Yoga helps us to become more balanced in everything that we do. We learn to cultivate self-discipline or tapas through strengthening our bodies by using effort. We also learn how to become compassionate, karuna, with ourselves by stretching and lengthening those stiff and hard muscles.  And finally, through the breath, we learn to relax and find joy, mudita, in being in the moment.

Join Alison on Saturdays, June 2nd-23rd from 11:00-12:30 pm. This class is appropriate for beginners. If you know anyone who might be interested, please let them know.

In the past, we have offered classes other than our basic Levels 1 and 2. Recharge classes moved at a slower pace; this vinyasa class moved more quickly. As teachers, we believe many of you students would benefit from these options, however, we haven’t had sufficient interest to continue with them. We’re curious: are you interested in these options and did we just pick an inconvenient time? Or are you satisfied with just the two levels? Please let us know — in person, by phone or on-line, we’re always interested in how we can make First Street Yoga the best yoga center around.

Join us to shake off the dark and heaviness of winter! In this workshop, we will use the tools of classical yoga to refresh and invigorate ourselves: gentle stretching and exercises will help the muscles let go of old habits; twists will bring heat and energy while cleansing the internal organs; mindful breathing exercises will soothe and strengthen the nervous system. In the long and wise tradition of spring cleaning, a yoga tonic clears away the old and prepares us for new experiences.

Who should attend? If you are feeling lethargic, you will learn how to take yourself to greater energy. If you are feeling congested, you will learn how to let go of old patterns, physical and mental. If you are feeling bored, you will be reminded of the tremendous power and opportunity that is available in each moment of a thoughtful life. This workshop is appropriate for all levels: beginners will experience the profound change a yoga tonic can give; more advanced students will gain additional knowledge in how to use the tools of yoga to support a happy, healthy life.

Call or email to reserve a spot, or simply show up and attend first-come-first-served. I hope to see you!

Classical yoga is unique in its approach to problems in that it targets the whole person, not just the part that hurts. Long ago, people realized that many of our problems were caused by conflicting desires – the mind knows we need more exercise, but the body may feel lazy, or the heart craves friendship and connection but the mind is afraid. Whenever we find it difficult to make chosen changes, the problem is usually caused by such conflicts. Yogis found the greatest success when they deliberately addressed all parts of the person: body, mind, and spirit. Whether the problem is back pain or anxiety, yoga offers physical exercise to sooth muscles, breathing exercises to organize the nervous system, and meditation to strengthen the brain.

This is the great, wonderful economy of classical yoga: physical trainer, breathing coach, and therapist all rolled into one. But for yoga to address the whole person, it really needs to be whole yoga, not just the physical exercises popular in gym class and advertising.

Whole Yoga

By whole yoga, I mean deliberately and systematically addressing the breath and mind, as well as working and stretching the muscles and joints. A good yoga session should take you safely through the physical exercises as well as any gym class. But it should also help your understanding so you can develop individual strategies to manage ordinary aches and pains. Clear focus on correct physical alignment develops this knowledge and lays the groundwork for deeper meditation. Especially in our physical practice, we want to use the mind more than muscle and the breath more than mind. When we practice in this way, asana becomes a laboratory where we are free to experiment with the ancient wisdom of  Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. Only through long-term personal engagement can we understand how this wisdom underlies everything we do at First Street Yoga, from stretching a hamstring to managing the business.

Next time you practice, notice: are you all there? If you’re thinking about lunch or the person practicing next to you, your session is not as effective as it could be. As Patanjali taught: tatra sthitau yatnah abhyasah (I.13). Practice is the effort to be here now. All of you.

When I was a beginner, they weren’t my favorite poses. If I did get stuck in a restorative practice I felt restless and impatient. Restorative poses were easy to do; why bother practicing them? One day, struggling with this, a voice in my head finally asked me: “if these poses are too easy, why are they so hard to practice?” I’ve been exploring that interesting question ever since.

It takes at least 10 minutes of release for the body to really relax. My bossy mind was so convinced of its own importance that it could not, at first, see the value in any pursuit that didn’t actively require its skills. Patience was my first lesson. When my mind finally began to settle down, I got to experience the physical benefits of restorative poses. When we relax deeply, we support all those things we do without thinking about them – digestion, respiration and circulation, fighting disease, cleansing the body. This support balances the nervous system and clears away the many negative effects of stress.

We invite you to come in and unwind. Whatever else is going on in your life, give yourself an hour and a half to set your burdens down. Come in and see what happens when easy is your teacher.

Because we can.

Learning to do difficult things expands our abilities and increases our range of options. Avoiding doing difficult things reduces our abilities and limits our options. When we learn to do a handstand, for example, we teach our arms to be sturdy and strong like legs. The upper back and shoulder area must learn to be firm and stable, yielding great benefits to normal posture. At the same time, we teach our mind equanimity, the ability to be calm and reasonable even when things look difficult and confusing. These are some of the first gifts we get from upside down.

Besides building strength and confidence, upside down poses are naturally calming. Really. When we put most of the body above the level of the heart, gravity assists the venous return of blood, easing the heart’s work. Our lungs work differently, too, as the postures allow more space in the rib cage and more blood to the upper lung tissues. Inverted poses are believed to be fortifying and beneficial for supporting a healthy immune system. The concentration that balancing requires helps focus and calm the mind.

This Sunday (2/19 1-4pm) I’ll be teaching the ABCs of Upside Down, a workshop designed to introduce inverted yoga asanas and how to practice them safely. We will spend some time on anatomy and physiology in order to understand the various dangers and how to avoid them. You will learn how to prepare your body to practice headstand and shoulderstand safely, and you will have the opportunity to work on these poses as appropriate. We will have  time to practice a variety of relaxing supported inversions as well.

Who should come? Students should be reasonably healthy (no congestive heart problems, serious eye problems, or untreated high blood pressure) and should have at least four months of alignment oriented yoga instruction. Beginners who are interested in moving on to L2 but are nervous about the inversions will particularly benefit from this workshop. More advanced students looking to refine their practice will learn different approaches and props to help their practice develop.

This small workshop will have plenty of opportunity for questions and for adapting the practice to suit the individual. These are some of my very favorite asanas and I am eager to share their discoveries. I hope you’ll join me!

To register, call or email. You are welcome to show up that afternoon and attend as space allows. Questions? Let me know. -Jane

Join Alison on Sunday, Dec. 4^th from 1-4 for Yoga for Stress Relief: an active and restorative workshop. Using yoga philosophy to guide us, we will spend the 1^st half of the workshop practicing actively to relieve built up tension stored in the body. In the 2^nd half, we will practice restoratives to unwind the body and calm the mind.

You will learn new ways to cope with stress and leave feeling relaxed and refreshed.

To save a spot in the workshop email or call (503) 554- 5485.

There’s a cure. Join Jane on Sunday November 13 for help for aching necks, shoulders and upper back. This three hour workshop (1-4) is appropriate for all levels. In it, students will learn about the anatomy of the upper body and begin to gain a better understanding of their difficulties. Active asanas will work to develop strength in the back body while restorative poses will help stretch and relax the muscles of the upper chest and shoulders.

To save a spot in the workshop, email or call (503) 554-5485.

It is possible to trade that pain in the neck for a light heart!

Yoga myths

You must be flexible to practice yoga. Strength and flexibility are like the flip sides of a coin; the stronger you are, the less flexible you are liable to be. Yoga works to balance these qualities in all the poses. We use props like chairs and blankets to support ourselves on this journey. Yoga gradually encourages flexibility by releasing tense muscles to allow greater range of motion, while training muscles to be strong even in extended positions.

Yoga is good for improving stress and flexibility but it’s not real exercise. When we move quickly from pose to pose, yoga practice can be quite aerobic. Most of the time, especially for beginners, yoga asana is more like weight training – but the weight you bear is your own. Moving in and out of the poses as well as the isometric tension of holding poses work to build muscle. When we strengthen a muscle in a lengthening position (the opposite of crunching contractions) the muscle is less visible but more active metabolically (will burn more calories when at rest). Unlike weight machines, yoga doesn’t target specific muscles. Instead, it aims toward best function. You’ll discover muscles you never knew you had!

Yoga truths

Yoga is an excellent cross-training for most sports. Because yoga practice works to create a balanced body, the awareness, coordination, and strength it confers benefits all sports. Further, the emphasis on mental focus and emotional stability can be key in eliciting the best possible performance even in stressful circumstances.

Yoga is one of the best ways to improve back problems. Numerous well designed studies now confirm that alignment based yoga is one of the most effective ways to cure chronic back pain. Just like the alternatives, surgery and pain management, yoga has side effects. The side effects for yoga? Stress relief, increased feelings of well being, better breathing patterns, long term weight loss, and more.

Yoga decreases stress and improves concentration. While we work physically, we keep the mind focused on our immediate experience. This simple focus becomes a meditation that improves concentration and teaches tools for managing stress.

Interested? Join John Thursday evenings at our Introductory Course (For Men) and experience these yoga truths for yourself.

The discomfort of unwanted change is exactly like the discomfort we feel in asana. It may not be pleasant, but we use it to learn. We probably don’t know much about our hamstrings until we feel them complain in a forward bend. Without discomfort, the inner structure of muscle and bones is invisible to us. When I was young and filled with power, why bother with carefulness and planning? I could charge ahead and get the job done. Now, I need to think twice and this effort of refinement gives a wonderful gift: grace.

Unwanted change is the school of adaptability. Whether we’re facing the short-term change of summer to fall or the long-term changes of aging, yogis think less about most perfect conditions and more about most effective response. When we shift our attention in this way, we become the master of our fate and not a victim of circumstances. We discover grace, or, as Patanjali says in the third sutra, then we dwell in our own true splendor.

Yours in continued exploration,

Jane