January, 2009 Newsletter

If you have been in the studio in the last two weeks you know we are very busy.  If you haven’t been in the studio lately it’s time to get in gear with those New Year’s resolutions.  Once again, due to the many activities in the studio I am going to dispense with the normal content of the newsletter and focus on all the great workshops and pieces of news you need to know. 

Many of you have been asking for Posture Clinics.  I am excited to announce we will have two clinics in February – one on Saturday, February 7th and the other on Saturday, February 28th.  This is your chance to ask all those burning yoga questions you have been waiting to ask.  See article below for more details. 

I am also happy to report that the studio has opened its doors to Jill Tupper for monthly meditation sessions on the first Sunday of each month (see below for details.)  It is important to me that Yoga Fix not only serves as a place to come take yoga but as a conduit to better overall health.  I would like to see our studio build a community in which we can all learn and share tools that help us live overall better lives, physically, mentally and spiritually.  In this spirit we are beginning the Yoga Challenge January 18th.  This is an annual tradition designed to encourage you with those New Year’s resolutions to get in better shape.  In order to help you stick to those resolutions and have more fun we have added the “team” concept and weekly prize give-aways.  You can get the details in the side bar article.

I hope you all know how important you are to me.  It is for you that we have created this space, so I welcome your ideas and feedback in growing this space into a community we can all be proud of and feel that we have a home away from home.

Sincerely,
Mary Horvatin

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The first Sunday of each month
Sunday, February 1st, March 1st, April 5th
6:30 pm – 8:00 pm

What a great way this was to start the New Year on Sunday, January 4th.  Jill lead us through a release exercise and then an affirmation for the new year before doing some Kundalini Yoga to open up the body and prepare us for meditation.  If you have never practiced meditation or merely want to deepen your practice this is a wonderful space in which to do so.  Each month Jill will teach you new tools to help you with your own at-home meditation practice as well as lead you through a group meditation.  In a world of fast-paced, results-oriented focus, what a gift this is to build a community of people who want to slow the clock down for a while and really connect to the present.  I hope you can come join us for this wonderful gift.

No reservations necessary.  Just bring a towel or mat to sit on.  Wear comfortable clothing.  If you have questions feel free to call us at 913-384-3200 and join us!  This is a free class.  $20 donation is encouraged.

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Women's Self Defense Class w/ Elizabeth Barrett

– Just a few spaces left open.  Reserve your space today! 

February 1 through March 8, 2009
Sundays 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm
6 week session

Why Take a Self Defense Class:
While this may not seem very yoga-like, I actually believe it is and I also think it is a very important thing to learn.  This is a personal class to me as I was attacked outside, in front of my home one morning on my way to work.  While I was lucky because I fended off my attackers and got away with ten stitches in my forehead; it makes one realize there are skills in this world we may not relish learning but would be well served to know.  This was at least 3 years ago and I have always thought “gee I should take a class,” in fact many of my friends said they would take a class if I’d organize one.  Well, I never seemed to get around to it.  Now I have the facility and the resources to organize such a class.  So I ask you to join me in this non-threatening environment where we can learn together the mind set and the techniques we need to know to “get away.” 

I have always been a little shy about learning self defense and that is why it has taken me so long to do this.  I really wish that morning when facing two men running at me, one with a club in his hand, that I had taken just such a class; because I am keenly aware that that morning could have turned out far worse had the door to my house been unlocked, or I hadn’t had a “sense” to turn around right before they got close enough to grab me from behind.  Many women are not so lucky in these situations and a few stitches won’t be enough.  So as much as we don’t feel comfortable (many women I know) talking about these things or being aggressive, I invite you to come learn the skills you need and bring your friends and your daughters because we all need to be strong and know what to do if we are ever faced with a potentially threatening situation.

What You will Get From this Class:
The class is divided into six sessions.  Hopefully this will be enough time to develop the kind of muscle memory and coordination needed for these techniques, as well as a habit of regular practice. 

By the end of the 6 weeks you will learn three basic things:

1. You will develop an arsenal of reasonably easy-to-learn techniques which can be used in a wide variety of common confrontational situations.
2. You will learn practical psychological techniques for recognizing and preventing most dangerous situations.
3. You will take with you the tools to continue your learning on your own through consistent practice and outside resources. 

This class will be most effective if the student practices the physical and psychological techniques for a few minutes daily throughout the course.

A General Outline of the Six-Week Course:

Session 1 
Basic movement principles:  Defense through blocking and side-stepping,simple counter-attacks.

Session 2 
Expansion on basic defense principles:  Judging distance from the opponent, principles of joint locks, hip control and center of balance.

Session 3 
Wrist grab defenses and applications:  Single and double wrist grab defenses, lapel grab defenses, and knife defense techniques. 

Session 4 
Lapel grab defenses and applications:  Single and double lapel grab defenses, front and behind choke defenses.

Session 5 
Defenses for grabs from the side and from behind:  Includes defenses for bear hugs, head locks, hair grabs, and other such attacks.

Session 6 
This class is generally devoted to requests from the students.  This could include basic defenses from the ground, knife defense, club defense, or gun defense.

About the Instructor:
Elizabeth has studied martial arts for the last 19 years.  Her training has included hard martial arts, such as Tang Soo Do, Tae Kwon Do, Jiu-Jitsu, and Chinese Wushu, as well as the soft meditative martial arts of Taijiquan and Qigong.  All of these martial arts influence her style of self-defense teaching, with the greatest influence coming from Tang Soo Do.  Elizabeth spent two years in China as an English teacher, during which time she was able to deepen her martial arts studies and glean some information about Chinese medicine and philosophy.  Drawing on this extensive experience, Elizabeth has developed a self-defense course that she has been teaching for the past year.

How to Register:
As this is a limited-space class; you must pre-pay to reserve your spot.  Sorry men – women only this time.  Please pre-register by calling 913-384-3200 or coming by the studio to sign-up.  It is important that you make a commitment to all 6 sessions.  Cost of class: $45 for 6 weeks beginning Sunday, February 1 through March 8, 2009.  Classes will be 60 minutes from 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm.

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Posture Clinic w/Kate Reece

Posture Clinic with Kate Reece, Certified, Master-Trained Yoga Instructor

Pick a day that fits your schedule: 
Saturday, February 7th or Saturday February 28th
1:30 pm – 4:30 pm

This Clinic is like getting a private session for a fraction of the cost!  You’ll get the individual attention and answers to the questions you’ve wanted to ask about your form, how to breathe properly and yoga in general.  Kate will go over the most common posture mistakes and how to fix them as well as give you a deeper understanding of your yoga practice so you can take it to the next level.  Kate has taught for over 10 years and brings this experience to the class room as she answers you questions.

In 3 hours of form correction, discussion and practice, you’ll learn:

• Form Correction: get a deeper understanding of the correct form for your postures.
• The Yogic Principles: how yoga should be practiced to ensure maximum benefit.
• Proper use of Breath: discover how to use breath to go deeper into each of your postures.
• The benefits of yoga and how those benefits apply to your daily life. 

Deepen your Yoga practice and take your postures to the next level!
Space is Limited – Register Today!

Space is limited in this class so you can get the individual attention that is next to impossible to receive in a regular class-room setting.  It is important to enroll early to reserve your space.  Cost is only $25.00 per person.  Register in person at the front desk or call 913-384-3200 and register by phone.  You must pre-pay to reserve your space.

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