Active Agers: Have you thought about taking a Yoga Class?

I can’t tell you how often people call us and say – I’d like to take yoga, but I’m older now – and I can’t twist into all those crazy positions like “young” people .    My goal is to stay healthy and keep moving!    We have just the class right now on the Rivercity Pilates schedule!   It’s called “Gentle Yoga”.   

Here are four reasons to try Yoga at Rivercity Pilates, from an article written by personal trainer Debbie Abbott in Great Britain and a testimonial from a current 65 yo client who is a “regular” in our Gentle Yoga classes ! 

  1. Yoga makes our bones denser.   This is big, because Osteoporosis is rampant. The main sites for developing osteoporosis are the wrist, spine, ribs, and hip.  They’re vulnerable because most forms of exercise don’t stress these areas very much, and general living with no exercise means almost no stress at all on these sites. Planks, twists and other fun moves (aka, “asanas”) both load the bones and create a pulling/tugging of the muscles-tendons-ligaments that attach to those bones.  When that happens, the message the bone gets is, “We need to build.” 
  2. Yoga creates a hormonal-chemical concoction in your blood that’s conducive to “rest, digest, heal, and grow.”   Life often creates a hormonal-chemical concoction that’s conducive to “fight or flight,” which make us fat, sad, and tired. This is big, and this is important. The hormonal soup we swim in very much determines Who. We.  Are.  We have the ability to control that soup, but it takes intentional thought and determination. 
  3. Yoga teaches us to focus on one thing at a time.  Yoga was actually created thousands of years ago specifically for that reason.  Focusing has bigger benefits than you might imagine.  Short, choppy attention spans and difficulty concentrating are associated with anxiety, depression, and the inability to learn and perform tasks well.  Did you know the average U.S. attention span has shrunk to 9 seconds?  That’s not good! Yoga is both movement and “forced” focus. I challenge you to think of your to-do list, or a problem, while holding dancer pose; it’s not happening. These poses take too much concentration! Movement and focus stimulate brain growth, or “neuro-plasticity” in a good way!  When we practice yoga, we’re literally re-wiring our brain to be positive, productive, creative, and much, much less scattered.  
  4. Yoga increases flexibility and balance tremendously, more than most sports.   The ranges of motion and the poses that we practice in yoga are pretty unique to yoga.  Can you fold over and touch your toes?  Can you stand on one leg for a minute?  Can you squat with no pain?  Can you easily get on and off the floor? These are normal movements of life.  Our body, just like our mind, is a “use it or lose it” organism.  

 

What is Gentle Yoga and would you like it?

picture of yoga classAre you wanting to try Yoga or maybe you’ve practiced in the past and you’re looking for a class that fits you?  Let me tell you about our Gentle Yoga classes so you can decide if it might be a good fit for you!

Gentle Yoga is a slow paced class that focuses on the making Yoga accessible to any body. No need to worry about standing on your head or doing any of what I hear called “crazy poses”!  You’ll learn how to focus your mind and use your breath to move with ease into poses that are very doable for your body.  Your teacher will give lots of variations of the pose to help you find one that works best for your body.  You’ll learn to use props like a Yoga strap or Yoga block to help poses work better in your body.  The class atmosphere is relaxed and mindful, but you’ll always feel comfortable asking a question if you have one.

How will your body benefit from Gentle Yoga?  You’ll find yourself building strength and flexibility in your body.  Your body will start to feel more and more balanced. The sense of calm you get from taking this class will ooze into your daily life. You’ll be moving in a way during class that will teach you how to move better indoor daily life.

If this sounds like a class you would enjoy we encourage you to come in and try a complimentary class!!

October Beginner Yoga

Beginner Yoga 4 Week Series
 
picture of yoga classOur September series filled so quick we added two more Beginner Yoga series in October (Wednesdays at 7:30 pm) and in November (Tuesdays at 7:30 pm) 
This series is designed to introduce Yoga to those with limited or no experience.  If you’re a beginner in Yoga or haven’t practiced in awhile, start here!  Over the course of 4 weeks we will learn the basics of Yoga, breath work, postures and alignment and see how all of these combined will help you on your journey to more focus, balance, strength and flexibility.  $49 for the 4 week series.
Sign up: Click Here!

I don’t like to talk about what Yoga is…

We offer many Yoga classes at Rivercity Pilates.

We offer many Yoga classes at Rivercity Pilates.

I often get asked about difference between Pilates and Yoga. I can tell you I feel very comfortable talking about what Pilates is, the benefits, the order, the anatomy of exercises, the breath,and what it can do for your life, etc. I’m not so comfortable talking about the Yoga in the same way.

I have practiced Yoga off and on throughout the years but I’ve never studied it the way I’ve studied and practiced Pilates over the years. The amount of time, effort and constant digging into the Pilates method I do makes me more and more uncomfortable  trying to share credible information about Yoga. Yoga has been around much longer than Pilates and I know that even though I’ve taken classes and practice on my own I’m a newbie to the juice of Yoga. I don’t have a good deep understanding of the poses and why we do them, the order we do them or how changing something small in the alignment or positioning could change the whole pose. I know too much about movement and it’s complexities to realize I’m not giving it the credit it deserves.

So if you’ve asked me a question about Yoga and I don’t answer it as thoroughly as you might like, I apologize and I’ll gladly refer you to one of our amazing Yoga instructors at the studio who can answer your questions in much more detail!!  For those who are curious about both Pilates and Yoga I often recommend people trying both with a qualified instructor and see if one clicks with them more than the other.  Movement practices like Pilates, Yoga, Tai Chi, and others can be life changing and I really believe it’s worth taking some time to explore these practices in depth to find one that fits into your life!

Do you think Yoga is NOT for you?

IMG_6488So did I.    I thought yoga was people sitting still with their eyes shut and chanting or something. Are you nervous about trying a Yoga class?   I certainly was.   I even wrote a blog about my first yoga class.    I’m going thru recovery now after a medical procedure, but I will definitely be attending more yoga classes when I have the doctor clearance to do so.   Why?   I think it helps with my Pilates practice (see Carey’s blog about this) and with the things that are happening in my life right now, I need all the mindful movement I can get!    I did some research about starting a yoga practice, and I thought maybe it would help others who might share the stereotypes I had.  I found these three tips written by Brooke on YogaTravelTree.com, and I wish someone had told me these before my first yoga class!

  • Be gentle with yourself. Like anything new, you’re not likely to be a master the first several times you attempt a posture or a class. Yoga is not a one-time experience; it’s a path, a journey. You’ll grow and improve as you keep going back for more.
  • Yoga is not a competition. Do not compare yourself to other people in the room. That girl who can put her foot behind her head while balancing her entire body on her forearms is not your competition. You have no idea if she was a gymnast back in the day, if she’s been practicing for 25 years, and/or just blessed with insanely flexible hips. You only need to focus on where you are on your mat in that moment.
  • Yoga is an individual experience. While a class might have 10 people in it all breathing in unison, it’s still just you and your mat. It’s probably the one hour where it’s not only acceptable, but EXPECTED, that you be completely focused on yourself. Indulge in that.

IMG_6498Don’t be like me.   I had judged the benefits of yoga based on one class that I had taken 10 years ago. I have no idea if I went into that class open to learning yoga or not.   I know, I had a completely different experience when I tried a yoga class at Rivercity Pilates.   Get out there and give yoga a try!

My First Yoga Class @ RCP (Part 2)

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This blog is the 2nd part of my yoga blog, which describes my first yoga experience at Rivercity Pilates.    If you haven’t read it, here’s a link.

With about 30 minutes left in class, I started watching the clock and my focus wandered. Why? Because I was sweating so much I was afraid there would be a puddle around me soon! Now that would be embarrassing.  I was wondering if I was working hard, or too hard.    I wasn’t breathing hard.   I couldn’t feel my heart beating too fast, yet I was sweating like I was sitting in a sauna!   Then I looked at the bright side. If sweat is detoxing I am getting rid of everything! I will feel great tomorrow! Wait, Will I feel great? Or am I working muscles that are going to hurt tomorrow?

There was a series where we went from plank, to downward dog, and then you lift your leg behind you and bring it forward to a lunge position. Every time my leg went up there was a thud when it hit the barre. I am guessing that everyone in the room wondered who was kicking the wall. When your foot comes back down, it’s supposed to be underneath your shoulders in a lunge. When my foot came back down, it was in the middle of the mat. Shara said if you need to move your foot with your hand, go ahead. That’s what I did. As a newbie, I clearly haven’t mastered these yoga-mat sized steps and deep lunges or even where to position my mat when class starts! !

The next series added a pose that I couldn’t seem to do. Shara gave an option of putting your knee on the mat, and sure enough, I could do that! And when I took a quick glance around, I wasn’t the only one with my knee down! I was keeping up! What a terrific feeling.   As a newbie, I wasn’t the only person doing the modification.

The clock kept moving and finally Shara said, one more time before we cool down. Ok. Whoosh.   Reflief.  I thought I could make it through one more series. I totally loved the cool down time. Who doesn’t love laying on their back and breathing during a fitness class! Again, I didn’t really hear the music. I was incredibly focused on Sharas voice, leading us through the rest of the class. (and for someone who is a constant multi-tasker that is a huge achievement). It also gave my body some time to come back to normal. After class, I pretty much bolted. I wasn’t sure how I looked after all that sweating, and I was very scared that I wouldn’t be able to walk the next day from all that quad work. I was scheduled for sunrise Pilates equipment class the next day, and I was hoping I wouldn’t have to call in and say that yoga broke me!

I will tell you honestly that the night after my first yoga class, I got the best night of sleep i have gotten for years. I slept soundly and woke up refreshed! I was awake 5 minutes before my alarm went off and my legs felt fine. I had wondered during class if my back would hurt, because it seemed that I was moving a bit differently than I do in Pilates, but my back was fine. I wondered if soreness would come later in the day, but it didn’t. I took 2 Pilates classes and 1 yoga class in 25 hours, and I felt great along with a huge sense of accomplishment!

Now the big question. Will I take another yoga class? I honestly think that I will. I want to take another class from Shara now that I know what to expect. I also want to take classes from the other instructors and experience them.  I am hoping I’m past my — “I have to put my mat by the door so i can run if I need to” feelings!    Have you read Carey’s blog, “My Pilates practice taught me to love yoga“?   I don’t know if that’s true for me yet, but my first yoga class did convince me that maybe I should add one yoga class a week to my workout schedule!   If you see me in class, please know that I’m still feeling awkward and trying to get comfortable with yoga.   I won’t be watching to see if you are awkward, because I will be way to focused on my “intention” and trying to do every exercise.   Hope to see you in class!

Becky Monroe
Rivercity Pilates Student
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