April, 2009 Newsletter

March turned out to be a very busy month around the studio – so busy in fact that I did not get a newsletter out.  With spring break and pre-spring activities time just seemed to fly by.  Yoga Fix Studio had a table at the UKMC Wholistic Fair on Sunday March 15th.  This was a chance for us to meet like minded people interested in health and fitness.  It was also a nice opportunity to support our local college.  This years attendance was down according to faithful participants, but it still turned out to be a nice opportunity to meet and greet the community.

Many students have been asking if I will be changing the schedule for spring.  I have no immediate plans or doing so.  We were thinking about moving Cardio-Pilates from Tuesday to Friday evening, but an outpouring of student support caused me to reconsider that move – to which I say thank you for your feedback: keep up the numbers and Tuesdays are yours.  I am looking for a spot to put a second Yoga Flow class on the schedule – this has been a very popular class as well with growing numbers of attendance. The other change we may need to make to the schedule is the Friday night Vinyasa.  This is such a wonderful class lead by a great teacher, but the numbers have continued to be low.  Those of you who love this class – I need your help to get a few more bodies in class in order to continue it on the schedule.  So if we have upcoming changes it will be to add a Yoga Flow class and cancel the Vinyasa on Friday nights.  These changes will not occur until at least June.  I am open to your feedback as this is your studio, so feel free to bend my ear about these classes and I’ll do my best to respond.

In closing, I’d like to thank all of you faithful regulars and enthusiastic new students for making this a good start to the year.  Our attendance has been up and that just means we can focus on how to make the studio even better to accommodate your needs and wishes.  It really makes me feel good when I hear students interacting and creating a community.  It’s nice to see our experienced students reaching out to new students and encouraging them to stick with their practice.  It really makes me feel good to hear all the stories of people who have said yoga has changed their lives.  I hear from unemployed people who are coming here so they have a routine and feel better, instead of getting down in the dumps sitting at home; I hear from people who have had chronic back, neck and knee issues who are healing themselves; I hear from people who have injured themselves outside of the studio and said how quickly the have healed due to their regular yoga practice; I hear from students who have had trouble sleeping, been mildly depressed or anxious with everything going on in their lives who are sleeping better and feeling better.  This is why it is fun and rewarding for me to get up everyday and come to the studio.  You – all of you, make this a great place for me to spend my time – and for that I sincerely thank you.

One last reminder, when the weather finally warms up, it’s easy to slack off on your yoga – I understand turning to outdoor activities and spending time in the sunshine – I encourage you to do so – just don’t forget to make yoga part of your weekly routine.  We need our practice to stay flexible to prevent injuries and to keep stress at bay.  And as for the heat – I promise it still feels good in warm days of spring and the heat of summer.

Sincerely,
Mary Horvatin

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I’ve heard many students who have expressed some reluctance to trying Ashtanga thinking that it is “too hard.”  I too had that perception when I first began my yoga practice; however, as an owner I attended the first class Mandy led, so that I would know how to describe the class and understand Mandy’s teaching style better.  What a joyful surprise that turned out to be.  In a matter of minutes my old preconceptions of Ashtanga being “too hard” disappeared.  It was great to have a new challenge and work muscles I did not use in Hot Yoga.  We worked upper body and opened up the hip and groin area.  It was a different pace constantly moving between asanas and it challenged me to have to turn my brain back on to follow the postures.  There were a few postures that I thought “wow, I’m going to have to work on that,” but when all was said and done I came out of that room with so much energy and a new confidence that all that Hot Yoga had been doing it’s work all these years and Ashtanga would be a wonderful addition to my practice.  I really challenge you all to remember back to when you first began Hot Yoga and how that was a little intimidating at first but how over time it became very natural – Ashtanga is the same thing and it is a beautiful addition to your practice making you more well-rounded.  As a final note I have to say we are also blessed with a great teacher in Mandy.  Mandy has trained under some very fine yoga mentors and is a phenomenal teacher.  This workshop will be well worth your time and I encourage you to step out of your comfort zone to grow both mentally and physically.

This is a great opportunity for beginners or those wanting to deepen their practice.

Ashtanga yoga is a system of postures connected by the breath. It combines sequential, flowing movements with focused internal awareness. Through self practice and self observation a non judgmental attitude is cultivated. This peaceful quality is manifested by focusing on the flowing nature of the breath. The breath is the vehicle by which the body and the mind are observed, purified and transcended. Synchronizing the breath with the posture – vinyasas – help to detoxify, heal and relax the body and mind, and bring new vitality and awareness to the practitioner.

Fee:  3 sessions $45.00, Plus you’ll get a FREE Ashtanga class good for a regularly scheduled Tuesday or Thursday class to be used before May 31, 2009.  Save your Spot – Register Today! Call 913-384-3200 or drop by the studio and sign-up at the front desk!

Week 1
Saturday April 25th: 
Standing Sequence: Beginning with sun salutations we will set up a firm foundation for our practice. This session will include introduction to breath (ujjayi), energy locks (bhandas), and learning proper alignment of the standing postures. 

Week 2
Saturday May 2: 
Seated Sequence: Further grounding ourselves and moving to greater depths of our core, in this session we will learn to balance our strength and our flexibility; our effort and surrender.

Week 3
Saturday May 9: 
Closing Sequence. In this session we will learn how we can invert ourselves safely. How to surrender the ego to the heart, therefore making these last few challenging postures restorative. With any remaining time we will go over and discuss the 8 limbs of Ashtanga yoga. 

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Posture of the Month

Camel Pose

(Ustrasana)

The Rabbit and the Camel are the 2 postures that we spend the entire routine preparing the spine to do.  The camel is more than just dropping back and reaching for the heels.  In fact most of us should take our time getting to that point so that we properly stretch the spine and open up the vertebrae of the neck before going back, in order to protect the low back from compression and protect the neck and shoulders from compression, which can lead to injury and discomfort.  Students with neck or lower back injuries in particular need to be careful with this posture not pushing themselves to go all the way back too soon.  It is important that we work on a solid foundation – strong legs perpendicular to the floor, lengthening the spine by lifting up in the lower spine and lifting up through the neck so we do not compress the spine as we extend backward to open up the front of the body.  This is a very beneficial posture that helps with fatigue, anxiety, respiratory ailments and mild backaches.  Physically it helps with posture, opens up the entire front of the body, the chest, the throat and the abdomen, stretches the back muscles and stimulates the organs of the throat and abdomen.  I encourage you to read through the following steps provided by Yoga Journal and next time you get into Camel – slow down and really be conscious of all the fine alignment of the spine and muscle movement that it takes to get into this posture – and don’t be in a hurry to drop back and grab those heels – lift the spine up out of the waist, pull the shoulders away from the ears and pull down the scapula opening up the cervical vertebrae so we don’t compress the spine as we form our beautiful Camel’s arch of the spine opening up our entire front side and expanding our lungs and diaphragm.

Step by Step Instructions:

1. Kneel on the floor with your knees hip width and thighs perpendicular to the floor. Rotate your thighs inward slightly, narrow your hip points, and firm but don't harden your buttocks. Imagine that you're drawing your sitting bones up, into your torso. Keep your outer hips as soft as possible. Press your shins and the tops of your feet firmly into floor.

For Complete Instructions click here.

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