YogaPaloozaX finds it way to your very center … with Spine Awakening on Monday and a Peaceful Warrior practice on Wednesday. Here’s what’s what in YogaPaloozaville this week.
Monday, July 17 ~ Spine Awakening
Without your spine you’d be like a chicken living at the Boneless Chicken Ranch …
(I have been waiting 15 years to share this with you.)
But, unlike the boneless chickens, you’re spinally mobile – with 26 bones, 120 muscles, and 100 joints. Your spine is the anchor of your physical movement and the hub that connects your mind to your body via the nervous system. Time to give your spine some Yoga love.
Wednesday, July 19 ~ Peaceful Warrior
Warriors — and Yoga’s Warrior poses — seem to conjure up visions of confrontation and war. That’s a shame, because that’s not the point. True Warriors are the ultimate peace-niks. It is through their internal strength, poise, and calm that they are able to rise above the tumult of life’s challenges and conflicts. Peaceful Warriors are heart-ful, not heartless.
One YogaPaloozaX class down, 17 to flow, I mean, go! Three classes this week means more ‘Palooza for you!
This week the theme is “flow” through Vinyasa Yoga classes on Monday & Wednesday and a special Saturday Trager® workshop that brings our flow back to balance.
MONDAY, JULY 10 ~ VINYASA, PART I, “ROCK”… 4:30 p.m. Level 1, 6:00 p.m. Level 1/Level 2 … Get your Yoga flowing with a breath-led, refreshing, and classic Vinyasa practice, that starts with Mountain, your rock.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 12 ~ VINYASA, PART II, “ROLL”… 4:30 p.m. Level 1, 6:00 p.m. Level 1/Level 2 … Not every Vinyasa starts standing, you know. This not-so-classic Vinyasa flow practice can lubricate sticky joints and rejuvenate body, mind, and heart. A little untraditional? A little off the beaten path? Roll with the possibilities …
And, don’t miss …
SATURDAY, JULY 15, 9:30 a.m. ~ “PLAY YOUR WAY TO BETTER BALANCE” … Certified Trager® Practitioner Carrie Heitsch leads this special class that will use imagery, sensory input, and gentle, playful movement to help find and improve balance. Carrie will share Trager Approach® principles, explore the body systems involved in balance (you might be surprised!), and share self-care movements that can enhance the comfort and ease with which you engage in any life activity. Prerequisites: must be able to walk, but need not be able to chew gum at the same time. (Bring your mat and dress as you would for a Yoga class.) (90-minute class.)
It’s never too late to join us in YogaPaloozaVille.
Peaceful Hands Yoga | 228 Warren Street | Orange, Virginia
The YogaPaloozaX schedule is here. General class info, including directions to the studio, is here.
One … Stay hydrated. Watermelon is 92 percent water and, as a bonus, includes nutrients, essential rehydration minerals, and electrolytes. Studies have found that watermelon is far more hydrating than just plain water. And, watermelon is yum (which you really can’t say about water). (Well, you could say that about water, but you probably wouldn’t mean it.)
Because X means 10 and 2017 marks our 10th annual YogaPalooza – our summer of Yoga at Peaceful Hands Yoga.
If you’ve never experienced YogaPalooza … it’s my time to share special classes, following classic and not-so-classic Yoga themes. All in the spirit of bringing balance and ease. A little irreverent, sure. Sometimes goofy. Always fun.
Our first YogaPalooza was in 2008, over in a teeny-tiny space on Byrd Street. Some of you might remember. The session was teeny-tiny, too … just four classes long, but two of those classes have been part of YogaPalooza ever since.
This year’s YogaPalooza runs for 8 weeks and includes 18 classes!
The calendar gets a little goofy, too, so please note the three Saturdays and one Friday when we will have class (and the Monday and Wednesday dates when we won’t).
Peaceful Hands Yoga Studio
228 Warren Street (in the Sedwick Racquetball Club) in Orange, Virginia
18 classes. 8 weeks. Yup, that’s a lot of Yoga in YogaPaloozaville. Here’s the schedule …
Times are 4:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. for Monday & Wednesday classes and the Friday class. Saturday classes are at 9:30 a.m.
(The current Mo’Spring Session runs through Wednesday, June 28. No classes on Monday, July 3.)
WEDNESDAY, JULY 5 ~ OPENING NIGHT …For our first night in YogaPaloozaVille, some of our favorite asanas take center stage – spoiler alert: there will be at least one downward facing dog.
MONDAY, JULY 10 ~ VINYASA, PART I, “ROCK”… Get your Yoga flowing with a breath-led, refreshing, and classic Vinyasa practice, that starts with Mountain, your rock.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 12 ~ VINYASA, PART II, “ROLL” … Not every Vinyasa starts standing, you know. This slow-flow, not-so-classic Vinyasa practice can lubricate sticky joints and refresh body, mind, and heart.
SATURDAY, JULY 15, 9:30 a.m. ~ “PLAY YOUR WAY TO BETTER BALANCE” … Certified Trager® Practitioner Carrie Heitsch leads this class that will use imagery, sensory input, and playful movement to explore the process of finding, maintaining, and improving balance. Prerequisites: must be able to walk, but need not be able to chew gum at the same time. (Bring your mat and dress as you would for a Yoga class.) (90-minute class.)
MONDAY, JULY 17 ~ SPINE AWAKENING …Your spine can move in 7 directions — but only if you let it. Renew the suppleness of your back and refresh your spine.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 19 ~ PEACEFUL WARRIOR … Embrace your inner power with a focus on grounding, alignment, and the sweet openness of Warrior poses.
(No classes on Monday, July 24.)
WEDNESDAY, JULY 26 ~ LET’S TWIST AGAIN …“We’re gonna twisty twisty twisty till we tear the house down.” I think you know what’s going on here.
MONDAY, JULY 31 ~ REGGAE …Reggae and African beats provide the rhythm for an enlivening and inspiring practice. Registered Students Only.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 2 ~ HAPPY HIPS … Perfect for hippies, hipsters, and hip cats. Your hips will like it, too.
MONDAY, AUGUST 7 ~ YOGA NIDRA… An amazing Yogic deep relaxation journey in the classic tradition.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 9 ~ SUN & MOON FLOW … Sun & Moon Salutations will fire you up & cool you off in perfect harmony
SATURDAY, AUGUST 12, 9:30 a.m. ~ “SWEET 16” … One of my most beloved teachers, Margaret Leary, joins us again at YogaPalooza with a special Resistance-Flexibility-Strength-Training (RFST) practice, sharing 16 exercises that can help renew suppleness in the body’s connective tissue and fascia. It’s a wonderful addition to your Yoga practice. (Bring your mat and dress as you would for a Yoga class.) (90-minute class.)
MONDAY, AUGUST 14 ~ “GOOD VIBRATIONS”… Focusing on the deepest energy of the body, we’ll use Yoga, acupressure points, and humming vibrations to encourage good health from top to bottom. You’ll sparkle from the inside out.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16 ~ MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR YOGA…Yeah-Yeah-Yeah, it’s back for its 10th magical year! Registered Students Only.
MONDAY, AUGUST 21 ~ TIBETAN YANTRA … Enjoy this special Tibetan Yoga practice with a focus on Yantras, sequences of poses that help find space between the joints and unlock the bones.
(No classes on Wednesday, August 23.)
FRIDAY, AUGUST 25 ~ YIN … Holding Yin Yoga poses for many focused breaths allows you to let go and say “ahhhh.” This traditional practice is the perfect peaceful finish to your week.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 26, 9:30 a.m. ~ EARTH, WIND, & FIRE … Ayurveda, the science of Yoga, reminds us that we are earth … wind … and fire. This Ayurvedic-inspired practice honors those elements within us. (And, yes, we’ll probably honor the band Earth, Wind, & Fire at some point, too.)
MONDAY, AUGUST 28 ~ X … Our 10th annual YogaPalooza draws to a close, with a special celebration of X, which, as you know, “marks the spot” and stands for 10 and serves as the focus of this class.
Here are the fees:
$13/class
OR
Take any 8 classes of your choice during this session: $72
OR … for the very best, most awesome deal …
Register for all of YogaPalooza — and take ALL 18 classes — for just $120
If you check your schedule you may find that the $120 deal is still the best deal – even if you’re going to miss a handful of classes.
(No Drop-In’s, please, for the Reggae and Magical Mystery Tour classes. Drop-In’s are welcome at all the other classes!)
Here’s the calendar with all the classes smooshed onto one handy single page that you can print out — yogapalooza 17 mini calendar
Oh, and one more thing … there’s a tradition in YogaPaloozaVille that students who attend every class get a prize. With 18 total classes over 8 weeks, are you up for the challenge?
For general Yoga class info, including studio directions, fees, what to wear, etc, click: Orange Yoga
“Practicing with total attention within the body is advanced Yoga, no matter how easy the posture. Practicing with your attention scattered is the practice of a beginner, no matter how difficult the pose.” ~ H. David Coulter, author of The Anatomy of Hatha Yoga
Just some quick tidying up of the Peaceful Hands Yoga Mo’Spring calendar.
I asked. You answered. And, the consensus is …
YES, there will be Yoga classes next Monday, May 29 … Memorial Day.
Classes at 4:30 and 6:00 p.m.
If you’re registered in the 8-week session but unable to make it that day, you’re welcome to make-up the class on another class day during this current session.
I’ll keep you posted if a schedule complication arises in June (I have one “iffy” Monday coming up, but won’t know about that for another week). So for now … we’re good!
Peaceful Hands Yoga
Classes on Mondays & Wednesdays
4:30 pm ~ Level 1
6:00 pm ~ Level 1 / Level 2 Blend
It’s never too late to do Yoga. It’s never too late to join a session. It’s never too late to unroll your mat at Peaceful Hands (and if you don’t have a mat, we’ll loan you one!).
Is it weird that the inspiration “It’s About Progress, Not Perfection” is illustrated here with a woman in a beautifully aligned, challenging arm balance like crane pose? Of course it is.
Progress should show our shortfalls … the times the poses don’t come so easy, or the times we fall out of balance poses, or don’t hold poses as long as we would like, or have to modify a pose to make it work.
It’s about trying … and failing … and, despite that failure, trying again.
That’s why we call it practice.
Whether your practice is nearly perfect or you’ve never even tried before … or if you fall somewhere in between (or you just fall a lot), join us at Peaceful Hands Yoga.
The classes this week — Monday, May 1 and Wednesday, May 3 — will wrap up our current Spring Session.
The new eight-week “Springalicious, Still Spring” session begins next Monday, May 8.
It will run until … I don’t know. The end date will depend on whether I need to take a day off for baseball, or if we decide to have class on Memorial Day. In any event it will run ’til the end of June or so, and it will run eight weeks. I promise.
$120 — unlimited Monday & Wednesday Classes
$72 — take any 8 classes during the 8-week session
$13 — single drop-in class
(Your first class with me is free.)
And, our 10th Annual YogaPalooza begins in July. I know, 10th annual, crazy right?
It’s never too early or too late to join a session, so if you’re thinking about Yoga, swing by on a Monday or Wednesday and join us.
Happy Friday! A quick update on our Spring schedule … but first this …
A friend sent this to me last week and just in case you haven’t seen it already:
It is not lost on me that we have done Moose Pose in our classes here and we have called it exactly that.
And, one schedule update. You might have noticed that our current 8-week Spring Session actually spans nine weeks to accommodate two postponed classes. We postponed a Wednesday class in March and now here’s the other one:
There will be NO Yoga classes on Monday, April 24.
This Spring Session will end on Wednesday, May 3. The new “More Spring” Session will begin the following week on Monday, May 8. (More info on the new session will be sent out at the end of this month.)
It’s never too late in a session to join! Classes are:
Mondays and Wednesdays
4:30 p.m. – Level 1
6:00 p.m. – Level 1 / Level 2
Your first class with me is free! For general information on classes, including directions to the studio, what to expect, and what-not, click here
“The very heart of Yoga practice is abhyasa — steady effort in the direction you want to go.” ~ Sally Kempton
Just a reminder that there will be no Yoga classes at Peaceful Hands Yoga tomorrow — Wednesday, March 15, 2017.
(The current session was already extended to reflect this change.)
But, that doesn’t mean you can’t unroll your mat at home. Keep steady effort in the direction you want to go. How about some Shiva’s Twist in your living room?
Classes resume next week … I hope to see you then!
Have we made it through this winter? Maybe. (Maybe not.) All I know is my calendar says Spring Yoga begins on Monday!
So, here’s the spring schedule (please note the two upcoming no-class dates) and some info on my upcoming baseball talk in Culpeper … I hope you’ll join me!
The new eight-week session of Peaceful Hands Yoga begins on Monday, March 6 and is scheduled to run through Wednesday, May 3.
>> There will be no class on Wednesday, March 15 & Monday, April 24. <<
Classes on Mondays & Wednesdays
4:30 p.m. ~ Level 1
6:00 p.m. ~ Level 1 / Level 2
8 Classes ~ $72 (take any eight classes during the session) Unlimited ~ $120 (take as many of the Monday/Wednesday classes during the session as you like) Single Class ~ $13
(Cash/Check only. Please make checks payable to Peaceful Hands, LLC.)
Your first class with me is free! General Yoga Class info, including directions to the studio, make-up class policy, class styles, what to expect, and things like that can be found here.
Peaceful Hands Yoga Studio
228 Warren Street
at Sedwick Racquetball Club
Orange, Virginia
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And, a non-Yoga aside. I’ve been invited to speak at the Museum of Culpeper History on Sunday, March 19 about something that is definitely spring-y … Baseball.
Wearing my Baseball Bloggess cap, I’ll be talking about two great ballplayers in the Baseball Hall of Fame. One was black, the son of slaves who played before baseball was integrated. The other was white, a banker’s son with a college degree. Culpeper and baseball tie them together.
Baseball can often can tell us a larger story of who we are as a country – and how we got here. I hope you’ll join me (I promise, no downward dogs!). The talk is free and, yes, there will be snacks. More info and RSVP info is here.
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Join us on the mat … springtime … anytime! I hope to see you! 🙂
