Classes

Experience the harmony of body, mind and spirit with yoga. Regardless of the style of yoga you choose, you will see life-changing results when you do yoga on a regular basis. A yoga practice anchored in a calm focus and steady breath does wonders for the mind and body. Please don’t hesitate to ask if you need recommendations on which style fits your needs. Please click here to view our current schedule.

VINYASA FLOW

A sequence of flowing postures, coordinating breath and movement.  Build heat from the inside-out, develop core strength, stamina and flexibility in this class.Students are encouraged to practice at their own level.  Modifications are suggested for different levels of students.

RESTORATIVE

Calm and nourish your nervous system as well as build your immunity with this wonderfully relaxing practice. Through the use of props, the body is held restfully and comfortably. The posture allows for the let go of the need to act or think. Heal yourself by doing nothing and simply be. Each posture allows you to explore the depth of your breath and the vastness of your spirit. This is a wonderful practice for those who have chronic fatigue, mental stressed, compromised immunity, injuries and chronic health condition.

GENTLE

Yoga postures are taught in an environment geared toward restoration, healing and relaxation. Perfect for beginners, those recovering from injury, or those just needing a gentler practice. Emphasis on gentle strength building, flexibility, and the use of the breath to relax and renew.

YIN

A meditative, healing practice. Intensify your yoga by holding poses to allow for longer, deeper stretching. A great complement to an active (Yang) practice.Yin yoga bypasses the muscles and allow you to nourish and strengthen the deeper tissues. Connective tissues, fascia, joints, ligaments and bones receive gentle, low load stress. The poses are held between 2-5 minutes or longer and the muscles stay passive in order to pass the stress on to the deeper tissues. Each Yin pose is an opportunity to go inward and meditate. It is a wonderful complement to an active (Yang) practice and a much needed tool for anyone who need to unwind tight body, mind and heart.

PRE/POSTNATAL YOGA

Within you there is an intuitive wisdom which understands the natural process of birth. We help you reconnect with this wisdom, guiding you through a class specifically designed for the journey of pregnancy. Linking yoga postures with the breath will lead you to experience your changing body in a positive way, and bring awareness to the mind, body and spirit, and also the spirit of your baby. The class is conducted in a calm, peaceful environment and will help strengthen the uterus and pelvic muscles, improve circulation, aid in digestion, exercise the spine and increase overall comfort. Yoga can also alleviate many of the discomforts of pregnancy such as nausea, constipation, varicose veins, swelling, back pain and sciatica. A safe, open community allows you to freely discuss any issues, from discomforts and concerns, to the wonderful new changes your body and baby are experiencing.

COMMUNITY YOGA

Vinyasa Flow for a Mixed Levels class open to all. $8 cash only, donations accepted, free to members. Teachers donate their time to make this class affordable and Downtown Yoga Shala donates proceeds of this class to a designated local charity for the month.

YOGA FOR ATHLETES

This class encourages a healthy balance of strength training, flexibility, and mental focus for athletes through careful sequencing of traditional yoga postures. In this practice we emphasize core strength, hip and hamstring flexibility, and safe body alignment to reduce the risk of injuries in your activities outside the studio. Whether you are a cyclist with lower back pain, a hiker with sore hip flexors, or a runner with a tight IT band; no matter if you are at your fittest or are accomodating an injured knee; this class will work with your needs to support your active lifestyle.

YOGA MEETS DANCE

Yoga Meets DanceTM is an outrageously fun and simple healing synergy of yoga, free and guided dance, community-building and stillness meditation. It is a sacred, sensual, and silly celebration of life that deeply relaxes the body and mind, and powerfully opens the heart. It provides a workout that never feels like exercise as you move effortlessly to exotic world beat rhythms in a non-competitive environment, make new friends, and cleanse away negativity. It’s for all ages, shapes, and sizes; for non-dancers, lovers of yoga, and those with two left feet. No experience needed.

YOGA TUNE UP®

Yoga Tune-Up is a format that accelerates and increases the healing benefits of Yoga by combining elements of yoga, calisthenics, body therapy, and stress reduction. The poses, sequences and routines found in Yoga Tune-Up very quickly identify and strengthen ‘body blind-spots’ – integrating these blind spots relieves imbalance, furthers our practice, and heals our injuries. This class can be used for the beginner looking to get in shape, or for the experienced Yogin furthering their development in the actions of poses and end-range of motion. On a physiological level, Yoga Tune-Up brings the body/mind/emotion into harmony, attuning with our own highest self.

ANUSARA

Founded by John Friend in 1997, Anusara Yoga® is a powerful hatha yoga system that unifies a Tantric philosophy of intrinsic Goodness with Universal Principles of Alignment™. Classes are taught according to student level from basic to advanced. We will work on building strong foundations and safely moving into postures. Postures to be practiced range from begining asana to more advanced arm balaNces and backbends. Emphasis of the heart is is always strong.

IYENGAR

Iyengar Yoga, created by B.K.S. Iyengar, is a form of yoga known for its use of props, such as belts and blocks, as aids in performing asanas (postures). It focuses on the structural alignment of the physical body through the development of asanas. Iyengar Yoga is characterized by great attention to detail and precise focus on body alignment. Iyengar pioneered the use of “props” such as cushions, benches, blocks, straps, and even sand bags, which function as aids allowing beginners to experience asanas more easily and fully than might otherwise be possible without several years of practice. Props also allow tired or ill students to enjoy the benefits of many asanas via fully “supported” methods requiring less muscular effort.

IYENGAR FLOW

Main emphasis of the practice is on developing sensitivity and awareness of how the mind-body-breath interacting systems works. Various instruments and techniques are used to achieve it. Chanting and pranayama start the class followed by variations of Sun Salutations.. In the first book about asanas Hatha Yoga Pradipika written in 15th century, special attention is given to inversions. B.K..S. Iyengar also says that headstand is the king of the asanas and shoulder stand is the queen. Therefore, inversions are given in each class and taught with detailed instructions and precision. Alignment in postures is a key point and helps to develop more strength and flexibility without injuries, while providing proper use of muscle, ligaments, and tendon with improved flow of energy. Use of props helps beginners to come into the pose correctly, easily, and to receive effects sooner.

BEGINNER ASHTANGA VINYASA

Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga is a dynamic and challenging form of hatha yoga, with a set sequence of poses. Each pose is linked to the next through a series of connecting movements called vinyasa, allowing the body to create heat and leading to more flexibility. Smooth, deep breathing (ujjayi), gaze (dristi) and locks (bandhas) are synchronized with the movements. This powerful and vigorous practice purifies and realigns the body, cultivating a feeling of inner peace, and leading to a natural state of meditation. Beginner Ashtanga Vinyasa is introduction to the sequence of postures that make up the Primary Series of Ashtanga Vinyasa in the tradition of K. Patthabi Jois, and a good place to start your practice. Students learn the fundamentals of moving with the breath and maintaining concentration. The sequence is a modified sequence, focusing on basic poses that allows gradual introduction into the Primary Series.  Some yoga experience is helpful. “Ashtanga is 1%  theory and 99% practice.” – K. Pattabhi Jois.

MEDITATION

Meditation opens us up to a space beyond our thinking nature. When wepractice regularly, it releases stress, quiets the mind and creates an opportunity for us to experience deeper peace, stillness and higher levels of awareness within ourselves and the environment around us. Anaghan will be teaching a simple mantra meditation technique for people who have a desire to learn and practice meditation regularly.

Click here to sign up for a class.