September, 2008 Newsletter

Summer is nearing its end and autumn is fast upon its heels.  As the leaves fall so does our level of outdoor activities.  And once again, we turn our attention to indoor routines.  At Yoga Fix Studio I have been busy scheduling new classes and recruiting new teachers for you to enjoy this fall and winter.  Yoga in the Park is behind me and my attention will turn once again to the hustle and bustle of the studio.  I thank you for being a continuing part of this busy activity and thank you for your patience and enthusiasm as we transition into our new schedule. 

We’ve added new early morning Hot Yoga classes for those of you who like to start the day before heading to work.  You’ll want to try Ashtanga, Mat Pilates and Vinyasa.  I firmly believe that Hot yoga is one of the most therapeutic styles of yoga and that we also need to explore other forms of yoga to enhance our practice and get a total body and mind workout.  By trying new classes we use different muscles, we learn new skills and create new pathways in the brain.  These new classes and new teachers also provide valuable tips and new perspectives that you can take back to your Hot yoga practice.   There are many schools of thought about what helps to keep us young – chief amongst those is the discipline to live a lifestyle that is active both mentally and physically.  I know my Grandmother who lived to the ripe age of 103 was a living example of this lifestyle.  She never learned to drive a vehicle, preferring to walk or ride her bike to the grocery store; at 82 years of age she still kept a large garden, mowed a 5 acre lawn and pruned her own fruit trees.  She was also an avid life-long learner.  She read voraciously, did her daily cross word puzzles, read the newspaper and always expected you to be able to discuss topical news items.  Even at 100, while having to use a walker for balance she was still on the go.  In a society of couch potatoes, I aspire to be that active older person still able to maneuver my own life mentally and physically as I age.  So I congratulate all of you who make yoga a part of your weekly routine – giving yourself the gift of a mind, body, spirit workout.  I would ask that you encourage those you love and care about to do the same – as it will be a lonely aging if we don’t encourage those around us to age as gracefully.

Sincerely,
Mary Horvatin

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Big Toe Pose

(Padangusthasana)

Step by Step Instructions:
Stand upright with your inner feet parallel and about six inches apart. Contract your front thigh muscles to lift your kneecaps. Keeping your legs completely straight, exhale and bend forward from your hip joints, moving your torso and head as one unit.

For Complete Instructions click here. 

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Feature Teacher

I had the pleasure of being in Mandy’s Intro to Ashtanga class on Tuesday morning and have to say it was a very uplifting experience.  She is a gentle spirit in this world, a knowledgeable teacher and great leader.  It was nice to learn new postures and be challenged in a new way.

Mandy teaches both Ashtanga and Vinyasa. Her passion for yoga has lead to a dedicated study of the traditional Ashtanga system. For five years she has studied with various Ashtanga teachers, most recently with Tim Miller of Carlsbad, CA. Mandy has also experimented with different styles of hatha yoga and studied with many wonderful teachers, to whom she is very grateful for showing her yet another facet of yoga. The balance and harmony the practice of yoga has brought her; inspired her to share that gift of yoga through teaching.

"The grounding and humbling nature of Ashtanga has taught me that strength, peace and wisdom reside within. It is our task to make the connection. I love how emphasizing the breath and incorporating yogic philosophy transforms the simple physical work of asana into a spiritual practice."

I encourage you to come try one of Mandy’s classes for yourself and discover what a treat these classes are and a great addition to your Hot Yoga practice.

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Out in the Community - Yoga in Park

2nd Annual Yoga in the Park – Goes to the Dogs!
Wow! Our second annual Yoga in the Park has already come and gone. It was a cool overcast morning; the threat of rain hung over the event. We got lucky though and the rain held out. People began to stroll down to the registration table dogs trotting along at their owner’s side. Some people staked out their spots on the damp grounds of the park while others walked their dogs. Soon it was time for the instructor to take the stage. Stephanie Whittler, who teaches Doga at the Dog’s Spot Training Center in Gladstone, took the stage with her eleven year old dog. It was amazing to watch this diverse mix of dogs and their owners all stretching and doing yoga in harmony. We had German Shepards, Boxers, Terriers and many other mixes, small and large. All of the dogs seemed quite happy to be just a few feet away from each other as they flopped over on their backs for belly rubs, stretched into down dogs and generally let their owners manipulate them into various positions. Stephanie has been instructing Doga sessions for over a year now and was quite at home leading this motley crew through a series of movements. By the end of the session all the dogs seemed quite blissed-out.

Once the Doga was done, people began to gather on the south side of the stage for a session of people yoga. These were some hearty souls who came out on a 60 some degree morning to lay their yoga mats on a damp ground and do some yoga for fun and charity. Kate Reece led the yogis through a one-hour yoga session. It is always an awesome energy to watch a gathering of people out in nature doing yoga. A photographer from the Sun Publications wandered the crowd snapping shots and getting quotes. The Sun Publications was very generous in doing a pre-event news article and hopefully we will see a post-event article as well. Also taking photos was our own Kathy Disney, who was kind enough to come out for the event and once again get lots of great photos. And what great photo opportunities this event provides – with our fury friends and people alike.

A big thanks to all of our sponsors who came out in support of this cause. We had Doggie Style Bowtique, Kate’s Canine Resort, Picasso Grooming, Pooches Paradise and ReGap. This was a great group of sponsors who agreed to participate in this event based purely on a desire to help out the Humane Society and do something to help the needy dogs and cats in the Kansas City area. These are sponsors with a heart and I encourage you to patronize their businesses – not just because they have good hearts – they also have great businesses that I’m quite sure you will want to support.

For those of you who don’t know ReGap is a Grey Hound rescue group that works all year round to place retired racing Grey Hounds in good homes. The recent closing of the Woodland’s Race Track has increased this need dramatically. In Fact, the representatives from ReGap informed me that there are currently 200 Grey Hounds in need of homes – no that is not a typo – that’s two-hundred Grey Hounds looking for a warm, friendly home. Please be sure to spread the word.

We raised $800 for the Humane Society of Kansas City thanks to your generous donations. Robin Rowland, a Humane Society representative, was present that morning with 2 very cute little pooches up for adoption. Yoga Fix attendee Kim Williams applied to take home Gizmo an adorable Pekinese. All-in-all this turned out to be a great event. I look forward to doing our third annual event next year and thank all of you who braved the cold temperatures and threat of rain to make this year a success.

More info and photos

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Posture Tip of the Month

This is a general posture tip this month.  Many people as we age experience knee aches and pains.  We need to be very gentle with our knees as they are a critical component of our lower body that carries us through life literally and figuratively as our foundation.  When you are doing your Standing Balancing Postures you will hear your instructor telling you to, “lock out those knees for a strong standing leg.”  What you want to be careful of is that you do not hyper-extend that knee causing pain – either during your postures or later due to the cumulative effect of putting undo stress on the knee joint. 

So let’s think about this next time you “lock out those knees” in your standing postures:

You want to visualize a piece of paper taped to the back of your leg from just above the knee the just below the knee.  When you “lock out” that standing leg you want that piece of paper to be taut pulling straight up and down, but not pushing out backward.  In other words there’s a breath of air just behind that knee, a slight space in the back of the knee between that flat piece of paper and knee.  It’s a strong standing leg with a softly locked out knee.

Another posture that can damage your knees if you are not careful is the Fixed Firm.  When you begin Fixed Firm you are sitting on your heels, heels together, tops of your feet flat on the floor pressing into your mat, toes pointing straight back to the wall behind you, knees bent underneath you.  When you peel those calves and feet apart to sit your bottom down on the mat; be very careful not to twist your ankles and feet out.  You want to make sure your feet are parallel to the thighs, toes pointing straight back to the wall behind you.  If you let your feet flop out or turn out to the sides; when you begin to go back into the reclining part of your posture, you will put undo pressure on your knees and ankles causing pain and potentially pulling muscles. 

Always be mindful of the small adjustments that go into doing a posture correctly.  It doesn’t matter how far into a posture you go, it matters more how you go into your postures; using correct form and breathing into those tight areas of the body.  Remember to always have patience with yourself and your body.

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New Classes!

We’ve added several new classes to our schedule.  I encourage you to come try them.  While Hot Yoga is a wonderful foundation for your practice, trying new postures will give a more complete all-around workout.  Plus, part of the fountain of youth and keeping a sharp mind is to create new pathways in the brain by learning new skills – like new yoga postures!

Ashtanga:  This is a dynamic and challenging form of hatha yoga. You will do sun salutations, standing poses, and some seated postures. Each pose is linked to the next through a series of connecting movements called vinyasa, which allows the body to create heat and build more flexibility. Smooth, deep breathing, gaze and locks are synchronized with the movements to create this progressive series. This powerful and vigorous practice purifies and realigns the body, cultivating a feeling of inner peace, and leading to a natural state of meditation.
A personal note: This class is wonderful for working the abdomen, upper body and legs.  You will do things you are not use to doing in the Hot Yoga classes.  I came out of Mandy’s class feeling energized and ready to tackle my day.  We get so used to doing our Hot Yoga routine which we know by heart, that I found it quite refreshing to challenge myself and learn some new postures.  I look forward to making Mandy’s class a part of my regular yoga routine.

Vinyasa: This is a new and unique style of yoga. It is the synchronization of breath with movement, where postures are linked together in a continuous and challenging flow. Vinyasa united the physical with the flow of the practice and the breath to bring together the internal and the external. The practice engages the energy found within and leaves you feeling energized, centered and more connected!

Mat Pilates: This class works core control, coordination, standing alignment and balance as well as flexibility. Emphasis is on precise alignment and controlled movements, breathing and efficient sequencing of movement.

A personal note:  I have been looking forward to Lauren’s Mat Pilates class for a while now.  I know that I need to work on those tiny little adjustments and movements that will help to align my back and neck.  So what a treat it was to finally get to take her class.  I was surprised to find out we really worked on some hip and groin openers as well and gave my thighs a good workout.  It also helped to open up my neck and shoulders; tight areas for me.  This is a class about really small adjustments that seem easy and baffling at first; yet give us such a wonderful body awareness to take into our other yoga classes.

Overall, I’d like to say I am really amazed as I take more of these varied classes how each class has taught me new things about the postures to take into all of my classes.  It has made me more aware of my body and more knowledgeable about yoga in general.  I feel blessed to have all these wonderful classes and teachers at the studio.  I truly hope and encourage you take advantage of these opportunities in Nancy’s Hatha class, Hiedi’s Yoga Flow class, Mandy’s Ashtanga and Vinyasa, Charlene’s Cardio-Pilates and Lauren’s Mat Pilates.  All of these classes along with the Hot Yoga give you so many wonderful tools to keep your mind, body and spirit healthy.

More info on classes

Be sure to check out all of our new classes and class times.

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Staff Book Pick of the Month

Charlene’s pick is Yoga Anatomy by Leslie Kaminoff

Charlene recently discovered this book at Union Station, it can also be found at Costco and I would imagine online at Amazon.  For Charlene the beauty of this book is how it explains the breathing and illustrates almost all of the Bikram and Hot Yoga postures in detail.  The postures are broken down into skill level, the parts of the body being worked, the lengthening effects, obstacles to the posture and breathing for each posture.  Charlene says, “This book is almost a textbook and might only appeal to those who are very interested in yoga.”  I would add that most yoga books come across as a dense read and this one is worth the photos alone depicting the muscles and ligaments of the body as related to each posture.  A great reference book.

2 more books Charlene recommends are The Path to Holistic Health by B.K.S. Iyenger and Yoga, Youth and Reincarnation by Sterm.  The Path to Holistic Health is an excellent book for its illustrations and easy-to-understand photos.  The poses are broken down into beginners and advanced, so that all students will benefit from this book.  There is also a wonderful section explaining what each yoga pose does for the body; for example one posture is good for the heart and circulation, another for asthma, another for the digestive, etc.  This is a great book for everyone. 

The Path to Holistic Health is Charlene’s “very favorite yoga book.”  It is probably out-of-print and would need to be located through used or old book store carriers.  This book is the author’s story of staying with a yoga instructor and her family for 3 months – it’s an easy read and very entertaining.  Charlene says, “If you can’t find a copy she is willing to loan hers out.”

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