While the continuous snow, cold temperatures and overcast skies of January and February have been screaming winter; we are just days away from the official start of spring. Nature of course does not care much for mans’ calendar and may or may not send us warmer days and sunnier skies. The birds however, seem to know something is in the air as they return to their nests serenading us with their warbling songs of spring. As the frost melts, the ground thaws and the days grow longer and sunnier so too does the mood of all as we come and go moving through our busy days. Spring is fast approaching bringing with it spring break vacations, outdoor sports activities, gardening and in general a blossoming of activity. As always, I would like to take this time to remind you to set aside time for your yoga practice. As we don our bike apparel, running and walking shoes and gear up for long rides, runs and walks with the dog; don’t forget to limber up those joints and muscles. Making yoga a part of your regular routine will keep you flexible and healthy as well as repair those achy joints. Repetitive, particularly weight-bearing activities are hard on the joints. While we think that we can just turn our activities to outdoor affairs as the weather warms and the snow vanishes it actually becomes more important that you maintain at least a twice a week practice to help repair and keep healthy those joints, muscles and cardio system as well as release stress. Winter keeps us indoors and so an indoor practice of yoga especially hot yoga becomes a no-brainer. In the season of outdoor activities you have to be a little more conscious about including your indoor yoga practice. Rest assured is it necessary to help prevent injury and keep the mind focused. So as you crank up the outdoor activities set aside your yoga time and make sure you are keeping and taking a healthy mind and body outside to those walks, runs, summer leagues and other activities.
On a different note, I have noticed several students have developed the habit of coming a little late and/or leaving early. While I am always glad people are at least getting some exercise in instead of opting to do nothing – I would like to remind you that arriving late to class you are missing out on the opening breathing and leaving early you miss out on final savasana. These may seem like they are not that important. Actually they may be the two most important asanas in your practice.
The opening breathing prepares your body for the entire practice. It is so important to energize the body with that deep cleansing breathing that fills the lungs, oxygenates the blood and prepares you mentally and physically for the practice you are about to begin. It is the time to shed the old stale air (literally) and breathe in the rich fresh air and oxygenated blood that will clear your mind and energize your body and practice. Final Savasana might seem like your just taking a little light rest at the end of class. Why could that possible be so important. It’s the best 15 minutes of your day if you learn to embrace the posture. There is a discipline to this posture just like the rest of your practice. It is very difficult for most people to let go of the thoughts that grip them daily – the tasks that have to be done at the end of class, what to fix for dinner, picking up the car from the repair shop, the latest gossip at work, the argument with the spouse that morning, dropping the kids at practice and a myriad of other random thoughts. Relaxing the body completely and letting everything you just did for the last 90 minutes allows the body to absorb all the benefits of practice and it allows us to be present. To let the thoughts of the day melt away acknowledging the ones that come letting the thoughts float away as if on a cloud. This is when the final vestiges of stress melt away while we sink into the floor, eyes closed, the noise of the room receding as we drift away to a place deep within ourselves to be fully present in our body. To feel the rise and fall of your breath, to feel the feet relax as they fall open, the shoulders to melt into the floor and fall away from the ears, the shoulder blades to melt flat into the floor, the backs of the knees soften and the mind to rest. This is a gift to allow yourself 15 minutes of time just for you in a day that may otherwise be filled with obligations and activity. So stay. Schedule that extra 15 minutes after class as part of your time and relax.
Finally, just a little reminder. Even if you are on a monthly unlimited package, we have to keep track of when and how many people are coming to class – so remember to sign-in at the front desk. Lately, we seem to have a few people forgetting and this throws our records off. Once again thank you to all of you for your continued support. This is going to be a busy spring filled with workshops, new classes and special events. Keep an eye on the notices as they spring up around the studio. Thanks to all of your smiling faces for making this a great place for me to get to wake up for and come to work.
Here’s how it works. Friday nights (4:30 pm Vinyasa and 5:45 pm Hot Yoga) throughout the Month of April classes will be just $5. You can either use your existing class card or pay the $5. After a long, cold winter; I thought $5 Fridays would warm things up! It’s my way of saying thank you for supporting Yoga Fix Studio all year long.
Speaking of which, as we move toward spring and warmer weather, I ask you once again to spread the good word. This is such a wonderful thing you do for yourself so tell your friends, your family, your co-workers and neighbors, - heck tell people you’ve just met. We just love new students – it’s what keeps the studio growing and thriving!
It’s that time of year - stinky mats be gone! Remember to take your mat home by the conclusion of the 4 pm class on March 21st. I will clean out the mats that night and any mat left in the yoga room will be considered an abandoned mat. We will then wait a couple weeks before putting them into the used mat sale. This is an annual clean out that we do to cut down on the accumulation of mats and give everyone a chance to take their mats home and wash them. I apologize in advance for any inconvenience this may cause.
Monday morning April 5th all those old abandoned mats that have accumulated over the last year will go on sale. $5 a mat – what a great deal! This is a first come first serve situation. When all the mats are gone we are done with the sale. So if you want an extra mat on hand now is the time. Get here early as the mats usually go fast. Heads-up we do NOT pre-wash the mats. I recommend that you do so upon purchase. You can throw them in the wash on cold or warm, gentle cycle is best (actually the drum barrels are best; an agitator can cause the mat to tangle in the machine and tear – I would hand wash if I have this type of machine.) You can dry your mat on low. I would throw in some towels to help absorb the moisture. If you have the time I’d pull the mat out when it’s still a little damp and hang it to dry the rest of the way.
Instead of throwing out those old magazines or recycling them just yet, please pass them along to a new home. The magazines at the studio seem to grow feet and walk away; so it would be great if a few of you could pass along your old magazines when the new month’s copy arrives. It’s nice to have some reading material on the coffee table in the lobby. For your privacy, remember to black out or remove your name and address before leaving them. Thanks in advance for your help.
New Hatha Yoga Class Tuesdays 8:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Begins April 6th
We are adding yet another late evening class to the schedule. Maria Calderon will be teaching this class on Tuesday nights from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm. The intention of this class will be to bring your body back to a place of calm and relaxation preparing yourself for an evenings sleep. When most us spend our days rushing from one project and place to another, this is a class that will be designed to help clam that nervous energy that builds-up throughout the day so that we may come back to a place of calm and quiet – to quiet the mind and body and prepare ourselves to leave the stress of the day behind for a good nights slumber. This will be a gentle style of yoga meant to soothe and restore. If you have been having trouble sleeping at night, waking feeling sluggish or just in general unable to shed the stress of the day then come spend an hour with Maria and see if you can’t learn to let go and bring your mind and body back to its natural state of rest and relaxation.
Wow! What a colorful board we have ended with. It’s been so wonderful to watch people posting their stickers for the last 6 weeks. Some people were very random; others chose themes by week or only used one particular sticker. 6 weeks seemed like a long time when the first stickers went up and now it feels like it was just yesterday we began the board. Everyone who completed the challenge will get a $5 credit on their account that you can use toward your next purchase of classes or product. Here are the winners of the extra prizes:
Most Classes in 6 Weeks: Don Blythe - $20 Gift Certificate
Most Classes in a Week: Don Blythe & Marie Titus* - $20 Gift Certificate
Random Drawing: Don Maxwell - $15 Gift Certificate
(Don Blythe actually won both of these categories having attended 7 days a week; however, I believe in spreading the giving, so I awarded Marie Titus with 6 classes a week attendance.)
I have seen the sad faces of some of the students since the stickers got put away upon completing the challenge. Don’t worry I am working on another challenge board. It will appear most likely by mid to the end of May and go through August to keep us all motivated over the summer months.
Women’s Self-Defense Class –
Begins April 11th through May 16th, 2010
Sundays from 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm
Optional Practice Time from 2:30 pm to 3:00 pm
Why Take a Self Defense Class:
While this may not seem very yogi, I actually believe it is and I 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. Now this was at least 5 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.
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.
Fee: 6 week session: $45
This is a workshop is for women only. Sorry Men.
Please Pre-Register for this class: 6 week session $45.00.
Call: 913-384-3200
Or Drop-in: Yoga Fix Studio
2000 Shawnee Mission Parkway at the Corner of Stateline Road
in the bottom of the Reece & Nichols Building.
If you have not had a chance to come by the studio or slow down and look at the art in the halls I suggest you take the opportunity to do so before it’s gone. Jackie’s work is full of whimsy with a nod to the spiritual. Her banners, dolls and ink block prints have added a fun flair to the halls for the month of March. She also has t-shirts for sale. It’s all gone come the end of March – so stop by to check it out before it’s gone.
If you know a talented local artist or you are one yourself and would like a chance to show you work, please come by the studio and introduce yourself. I am booked through the end of April, but am looking for May forward. We have been so blessed to have such wonderful talented artists grace our walls. It is a chance for us to be exposed to new artists and for the artists to be exposed to a new audience. We have over 200 people wander through these halls each month.
Still time to enroll in Healthy Spine – Healthy Back – Begins Saturday, April 10th.
Get Healthy
Workshop Series
Announcing 4-Week Yoga Workshops
created to restore and maintain health
to specific areas of the body.
April
Healthy Spine – Healthy Back
Do you have bulging disc, chronic back issues or wake up in pain every morning – then this workshop is for you! Perhaps you’d just like to improve you posture, move those shoulders away from the ears, correct rounding of the shoulders or work out that slight hump back from slumping. If you can imagine how much better you’d feel standing tall – then come try this workshop – nothing ventured – nothing gained!
Dates: Saturdays 3 pm to 4 pm
April 10, April 17, April 24 & May 1
May
Juicy Knees and Ankles
Dates: Saturdays 3 pm to 4 pm
May 8, May 15, May 22 & May 29
About These Workshops
This series of 4-week long workshops has been designed to address specific problem areas of the body. You’ll open each class with breathing to warm you up and get you ready for practice, next you’ll move into postures focused on specific areas of the body, close with some relaxation breath and get 2-3 postures to practice at home during the week. Stick with this practice all 4 weeks and begin to feel a noticeable difference in the way you look and feel. While Yoga is not a quick fix, it is a lasting fix when practiced regularly. Chronic issues do not come on overnight and they take time to work out. These 4-week workshops are designed to build habits that will overcome imbalance in the body and restore your natural healthy state.
Many of us suffer from tight neck and shoulders, bad backs, knee issues, week ankles and tight groin and ham strings. These can be the result of acute injuries, chronic stress or over-use and repetitive motion. Whatever the reason, it often results in on-going pain and discomfort. In addition these injuries can limit our ability to deepen our practice. Yoga Fix created this series of workshops to address the most common problem areas of the body. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by taking these focused workshops. Sign-up for 1 session or sign-up for multiple sessions – you’ll be glad you did!
All Workshops: Saturdays 3 pm – 4 pm
Benefits to You:
Work out Chronic Pain
Deepen Your Postures
Release Stress
Feel & Look Better
Gain Flexibility
Build Strength
Balance Your Body
Sleep Better
And so much more
Give Us an Hour a Week and We’ll Give You
More Flexibility – Less Pain and Better Health!
April Healthy Spine – Healthy Back
Dates: Saturdays 3 pm to 4 pm
April 10, April 17, April 24 & May 1
May Juicy Knees and Ankles
Dates: Saturdays 3 pm to 4 pm
May 8, May 15, May 22 & May 29
How to Enroll Today!
Sign-up at the front desk or pay as you go! To get the most out of these classes, sign up for a 4-week session. These workshops are designed to attend all 4 sessions to see the best results. Plus, buy all 4 sessions in advance and save $20. Sign-up for multiple sessions and save even more! If you just want to come and see what it’s all about drop-in and buy a single session the day of the class. Sign-up in advance for multiple sessions and save money or sign-up the day of the workshop, either way remember to make this a must-do on you to-do list!
Enroll Today!
Time: Saturdays 3 pm – 4 pm
Cost: 4-Week Session: $60
Buy 2 or More 4-Week Sessions for Only $50 each
Drop-In Rate: $20 per class
About Your Instructor – Drew Corrigan
Drew has a passion for yoga bringing a gentle, healing energy to his teaching. He teaches a blend of flowing Vinyasa with alignment-based classical or Inyenger style. Drew lexplores the alignment and flow of energy in a pose so that he may then integrate that into the “flowing” form of Vinyasa yoga to structure the series of postures he uses in his classes.
Drew completed 200-hour Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Certification with highly regarded yoga teacher and author in July 2008, having previously completed numerous shorter teacher training workshops with respected national teachers such as , , , Paula Tortolano, , Renee DeTar, and , plus many hundreds of hours of practice and instruction under wonderful yoga teachers local to Kansas City. Drew is also a certified and licensed YTU (Yoga Tune-Up) instructor.
In addition Drew is a body worker who is trained in a variety of healing techniques. It is this blend of knowledge in yoga and body work that Drew will bring to each class as he focuses on specific areas of the body to restore and maintain health.
One for the Pooches!
Peanut Butter Goodness Dog Treats
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups white flour
1/2 cup peanut butter (all-natural or organic)
1 cup water
2 tablespoons oil
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Combine oil, peanut butter and water. Add flour, one cup at a time, forming a dough. Knead dough into firm ball and roll to 1/4 inch thickness.
Cut into 3 to 4 inch pieces. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes. Makes 2 1/2 dozen cookies.
Prep time is about 20 minutes on these dog treats. And you'll feel rewarded when your dog thumps his tail in appreciation! Dogs do love peanut butter!
