative version of the popular physical discipline of yoga asana. It is a quiet contemplative practice working deeply into our body with passive, longer-held poses. It targets the deepest tissues of the body, our connective tissues – ligaments, joints, bones, the deep fascia networks of the body and the meridians. This is in contrast to a practice such as Vinyasa which targets the muscles. The roots of yin lie in Chinese medicine, unlike active yoga disciplines, which originated in India. It was founded on the Taoist theory of yin and yang – opposite concepts that, together, represent balance. Yin is stable and passive, while yang is changing and active. Energetically, Yin yoga improves the energy flow, enhancing the flow of chi in the organs. To be healthy, we need healthy organs as well as healthy muscles. Yin yoga also offers wonderful emotional and mental health benefits.
Yin has the same goals and objectives as any other school of yoga; however, it directs the stimulation normally created in the asana portion of the practice deeper than the superficial or muscular tissues. While initially this style of yoga can seem quite passive or soft, yin practice can be the most challenging for some due to the long duration of the poses and the need to take attention deeply inside oneself. It also has the tendency to cause strong emotional reactions both during and after the practice.
INTEGRATIVE RESTORATION
Integrative Restoration (iRest) has combined an ancient meditation-based form of healing with Western psychology and neuroscience. When practiced regularly - little and often - iRest is shown to produce healthy changes to the structure of the brain, stimulating new neurological connections and tissue repair, and providing skills for changing negative emotions and thoughts into positive ones.
The teachings of non-duality underlie the practice of iRest. Comprised of ten steps, iRest is one part of a larger 38-stage process of meditation, which is derived from the ancient teachings of non-dualism as found in Kashmir Shaivism. Shaivism incorporates the word ‘Siva’, which, in this case, refers to a person who has realized Essential Nature (Si = awake; Va = true nature).
Yoga Nidra can be practiced by anyone. It is highly beneficial and holds great healing power for anyone who wants to experience a deeper sense of peace and re-connect more profoundly with themselves. But there are particular and immense benefits for addressing:
PTSD
Gastrointestinal Disorders
Anxiety
Pain Management
Depression
Addiction
Insomnia
Attention Deficit
BRAIN LONGEVITY THERAPY
Worldwide an estimated at least 50 million people are suffering some form of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, with the most susceptible age group being the fast growing part of the population. Dementia is a loss of cognitive functioning—thinking, reasoning, remembering—and behavioral abilities that interferes with a person’s normal daily life. Around the globe, someone is diagnosed every 30 seconds and women are statistically much more likely to develop AD than men—a woman’s estimated lifetime risk is one in 6, while a
man’s is one in 11.
Brain Longevity Therapy is a research based program developed through the Alzheimer’s Research & Prevention Foundation (ARPF), a nonprofit dedicated to the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Over decades, ARPF has conducted research at leading medical schools to prove a theory that there are things that can be done, using a lifestyle approach not drugs, to help stop early
memory loss from progressing to Alzheimer’s disease.
Lifestyle interventions are focused on four main areas- physical exercise, nutrition, cognitive training and management of metabolic and cardiovascular risk factors. This approach provides practical tools to implement into your daily
life and improve your resilience.
